I have to be honest - I don't follow any YouTube families, but I spend a ton of time watching drama channels so I hear a lot about them. When I found this book that deals with a YouTube family that is not all that it seems, I was really intrigued by this concept that I hadn't seen anywhere else. To summarize, What It Seems is about a 20 year old woman, Tara, who has lived under her incredibly controlling adoptive mother since the age of eight. Her main access to the outside world is through YouTube, which she has learned to access in secret. When her favorite vlogging family announces an internship position, she takes action to leave her mother and join the perfect family she has come to idolize. Obviously, the family is not as perfect as they portray on their channel, and Tara's mother will stop at nothing to regain control.

Based on the description, I was hoping for The Act meets Daddy of Five, but the book didn't quite live up to my expectations. I feel like the author picked a really interesting concept and tried to pack a lot in, but in doing so some believability was lost. I didn't think the dialog was as strong as it could have been, and the ending seemed a bit rushed. I did have fun reading however, and Tara was an interesting character with both personal strengths and flaws. This isn't a very long read, and therefore I would recommend it to someone who thinks the concept seems interesting.

Note: I received an ebook copy of What It Seems from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book was okay and found the story line was somewhat predictable. It started out a bit slow, but picked up a bit the further I read into the story. I felt bad for Tara, but didn't really like her. Some of the choices she made were odd, but given her tragic circumstances and her relationship with the adult figure in her life, Mother, she may not have been able to see any other choice. I thought the author did a great job with the character of Mother. I felt chills go down my spine whenever she was referenced in the book...she was so creepy!!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

Tara is a 20-year-old being held captive by her foster mother who is always "clicking" her false teeth. "Mother" keeps Tara locked in her room and often without food. Mother and Tara are both shoplifters and Tara has to wear a phony pregnancy bump when they are out stealing. Tara talks to her dolls and has a pet sparrow which was creepy. I was really disappointed in this book and I really had a hard time getting through it. Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent heartbreaking story of a young woman who endures years of abuse at the hands of what she believes is her foster mother. Tara is 20 years old and forced to shoplift to avoid further abuse by her foster mother. While online Tara sees an opportunity to hopefully escape the horrible life that she is mired in. Well written, heartfelt story of bravery and hope when things in this young woman’s life seems hopeless. Another home run by Ms. Bleeker. Highly recommended.

I'm not entirely sure how to sum up my feelings about this book without being entirely negative. I only finished it because I was trying to get it over with. The one positive is that I liked it enough to finish, but there was something about it that I just couldn't connect with. This book is described as a page turning novel of suspense. I'm sorry, but that is the exact opposite of what this book is. Instead I was skimming pages doing my best to hurry to the ending not due to suspense, but to boredom. I never really got into the story and it just didn't jive well with me. Honestly, the whole book kind of leads to nowhere. The Feelys who I thought would be scary and creepy aren't really. Yeah the dads a jerk (among other things) and the mom is weird, but I just wanted more. There really should have been more. None of the characters made sense and this book could have benefited from more characterization. I don't even want to talk about the ending unless its to say I was both glad it was over and disappointed because everything was too neat. Ugh, I don't know. I will say that the author seems to be talented writer but I hope this isn't this best representation of her work. All in all, I didn't enjoy it and I like for my reading experiences to be enjoyable. Sadly, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

Side note: I am not sure why there was so much emphasis on the way Tara smelled. It was a little weird to read over and over about her body odor. It got to the point that it was almost comical and I'm sure that's not what the author intended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

In her latest thriller novel, Emily Bleeker gives us 20-year-old Tara, a young woman held captive by her foster mother and treated very cruelly. Tara is forced to masquerade as a pregnant woman in order to steal from stores, but late at night talks to her dolls and watches YouTube videos. One channel, in particular, that of the Feely family, has Tara dreaming of what it would be like to live in the "perfect" family. When an opportunity to be part of the Feely family presents itself, Tara takes it and manages to break free from " Mother." But Tara will soon discover that the Feely family is far from perfect.

