A popcorn thriller about a reality show to win 10 million dollars. This book has all the right ideas to intrigue me but fell flat. A book about a game show should have more action and description about the show. None of the characters were likeable and were hard to connect with. I wanted more from this book, but it did keep my attention and had me flipping the pages to see what would happen next.

I really liked this book! Have recommended it to a lot of people! Heather Gudenkauf has become one of my favorite authors!

EVERYONE IS WATCHING by Heather Gudenkauf is a suspenseful ride into an extreme reality show contest with deeper motives!

When a letter comes inviting Maire to a reality show contest with a $10 million prize, it takes a few days, but she can't resist the possibility of finally being able to pay for her daughter's cystic fibrosis treatments without losing her home.

Fern is the assistant to a nightmare boss, but what Cat did for her years ago deserves this devotion, right? When she is thrust into the spotlight of the reality show as host, Fern has a bigger chance to shine. All she has to do is keep these contestants on track.

It doesn't take long for all hell to break loose as this show has few rules and a clear desire to shine light on past misdeeds. What could go wrong?! I love that question! What indeed?! A lot, it so happens as the contestants discover the connections but not in time to avoid a catastrophe!

I had a lot of fun with this story! I thought it was an interesting and entertaining look at how far we are willing to go for visibility and views, as well as the drive for money/family. I was especially fascinated to see how these motives can make our previously held ethics a bit fuzzy.

I definitely recommend this suspense story for anyone looking for a fast-paced, entertaining story that should keep you wondering what the connections are behind the scenes.

Thank you to @parkrowbooks @htpbooks @htp_hive & @netgalley for this fantastic suspense that was published on March 26th!

This gripping narrative blends the dramatic flair of Squid Game with Survivor's strategic challenges, creating an unpredictable tale of intense competition. Centered around five contestants vying for a $10 million prize, each harboring hidden secrets, the story unfolds through the perspectives of Camille Tamerlane, Maire Hennessy, and Fernanda Espa. As the plot escalates, the contestants are thrust into unconventional challenges at a luxurious estate in Northern California, where tensions rise and strange occurrences hint at something more sinister. Despite some predictable twists, the story offers a fast-paced reading experience while delving into themes of social media voyeurism and the extremes of human nature. Though not without minor shortcomings, the book earns a solid 4 popcorn stars for its thrilling narrative.

This book was very well paced, and kept me wanting to read more. However, i found it a bit difficult to suspend my disbelief as much as i had to. I like that the author brought in online viewing and comments to the story line, but the book began to feel disjointed with all of the different perspectives along with 3 past backstories. I also found the chapter “nicknames” for each character along with the show “nicknames” being a bit much when put all together. Overall i enjoyed the read, but didn’t love the story.

Everyone is Watching is a very intriguing locked door mystery/thriller where 5 people are invited to join a reality tv show for a chance to win $10 million. Before long the contestants realize that the "games" are a little more dangerous than they signed up for and they might have a few secrets shared about their private lives along the way.

Heather Gudenkauf's plot is face paced and it makes the novel a quick read, as the audience wants to solve the puzzle of these "not so random people" as soon as possible. My one complaint was how the ending actually came about. After going through the competition with the various players, of course the reader grows attached to one or two of the contestants, knowing that only one can win and I found the ending to be too clean cut. In my opinion the ending could have been more revengeful, as the entire game was based on secrets and revenge.

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row Books for the opportunity to review this novel.

Author Heather Gudenkauf is always a favorite of mine, she always writes such amazing books and her newest, Everyone Is Watching was another amazing read. I loved the character development and the storyline flowed well. Although The Overnight Guest is still my favorite, this was still a great read!

I typically love Heather Gudenkauf books and really could not get into this one, sadly. The characters were hard to connect to.

4.25 stars

Everyone Is Watching is a fantastic locked door thriller with so many mysteries and twists and turns that sometimes I didn’t even know which way was up. Ok that may be a bit dramatic BUT it was so twisty and I loved it!

We got a few different POVs which I really liked. I love a few different POVs when it comes to a locked door mystery, especially with a group setting on the larger side, so that we can get a well-rounded grasp on the story.

The way the multiple aspects of this story unfolds feels so masterfully done. I felt like I was a conspiracy theorist with red string and a wall of photos trying to connect all of the dots as quickly as I could lol!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for my copy of this!

3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

A fast, fun and twisty popcorn thriller that focuses around a possibly sinister game show. I loved this authors previous book so if you enjoyed that one definitely give this a read! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my review copy!

The stalker story as old as time, I felt like this one didn't really get into the nitty gritty that I wanted it to. I was left wanting and unmoved.

