Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Five contestants are invited to compete on a reality show named One Lucky Winner that will be streamed live around the world and the prize is ten million dollars. None of them know exactly what sort of challenges they will have to compete in and the shooting location they arrive in is a remote and completely isolated estate, but all of them agree to the rules of the game. But when the challenges begin, the contestants realize very quickly that something is amiss and they are all being targeted by someone who knows their darkest secrets and means to reveal them to the world.

I’ve read a couple of locked room mysteries before, and this sounded like an interesting variation on the concept. After several rather slow paced reads in a row, I was excited to pick up this book which sounded like it would be a fast, exciting read.

In terms of plot and concept, this book definitely lived up to the blurb. Right from the contestants arriving at the isolated villa and their phones being taken away, cutting off their contact with the outside world, it set the mood immediately. The challenges themselves weren’t as fun as I expected, given that the events that took place during the challenges were entirely unrealistic and would never actually happen in real life.

This was a fast paced read and it was very easy to get through, I think I finished it in under 2 hours. I haven’t read any other books by this author to use as a comparison, but the writing was good and it hooked me right from page one.

I don’t often say this, but this book ought to have been a bit longer. The concept was there, and it could have easily been played out for some more time, building the tension even higher.

The five contestants each had their own reasons for wanting the prize money and for some, there was no extent they weren’t willing to go to in order to win. While initially, I did have a little trouble keeping them all straight, as the story unfolded, there were brief flashbacks for each character to introduce the reader to their story and background which helped a lot. I didn’t find really myself particularly invested in any of the characters, but I enjoyed watching the dynamic between the group change by the day as each challenge brought out their different sides and they all steadily grew more paranoid about someone knowing their secrets.

The last couple of chapters felt extremely rushed and there was way too much happening all at the same time. Apart from that, I did like the ending and how the truth and connection the five seemingly unrelated contestants shared.

Overall, this book had an excellent concept but the execution could have been better. Still, this was a fun read and I enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend Everyone Is Watching for fans of the genre!

This is the sixth book that I read by this author. While she is usually a mystery writer, this book felt so different from her others. As soon as you start the book, you are so immersed in the plot and the characters. It was a page turner for me. While reality shows are usually not my thing, the basis for the one in the novel just drags you right in.
The executive, the best friend, the confident, the senator, the boyfriend.
Why were they specifically chosen for this contest? Who chose them?
The premise of the novel involves a reality show contest where “One Lucky Winner” will win ten million dollars. They five contestants all have their personal reasons for wanting to win the big prize. They also have lots of secrets. Thanks to the internet, everything they do is live-streamed and can be commented on.
The contests the five are involved in are often dangerous and life threatening. They can win clues along the way to give them an edge up in the competition. They have to be physically, emotionally and mentally prepared for each test. As they are competing for such a large amount, the stakes are high. Eventually, the five realize that their lives are on the line. Is this really a competition or is someone out to get them?
This is a very tense read. The plot and characters draw you right in. You will cheer for some and hope others will lose or chose to leave. If you are ready for a good suspenseful, thrilling ride then this is the book for you!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Published on March 26, 2024.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I adore this author and was excited to read this new book! I am not a fan of reality TV etc but thought I would give it a shot. Not my cup of tea but this was a Greta story. Characters and story were well done.

This reminded me of Big Brother but with perilous challenges for the contestants to compete in. It was entertaining, fast-paced, and well thought out! This was my second book by Gudenkauf and both were solid! I loved the nonlinear storytelling that added a layer of depth to the characters considering this was a locked-in type of thriller. Although the interconnectedness among the characters was expected, the quality of the writing compensated for this predictability. Still very fun and would definitely recommend.

Wow this book was really good! I love thrillers that have games. I like how we got to know each character. Some were more likable than others. I couldn’t put this book down and I was surprised by the ending! I can’t wait to read more by this author, I really want to read The Overnight Guest next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for this advanced reader copy!

