The premise of the book is interesting, driven by the trend of sharing one's life on social media and posting regular updates. The story follows Taylor, a young woman from California who recently moved to UK, alternating her point of view and that of an anonymous stalker who closely follows her and her new group of friends' social media accounts. While i found the plot attractive, I wasn't won by the way it unfolded. I prefer a slower rhythm and the pace of this novel felt too quick at times. It didn't give allow for a more detailed development of the characters'. I also think a thriller is not only about shocking twists, and found that in recent years many crime& thriller novels try to pull out unexpected twists towards the final chapters. It might be appealing to read a couple of novels of this style, but after a while as a reader you come familiar with this tactic and its original shock/entertaining value is lost.

The social media angle in I know you by Annabel Kantaria is what first grabbed my attention. I have read a number of thrillers that show the dark side of social media but I am still intrigued by the subject.

In this story, Taylor moves to a new country with her husband, Jake. She is desperate to make friends and this is one of the reasons why she joins a walking group and a book club. She meets a few new people including Anna and Simon. Anna is pregnant like Taylor so it seems like the perfect match. Simon is a bit hard to describe. He seems like a good man though he is kinda awkward too.

The story mainly revolves around Taylor’s marriage and her friendships. It had a nice flow to it that was easy to follow but I still feel like some tension was missing. There were hints that something sinister was to come and chapters narrated by a stalker helped keep things interesting.

In the end, this was an interesting read that held my interest to the end. I enjoyed the characters and the mystery. I do wish there was a little more tension or surprises. Things picked up towards the end but with the build up, I guess I was expecting something more intense. The social media angle didn’t disappoint though. Again, it reminded me of the need to keep some things offline. You never know who is reading or rather, watching you online.

This is a quick, very addictive read, told from two POVs (Taylor and her stalker) and might make you think twice about your use of social media. There are several clues to the stalkers identity but I didn’t guess, and as an Instagram user I found it all pretty scary. A gripping psychological thriller.

When I read a thriller, I pause after the first few chapters and make a theory about the rest of the plot line and possible twists, red herrings, unreliable narrators, etc. Of course you don't want to know everything because that would make the rest of the read predictable and boring. Unfortunately, that is what happened with this one. I figured it all out because it has all been done before. Not necessarily all in one book or in the way it was done but still predictable.

So maybe I have read a few too many thrillers, since I have read hundreds of them at this point. Maybe I should not expect to be shocked and awed anymore by the plot twists. Okay. I can understand that and review the book despite this.

Characters: I was really bored by all the characters expect the anonymous stalker. I really liked the creepy aspect it added to the book. However, it didn't carry over to the rest of the characters that felt boring and guarded. I wanted to know more abut them, build more of a personality. The constant gas lighting was just too much for me.

Plot: I was a flight attendant. I am now pregnant. I am not from here. I want to make a new friend. Hi new friend. Lets hand out. -- I needed more.

Logic: I can't go into details without spoilers so I will have to be vague. I found it to not be believable. You would know more about the people that are in your life. I don't think the police would have hendled it in that way.

Intrigue: I was bored through out the entire book. I predicted the plot line from the beginning and hope that even if I was correct that the character development would have made up for it.

Overall, I would give this one a pass. It is not horrible but it is dull and predictable.

"Be choosy with your clothes, be choosy with your make up, be choosy with what you put in your mouth and with whom you share a bed, but most of all, be choosy with whom you make friends."

If only Taylor had taken her mothers advice.

Taylor recently moved from California to a London suburb with her husband Jake. Turns out life here isn't as glamorous as she had hoped. With Jake away for work most of the time she finds herself pregnant and lonely and wishing the time away until Jake's return. All of that changes when she decides to join a walking group and book club.

Now that Taylor has found a group of friends (Anna, Simon, Sarah, and Caroline) life begins looking up again. The only problem is that someone is watching Taylor very, very closely and they want to destroy her life and it could be anyone. When you post every detail of your life on social media that information could fall into the wrong hands. Dangerous hands.

This book held my interest from beginning to end so that is a huge plus. Is it without flaws? Of course not. I had a few issues along the way but none of those issues were enough to ruin the reading experience. It's a fast, easy read that I was able to finish in just over a day and while I may not remember this months down the road it was still an enjoyable reading experience. Toss this one in your beach bag! 3.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for proving me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was insane. From start to (almost) end. It was wildly, fascinatingly, creepy. It toyed with my head in the best ways, I struggled to figure out who was who and who was behind what. Each character had a sort of strangeness to them, you couldn’t quite put a pin down for each one right away. Taylor was uncomfortable desperate, attention seeking, unable to move forward, exactly what you warn your children about with social media. I spent a good portion of the book wanting to tell her to stop mopping about and put the god damn phone down. Jake was rude, distant, overall just really kind of a shit husband, I felt his character was very dull even when he was around. Something was always strange about Anna, Caroline was your classic hard-shelled bitch with a soft interior, Simon was a gentle Lad who always meant well, Sarah was your middle-aged Mother who refused to accept where she was in life. Up until about 80% through I was truthfully going a different direction with where I thought it was going to go. I began to put the pieces into place when the America trip was booked and I will have to agree with almost every review touching on this subject…WHAT the hell was that ending? Seriously? It’s as if the Author had a limited amount of pages she was allowed to write, realized most had been used on the introductions and story build up, then had to cram a half thought end in quickly. For such a strong and intense book throughout, that was such a letdown of an ending. I would absolutely still recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller read (and getting a tad creeped out in the process). Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this advanced copy, I look forward to more from Annabel Kantaria.

