Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Everyone is watching by Heather Gudenkauf. This is exactly the kind of read I like, it was fast paced, adventurous and left me feeling satisfied!
A mix of big brother, meets survivor meets something slightly more sadistic, One Lucky Winner is a game show like no other. Meet and learn of a cast of characters who think their lives are ready to change with ten million dollars. Learning of the stories of each player, filled with stories that aren’t necessarily positive, people behind the scenes you don’t always feel that warm and fuzzy feeling about each of the people, but it didn’t stop me from flying through this book

Everyone Is Watching
Release date: March 26, 2024
* A group of contestants enter into a reality game to compete for a $10
million dollar prize
* for fans of reality shows, characters with secrets, & isolation settings
* So much is happening at the same time - the games, the many
perspectives weaving between past & present
* flat storyline with unsatisfying, abrupt ending
* not up to standard of author's
OVERNIGHT GUEST

Chance of a lifetime. One Lucky Winner. Five contestants. They all seem to know at least one of the other contestants. Is it really a small world or is something else entirely at play?

Each character has a moniker - The Best Friend. The Confidant. The Senator. The Boyfriend. The Executive. As this story is told, it is relayed from these various points of view, and the roles these contestants had in their everyday lives factor into how things develop in this utterly intriguing story. None of them are taking the game lightly. After all, the game is offering the biggest jackpot in gameshow history - ten million dollars. Who will be the One Lucky Winner?

Aside from the vast jackpot offered, the challenges will be live streamed worldwide. The show's creator wants to gain huge notoriety, and thus the exclusive location as well as the extreme challenges just might provide that.

There is drama in this book. So much drama. There is drama between the show's producer Cat and her Production Assistant Fern. There is drama with regard to each contestant, especially when it comes to the connections they share with the other contestants. These connections come with secrets. Secrets that could destroy lives. Meanwhile, for fourteen days the most extreme of challenges will be taking place, eliminating one contestant at a time.

As someone who enjoys shows like Big Brother, Survivor, The Challenge, and similar shows, I was definitely drawn to this latest book by Heather Gudenkauf. This compelling story had me gripped from the very first page and kept me tapping my Kindle without letup until I got to the very last page.

Many thanks to Park Row and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The way the book began was absolutely mild blowing! The whole premise is creative, especially the way people eat up reality TV these days. It was suspenseful, and when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I found I was close but not QUITE there. The ending left me a hair bummed, wanting a HEA, and Fern made out better than the contestants which was disappointing but in reality.. they were all equals in their wrongdoings.

Thank you to the author, publisher + NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.

As a reality show fan, I enjoyed this book. However, it was much different than the author’s previous books. If I blindly went into this, I would’ve never guessed that Heather Gudenkauf wrote this. The ending was a little abrupt for me, and the character development that she usually has in her stories was not as in depth. I did like the stories of the main characters. That added to the suspense. Overall, this was a decent book but not my favorite by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

I love reality tv and thrillers so a combination of the two is right up my alley. This book had funny timing for me because I’ve been watching g The Traitors on Peacock and the challenges in the beginning reminded me a lot of the show. Maybe that’s what originally gripped me? It was a super fast and fun read.

Heather Gudenkauf is one of my favorite authors so I was thrilled to be approved for an ARC of her new book “Everyone is Watching.” To me, this was an example of a locked-room mystery where five people have been chosen for a ten million prize on a brand new game show entitled “One Lucky Winner.” The setting for the game show and the novel was a vineyard in Northern California.

There were alternating narrators between not only a few of the contestants, but also the game show creator’s assistant. The chapters seemed relatively short which I appreciated. As the story progressed, I figured out a couple of the twists, but certainly not all of them.

I found this book to be a quick read and recommend others check it out for themselves. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Modern day version of the game Clue! Really fun read. Some of the storyline was pretty predictable but still kept you excited to keep reading!

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
A reality show, a secluded estate, drama, lies, and plenty of secrets. I really liked the synopsis for this so was incredibly excited to have received an eARC via negalley. I loved Gudenkauf’s previous book The Overnight Guest, with that being said I thought that this one was just okay. I did not feel that the premise was unique enough, as it played out like plenty of other books. Also, this was completely unrealistic in terms of the game show aspect and the challenges that each person had to do. I thought it was pretty well paced, but the characters were all completely unlikeable and at times annoying. The ending was okay, but it left me feeling unsatisfied and underwhelmed with some unanswered questions. Overall, it was just okay with not enough twists and unpredictable moments for my liking.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
✦Reality TV shows
✦Isolated settings
✦Plenty of drama and secrets
✦Alternative POV's
✦A good revenge plot
✦Big Brother tv show vibes
✦A popcorn thriller
✦The boardgame CLUE

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️3/5

Would you compete in a dangerous reality show for ten million dollars? Everyone is watching is a gripping big brother style mystery that follows five contestants who desperately want to win ten million dollars. To win this money the contestants have to complete crazy, thrilling and scary challenges. With each challenge completed secrets are revealed and the contestants past.

This book was fast paced, fun and thrilling to read. I'd highly recommend this book!

I love reality shows so I thought this was a fun book, and a unique story line. There were a lot of secrets revealed throughout the book and that made the tension and suspense even greater. The best part I would say is getting several POV’s and even some past woven in. The one downfall was I guess pretty early on who was behind the whole thing – I wasn’t sure why, but I knew who. It’s still a great read and lots to discover beside the “big” reveal. I definitely recommend reading it.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! This is my first Heather Gudenkauf book and I was not disappointed by it. It took me a while to get through the beginning, being that there are 6 MC’s as well as side characters in the story. Once I caught on, I flew through to the ending. It’s giving Survivor meets Big Brother vibes, but twistier and I’m here for it.

