A strongly plotted mystery with intriguing characters.

I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW.
Part steamy read, part psychological thriller, all overwrought. The book is a mix of an inside-the-head serial killer novel like YOU and a more traditional New Adult Romance. From the first few pages, I knew where the novel was headed and who each character was, which left the journey through the book feeling a wee bit boring. If you're into stalker fiction, give this one a try; otherwise, not recommended.

I was invited to read this book by St, Martin's Press. My first book by this Author. You are introduced to Kate as a 38 year old divorced Professor at a small College teaching a writing class. You are then introduced to Sam, a 22 year old student in this class. While Kate is attracted to Sam she knows it would be career suicide to become involved with him. Sam's obsession with Kate predates him being in her class. and runs to the extreme. An intense page turner. I recommend it. Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.

An enjoyable thriller, full of suspense! Kate’s life takes a turn for the worse as her husband goes off with a younger woman and her writing career stalls. Sam, a student of hers and much younger than her, becomes obsessed with her and she with him. Sam is totally evil, removing anyone who stands in the way of his getting close to Kate. He is a very scary character! But I thought he was far more interesting than Kate. The story is told from each of their points of view and there are some gripping moments.

Watch Me delves into how far one would go to get what he/she wants. Told from two different narrators, who each have their own issues. Kate who is at a vulnerable point in her life and Sam who would like to take advantage of that vulnerability. In this game of cat and mouse not everyone can get what they want. Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for my ARC copy.

Creepy page turner. I was sucked in from the very beginning and to the end.

This was an OK read for me. Not terrible, not great. The plot has been done numerous times.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to Read Watch Me by Jody German.
This is a fast paced book written in two voices - Sam and Kate.- Kate is a professor and Sam is a student. Kate is feeling lost and is losing her grip - Sam is watching her, waiting, and wanting her....he really wants her!
This book is a delicious treat - I read this in one night.
Recommend.

Really enjoyed this story! Well written! Looking forward to reading more by this author!

This book was good but I really felt it was too predictable. It read fast but left you wanting something. I can't say I hated it but I really didn't love it.

*3.5 stars*

Sam is obsessed with author Kate Youngblood. He's an undergraduate in her creative writing seminar, and he believes that they will seen fall in love and have a fantastic, infamous life together. Lots of people harbor secret fantasies, but for Sam, this is just reality not yet into play. And he will stop anyone who will get in his way ...

We get alternating POVs from both Kate and Sam. I found Sam's narrative most compelling because of his dark, violent past. Readers know right away that this isn't a love story gone awry. There's something just ... not right with Sam. His drug-addicted mother even knows this. Even Kate begins to get an inkling as their lives intertwine, yet this knowledge doesn't stop her from wanting to spend more time with Sam.

I wanted to like Kate more as a character, but she's often immature and unsure of herself, cringing at her "invisibility" as she creeps toward 40. Her self-preservation skills seem to be at a resounding zero for most of the book, which is what made the ending (no spoilers!) unbelievable for me.

I did wish there was more differentiation between POVs. Kate and Sam often notice the same details, even describing other characters in a nearly identical manner. There is a connection between the two, yes, but I don't believe that they share twin mindsets.

There's also an unsettling hero worship of sociopaths/murderers running through this book, which makes it interesting to read, but didn't quite get beyond the surface of the narrative. I just wanted more.

*Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC*

4.25 seriously disturbing stars

Not sure what it says about me that I enjoyed spending time in the mind of crazy... there is just something I find enjoyable (for lack of a better word) when people like Sam justify their crazy actions in their own mind....

Sam is definitely completely out of his mind.... he has spent the past five years planning his perfect life with Kate, the problem is Kate and Sam have never even met... Kate is a lesser known author, but after Sam saw her picture on the back of a book cover, he just knew they were meant to be!

Sam takes stalking to the next level... however, Kate( who I am assuming is an intelligent woman because she is an English professor) doesn’t seem to clue into this when it seems fairly obvious.... and then even when she does clue in she seems more flattered than anything else, I think this just encouraged Sam even more....

Ironically I really actually like Sam more than Kate in this book, he did have a certain charm to him(Please keep in mind I have extremely bad taste in men).... Kate was really hard for me to read and very hard for me to relate to, I almost would have preferred a book from only Sam’s perspective.... perhaps then I would have more empathy for Kate..... The very ending to this book was ironic and perfect!

This book definitely is not for everybody, but if you enjoy twisted, disturbed, and interesting characters, I’d recommend this to you!

** i’d like to thank Net Galley and St Martins Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review...

I have been waiting all year for a book like this. I am so happy that I got a chance to read this before it's release because it was so damn amazing. If you enjoyed You by Caroline Kepnes, then you are going to devour Watch Me by Jody Gehrman. I'm pretty sure I said that You was one of my favorite books, but I think this story just blew that one out of the water. 

Kate Youngblood is a Creative Writing professor at a local college, she's sort of just there, in a way. She likes her job but feels that most of her students are just drifting along, not really caring about the work that they do. Then Sam comes to class, he's charming, smart, and an extremely talented writer. Probably one of the best writers that have strolled through the classroom doors in a very long time. 

What Kate doesn't know, is that Sam's been watching her, he knows exactly what she wants, needs, and desires. He knows where she lives, and he is going to do whatever he can to make her his, even if that means killing anyone who comes near her. 

As their relationship becomes more friendly, and less student/professor, Kate's guard comes down, and she welcomes Sam into her life. He's extremely talented, and pretty handsome after all. He seems to always know what to say, and where to be. The two run into each other constantly, so there must be some sort of sign she keeps missing. When Kate's new boyfriend ends up murdered, she's the usual suspect, but she can't figure out how this could have happened, who would have hated him so much that they wanted him dead? 