This was a forgettable book. Like any typical domestic thriller, Annabel Kantaria’s I Know You had me on the edge of my seating waiting for that shocking twist ending, but what I got was a disappointing and rushed one.

Taylor is a pregnant American who recently moved to the UK with her husband. He is gone a lot for work, so Taylor is desperately seeking friends. She makes her way online and joins a walking group and a book club — there she meets rather unlikeable friends. They are all active on social media like her, and they’re all a little crazy in their own ways. But Taylor suspects they’re harbouring their own secrets. Will her friendship with one of these loony friends lead to destructive consequences?

The narration goes between Taylor and an anonymous stalker who is keeping tabs on her and her friend’s social media accounts. The story is rather slow and it only felt like a thriller when the infused stalker narrative was brought in. It’s also this book’s only saving grace! The snarkiness from the stalker were rather funny and made this book enjoyable at times.

One aspect that really irritated me, almost pissed me off, was the American narrator speaking like a Brit. It came off as phony. She literally just moved to London and she’s already saying words like “mates” and “mum”? It doesn’t add or lose anything to the plot, but having lived in London for some time, it came off as disingenuous.

I’m on the fence about the role social media played into the story. It gave the book a bit of a boost that it desperately needed, but the modern twist in this thriller freaked me out. Personal preferences aside, you wont look at social media the same way after reading this book. People share every little detail about their lives on social media. This knowledge in the wrong hands could cost you and your loved ones. It really makes you realise you never know who is watching you online and what consequences there could be!

Annabel Kantaria’s I Know You was well executed, but it didn’t wow me. I can’t put my finger on what was missing from this book but it certainly won’t stay with me! While I was excited about the premise of this book, the plot was slow and I really wanted to give up roughly 40% of the way. As an avid reader, I can’t NOT finish a book. So sure enough I did, and that bloody ending made me want to give this book 2 out of 5 stars! The only reason I’m not is because that hilariously relatable stalker narrative! I guess if you’re looking for a book with a slow burn and crappy ending, this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Annabel Kantaria for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I Know You by Annabel Kantaria was an enjoyable novel with some unexpected twists and turns. Each segment of the story has a 1-2 page narrative that sets up the next several chapters, keeps the story moving along, and sets up additional suspense. The narrator of these segments is unknown, and at different times I thought it could be different characters involved in the story. It was an exciting reveal near the end, and gave me a good "oh snap!" moment. The narrative style of the rest of the story is well done. The novel is obviously a recollection of past events. It is also a great commentary on social media and how engrossed people have become with the different platforms.

The story line progressed at a good clip. I had differing opinions of Taylor, the main character, throughout the book. I wasn't necessarily drawn into her life to the point that I actually cared about her story, but I was definitely engaged by the book and story telling that I was always anxious to see what was next. The creepy factor was also high throughout the story which I found attractive and made it tough to set down.

I have not heard of Kantaria prior to this book, but I am anxious to go and explore her other novels because I found her writing to be fantastic. I found the book to be enjoyable and give it a solid 9.0 out of 10 stars.

I received a free, advanced copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my thoughts and opinions.

Thank you so much to Crookedlane Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for my review.

This was a thriller that instantly hooked me from the beginning. I haven’t read many social media story suspense novels but now this completely changes the way I look at social media sites. It was so entertaining and compelling and I honestly thought I had the plot figured out and then I got thrown for a big loop when I found out how wrong I was.

The writing style was enthralling and I loved how descriptive everything was, without being too ongoing wordy. Also, the creepiness factor was spot on. I loved the chapters in between where you could tell someone was watching but you didn’t know who it was or whom they were watching but they knew very intimate details. Those parts honestly gave me chills and had me glancing around to see if anyone was watching me.

Great book and I have a new favorite author now!

Publisher’s description:
That picture you posted?
I’ve seen it.
That location you tagged?
I’ve been there.
I know everything about your life . . .
And I’m going to destroy it.

