I discover the author with The Watcher, that you could call a psychological thriller. Marlie, only survivor of a serial killer, is convinced her sister has disappeared and not just run way, and she hires a private investigator specialist of missing persons to find her.

I’ll begin with a rant. Those who have read my reviews know that I don’t like first person POV, and I don’t like the (bad) surprise when nothing in the synopsis suggested this style. And what’s more here the text is in the present tense, which can be okay when speaking, but first person + present tense is a style I find especially unpleasant to read.

Marlie, the heroine, always seems to hesitate between being strong and break with her memories. I thought that given what she went through it was a post traumatic behavior totally believable.
Kenai, the hero, is shown as dark, closed, insensitive, and as the story is at the first person we never know if it’s the real deal, except for one moment late in the story. In consequence he also seems contemptuous toward the heroine until she stops her sarcasms and she gives him a piece of her mind.
I never really had the feeling they had anything between them apart from a strong attraction, and I must say I didn’t believe in their couple.

As for the investigation I had guessed who was the responsible person very quickly, I was only hesitating about the exact reason. Some developments went nowhere, and Kenai didn’t seem up to his reputation as an excellent detective. However Marlie’s nightmares about her kidnapping and her confrontation with the serial killer, then the scenes with the current culprit, are well written and chilling (and could shock sensitive readers).

So it’s a novel which fell flat for me, too bad.

The characters were likable and the story line was ok. I just really felt the story was contrived. She hires a detective and he can not understand how the bad guys keep finding her, even when he hides her in out of the way places. The first time they found her, I thought "tracker". There were other illogical scenes in the book that really bothered me

Marlie wants to just forget the bad experience of her kidnapping but her book is out there and it just can't be put aside. Then her sister is kidnapped and every bad thing comes screaming back. She must find Kaity and deal with the psychological effects of her experiences. Then she calls on Kenai a real tracker to help and fireworks begin as they rush to stop and further deaths by a serial killer who could take Kaity away forever.

CHRIST-ON-A-CRACKER I thought book one was amazeballs but this one surpassed even that! Fantastically well written and paced. Interesting and unique plot. It had twists and turns (I did Sherlock who the baddie was quite early...go me). It was dark. It was twisted. It was gag worthy. It had a couple of hot sex scenes.

It also had two extremely likable main characters. Although I wanted to nut punch Kenai (how in the hell do you pronounce that name??) for the first 30% of the book. He was a massive asshole. That said Marlie was da bomb and stood up to him and gave him attitude right back. That helped to soften my dislike for Kenai.

I am now chomping at the bit for book three. Two HUGE thumbs up from yours truly.

Thank you for the opportunity to read The Watcher.

After reading 72 hours, I can definitely say that I enjoyed this one much more. There was a good balance between romance and thriller in this one. I would recommend this to my friends!

Marlie tries to live a quiet life after she was kidnapped and tortured by a serial killer. Once her sister disappears, she hires Kenai to help her find Kathie. Kenai is hot and unfortunately broody. Which makes their time together on a trip to find Marlie’s sister extremely uncomfortable. Marlie is determined to make Kenai smile and like her, which she finally accomplishes, not before she reveals some of her struggles.

The book touches a hard topic but is beautifully written and so worth the read. You won’t be disappointed.

I get goosebumps just remembering what happened in the book, The Watcher by Bella Jewel. I was on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, dying to know what was going to happen next. A great suspenseful thriller, that will have your heart racing page after page! Definitely a book that kept me seconding guessing who can be trusted.

This book was just okay for me. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it but I am still rather disappointed because I had really expected to love it. After reading Bella Jewel's previous book, 72 Hours, in a single afternoon, I really expected this book to be a similar experience. I felt somewhat detached from the story and was never completely pulled in. I did want to see how everything would work out but it was never a book that was too hard to set aside.

Marlie spends each day living with what happened to her when she was kidnapped. It is really a miracle that she is alive today after her ordeal. She was taken by a serial killer and none of his previous victims survived. She made it out but lives with the ramifications every day. She leads a simple life in a small town and never wants to return to the town where her nightmares happened. When she learns that her sister is missing, she knows that she must do just that.