I was super excited to have received this book early to read! I love Heather's books so I couldn't wait to dive into this one! Everyone is Watching was such a good, twisted, messed up(But in a good way) story. Each chapter left on a cliff hanger that instantly wanted you to keep reading onto the next chapter. I read this book within 2 days so you know it was good!
One Lucky Winner involved 5 individuals to compete for $10 million dollars, but what's the catch and why were these 5 people chosen? This game led to many secrets being revealed and everyone questioning one another.
Like I said this book was crazy. It was intense, super fast paced and it is definitely the perfect new thriller that you are going to want to check out!

Thank you again to Net Galley for the ARC Copy.

4.5 rounded to 5
This was such a fun book. This was my first book by Heather Gudenkauf and it definitely won’t be my last. I love “games” in thriller books and this one all about an intense game for 10 millions dollars. But this game was also about revenge and payback! I loved meeting all the contestants and learning how they were tied to each other in one way or another, and the secrets and twists this book had!! Amazing!
Excited to read more by her in the future!!

Thank you to NetGalley.com and Harlequin.com for the ARC of Everyone is watching by Heather Gundenkauf to be published March 26, 2024

It took me a minute to get into this book. I had to keep going because I love Heather Gundenkauf.

A reality tv show kinda squid gamish. Secrets, lies, cheating and murder. There is a little bit of everything I. This book. Once I got into it I couldn’t put it down. It did become intense at times and made me want to read faster.

I would recommend this book to anyone seeking revenge and or retribution.

So, Everyone is Watching is thrilling and addictive, with intriguing characters from sketchy backgrounds all brought together to play this mysterious, high-stakes game. As the plot and game unfold, more and more is revealed and the pieces start clicking. However much it starts to come together, the shocking twists were a unexpected and delicious. I loved this book and applaud the author for trying and succeeding at a different type of book!

Thank you Park Row Books for my free ARC of Everyone Is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf — available now!

Read this if you:
✨ ever watched Big Brother and loved the drama
🗝️ ever wanted to lock your boss away in a room for a few days
💊 ever rooted for a creep to get drugged, tased, stabbed, kicked, shot, etc

Congratulations, you've been selected for the chance to win ten million dollars on a brand-new reality TV show! The only catch is, the challenges are a bit TOO intense sometimes, with drugs, weapons, and a few life-ruining secrets sprinkled throughout for your competitors to pick up and use against you. Can you make it to the end and win the money? Can you make it to the end alive?

This was SUCH a fun thriller! I'm a bit torn over my rating, because I found the plot to be ultra-predictable, but I still had such an enjoyable time reading it and couldn't put it down. So I think it still deserves four stars, despite me not really being surprised by many of the twists. Anyway, if you love a popcorn thriller and think a deadly-reality-show premise is fun, you're going to love this one too! The veeeery end was also incredibly satisfying.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I thought this book was innovative and unique. It was a really interesting concept that I think was executed quite well. I would read another book by this author.

Do you like Big Brother, Survivor, or even Squid Games? Then you’ll love this new thriller involving a reality show, ten million dollars, and possibly revenge…

I’m usually hesitant about locked door thrillers but I really liked this one!! It was exciting and suspenseful because you didn’t know where the show was going to go next or what one of the characters were going to do. The high stakes and drama of the games grips you just like a reality show would. I had my favorite contestant I was rooting for throughout.

The variety of the characters really enhanced the story with their backstories and secrets. The mystery of what they did and who wants to reveal their secrets will keep you turning the pages.

I was able to guess where the story would go early on, but I was wrong about who was behind everything. The revelations had me slapping my forehead (like duh!) and the ending shocked me, making me rethink everything I was told. Such a good popcorn locked door thriller to look forward to!

Enjoyed it, but would not recommend participating on One Lucky Winner. People will do anything for money, especially the chance to win $10 million. There were so many reasons why this was such a horrible/deadly reality show. If the contestants didn't quit after the first challenge, then the second one should have changed their mind about staying. Tasers, scorpions, falling to one's death, drowning and humiliation are just a few reasons not to continue with the show. The contestants are just as dangerous as the show. I have mixed feelings about the book. I was really enjoying it up until the end. Everything seemed rushed after the events that unfolded during Spin, Speak, Shoot. It was obvious everyone was chosen for a reason and they had to be linked somehow. The hatred for Maire and Samuel seemed a bit much and had to be personal. The revenge that was inflicted on the five contestants was unnecessary and didn't have to be made so public. Except for Ned, he really was a scumbag. Of course, I knew who was behind everything. I never put two and two together and who the person really was in relation to the contestants. It's hard to feel bad for Fern. Why did she keep working for Cat? She could have quit at anytime. Cat saved her from an attack, but that didn't mean Fern owed her life to her forever. I didn't love any of the characters, I guess that's what made them perfect for the reality show. They were all hiding secrets that they didn't want aired to millions of viewers, so why go on TV? The media always digs up skeletons that were long buried in closets. If that is what Maire and her friends called fun in Calico, I'm glad I didn't grow up in Iowa. From the moment Fern brought up the loose railing, I knew something would happen.

Definitely recommend the book. It wasn't my favorite by the author, but highly entertaining and a good mystery/thriller. Enjoyed the story, writing style and characters. The story kept me guessing until the very end. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.