The secret life of a young naive innocent teenager is stolen right before her eyes. A man who took advantage of a young girl by manipulating her into believing she was valued.

The timeline switches between the past and the present. The past and present unravel the truth about the mystery of what happened to her daughter.
Emmy chases away the days questioning all that was lost. Her mind won’t rest with the unanswered questions regarding her daughters secret life.

Overall:
I liked the delivery of this story going back and forth between the present and the past. For in the past the reader discovers the secret life of Leah. In the present the reader watches it all unfold. The emotions that Emmy expresses upon learning who she thought her daughter was and who she became was sad. “Not a one of us is a completely open book for everyone to read, not even to those closest to us.”

Every time Courtney introduces a character I scrutinize them, questioning all the details, trying to decide if they are the mysterious individual who had a secret life with Leah.

I loved Emmy’s character and her tenacity to unpuzzle the truth about her daughters dark secret life with an older guy.

Courtney tapped into a young girls innocence with raw honesty. The emotions and feelings portrayed by this innocent young naive teenager hit its mark. Courtney has really grown as a writer. These last three books Saving Beck, Such Dark Things, and I’ll Be Watching You have been her best work to date.

There are some books that are good and some that are spectacular. This is a superb book. It’s the type of book that you don’t want to stop reading. I couldn’t get enough of this story.

I'm going with a 3.5 on this one.

This one was a bit slower and more predictable than I am used to with this author. The story starts off with a bang but then it really slows down as it unravels. It was a true slow burn for most of the book and then we get to the end and it felt a bit rushed in my eyes. The writing in this book however is in true Courtney fashion and once again proves she can write anything.

All the secondary characters really drove this story. They, for a bit, made you question whether your predictions were right which I found fascinating but in the end it was always who I thought. I think one of the biggest surprises however was how the past truly shaped the future of Leah and all those who loved her. That is one thing I can honestly say I did not see coming until it was unraveled for us.

This is another solid story for Courtney and I can't wait to see what she does next in this genre. She's really growing as an author and that is one of the best things to be a small part of.

Following along in current time as well as part of past events helped shape I'll Be Watching You into a page turner. I do wish the ending hadn't felt so rushed. The build up was terrific, just enough intrigue and mystery. But as soon as the bad guy was discovered, it was wam bam thank you ma'am.

Thanks to netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay for me. It was definitely not the most polished writing but it was short and I got through it quickly. It is about a high school girl apparently living on Key West who disappears and apparently drowns. Her distraught mother eventually turns up some clues that indicate she was having an affair with an older man. All of that was alright. The older man could have been 1 of 3 people and I thought I knew who it was and I was wrong, so that was good because I like a surprise.

What really ruined this book for me is that despite this being a basic story I have read many times, I still picked it up because it was set in Key West. It is one of my favorite places. The place described in this story is not Key West. The quaint Main Street? The B&B right on the ocean? Bluffs? Catacombs? One realtor on the island? In Key West? This should have been set on a different fictional key where this creative license would have been more acceptable. These discrepancies really threw me off. I couldn't reconcile this "Key West" with the Key West I know and it bothered me throughout the entire book.

3.5 stars. I tore through the pages of this book...then I hit the reveal and ending and it was like crashing into a wall. I mean, it made sense, but in the same breath it was a little abrupt and a little bit too outlandish. A little bit about the book - Emmy owns an inn in the Keys. She lives there with her daughter, Leah. Emmy and her husband are divorced, but are good friends. One night, Leah asks to go night swimming, and Emmy allows it. But Leah doesn't come back. Emmy discovers that Leah was keeping secrets. She was involved with a much older man. She wrote about it in an online blog. Leah was growing more uncomfortable in that secretive relationship. In an island community as small as theirs, those left behind try to solve the puzzle of what happened to Emmy, and there are very few suspects to choose from. I absolutely loved the storyline and the characters and the writing.
The ending just left me feeling a bit "meh and huh???"

This book may have triggers for some readers.

