Kate, divorced, teaches creative writing.  She had success with her debut novel but following that one up with another is a bit more challenging.  She is a thirty something who is stuck in a rut and is feeling invisible.  When Sam, a slightly older student show a little more respect, is civil and more attentive than others, Kate pays attention.  She is aware of the teacher-student boundary and does not want to cross the line as her job, career and reputation.  She likes Sam, but doesn't realise his action have all been meticulously planned by Sam, her star pupil.

This is an intriguing as well as an enjoyable creepy psychological thriller.  Creepy and enjoyable are not words i would normally associate, but they work for this book.  Told in quick alternating chapters from the viewpoint of the two main protagonists Kate and Sam.  To be in the head of Sam is quite an interesting perspective and also insightful as he sees no problem with what he is doing. It is quite bizarre thing to admit, but I did actually like his character and felt quite sorry for him.  Jody has done a great job creating quite a complex character with obsessive traits, but also explaining the reasoning behind his actions from his perspective.  Kate however I didn't warm to as much as I thought I would, she felt a little whiny.  It wasn't that I didn't like her, but I think as Sam is such a strong character, Kate felt a little weak in comparison.  

The plot itself is basic in some respects, but has been wonderfully developed with some good twists and unexpected turns.  Its pacing gradually speeds as the story unfolds, but on occasions I did feel that some descriptions were a little long, but that could be me being impatient and greedy in wanting to know what was happening with the characters. 

This is a book that I found enjoyable, creepy and had a good feeling of believability to it.  Ideal for those who like a good suspense psychological thriller and one that I would recommend.I would like to thank St Martin's Press and NetGalley for my copy of this book.  My thoughts are my own and unbiased.

WATCH ME is a story about how far obsession can go. Kate is a writer/professor at a local college who has a stalker named Sam. He isn’t just a stalker, he is her most promising student and is very good looking. Kate and Sam are attracted to each other and that is where the trouble starts.

Kate teaches a writing course at a local college to potential writers. Her husband has just left her for a younger woman and she is pretty lonely. Sam is an English major in Kate’s writing class. Sam is the only one of her students that shows promise as a writer. Kate decides to take Sam under her wing and help him hone his craft.

WATCH ME was told in dual POVs of Sam and Kate. Sam is all dark and his obsession for Kate stems from what he saw in her debut novel. He has been planning and scheming to be part of her life so it’s kind of fun to see him insert himself. Kate is quite alone in this story. Her best friend just had a baby and her husband left her. On top of that she isn’t well liked by some of her colleagues at work. This leaves her very vulnerable to Sam’s charm.

Sam is not only creepy, but downright dangerous. He does things to Kate without her knowledge that really muck up her life. Kate is not very smart for a writer of crime novels. Sam is the least of her suspects despite the fact that everything started happening when she let him into her life. Sam is actually a creepy character but I feel like we only scratched the surface of what he was capable of.

At first I really thought Kate’s stalker might end up being someone else because the author doesn’t name him at first. That would have been exciting. There was some action around the middle of this story but then it kind of face planted. Also, there isn’t much of a romance so Kate’s desire for Sam didn’t hold water for me.

WATCH ME kind of reminded me of YOU by Caroline Kepnes, but it was more like the generic version. Sam is a creepy character but he is also not very likeable. Unless, of course, looks are all you need. He is an aspiring writer and he has big plans for a life with Kate. Kate didn’t have enough substance to really make me like her or see what Sam saw in her. Kate is aspiring to be a tenured professor and her last good book was her debut. Since then, she has written one other not-so-great follow up. This obsession didn’t make much sense to me. Add in the fact that Kate is 38 and Sam is 22 and it only added to my confusion.

This was an okay read. I suppose if I had never read YOU I might have enjoyed the dark character of Sam a bit more. The writing was well done but the character development needed some work.

Ok, now I feel bad. Everybody seems to have loved this book, but I didn't. More than once I willed myself to stop reading it, but I wanted to know how the story ended, if it was going to surprise me or something.

From the beginning of the book, you can sense that it's not going to end well. Sam is obsessed with Kate, and not in a good way. It made me feel uneasy throughout the book.

If you like stalker stories, you will love this.

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Watch Me put a fresh spin on a classic stalker novel, I liked that it had the creepy, unsettling vibes of books like You but that the person being stalked kind of liked it?! As twisted as that sounds it’s true, Kate enjoyed the attention from Sam even as she knew it was seriously messed up. This one was a total one sitting type of read as I was captivated by the forbidden and warped relationship between Sam and Kate.

