I was really excited to read this book and thought the summary sounded great. However, when I started to read it it just wasn't holding my excitement as I had hoped. Maybe it just was not my cup of tea, but I am sorry to say I was not as captivated as I thought I would be and had to DNF.

I decided to step outside my comfort zone with this one. I do not normally read suspense or thrillers but the blurb had my interest piqued so I decided why the hell not? So I was disappointed when it turned out to be my least favorite genre - romance*yuck*- disguised as suspense. Sure there were some suspenseful elements in the plot but overall it was misleading,
Viola is our MC and she is quite disillusioned. instead of being frightened that she is in a potentially deadly situation, she is caught up in her puppy love for a boy. I understand that being away from home for the first time is supposed to be a life lesson and new boys are so tempting, but come on! Why does she have to be a love sick fool and victim?

Obviously this book was not for me and I will not give it a terrible rating because I decided to try something new and was disappointed. I could see how fans of romance and suspense would enjoy it. Best of luck to the author.

"I've been watching you..." (chapter 36)

Thank you Greenland, Entangled Teen, and Xpresso Book Tours for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This thriller/romance was a honestly more romance than thriller, but I still found myself seeing things out of the corner of my eye and jumping as a result.

Viola finally made it out. She's going to be the first person in her family to graduate high school, to go to college. After all her hard work, and maybe a little fib or two, she got into her dream private school for her senior year of high school, all on a full-ride scholarship. All she needs to do is keep her head down and her grades up and she could have a real shot at getting into MIT and away from her life of poverty. Only, by taking the scholarship, she learns that she forced Riel, the scholarship student of the past three years, to pay the ridiculous tuition out of pocket, while juggling raising his sister and working every chance he can get. Honestly, the fact that he's so nice about it just makes Viola feel more guilty.

Riel is such a dream boat. He was born in Spain and Greenland's descriptions of him will make your heart patter. He's kind, thoughtful, calculated, and competitive. Does he get any better? While he and Viola get off to a rough start, he ends up being the anchor to Viola's life when strange things start happening--like that weird feeling that someone is watching her.

Viola's struggle with trying to be friends with people who have never had a problem with money is refreshing. Her drive and hard work to build a future for herself, to help her family is inspiring. And the friendship and romance that builds between her and Riel is captivating!

Some of the dialogue, particularly in the beginning, felt very unnatural and it was harder to get lost in the book until the initial background stories were built. I also wish that the stalker "chapters" weren't included at all--they were not necessary to build the tension, didn't actually add anything, and the writing specifically for those chapters was very awkward. I almost wanted to skip them, but was worried I'd miss some important information. Now that I've read them, I can tell you with confidence to just skip the stalker chapters for a better flow to the story. Otherwise, this was a fun read that draws your heartstrings, while keeping you very much on your toes!

Ahhhhhh, this book was amazing. This book follows Viola, a girl desperate to escape her past and start the new life she's always dreamt of. But soon enough, weird things begin to happen. Misplaced personal items. Frightening messages. The unmistakable feeling of being watched. Viola no longer fights for her new life but to simply stay alive. This book catches your attention from the minute you open the book and keeps your attention until the end. Wonderful book.

This book was just as amazing as I was expecting it to be. Shannon Greenland is also the author of Shadow of a Girl which I read in 2016 and loved- I gave it 5 stars and it ended up being one of my favourite books of the year.
Watching You is a YA thriller with a little bit of romance and it is addictive! This book follows Viola, a girl desperate to escape her past and start the new life she's always dreamt of. But soon enough, weird things begin to happen. Misplaced personal items. Frightening messages. The unmistakable feeling of being watched. Viola no longer fights for her new life but to simply stay alive.
Watching You was entertaining from the very first page. The characters are really lovable, as are the relationships, the plot and... everything! I was gripped from the very first chapter and the ending was so brilliantly satisfying and exceeded all expectations. I'd definitely recommend it for any lovers of YA, thriller or romance- this book has it all!

Full review: https://forever-fictional.blogspot.com/2018/07/watching-you-shannon-greenland-book-talk.html

Damn this book is so great. It kept me guessing. I was like oh its this person stalking her, no wait its this person. I enjoyed this book so much I finished it in a day. Viola gets a scholarship to go to this top notch school. She figures awesome it will help her get into M.I.T. and get a great job help take care of her little sisters and mother. However not everyone there is happy that she is there. And Viola lied a little bit on the forms to get in. She meets Riel who doesn't have it easy as the rest of the rich people who go to that school.
When small things start going on with notes, missing shorts and just feelong creeped out and feeling guilty for the lies on the application whom can she tell and trust?
Is it the psycho ex boyfriend stalking her? Are her friends really her friends?