This is a dark narrative exploring the ramifications of wavering self-worth. The plot revolves around the disappearance of a young girl who was, unbeknownst to anyone, in a twisted relationship with a pedophile. Her mother discovers the truth and fights for justice. Throughout the story, there is this constant underpinning revolving around the issues these women have with self-respect. The tertiary characters are interesting and play a pretty dynamic role in anticipatory factor of the story line. The plot moved at a decent pace but there was too much foreshadowing throughout the script that it took away the edge preceding the plot twist. 3 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley, and #Harlequin for this ARC of #IllBeWatchingYou

This is the first book I have read from Courtney's pen name.
It is a good read and full of suspense and mystery.

Leah goes out for a swim in the water never to come home? as the book goes secrets are revealed about Leah, great story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what has happened it is kinda creepy in places. It is well written, It kept me guessing till the end.

Can't wait to read what this author has coming next.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I did have a hard time reading this book because of the graphic sex details about a 15 year old girl. I know that things like this do happen but I really do not like reading about it. Other than that the mystery was good and I loved the dog. The ending was better than I expected as it did have a happy ending.

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 with dark appetites. 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. The truth will set her free. Or bury her.

This was a terrifying read! I really enjoyed the plot and the idea of the story. The description and the actual story itself seemed a little different though, I was expecting it to turn out a different way. I did find it to be a little predictable, but overall I liked this book.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of #IllBeWatchingYou
Pub Date: 26 Mar 2019

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Ugh. This one was just not well-written or remotely engaging. You can pass

This one was not for me. I found the writing heavy-handed, predictable, and rife with internalized misogyny. I knew I was in for a doozy when Leah and her mother's good looks were described as "exotic" as a result of Emmy's black grandmother. This is exactly the kind of language that I hope not to see in reference to non-white characters -- consequently, the only non-white character described in the book. The book was full of other cringeworthy moments for me. Leah was, frankly, a Mary Sue. Loved by all of the boys, a good student, a cheerleader, hated by other girls only because they were jealous of her; her only flaw, apparently, that she was manipulated and groomed by a pedophile. In one chapter, Leah's internal thought process described herself as having a "global look, and she loved it. There wasn't a single color she didn't look good in." Later, Emmy describes her as "so pretty--but . . . the kind of girl who didn't even realize it." She obviously did, and that the author uses both of these descriptions with a straight face is just emblematic of the flat characterization. Some of the writing was genuinely bad, such as the part where Liam's "tortured eyes sear into [Emmy's] soul."

In general, I was appalled by the way women were written about. Lola, Emmy's actual mother, is slut-shamed throughout the book, seen only as a "homewrecker", with Leah genuinely wondering if homewrecking genes can be passed on through generations. Amber, the only character who appears to think outside of herself in the story, is brushed aside as jealous by everyone, including Emmy, who even manages to blame her for Leah's circumstances. My biggest takeaway from the book, really, is #justiceforamber. I guessed the identity of "Ry" very early on, though to the author's credit, I did go back and forth between the main three suspects for awhile. I also did find the book to be a quick read, which was good for a plane ride and subsequent jetlag-induced insomnia. But unfortunately, I did not find much to redeem the negatives for me. Thanks nonetheless to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

Wow i was pleasantly surprised here. I was a little apprehensive going into this as i had never heard of this author and the story line seemed a little basic, i am so glad i was given the chance to read this via Netgalley. What a fantastic book! It was a pretty easy read and not overly long, the characters were so well written and relatable. I literally started this yesterday and did not put it down. It flowed really well and was very suspenseful with some pretty horrible details written in for us more morbid readers. I will absolutely be looking for more from this author. This is one of those rare books when i am sad that its over.

I enjoyed this book although it got a bit too creepy at the end for me. That said, I was captivated by the story. Writing was excellent, and the plot was unique. I recommend it for those looking for a solid mystery novel.

I feel like the blurb that is on the front of this cover is a tad misleading. There is not hardly any domestic violence and the narrator is not unreliable. I am saying that because I just don’t want for any one to go into this thinking they’re going to be getting some sort of Chevy Steven story. I know a lot of people (myself included) really tend to enjoy those type of books. I just wouldn’t classify I’ll Be Watching You as that.

