I want to start by thanking NetGalley as well as the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. An intense psychological thriller. You will be pulled from one conclusion to another as the novel unfolds, just knowing you never seem to know everything.

Watch Out For Her is a thriller that follows a mother named Sarah as her family moves across the country trying to escape the past. As Sarah and her family settle into their new home, Sarah is haunted by the past she is desperate to escape, a past where she had a hired a young woman to help her watch her son. A past where Sarah discovered things that she shouldn’t have by looking too close to things.

This book follows two timelines. The past in which babysitter Holly is a big part of Sarah’s life, and the present in which Sarah has fled for reasons we slowly unravel as the reader. The two timelines is a troupe that I really enjoy in thriller books because you want to read it faster to figure out when the timelines will connect. I found myself very engaged through the majority of this book, even though it did meander through the day to day life of the characters without advancing the plot very much for chunks of it. Sarah’s perspective in the present time was fascinating because she is very paranoid about everything around her and extremely suspicious but not in a way that makes her feel like she is losing her mind. Most of her suspicions are very grounded in what is going on around her.

My few complaints about this book are that it is just a little slow in some parts. I also found the ending to be pretty predictable.

Overall, it was an enjoyable thriller that I would recommend to anyone who like to try to figure out what is really going on versus what is just the character’s imagination.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞.
𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦, "𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶" 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘺 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘥.
𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵.

𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘧, "𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳" 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘮.
𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧, "𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳" 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮.

As soon as I read her debut WOMAN ON THE EDGE, I knew that Samantha Bailey would be a writer to watch. I have been anticipating this title ever since I became aware she was writing it. I started reading it almost as soon as I was approved, and 24 hours later, I'm still stunned.

Told in dual timelines called 'then' and 'now', Sarah, her husband Daniel, and their young son Jacob have moved across the country to escape the oppressive presence of their live-in babysitter, 22-year-old Holly Monroe. Curiously, Sarah and Holly were drawn to each other for similar reasons: Sarah wistfully sees a youthful, carefree version of herself that never really existed in Holly, while Holly sees in Sarah the unconditional love of the mother she never had. Unfortunately, these two women have something else in common: an almost pathological need to intrude into the lives of others. After an explosive argument soon before the two part ways, Holly tells six-year-old Jacob, "Tell your mommy to watch out for herself."

When Sarah finds remnants of her old life showing up in her new one, her paranoia heightens. Is Holly going to make good on the threat she uttered to young Jacob? Everything you thought you knew about trust, family, friendship, and protecting the ones you love will be called into question. All at once a chilling, sobering read. Publishes April 19 from Simon and Schuster.

Loved it! I’m a fan and always looking for the next book by this author! Highly suggest this book to anyone who’s wanting good suspense!

"Watch Out for Her" is a creepy good thriller. The Goldmans have relocated from Vancouver to Toronto to get a fresh start, and to get away from Holly Monroe, their live-in babysitter over the summer for their son Jacob. Sarah had discovered things about Holly that made her deeply uncomfortable and forced a termination of the employment relationship even though Jacob loved Holly and her presence in Jacob's life had been beneficial for him. However, the problems that Sarah thought they had escaped seemed to have followed them. The first day in the new rental property, she discovers a hidden camera in the smoke detector in the master bedroom. The next-door neighbor, Tara, is overly friendly; Jacob's favorite toy, Mr. Blinkers, which seemed to have been lost in the move, suddenly appears in the new house; and Sarah begins receiving strange texts, among other events that place her on edge and make her wonder if Holly is stalking them.

The story alternates between the present (the Goldman's new life in Toronto), and the past (the story of Holly). What Sarah learned/saw was deeply disturbing and inappropriate, but it was also lacking the proper context. Holly's family life is dysfunctional, to say the least, and events lead to her becoming estranged from her father and stepmother soon after she begins the babysitting job for the Goldmans. Holly sees in Sarah the mother she never had (her mother died in childbirth and her stepmother is not a loving parental figure, even to her own daughter, Alexa, Holly's stepsister), and when she realizes that Daniel, Sarah's husband, is hiding things from Sarah, Holly is determined to find out what is going on and to help. Sarah is also hiding her own secrets. Because everyone is hiding secrets, there are numerous misunderstandings and misinterpreted events. Adding to the confusion is that Alexa and Holly had always been close, but as Holly spends more time with the Goldmans, she spends less time with Alexa, which will have consequences, especially as Alexa knows more than Holly realizes about Holly's activities.