This is told via dual narratives and it changes back and forth between Sam and Kate with fluidity and ease. Some of Sam’s chapters did become a bit repetitive as his obsession with Kate was literally all he thought about. Kate was a strange one, on the one hand you can see why she was insecure and craving attention but on the other, not only is Sam her student, he’s creepy as all get out and intense to boot. So neither of them are likable but both were endlessly fascinating and the characterization was incredibly well done.

The author nailed the sinister vibe and has a strong, unique voice that worked well for me. The ending wasn’t as strong as I would’ve liked but this was definitely an enjoyable read that left me uneasy and feeling like someone was watching me!

Watch Me in three words: Obsessive, binge worthy and creepy.

This is one creepy tale of obsession and stalking. Told from the POV of both the stalked and the stalker, Jody Gehrman takes us right into their thoughts, motives and the way they feel about each other.

A college English professor and published author, Kate Youngblood is thrilled to discover that she has a very talented student, Sam Grist, in her writing seminar. She has always wanted to discover and nurture a talented younger author with great promise, but little does she know that Sam has been watching her for quite a while and gradually working his way into her world and he hopes into her heart. Kate, recently divorced and struggling with her new novel, also finds herself drawn to handsome, athletic Sam but knows any involvement could spell the end of her career.

This is a disturbing, at times dark psychological thriller. Sam is clearly sociopathic and has built up a fantastical, deluded view of his perfect future. Despite all that he is an interesting, even charming character. Kate I felt was a little naive in not picking up on Sam's signals until late in the novel and not having alarm bells ringingloud and clear, but perhaps she was blinded by her attraction to him and the other issues going on in her life.

This book is disturbing with a capital oh ye gods. And an exclamation trigger warning.

This is, in simplest terms, a Stalker Story. A Thriller, deliciously wrought and hammering with adrenaline and suspense. But honestly, it is so much more than that.

Kate is a professor of English at a college. Her life has been out of sorts since her husband left her for a younger woman. She wrote a wildly successful debut novel and has yet to recreate that magic with another book. Her best friend has a baby, throwing off their entire dynamic. She feels old, unnecessary, wasted.

Then one day she reads a work by one of her students that knocks her flat. After red pen'ing trite story after trite story, she feels like she's found someone with real promise, someone she could mentor, someone who could get her excited about writing again. She's suddenly very interested in Sam. But Sam has been interested in her long before now.

This story is told in alternating points of view, from both Kate and Sam. I love this. Instead of the claustrophobic, bump in the night, are they just super paranoid stories we're used to, we get both the victim and the stalker. We don't need heavy handed foreshadowing, because we already know Sam's motives, his actions, his plans. And we watch him circle closer and closer, we see what Kate is thinking as she's drawn deeper and deeper into a nightmare she can't see coming.

Kate makes some monumentally stupid decisions. Almost to the point of unbelievability, but not really. Her actions feel entirely too human, especially a human whose self worth has been beaten to an all time low at the time of this story.

I had a lot of issues with Kate's reactions and thought processes once she realized what was happening. I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this book to anyone who has experienced stalking, because while I wouldn't say the author romanticized it, there is a certain level of...intoxication, on Kate's part. And I think that may have been the most disturbing part.

But I get it. Kate points out that no one is looking, at her age. And even though he's irrational and incredibly dangerous, he's still looking. And that means something.

The ending was kind of a bummer for me. I think the author could've done so much more with it. But overall, an incredibly solid, spine tingling, goose bump raising story.

Lovers of creepy and unsettling can go and get Watch Me right now!

A 30-years-old writer and English teacher stuck in her life and a student with an unhealthy obsession, what could possibly go wrong?

You can feel early on where the story is going to lead you, yet, Watch Me is one of those books you can’t help but cling to and take to bed with you when you should be asleep! The writing hooked me with goosebumps-giving sentences facing normal and boring life, slowly turning into something more dangerous! Words hinted at things I cringed at, the balance between what I knew and what would happen was strong enough for me not to lose interest despite having a good idea of what to expect.

The split narration between Kate, innocent, lost, and in the middle of a lonely life crisis, and Sam, young, full of hope, talented, and greedy, is a mix you don’t want to miss. Like a Bloody Mary, it burns your throat but you can’t help sipping it, as if your hand had its own mind even though you know you shouldn’t drink it.

Long enough to make you understand each character but short enough to ratchet up the tension, each part gives clues to why Kate and Sam reached this point in their lives. I can’t say I felt much for Kate apart from the fear of becoming someone’s everything. Her rejection of what society expects from women in their thirties and the contrast between her and her best friend was a clever and great touch, both because it is time more and more books looked at what life can be without the usual path we ‘must’ take, but also to explain Kate’s loneliness and emotional state. The repulsion yet envy she found herself feeling at times was so spot-on it can talk to every woman. I was not expecting this to be explored in such a book, so points for the nice surprise!