Fantastic read. Oh goodness. The suspense had me going. I don't really too many suspense novel, but this one I made an exception because I did read and enjoy 'Shadow of a Girl' which is also by Shannon Greenland. This book was not over the top intense, but I was definitely on the edge of my seat for a bit. Woo good, a definite must read if you enjoy a good nail-biter.

Thank you NetGalley for granting me a chance to read an ARC!

There is a lot to unravel about Viola's story and I hope to do it justice. We meet Viola as she is starting at a most prestigious school that she's worked tirelessly to attend. From the first interaction with Riel we know that there is a spark between them but it is quickly doused with cold water when Viola realizes Riel is her competition for the scholarship that allows her to attend the school.

As Viola settles in at her new school she has a strong sense of impostor syndrome. She hasn't lived the privileged life most of her classmates have and if they only knew where she came from she would never be accepted, or so she thinks. This particular piece of of the story is so important. The need to fit in, to feel like you belong, is so strong as you enter into adulthood. This is Viola's chance to change her life and she's willing to fight hard, study furiously, and try to ignore her budding feelings for a certain boy.

I really loved falling in love with Riel. His character has so much depth and passion that it's impossible to ignore. Viola deserves a beautiful soul like Riel and their story was enthralling to read. Of course, as with most relationships, there are hurdles to overcome and trust to be earned, but I was rooting for them from the first meeting.

My favorite part of suspense novels is trying to figure out who did it, before it's revealed in the story. I was not successful in this case, which makes me love this story even more. Viola's stalker was a mystery right up to the reveal. So hang on to your hats, cause you're in for a whirlwind.

I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy a good coming of age story with a lot of heart, and a great build of suspense.

Viola is given a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school in Florida, away from her family and what many call her "white trash" life. She meets an older scholarship recipient, Riel.. and insta love! Then. she starts getting threats, the feeling of being watched, etc.

I skimmed through this after fully reading the first few chapters. Once I got to "the stalker"'s chapter, I realized that this book was just not for me. Completely silly, cliched writing, flat characters. I would not recommend this book to many people. It's just boring and typical.

4.5 out of 5 Stars!

I love a good romantic thriller, and so much the better if it’s also young adult. WATCHING YOU has everything I love — a tortured love interest, angsty romance, a deplorable antagonist, and buckets of suspense. Seventeen-year-old Viola lies on her application to get a scholarship at a prestigious prep school on her ultimate path to MIT. Or so she hopes. The problem is, her winning the scholarship means someone else lost out. That someone is uber hot, brooding Riel, the recipient the previous three years. Guilt and undeniable attraction wage a war within her as she wonders how Riel can continue to attend without the scholarship, and the more she learns about his situation, the guiltier she feels. When the inevitable romance heats up between these two, Viola knows her secrets will be her undoing, but she never counts on a stalker making her life dangerous as well as complicated.

Plot
This is probably more of a romance than a thriller, but the suspense is tightly woven throughout the romantic elements, creating a gripping story that moves from the opening scene to the intense climax and satisfying conclusion. The attraction between Viola and Riel is palpable from their first interaction, and while they may not know if or how to act on that attraction, it drives some of the best conflict throughout the book. The mystery of who is watching Viola is well-done, with lots of red herrings to choose from. I never did figure out who it was.

The Characters
At times, I found Viola to be a little too much. A little too good, a little too perfect. Other than lying on her application, which she had perfectly good reasons for, she has no real flaws, but her genuine friendship with Mar helped me overlook this aspect of her character. Riel, on the other hand, was a fascinating character. He was perfectly flawed in all the right ways and totally swoon-worthy.

Top Five Things I Enjoyed About WATCHING YOU
1. Riel. Having married my own hot latin guy, I totally appreciate the appeal that is Riel.

2. Mar. Both spunky and adorable, Riel’s younger sister is easily my favorite character.

3. Angsty romance. My favorite kind.

4. Suspense. While more of a subplot, it had a way of driving the main plot forward and kept me turning pages.

5. Surprises. I love when an author can surprise me. I never did figure out who the stalker was until it was revealed in the closing chapters.

Bottom Line
Angsty teen romance meets suspense.

Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I had to DNF this one because I just couldn't get into it. I really loved the premise, but the writing needed some improvement. A great idea, just not well executed.