A recent transplant from sunny California, life in the London suburbs is not what Taylor Watson expected. Far from the West End shops and city lights she imagined, she finds herself pregnant and lonely, with a husband frequently away on business and only social media to keep her company. It’s only after Taylor joins a book club and a walking group, that she finally starts to make some real-life friends.


Before long, Taylor’s hanging out with Anna, Sarah, Simon, and Caroline but, as her pregnancy progresses and her friendships blossom, a sense of unease develops. Nothing’s ever quite as it seems on the surface, and it soon becomes clear that Taylor’s new friends have secrets. One appears to be after Taylor’s husband, another’s always putting her down, and then there’s the question of Simon. Could he have feelings for Taylor?


But far more worryingly, one of the group’s not being too careful what they post on social media—and another is watching all too closely. Who’s stalking who . . . and why?

**********
“I Know You” by Annabel Kantaria plays on every fear you could have about social media and the way we as a society naively post so much of our lives, giving away information even when we’re careful. Very early in the book, there’s a paragraph that mentions Instagram location services and Google Maps street view (which I’ve used) that made me think, ‘Yes, anyone could find anyone really with just a little bit of scrolling and searching.’ These tools can be great, but they can also invite some unsavory characters into our lives.

The story here is well-written. There’s enough switching between Taylor Watson’s perspective and the “stalker.” Taylor tells the story in the first person, and we know from the very beginning that something happened. We just don’t know what.

We are introduced to a variety of people who could be the stalker, including Taylor herself. The author does a good job of cloaking the identity. The story is fast-paced. I was about 75% of the way through when I realized we were getting a little too close to the end and I was worried we weren’t going to get a great ending. But that was really when we reach the big reveal in the story, and we get a great race to the conclusion.

There was one thing about the story that really bugged me, outlined in the spoiler below. It may not bug everybody, but it’s what put me at 4 stars instead of 5. The only issue is that if this element were not in the book, the “whodunit” perspective would not have been as good.

I would definitely recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

SPOILER: The main character in this book, Taylor, is from California, and she and her husband Jake moved to the UK for a fresh start after Jake cheated on her. What bugged me is that Taylor doesn’t speak like an American. She uses words like “queue” instead of “line,” “mum” instead of “mom,” and “tuts” instead of I don’t know what. When a character is supposed to be American, it really bothers me when they don’t sound like one. In this case, if Taylor sounded American, we would KNOW she isn’t the stalker, so I get it, but it still really bothered me as a reader.

Oh my goodness!! This was SOOOO GOOD!! I was not expecting to be sucked into this as much as I was! Absolutely loved it!

This was a fun read. It was nice and quick to get through. It had good suspense and a nice twist that I didn’t fully see coming. I was a fan of Taylor and her loneliness and need for friendship. The last few chapters were great as the story came to the suspenseful ending where everything finally gets revealed.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers LTD for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I Know You
by Annabel Kantaria 

Paperback, 384 pages
Published June 28th 2018 by HQ



Goodreads synopsis:
You trust her. 

You shouldn’t. 

That picture you just posted on Instagram? I’ve seen it.
The location you tagged? I’ve been there.

You haven’t been careful enough, have you?
Because I know all about you.

But when I meet you, I won’t tell you that.
I’ll pretend. Just like you do.

You’ll like me though. You’ll trust me enough to let me into your life.

And then I’ll destroy it.


***

2.5 Stars

I wanted to like this book. The concept was what drew me in. It had all the bones to be a good story. I liked the whole hypothsis of a person from social media stalking someone since it seems such a possibility today.

The problem was… I couldn’t get into this book. The writing was choppy and I couldn’t find the rhythm of the text to keep me flowing from one scene to the next. It didn’t help that I couldn’t keep straight who was who from scene to scene.

The mystery seemed pretty solid but the suspense was lacking. Every time I thought it was building, it would fall flat. Maybe that was just me and since I couldn’t keep the characters straight, the suspense couldn’t keep up either.

This wasn’t my speed, but it may be yours. I am not a millennial and so I am probably not the market demo for this particular story. It might read well for a younger audience.

Just okay for me but pick it up if the synopsis intrigues you.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

⚠ Content Warnings: Stalking. Infidelity. Abduction.
⚠ Read if: you're looking for a good domestic mystery.

Are you someone a little too eager about posting on social media? Pressured about the likes, always taking Instagram photos and checking on the comments, too? I Know You is a mystery/thriller approach on how social media can actually bring you closer to harm and invasion of your privacy.

It's my first book of the author, Annabel Kantaria, whose writing style I really enjoyed. If it wasn't a busy weekend, I would have devoured this book faster.

This story is about Taylor, a pregnant ex-flight attendant who moved to Croydon, UK from California, USA. She is very lonely since she was uprooted and planted to a town where she knows no one plus a husband always working late. This book unfolds on her showing something bad happened, but not telling what, just showing her version of the events.