Then comes the creepiness. Because gosh, it oozes from the pages in a mesmerizing way that forbids you to stop reading. You know you shouldn’t, but you do it anyway. The reader is torn, just like the characters, except we get to live without losing a finger or being tracked by someone…

There is not much I can say without spoiling anything so I’ll keep this one short. Watch Me is a forbidden candy. You know what you are getting into, there is a giant “No Entry” sign, but you get in anyway and you kick off a battle for power, for control, for life.

Great thriller with twists and turns. This story is about Sam who has spent a few years planning his life with an author that he’s never met. He saw her picture on her book cover and knew he had to have her. He is now a student in her class. He’s obsessive and disturbed. This was a dark psychological thriller so it’s not for everyone. You will get into the mind of over the top sociopath with no empathy and will keep you up turning the pages.

Bone chilling. If I could leave just a few words for Jody Gehrman's novel Watch Me, it would be those. From the moment it started, I was completely creeped out. The story follows both Kate Youngblood, professor and author, and Sam Grist, student of Kate and completely obsessed with her.

Kate is single after an ugly divorce, slightly self-conscious, and has a weird attraction to things that are bad for her. Sam Gist is 100 percent crazy. That about sums him up. From the moment I met him, which half the book is his part of view, I was completely freaked out. He is the exact definition of stalker. Author Jody Gehrman writes Sam in a way that had me looking over my shoulder as I read. I was convinced she had stalked someone to prepare for this novel. Likely untrue, but completely convincing. There were so many red flags going off in my head while reading Watch Me. I was constantly screaming at Kate as she made poor decision after poor decision in the beginning, and then screaming encouragement as she started to put Sam's creepy pieces together. Then I found myself biting my nails and pulling out my hair as the story came to a climax with a blood pressure raising, intense finale.

The only thing I did not love about this book was sometimes I felt the monologues droned on. While I enjoyed them for character development and seeing the inner workings, there were many points I felt the same thought was being repeated, or the same idea was being repeated to fill space. Maybe that was the point of making the inner workings of a sociopaths mind more visible and adding an edge of crazy to his ramblings, but I felt they were a bit much at times.

I liked Kate's character because she was vulnerable, hard on herself, and had selfish thoughts at many times like most people do. She was realistic. I felt I could compare to her in ways, even if we were not a lot alike. Sam's character was eerily spot on. As a fan of crime shows, true crime, and psychological thrillers, I found his characteristics to be perfectly aligned with the personality Gehrman was going for. The details she added to her characters helped make the story. The inner ramblings I got to hear as she switched from Kate's point of view to Sam's made them all the more interesting and intriguing. I wanted to know more. At times I wanted Sam to stop thinking because he thoroughly terrified me.

Having never read any of Gehrman's work before, I'd definitely be interested in checking out her other work. She will be added to my must read suspense writers list. Word of advice ... Don't read in the dark. I was covered in Goosebumps and double checked the locks on my doors from beginning to end.

Readers are giving two Points Of View or (POV) Sam man who is 22 and Kate 38.

Sam is a talented student of Kate who is a crime writer. Readers who enjoy or love psychological thrillers won't be disappointed with this story. Sam is Creepy and his ideas and the way his mind works will chill readers bones. The beginning of the story start off with readers needing more and picks up half way though the book. Sam is Creepy and will keep readers up at night.



This is one book I would keep the lights on while I read it at night.



Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin Press for the advance copy.

Author, Jody Gehrman take readers to the very edge of obsession in her new dark, psychological thriller, WATCH ME (St.Martin'sPress).

Kate Youngblood is disappearing. Drifting through her late 30s as a creative writing professor at Blackwood college, the follow-up novel to her successful debut tanks. She’s always been bright, beautiful, independent and a little wild, but now her glow is starting to disappear. Her husband left her for a woman ten years younger. She’s heading into an age where her eyes are less blue, her charm worn out, and soon no one will ever truly look at her.

And then there's, Sam Grist, Kate’s most promising student. A writer with razor-sharp clarity who gravitates towards dark themes and twisted plots. His talent is something Kate wants to nurture into literary success, but he’s not there solely to be the best writer. He’s been watching Kate.. Wanting Kate. Working his way to Kate for years. As Sam slowly makes his way into Kate’s life, they enter a deadly web of dangerous lies and forbidden desire. But how far will his fixation go? And how far will she allow it?

