A good premise but really weird writing. I didn't feel connected to the characters and slogged my way through it to write this review. Sorry.

Wow! I found this to be a very interesting story line. It is written so that I was feeling the emotions right along with the characters. It was like I was there with them. I enjoyed getting to know these folks. What Bo, Candace, and Oscar have to deal with is one of the worse nightmares ever. I can’t even envision what I would be like in a similar circumstance. I hope I never know the hate Deke must have in him. What an awful way to live, but what a great character for this story. I and my book club have read other books by George Weinstein and when I had a chance to read this from NetGalley, I jumped on it. I knew it would be a good read and I wasn’t disappointed. I hope you’ll check it out soon.

I genuinely liked this book. The main character Bo has a genetic condition called chromestecia
which I am not familiar with. She sees color with sound which enables her to see happiness, lies, or most any emotion. I enjoyed the way the book was written as well as the well developed characters. The ending is also good and very realistic.
Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this amazing book in exchange for my honest review.

Watch What You Say by George Weinstein

Bo Riccardi is a web radio interviewer with the unique gift of chromesthesia where sound looks like color to her. This is the first I’ve ever heard of this, but it gives Bo the ability to tell when people are around her are under stress or in distress because the color of their speech patterns is different from their norm.

Oscar is kidnapped, and from the colors of his voice, Bo knows that he is in trouble. It was a good book, and the chromesthesia really kept me interested in the story. A straight forward whodunit mystery.

Thanks #netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for the honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc. I had a hard time reading this book. Usually I will slog along but at about a third through it, I just couldn’t continue.

3.5 Stars - Demystified and uncomfortable action thriller

Marriage in peril. Husband kidnapped. Wife with chromesthesia. She holds all the power to bring him and their marriage home safely.

First off, my review is mostly biased by my preference for psychological thrillers, and this felt more like an action thriller - basically a Mission Impossible for chromesthesics. Which is a pretty interesting concept.

Pros: I enjoyed the uplifting ending, it was a realistic reunion. Very heart warming! I don't often get a nice, soft ending to the disturbing thrillers I tend to read, haha! So I commend the author for this ability.
I also enjoyed the concept of a chromesthesic character, a really cool topic to work with. I also enjoyed the exploration of how "shaping public opinion was playing God.. nurturing it into fanatical attention and devotion. It was addictive.." - yeah, wow, love a good crazy spiel that also reflects on society a little.

>>> I also really, really liked Gus' character - please make a book on him! <<<
I would read that!!
Here's some of Gus' tender-hearted brilliance:
"You mustn't flagellate yourself over potential, small errors of logic. You're under tremendous stress. I think you're doing very well to retain your composure and function at such a high level of calm and equanimity."

Cons: I however, didn't much enjoy knowing the culprit so early and throughout, as this caused the book to lose its captivating mystique. And by that I mean knowing exactly who the culprit is and how they relate to the protagonist from basically the start. And the only thrill I felt was at 90% into the book. And even then, the final showdown was also a bit of an abrupt let down. For an extended reading of torture (both literal and in the sense of being quite bored with the verbal discussions), which is then countered by a brief moment of revenge, it didn't quite balance out for me. I also struggled with too much discussion, too casual discussion, and unrealistic character thoughts/dialogue. I also struggled to enjoy the talk show dialogue - it felt extensive and uncomfortable, I'm sorry if that's too vague but perhaps I wanted to see more direct action being taken rather than how passive and uncomfortable this felt. (I would understand if the intention is to have little mystery, it is just my biased opinion after all!)

I gave the extra half star just because I want to like the book, and I want to help the author captivate his audiences (especially after reading the nice little note to his readers at the end - I do want to help!).

Suggestions: I would suggest to the author to keep the mystery alive if possible! I would also suggest to reduce some of the verbal dialogue - it felt suffocating without breathers. I sense that the author may have been very excited to portray these characters, which I empathise with and love that about the author, but sometimes ya just gotta pull back and don't give too much too soon. I would love to see more descriptives of the environment to really hone in a sense of atmosphere/emotional impact. I also think some of the characters responses are way too casual at the beginning - they should be terrified! (eg. they shouldn't be thinking about how emasculated they feel in a life/death situation).

