Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5. Pub Date: March 26, 2024. Heather Gudenkauf is always a must read author for me and this book was no exception. Typically her books take place in Iowa, so I was pleasantly surprised she branched out and took this story to sunny California. This book is filled with past secrets, game show vibes, intense action, multiple POVs and fast paced scenes that leave you wanting to read more. Who will win the $10 million, who will die, who will survive and who will have their secrets revealed? I absolutely loved this book and devoured it every free moment I could. I highly recommend! Thanks to #netgalley and #parkrowbooks for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. @netgalley @parkrowbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #bibliophile #igreads #everyoneiswatching #heathergudenkauf

NYT Bestselling author (a favorite) and master storyteller returns following The Overnight Guest with her highly anticipated tenth novel, EVERYONE IS WATCHING —an exciting high-stakes game— Big Brother meets Survivor—in this edge-of-your-seat-locked room suspense thriller!

Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

Five contestants are chosen to compete on a new reality TV show called One Lucky Winner. The prize is 10 million dollars. The Best Friend. The Confidant. The Senator. The Boyfriend. The Executive.

Set in the heart of wine country, at a secluded estate mansion in Northern California, live streamed. The contestants will battle for the grand prize through challenges that will test them physically, mentally, and emotionally.

They will spend 14 days at the exclusive Diletta Resort and Spa in beautiful Napa Valley. When not competing, they will spend their time in a lavishly appointed private cottage, swimming in the 130-foot pool, or heading to the spa for treatments, massages, wraps, and scrubs from grapes grown in the La Bella Luce vineyard. Each person will receive a case of the world-famous cabernet sauvignon with an exclusively designed label. Sounds heavenly, right?

They also have instructions not to leave the property without outside contact with the outside world. But they are greedy, and this is 10 Million Dollars—GAME ON!

However, they soon realize there is something sinister, and nothing is as it appears. Dark secrets surface, and a sinister plan of REVENGE.

Told from multiple POVs, a dream turns into a nightmare. Armageddon had come to Napa, and someone had built some twisted playground. The obstacle courses. Events: Cold and calculated. Millions of viewers. The stakes are high. It's a dangerous, cruel, and sadistic game.

What began as a simple goal of winning the coveted cash prize turned into a gripping, insane battle for survival.

Who is going home? Who will pay?

INTENSE! Told from multiple POVs, the author cleverly keeps the suspense high, fast-paced, and with twists and turns in this innovative, riveting, locked-room thriller.

While EVERYONE IS WATCHING is quite different than Gudenkauf's previous books and set outside of Iowa, she is a master craftsman and showcases her mad skills, proving she can play in any playground!

Get the popcorn ready!

EVERYONE IS WATCHING is a fun escape from reality. Even though I am not a huge fan of reality TV shows, I am a fan of the author. I am all in for anything she writes. A long-time avid fan, I have read all her books, and each one is unique.

Stay tuned for my #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A with Heather, where we go behind the book and the author's upcoming pub day, March 26th!

Thanks to Park Row Books and NetGalley for a gifted, advanced review copy.

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@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Mar 26, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
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This was, surprisingly, my first Heather Gudenkauf book! I own at least one of her others but for some reason haven't gotten to it yet. I loved going into this one without any idea of what to expect. The synopsis really only advertised a reality show competition, a locked room murder mystery, and secret connections between characters. Big Brother meets Clue? Works for me!

I really liked that the summary of the book was basic and to the point - it didn't give anything away. The story follows a few contestants on a new live-streamed reality show, run by a couple of women (one who remains anonymous). The players were hand-picked by them for reasons that slowly become clear throughout the book.

I enjoyed trying to make all of the connections and figure out how people may have known each other. Like many locked room-style mysteries, there were also some flashback scenes that provide additional color to their stories and potential connections. I didn't really figure out the entire tangled web and just was along for the ride! I don’t think any of the reveals were super surprising or intense but I still enjoyed them. The characters were obviously not great people and they had made mistakes in the past; none of their transgressions were that unique though.

I loved Gudenkauf's writing style - I will absolutely be picking up more of her work after this! I've been really in the mood for mysteries this month and am pumped that this hit the mark for me. I couldn't stop reading and ended up finishing in just a couple of sittings. Sidenote: the audiobook is also great!

This was such a wild ride and I really enjoyed every second of it! It gave squid game vibes. I love how each character has a unique story that sets them apart and the challenges they’re put through. Such a fun and fast paced read!

