The Photographer was extremely hard to put down. Told by Delta Dawn the photographer made it even more crazier because you were in her head and heard it all from her point of view. As a photographer you can look at how people live their lives and how they can present themselves or you can live through peoples lives with some creative editing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mary Dixie Carter and St Martin's Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to this one and really couldn't wait any longer to dig in! I wasn't at all disappointed; I sat down and read this one cover to cover in one evening. I didn't like any of the characters, but I was really interested in them all and how they were going to act at any given moment. All these characters are so flawed, but so interesting! I found this one fairly quick paced and there were quite a few twists that really just shocked me. I love novels with unreliable narrators that keep you guessing the whole time. Definitely recommend for those who enjoy unreliable narrators and crazy story lines!

The book description sounded interesting and I thought I would like this book more than I did. It is well written with lots of photography details but I found the main characters just a bit too weird for my liking and I didn't feel like reading on. The book is about a photographer who is asked to take pictures of wealthy children at their birthday parties. The main character is intrigued by the architect parents of a girl she takes pictures of and tries to use her photos to connect with this family. Definitely disturbing and I'm sure some readers will love it.

I was so excited to read this book, but sadIy it feel short for me. I honestly don’t like talking negative about books because I don’t like to put down someone’s hard work.

So, to keep it short, I guess I was just expecting something different. I thought it was going to be more of a thriller with some creepy twists but I didn’t really get that from this book.

The book is surrounded by a woman’s obsession and manipulation to be apart of the Straub family.

Thank you so much for the ARC!!

Delta Dawn is a photographer who specializes in birthday parties for wealthy families. She is also incredibly lonely and psychotic, becoming obsessed with the Straubs, one of the families she works for. We follow Delta’s attempts to get closer to this family, though it’s never really clear what it is about them that attracts her. Unreliable narrators aren’t new and this is a pretty common story. I think we’re supposed to delight in Delta’s scheming, but the character was too sad and pathetic to feel anything but sorry for. She has an imaginary son and no friends, family, or characterization outside of the Straubs. We never really get a good backstory or explanation. It’s a fast paced read; you know that this will all end badly and you can’t help but keep reading. But ultimately, I found this book to be forgettable. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Delta Dawn is a popular photographer in NYC. She is known for making her subjects happy even when they are not. She can turn an unhappy family celebration into a joyous occasion by her phenomenal editing talents. Her latest gig is taking pictures of the Straub family while they are celebrating their daughter’s Natalie’s birthday. The Straubs seem to have it all but as we know what we show the world is different than what goes on behind closed doors. Told from Delta’s voice, this book takes you through her obsession with the Straub family and how she will stop at nothing to be in their family.

This book kept me up late at night because I just could not put it down. Delta is such a bold character who was not afraid and she often had me cringing at the things she did and stories she would make up on the spot.

This novel is written in the first person, and usually with a first-person narrator, I feel invited into her life and am seeing things from her point of view. At first, I felt distant because the narrator, Delta Dawn, a photographer, describes her world in a scientific, clinical manner that is not welcoming. Pretty early on I realized why—something is wrong with this chick. For Delta, things like what is truth and who owns what are blurry. She manipulates her situation like she manipulates the pictures she takes. For her wealthy clients, she knows how to show the pictures of their children that make them look happy and content even if they are whiny, unpleasant, spoiled brats. The magic of computers and digital photography also means that once she takes a picture, she can do a whole lot more with it than make the lighting more flattering. She inserts herself into fantasies that seem more pleasant to her than her reality.

I don’t feel strongly about this book to recommend it or not. I’m ambivalent.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES MAY 25, 2021.

Delta Dawn is a photographer who is skilled at taking perfect family shots. Her photos are so perfect, in fact, that she can’t help wanting to be a part of them. This story follows Delta’s obsession with inserting herself into the Straub family after taking photos at daughter Natalie’s birthday party.

This book was hard to put down in the beginning. Delta is creepy, devious, and manipulative, and sometimes I found myself cringing at her audacity. Ultimately however, the book fell a little flat for me. The ending felt predictable, rushed and far too neat to fit with the rest of the story.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Delta, the main character in this book is an amazing child photographer. She has extremely odd habits of creating many different families for herself from the families she photographs.

When she is hired by the Straub family to shoot their daughter's birthday party, the obsession begins. She begins editing photos and placing herself into the pictures with this family and is even hired as a babysitter!

I do not want to give away too much, this book was crazy good! I thought that it was going to be the same old woman who becomes obsessed with someone's husband etc. etc. I was completely wrong! This story shocked me and kept me reading!

This review is somewhat difficult for me to write, because I am not honestly sure how I felt about this one? I was not exactly sure what to expect going into this book. It definitely had enough mystery and pull to keep me reading. I was so confused and enthralled by the main character, but I also felt like it was missing that certain element of excitement and climax. I kind of expected some big bomb to drop, and while there were definitely a few small twists, the build up felt to just kind of fizzle out. The very end did wrap things up well, but I think I was just hoping for more of a jaw dropping last half or so. All in all, I would recommend this book. I would just say go into it realizing it isn't necessarily a heart racing, anxiety ridden story.

Delta Dawn is a sought-after photographer by some of the wealthy families in New York for their children's birthday parties. She has an eye for capturing the moment, and through creates the perfect photos so the families can present the event as a highly memorable one. Delta also has a way of using her client's photos to create her own sought-after life narrative, putting herself in her client's situations to imagine the life that she wants hers to be. Until she is hired by Amelia and Fritz to photographer their daughter Natalie's birthday party, and Delta decides that not only does she want to be a part of their family in her photo creations and in her mind, she is determined to become a part of their family in real life, and begins to insert herself herself more and more into their family by starting to babysit Natalie. You can only imagine how this goes from here, but it is still a wild ride, and one that I was unable to put down!