The characters are well crafted and enjoyable, especially the dynamic between Sarah and Holly, who are both projecting on the other to fill voids in their respective lives. The plot is well paced and there are some good surprises. The likely source of the trouble in Toronto is evident fairly early on, as is the person's likely motive, but it is unclear how the person is masterminding the scheme and how the scheme will unravel, and the identity be revealed. "Watch Out for Her" is well worth reading.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Started and finished this in one sitting! I loved Samantha Bailey's debut, Woman On The Edge and couldn't wait to get my hands on Watch Out For Her. It was EVERYTHING I hoped for!!

The story alternates between the two main characters. Sarah, mother to six-year-old Jacob, and Holly, a twenty-two-year-old babysitter she and her husband, Daniel hired. But, over time, this seemingly perfect arrangement is forming cracks and things start falling apart. Sarah finds herself questioning if she can really trust Holly...

I LOVE an alternating storyline! Bonus points if it's twisty and shocks me at the end ... check and check! What an ending!! SO WELL DONE!

HUGE thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for my review ecopy

I enjoyed Woman on the Edge by Samantha M. Bailey, so I was really excited to dive into this book! Watch Out For Her is about Sarah, a paranoid and protective mother who just moved across the country with her husband and son for a fresh start. This is putting distance between the family and their previous babysitter, Holly, a 22-year-old who has a business-focused, exploitive relationship with her family and dreams of a loving mother figure.

I really enjoyed this one! This book is written in dual POV with alternating timelines between Holly in Vancouver before the move and Sarah's perspective after the move to Toronto. I enjoyed how this was written and that it was set in Canada.

I thought the characters were well developed and they all seemed sketchy at times making it difficult to figure out who to trust and who is lying. Many of the characters I both loved and hated at different times.

I really didn't know where this one was going for most of the book which left me on edge, but I was able to put the pieces together closer to the end to guess the final twist. That being said, I really enjoyed the journey this book brought me on and how information was sprinkled in to keep you guessing. It left me trying to figure out who was reliable, including if Sarah was being too overprotective of her family, if Holly was going too far to fit in with her new family and how far they would each go to get what they are looking for.

There was a creepiness to the book that I felt was strongest at the beginning, with Sarah feeling like she's being watched after the move, the obsessiveness that both main characters had in certain ways, in addition to the stalking and voyeurism topics throughout the book. I also enjoyed how many of the chapters ended with a hook that made me want to keep reading.

Overall, I really enjoyed this suspenseful thriller! I would recommend picking up this book if you are looking for a fast-paced, creepy read that leaves you wondering who you can trust.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Samantha M. Bailey for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I feel neutral about this book. The writing was good but I figured out the twist early on and I didn’t connect with the main protagonist. Overall I don’t enjoy domestic thrillers where the central female character is so dependent on their male partner, so in truth this book was probably just not for me. I did think the pacing and construction of the story was good, and would try another title by this author down the road. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC.

For now I will say WOW - so, so good. Full review to come on Instagram, Goodreads and Amazon closer to Publication Date. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy!

WATCH OUT FOR HER is a deliciously twisty thriller with a satisfying ending.

At first, I felt a little off-kilter because I wasn't sure I bought into the premise. Why would Sarah and her family move across the country just because of an experience with a babysitter? But I really enjoyed the "then" and "now" timeline and the way Bailey switches the POV between characters. It kept the story moving for me and made for an entertaining page turner. The characters are well-drawn and the story is carefully plotted. Although at times the character's actions can seem a bit frustrating (especially Sarah's), fans of domestic suspense will find much to like here.

