I’m in to thrillers and was glad to be approved through Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC.
Although, I found the plot to be unbelievable in places, as some things fell into place too easily, overall the book and ending did provide a sense of a suspenseful thriller.
Sarah and Daniel have found the perfect babysitter for their son Jacob in Holly. They are living in an upscale neighborhood, trying to fit in. Daniel is working long hours in his quest for success and Sarah is often lonely. She and Holly form an attachment. Sarah has someone to do things with and Holly has a ‘family’. Something Holly is missing with her real family. Things are fine until Sarah sees something disturbing involving Holly and convinces Daniel they have to move across the country. But, the move doesn’t help. Daniel is distracted and placating to Sarah and she finds hidden cameras in their new home. Has Holly followed them, or is something else happening? ‘Watch Out for Her’ has some unexpected twists and you need to be patient to discover the how, the why and the who. This review is my honest opinion. 4 stars

Watch Out for Her by Samantha M. Bailey is a recommended domestic psychological thriller.

Sarah and Daniel Goldman have just moved across the country from Vancouver to her husband Daniel’s hometown of Toronto. The move was made to get as far away from their nanny, Holly Monroe, as possible. Holly's stepmother and father set up the job as babysitter for Holly, a 22 year-old medical student. The family adored her as did 6-year-old Jacob, until Sarah saw something that made her change her mind, something bad enough to send her family moving across the country. When Sarah finds hidden cameras in their new rental house, she is sure Holly placed them there to spy on them. Sarah, who has a difficult time trusting people, had nanny cameras set up at their home in Vancouver and she actually took pictures of Holly while watching her at home through a window.

Tension does build incrementally as the details in the plot unfold, creating suspense. Chapters alternate between the point of view of present day Sarah and Holly in the past. Sarah's chapters cover what is happening to torment her and her family now while Holly's cover what happened that led then to move. Readers won't know exactly what Sarah saw that was so awful they had to move until later in the novel. The alternating chapters work in this novel to propel the narrative forward and I did keep reading to the major twist at the end.

Both women are keeping secrets from each other as well as others. Neither Sarah nor Holly are particularly likable appealing characters which does make it a challenge to keep reading at times. They are both suspicious and prone to doubts, fears, and obsessions. For me this is an enjoyable but average domestic thriller.

Several things didn't ring true at the start of this novel. The obvious question is what 22 year-old med student would agree to babysit a normal, healthy 6 year-old for the summer? Even if daddy wanted to encourage it because he liked Daniel, it seemed simply inane. And then saying it would be a good addition to a resume is even more absurd. Snap out of it, Holly. Just say no, tell your evil stepmom that she can babysit, and I'm sure you could get a real job. And if daddy Monroe really owned pharmaceutical firm, why would he want his daughter who is supposed to join the family business to be a nanny even if evil stepmom wanted it? This is a totally unbelievable plot point but it is essential for the premise of the novel. There are a couple other details in the plot that will have careful readers rolling their eyes.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Simon & Schuster via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss, Google Books, and Amazon.

This is a chilling, thrilling masterpiece!!
Just WOW! For this author's 2nd book... she's blown it out of the park-again!!

Watch Out for Her is captivating and thrilling- leaving you glued to the pages until you get to the very end! Just when you think you've figured things out... you'll be shocked!!!

This book is one you won't forget!

If you're a lover of thrillers.... you must read this book!!!

5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for letting me get an early copy to read/review!!

🎵 I always feel like somebody’s watching me 🎶
👀 Unreliable narrator
👀 Family drama
👀 Multiple POV / timelines
👀 So many secrets

I love that this book is set in Canada and that it involves one of my biggest fears: finding hidden cameras/being filmed secretly. I knew this book would creep me out and I was super happy to get an ARC.

Hoooowever, I feel like the plot let me down a bit. All of the characters (besides Jacob) have a major issue with boundaries and snooping, which makes it hard to root for anyone. I also felt like Sarah's reasoning for suddenly losing trust in Holly and moving across the country to get away from her was really weak. It took me out of the story. SPOILER: A conversation about boundries and asking Holly to refrain from inviting people over without permission sounds reasonable. Moving across the country just because your babysitter had sex in your living room does not.

Even though that part was frustrating, the rest was pretty good. I enjoyed the writing style more as the book progressed.

I think I'll have to give this author another try!

This book started out great was drawing me right in. Then seemed to then move a little slow to get into what was going to happen. I did love the writing style but a little drawn out for not much of a twisty ending.

Thank to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book

I really had trouble getting in to this book and found myself skimming large parts. I didn't find the plot believable and I didn't like the characters. The book was somewhat suspenseful in that it keeps the reader guessing who you can trust -- since everyone seems to have some sort of secret. I just had trouble connecting to the characters in a way that would keep me riveted to the story.

This is the latest thriller by Samantha M. Bailey where babysitter, Holly, and mom, Sarah, are trying to discover who they are. Holly is an abandoned child. Her father has remarried, and her mother died when she was born. Sarah is a 40-ish year old mom, trying to find her passion in life. Will Holly be the answers to Sarah’s prayers?

