3.5 stars. Watch Me is a story about Kate, who is a professor at Blackwood College, who is being stalked by her most promising student, Sam Grist. Sam has spent years planning the perfect life with Kate; watching her, wanting her and working his way into her life.

This book was certainly creepy, but the main character Kate kind of annoyed me. I have to assume that because she is a professor at a college that she is fairly intelligent, however you wouldn't know that by some of her actions throughout the book. Then when she goes kind of figure out Sam's creepy ways, it doesn't disturb her like it should, which only encourages Sam more. The book is told from both of their perspectives and some of Sam's language just wasn't my favorite. His point of view almost reads like letters to Kate, which was a bit confusing at first. The book did remind me a lot You by Caroline Kepnes, which I really enjoyed, but it also was fairly disturbing.

Overall, this was an interesting plot, a creepy and disturbing one, but interesting none the less. The alternating perspectives give the reader an idea about what is going on with both characters in this book. The reason for the 3.5 stars is I kind of feel like I have read this plot before in You.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Not sure what to say about this book as some parts were really good and others weren't hence the 3 star review

When I first read the description for Watch Me on Netgalley, by Jody Gehrman, the book sounded right up my alley, even though I had never heard of the author. I figured she was probably a debut author. But now I see that she is a playwright AND the author of eleven previous books. Which is surprising. But seeing how at least one is a YA novel and most of the reviews for her books call them "fun," I see why I may not have picked her up in the past.

But seriously, it's surprising that this is her first thriller because it was pretty spot on. That said, I wasn't personally a huge fan of Kate. Maybe it's because she is the type of adult I don't really identify with. She just seemed kind of whiny and oblivious to the fact that her student Sam is obsessed with her and will be the end of her career if she isn't careful.

She's in her late thirties, recently divorced from her husband (who left her for a younger woman) and is clearly jealous of her best friend's new baby and all the attention she is giving her family over Kate, her best friend. I mean, I get it, I just find it so odd that someone would actually still be so immature as they approach middle age that they need to feel wounded somehow that their best friend would actually like to build a foundation and a life.

So Kate isn't amazing. But the book was a surprisingly solid thriller. I believed that Sam was a real person (albeight bat shit crazy) and I even believed Kate was a real person even though she really kind of sucked as a person. There weren't a lot of twists and turns, but I appreciated how the story progressed and built to a satisfying end.

So, if you are a thriller reader, check this one out, it's worth the read. If you are a Jody Gehrman fan, probably check it out although it certainly sounds like a departure from her previous work. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

Sam Grist has met his "one," in his mind anyway, and has been planning their future for close to five years now, he is completely consumed with thoughts of her and starting a life with her... now he just has to work up the nerve to actually talk to her and formally meet her...

College professor Kate Youngblood has hit an all time low, first her husband leaves her for another woman, a younger version at that, and now her second novel has tanked. She is lonely, heartbroken about her husband replacing her, and craves a little attention... little does she know she has drawn the attention of one of her students, and he has plans for her!

When you settle down with this one prepared to have your mind toyed with and your boundaries pushed... Watch Me is quite an intense thriller!! It is certain to captivate your attention from the very first page, and with each page that follows the more addicted you will become, it had me teetering on the edge of my seat the whole way through. This was my first experience with this authors work, and I have to say I was quite impressed with what I found, her well crafted tale kept me completely enthralled from start to finish! Highly recommend this one, it's sure to take you on a thrilling literary escape!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

Hmm. This was a book full of mentally unsound people. It had a lot of similarities to You by Caroline Kepnes, but didn’t impact me quite the same. If I hadn’t got the chance to read it early, I question if I ever would have been interested, and I don’t regret reading it but it’s also something I’d probably never talk about or recommend. The idea of being the main focus of someone so unstable is a terrifying concept though, and I feel it is written in such a believable way, what is unbelievable though is how it’s receiced, even when aware of the severity.

Kate Youngblood is an Author and College professor whose husband has left her for a younger woman. She is a lonely and sad woman who appears to have only one friend. To add to her melancholy, her second book bombed which was a huge let down as her first novel was a big success. She is just going through life when she notices one of her students taking notice of her.

Sam Gist is a promising student and writer himself. He has a dark talent that comes in second to his dark intentions. He has been watching Kate, making observations about her, wanting her and inserting himself in her life. Soon Kate has noticed Sam and has also noticed that she gets a thrill out of his attentions. But she is his professor and they are living in a small town. She needs to remain a professional and attempt to move on and rebuild her life. Sam is not deterred. He is determined to be in her life and continues to insert himself into situations where he will have contact with Kate.

This book is told through both characters POV in alternating chapters. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if the book was mostly Sam's POV with maybe Kate's POV told in the beginning, middle and end of the book. Sam is a creepy, troubled person and his story was much more interesting. I also found I wanted more backstory on him and his mother. I felt there were some plot holes here. I also wanted to know what she knew about a character from the past who disappeared as she questions him this individual.