The very first Heather Gudenkauf I read was THE OVERNIGHT GUEST. As with her newest, EVERYONE IS WATCHING, at first I wondered if I would like the story indicated in the premise. I needn't have been at all concerned: once again, Ms. Gudenkauf dropped me straight in to complete absorption from the first page, as a fictional situation which normally would not interest me in the least [reality show competition featuring both mental and physical challenges, all of it live-streamed] captured and maintained my interest. Let me warn you, Ms. Gudenkauf is a master of the subtly edgy. She never lets you drop your guard; but even so, she still sneaks up on you with those frequent "Whaaat? Did I just read THAT?!!" Never tossing the reader out of the story, this intermittent [nearly constant] edginess tightens its grip on us.

Well, this is one extreme reality show! I can’t imagine ever watching this, but I bet there are plenty of people who would tune in.

It’s, “One Lucky Winner” and the winner of this show receives $10 million! With one in five chances, it seems like the contestants would do ANYTHING to get that money.

And they do. Both physically and psychologically.

Whew! There were some parts where my heart was palpitating just wondering if a character would live to win the money or die trying. The contestants know it’s going to be grueling because no one expects to get that kind of money easily.

But what the contestants don’t know is what can really hurt them!

What a fun ride! I liked the ending, too (I wasn’t sure I would). But I do have questions. 🤔😁

Thank you to @NetGalley, @htpbooks and @htp_hive for my gifted advanced readers copy!

What would you do for 10 million dollars? Lie? Cheat? Kill?
Would you do anything to keep your secrets, secret?

One group of contestants are about to find out! They each have secrets that would ruin their lives if ever found out. Each are connected in some way, but how and by who? Competing for 10 million big ones, the competition gradually becomes more difficult and lethal. Who will walk away with the prize? Will anyone be left alive?

I LOVED this thriller! Told in multiple POVs, alternating between past and present day, this book kept me glued to my seat! A must read for fans of Darby Kane and Mary Kubica!

OMG I love this. Cat is evil. Fern met Cat at a vulnerable time and now she is hosting Cat's evil reality show. Also Fern is little unhinged but so is Cat.
All the contestants are desperate for the payout and they all have secrets and histories and only one of them even seems to be decent, maybe.
This was the craziest book! I was unable to put it down.

This was a dark, deadly version of Big Brother, where secrets revealed effect viewers as well. And I was there for every second of it!

Character competitions were so well thought out and mostly realistic (if murder and assault were legal, lol). The characters came with tremendous baggage, and the slow unpacking made this story even more irresistible! Honestly, this must've been so much work for the author to create and see through with so many twists and tangles.

I'm a fan, and this book did not let me down (but did set the bar pretty high for future books!)
5⭐️

The Best Friend. The Confidant. The Senator. The Boyfriend. The Executive. These are the contestants competing for 10 million dollars
on a game show called One Lucky Winner.

The thing is they signed up to participate knowing nothing about what to expect. They find themselves at an estate in Northern California cut off from the outside world except for the fact that the “game” will be live streamed. It is no coincidence that they were the ones invited to play.

Thank you @htpbooks for granting me access through @netgalley. I love reality TV so I was all in with this premise and it did not disappoint! I especially enjoyed that the author included some live stream comments throughout the story. This one’s a page turner so set aside some time because this is binge-worthy.

Well this was a refreshing thriller! I love Heather and her clever little ways to create an "out of the norm" thriller for everyone. This was definitely different!

Modern day Sqiud Games but with only 5 contestants and host. These 5 contestants fight til the death (literally) for a chance to win $10M. Each character has an interesting background that they do not want revealed but someone else knows these secrets. With each grueling challenge, things are revealed to the public slowly but surely.

These characters come to life and are full of DRAMA! I loved having POV for each of these characters because you got to see a glimpse into their pasts as well. I enjoyed reading their past the most. There is no denying Heather can tell a story. She is one of my favorite thriller readers. She turned a reality TV contestant show into a THRILLER that had me reading this as fast as I could.

Also, that ending! WOW.

This was an extremely fun locked room thriller set on a reality tv show like survivor. Five seemingly random people are invited to a mysterious new reality show with the opportunity to win 10 million dollars.

There is the best friend, the boyfriend, the executive, the confidant, and the senator. Each one gets their label for reasons unbeknownst to the characters themselves, the viewers, and us as the readers.

