Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Full review to be found on Goodreads and on my website.

This book starts with a bang and kept my gripped until the very last page. You could identify with the mother's pain and I couldn't wait to see how it ended. Recommended.

I really loved this book in a new to me author. The characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy.

What a read. It hooked me in and I couldn't put it down. While I kind of saw where this was going, it still took me through some twist and turns.

I will definitely be checking out other books by this author

The premise sounded really good but I just couldn’t get into it. I made it to 49% and didn’t finish it. for that reason, i won’t be posting my review on goodreads as it’s not fair to the author since I didn’t finish it.

As a parent of a daughter this was a bit hard to stomach. The disappearing daughter plot has been done to death, but this one somehow manages to separate itself from the pack. There was enough here to keep me guessing and intrigued.

five out of five stars for I'll Be Watching You by Courtney Evan Tate! I loved this book - such a great page turner. with the holidays coming up, this in the perfect read to get a break from reality. thank you to net galley and the publisher, who provide this e copy for free in exchange for my honest review.

You ever get the feeling that someone is watching you, even if they aren’t? Yea. This is the feeling I got while sitting there reading this novel by Courtney Evan Tate. This book. Let me tell you right now, if you don’t like books that will haunt you, that will leave you with a feeling of desperation and your heart pounding from the intensity, then stop reading this and go find a light, happy read.

I absolutely felt so much pain and hurt for Emily. I have two teenage sons, and I am super close with them, and what Emily went through with her daughter Leah disappearing and labeled dead, I just can’t imagine that. Following her story, feeling the incredible roller coaster of emotions that Emily felt, was absolutely fantastic!

The questions that Emily has, the things that she finds out as she’s trying to uncover what happened to 15 year old Leah, was perfectly chiseled into the plot line. The pages flew as I stayed up late into the night reading this fantastically created story. Each page turn had me closer to the edge of my seat, white knuckling my iPad.

Tate is definitely an author I will read again! Her darkness, her powerful words are phenomenal and made me feel as if I was Emily. This is by far one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time. Definitely a 5 star keeper for me. If you love intense, powerfully dark, emotionally gripping psychological thrillers, then grab this book NOW. You will not be sorry!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, Harlequin-MIRA and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

Nothing can compare to a mother’s grief. Emmy is reeling from the realization that her daughter drowned near the shore, but Emmy refuses to believe that her daughter is no longer on this Earth. Going through the motions of running her family’s inn, Emmy just cannot bring herself to walk into the room that holds all of the memories of Leah’s life. With Leah’s dog Bo by her side, Emmy finally takes the step into the place that holds the treasures of Leah’s entire world.

While sifting through the barrage of photos, Emmy discovers a secret that her daughter was keeping. The proof of a forbidden relationship was staring Emmy in the face. How could Leah keep a secret of this magnitude without anyone knowing the details? As Emmy uncovered more about the secret her daughter was harboring, a nagging feeling about the circumstances surrounding Leah’s death began to grow. Could there be more to this tragedy than meets the eye?

I’ll Be Watching You is a dark novel that explores death, tragedy and a secret that will devastate a family with its revelation. The underlying mystery surrounding Leah’s death will lead Emmy on a journey that can only be described as a mother’s worst nightmare. As the plot unfolds, readers will find themselves transported from the past to the present throughout this novel. The journal entries that Leah left behind become a pivotal magnifying glass into the secrets that will uncover something more sinister than anyone could ever imagine.

Courtney Evan Tate always manages to delve into the darkness in a way that is disturbing but so addictive. While the subject matter is tragic and hard to pull away from, Tate works her magic to create a very realistic tragedy that will captivate you with each turn of the page. A dark thriller that will leave you in tatters while uncovering the mystery that looms over Emmy and her family.

This book brought all of my fears to the forefront. Being a mother to a teen girl, I often wonder about a lot of things and think about her safety. This book was written in different points of views of the mother and daughter which I loved. It gave an all-around view of the events that may have happened and did happen. It gave us an understanding of their own perception of things. I was engaged throughout the book although at times I did find myself not liking the girl. But I had to remember that kids are just like that these days. I would definitely recommend this book if you are up for a light psychological thriller.

I’ll Be Watching you is a fantastic, edgy thrill ride. I devoured the book and loved the characters. Emmy’s daughter is missing, and she believes Leah (only 15) may have been involved with an older, experienced man who likes to play scary sex games.

