3.5 Stars - Rounded up to 4 stars

This book had me going back and forth on how I felt about the story, the characters, and the plot of the story. Meribel is an actress and mother, who moves from LA to Atlanta to escape a stalker. Meribel as a character was not one of my favorites to read about but her daughter, Honor, was one of my favorites particularly due to her autism and blunt personality.

This follows Meribel and Honor through their change of life leading to new friendships and the ending of old relationships long left behind. It starts off as a story about the stalker, Marker Man, and finding out that he had followed them to their new home. The letters arriving show that not only he knows where they live but that he is making his way towards Meribel and Honor.

Throughout this story you see different aspects of Maribel relationships with the neighbor, her ex-boyfriend/bodyguard, her daughter, her ex-husband, and Marker Man. This part was something that had my head spinning because of how many relationships there were being dealt with all at once.

I struggled with whether I was going to give it 3.5 or 4 stars at the end of reading it completely and ended on deciding a 3.5 was fair for the mixed emotions I had from beginning to end. I also realized a new theme with mystery thrillers this year with having one main storyline and bad guy, but then a couple twists showing a different bad guy and motive.

With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson is a very highly recommended, excellent novel of psychological suspense. As expected, I love With My Little Eye just as I have loved every book Jackson has written. This will be one of my top books of the year.

Meribel Mills is in her forties and a single mom raising Honor, her twelve-year-old daughter who is on the spectrum. Her claim to fame was a sitcom, Belinda’s World, she was in twenty years ago. Now she is considered a B-list actress, but she still has acting offers. She also has an obsessive stalker she calls Marker Man because he sends creepy letters written in fruit-scented marker. When she discovers that he has been in her home, she accepts a role in a TV series that requires her to move from Los Angeles to Atlanta.

Now in Atlanta, Meribel should feel safe, but she is still receiving forwarded letters from Marker Man. She also has a sensation that someone is watching her, following her. Could it be Marker Man, someone from her past, or a new stalker? Who can she trust?

Jackson is always an exceptional writer who knows how to tell a detailed, fast-paced story with intelligence and humor that will hold your attention throughout. Meribel narrates most of the novel at the beginning but Honor and other voices are added later. It is compelling to hear these different narrators, which add complexities and depth to the plot, while increasing the tension, suspense, and sense of foreboding. As the complicated plot unfolds, there are several suspects that emerge.

Both Meribel and Honor are wonderful, fully realized characters who experience growth personally and in their relationships. Jackson excels at portraying the relationship between Meribel and Honor, while also capturing Honor's voice. There are a wide variety of characters and each of them is carefully crafted as unique characters with secrets.

The twists at the ending were heart-stopping and full of tension. I enjoyed the final denouement and felt like it was a smart way to end the novel. With My Little Eye is another exceptional novel by Joshilyn Jackson.

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

Really enjoyed the stalker trope and the autism representation. The ending goes off with a bang, but I was hoping for at least another chapter where it wrapped up nicely. Overall I liked it!

I have loved Joshilyn Jackson's books since way back when she wrote "God in Alabama". Since then, I have read every single book she has ever written. I was thrilled to receive the ARC of her latest book "With My Little Eye" in exchange for an honest review on NetGalley. In this novel, a famous actress moves from LA to Georgia to get away from a stalker, and tries to establish a new life with her daughter, Honor, who is on the spectrum. Unfortunately, the stalker figures out where she is, and so the question becomes can she finally break free of the stalker? Or has he somehow, unbeknownst to her, already become a part of her new life?

I truly felt like the characters in this book were real people, and I feel like I knew them all. The author has a knack for describing things using very creative, colorful language in a way I have not seen anyone else ever manage to do. And the words she picks just so perfectly explain what she is trying to say. I also love her dialogue, it is very natural and realistic.

Her first few books were more of the family drama genre, and now she has moved into the thriller/mystery genre which I love. This book has a few twists and turns and I truly was surprised at the end as to who the "bad guy" was. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed Joshilyn Jackson's books in the past, or anyone who loves a good mystery or thriller!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for this honest review!*

I'm always game for a good "stalker" book and this one had all the makings of a good read. Unfortunately, along the way it kind of fell flat for me. It wasn't bad, I just believe it could have been better. It felt as if the author was trying to tuck too many topics into the book instead of following one plot line all the way through, it took some crazy turns. Usually crazy turns are good in a book like this one, but it didn't feel that way in this book.

I did like the basic premise of the story with Maribel being an actress trying to hang onto her career in her late thirties. Like her life was complicated enough, she had a crazy stalker that wasn't just creepy but seemed very dangerous. When she moves from Los Angeles to Atlanta to get away from the stalker, who would expect them to follow her? But of course they do. From there, things get more complicated and there are multiple storylines being tossed into the book. It all felt like a bit much to me.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions. contained within are my own.

I’ve read another book by the author and enjoyed it so I was excited to read this one.

Sadly, this didn’t work for me. I didn’t like the characters. There was way too much going on and some of it didn’t seem to pertain to the main plot. Yes, there were some good twists, but there were too many negative aspects. And it just seemed to wrap up very quickly.