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this novel. It seemed slow. This is in part due to the writing style. Many of the paragraphs and chapters were too long for a thriller/mystery. Additionally, it seemed that the tone was built upon the characters looking over their shoulders and too much inner monologue. Watch Out for Her was told in two different timelines, Before and After; however, this took away from the suspense and some of the surprise.

Watch Out for Her has a few scenes that might be called steamy, but they didn’t sizzle. This book felt like an attempt to weave in some of May Cobb’s steamy mystery style (such as The Hunting Wives and My Summer Darlings) but fell flat.

Personally, I found Holly and Sara unlikeable because they don’t respect boundaries and were snooping on each other. For the record, if I allow you into my house and you go through my things, you will be unceremoniously thrown out. My home is my safe place, the one place in the world where I know that I can find sanctuary, a calm in the storm, and going through my things would be the ultimate betrayal.

Without revealing spoilers, Holly has some extremely delusional or rather naïve ideas. Almost as unbelievable as instantly finding a super-secret cell phone with the super-secret password right next to it.

This isn’t the worst thriller that I have read, but it just didn’t work for me.

I loved Samantha M. Bailey’s debut novel and I loved this one as well. Watch Out for Her was fascinating. It had that classic thriller feel, with characters you’re rooting for, but at the same time don’t know if you can trust. I also really enjoyed the dual timeline and perspectives of Holly and Sarah. I’m a big fan of when timelines like that work out and add to the suspense of the story. I thought I had it all figured out and was swiftly proved wrong. Excellent writing and plotting, plus a killer concept are things I expect from Bailey now and this did not disappoint.

Holly is the daughter of wealthy parents who have high hopes for her. However, Holly is over doing what her parents want and she wants to forge her own path. Enter the Goldman family, who Holly decides to enter their family via babysitting their son, Jacob. When Holly learns of a Goldman family secret she is determined to fix it and I steer herself in the family permanently. Things don’t go exactly to plan and things take a very dark turn.

I was very excited to get access to this book after reading the author.a debut book which was fantastic. This one was a fabulous second book and I really enjoyed it. The chapters go between telling the POV of Sarah Goldman and Holly as well as jumping back and forth from the past to the present. The ending was unpredictable and was a bit of a shock that I never saw coming. I will be recommending this one to thriller lovers everywhere.

Sarah & Daniel Goldman thought they had found the perfect babysitter for their son Jacob. Jacob adored Holly, and she fit in perfectly with the family. When things went badly for Holly with her father & Holly's step-mother, Holly fled to the Goldman's house, and Sarah invited her to spend the next few nights at their house. It was a natural progression for Holly to become Jacob's live-in Nanny. Everything was perfect..... until the day Sarah discovered something that made Sarah want to get her family as far away from Holly as she could. Now they have they moved to a different city, and everything should be good , but when Sarah finds hidden cameras in her new home she has to wonder: Has her past caught up to her, and worse yet, who’s watching her now?

I really enjoyed this author's first book, so I was excited to read this one. It was just as good as her first book. It went back and forth between past and present, and was told in the alternating voices of Sarah and Holly. There wasn't a lot suspense with the past chapters, only the present - the past chapters mainly gave context and let you know how it all got to that point. I enjoyed the variety of suspects in the Goldman's new neighborhood - from their nextdoor neighbor who keeps showing up unannounced, to the weird man across the street who was watering the dead grass & sidewalk while staring at their house. This is perfect for anyone who loves psychological thrillers.

Thank you to the publishers at Simon & Schuster Canada for my copy of Watch Out for Her!

Sarah is a stay at home mom to her son, Jacob. Her husband, Daniel, suggests that Sarah get some time to herself for the summer, so she hires Holly, the 22 year old daughter of a wealthy man who runs Health ProX. Holly and Jacob become instant friends, and Holly herself becomes obsessed with Sarah. Since her mother died in childbirth, Holly has never had a real mother to look up to. Sarah could be the mother she never had. On the flip side, Sarah is just as obsessed with Holly, for her beauty and youth.

Both women are hiding terrible secrets, and Sarah begins to assume the worst about Holly. But not everything is what it seems on the surface, and Sarah is going to have to figure that out the hard way. This dual POV story told from Sarah and Holly’s perspectives is nothing short of shocking. Holly, in the before, and Sarah, in the now, together tell the story of one devastating summer heading toward an impending implosion that no one will see coming.

I really enjoyed this multi POV. I was team Sarah for a long time, as a fellow mother, but when I got to see more and more from Holly’s perspective, I realized that I was doing exactly what Sarah was doing. This was written in such a clever way, and I felt like I was in Sarah’s shoes. I also like the final build up between the now and before. It added to the overall suspense.

Watch Out for Her releases April 26th. Preorder your copy now!

Watch Out for Her grabs your attention from the beginning and keeps you guessing.

Someone is always watching Sarah mom to Jacob.

I see you.