Thank you very much to Entangled Publishing LLC & Netgalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review 🙏🏻❤️

First and foremost I must admit that I flew through this book! Both the plot and characters were extremely intriguing and I found myself wanting to know who was stalking Viola! I didn't want to stop reading until someone gave me some answers about where her running shorts went or who was crouched in her dorm room! Creeepyyyyyyy!

Also I must say that the sex scenes were very well done! Very steamy & not too overboard or obnoxious! Perfection!

This book was well thought out and even had a great back story ---- the ending had SO much potential but it bombed! So great until the stalker was revealed ---- Nooooooooo!


Spoiler ALERT---- do not read below here-----

How in the world can you mistake a woman attacking you for a man ? Not once was it mentioned that this girl was 6'2''' tall! I mean that is unusually , aka " model" tall for a young girl !! I even looked it up and less than 1 percent of women are over 6 foot tall. This is just not even remotely believeable! Also, her voice was " garbled"...say what???? What does that even mean!? Thirdly, it was only very briefly mentioned about her Dad having a new girlfriend and was NEVER once discussed about her brother Peter drugging a girl or her ex leaving her for another girl. This information was just thrown at the reader at the end to try to give you an explanation as to why the stalker was crazy. I don't get it.

I wish that I could rewrite this ending! It could have been Levi--- a long term friend gone nuts--- it could've really been Riel leading her on being the nice guy when really he was crazy all along! It could've even been the Dad who granted the scholarship gone crazy! Anything but that ending! This ending kind of made the other characters like the bald man on the boat and Manny seem pointless , why were they even in the book!?

3 stars for the rest of the book! It would have totally have been a 5 star read if the stalker was someone more believable ! I definitely will pick up another book by this author & give it another shot though, for sure!

This was an easy read…I mean I read it in one evening. I found it quite enthralling, that I didn’t even realise that I had sat there for a couple of hours to finish it. The pace of the story was fast and I was forever trying to figure out who the stalker was. I guessed correctly a couple of chapters before the end. The only thing I was a bit disappointed about was the final showdown was over so quickly and wrapped up just as quick but I loved the story as a whole.

Viola comes from a “white trash” family but I never saw her like that. Yes, she’s had a hard and tough life but she did not let that define her. She chose to be a decent human being and not let her home life dictate who she should be, always trying to be the best version of herself for her family and for her. Something I found I could relate to. She is a likeable albeit naive character at some points, being given the scholarship to attend the preppy school so she can go to MIT. The only problem is the scholarship has always been given to Riel.

Riel is her mentor, but like you have guessed the potential suitor, with the typical will they won’t they. In this story that didn’t bother me, we watched their feelings grow at a natural rate, and it was nice to see when “lies” had been uncovered it was dealt with in a mature way.

I hate the chapters where you hear from the “Stalker”, they were awful because they chilled me to the bone. I could hear the creepy voice in my head and I hated it!

Shannon has created a story which captured me straight away. I was hooked from page 1, I wish there was a bit more of Levi though. Even though this book was over 300 pages I felt some of it was rushed (Crazy I know!) and that some character development was missed.

There were quite a few red herrings along the way to keep you guessing who the stalker is…. you are in for a shocker

'Watching You' is a taut new young adult thriller that will leave readers guessing until the very end. Thrillers are one of my favorite genres, so I read them constantly. It seems to take more to catch me off guard now and when it happens, it's always a great surprise. This book did just that. There were quite a few twists and turns, some red herrings, and the suspense kept ramping up the further the story went. It seemed like once I had a theory in mind, something would happen to complete shatter it and then I'd have to start completely over. Don't get me wrong - these are fantastic things and I'm so happy when they happen!

I really enjoyed pretty much everything about the book. The characters were realistic and easy to relate to - especially our main character, Viola. The author tells the story from Viola's point of view, so we get to know her on a deeply personal level throughout the story. I liked getting to know everything about her - from her history back home to her hopes and dreams for the future, and (of course!) the whole romance aspect with Riel. I'm not one who normally does the whole book boyfriend thing, but if I did - Riel would definitely be at the top of my list. He's dreamy right from the start and only continues to get better as the story progresses. I enjoyed watching Viola's relationship with him grow and I liked swooning over him a bit myself. The plot was interesting and suspenseful - which meant I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. It keeps you on your toes and guessing - especially with the little 'bonus' chapters that are written by the stalker. I loved that the author added those in. I think they were a huge plus for the book and made things feel even more creepy. I definitely recommend this novel for fans of thrillers, mysteries, suspense, contemporary, and romance.

