4.25 stars
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TW: Toxic Relationship, Stalking, Addiction, Death, Emotional Abuse, Sexual Content, Miscarriage, Violence, Death of a parent
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"I'll be watching you." Who knew that something so innocent sounding could be so sinister. After a bad run-in with her summer babysitter, Sarah Goldman decides to pack up her husband (Dan) and six-year-old son for a fresh start in Toronto. I'll start off by saying that I love all the Canadian nods in this book, I've always been a sucker for books set in Canada and loved reading about places I've visited before. This was a page-turner, I read this in a setting just because I couldn't put it down. Sarah moves away from a life she's left behind, only to find out that the past can catch up to her. As soon as she moves into her new home, weird things start to happen, after finding some hidden cameras in the home, Sarah begins to think that her babysitter Holly has followed them all the way from Vancouver to continue taunting their family.

This book is told via dual POV, the chapters flip between Sarah and Holly as they recount events that happened in the past (over the summer) and the present. All we know as the reader is that Sarah was eager to leave everything she's ever known, after finding out that Holly has taken her liking to her family in an obsessive way. I needed to find out what happened that made Sarah want to leave so badly, it was interesting seeing how Holly was trying to "protect" the family from Dan's misdoings. All we know is that something happened that tore the family apart, getting to the bottom of what happened was a wild ride. At one point, I didn't even know who I could trust as a character as they all seemed so shady.

For once, this book didn't leave me feeling let down, I couldn't trust any of the characters so the end twist really left me in a state of shock. If you're looking for a one-sitting can't put down thriller, this one was amazing.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a well-written thriller that I enjoyed reading except for a few issues. The main character, Sarah, and her baby sitter, Holly alternate narration of the chapters. Sarah is mom to one son, Jacob, whom Holly watches while Sarah and her husband are at work. She is suspicious of Holly and decides to mover the family to a new town to escape her slightly crazy sitter. Sarah discovers cameras in their new home.. I found the story predictable and I definitely figured out the end before it happened. Sarah and Holly were not a super likeable people either, both being quite suspicious of each other which involved a lot of snooping. All in all it was a decent book but I have definitely read more exciting thrillers lately. Thanks so much for the ARC!!!

I really enjoyed this engaging psychological thriller. It’s a chilling plot with suspense, drama, obsession and twists. An entertaining page turner. *this honest review is based on a complimentary copy from NetGalley*

3.5
I'd like to thank Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a psychological thriller about a family who hires a babysitter to take care of their little boy so that the mom Sarah can have some free time to pursue her interests.

I really did not love this book. I didn't care for any of the main characters. Sarah, Daniel, and Holly all were underwhelming and in need of therapy. Do you ever read a book and just wish people would talk to each other and so many of their problems would be resolved...that was my thought process throughout most of this book.

What redeemed this book for me was the suspenseful element of the story. Sarah and Daniel move across Canada to get away from their live in babysitter Holly. Holly was the perfect live in babysitter who wanted to be more than sitter but also a part of the family. She would do anything for Sarah and would do anything to protect her. Sarah was very suspicious of everyone and even have nanny cams around the house. One night she caught Holly doing the unthinkable in her home and wanted her out. Daniel had secrets of his own that Holly found out about and was blackmailing him over. With their marriage in trouble and everything going on in their home they decided to sell and move across the country. From the first day of their move in to their new home. From day one they had strange texts, cams in their house, Someone was in their back yard watching their house, the front door being unlocked when they arrived. I did like the dual points of view throughout the story where we could see both sides and see their thought process.

Overall. the book was ok. I didn't love any of the characters. The ending was surprising. I do think it could have played out better.

Wherever you go… she’ll be watching. ⁣
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Happy Pub Day to WATCH OUT FOR HER by Samantha Bailey! @sbaileybooks ⁣
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This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year after reading and loving Sam’s debut novel WOMAN ON THE EDGE…. And I LOVED IT!⁣
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This book is exactly why I love reading thrillers. It makes your heart beat faster, you have to stay up to read one more chapter, and you can’t stop thinking about it when you’re finished. I loved the alternating perspectives, the cast of characters, and the subtle creepiness that came off the page. I definitely checked that my front door was locked a few times while reading this one..⁣
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Sam Bailey is a thriller master! If you are a thriller lover, you will definitely want this one on your shelf. ⁣
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Congratulations Sam!! ⁣
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Thank you to @netgalley @simonschusterca for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. ⁣
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And thank you to my mum for being my model 🤣⁣
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DM for trigger warnings.

Sarah, an overly protective mother, and Daniel hired a young girl to babysit their 6 year old son. While Sarah and Holly, the babysitter grow close, they also have hidden secrets. When Sarah sees something unsettling on her nanny camera and she no longer trusts Holly, they decide to move to a new city. Her new neighbor seems overly friendly and she finds hidden cameras in the new house. Has Holly found them and is stalking them?

