Cassie Woodson has had little success in her professional career. She is forced to take a temporary job to make ends meet. Assigned to a fraud lawsuit, she finds herself digging into the email of one of the law firm partners, Forest Watts. Before long she is looking into his personal emails to his wife. She becomes quickly addicted to exploring Watts’ personal life. How deep will she go?

This was my first book by Lindsay Cameron and I loved it. Cassie was a brilliant main character that gives you a psychological view into mind of someone with obsessive tendencies. JUST ONE LOOK was more of an obsession/stalker book, which made the story a bit different than your typical thriller. If you are looking for a new spin on the typical psychological thriller, check out JUST ONE LOOK.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) on July 22, 2021.

This is a story about obsession and the havoc it can cause. Cassie is a lawyer in New York city who got in trouble at her firm and was fired and arrested for assaulting another attorney so she is now working as a temp doing computer work for another law office. She is very unhappy about this situation and becomes attracted to Forest Watt ad his wife's lifestyle and starts stalking him. She manipulates a way to meet him and reads all of his private e mails at work. There are lots.of twists and turns in this story and the author does a great job keeping you guessing what's coming next and the ending is completely unexpected. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good twisty read and a crazy heroine.
Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this arc for my honest opinion.

<b><i>Just one look couldn’t hurt.</i></b>

<b>This is Cameron’s debut suspense thriller, and it’s a whopper! There are elaborate lies and deception that will blow your mind. Once I settled into the story, you couldn’t rip it out of my hands!</b>

Cassie Woodson is a MC you won’t easily forget. She went from a lawyer at a prestigious law firm to working as a temp after some type of scandal at her previous law firm. We are only fed little details of her downfall, here and there. Just enough to know it’s juicy and we want to know more!

As she’s reviewing documents for a Medicare fraud case, she starts reading the personal emails of one of the partners of the firm. She becomes obsessed with him and this story, and Cassie, go places I never imagined!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Lindsay Cameron and Ballantine Books, for this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

<b>My Rating: </b> 4.5 ⭐️’s (rounding up)
<b>Published:</b> July 27th 2021 by Ballantine Books
<b>Pages:</b> 304
<b>Recommend:</b> Yes

#BallantineBooks #JustOneLook #psychologicalthriller #NoRulesJustThrills #MustRead #InExchangeForReview #BookReview #ARC #SuspenseDebut #NetGalley

After publication, my reviews can be found on Amazon, GoodReads, Edelweiss, Twitter, BN.com, and BookBub

@LindsayJCameron @randomhouse @NetGalley

Just One Look is a fast paced domestic suspense novel with a lead you know is a little nuts! When Cassie starts a temp job that involves going through emails, she becomes obsessed with a man named Forest, and spends pretty much all of her time thinking about him, researching him, and plotting ways she can insert herself into his life. There were so many times I mentally yelled at her because she was being crazy!

Similar to Joe in Caroline Kepnes' You, the reader knows from the get-go that our main character is unhinged. We see the depths Cassie goes to, but can't help but read more, and wait to see if her plotting blows up in her face, or if she can make it work without getting caught! While the book predominately focuses on Cassie's obsession with Forest, there is another plot that is introduced later in the book, which felt more "thriller-ish" to me. Before that storyline happened, I was enjoying the book, but was waiting for the thriller aspect to come into play. I don't want to spoil everything, but I will say that if you don't mind reading about a character who you know isn't a traditional "good guy" (again, think Joe from You), and aren't looking for something with tons of traditional thriller elements, this will be a great choice for you.

The chapters were fast paced, and I found myself blowing through the book very quickly. Overall, I'd rate this one 3.5 stars, but am rounding down on this one because I was looking for a little more thrill/creep factor with this one. That said, I loved Lindsay Cameron's writing style, and can't wait to see what she writes next!

Just One Look was creepy and for the first 1/3 or so I was sure I was reading just another book about an unstable stalker person. But there is more here. And I learned something. I had no idea that there were lawyer temp agencies. That's a thing? There was intrigue here, too. This is not just a cringe inducing crazy woman running around. Fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the arc of this book.