Another tip is, emotions are subtle, they simmer. I highly recommend adding silent tension and pauses. Going straight to a description of tears dripping the moment someone breaks some bad news out of the blue is not quite accurate in emotional portrayal. Also I don't think teenagers would say something as hollow as "this literally sucks" when hearing very distressing news. A child's mind is reactive, yes, and also self-centered, yes, but also highly emotional - therefore not detached from distressing events. Working on researching/figuring out more realistic emotional responses would really aid this book.

I wanted to like the book but it was sadly uncomfortable in many ways throughout. But I do believe some of the characters have promise for a sequence!


Thank you to the author, to NetGalley and Southern Fried Karma publishers for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Watch What You Say is about Bo, Oscar and the kidnapper Deke, and Bo's special gift.

Bo has a genetic condition, a gift that allows her to see the abductor's intentions and feelings in everything he says. She can see a person's verbal intent by hearing colors.

When Bo refuses to listen to Deke, he tortures Oscar by breaking a few fingers. Will she be able to save her husband?

The book is full of twists and turns and keeps you at the edge of your seat. Definitely a thrill ride, and a must read of you enjoy non-stop action novels.

This book was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion. I definitely give this book a 5 Star rating.

This was a really good mystery thriller, I liked the character of Bo and thought her gift was really unique. The writing is really well done and kept me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

This book was excellent! Totally kept my attention and I wanted to find out what would become of the main characters. Highly reccomended.

I tried really hard to make it through this book. Kept telling myself to keep pushing, hoping it would get better. Unfortunately, I made it about 25% through before calling it.
.
.
.
This book is about Bo, a radio show host, who’s husband gets abducted. The man who takes him is actually someone from her past, although how much she would actually remember of him I don’t know. (Partly because I didn’t finish it to find out - but sounds like someone who used to be obsessed with her) She is forced to put the man who’s taken her husband on her live radio show with the threat that if she doesn’t he will murder her husband Oscar.
.
.
.
Bo does have a bit of an upper hand in that she has what’s called Chromesthesia, where she can see colors along with sounds. This helps her to detect the lies being told by the kidnapper and works her way to see what parts she’s able to sift from his words that may actually be relevant/important.
.
.
.
The whole thing seems thrown together and not very well organized. It’s very repetitive in the characters thoughts throughout the whole ordeal. The whole first radio segment he forces her to do doesn’t make any sense and seems like a complete waste of time with no real purpose. (Basically Bo asking questions trying to figure out more about who he is or where they could be - while he just strings lies about some government conspiracy he’s a part of) like, what? How is this getting us anywhere?
.
.

.
.
Idk what else to say other than this book was just not right for me. The premise seems like it could be promising, so I hope it works for some other readers out there!

Watch What You Say was a disappointing book that I just could finish. It was boring and writing was off.

This is one of the rare books I could not finish. It was just almost ok. Started off and after 60% I gave up.

This book grabs you in early! Oscar is kidnapped almost right from the start. Oscar's wife, Bo, and daughter, Candice (17), are not at home when this happens. Although we know from the beginning that Deke Powell is the kidnapper (well, Oscar is in his forties - hardly a kid), the amount of suspense is not affected.

Bo hosts a daily talk show where they call her "The Barracuda" because she is tough on those she interviews. Her office politics are a bit rough. On a Monday, she gets an on-air call from Deke using a sound synthesizer, telling her to call him "Oscar". She has no idea who he is. Deke is slowly torturing Oscar when Bo doesn't comply with the answers he wants. - Deke breaks a couple fingers, smashes a hand all on Oscar.

What many of the people involved with Bo do not know is that she has Chromesthesia - a genetic condition that allows her to tell a person's verbal intent by hearing "colors". This comes in handy many times when her radio show/podcast is in session. (And in real life, as well).

Bo now is forced to compromise herself, in any way possible, to have Oscar released from his kidnapper. Twists occur and they arrive quite unexpected. The only problem I had was that I did not care for Bo, the leading lady. She was too willful and stubborn. She had her own agenda for awhile...