I probably wouldn’t recommend this to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Meribel’s life is falling apart. She is surrounded by trouble and people she does not trust. This is a story filled with angst. It is told from multiple points of view which often changed the tone of the story. Honor is a great character who becomes the truth teller of the story. The plot covers several angles of loss, family and love. It will take some time to read, but it’s worth it.

My first read from this author - it was OK for me. Meribel, the main character, was a study in contrasts. I liked her sometimes, and sometimes not. I definitely liked the character of Honor, Meribel's autistic teenage daughter. Their dynamic was interesting to read. I liked a lot of the pop culture references, and I liked that all the relationships within were messy. The main stalker plot felt uneven and was full of red herrings. I'm not sure the different plot threads came together well. I was surprised when what I thought was a side character suddenly became a critical character (again, uneven). The chapters changed character point of view without labeling, which could be mildly confusing. I found the ending very abrupt, as in I turned the page and then oh, that's it? If you like a stalker-themed suspense, this will make for a good beach read.

Thank you to William Morrow via Netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Interesting premise, could've used a bit of editing, but a fairly entertaining read overall. There's a lot going on in Meribel's life, and those around her, and I think that's all I'm going to say.

"It started with the letters…

For actress Meribel Mills, disturbing fan mail is part of the price of fame. So when she starts getting creepy letters written in fruit-scented marker she is mostly unphased and diligently files them along with her other messages from unhinged fans. After all, she’s a single mom approaching forty, not the kind of hot young celeb who sparks dangerous obsessions. But there’s something different about Marker Man…

He’s been in her home…

Meribel’s sheets smell of unfamiliar cologne, and objects have gone missing around the house. Plus, the letters have become more perverse, with drawings of a naked Meribel tied up or chopped into pieces. While the police insist that stalkers hardly ever escalate to violence, Meribel has played the dead girl one too many times on TV to risk becoming her in real life. She and her daughter move from Los Angeles to Atlanta for a fresh start—but no distance is great enough.

He’s watching her…

Years of being in front of a camera have given Meribel a superpower—she can feel eyes on her, a creeping sensation like bees inside her skin. And someone definitely has her in their sights. Could Marker Man have followed her all the way across the country?

Who else might be watching—her ex-husband? The lover she left behind in LA? Her new neighbor? Suddenly, every man in her life is a suspect, but she can’t keep herself and her daughter safe from a monster she can’t identify. When the paths of all of these men collide, Meribel will find herself alone in the fight of her life, desperate to protect those she loves as danger closes in from all sides."

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

This had the "oh no, don't open that door' feeling from a horror movie. Then it settles out for a while before you have your next "omg I didn't see that coming" moment. I love the kids in this and would have read a book solely with them in it. The ending was a little flat but I still enjoyed it overall.

“I wasn’t good at patience, but my whole life was now reduced to waiting. He was the watcher. He had the power. The watcher always had the power.”
 
Meribel Mills was a famous actress in the 90’s and is now just trying to live her life with her pre-teen daughter, Honor, who is autistic. Meribel decides to leave Hollywood to start over in a new town with her daughter. Her stalker has started to take things too far and she feels like she and her daughter are in danger. Soon she fears that her stalker has managed to follow her to Atlanta. There’s no shortage of potential suspects in Meribel’s life. An ex-husband she ghosted years ago, a handsome but maybe sinister neighbor in her apartment building, and a love interest from L.A.
 
This book starts out as a bit of a slow burn, but once the characters and their relationships are established, the pace picks up and this turns into a fast-paced, entertaining read. Although I never really warmed to Meribel, the insight into the stalkers mind was a bit disturbing (in that wonderful way), but also very realistic and creepy. I loved how the character, Honor, was written. The sections where we are in Honor’s thoughts with her and she is overstimulated and trying to cope are insightful and exceptionally well done. 
 
Sadly, some of the characters were flat. There were too many sub plots, and the ending was fast and felt rushed. I have read and loved, Never Have I Ever and Mother May I by this author, and really enjoyed the fast paced chapters in them, this one did not have that for me, but that won’t keep me from reading her future work.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

3.5 stars. This isn't Jackson's usual twisty domestic thriller. Meribel Mills, actress, has a stalker that just keeps escalating. After she discovers that this stalker has been in her home, Meribel moves back home to Atlanta where luckily a job has opened up for her. However, she has ghosts in Atlanta and must put them to rest in order to move forward. However, moving hasn't gotten rid of her stalker. He has followed her across the country.
This was just meh for me. Although written well, it just wasn't as well done as Mother May I or Never Have I Ever. And as much as Meribel was being tortured by "Marker Man" (so dubbed by Honor, her daughter, because of the scented marker scent left behind on his stalker letters), I just couldn't feel that bad about it. Also, why was almost every single male character a complete creep? And I mean, besides the stalker. Joshilyn Jackson is better than this!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this e-arc.*

This is my second book by this author and I definitely enjoyed it a lot more than the first. I was not sure where it was going to go and I was definitely surprised where it ended up, in a good way. Having a stalker is so creepy but this book was well done. Definitely recommend if like thrillers!