This is going to be a tough review for me, since I didn't love the book. I find most thrillers engaging enough to get through them, and this one did keep my interest, but I did not feel that the payoff was really there in the end. As I read the book, I continued forming theories as to how things would end. One of my theories ended up fleshing out (to a certain extent), so it wasn't a huge or shocking twist for me personally.

The "crazy" female protagonist trope is wearing a bit thin for me. I felt that SO much of the book was focused on Cassie's (the main character's) mental health, and it didn't really feel that a lot of that focus really mattered or played into the reveal. Technically that aspect of the story pretty much completely propelled the story, but I suppose I felt that it could've been handled differently and still had a similar ending. There was also a big focus on her past, on what led her to where she was in the present day, but ultimately, other than serving as an explanation for why she was working in the same building as another character and at the job she was at, none of that backstory really mattered much. Ultimately, I guess I just expected more. I expected more of a reason for certain storylines to be in the book, more of a reason for certain characters to exist, more of a reason for repeated references to things from Cassie's past.

I don't have much else to say. The story throughout was fairly interesting, but I was just left so underwhelmed with the ending that it made the whole story feel a bit pointless to me.

How much can you learn about someone if you have access to their entire email inbox? Private messages with their spouse, restaurant reservations, order confirmations - it’s amazing how many details are right there in your inbox.

Cassie has a new job as a temp lawyer at a firm that is doing some document review. Her job is to sort through all the flagged documents to see which are relevant to the case. But when it turns out one lawyer’s whole email inbox was flagged - she starts to learn more about him and insert herself into his life.

This was a really interesting premise and for the first half I was hooked. However the second half and especially the ending really lost me - it was too over the top.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

I’ve been so disappointed by the thrillers I’ve read recently so I’m extra grateful this one fell into my lap. Cassie Woodson immediately establishes herself as an unreliable narrator. We know she’s been fired from her law practice because of some scandal. We know she’s addicted to alcohol and pills. And we know she is becoming obsessed with a partner at the law firm where she’s been placed as a temp. The story unfolds from there with twists and turns I didn’t see coming. While not a super fast paced, edge of my seat thriller, this is a psychological thriller that you need to pay attention to the details. I really enjoyed this one.

You know that uncomfortable feeling while watching or reading something where the character makes terrible decisions and you're filled with embarrassment on their behalf? That's what I had with Just One Look. I spent so much of it begging Cassie to not make the choices she was, and also being so disturbed by the amount of intel she was able to find with her obsessive Google searches (definitely a book that will have you questioning every personal detail that's ever been put on the Internet). I couldn't see where this was going- maybe because I was so distracted by my feelings on what Cassie was doing- so the ending was a definite surprise to me.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the chance to become immersed in 'Cassie's obsessive mindset and behaviors. The spiraling from rumination and ruminative maybe even attempts at self soothing behaviors on Cassie's part to outright harm for many in the book was well done. Domestic thrillers can at times be my less than favorite genre but I was so intrigued by the idea of this stalking obsessive behavior towards a couple, their words and lives and private moments, the engagement in sneaking "one look" .... it was fascinating just for a change up from other thrillers I have read recently. I also find a twist on how we see one thing in a person or couple and how when that impression is changed... well that can be an interesting discussion about how pressures to conform to one public image, socially constructed definitions of marriage and love and behavior, can all be used to hide problems and bad behavior. And isn't this then a story of how sneaking up on something seemingly good and harmless via acts of inappropriate behavior lead to a downfall and a realization of bad behavior all around? That's an intriguing take on how to step back and think about this book!

Cassie, a woman who has lost it all. She lost her prestigious lawyer job and is now working as a temp. She lost her friends and coworkers. She lost her boyfriend, and now spends the day looking at company emails. One day she stumbles on an email chain and becomes obsessed with Forest, a partner at the first, and his wife. She wants to know everything about him, and her interest quickly moves to obsession.

This book had all the makings of an amazing domestic thriller but was just a mediocre execution. Cassie was just crazy enough that you weren’t sure what was going to happen. The set up was great and drew me into the book right away. Her background was interesting and the build up was great. The issue was the reveal was rushed into the very end of the book, and the explanation felt half-baked. There was so much more detail and many more layers that could have been added, but the explanation was surface level and kind of just thrown at you.

I didn’t see the ending coming, but I just felt all the potential for a huge reveal was not used.