The book switches from Leah’s past to Emmy’s present. Emmy is beyond devastated. She is heartbroken and sick with grief and worry. She has no idea where her daughter is or if she is still alive. Leah’s past is filled with optimism and exploration, a new man is interested in her. She is young, but if it is love what is the harm?

Great read. Couldn’t put it down!

Mediocre and chock full of predictable plot points. Cliches galore. A book to miss. I was so disappointed with this story.

A very interesting read . Twists and turns to keep you engrossed. Wondering which way the author is going to take it. Nice and easy to read. Flows well. Enjoyable to read

This book is told by 2 different points of view. I was captivated by this book. This story was addictive leaving you wanting more. The subject matter is a very hot topic. Lastly this book is about every parents worse nightmare.

Even the title gives me the chills! Wow, I am so glad I read this book by Courtney Evan Tate because it was awesome and worth the read! Y'all have got to go out and get this one because you will not be disappointed.

So I don’t know why it feels like so much was held back in this story. Courtney is an amazing writer but I feel like she held back a lot in this story. I was just waiting for her to go there and make me cringe. It was a good story, but it felt very light for the subject matter if that makes sense.

Favorite Quotes:

She wants to sit and float on top of her board, staring at the moon, pretending the rays hitting her skin are fairy dust.

Bars always smell the same, even when they have open windows on the end of a pier. Like… old peanuts and neon lights, and felt-top pool tables and desperation.


My Review:

This cleverly paced and well-contrived tale started slowly and gradually built into a gripping tale that occasionally had me cringing and frequently found me biting my cuticles. I had narrowed down my list of suspects from four to two before all hell broke loose and removed all doubt. The premise was original and relevant and unfortunately could happen all too easily in any society. Ms. Tate’s writing was emotive and evocatively detailed, conjuring keen visuals in my cranium as I read. Her active storylines were cunningly constructed and perfectly pitched for each idiosyncratic character.

While the subject matter was a bit disturbing given the inappropriate and predatory behaviors involving a minor, the narrative was more intensely driven toward the well-crafted intrigue and mystery rather than provocative sensuality, although there was some of that as well. I was fully invested and bristling with curiosity as I gathered clues, formulated theories, and cast aside possible perpetrators, but I would never have anticipated this conclusion. Courtney Evan Tate is a sly and crafty wordsmith. This was my first exposure to her clever arrangements of words and I anticipate delving into many more.

I'll Be Watching You is a great premise that needed more plot, more characterization, more everything.

Basically. I really wanted to enjoy the story but I could not managed to find any interest to keep reading past 48%.

The cover, however, is wonderful!

Title: I'll Be Watching You
Author: Courtney Evan Tate
Genre: Adult Thriller
Harlequin-MIRA ( U.S. and Canada
Pub Date:March 26 ,2019
Pages:
Description
IT’S EVERY MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE…BUT ONE SHE WILL NOT ACCEPT

In an unthinkable flash, Emmy Fisher’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Leah, seemingly drowns close to shore one summer night—at least that is what the police report says.

In deep grief, Emmy needs time and courage before she can enter Leah’s bedroom. But when she does, she finds something at first bewildering, then unspeakable, as she begins to understand the full implications…

She uncovers evidence that Leah had been secretly involved with someone, someone perhaps older, someone with dark appetites.

Bit by bit, the last few months of Leah’s life unfold in a terrifying way that Emmy can hardly imagine.

All she knows is that she has to find the person who took her sweet daughter’s innocence. No matter the cost.

The truth will set her free. Or bury her.

My thoughts :
Would I recommend it? yes
Will I read anything else by this author? yes
Will I read anything else by this author? yes
This book reached out and pulled me into the story and kept me hooked though out the story and it didn't let me down , its a bit dark and twisted which I liked and which kept me guessing on what is going on , and as the secrets come out that also made it more dark and twisted and more real because what happened in this book happens in real life.With that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion

Do even the closest mother-daughter relationships involve a child who truly tells their parent everything? That’s the central question behind Courtney Evan Tate’s latest thriller I’ll Be Watching You.

It’s a normal evening for Emmy and Leah Fisher. They’re sitting on the porch swing, taking in the beauty of the summer night. Emmy is relaxing with a glass of wine, exhausted from a full day’s work at her Florida Keys beachside inn; fifteen-year-old Leah is mildly stressing about the start of sophomore year the next day. Emmy authorizes a swim, knowing the activity will take the edge off Leah’s nerves and help her sleep. It isn’t the first time moonlight reflecting off the water has lured Leah to the beach in their backyard. It’s not the first time Emmy has said yes to a night-time swim. But it will be the last.