A good read!

Many Thanks to SKF Press and NetGalley for a good read.

Didn't care for this book from the getgo. Poor writing style, plot beyond ridiculous, and characters that are beyond belief. Sorry, I cannot find any redeeming qualities in this book. One star is being more than generous.

I always feel a little flare of concern when I see a novel that sports a heavy reliance on internet technology for its plot. I can’t conjure a single example from the top of my head where the end result hasn’t ended up being cringeworthy and misguided. George Weinstein’s Watch What You Say might just be the first book I’ve read that makes a success of the social media based thriller, and it is one hell of a success.

Successful podcaster Bo Riccardi owes much of her clout to a unique talent: she has chromesthesia, which enables her to see sounds in a myriad of colour. In short, she can see right through her interviewees, their true intentions billowing around them in fearful yellows, expecting blues, or lustful purples. This ability, of which none but her closest family are aware, is tested beyond its limits when Bo’s husband, Oscar, is kidnapped from their home in broad daylight. His abductor surfaces, and demands an interview with Bo. It appears that they have history linking back to the murder of one of Bo’s university friends, and Deke feels like taking a trip down memory lane. A battle of wits ensues, as Deke’s demands include complete secrecy – especially from Bo’s listeners – on the promise of Oscar’s immediate murder if Bo does not comply. In order to save her husband’s life, Bo must carefully monitor his captor’s every word for those colourful hints at his identity and whereabouts before reaching his undeterminable deadline. She and her daughter Candance must also simultaneously deal with waves of harassment coming from Deke’s camp involving deepfakes, doxing, and slander. To save Oscar, Bo and Candace must be willing to sacrifice their own dignity and privacy.

As I said earlier, I always worry when a novel focuses heavily on online culture, but Weinstein pulls it off excellently. Watch What You Say wasn’t overly preachy, didn’t have Lifetime movie hacking vibes that so often send shivers up my repulsed spine, and didn’t suffer from the bitterly motivated and technophobic lack of research commonly found in thrillers of this ilk. The narrative hurries you along with an electric urgency, and the dual perspectives of Bo and Deke (whose identity I am not spoiling, by the way – we are introduced to Deke by name before we meet Bo) only exacerbate the tension further. Deke is a brilliantly imagined villain clearly modelled after the stereotypical incel: he is entitled, isolated, and violently misogynistic. Having insight into his thought processes creates a bile-inducing revulsion that can only spur the reader into further supporting Bo. It also forces us to realise the enormity of what is at stake – we have no choice but to acknowledge the legitimacy of Deke’s threats, and his capabilities for carrying them out with immediate effect if he feels so inclined. By contrast, Bo is magnetic: she is determined, self-assured, and intelligent. She is short-tempered, and when she slips under the pressure of her ordeal she can err on the side of arrogance, but these flaws are addressed with a deft hand which does not reflect negatively on her likeability. We want her to win just as much as we want Deke to lose.

Watch What You Say might just be my book of the month, provided I don’t manage to finish Battle Royale by Monday (spoiler: it’s Monday. I didn’t). It’s exhilarating, clever, and well researched. Discovering that George Weinstein is something of a historical novelist did not surprise me one bit – his appreciation for being knowledgeable about a subject before putting it to paper greatly heightens the quality of the novel. It’s always much easier to immerse oneself when a narrative is as grounded in realism as it is suspended by fantasy, and Weinstein straddles that tightrope with perfect poise, delivering one of the most thrilling works of the year so far. Pick this book up. Seriously.

There were many things I really liked about this book, but there were also things I didn't care for.

The good
The main character was a strong woman.
The story was something a little different
I like how it continued to escalate.


The bad
I really wanted to like Bo, the main character, but I just didn't. I couldn't connect with her at all.
Although I was interested in the story, I wasn't invested. I didn't care if her husband died or not (wow, that sounds terrible...lol )

Overall, I liked it intellectually, but not emotionally. I know how much work authors put into their books, and I always feel bad when i don't give a rave review. But I write my reviews for possible future readers.

I want to thank the publisher and , #netgalley for an advance copy. However, this didn't affect my review.