I enjoy Emily Bleeker's writing and her characters tend to find themselves in really intriguing situations. I was quite terrified in the beginning but as the story unraveled, it seemed less thriller-like and more contemporary drama. I know it's a book of fiction but the implausibility meter was off the charts in this one. In the end, I "liked" it but didn't fall in love.


Goodreads review published 01/03/20
Expected publication 17/03/20

This is seriously a sick and twisted book. It deals with child abuse & abduction. The characters were highly flawed that at one point, I find myself gritting my teeth in annoyance & perhaps anger.

The story centers around Tara a 20-year old (12-year old) young woman who's been mentally & physically abused by her awful foster mother since she was eight. She isolated Tara like a hermit, forbids her of even the simplest sort of social interaction like a normal person does. To support their needs she forces her to shoplift & wear a fake-pregnant belly all the time. They almost got caught so ‘mother’ starved & locked her inside her room as punishment. Poor Tara finds comfort by watching a Family Vloggers on YouTube, or talking to her dolls & bird.

Trying to finish this book was a struggle. But I kept plugging along because of my curiosity & I just hate to be a quitter. Plus, I kept reminding myself that Tara's a victim of a Psychopathic upbringing. Anyway, there’s just so much of a reality in this book about how Psychopaths seem to have an uncanny ability to home into basic human vulnerabilities. Puts them in unique positions where they're able to gain the upper hand in choosing their victims. I totally felt bad for Tara she was deprived to rightfully live a normal life. The Feely Family, they remind me of those ‘Influencers’ who carefully fake their lives by manufacturing their posts based on social approval, likes, validation in views & success in followers.

Overall I'm not sure I can pinpoint what exactly prevents me from loving this book, I think it's just a personal thing. Ain't saying this one is bad, but I rated it 3.5/5 because my feelings throughout on this are playing a game of tug-and-war at the moment.

This book will be released on March 17, 2020. Thanks to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve really enjoyed previous books by this author, so I was excited to dive into this newest one. She delivered yet again, with a suspenseful and unpredictable story! I was on the edge of my seat racing through the chapters to see what happened next. Would definitely recommend.

Emily Bleeker is a survivor and it shows in her impeccable ability to tell a story of perseverance. I read this in under a day.

Twenty year old Tara was adopted by the character we know as Mother when she was eight years old. She is practically a prisoner in her own home with little contact with the outside world. Her only escape is watching The Feely family’s YouTube channel in secret while Mother is sleeping. She dreams of being apart of their perfect family and when she has the chance to become their intern, she jumps at the opportunity. But the Feely’s aren’t as perfect as they seem. And will she ever truly be able to escape Mother?

This is one bizarre, twisty ride and I ate it right up.

I received this book from Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a thriller, ripped from the headlines. Tara is a young woman, living with Mother. She is groomed to commit crimes to sustain their lives but lives in a world of hurt and anger. When an opportunity to leave it all behind arises, she jumps at the chance. The world she enters is sheer fantasy, a world of cameras and reality YouTubers. Nothing is as it seems and the noise is tightening around her. Will she find a way to fight back and become herself? Good book. Quick read. Escapism and rooted in possibility.

Twenty year old Tara was adopted by her controlling foster mum at the age of eight. She led a very solitary and isolated life, but she did what she could to get through each day. This was no life for a child, but escaping never seemed possible or was it?

I really had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately I felt there was something lacking and I just couldn’t connect with the story or the characters. Although this book wasn’t for me don’t let my opinion stop you from reading it as there are many people who enjoyed this book. Give it a go and you can make up your own mind.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review.

This book is captivatingly suspenseful. This follows a young woman who lives with her controlling foster mother and the refuge she seeks in an online family who posts videos about their life. When she accepts an internship with the family and gets to know them not everything is what it appears online. Also, she knows her mother is watching the videos online because she's always watching and waiting. This was a great thriller to read.

