A Poignant, Thoughtful, and Moving Tale of an Impressive Woman

SUMMARY
Frances Perkins is a highly educated worker's rights advocate who was relatively new to NYC when she met a young and handsome FDR at an NYC tea dance in 1910. She immediately dislikes him. She thinks he is a wealthy, arrogant, conceited dilettante who will never amount to much. But in 1929 as Governor of NY he appoints her as the state Labor Secretary and in 1933 he appoints her as the first woman in American history to serve in a presidential cabinet. Frances fights valiantly for FDR and for a social security program to bring the country out of the midst of the Great Depression.

REVIEW
If you're a fan of books about strong, intelligent women, then I highly recommend this book. Author Stephanie Dray has done an incredible job in crafting a historical fiction story about an exceptional woman. The book chronicles the life of Frances Perkins, from her childhood to her career, marriage, motherhood, and friendships. I'm so glad to have discovered this wonderful novel that sheds light on the life of such an amazing woman.

One thing that I particularly appreciated about this book is how the author distinguishes between fact and fiction. Dray has done meticulous research, and it shows in her writing.

The author's writing is powerful and compelling, bringing to life a woman who was ahead of her time and faced many challenges during a tumultuous period in American history. Frances Perkins was a woman of great fortitude, and Dray does an excellent job in capturing her spirit on the pages of this book.

In this book, you'll read about how Frances Perkins fought tirelessly to create the social security system that we have today, and how she stood up against powerful men with intelligence and wit. Her drive to help those in need is truly inspiring. This is a poignant, thoughtful, and moving book that I highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Berkley Publishing Group
Published March 12, 2024
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Five people are invited to take part in a competition show with a prize of $10 million. Each person need the money for a specific purpose. Once the competition starts they realize that it is dangerous and someone seems to know their secrets. Everyone becomes suspicious. What would you do to win $10 million? Would you even attack your fellow contestants?
This book will definitely keep you guessing. You will be trying to figure out the contestant's secrets and how they are connected. Who is behind this and will the person ruin their lives? It is a fast paces thriller and is definitely worth a read.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #HeatherGudendauf, and #ParkRowBooks for a copy of this book.
#EveryoneisWatching

A fun, popcorn thriller set on a reality show where $10 million is up for grabs. I enjoyed how this one shifted POVs and the sinister elements at play. If you are a fan of Big Brother, Survivor, Traitors, etc. definitely pick this one up!

This was a super fun locked room thriller with a reality Livestream twist. It kept me engaged and interested, finishing up over two days. The ending felt a bit rushed and not as clean as the rest of the writing but overall I really enjoyed!

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 stars! Thank you to NetGalley for this arc. Five contestants (The Best Friend, The Confidante, The Executive, The Senator and The Boyfriend) participate in this reality show where one winner will win ten million dollars. Each of the contestants agree to play because they could each use the money for different reasons, and they each have a backstory that we learn about throughout the game.

This show is live-streamed online and the viewers have the option to vote the person off with the lowest score when prompted to, until one person is left…the winner. Each of the contestants has secrets that they do not want exposed, and they were all chosen to play for a reason, and as they continue to play the game we find out why. This was a fun popcorn thriller and I did not expect the ending!

I read this page-turner all in one day! It was so tense and exciting!

Five definitely-not-randomly-chosen people have received invitations to compete in a new reality show where the prize is 10 million dollars. What will they have to do to win? Turns out, they'll have to be absolutely ruthless. But will winning mean going home rich, or keeping their dark secrets from being exposed?

I loved how tautly written the book was, and the structure of focusing on different characters for different chapters. I admit, the ending let me down a little. But other readers might feel very satisfied by it, so it's just personal preference. And I still enjoyed the whole experience of reading this thriller.

3.5 stars rounded to 4. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this book to be very predictable, far-fetched and disappointing. The author tried to weave a complex web of mystery but instead created a mess of improbable events and unrealistic character decisions. The explanation for the plot felt strange rather than a well thought out narrative. I did read it in one sitting but was disappointed to know that I had predicted everything early on.

4.75 Stars

This book was crazy! It had me on the edge of my seat and the plot twists were absolutely wild! I did not see any of those coming! I devoured this so fast, everyone should read this, one of the best thrillers I have read in a while.

I was anticipating a more violent approach, a la Gretchen McNeil, but this was good! The premise of bringing together people who are connected for a bit of revenge and humbling has been done before, but there are unique bit sprinkled in that keep this story memorable. The scorpions in the sand scene is sticking with me as a new fear.

Who does not need 10 million dollars? Going on a game show that you know nothing about to win it, seems like a good idea.

From the very first page I knew something would be off about this game show. Never did I imagine it would go as it did. I was riveted to the page to see what the next challenge would be. The challenges were unique but they were dangerous, 10 million dollars is a good reason to do whatever necessary to win.

Everyone is Watching is a fun thriller. There were never any big aha moments for me. I found the book to be easy to read and entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley and thank you to the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row books for the ebook by Heather Gudenkauf titled Everyone is watching.
I am a long time fan of HG books having read pretty much all she has put out. So to say I was excited to read this was an understatement!!
This book did start a little slow for me but then once it picked up I couldn’t seem to put it down.
It’s focused around 5 people who are contestants on a reality show contest called One lucky winner. With millions watching the show and the 5 veering for the jackpot of 10 million this has become quite interesting!!! There are so many twists and turns in book it kept me guessing. I thought I had the answers on how it was going but quickly found out I was very wrong.
Great book, hard to book down. Another good one from Heather Gudenkauf! She has definitely proved to be a master story teller!!
Thank you!!