Everyone Is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf is what's being referred to as a locked room mystery. The book takes place in a single setting with a small cast of characters. This book is set in the world of reality television and focuses on a few contestants who are hoping they have what it takes to endure to the finale and the grand prize of ten million dollars. Plenty of action and secrets being revealed keep this plot moving right along. Read and enjoy!

On of my favorite authors, a game show, and mystery and intrigue. A recipe for an edge of your seat, can't put down thriller! This is it!

I really don't watch reality tv but I love Heather Gudenkauf books this is about a group of contestants trying to win big money! It certainly keep me on the edge. What a great mystery thriller.
Thank you NetGalley for another amazing advance audiobook!!

★ 4.5 Stars ★
Do you watch reality TV, or have you ever wanted to be on a show? "Every One is Watching" is a thrilling locked-room mystery set on a remote island where five contestants compete for a prize of ten million dollars. However, this show is shrouded in secrecy. There must be a catch! Red Flag!

Personally, I'm not a fan of reality TV due to the excessive drama. However, when it comes to books, it's a different story (pun intended). I thoroughly enjoyed this book's well-developed characters, diverse personalities and backgrounds, and intense altercations.

The remote island setting adds an element of tension to the story. As the challenges begin, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary reality show, and the contestants were not chosen at random!

I want to thank HTP Books/Park Row Books for providing me with an ARC of this book through NetGalley. As always, all opinions expressed are entirely my own and given voluntarily.

What would you do for 10 million dollars. Well we are about to find out what five contestants with deep dark secrets will do to win that amount of money in a very secretive reality show called One Lucky Winner. The old saying six degrees of separation, becomes a mantra with the five contestants when they realize they are all connected somehow and that the person running this show has more to prove than just producing a game show. Get ready for a wild ride when Survivor meets Saw in this thriller that will keep you wondering, what’s next, from beginning to the end. The story was enjoyable and well put together. It jumped from the now to then, whereas then, highlighted the bad deeds of the five contestants. There wasn’t a connection to anyone character. The story was very linear, but there were some tense scenes. The ending was fairly predictable. Overall, it was a good story and one that I would recommend reading.
Thank you #netgalley and #HarlequinTradePublishing for the ARC of #everyoneiswatching

I loved The Overnight Guest and thought it was going to be hard to top it, but wow, this one just might have. If you loved the show Big Brother, you will definitely love this story. The premise and setting is very reminiscent of that. With even higher stakes, lots of drama and secrets, it will keep you guessing. Her writing is so compelling you won’t be able to stop turning the pages. It’s dark and sinister, with a complex cast of characters. Like a train wreck of disaster that you can’t help watching for the thrilling intrigue of it all.

Ok I am a huge competition reality show person! Reality TV is my favorite especially competition shows like The Traitors, The Challenge.. anything where they’re competing to win prize money! I love the backstabbing, the hooking up, the alliances.. and this book had it all! I would classify it as a fast-paced, popcorn thriller that while may be a bit predictable, is still bingeable and entertaining! This is one to throw in your beach bag this summer!

There are five contestants competing for $10 million: Marie, a single mom and artist with a secret; Camille, a therapist and podcaster; Samuel, a DA who went to college with Marie; the Senator, who doesn’t want his secrets unearthed; and Ned, a TV executive and an unexpected contestant who is connected to Fern, our host.

What makes this show different from others is that it is live, and you never know when it’s going to air or what will happen. But as it continues to unfold, the contestants start to question if it even is a real show because not only is it dangerous, but the clues keep hitting a bit too close to home.

Once the book got my attention, I couldn’t put it down.

This was a slow burn to capture my attention, and it took until about 40% in for me to start to get hooked. While the book is marketed as a thriller, it’s not the classic thriller that comes first to mind. The characters, while all interesting, were slightly shallow. We didn’t know much about their pasts (if anything beyond what would be shared at a cocktail party), but we got to know what they wouldn’t want to be revealed intimately.

The ending was absolutely crazy, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. How Gudenkauf wove everything together and drew the final connections between the characters was mind-blowing. All of the perspectives and jumping in the storyline took a bit to adjust to since that isn’t typically what I prefer to read, but they were very well done because they were well placed and thought out in the broader scope of the book’s timeline.

This was an extraordinarily detailed and thought-out novel, and it is a work of art because of how Gudenkauf put the final puzzle pieces together.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to be an early reader of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf is scheduled to be released on March 26, 2024.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC! I’m a little late to posting my review but don’t let that detract from how much I enjoyed this book!

Everyone Is Watching is such a unique, compelling, and totally binge-worthy story. I couldn’t get enough of this book and the characters in it. I was instantly intrigued by each of them and I love how there are not only multiple POVs but also a past/present timeline. The plot and the twists were also very enjoyable. Some of it was predictable but that didn’t take away from the thrill and suspense of it all.

A solid 4 star book! Be sure to add this one to your tbr! Official publication date was 26 March 2024!!