This is a great thrilling read that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Sarah Goldman, mother to six-year-old Jacob, is relieved to move across the country. She has a lot she wants to leave behind, especially Holly Monroe, the pretty twenty-two-year-old babysitter. 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?
The first half of the book is really good. Weird things happened, tense and creepy, gave me goosebumps. But when the story espand, more and more things do not make sense. I don’t understand Holly’s motive. Because for me, Sarah and Daniel are not a happy family. As 40+ adults they are pretty much fucked up.
I did not see the twist at the end because it confused me more. There is not enough information given to make me understand the relation of Holly’s family. Plus there are also many things do not have answers.
3.5 starts for me. Not a bad book, but not a satisfied read.
Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Samantha M. Bailey for an ARC of this book!

Thanks so much to the publisher for the advanced ecopy of Watch Out For Her by Samantha Bailey.

I hate to give 2 star reviews as they seem negative and I hate for anyone who puts their talents into writing entertainment to the masses any negative feedback. So I will say that for the reasons this book was not a big hit with me, it may work for others who do not share my feelings in general.

The two main characters of this book were unlikeable in my opinion. Sarah was more likeable than Holly, but I wouldn't want either of them in my life. Sarah was a paranoid, helicopter mother who thought herself better than all other mother she encountered. And no wonder she was so paranoid about her own privacy as she doesn't respect privacy boundaries of others. But just reading her constant paranoia made me so nervous I wanted to put the book down.

Then there was Holly, the classic formulaic obsessed-with-joining-the-family babysitter. Holly was AWFUL. She stole, snooped, blackmailed, obsessed, neglected her one friend, etc. The ONLY redeeming quality was that she seemed really good with the little boy she was hired to babysit.

Between Holly's awfulness and Sarah's paranoia and judgmentalism toward others, I just didn't have anyone to root for. In addition to that, this book had those tropes that drive me crazy: major incorrect assumptions by main characters followed by drastic actions that made no sense. for a rational person to do and defied willing disbelief.

So, overall, I did not like this book, but I do think it a book that many people will like.

3 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is an ok mystery/thriller centered around a family and their babysitter. The mother, Sarah, is wound tight and doesn't trust easily. Her husband hires 22 year old Holly, the daughter of one of his club friends, to babysit their 6 year old son. Initially things go well, but Sarah's suspicions start to build until she eventually learns something about Holly she can't overlook. The family moves across the country to start over, but Sarah finds hidden cameras in their rented house and then starts to receive ominous texts from someone, possibly Holly. As the mysteries mount up, Sarah is determined to get to the bottom of it all.

Sarah is the main character of this book, with everyone else as supporting players. Sarah is one of those nervous people that is uncertain about everything and has a constant inner dialogue going on in her head. I didn't care for this aspect of the book as I can only take so much of that kind of stuff. So, for me, it made it a tough book for me to read. Holly's back story is also a bit weird. I won't go into detail about it to avoid spoilers, but it just sounded a bit out there for me. But, I don't have a problem suspending belief while reading a book, so I just went with it. Sarah's husband Daniel is an absentee husband working all the time and he isn't supportive of Sarah, although he does try occasionally. He had some shady stuff going on and the author spent a lot of time building to the reveal of his secret, but it was a bit of a let down.

Overall this is a good book that will entertain the reader. The writing is good and the story flows well, I just think there were a few missed opportunities that could have made it better.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada. All opinions are my own.

This was a quick read that I wish I had read on a vacation in short order. Enjoyable because you know things are not as they seem with this cast of flawed characters. You know from the beginning that Holly could use some counseling. Her situation just made me sad. Sarah has fallen into an unhealthy cycle but you know she has some strength in her to overcome. Daniel is up to something but you don't know what it is. Who is the worst of the bunch? Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Woman on the Edge a while back, I was more than eager to check out Watch Out for Her as soon as I possibly could. Samantha M. Bailey is now two for two with amazing domestic psychological thrillers!

I actually forgot that I was reading a book, since it felt more like I was eavesdropping on people I knew and I became so absorbed in their lives. Sarah and Holly both had compelling narratives and I couldn't decide who to root for or worry about more. Jacob seemed like a sweet kid and more than just your average precocious child. The great use of detail throughout the novel made it easy to visualize people and places.

Samantha kept me guessing until the very end and even when I thought I might be right, there was still more to the story. She captured the angsty feel of moving to a new town really well. And this was aside from all the scary stuff that was happening. She is on par with Mary Kubica in her ability to creep me out.

There was a lot of foreshadowing that I felt wasn't necessary in order to keep things suspenseful. I would rather have not known certain things were coming. However, I was still surprised about other parts and I like how there were a lot of cliffhangers to end the chapters.