Then Sam gets clumsy, his web of deception starts to unravel, and he may be losing his momentum. He hopes Kate doesn't find out that he's the one behind every misplaced item, every random occurrence that pulls he and Kate together.  When the glass finally cracks, and Sam's mask comes off, the situation heightens so quickly that your head will be spinning.

It's not often that a book makes my mouth hang open in shock, but this one did it for me. I especially loved that there is a dual narrative in this book, so you get to watch Sam as he obsesses over Kate, and you get to see how Kate reacts to a seemingly innocent student. I just want to hug this author, she did an exceptional job. I give this 5 out of 5 stars, plus many more. Thank you so much Netgalley for providing this book for me to devour.

Kate Youngblood is a professor in her late 30s who, after a successful debut novel, has not written anything of note. She has recently been through a divorce and is starting to feel unattractive and invisible. When her new student Sam Grist starts showing a deep interest in her, Kate is both attracted to him and aware that a relationship with him would destroy her career. But as she gets to know Sam more, she comes to realize his obsession with her might threaten more than her job.

Watch Me can be described as a "stalker book". I have not read famous examples of this genre such as You, so I can't compare, but Watch Me really worked for me. It was a fast and thrilling read, with chilling moments and interesting chracters. Jody Gehrman played really well with several themes, making them overlap: forbidden attraction, toxic relationships, dangerous obsession.

The story is told from Kate's and Sam's point of views and I enjoyed both of them. Sam was creepy but also disturbingly fascinating. Most of the time his thoughts and actions made me shudder, but he also had a dark sense of humour which was amusing. While reading I knew he was bad, but sometimes I almost felt sorry for him. Kate was also quite good: she was naive and made some very dumb decisions, but I could understand her way of thinking and acting. I also liked the fact that she had a darker side, which explained her attraction to Sam.

Another thing I liked was the thematic of writing. Both Kate and Sam are writers and there are many parts which deal with this passion, its problems and allures and so on. Their interest felt believable and was very interesting to read about.

Overall, a solid thriller, good for a fast and entertaining read. Recommended.

Interesting twist on a stalking scenario. Written in alternating first-person narratives, we get inside both the main characters' heads---College prof Kate Youngblood and her student Sam Grist. To say their relationship is strained---and disturbing---doesn't quite cover it. These are flawed characters who battle through mixed emotions, needs, fears, and complex past histories. A fast read and a fascinating story

DP Lyle, award-winning author, lecturer, story consultant

Kate Youngblood is a young professor at Blackwood College teaching Creative Writing. She is in her 30’s and has had 2 novels published. The first a complete success, her second much less so and she is now on her third which she fears is also lack lustre. Kate is newly divorced after being replaced with a younger, prettier woman; struggling with the publication of her book; worried about gaining tenure at the college and to top it all, concerned about her identity. Sam Grist is one of her students to the Creative Writing course, but more than that, he is the brightest of her students and from the moment he read her first book he has become obsessed with her.

Kate and Sam are the two voices which carry the story. Kate is fairly dismissive of her students, she has disparaging names for them and her focus is on Sam who she recognises as being a talented writer with great potential. It doesn’t hurt that he is very attractive. It certainly is more intriguing when he clearly admires her and not just for her talent, he makes her feel alive again, attractive. Kate’s best friend is pregnant and when the baby arrives Kate realises that she has effectively lost a friend as her sole focus becomes her son.

Sam’s point of view clearly reveals his obsession with Kate. He is totally dismissive of advances made by a pretty student in his group deeming her stupid and vacuous. His behaviour reveals that he is dangerous.

I didn’t really like either of the characters. To a degree Sam was more interesting as his back-story is revealed and he starts to unravel. Kate irritated me. She bangs on about tenure and knowing that a relationship with Sam is fraught with danger, but hey-ho she still allows him to dominate her thinking and to a degree her actions. Get a grip! She is totally self-absorbed – more than that, she just seems to take reckless risks. As for the closing section…

Having said all that, it is a good book that holds your interest and it is well-structured. I would recommend the book because Sam’s obsession does provide tension. Don’t read it if you are offended by bad language is my only warning. I have given it 3 stars but would have made it 3.5 if I could


Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I didn't care for this book. From the beginning there was just too much cussing for me. I dicided not to finish the book after my second try.

I was kind of underwhelmed with this book. I was expecting something like The Boy Next Door movie with Jennifer Lopez being a teacher and having relations with a young man. I was also expecting it to be sort of my guilty pleasure kind of book but something was missing. Sam Grist, an overly obsessed student , will do anything it takes to ensure that he and his professor Kate Youngblood end up together. After Kate finds out the things Sam does like ruining her career, and murdering a guy she went on a couple dates with, she still has some kind of feelings for him because he makes her feel wanted?? I can see where attracting attention from any hot guy when you've gotten older and don't seem to have anyone to impress can be fun and all, but to feel some attraction towards a psychopath is just nuts. That would be a turn off to me. I was hoping for a little more intensity from this book. Not necessarily having some crazy blowout sex scene between Sam and Kate but at least more tension between a forbidden love. I don't know how to put it, but this was just kind of meh...

Watch Me by Jody Gehrman has two main characters and deals with obsession. One character was crazy and I just couldn't connect with the other. Early in the story Kate says "I recognize shit when I read it." That pretty much sums up my feelings about Watch Me. I was given an early copy to review.

First, I have to say this book felt kid of surreal reading about an author and her stalker ;)

While the premise started off great, the dual 1st person POV, was a bit distracting and I really only cared about Sam's POV. His mind is fascinating and makes for a real page turner. While Kate's sections just fell flat to me as she came across a bite too naive and unintelligent.