With My Little Eye comes out next week on April 25, 2023, and you can purchase HERE!

Instead, I'd stared at the ceiling, drifting, while my brain played all of Meribel's Greatest Shame Hit on a loop. It's like that, sometimes. You lie in the dark, thinking about James peering across a parking lot, shocked, staring. You start thinking, When have I been more humiliated? Your brain helpfully says: Well, that thing with your first agent at that party. Oh, and you made your mom break up with your husband for you while you fled cross-country. Maybe insta-stalking your ex's wife is close to that cringe-y, if we look at it as cumulative.

3 stars

My honest review. If this wasn't a Netgalley read I probably would have DNF'd.

Full disclosure, it probably isn't fair that right before I started this I finished Taylor Adams' newest book and it was so crazy and entertaining that this one was boring me right from the start. So I went away from it for a few days and then came back to it. Unfortunately, the break did not make it better but I pushed on.

My biggest complaint is there is SO MUCH INNER DIALOGUE and it's repetitive. The inner dialogue does not move the story along, it just stalls it. Actual dialogue is limited and I'm a huge dialogue person so I think the writing style just isn't for me. Some of the plot points annoyed me. For example, it's really bizarre to me that someone who is being stalked, to the point that they move cross-country, would be internet stalking, etc, their ex. Like hello pot, it's kettle. All this happens and it also does nothing for the actual story. I don't like filler in a suspense read.

With all of that being said, I did enjoy the last 30% or so of the book, as that's when the action finally kicked in and the story really progressed. I think I would have enjoyed a book that was more about her daughter, Honor, and her interactions with her friends more than the story that was actually told and that's a problem for me. There is a story within a story here and I felt like the author was trying to do too much and neither story got the development it needed because we were too wrapped up in Meribel's internal thoughts for half the book.

Would I recommend it? Not really. It was just so slow for the first half of the book, the last 1/3 is hard to justify slogging through that. Will I read this author again? Probably not. I love dialogue driven books and pages of internal dialogue is a big pet peeve of mine so if this is indicative of the authors typical writing style, I have to pass on reading more.

This is not my favorite book of hers. It was just okay for me. It was a little slow. I did really enjoy the character Honor and hearing her voice. It was the best when she was "onscreen".

This book was really great. The suspense was killing me. I kept wondering who the stalker was & was very surprised when I finally found out who. Meribel was a great character but had some issues in the boyfriend department. But I guess if you were getting threatening smelly letters from someone you called Marker Man you would be jumpy too. I found it interesting that she moved out of town to escape him when she didn't know who he was. The development of Honor, Meribel's adopted daughter, who was on the spectrum, was right on and I found the love and commitment they both had to each other very special.
This was a book that kept my interest until the very end and I would highly recommend.
Thanks to #netgalley, #williammorrow @joshilyn_jackson for an ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley. I have loved all of Jackson's previous books and was excited to get this ARC. I quickly realized this book was just not for me. This stalker type story has been done to the point of exhaustion. This entire book felt rushed and the characters were not very likeable or relatable.

In Jackson's latest thriller, a movie star moves herself and her autistic daughter all the way across the country to try to escape a stalker. The plot was all over the place, and there were lots of characters to keep track of without enough personality-building to make me remember or care who each was. The reveals were disappointing and I really miss the writing and depth Jackson demonstrated in "The Almost Sisters" and her other earlier novels. Hopefully, Jackson's next novel will be back on track. I've enjoyed enough of her earlier novels that I will still give anything she writes a try. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced digital review copy.

I honestly don't really even know what to say about With My Little Eye, and not in a good way. I heard amazing things about Mother May I, so when I was approved for With My Little Eye, I was super excited. That went away pretty quickly after starting it.

I considered DNFing it a few times but hit a point where I really wanted to know who the stalker was. I had suspicions (none were right) so I finished. I'll say the last 50 pages or so were so disjointed and rushed, I honestly wasn't even sure what was happening. A random new storyline about one of the characters popped it, the stalker storyline didn't really get wrapped up, and to be honest, Meribel's character was just annoying. Look, I get it. She had a stalker, but she seemed like she whined about it more than she was concerned about it.

Sorry folks. This one was just not for me. I'll certainly give other books by Joshilyn a shot, but this was a big old dud for me.

Thanks, William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC and the opportunity to share my honest review.

Actress Meribel has been receiving stalkerish letters from someone she calls "Marker Man", due to him writing the letters with colorful, fruit scented markers. She gets a job offer in Georgia, and decides to move herself and Honor, her autistic daughter, to Georgia from Califonia hoping it will distance them from Marker Man. However, she soon feels she's being watched in Georgia as well, and the letters reeturn.

This book had a slow start, but it picked up and I was invested and had to know who was stalking her. However, the ending was a bit abrupt and I feel like an epilogue would have been amazing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.