I really liked being in the mind of a sociopath. Jody creates a sick-o that all of us hope we never come across ... unless of course, in a novel. It was fun watching Sam stalk his prey, Kate. Readers better put some time aside to read WATCH ME, because you're not going to want to put it down.

This book reminded me in a lot of ways of the book You by Caroline Kepnes, it has that same obsessive personalities.

Kate Youngblood is a creative writing professor, and finds herself attracted to one of her students. Sam looks at her in a way that makes her feel he actually sees her, though she keeps him at a distance. He is a very talented writer, and she wants to help him get his first book published. She doesn't know how much he wants her, and how long he has waited for this moment.

This book is told in alternate points of view, from Kate and Sam's point of view. The dark twists and turns, the innocent gestures that turn into something different to others. This book pulled me in and didn't let go!!

I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, I would like to thank Jody Gehrman, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
Watch Me: A Gripping Phycological Thriller by Jody Gehrman was one of the best books that I have read this year!! I love books in this genre that have you at the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next! This book had something for everyone’s taste: taboo subjects like forbidden professor student flirtation turned into sick twisted fascination, sex, birth of a baby, messed up mom on drugs, murder, criminal investigation, blunt agents, etc.
Even though this book is a Phycological book it had me cracking up laughing at times. An example of this is when he was describing Jess to the readers on her appearance and how he so was not interested. Funny, because he kept turning her down but that didn’t stop her from asking. Sam sarcasm was too funny at times!
I could see this book being made into a movie and it being a box office hit.

Is it stalking if the person being stalked allows her stalker into her home? Is it obsession if you have feelings for your obsessor and seem to invite his attention? Does it matter if your husband just left you for a younger woman and your best friend is having a baby, leaving you feeling alone and abandoned as you stare down the barrel of a gun called middle age? Watch Me asks these questions and more-it's premise is a delicate dance between suspense and sensuous (not really surprising since Jody Gehrman is the author of several "adult novels," while Watch Me is her first thriller.) There's no doubt Sam is obsessed with his Creative Writing professor Kate-he's been "watching" Kate since the publication of her first novel five years before. Now as he sits in Kate's classroom his feelings for her have reached a boiling point, and while Kate knows a relationship with a student could be career suicide she is drawn to Sam like a moth to the flame. Watch Me is told from both Sam and Kate's POV and the chapters narrated by Sam are where Ms. Gehrman excels. So chilling and demented (and include some very crude and derogatory language) are the thoughts and words that come from Sam, it's hard to believe the same person penned the dreamy and delicate (while decidedly delusional) Kate. Watch Me does have some tense moments, but overall the plot feels as predictable as the sun rising in the east. Jody Gehrman is an award winning author of both books and plays, and while Watch Me probably won't garner the same attention as thrillers written by Paula Hawkins or Ruth Ware, it's not a bad inaugural effort.

Watch Me is a dark and twisty psychological thriller. It has lots of twists and turns with suspense and shows you how far obsession can go. Kate is a professor at Blackwood College and is an author. She has a lot going for her. Sam also wants to be an author. Sam Grist is Kate's most promising student. But he is not there solely to be the best writer. He's been watching her, wanting her, and has been working his way to her for years. This is a gripping novel exploring intense obsession and illicit attention. What you desire may be the most dangerous thing of all. Sam's writing has a lot of dark themes with twisted plots. How far will he let his obsession go and how far will Kate allow it.

This was a very fast read. I thought the author did a great job on the characters. They were very well developed. I really got to know the characters very well. I was able to get in the mind of Sam's. He is an extremely creepy psychopath and also a sociopath and does not have any empathy.
The author really did a great job of his character. It kept me turning the pages to see what he would do next. He was full of hate. Sam's obsession was very scary. He hates his mother but he had a terrible childhood. Some of Sam's thoughts and one liners are jaw dropping. I would not want to meet Sam in real life.

I thought Kate was a very complicated character. I didn't care for her so much. It just took her too long to realize what a sociopath Sam was. She just seemed to love his attention and enjoyed him watching her. Kate had her own obsession. She just thrives on attention. She didn't seem like she could make her own mind up or make good decisions. One minute she wanted Sam and the next minute she didn't want him. I didn't like her behavior.
I did find this to be an entertaining story. There were parts that I loved and other parts that I didn't care so much for. It did keep me turning the pages and had to find out what was going to happen next.

This was a great dark psychological thriller. It was a Traveling Sister read and I really enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts. It was a fun discussion. I recommend this to those that like a creepy psychological thriller.