Dare I say that I wished this book had been darker and creepier. If Sam has a dark and violent past, let's see him go a little more over the edge in this. I found that obsession books have been done before and this didn't bring anything new to the table. Sam was interesting character. I found Kate to be flat and a little boring. The writing in this book is good but I found that I wanted more - more of Sam's backstory and more drama.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting story about a young man obsessed with his literature professor and her own compulsive thoughts about him. There was a subplot about the antagonist's mother that needed to be tied up. There were moments that I had to check back to see the chapter POV because the language sounded the same. I didn't buy the final conclusion.

I had not read anything by Jody Gehrman before, but I shall be looking out for her books as I really like her writing style.
This psychological thriller tells of Sam Grist who is an outstanding creative writer in the college class run by Kate Youngblood. Kate is late 30s, worn out, feeling dejected after her husband left her for a younger woman. Sam is the only person who makes Kate'sit up and take notice as his writing is so intriguing and raw..Soon Kate realizes that Sam seems to have a crush on her and she is flattered, as even her best friend is now a new mom, and can't have the girls night out fun that they used to enjoy together. But Kate knows she should not allow this student teacher fatuation to develop, but is drawn to Sam. This thriller will keep you reading late into the night as the story has good flow and you wonder how involved Kate will allow herself to get with her young student..

3.5 Stars - I wish Goodreads had half star ratings

Kate Youngblood is an English professor at a small college in a sleepy town. She is recently divorced after a 10 year marriage and trying to find her way in the dating pool.. She had a very successful published novel, however her second novel was a complete failure. In her mid 30s she is starting to feel a little cast aside and not as recognized like she used to be. Then along comes Sam.

Sam Grist is one of her students. Charismatic and charming to Kate, there is something mysterious about him that draws her in. He makes her feel noticed and alive for the first time in years. Kate knows how inappropriate it is, she knows that she should keep her distance, but Sam keeps showing up at places where Kate is. Her friend's party, a play at the college, and then her house. It gets to the point where Kate starts to become a little concerned, but she's drawn to him like a magnet and feels stuck. Kate has to decide how far to let Sam into her life, if she even has a choice.

This book slowly drew me in. It took a couple of days for me to get into it. Once I did I was hooked until the very end. The chapters alternate between Kate and Sam's perspective and they are both disturbing for different reasons. Sam is clearly mentally ill but for some reason relatable. Kate is unable to make her mind up about him and I was able to relate to her inner turmoil.

I would recommend this book. I think certain parts could have been expanded on a bit more. I really liked Zoe's character and a couple of chapters towards the end from her perspective would have been a refreshing break from only hearing from Kate and Sam. It would have added a nice twist to the story.

"Watch Me" is a thriller that follows a 38 year old professor (Kate) and her 22 year old student (Sam) in alternating first person points of view. Sam has been obsessed with Kate since he he stumbled upon her best selling thriller and has come to her college just to take her class. His obsession is intense and focuses every one of his sections.

Kate is desperately lonely, having gone through a recent divorce and losing her best friend to an infant after an unexpected pregnancy. Kate is struggling to write her next book while fighting for tenure. She begins to like the attention from her student too much and slowly begins to notice something more sinister involved.

This is a solid thriller, but it didn't have the oomph I was expecting at the end, perhaps because relationships were so complicated in this book. Sam's point of view was very creepy and extremely well done, but Kate's didn't feel as polished to me (maybe because she wasn't as put-together as a person). She began to grow towards the end, but early on, she seemed very innocent and naive, more so than I would expect for someone with her experiences (but this may just be me). The book has spans of great intensity and then breaks where it gets much slower and led me to put it down- it wasn't as fast paced as I expected.

Overall, it was a solid thriller built around the premise of forbidden lust. I'm not sure I'd read again as it didn't really catch me, but I know it'll have a good audience elsewhere. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This is an uncomfortable book to read. Kate Youngblood wrote a successful first novel that made her famous but, after her second book tanked, she has been making a living as a creative writing teacher. Sam Grist is her best student. He is raw and very talented. She wants to mentor and tutor him. Sam only wants one thing: Kate. There are two points of view. Kate's in first person and Sam's, written as a second-person account. This reminded me a little of You, so at first it was distracting. Still, this is a different beast. It also deals with obsession and a very rich fantasy life, but the characters are writers. I've said it before, but it bears repeating: writing about writers must be the hard to accomplish. Kate and Sam both have their styles and voices when they discuss literature, so Jody Gehrman is actually three authors in one. The final part is so suspenseful that it made me gasp. But it's the characters and their rich internal life that make this a great novel.