Marlie hires Kenai, a private investigator, to help her find her sister. They start out on their trip to find her not caring for each other very much. Things change as they work together for a while and they soon become a couple. I have to admit that I was never sold on Marlie and Kenai as a couple. I didn't really feel a lot of chemistry between them and they seemed to go from hate to love before I could blink.

This book was really a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed some parts of the book. My favorite parts were the parts that described her ordeal with the serial killer. Some of those scenes were truly frightening yet entertaining. There were also parts that I didn't care for as much. Some of the action scenes with Kenai and Marlie were a bit too far fetched and didn't seem realistic. I was also really disappointed that I was able to figure out who the bad guy was really early in the book so when the big reveal happened in the book, there was no surprise for me.

I do think that a lot of people will enjoy this story more than I did. It had a lot of good moments for me despite the problems that I had with it. I would definitely read more from Bella Jewel in the future.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

OMG!! Hands down this is the best serial killer series ever written. Marlie was mentioned briefly in 72 Hours and Wild Child as more of a side note. Now we have her full story and her experience with a serial killer is brave and terrifying. Years after she escaped her tormentor her sister goes missing presumably with a boyfriend and a scary involvement with drugs. There's a lot Marlie never knew about her attacker but it starts to come into focus once she and her tracker for hire, Kenai, start digging around. I found myself riveted to my seat and finding every moment to read the book. This story stands alone from the others but if you enjoyed this you will love the others. **ARC copy from Netgalley, this review was voluntarily written.

This book was unbelievable. It has a little romance but is most definitely a thriller. It took me a long twisty journey.Marlie is one of the strongest female character that I have read in a long time. When anyone else would have long ago broken she keeps fighting. I often found myself literally sitting on the edge of my sofa holding my breath and reading as fast as possible. This book is not for the faint of heart. There are some disturbing scenes in this book. However, if you love mysteries and thrillers then this is the book for you.

This story was not for me; Did not enjoy the description of her torture. Did not enjoy her character at all or his. And I figured early that Hannah was involved.

4 out of 5 stars

Bella Jewel’s THE WATCHER is an edge of your seat suspense filled with emotions that will test your ability to read on. Even though I knew who the villain was from the beginning Bella Jewels ability to make the readers questions is that really the person or am I wrong bring in twist that will keep your reading late into the night.
Bella Jewel has the ability to create a dark story that will pull at the readers heart strings as well as the romance between the two man leads. The romance keep the readers finding the light in the darkness.

This is my first book by Bella Jewel and I can't wait to read more.
Advance Copy from Netgally for my honest thoughts

I read a lot of books and it's hard to find a book that makes me want to stay up all night to read BUT I was pleasantly surprised when I read the first chapter of this book . I didn't want to stop!!!! Its the perfect thriller. Marlie and Kenai are likable characters, serial killer is freaky and the story just flows. Loved it ! I would highly recommend this book . Perfect sit by the pool and relax read! Look forward to now looking up other books by Bella Jewel.

Seven years ago Marlie Jacobson was kidnapped and tortured by a serial killer but Marlie was the one that ended the killer’s reign when she fought back and killed the man torturing her. Now Marlie lives all alone away from her family to hide from being in the public eye after her mother had written a book detailing Marlie’s nightmare which has brought up a bit of resentment between the two from using her ordeal for profit.

However, when Marlie receives a phone call from a friend back home that her sister is missing Marlie puts her resentment towards her mother aside and returns to do whatever she can to find her sister. When the police seem to be stalling on the case not believing there is any danger Marlie hires Kenai Michelson, a world renowned investigator. Marlie insists that Kenai take her with him to investigate the disappearance despite her anxiety and pain she deals with daily determined to find her sister no matter what it costs.