This summer Sarah and Dan hire Holly to babysit their 6 year old Jacob.

Can Sarah trust Holly.

This book has it all: secrets, lies, obsession and some nasty characters.

I don't want to give anything way: suffice to say pick up your copy of Watch out For Her and be prepared to read to you are done.

Samantha Bailey has another hit on her hands.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada, Simon and Schuster for a page turning read.

I loved about 85% of this book. The ending felt so rushed. I wish that would have been expanded on a little more.

Even though I saw the ending coming, I still enjoyed the ride. I didn't particularly love any of the characters but I didn't hate them either. It was a suspenseful and exciting story.

“It made me wonder: To what lengths would she go to fill the void? And what was it she was looking for?”

“Desperate people do desperate things. Not always on purpose. But sometimes.”


I read Samantha Bailey’s debut book Woman on the Edge and really liked it!

This is her second book and it was also pretty good!


Like Woman on the Edge, this book alternates chapters between our two main characters: Sarah in the present and Holly in the past.


Holly is the daughter of a rich pharmaceutical entrepreneur. Having never known her mother who died in childbirth, Holly feels immense pressure to please her dad who partly blames her for her mother’s death. She will do anything for his approval, which as of late means doing ‘whatever it takes’ to convince rich men to invest in her dad’s empire.

When she starts babysitting for Sarah’s son, Jacob, she sees a family she could be part of. Sarah is like the mom she always wanted.

But as we read Sarah’s chapters in the present we know something has gone awry. They have moved to get away from Holly. Sarah had viewed Holly as a daughter, until something happened to change all of that.

Now Sarah is living in fear, anxiety, and paranoia, feeling like Holly has followed them. Someone is watching her.

“Holly— young, beautiful, her whole life an exciting blank slate. But then I stopped trusting her. And in the end, I wanted only to protect what was mine.”


Like Woman on the Edge's title, this book is also aptly named-- ‘Watch Out for Her.’

This statement could be taken two ways- ‘Watch out for what that person will do because she is dangerous’ or ‘Watch out for her, keep an eye on the ones you love.’

Both are relevant to this book.

What really happened with Holly? Is Sarah really in danger or is her paranoia in her head?


Comment number one to be made about this book is that I’m a little tired of the ‘anxious, neurotic, and paranoid woman/mom trope.’ I feel like I’ve read so many books where the women are portrayed that way. I get that it creates mystery and deception on what is really happening, like an unreliable narrator thing, but it would be nice to see normal moms who care about their kids but function in a healthy and sane way.

Comment number two is the content in this book. I don’t remember if her debut had a lot of swearing, but this one did have the f-word several times and some sexual content that isn’t explicit but is several places in the book as these are the kinds of things Holly has felt obligated to do to earn her father’s approval.

Comment number three is the trigger of one of My Reading Quirks. Someone’s hair is described as smelling like strawberries. Big no-no.

Comment number four is that I did end up figuring out part of the ending but Bailey did a good job making me second-guess myself.

Comment number five is this book creates a discussion around what happens when people are defined by their family. What are the pros and cons? How does this shape behavior, identity, and future relationships? How can you avoid defining yourself and being defined by your family? If you plan to do this as a book club read, would be interesting to discuss!


It was a suspenseful read and just like her first book, I read this one fast. Without remembering everything about the first book, I think I may have liked that one better than this, but it’s hard to say.

In general, I would recommend this one!


This book releases April 26, 2022!

**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

Rating: 1.5
This book was too dramatic for me. The plot was boring and the characters felt one-dimensional.

I really loved the structure of this book. The story unfolds alternating POV between Sarah, mother of 6-year-old Jacob, and his babysitter, Holly. This starts off fun and interesting as you meet the characters. Then we are pulled into their story making connection with periphery characters along the way. We discover we’re not quite getting all the facts as we alternate points of view, and things are not adding up. Tension builds and a creepiness starts to fill the gaps. You know something has happened, but you can’t quite guess what. This leads to non-stop reading. It is unlikely you will figure out the ending – which I really appreciate in a thriller. I enjoyed the Canadian setting. I could relate to both cities it takes place in and that made it resonate even more with me.

This psychological thriller is refreshing in its delivery with just the right amount of creepiness.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Watch Out for Her by Samantha Bailey

I really enjoyed reading this novel, I'm already anticipating the next. Well written, great plot, well developed characters.
Sarah is a mom of one young boy, married to Daniel. They find a daughter of one of Daniel's colleague's who is able to babysit. Holly fits in quickly, she feels so at home with this family and their son Jacob adores Holly. But is Holly everything Sarah and Daniel believe her to be. She gets very close with the family to the point of moving in after her father basically disowns her. Holly is doing everything she can to make this family love her and want her to stay
This really is a great read, one of those books you can't put down. Well done! I loved the twists and turns and surprises who dunning at the end.

I found this one to be pretty meh. It had a good premise, but the characters didn’t seem very realistic. It was hard to get into and it dragged at times. I really wanted to like it.