I highly recommend checking this novel out if you're looking for a good thrill. And if you haven't read Woman on the Edge yet, add that to your TBR right away too!

Movie casting suggestions:
Sarah: Jordana Spiro
Holly: Haley Pullos
Dan: Sam Witwer
Alexis: Madeleine Martin
Tara: January Jones
Ezra: Michael Weston
Charles: Anson Mount

Excellent book!! At times, it seemed predictable, but I can assure you it isn't. It turned out not at all how I expected.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read this advanced copy.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC. This book was one of my many anticipated reads, and unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. I liked that the story was told through 2 timelines and 2 POVs: Before told by Holly and After by Sarah. I also enjoyed the “you can’t trust anyone” vibe and thought it added to the intrigue. My main problem is that the summary promised a psychological suspense, and that’s not what I got. I came in expecting something fast-paced with lots of unexpected twists and excitement, and although the story kept me interested, I thought it lacked excitement. I found the first half of the story to be very slow and a little dull. The plot started to pick up in the second half, but even then, it seemed very far-fetched and predictable. I liked the idea of having the main characters obsessing with each other, but where is the ”If I can’t have you then no one can!” energy? While this book didn’t do it for me, I’ve seen a lot of 4 and 5 reviews, and if this thriller interests you, read it, you might end up liking it more than I did.

A very interesting psychological thriller. Sara and her husband and son are starting over in a new community. Sara is not one to trust easily and it seems this new community may not be what it appears to be. This one kept me on the edge of my seat!

Imagine moving all the way across the country to start over and get out of a bad situation, only to find that the bad situation has followed you. That is exactly what happens to Sarah and her family. As she does her best to find out if the things that are happening around them could really be the sitter they left behind, how did she find them? What does she want? If it is her, what will they have to do to stop her?

This book was wild. I have never heard of this author but this definitely won't be my last by her. I have read so many thrillers lately that I feel like I can predict everything. Not this book! This book left me guessing until the last page. So great!

She's got her eye on you...

Sarah is glad to embark on a fresh start with her husband, Daniel, and her six-year-old son, Jacob. She's especially glad to leave Jacob's babysitter, Holly, behind. The beautiful young woman was amazing with Jacob and even became like a daughter to Sarah, who kept a watchful eye on her. Sarah sees something so disturbing, it makes her want to drop everything and get far away from Holly. When they arrive at their new home, Sarah begins to unravel as she finds hidden cameras and notices her neighbours' constant prying eyes. The tables have turned, and now Sarah is the one being watched...
I have anticipated this novel for many months, and I am so glad to have finally read it! I was unable to put this book down for long, as I wanted answers to all of my burning questions. I loved the complex nature of Holly and Sarah's relationship. I listened to the audiobook version along with reading, and I felt the narrators were fantastic at different voices for each character. I particularly enjoyed how they voiced Jacob, as it was absolutely perfect for the character. I loved the twists in this story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a thrilling read!

Wherever you go…
she’ll be watching.

Sarah and Daniel Goldman hire Holly Monroe to babysit their six-year-old son Jacob. Sarah has time to pursue her art and Holly gets away from her evil stepmother. Jacob gets a babysitter to have fun with. Holly has always wanted a normal family and believes the Goldman family fits the bill. She sees Sarah as a mother figure and Sarah has someone to watch her son.

But Sarah, always suspicious, takes too much of an interest in Holly, secretly taking pictures of her. Then there is Daniel, whose late-night whispering to their babysitter is making Sarah suspicious. When they make a major move, Sarah is happy to start over, but she soon discovers that someone is watching....

I always feel like somebody's watching me
And I have no privacy (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody's watching me
Tell me is it just a dream? - Rockwell


Who is watching? Why? How?

This was an enjoyable mystery/thriller that although I enjoyed while reading, don't believe I will remember in months to come. This reminds me of a good plane book. I nice way to spend time, that keeps your attention and keeps you occupied for the time being. For me, the premise was very inviting and while I was never bored, I was also never blown away. This lacked the 'wow' factor for me.

I did enjoy the who-can-be-trusted-or-believed vibe of the book. We get both Sarah's and Holly's POV, and readers are left to wonder what is really going on, who is reliable, who is watching, and who has secrets.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a dark, intense, and thrilling novel from Samantha Bailey. While this is not my favorite type of thriller I still found a lot to enjoy in this book and I can see it really resonating with others. There were a lot of twists and not all of them worked for me but the ending one did. This is ver much a family thriller with a hint of procedural mystery.

3.5 stars out of 5

Thank you to S&S Canada and Netgalley for an early copy for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a great book, really kept me hooked throughout the entirety,