3.5 stars.

This was interesting.

Here we meet Viola, a girl getting into this prestigious school to try and better her life and her family’s. Now, to get here she not only is a great student, but she also fibbed a little in regards to her family life. Her guilt gets worse once she meet Riel, they guy who was also supposed to get the scholarship.

They start hanging out and she realizes he has a tough life as well, he’s also super nice and genuinely wants to help her. *Cue more guilt*

In the midst of getting to know each other, Viola has to deal with some weird happenings and a creepy guy stalking her. All that and just dealing with HS and all its drama. It was exhausting, lol.

I enjoyed this overall, and I never would’ve guessed that ending. Things did resolve rather quickly imo, but I enjoyed reading Viola and Riel’s interactions. :-) Super swooney.

All in all, a nice read.

*Thank you to Entangled Publishing for providing a copy for which I’m giving my honest opinion*

My second book by this author and I was excited for this new one after loving Shadow of a Girl. Like SOAG, this book had suspense and romance with an added mystery element. The story is predominantly told in the heroine's (Viola's) POV, but has snippets told in the mysterious villain's POV. The villain is kept a true mystery while the author throws out various red herrings to keep the reader guessing. With Riel and Viola being the primary characters in the story, the author also adds some great secondary characters that keep the story layered with added humor and drama. I loved Riel and felt he was a wonderful love interest for Viola. I do feel like this book reads more as NA vs. YA. Just me, but the romance seemed more adult rather than high school and discovering all that comes with a romantic relationship. Overall, the romance was a little bit rushed for me, but the mystery was intriguing and kept me turning pages. (This is my voluntary and unbiased review of an advanced copy of Watching You via Entangled Teen Publishing)

Watching You has great values with more STEM main characters, and stays intense with suspense as you navigate through the story. Stalking is scary no matter how severe and it happens to young women a lot. Viola is brave and strong as she navigates dangerous waters. A bit of romance while still keeping values and goals at the forefront. This book is everything you could hope for! Bravery, suspense, romance, and insight into the stalkers mind. You’ll be questioning EVERYONE, but will you/can you guess correctly?

S.E. Green/ Shannon Greenland brings her A game to every novel. You won’t be disappointed!

I did enjoy this one. It was a pretty quick read and one that kept me entertained. I really enjoyed the romance between Viola and Riel. That, to me, was the best part of the book. The build up was slow, but fun to watch. I also enjoyed Viola's relationship with Mar. The weaker part of the book was the mystery. While I didn't call it in the end, I would have liked more suspense leading up to the ending. If you go into the book expecting more of a romance, you'll be fine.

I would also probably keep this to the over 16 crowd as it does have some mature content in it. I do recommend this one. It's the first book I have read by this author. I'll definitely be checking out some of her other stuff in the future.

Watching You was a nice romance with some suspense. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more suspense but I still enjoyed the story a lot. I liked the fact that the stalker had their own chapters. I loved trying to guess who the stalker was. Overall this was a quick, and fun romantic suspense.

This is a contemporary young adult thriller set mainly in a prestigious private school in Florida. Viola would never have been able to afford to attend such an establishment and is only going there because she has been awarded a full scholarship. Unfortunately, part of the reason she won that award was that she lied in her application, striving to hide her less than salubrious upbringing. She sees this is a step on her way to get out of the poverty and make life better for her Mum and siblings.

When she starts at the school she discovers that her award means that the person set to Mentor her no longer receives the award – and he comes from a somewhat similar background to her. The two are definitely attracted to each other but both try to deny this. Riel’s young sister is the catalyst to bring them together. However, someone is stalking Viola. The reader is shown the stalker’s thoughts and action but there are no clues as to their identity. Things are going missing. Viola keeps feeling like she’s being watched. Is she imagining things or is there deadly danger around the corner?

This is a romantic suspense story with an intriguing plot but definitely has, for the most part, more romance than suspense. The motivations of the teens are well portrayed and most of their reactions seem very appropriate for their age group. There are the usual cliched groups in the school, especially the rich kids who look down on those less well off or not as entitled as them. It is an easy read with a touch of thriller and I enjoyed it, even though I’d have been even happier if the stalker’s motivations had been clearer. It is a delightful teen romance and I really liked both Viola and Riel as characters.

I requested and was given a copy of this book, via NetGalley. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.