What an unhinged, wild ride this one was. The concept was so intriguing, the characters over the top (but in a very entertaining way) & I especially appreciated the deeper commentary how social media combined with fame/infamy keep driving what people give their attention to, regardless of how messed up it is.

Though I’m not all that into reality TV (I prefer taking breaks from “reality” to unplug), I was highly entertained by the whole concept of a mysterious and seriously messed up reality competition for $10 million. The story was fast paced, things kept getting twistier and twistier, and the combo of a few sympathetic and a few truly despicable characters had me thoroughly invested.

I think one of my favorite things was how the story unfolded. We got to see things from the perspective of a few characters, a number of flashbacks for some of them but also a few chapters from a perspective of different show viewers and of course, the online comments from general public!

This was definitely my kind of popcorn thriller and highly recommend it if you’re looking for something that’ll both disturb and entertain you!

A huge thank you to @htpbooks, park row and NetGalley for my ARC! All opinions my own

Unfortunately I didn’t finish this book. While the beginning did draw my attention, it started off very dark and made me feel a little uneasy. While I know this is definitely something other reader’s may enjoy, it wast’t my cup of tea.

Received an arc of this. It wasn’t bad just the ending kind of left me like ok now what do i do with this? I felt kinda empty and I’m hoping this does not put me in a slump.

The storyline’s mystery and the different characters reasoning why they were picked is what kept me reading. I will say the characters, i didn’t root for except maybe the confidant. Otherwise these people were kinda unlikeable.

Also, i hated the nicknames.

This authors previous book is what made me so excited to read but it was totally different.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley.

Every once in a while, I find myself immersed in a thriller that has me clinging to the edge of my seat while simultaneously wondering what is truly going on in the mind of the author. (And I mean that in the nicest way possible...) Everyone Is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf is intense and disturbing, but in a good way. I was glued to this one - a closed room thriller - and while I suspected the Big Bad early on, it was still satisfying to see all the upsets and the untangling of the larger why.

Five contestants are chosen to appear on a new reality show for ten million dollars. They truly have no idea what they’ve signed up for, but it’s clear that it will be cutthroat and challenging. The show will be live-streamed and they will have no contact with the outside world. It soon becomes clear that ulterior motives and old grudges might be part of the challenges that contestants face. Can they survive this show?

This was a really unique and fun thriller concept. I enjoyed how the story was told by different characters and skipping from past to present. There were so many secrets and characters that were untrustworthy. It’s kind of a twist on Squid Game and Survivor. If you enjoy reality shows, solving puzzles, and figuring out hidden connections, you should definitely check this one out!

Thank you to Heather Gudenkauf, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, HTP/Park Row & Heather Gudenkauf for a digital galley of Everyone is Watching in exchange for an honest review.

Five contestants are pitted against each other in a reality game show called One Lucky Winner. That lucky winner will receive $10M. The contestants are secluded on a remote North California estate & are not allowed to have any contact with the outside world. But when things take a twist & secrets begin to come out, the contestants realize they are in real danger as this has stopped being a game.

Our main characters are Fern, the executive assistant/showrunner; Maire (the Best Friend); Sam (the Boyfriend); Senator Crowley (the Senator); Camilla (the Confidante) & Ned (the Executive). Turns out some of these characters have direct ties - like Maire & Sam who both witnessed a tragic accident in their youth. But they all have something in common for being handpicked by Fern to be contestants on this show. But what? And why?

Most of these characters were completely skeezy, but here were a couple who wanted to win for the right reasons. But do their actions on the show end up making them just as skeezy? This story reminded me of MTV's The Challenge. I really enjoyed it. It was quick paced, entertaining & the perfect amount of twisty.

If you like reality tv or reality tv type books, definitely add this one to your TBR. It was a fun & solid read.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave major Squid games mixed with survivor. I loved how the connections of each character came together, how past and present came together to weave a perfect story. For someone who loves reality TV as much as I, this was the perfect thriller.