Emmy is distracted for only a few minutes but that’s all it takes for Leah to be disappear. Search and Rescue spend hours diving in the dark waters near their home, but they find no clue as to what occurred. There is talk of a possible shark attack, or of her having been overcome by a strong wave – no one is sure how it happened, but all agree on the result: Leah is dead, Emmy’s sweet girl gone forever.

While friends and family are anxious to give Emmy advice on how to mourn, she determines to do it at her own pace and in her own manner. One decision, however, is taken from her hands. Even a week after Leah’s death, Emmy hasn’t been able to enter the girl’s room. But when she is forced to retrieve something from her daughter’s dresser, she makes a startling discovery. Leah’s laptop has been charging; Emmy’s touch brings it to life since it had only been “sleeping”. The now bright page shows a blog called Island Girl Ramblings. A blog which talks with painful, frightening clarity of a dark, dangerous relationship between an older, abusive man and a frightened young woman. The girl has clearly been forced to perform sexual acts she did not wish to participate in. With shaking fingers, Emmy clicks on the About Me tab. Leah looks smiling back at her from the picture at the top of the page.

What happens next is easily to be expected. Emmy becomes obsessed with finding the man who was abusing her daughter. She has plenty of suspects to choose from. Derek, the long-term guest who saw Leah every day. Nico, the flirtatious owner of Leah’s favorite ocean-side deli. Hutch, the handsome pastor who runs a popular youth group. It could be anyone, but Emmy is determined that whoever it is, they won’t get a chance to do to another girl what they did to her daughter.

Ms. Tate gets a lot of things right here. Both the death of a teenager and sexual abuse are dark, angst ridden subjects, but the author concentrates her lens not on the horror of what’s happening but on the satisfaction of figuring out who did it and bringing them to justice. That makes the subject matter a little easier to read about. In Leah, Emmy, Leah’s friends and the suspect men, we find intriguing three-dimensional, nuanced characters who are likeable and relatable. That’s one of the more chilling aspects of the tale: our three suspects are wonderful, successful, charismatic, enticing, handsome guys. They would make awesome romance heroes, which makes thinking of them as possible villains all the more sinister. I really appreciated this aspect of the tale. Many times, when authors write villains, they try to make the fact that they are evil leap off the page. Here, the author went to great pains to show that actually, this type of corruption often hides behind the friendly smile of someone we trusted enough to let them near our child. The author also does a good job of creating her setting: she doesn’t just capture the look of her location but the atmosphere. There is a sense of an almost forced laid back nature to everything, as though the warm sunshine, pounding waves, and beauty of the landscape demand that everything be done on ‘island time’. Ms. Tate’s prose is clear, concise and engaging. Some books I have to slog through, flinching as the author hits sour notes or gets me snarled in fancy, opaque prose that goes nowhere. This one was an easy, fast read with writing complex enough to keep it interesting and smooth enough to let readers sail through it. I finished it in one sitting.

But once I put it down and started thinking about it, I realized there were a few problems with the story. I don’t want to list them all, but three were egregious enough to merit a specific mention. The villain, when we find him, has an interesting backstory that I would have loved to explore more, but we are raced through the denouement, which left the discovery of whodunit feeling hollow. I also felt the author could have done a lot more with the disturbing reality of small-town living. In one part of the tale, Emmy expresses frustration with the lack of police interest in Leah’s sexual abuse. Derek responds by telling her, “I’ve been here long enough to know that islanders sick together. Leah is gone, and that guy is still here. They probably won’t want to stir up trouble.” Emmy admits, “It’s sad because I know Derek’s right.” I felt that subject could have used some additional exploration. Police not wanting to investigate a sexual predator is a huge problem, but instead it serves as a patsy for why Emmy is singlehandedly managing the investigation. One last quibble is with a character who interweaves throughout the tale but is never developed enough. Emmy’s mom was apparently a “home wrecker”, a beautiful woman who slept with every man in town. The lack of exploration into who she was and why she did what she did coupled with the fact that even Emmy essentially condemns her as a slut gives the book that ‘let’s all judge the bad girl’ slant that a lot of readers dislike. I don’t think that was the author’s plan, but unfortunately, not doing a better job of exploring the backstory here gave this part of the tale a judgmental feel I am sure was not intended.

Fortunately, those flaws do not destroy the tale. I still found myself completely invested in I’ll be Watching You and while I wasn’t wowed by the book, I definitely liked it. I think fans of dark mysteries will enjoy it as well.