All five of these contestants have two things in common: they want to win 10 million dollars & they all have dark secrets.

The reality show itself is also suspicious as the people running it are very sketchy & the show doesn’t seem safe at all. How far would you go for 10 million dollars?

Overall, this story was bingeable, fast-paced, entertaining, and had some decent twists. I truly didn’t see them coming, and the ending actually surprised me. I think this book is definitely worth reading if you’re a fan of locked room thrillers & reality shows.

If you love drama, scandals, deception and murder in your books then add this one to your TBR!

Thank you NetGalley & HTP books for the arc, however, I couldn’t read the ebook provided to me. The formatting is unpleasant. Theres no chapter breaks and the layout was very choppy, therefore I borrowed the ebook from my library instead.

Everyone is Watching is another good book from Heather Gudenkauf. I have enjoyed them all. This one kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how these people were connected and what had they done to get them invited to a new reality show.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC. This review is entirely my own opinion.

Thank you @htp_hive @htpbooks and @netgalley for my gifted copy! 💕

I rarely turn my TV on, but I'm a sucker for The Traitors and Big Brother. This book is like Squid Games meets Big Brother in a Clue Mansion - and I ATE 👏 IT 👏 UP 👏 (in less than 24 hours if we want to be specific).

This was such a binge worthy locked room thriller for a lazy day. I loved the competitions and the creative twists. Did I want more murder mystery? Absolutely. But I'm also so satisfied by how it all played out and ended.

I am a sucker for reality game shows, especially Big Brother and I am all about the Traitors! In this book there’s a reality game show with ten million dollars up for grabs. Sounds like a huge amount, right? Well it should be considering this is a game with dire consequences. I don’t want to give anything away but I was definitely hooked with this one.
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Thank you #parkrow and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I typically don't watch reality TV, but this sucked me in from the get-go and I was enthralled the entire time.

I haven't read anything by Heather Gudenkauf before but the premise of this one was too good. This was such a gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Everyone is watching centers around 5 contestants that are competing for a life changing cash prize.

Through the novel we see the contestants and their secrets and hidden agendas. Filled with suspense, betrayal, and unexpected twists, the stakes are even higher than imagined.

I loved this and this is a must read for anyone who loves psychological thrillers or reality tv!

Wow! If you like watching reality shows, you are going to love Everyone is Watching. Trust me. Intense, dangerous competitions, ruthless contestants, lots of secrets, and a huge dose of revenge. This was nerve-wracking to read but not enough to keep me from turning the pages as fast as I could.

How far would the five contestants go as they battle it out for the prize of ten million dollars? Some of the situations they found themselves in were deadly and merciless, but that's lot of money and each of them had a reason for needing the cash. Who will be the last one standing?

I was totally engrossed in this storyline and loved every minute of it. I highly recommend Everyone is Watching. Be prepared for a nail-biting time.

What would you do for $10 million? That's the question asked by this new reality show where the 5 contestants are carefully selected not only for their ability to connect with different members of the audience, but also for their secrets. Not only do they have to participate in near-death obstacles at all hours, the show doesn't have a regular programming time and is instead live streamed at the drop of a hat. Very innovative for this format. Sounds like a great premise - and it is.

The tension builds as we are introduced to three different POVs - Fern, the undervalued assistant to the show's tyrranical creator who is just looking for her time to shine; Maire - the mother of a child with cystic fibrosis who will do anything to win the money; and Camille - a psychiatrist with money troubles. We don't get to hear from the other contestants, although they are all harboring secrets as well.

The book is split into multiple POVS, flashback chapters, and viewer commentary via social media comments and a few chapters from their POVs. This mostly worked, but I felt that some of the chapters didn't really move the plot forward and not much happened. We repeated a lot of information and scenes to draw the story out longer. Then, once the tension builds to the exciting conclusion, there really wasn't much there (in my opinion). Some things weren't explained. Some things were anti-climactic. Some things were wrapped up in a tidy little rainbow of happiness. With how dark some moments of the book were, I almost expected the reveal at the end to be just as dark.

Overall, I really enjoyed the writing, the dialogue was believable and well-done, and although the characters were all flawed, I found myself rooting for some of them anyway. I did enjoy the reading experience, just wished for a more explosive ending. Perhaps I just need to take a little break from thrillers for a while because they all seem to be blending together lately.
3.75 rounded up to 4

I love how Heather moved a little away from her usual books. I had a waiting list for this book at my library after I mentioned it was a must read.