I teetered on 3 stars or 4 stars for this one. But I ultimately decided on a 4 star rating because I feel as if Courtney has a fantastic writing ability. There is nothing she cannot write about. She did an excellent job at creating a tension and anxiety that stems from being a parent and having your worst nightmare come true.

The twists in this book weren’t anything spectacular. A lot of it you can see coming because of the foreshadowing that takes place– but as a whole, the story ended up coming together very nicely.

A good touch to this story was the amount of secondary characters that are in and out of this book. You never know which character is going to do what and you never know who it’s going to be. But if you stick to the plot and really focus on what is going on, it’s not too hard to figure out.

As a whole, I was very underwhelmed with the plot of the book. But as always, Courtney does a fantastic job at writing a genre that I have been eating up here lately. I can always count on her to go outside of her box and get a little gritty when the time calls for it.

I'll Be Watching You is the second book that author Courtney Cole has written under the pen name Courtney Evan Tate. I really enjoyed the first book, Such Dark Things. So I was very excited to get to read this latest suspense novel.

The book alternates between two POVs of a mother and daughter (36 year old Emmy and 15 year old Leah). The story takes place in the Florida Keys. And goes back and forth between two time periods (August/the present and June). Although the June time period goes forward in time.

Emmy runs an inn that belonged to her grandparents. She works a lot. Leah loves the ocean and her new dog Bo. Her best friends are Skye and Liam. Emmy's chapters are told in the 1st person. Leah's chapters are told in 3rd person.

In Leah's 3rd person chapters there are also a few snippets of other 3rd person POVs. I am not a fan of POVs switching mid-chapter.

Chapter one was actually very scary as something happens to Leah. But we don't find out the full story of what really happened that night till the end of the book (although I had my suspicions).

This book was super creepy. In Leah's chapters we find out that an older man had been pursuing her. But we don't know who it is.

The book was very interesting and I could not put it down. But at the same time the story was very disturbing and upsetting.

Some things I loved about this book: 1) Leah's dog Bo. 2) I loved the mom's investigations. 3) the beach setting. 4) the inn.

Overall, this was a good mystery. However, it's hard to say that this book was enjoyable as it deals with some unsettling subjects. Leah had many secrets and I enjoyed discovering them. I liked the way that the story was told. The ending was riveting.

I couldn’t put this book down. It’s the best book I’ve read so far this year. The beginning grabs you with theway it opens and it doesn’t let go until the very last page. I’ve never read a book that opens talking directly to the readers.
This every mother and parents nightmare. To think you know your child and then discover that they’ve been living a secret life. That they aren’t who you thought they were.
Emmy stumbles upon thing that are left behind by her daughter and it’s all very disturbing. But as the book unravels you start to see things as they are. Leah is just fifteen, young, naive and innocent.
The book is told from two different points of view. One in the first person and the other in the third person. It’s written so well that it doesn’t really matter. All I wanted was to keep reading and find out who had taken advantage of Emmy’s daughter.
I wish there was a little more and that something’s had come to light and not left the way they were.
There are a few suspects and a few twist and turns. It’s a heart pounding, page turner that won’t turn you loose until the last sentence.
I highly recommend this book. This book shows how pediphiles prey on their victims and how easy it is for them to find their victims. A must read.

I can’t even begin to say how much I loved this book! It was dark, twisty and terrifying. In short, I couldn’t put it down! Having a 13 year old daughter myself, I’m well aware of the dangers in the world and how teenagers don’t share aspects of their lives with their parents. This book is another reminder that danger lurks in every corner. The ending of this book was a little rushed but definitely a great read.

I liked the plot, the pacing, and the twist at the end. I was more than a little vexed by the detail of the interactions between a fifteen year old and her adult paramour.

Emmy Fisher cannot believe her 15 year old daughter, Leah, is gone, drowned in the shallows. Accident, suicide, or something more sinister? Determined to uncover the truth, Emmy begins searching her daughter’s bedroom and learns her daughter had a secret life. Leah was involved with someone, someone older, someone who drove her to do things her mother can hardly bear to contemplate. Filled with rage and the desire to wreak vengeance on the person who destroyed her daughter, Emmy sets out to expose them. This book is every paren’t worst nightmare, with a sixteen year old daughter of my own, it totally terrified me