Bailey dazzles once again in this heart-stopping, propulsive pageturner. When Sarah and Holly (both women on the edge) grow close while Holly babysits Sarah's young son, the pair begin a dangerous game of secrets, obsessions, and lies. Bailey's crisp writing and knack for suspense will have you turning pages fast. I loved Woman On The Edge, but in her latest, Bailey has secured her place in the thriller arena. Definitely an author to watch and add to your TBR.

What an emotional rollercoaster. Holly was a part of a toxic family where she wasn’t seen and exploited. She thinks she found a new family through a babysitting job and want nothing more than to stay and be loved by them. She’ll do anything to make that happen. The ending had me reeling. Well done.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Books Review
Watch Out For Her by Samantha Bailey

LOVE!!
I Binged this read in one sitting. Dare I say I like it more than Woman on the Edge!!

“I see you” went from a supportive phrase to something sinister …. In the best ( if not creepiest) way!!!
This book is full of Canadian content which was a pleasant surprise and an added bonus. I always find it easier to connect to a read that has familiar places included.
There was an added child safety aspect which created an extra layer of fear and suspense. Mothers, babysitters, fathers, these caregivers are supposed to be trusting and loving. The possibility or idea that a parent may be a sociopath raised my anxiety levels and kept me turning the pages.

Overall a must read for thriller lovers…. I SEE YOU

Bonus: I did not see the ending coming (rare these days in a thriller)

Thank you to @simonandschusterca for my gifted copy in return for an honest review

I just finished reading “Watch out for Her” and all I can say is WOW!!! Samantha M Bailey is one of my favorite authors in the psychological thriller genera, and she absolutely outdid herself with this one! It’s the perfect amount of suspense, twists, & lies!

Holly’s family life is not stable or healthy. Sarah’s family is sweet and supportive of one another. When Holly needs a place to stay, the two strike a deal that is great for everyone……or IS it??? Sarah and her family move to a new town to try to escape, but when strange things begin to happen again. Sarah can’t help but become fearful. This was a good thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat!

I can't decide what emotion I'm feeling, there's too many spiraling inside me!!! This book was beyond a roller coaster ride, it was more like being inside of a tornado. Such an easy, quick read.

The complexity of the actions of each character gave this book so much turmoil that it was like watching an intense movie where you don't want to blink for fear of missing something.

Sarah, Daniel, Holly... all are AMAZING!!! I can't tell you which was my favorite, because I loved and hated them all. Daniel and Sarah have many secrets in their marriage that they hide from each other, Holly has her own. All of them collide in a normal fashion and turn their friendship and Holly as a baby-sitter into something strange. Holly wants to fit into their family, Sarah wants Holly in their family, and Daniel just wants to keep his secrets hidden.

When the couple moves that's when their world crashes in front of them. Where is Holly? Is she stalking them? Is all this in their heads? Is it the neighbor? Is it the man across the street? WHO KNOWS????

If you haven't purchased this book as a pre-order DO IT NOW. It's definitely one of my favorites this year so far and one I've already purchased on pre-order.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Samantha Bailey for allowing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

From start to finish Watch Out For Her was riveting. A psychological thriller by Samantha M. Bailey that had me on edge the whole way through. I felt a gamut of emotions from fear to excitement and everything in between.

The story revolves around two main characters Sarah Goldman and Holly Monroe. Sarah is a 40 year old stay at home mom with a love of photography and a passion for her husband and her six year old son Jacob. As much as Sarah loves her family she wants to find her way back to photography and needs time to herself. To reclaim her identity that somehow got lost along the way.

From the outside, 22 year old Holly appears confident, smart, secure and beautiful. She just finished her first year of medical school and works part time for her powerful and distant father at his company, Health ProX. Sarah’s life is all planned out for her and she has no say in the matter. From the outside it looks like she has the perfect life. But looks are deceiving. Holly lives in an affluent neighbourhood in a huge mansion with her cold and uncaring stepmother and her father who has ridiculous expectations of his daughter. Holly feels trapped and like Sarah, a little lost. So when Sarah decides she wants to hire a nanny for the summer, Holly jumps at the chance to have a break from her predetermined career and education, and takes the nanny job offered by Sarah. What they both don’t realize when they embark on this new journey together is that nothing will ever be the same again.