Tara is a twenty year old woman living in isolation and abuse with her foster mother since she was eight. Her only glimpses at normal life are stolen moments watching a vlog about family life on YouTube. When an opportunity to become an assistant to her favorite show arises, she jumps at the chance to escape. But the perfect family she loves on the screen is just an act, along with the lies she is forced to live to hide her own imperfect past.
I liked seeing Tara's character develop from a scared little sheltered girl to a strong independent woman. I felt that the Feely children were just as abused as Tara was. Living their lives forever in front of a camera, never allowed any unscripted fun seems just as much abuse as the mental abuse and isolation that Tara suffered. I was glad the story had a happy ending for Tara (Angela) but felt that the abuse would continue for the Feely children.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was an amazing book of survival and how much a person can take before they break. I’ve enjoyed Emily Bleeker’s books previously and this one is definitely a winner.
Read this book!

“What it Seems” by Emily Bleeker follows the story of Tara, who was adopted by her foster mother when she was a young child. “Mother,” as Tara calls her, controls every aspect of Tara’s life. Forcing her to steal, locking her in the closet, and forcing her to wear a pregnancy belly when they are in public are just a few of the tortures that mother puts Tara through. Tara’s world feels broken, and the outlet in her life is watching the Feely family’s YouTube videos. She looks at this family as a model family, longing to escape her situation and become a part of it. When the Feely’s announce that they are looking for a summer intern, she jumps at this opportunity for an escape from mother’s grasp. Tara soon learns that appearances aren’t always what they seem as she joins the Feely family’s team. Even though she has escaped mother, she feels as if she’s being watched, and that mother might be waiting just around the corner. Emily Bleeker will suck the reader in with this story of a woman trying to escape her situation, with many twists and turns along the way.
From the beginning of this story, I wasn’t quite sure where I expected it to take me. I felt so many of Tara’s emotions along with her. From the first few pages I understood her love of her dolls and for the bird that would visit her window. I felt her loneliness that she experienced being locked up in that house with “mother” all of the time. Throughout many moments of the story, I wanted to reach through and give Tara a hug. I felt myself enjoying the earlier scenes with her being locked in the house better than the scenes with the Feely family.
When it comes to the portions of the story taking place with this YouTube sensation family, I kept imaging the YouTuber’s that I watch and wondering if this was how their lives were, too. The Feely family added another dynamic to the story that seems very relevant to the world that we currently live in. One thing that I found hard to read during the Feely family scenes, was her description of how bad she smelled. I kept cringing and imaging myself smelling that awful and how embarrassing it would be. Poor Tara, forcing herself to keep up the act of being pregnant could never escape the smell of that suit.
I found this story to be entertaining overall, but the reason I am only giving it 3 stars is because I felt the pacing to be rather slow. Since this story was marketed as a thriller, I expected it to be much more fast paced with danger lurking around every corner. Even though my expectations were a bit different from how the story ended up playing out, I truly did enjoy the story. I found the ending to be very exciting and delievered the thriller vibes that I had been hoping for!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for my copy of this title!

***Will post review on my blog and instagram a week before Publishing date!

Tara is a prisoner in her own bone. Her foster mother uses her to steal things and sell them online. When she is home, she is locked in her room. She is able to sneak YouTube videos and falls in love with videos of families. Then one family offers an internship. Can Tara sneak away from her foster mother to apply for the job?

I found this story very interesting. Tara grows so much in the story and I loved watching her. She was put in a horrible situation and does what she needs to to survive. I also like the YouTube family and I can see why Tara enjoyed watching them. They represented the family she wanted but as is often the case, things are not always as they seem.

I definitely recommend this book. The main character has had a horrible upbringing and is rather naive which works well in this story. I read this book quickly because I wanted to hurry and see if it ended well for her. What she thought was real, is it really?

This well written mystery had enough suspense to keep the pages turning. It was an easy and enjoyable read and I finished it in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on Mar 17, 2020

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by this author, I wasn't really sure what to expect. Overall I found the book to be an original storyline, but not a very believable one. This book just didn't click for me, although I can say it was very well written. When I don't connect with a book, I always suggest others read and make their own opinion concerning the book because not everyone enjoys the same thing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a ARC copy of book. All opinions are my own.

I am disappointed I didn't like this book more. I couldn't connect with the characters and the plot just did nothing for me. The writing was good though.
3 stars