After leaving her last job in shame, Cassie Woodson is tempting at a new law firm. Her job is to sift through emails, and pick out any that stand out. While clicking away, just doing her mindless job, Cassie comes across private emails from one of the lawyers, Forest Watts.
One click leads to another and Cassie knows just about everything about Forest. She knows his address, wife's name, even where he goes for drinks after work. Feeling like its not enough, Cassie hungers for more information. She needs to know everything about the man. Obsession turns to fear when she finds out just who Forest really is...

Its hard to read a good stalker, obsession book after such amazing books as Caroline Kepnes, YOU. I fell in love with Joe, and now want all my obsessed protagonists to be exactly like him. I was really hoping to see a little bit of Joe, in this book.
Just One Look isn't as much about the need to stalk, as much as it about the actual stalking. With so much technology at our fingertips, finding out everything about a person is very easy. Social media is only as private as your settings. Cassie can quickly find enough information, with just one click, to access bank accounts and personal calendars. She doesn't need to hide behind a tree in front of his house, and watch through binoculars. Cassie has the internet to fuel her desire.
I did find the story slow moving, so it took me a minute to get into it. I liked where it went with Cassie's stalking, but could have done without the twist that lead to the end. I wasn't thrilled at all with the ending. Cassie's character could have been deliciously dark if given the chance. The whole ending could have been amazing with her actually losing her mind.
As much as I loved the thrill of the hunt, Just One Look didn't go where I hoped it would. Too much cyber stalking, not enough foot work.

Cassie’s life is on a downswing. She takes a temp job reviewing emails of a legal firm as part of an investigation, and she becomes obsessed with Forest.

The story overall is a bit predictable, but Cassie is a fun narrator full of stalkerish tendencies. This was a fun read, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you to @netgalley for the #arc in exchange for my opinion.

A clever plot brimming with a myriad of wicked twists and turns in a game of obsession and deception. Cassie Woodson is suffering from a humiliating downfall in the end of her career in a promising law career and from her relationship. In need of paying her bills she takes up a temp job reviewing correspondence at a law firm in New York to get by. A turn of events happens when Cassie stumbles upon a loving personal email from Forest Watt, a partner at the firm written to his wife Annabelle through a glitch during her reviews at work. The couple's exchange instills hope in Cassie that perfect life and relationship does exist in this world after all. Her obsession with the Watts spirals in a dark and vicious path.

The readers are deeply consumed in the mind of our unreliable and anti-heroine protagonist that was transfixing yet unsettling. We get a glimpse of Cassie's inner struggles, a deep sense of loneliness, claustrophobia and aftereffect of a trauma. The exploration on Cassie's unstable mind was fascinating yet terrifying. But what makes this story intriguing was the sympathetic approach to our anti-heroine. Lindsay Cameron adeptly approaches Cassie's unfortunate backgrounds with the complexity where the readers can't help being conflicted in a small way rooting for our protagonist. The theme of villain and hero blends without any clear distinction. A slow-burn story that perfectly measured its pacing in building the perfect climax. A thought-provoking and addictive suspense thriller that will truly immerse readers into its shroud of madness.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to read this book as it was being compared to YOU that is one of my favorite book series. I love Joe and the whole idea of being stalked is one of my deepest most ingrained fears so this book should have been perfect for me. I really enjoyed those aspects of those books. The only problem with this book is I did feel as if it rambled in place but that very well could have been a specific choice so I am not to upset about it. This was definitely good had some amazing twist and turns and kept me interested the whole time.

Thank you to the publishers at Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for this e-ARC of Just One Look.

Just One Look is told from the POV of Cassandra, or Cassie, Woodson, a former lawyer who has taken a significant step down in her job, social status, and everyday life. Currently employed as a temp at another law firm, Cassie is overjoyed to have a man just fall into her lap, or more literally, her work. Forest Watts is a hot shot lawyer, and for some reason, his emails have been flagged by the computer search engine files she’s currently sifting through. As she begins to devour his life one personal email at a time, Cassie finds herself moving closer and closer to fantasy. After a work colleague disappears, she flings herself ever more into who she believes Forest to be - the perfect man for her. But things aren’t always how they appear, and Cassie is going to find out the hard way that a fantasy life is no match for reality.