"The Photographer" was a quick and fast-paced read, and I am looking forward to reading more by Mary Dixie Carter. If you like a good thriller, "The Photographer" is a perfect reading choice!

Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Press & Minoutaur Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review. "The Photographer" is scheduled to be released on May 25, 2021.

The Photographer provides a chilling perspective from a family photographer, Delta Dawn, who becomes obsessed with her clients.

This story was told from a unique perspective of the stalker. I enjoyed the novelty of the story and found the second half of the book to come crashing down at break-neck speed.

I had hoped Delta would be more psychotic than she was. She came off as more misunderstood and lonely. She was desperate to become the people she was obsessed with more than she actually wanted them. Though she did very questionable things, Delta was a sympathetic character and I enjoyed her relationship with Natalie. Her clients, the Straubs, weren’t very likable people and it was a little unclear why they were so special to Delta.

The Photographer was short book that I was able to finish quickly. Def recommend for a twisty thriller.

That was a disturbing peek into a young woman’s life and her desire to integrate herself into a family whom she photographed. Her thought process made me upset but also made the story a believable one. The beginning was a bit slow for me but came crashing together over the last few chapters. Nothing is final.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a short, fast-paced read, but offers a deeper psychological look into the characters. I was never sure in what direction the plot was headed. I found myself rooting for and against different characters. The ambiguous ending was chilling--it made me question Delta's true motives all along. Read it!

As a photographer, Delta Dawn observes the seemingly perfect lives of NYC elite: snapping photos of their children’s birthday parties, transforming images of anger/sadness and turning them into beautiful memories.

When Delta is hired to take pictures of Natalie Straubs 11th birthday she wishes she was in the pictures with the Straubs instead of behind the lens.

Delta has a plan. She will befriend their family and work her way in. Soon she’s drinking their wine, bathing in their spectacular tub and eyeing the downstairs apartment. Delta knows she a master of manipulation. Can she manipulate the Straubs and get what she wants?

Well I love me some cuckoo for coco puff stalkers and this one didn’t disappoint. Here are the good things : It’s a solid popcorn read that’s fast paced, page turner with an engaging writing style. I enjoyed the details Mary Dixie Carter used in regards to photography and lighting. Some things I didn’t care for were the pretentious and privileged behavior of some of the characters, how easily people were manipulated in this story ( VERY unbelievable) and the ending wasn’t as 🤯 as I expected. It was entertaining and for a debut novel I thought the writing style was great. I look forward to a sophomore novel!


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for my advance copy in exchange for my candid review.

Delta is a photographer. She brings photographs to life, especially the ones of children at their birthday parties. She is asked to photograph Natalie for her 11th birthday. Delta is wowed by the beauty of the Straub's house and the elegance of Natalie's parents - she wishes herself into their lives and slowly makes that happen. But how far does she have to go to make her dreams become reality.
This book is fascinating and totally believable. I enjoyed it immensely.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an ARC of The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter. This is the second book in a row that I read about a woman who is obsessed with someone else’s seemingly perfect life! (Word of warning, don’t do it, you never know what someone’s life really is.) Delta is obsessed but also somewhat unhinged with a very over-active imagination. It was creepy how she schemed to insinuate her into the family’s life. Many of the things she did were also creepy in a WTH way.
The writing was good and kept me reading and I felt myself getting drawn into Delta’s life. The only character I liked at all was the child, who played a very minor role. I wish either Amelia or Fritz had been a sympathetic character. The story was good, but a basic obsession story, except for a twist that I saw coming a mile away.
I enjoyed the writing and will look forward to more books by this author.

WOW! Delta Dawn is a talented photographer with an unbelievable eye and an uncanny ability to be delusioned.

She's hired by Fritz and Amelia to photograph their daughter's Birthday Party. In this page turner Delta becomes obsessed with this family. She will stop at nothing to be a part of their lives , she comes up with creative and clever ways to make them need her and depend on her.

This book is full of twists and turns . I read this in a day and wanted more. Would make an amazing movie!

This is one book you will not regret reading! It's amazing!

5*****

Delta Dawn (yes like the song) is a gifted photographer who specializes in capturing memories made at children’s birthday parties of her wealthy clients. When those memories do not appear, Delta spends hours tweaking the photos.
While taking photos of her latest client she becomes drawn to them and finds ways to ingratiate herself into their lives. Delta loves the life she has seen through her camera lens and is determined to become part of it.
Whew, this book had me shaking my head at the brazenness of Delta. While her stalking is definitely creepy, there is an air of piteous outsider looking in that the reader will sympathize with.
For fans of “ You” and “ If I Can’t Have You”.
Due for release on May 25,2021, is this one you are looking forward to?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur and St. Martins Press for the e-ARC!!

This was an entertaining book in a Lifetime movie kinda way. You know what’s going to happen, but you can’t look away. This was a predictable plot that needed a fair amount of suspension of disbelief in order to get through. Realistic? Not so much. Dramatic? Absolutely.

Character development was seriously lacking. I didn’t feel like I knew any of the characters by the end, so I never rooted for anyone in the novel. The narrator was unreliable and unlikable. Her backstory was hinted at the entire time, but nothing was ever explained. Having that backstory could’ve solidified who the narrator was and why the heck she made some of her choices. All of the other characters could’ve benefited from some depth too.

One thing I really enjoyed was the focus on details. It only makes sense that a photographer would focus on light and shadows and other seemingly unimportant things.

While I wish I would have gotten more in terms of character development, this was an entertaining read. If you like drama and Lifetime movies, this one could provide you an afternoon of amusement. It’ll be out May 25, 2021.