Wow!! This book was action-packed from start to finish! I loved all the characters, the fast-paced plot, and how it all wrapped up nicely at the end. Easy 5 stars!

Heather Gudenkauf's latest novel cleverly revitalizes the classic locked room mystery by setting it against the backdrop of a tension-filled reality TV contest. The story features a diverse group of participants, each drawn into the competition by the lure of a massive cash prize and their own hidden agendas.

Gudenkauf's skillful narrative builds suspense masterfully, weaving a tale that quickly transforms from a straightforward competition into a desperate fight for survival. As alliances form and rivalries intensify, the participants' secrets begin to surface, thickening the plot with layers of complexity and danger.

The characters are meticulously crafted, each bringing a depth of emotion and cunning that enriches the narrative. The tension escalates with each chapter as deeper motives and past deceptions are revealed, drawing the reader into a vortex of suspense and mystery.

Despite the somewhat over-the-top premise, Gudenkauf's novel is undeniably engaging. The blend of a high-stakes game with intricate mystery elements offers a fresh twist on traditional suspense, ensuring a compelling and immersive read. This book is a testament to Gudenkauf's ability to entertain and intrigue her readers, keeping them hooked all the way to the dramatic conclusion.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!

Thank you to Park Row Books for the digital copy to review!

Five people are invited to compete on a reality show for $10M that will be live streamed globally. If you have read this author before then you know this won’t be a friendly competition and it won’t end well. True to form, this was a fantastic locked room thriller with several twists along the way, including a couple I did not guess making this a wild, crazy ride that I could not put down and loved overall.

I have read and enjoy so many books by this offer. This one did not seem like her typical writing. I found the story to be far-fetched that times and a little ridiculous. Although I will keep reading like this author, this was not one of my favorites.

Going into this, I was not sure I would enjoy this storyline because I'm not a huge fan of reality TV elements, but I was so pleasantly surprised! This was a top notch locked-room thriller mixed with a high-stakes game... all set on "reality TV." The Best Friend. The Confidant. The Senator. The Boyfriend. The Executive. Five contestants come together to compete for 10 million dollars... but how were they chosen? And why? No one can be trusted in this game where someone is out for blood! I was enthralled. It gave me Goblet of Fire from Harry Potter vibes. It reminded me of psychological studies I read in college. Worth the read!

In a reality competition TV show, 5 people are invited to play for $10 million dollars. Each has their own reason for competing but all get more than they signed up for. I loved how the author wrote the competitions by taking them much farther than you would see on TV today. A story that will keep you guessing and wondering just how far the contestants will go.

Heather is one of my favorite authors! I always have to get her books as soon as they come out. I could not even finish this one. Maybe I need to go back to this one another time. I just could not relate to this one.

Thank you to HTP Books for letting me read EVERYONE IS WATCHING. This one is out now!

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and it really kept me on my toes. This is my second Gudenkauf book and it definitely won't be my last! I highly recommend this one!

Heather Gudenkauf is one of my absolute favorite authors. I am so excited when I see she has a new book out. This book seemed very different from her other novels. Five people are chosen to be on a reality show called One Lucky Winner in which the last person on the show wins ten million dollars. But America is waiting to vote people out. As the contests begin, they get more real and more dangerous, but you have to do them to stay in the game. All five contestants question why they were chosen to participate and they question if ten million dollars is worth what they are asked to do. But when it comes down to it, everyone has a reason they need that money. I raced through the book just waiting to figure out who was behind the game and why each contestant was chosen to be there. I recommend this engaging, fast paced book that will have you hanging on and turning pages until that end!

I absolutely loved this. I thought it was well written and to the point. It felt like I was actually watching the reality show as I read! Once the game got going, the story moved FAST. I read like 75% in one sitting. I couldn't put it down!

This book can only be described as ridiculous- which is fitting as that is the only way to really describe nearly all of reality TV, In that regard, that makes this book quite the success. I enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf.

When five people are brought together for a high stakes reality show to win ten million dollars, no one really knows what to expect. But it becomes clear soon that this isn't just an entertaining game show, and they could all be in real danger.

I mean, who wouldn't want to watch a reality show like this, if it weren't so ethically dubious. I did enjoy this, but I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. There may have been a bit TOO much going on, but otherwise this was a fun summer read.