Watch Out For Her is a tale of deceit, loneliness, addiction, greed, lust, manipulation, stalking and terror. It was brilliantly written and had one of the best over the top plot twists of all times. I love the authors engaging writing style, which draws the reader in constantly wanting to know more.

I am a huge fan of Samantha M Bailey and I am very thankful to Simon & Schuster Canada, Samantha M. Bailey and NetGalley for my arc in exchange for my honest review. Watch Over Her exceeded my expectations and was a definite 5 star heart racing read for me!

Sarah Goldman has moved from Vancouver to Toronto with her husband Daniel and her 6 year old Jacob after something goes down with Holly - the family's nanny, back home. Although we aren't initially sure about what exactly went down between Sarah and Holly, we know that it's sketch and that despite how calm and suburban-y her new community appears, something is definitely OFF.

Overall, I would describe this book as a solid unputdownable psychological thriller. Even if I could see some of the twists coming, I didn't mind at all. I really enjoyed how the author jumps between the dual timelines and how she peppered each character enough that I never really knew who I could trust. I also enjoyed how the author manipulated me into changing my opinion about the characters as the story progressed. I'm not used to that and it left me impressed.

I agree with some of the over reviews about the fact that some of Sarah's choices are questionable, but this is quite typical of the thriller genre and to be honest, this makes it more interesting for me. If Sarah is questioning herself, how the heck am I supposed to determine what is reliable?

As with many grip lits, this book was a fast read. The chapters are short and I was hooked almost immediately. I started it before work this morning and finished it in 2 sittings.

If I was underwhelmed at all (and it was MINOR), this book could have been creepier in my opinion. It was fine and there were definitely moments of creep, but with themes like trust, voyeurism and obsession, I was kind of hoping for a few more goose bumps. But that's me!

I definitely enjoyed this read and highly recommend this book to fans of the psychological thriller or to anyone looking for a page turner. I will definitely be adding Woman on the Edge to my To Be Read pile!

As always, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Simon and Schuster Canada) for digital reviewer copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was super excited to be selected and to get my hands on this one.

A tale of two perspectives: Sarah's, happening "now", and Holly's, happening "before".

First, we meet Sarah, a paranoid, insecure helicopter mom, and housewife. She's just moved across the country from Vancouver to Toronto and is struggling with the adjustment. To make matters worse, she's haunted by the events that drove her family to relocate. Her paranoia is soon justified when she learns that someone is watching her. Is it the creepy neighbour across the street who's always staring from his porch? Or maybe her nosy next-door neighbour who keeps appearing in her home uninvited. Or worse, could it be the babysitter she left behind after the terrible events from this past summer?

Next, we meet Holly, a beauty from an affluent family who will do anything to please her dad. But she doesn't want to join the family business - a successful pharmaceutical company, and she hates living at home with her terrible stepmother who uses her as a pawn in the business. She's then pushed into taking a babysitting job for one of her father's friends, and it's there she learns what she truly wants: A mother figure who sees her for who she really is, and loves her despite her flaws. A real, loving family. But her suspicions about Sarah's husband, Daniel, cause her to worry about keeping this new family of hers together. She will do anything it takes to make sure that doesn't happen.

Watch Out For Her unfolds in a very interesting way, showing us little glimpses of the past and present from two different perspectives. I loved reading from both of the main characters' points of view. It was very interesting to learn the assumptions they made about each other, some of which were correct, but many of which couldn't be further from the truth. Is Sarah overly paranoid? Is Holly going too far? This book unfolds at an excellent pace and I found it difficult to put the book down! It was well written and easy to read. I enjoyed speculating on the events of what happened between these two complex protagonists and was exhilarated when it all came together.

This is an engaging thriller that you'll devour in no time. I highly recommend it, and give it a 4.5/5.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC of this book!

This book started off strong in the first half but lost my interest a little in the second half. it was a good psychological thriller that just didn’t blow me away. However, I would be interested in reading something else by this author to see if it connects with me more. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!