How far would you go to win 10 million dollars? For me I don’t know what I would do unless I was faced with that question in real life. The pace of this was great. While it was predictable it was still enjoyable.

Five contestants have received a mysterious email and an invitation to compete on the new game show, One Lucky Winner (think Big Brother meets Squid Game, but the contestants don't know that yet!) The Best Friend. The Confidante. The Senator. The Boyfriend.The Exec. This seemingly randomly chosen quintet will compete for a prize of $10 million after a series of challenges--live-streamed to millions and millions of viewers around the world. Gathered together at a secluded estate in Northern California, the five embark on a gauntlet of trials and obstacles that test their fortitude and capabilities, both mental and physical--and in the course of these battles of wits and prowess, it soon becomes clear who among them is willing to be ruthless, even murderous, and that for all of them perhaps--it's a fight for their lives. But who is the mastermind behind the show, what are their motivations, and to what end is this game being played out? The dramatic reality show element, along with the complex character dynamics, made for a riveting, fast-paced mystery that I couldn't put down.

Heather Gudenkauf is my go to author when I want a thriller that keeps me up reading all night. Everyone Is Watching is a locked room marries Squid Games marries Truman Show story, and every contestant has something they’d rather hide. Isn’t it human nature to turn on one another when lives and money are on the line? Gudenkauf expertly explores these dynamics while providing so many edgy moments. Another one to pick up for any thriller lover.

Heather Gudenkauf's latest novel "Everyone Is Watching" is a fantastic novel that captivated me from start to finish. As a fan of reality competitions, I was immediately drawn into the story. The book centers around five contestants who willingly agree to be live-streamed 24/7 for two weeks on a sprawling estate, with the entire world participating in the voting and deciding who will win the grand prize of ten million dollars. Each contestant has their own reasons for wanting the prize money, some are altruistic while others are driven by selfish motives.

What I found most intriguing about the book was the way it kept me on my toes with its multiple mysteries within a larger mystery. The author crafted an intricate storyline that kept me engaged and guessing until the very end. Throughout the book, I was constantly trying to figure out the true motives of each character, and the unexpected twists and turns kept me hooked.

Heather Gudenkauf is a gifted writer who knows how to create complex characters and a gripping storyline. "Everyone Is Watching" is undoubtedly a 5 star novel that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a good mystery or thriller. It is a thought-provoking read that explores the darker side of human nature and the price we are willing to pay for fame and fortune.

How far would you go to win ten million dollars? This was a gripping and clever thriller. Each characters’ personality was well developed. Allowing the reader to cheer for some contestants while jeering at others. The whole time I was wondering who was going to win and what was really going on. I was on the edge of my seat.
All players came into the show with secrets. All will leave exposed and changed forever.

I enjoyed how the author brought all their stories together.

This was an OK read for me. The storyline is a common one these days, with 5 strangers competing on a reality game show to win money (though in this case it was a whopping 10 million dollars!). It soon becomes clear that there are secrets being kept by pretty much everyone involved and that the "game" might be higher stakes than anyone expected.

The premise was pretty similar to the other books in this genre, though this one had a little more depth as it related to Fern, the assistant, and her boss, Cat, who is pulling the strings from behind the scenes. I got lost sometimes as to who was who as it related to the contestants, as their chapters were listed by their reality show nicknames (e.g., "the executive", "the best friend", etc.); I think I would have connected better with them if the chapters were their actual names. I liked the backstories that were dispersed throughout the book to help understand who these characters were and what was at stake for each of them. I thought the actual challenges they had to do were ridiculous and there is no way these things would have happened in real life. The end was OK and there was one twist that I definitely didn't see coming, though there were some unanswered questions when all was said and done.

Overall, this was an OK read but I'm not sure it really stands out amongst so many similar books in this genre. I do enjoy this author's works in general, though. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have coke to really enjoy this author and look forward to their books. I really enjoyed this one, just not as much as her previous book. It took awhile to get into, but I think that’s only because of the multiple povs and nicknames, or descriptions as the title instead of just their name. So I did find myself not really sure who’s pov reading until I was a few paragraphs in. Other than that, I really enjoyed it.

I have to admit this book was just too far fetched for me...
A group of contestants enter into a reality game; but all isn't what it seems as secrets begin to be revealed from their pasts. Plus the games they played made be laugh out loud... like who's really playing this for a 10 million dollar prize?
The end was totally unrealistic and also very rushed. I just found it hard to reconcil who Fern was in regards to her " act of kindness in the end"
I loved the authors previous book, this was just too much of a stretch to be believable.
Solid 2 stars!!

Thanks to be publishers for THE ARC. Beyond grateful and humbled. 🙏🏾

We've all heard this reality TV setup before: five strangers must live together in a giant house, do crazy challenges, and compete for a massive cash prize that only one person can win. One Lucky Winner, the reality show at the center of Everyone Is Watching, takes that idea and gives it a sinister twist, with truly dangerous additions to the competition (such as a sandbox laced with scorpions and a "Game Changer" token that's a switchblade). As the massive hit show progresses, the contestants become increasingly concerned that someone is out to get them, and that their presence on the show is anything but random. But the $10 million prize is too hard to give up on...

One of the blurbs on this book refers to it as "Big Brother meets Clue," and I guess I can see that — cameras everywhere, contestants who are linked but strangers to one another. The challenges are horrible, and there's a lot about this book that stretches the bounds of believability (that 20 million people would watch the torture without someone intervening, the bad guy not occurring to anyone, including the show's host, etc.). A quick read, but a meh one.