Wow. This book felt like the female version of YOU. If you’ve read the book or watched the show, you’ll understand what I mean. Cassie is a full blown fantasist. Add this to the fact that she can’t get through a single day without popping Tylenol PMs like candy and downing a fresh bottle of wine a night, Cassie is the epitome of an unreliable narrator. By the end of the book, I’m still not sure if I completely believed her side of the story. She’s that out of her mind. I loved it!

Just One Look releases on Tuesday, the 27th! Preorder today!

Unfortunately, this wasn't really for me. I couldn't get on board with the main character and couldn't quite place her motivations. I enjoyed the twists and revelations, but I expect a little more complexity.

I LOVE obsession stories and goodness does JUST ONE LOOK show just how much we actually reveal about ourselves in emails, on social media, how easily someone an be manipulated based on the information they put out there and how there is probably at least one person out there obsessing about you and you have no idea. 😮

For me, this starts off a bit slow and took a little bit for me to get into. Cassie is quite the interesting character and I did enjoy following her down her bat shit crazy path. As the chapters progressed, I found myself so very curious on how things were going to unravel. But oh my. She is her own very unreliable narrator, binge drinking, not knowing entirely how some things occurred bc of said drinking and, as we know, completely obsessed with Forest. Where it starts to unravel for me, is towards the end. Things blow up as we expect but the *news flash* that comes with it seemed a bit abrupt and rushed. I did groan a bit at this piece and roll my eyes because after all this build up,.. well, why did it need to go that far? Also the epilogue felt a bit much though I did enjoy where it landed, even if slightly predictable.

My first Cameron and will definitely be keeping an eye out for her next release.

This was billed as suspenseful, but I did not fell any build up. The main character was unlikeable. There is a surprising twist at the end. Overall, I just do not think this one was for me.

Just one Look is the story of Cassie Woodson who fell from grace at her prior corporate job and is now taking jobs from a temp agency. Her most recent temp position leads her to a law firm where she is reviewing a fraud lawsuit.

At first Cassie dreads and loathes the new position until the document filter begins to feed in personal emails of one of the firm's partners. Cassie begins to delve in the life and personal relationship of a seemingly perfect man, Forest Watts. Cassie cannot help but desire to learn everything about him and his relationship with his wife, Annabelle. Their email exchanges leave her wishing that she was Annabelle and leads her to the beginning of obsession with the Watts couple, especially Forest.

Eventually Cassie begins to stalk Forest by collecting information on places he frequents so she can conveniently show up in those places to meet him and get to know him. The interactions eventually become something of a fling with Cassie under the impression that Forest and Annabelle are divorced.

This realization pushes the obsession further for Cassie to the point she is maxing out her credit cards and doing whatever she can to appear and be a carbon copy of Annabelle. She is determined to get Annabelle out of the picture and take her place as the future Mrs. Watts.

However, not all is as it seems in Just One Look. The reader is at the assumption that Cassie is becoming so unhinged as her history and reason for landing in the temp agency is revealed. One can only expect that Cassie eventually will snap. Cassie's obsession is almost uncomfortable as the reader watches her drop deeper into obsession and despair and desire to have what she cannot have. Of course the reader is going to anticipate that this would push Cassie to a dangerous reaction and end the book with a cliche crescendo where she snaps and kills Forest and Annabelle.

Surprisingly this does not happen as there is a twist thrown in that leaves both the reader and I imagine Cassie spinning. Perfect Forest and Annabelle are not as perfect as they seem and their determination to cover their flaws lead to destruction for all around them, including Cassie and her temp friend Dalton. What those flaws are well you just will need to take a peek, maybe Just One Look to see what is truly going on past that perfection.

All together Just One Look is an enjoyable read. Cassie's obsession is almost infuriatingly cliche and exhausting and the twist thrown in was placed without reason and explanation leaving the end to be unusual and unexplained. The actions of Forest come out of the blue and without any rhyme or reason that just left me feeling a bit annoyed by how it was placed. As a reader I would expect more explanation but this was not the case. As the book comes to it's conclusion and epilogue we find that Cassie has the potential to redeem herself but also that old habits do not die as really how bad could just one look be? Until next time, enjoy your reading!