The Watcher by Bella Jewel is a romantic suspense read which of course meant that the main characters in the story would also begin a relationship while they working on the case. Unfortunately that would be the one small issue I had with the entire story, I just didn’t care for the overly explicit sexual content even though there wasn’t too much involved. I think maybe for me I just would have preferred with Marlie’s trauma in the past a cleaner romance between the two would have set better with her personality.

However, with that complaint aside I completely enjoyed the story of the kidnapping and the characters chasing clues to find out what happened. This is my second read by Bella Jewel and I rather enjoy her writing style finding myself completely engaged in the suspense rather quickly. I had my guesses from early on too and was somewhat right but it took the story unfolding to completely get to the right conclusion so it kept me engaged all throughout.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Will you ever be free? Marlie doesn't know if she could ever live a normal life again, she still has nightmares and fears that the man that tried to kill will be back. But she killed him but she just knows that someone wants her to play. She knows that he is back as he has taken her sister Kaitlyn and she needs help to find her as she knows what the killer will do to her. There is only one man that can help but he is bossy, mean and so hot. He doesn't want to know her story, she needs to leave but Marlie needs him. Kenai knows that she is big trouble but he has some spare time and he wants to see how things go. She gets under his skin and he has no idea how to keep her under control, she talks too much doesn't listen and does her own thing. The next two weeks are going to be so hard to get through. The more they dig, the stranger things become, did her sister just run away with her druggie boyfriend or has a killer taken her? Marlie knows that she can trust him but she is so afraid and she can't handle to be touched but maybe this will be different?
They learn so much more about her kidnapper and his family and it all falls into place. You have to be careful of who you can trust. A really good story. Marlie is an incredible woman that has been through much and yet she won't give up on finding her sister, she has lots of guts to go through that gain. Kenai is the dark silent type that just wants to get things done but he falls for this woman that drives him insane. Can they ever get a chance at happiness together as they both have baggage? The killer showed themselves halfway through I wonder how many people guessed? I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house. Welcome to the world of Bella, she can change it up between genres.

Oh I liked this I really did. This exceeded my expectations in comparison to 72 Hours. After reading 72 Hours and seeing a glimpse of Marlie and what happened to her. I needed this book. Lucky me I got an ARC.
Marlie Jacobson the one who get away, the brave one. The one who was used by her own mother for fame is trying to live a normal life. Her past has caught up with her because she has found out that her sister Kaitlyn is missing.
And so Ms. Jewel creates a wonderful web of action, suspense, romance and keeping you on the edge of your seat. By starting out in Denver we travel and see what a cat and mouse game has been created. The heroine’s pain, fear and strength really came off the pages. Made me the bleeding heart that I am. I guessed some things but not the depth of how twisted the minds can be so yes unexpected peeps. Unexpected.
Marlie is such a strong female character. She is brave, fierce and once again faces all of her fears. There was no point in time where I didn’t like her or feel for her.
Kenai Michelson is one of the best trackers there are after losing his sister he has made it his life mission to help as many missing people as he can. The one person he never expected to see in his office is Marlie.
Kenai is a strong Hero and he did everything in his power to help her. Even play devil’s advocate. What I wasn’t particularly keen on was that they antagonised one another so much it ruined most of the interactions they had with one another. And boy was he a judgemental sod. HE improved so HE is forgiven.
Now you all know me and when something bothers me I can’t seem to let it go and there were things that bothered me. but they won't be mentioned.

I recommend this book and I can’t wait for the next one to come out. If these are anything to go by then it should be a hit.

The Watcher is a great suspense/romance. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed the author's style of writing.

An exciting and thrilling suspenseful romance. totally great!!

The beginning of this story had my head buried in my Ipad so engrossed that when someone entered the room they scared the heck out of me!! Marlie Jacobson survived an inconceivable horror from a madman so depraved he gave me the chills!! Now Marlie's sister Kaity is missing and it's a race against time to find out what happened to her. Marlie teams up with private investigator Kenai Michelson. They travel cross country in search of answers. This is where, for me, the story gets a bit slow. The story does pick up and I find myself once again engrossed in the action and suspense. You will not see the ending coming!!