I was hooked to this one so fast I got through 40% of the book in my first sitting. I love the reality/game show big brother and I’m sure that contributed to my immediate investment in this story!

Five contestants are invited to participate in a reality/game show for the opportunity to win 10 million dollars. We get multiple points of view throughout, as well as flashbacks. This being a thriller/suspense novel, you can imagine things aren’t as they seem, people aren’t who they seem, and things get pretty wild.

This story was fast paced and will keep you interested throughout its entirety. Was it realistic? Not even a little bit. The characters were all pretty unlikeable and not the brightest bulbs in the box. Both of these being things I usually I do not like in a book, but for some reason in this one it all just worked! I enjoyed the ending and the way things wrapped up. Also the audiobook narration was fantastic!

I found this to be far fetched and couldn’t really enjoy it at times. I didn’t find any of the characters to be interesting either. I was let down by this as I’ve loved other books by this author.

Twisty and provocative, definitely atmospheric. Not my favorite by this author, but still one I couldn’t put down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since the Weight of Silence, I have been a fan of Gudenkauf! Their latest had all the elements of a perfect thriller; a twist on a popular pop culture trend (reality TV), some despicable characters, the perfect mix of revenge & the right amount of intrigue to keep you turning the pages at a fevered pace! Recommending to most of my readers this year!!!!

Description
A mysterious high-stakes game proves life-threatening in this twisty thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest

The Best Friend. The Confidant. The Senator. The Boyfriend. The Executive.

Five contestants have been chosen to compete for ten million dollars on the game show One Lucky Winner. The catch? None of them knows what (or who) to expect, and it will be live streamed all over the world. Completely secluded in an estate in Northern California, with strict instructions not to leave the property and zero contact with the outside world, the competitors start to feel a little too isolated.

When long-kept secrets begin to rise to the surface, the contestants realize this is no longer just a reality show—someone is out for blood. And the game can’t end until the world knows who the contestants really are…

Honestly, this was disappointing. I have loved Gudenkauf's books in the past, but this one just fell flat for me. I didn't feel like it was that suspenseful or thrilling, either. It was pretty clear all along who the culprit was, and while this had the potential to be a John Marrs level thriller, it just ultimately didn't go anywhere.

Everyone Is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf was a wild ride! I am one that doesn't regularly watch reality tv or game shows like Squid Game or Survivor, but this books storyline falls under that kind of category and I am here for it!

Five "random" people are chosen to compete on a gameshow called One Lucky Winner. This show will be livestreamed but the watcher will never know when the new episodes will air. They will get an alert that the show is going live. And the prize? A whopping ten million dollars! The catch is that none of the contestants knows what to expect, cell phones are not allowed, and they don't know who is really behind the scenes planning the various physical and mental challenges they will be put through. The viewers can vote at the end of each episode to see who should be sent home and the players are only known online by nicknames: The Best Friend. The Confidant. The Senator. The Boyfriend. The Executive. Along with Fern, the assistant who has been promoted to host of the show, the contestants are secluded to a beautiful estate and begin to undergo various challenges, are given clues and guides that might help them win, but might give up some personal secrets in the meantime.

Ten million dollars is a LOT of money, and would be hard to resist! As we meet each character, we get a glimpse into their lives and why they might want the money (and their backstories that reveal some secrets they want hidden). We also find out that some of the characters know each other from their past, and there is a specific reason all of them have been brought in to play this game.

This was a great thriller by Gudenkauf, but not as good (in my opinion) as The Overnight Guest was. I definitely recommend this one to fans of The Overnight Guest and of reality shows, competitions, backstabbing, secrets, twists, and revenge.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Heather Gudenkauf is always a thriller must read, love her writing and stories. Highly recommend!! I don't like to say much on thriller reviews, going in blind is always best.

4 stars

Well, that was fun. This story is a fast-paced combination of thriller, reality TV, and well-scripted drama. I enjoyed the over-the-top situations, and I was particularly satisfied when a specific character met a fitting fate after spending much of his life sexually assaulting women. There were a couple of other loose ends I would have liked to see resolved a bit more neatly, but otherwise, it was a good (and fun!) one.