Suspenseful and intriguing. with a creative plot and well developed characters. This was my first book by this author and I am definitely interested in reading more by them.

DNF so will not be rating or reviewing. Thank you for the opportunity to review this title.

The first word that comes to mind is typical. The story has been told before, the characters are stale. I feel like I've read this book over and over. Maybe it's the psychological thriller genre that's stale.

This was the first Jody Gehrman book that I read. When I start reading a book I have to finish it, it is very difficult for my to stop reading a book when I don't like it. This was the case with Watch me, this book was just to dark for me and sometimes scenes took to long to tell. It took me nearly a week to read this book and I am usually a very fast reader. I did not relate to any of the characters.
I thing that I was just not the right reader for this book and that someone else will find this book entertaining and dark enough for them.

Overall good story with adequate suspense. It was slow at times, and the characters could have been developed a bit more.

This is the first book I have read by author Jody Gehrman and to be honest I wasn't sure I was going to like it at first. I was about 20% into the book and then suddenly it had me and I continued reading pretty much straight through.
This is a dark psychological thriller and well worth reading. The main character is Kate Youngblood who is a writing professor at Blackwood college while also trying to make a career as an author. Kate's husband left her for a younger woman and one of her best students, Sam Grist is totally obsessed with her and wants more than a student, teacher relationship. Sam is determined to be part of Kate's life and starts watching her beginning a web of lies and deceit.
This is well written and rather creepy.

A page turner i could not put down.

This psychological thriller took me for a ride, Watch me had everything a good book should have. The plot was on point, the characters were intriguing, the writing style couldn't have been better, I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

Kate Youngblood is a 30-something professor/ writer who is essentially having a middle life crisis, she cant seem to write another hit book, her best friend is now pregnant with a baby and she knows she will soon lose her, and she is just muddling through her life. Then there's Sam who is one of her students, a sexy and mysterious 20-something who is obsessed with her, so much so he begins stalking her. In his warped mind he believes he is protecting and loving her, having these wild fantasies that he will make her fall in love with him and they will move to New York and live happily ever after. UMMM WHAT?!?!?!

Watch Me was such a thrilling yet fascinating read. I enjoyed being in Sam's point of view, getting in the mind of a psychopath was so thrilling for me. The chemistry between characters was so steamy and hot, i enjoyed that the most.

Watch me had it all, the romance factor, the suspense, the thrill, the horror element, and a perfect ending that left you feeling fulfilled.

Thanks you NETGALLEY and everyone involved in letting me enjoy this wonderful book.

He’s been watching her. He knows they belong together. It’s only a matter of time before she will be his.
Five years ago, Sam read Professor Kate Youngblood‘s book for the first time and it was love at first read. Ever since then, every move he’s made has been to get closer to her. Everything he does is for her. He would kill for her, he would die for her. Now, in her creative writing class, his dreams are within arms reach. All his careful plotting and planning has led up to this.
Kate is at a crossroads in life. Her best friend’s brand new spawn has her too preoccupied for Kate. Her ex-husband is about to marry a new, younger beauty. Her work in progress isn’t shaping up to her editor’s expectations.
Though she finds herself unusually attracted to her student, she can see Sam is somewhat disturbed. Nonetheless, he’s a brilliant writer — the first writer with real potential to strut into her classroom. But even as she finds herself more drawn to him, a little warning is going off in her head. When you’re a woman of a certain age, you start to feel invisible. When you feel that watchful gaze from an admirer, when you finally feel seen, it is intoxicating. Will Kate succumb to that feeling or will she heed that voice in her head telling her to run far, far away?

This book was compelling enough to keep reading to see what happens next, but it was easy to walk away from too. It wasn’t the Up All Night To Finish It kind of story. But rather, a steady slow-burn. The characters were mostly unlikable but with just enough redeeming qualities to make them palatable. The plot was predictable but solid. While it was enjoyable, it just wasn’t the kind of story that is going to stick with you. Reading the story as a writer myself I did enjoy the little writerly tidbits — like how even while it was happening Kate noted what a great story this would make if she makes it out alive — but it also had the effect of being self-indulgent. I usually stray away from books about writers for this reason. Overall it was a relatively enjoyable read, but not my cup of tea.


3/5. Thank you to NetGalley, publisher St. Martin's Press, and author Jody Gehrman for the ARC of this book.

This was just an ok read for me. The storyline was promising but much of the "action" was going on in Sam's head, and that was just not a place I wanted to be.

I don't mind novels that are written from multiple points of view, but I found Sam's narration in secondary present first person to be a distraction. Maybe it's just me, and others will enjoy this story more than I did. There really wasn't much of anything "dark and twisty" as promised in the description. I mean yes a psycho stalker is dark, but as far as twisty goes you could pretty much see the path the story was taking, which was slow and straight ahead.