I want to thank Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Jody Gehrman for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Watch Me is one those stories that make you think. Not everyone intentions are in the right place all the time. And wow, does this one take an interesting twist. Kate Youngblood has been offered a pretty amazing job, teaching other to write as a professor at the Blackwood College. Being a creative writer is in her blood, and this new job allows her to do what she loves. She has one student who stands out though, and she decides to give him some extra help with his writing. He also happens to be a fans of her recent book. There is an attraction there, a line that shouldn’t be crossed. And this is where the trouble begins. Only, he has already been obsessing over her for some time.

This is told from alternating POV’s from Kate and Sam, the stalker. Seeing Kate’s life through her eyes and also seeing Kate through Sam’s eyes was quite interesting. Kate’s characters however fell a little flat for me and I wasn’t able to connect with her. I felt for her at a few points in the story, but at the same time I questioned her actions. I have to admit, I was more intrigued by Sam. And he was a stalking, obsessive and all around disturbing man. His level of stalking was a whole new level. There was suspense and creepy stalker-ish moments, and how he managed to worm his way into her everyday life, but even now I am still on the fence with the whole obsession thing with Sam when it came to Kate. As well as some of the things that Kate did when it came to Sam and things she allowed to happen. Maybe it the age difference, and the way they met. Just can’t put my finger on it. The ending, I would say was kinda fitting, and fairly how I expected it to end.

Overall, this was an okay read for me, I wanted more from the characters but the writing did keep me reading. I would say for fans of thrillers to give this one a go, it does has it’s eerie moments. And for the most part, it was pretty good.

4.5 creepily addictive stars!!

Wow this was disturbingly good! I devoured this twisted story with heart-pounding intensity. I was fascinated by the dynamic between the two main characters, Kate and Sam. Kate is a creative writing professor and well-known novelist and Sam is her student. The relationship between these two had me glued to the pages, feeling the tension, anxiety, obsession and paranoia.

The author, Jody Gehrman, did an outstanding job with the narratives! The story is told from both Kate and Sam’s alternating POV’s and it truly pulls you into each of their minds. The writing was superb!

The language does get explicit at times, but I found it perfectly suited this dark and mesmerizing stalker story. There is also an undercurrent of humour throughout that lightened the dark tone of the novel.

A big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Jody Gehrman for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

Twisty thriller which alternates narration between the stalker (Sam) and the stalkee (Kate). Sam is just obsessed with Kate- totally over the edge. Kate's a professor who has had a tough couple of years, with her husband having left her and her writing career going sideways. She makes some choices you won't agree with but don't we all? Gehrman has done a good job of ratcheting up the tension and keeping the reader engaged with two characters who both have flaws. AND she makes Sam, who really shouldn't be, sympathetic in a way I wasn't sure I totally approve of. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good quick read.

Watch Me is absolutely excellent! The plot is so intriguing and gripping, and it changes from Sam's and Kate's point of view, which I thought worked very nicely. Sam's point of view is so unique - dark, raw, angry, sexy, poetic. It put me right into their minds, and I couldn't stop reading until I reached the end of the book.

The story is chilling, sexy and fascinating. It will make your blood go cold, but also, for a moment, you'll want their "romance" to work out. It's so full of passion and I was very impressed by it! It's the best dark psychological thriller I've read since Gone Girl.

I was lost in the creepy, open barren coulee with three of my Traveling Sisters reading Watch Me. We settled in a nice grassy sunny open spot all set to dive into this story of obsession. We soon felt a little exposed and uneasy as we were drawn to the depth of Sam Gist’s intense, obsession for older damaged Kate Youngblood. We started to sweat with the extreme unnerving creepiness we started to feel as we were pulled deeper and deeper into Sam’s mind. The hairs on the back of our necks started to rise and we wanted to run out of the heat and find a shadier less exposed part of the coulee. We became so fascinated with the story we couldn’t move but kept looking over our shoulder with an escape route in mind.

Watch Me is a highly entertaining, fascinating and disturbing story of the most intense obsession some of us have ever read. Our excitement and uneasiness had us hooked on this one from the very start and we didn’t let go until the very end.

The story is told by both Sam’s and Kate’s point of view. We had some different reactions to Kate that lead to an interesting discussion for us. Most of us enjoyed Sam’s point of view more and felt his POV was more interesting than Kate’s. Even though we were in the same coulee with this one some of us ended up on different sides of the coulee. We highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Jody Gehrman for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Traveling Sisters Review also can be found on our sister blog:
https://twogirlslostinacouleereading.wordpress.com/