I thought my hunches were right, for once, but I was crazily shook by the plot twists of this storyline. Though the book is filled with juicy secrets unfolded throughout, the jaw-dropping revelations towards the end still took me by surprise!

Definitely an enjoyable read! Draws you in, then gets you hooked!

☁ THE CRITERIA ☁

🌻 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Heroine:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Thrill Factor:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Pacing:⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Ending:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Page Turner:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐

☁FINAL VERDICT: 3.9/5 ☁

Didn't love the characters, but that didn't make me hate the story. I can enjoy that about a book for sure! I loved having a mysterious narrator as well. Fun twist!

Taylor and her husband recently moved to the London suburbs from California. Her husband is gone a lot for work, and Taylor finds herself lonely and wanting friends. To make new friends, she joins a local walking group and a neighborhood book club. She makes a few friends, but as time progresses, Taylor learns that everyone is keeping secrets.

Taylor is a young woman in a marriage that has had some ups and downs, and now she's expecting her first child. When she and her husband move to London, she's hoping for a fresh start. The downside is that she doesn't have any friends in their new town. When she starts to make friends, it seems all is great. Then things start to go wrong, and it seems everyone is a suspect.

I enjoyed the social media aspect of the story. With most everyone having some involvement on social media, it's scary how easily people can be watched. This novel did a good job of incorporating current trends into a suspenseful tale of a stalking. With so many secrets, this psychological thriller is a guessing game of who has done what. A quick and entertaining read.

I received a free advance digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Even if we don't want to admit it, we all are social media junkies to some extent. We just can't stop ourselves from posting tid bits about our personal lives on all the major social media sites whether it be photographs, check ins, personal updates about our lives, etc. etc. It's all fun and fine but what we forget to realise is that just like we can't trust everyone who cross our paths in real life and have to be on our guard, the same applies to our online life as well.

I Know You is a fast paced and absorbing thriller that revolves around exactly this point of view. A pregnant Taylor has just moved to Croydon, England from California with her husband Jake to try salvage their marriage after Jake is caught having an affair very early on in their marriage. Taylor is a social media junkie and has more online friends than real ones. To beat the boredom of her new life in a quiet town, Taylor tries to make some real friends for a change by joining a walking group and a book club and meets Simon and Anna (walking group) and Susan and Caroline (book club). Taylor soon finds out that all of them are as much active social media users as herself and a bit looney too in in their own way. What she never counted for is how one of her friendship with one person in the group would lead to disastrous consequences.

This story is told in the form of a dual narrative...one is Taylor's and the other one is of the person who is hell bent on destroying her. The identity of this person is a secret till the perfect moment in the book when it is finally disclosed. The disclosure and the ensuing climax really doesn't disappoint.

This is one fast paced and addictive thriller. I tried to finish reading this book in one day by staying up way way past my bed time but had to put it down for the next day when my eyes started pleading to me that they needed rest😵!

My thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author Annabel Kantaria for giving me an e-ARC of this book. So good!

I was hoping that "I Know You" by Annabel Kantaria would be a great summer suspense/thriller read. I was a little disappointed though as I had a difficult time getting into the story or really finding a reason to want to know what was going to happen to the characters.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved I Know You. From start to end this book was able to pull me in and I didn’t see the twist coming from a mile away. This was a solid 4.5 rounded down to a 4 due to the ending feel slightly rushed. I would still definitely recommend this book as it was one of the better reads I have come across this year. Quick read and original story. I am looking forward to reading more from Annabel Kantaria in the future!

Annabel Kantaria has written what is one of my favourite books so far this year. "I Know You" is a wonderful suspense novel that features not only rich characters and a brilliant plot but also writing that made me feel as though I were actually part of the story.

Taylor and Jake are a young married couple and have recently moved from sunny California to Jake’s hometown - Croydon, England. However, life in the London suburbs is not what Taylor Watson expected it would be. Far from the West End shops she imagined, she finds herself pregnant and lonely and in need of some real friends. With a husband frequently away on business and only social media to keep her company, Taylor joins a book club and a walking group and before long, Taylor’s hanging out with Anna, Sarah, Simon, and Caroline. As her pregnancy progresses and her friendships blossom, a sense of unease develops. Nothing’s ever quite as it seems on the surface, and it soon becomes clear that Taylor’s new friends have secrets...

But far more worryingly, one of the group is not being too careful what they post on social media and another is watching all too closely. Who is stalking who and why?

The novel was written in the first person with chapters alternating between different perspectives. The author, Annabel Kantaria moved effortlessly between the two voices that travel easily from pleasure to trepidation.

The characters were portrayed in a manner that made them totally believable, though flawed and not necessarily likeable. This, however, meant they were engaging, making for a more enjoyable story.

Overall, this was a superb book that gained impetus as it moved towards a wonderfully exciting conclusion. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a great suspenseful thriller.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.