Everyone Is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf is a mystery about five contestants who have been chose to compete on a show called One Lucky Winner. The prize is ten million dollars, and they are secluded on a very fancy estate. But these competitions are life or death and the connections between these contestants becomes more and more obvious as the filming goes on. This book was rather over the top, but it was fast-paced, and it certainly kept my attention. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I always look forward to reading books by author Heather Gudenkauf. Everyone Is Watching, her newest book, was no exception. As I began to read Everyone Is Watching, I realized that this was a diversion from Heather Gudenkauf’s typical books. It portrayed her usual feelings of suspense and tension but between the setting, the characters and the premise that was established early on I knew that I was in for something very different. Everyone Is Watching was very clever and gripping at the same time. I had a hard time putting this one down.

Five random people received invitations to participate in a reality show called One Lucky Winner where the grand prize was to be ten million dollars. What if anything gave these five potential contenders the opportunity to compete for the unexpected but welcomed prize of ten million dollars? As each of the five contestants arrived at the magnificent estate, Bella Luce, in Northern California where the reality show was to be filmed, they were dubbed with the titles of The Best Friend, The Confident, The Senator, The Boyfriend and The Executive. Each contestant had their own personal reason for accepting the invitation to compete for the ten million dollars prize money. Through competitions and challenges, each winner collected “Super Clues”. There were also “ Game Changers” that the contestants gathered during each competition. Winning and securing the Super Clues and the Game Changers could tip the outcome of the competition in the direction of the contestant that accumulated the most. The object was to try and win as many competitions and challenges as possible. After each competition, a contestant was voted off by the audience that was following the reality show on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter or TikTok. As soon as a contestant was voted off, their deepest and darkest secrets were revealed to the millions that had chosen to follow the show. What secrets would be revealed? Would one contestant prevail over the others to win the ultimate prize of ten million dollars?

I really enjoyed reading Everyone Is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf. It was not what I expected but in a good way. I had not guessed the ending and was quite surprised by it. This was a clever concept that Heather Gudenkauf brought to fruition in a way that was believable and quite suspenseful. The pace was perfect and the characters were interesting and well developed. There were lots of secrets that all the contestants were harboring. I liked how the secrets were revealed as Heather Gudenkauf explored the contestants’ pasts in alternating chapters. I highly recommend Everyone Is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf if you enjoy suspenseful thrillers.

Thank you to Park Row for allowing me to read Everyone Is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

This was a crazy book definitely had survivor vibes. And even big brother vibes so if you enjoy those shows you may enjoy this book. Lots of twist involved all the way to the end! Thank you for allowing me to read this book.

Book: Everyone Is Watching
Author: Heather Gudenkauf
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing
Pub Date: March 26, 2024

Five contestants have been chosen to compete for 10 million dollars on a game show called One Lucky Winner. The show will be live streamed all over the world. All of the contestants are connected to the one person who has brought them together and it’s now a game of revenge. This is giving Survivor and Big Brother vibes. It also reminded me of when Joey, Ross and Chandler played Bamboozled on Friends. I didn’t really care for this book or the plot. I do love this author and The Overnight Guest is one of my favorite books. I just couldn’t get into this story. I have seen a ton of great reviews for this so I’m definitely in the minority.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is March 26, 2024.

One of my favorite authors is Heather Gudenkauf as I just love her thrillers. This one was also one of my favorite tropes. A group of people brought together in a game of revenge as they are all connected to the one person who has brought them together. Yet that person isn't revealed till the very last chapter. A new reality TV show is beginning and a group of people have been nominated - these people come from all walks of life and have lived and made mistakes but the enticing promise of winning 10 million dollars as them ticking yes and participating in a series of crazy adventures and dares and winning the challenges - no matter what as in this reality show - if you aren't careful, you could very well end up dead as the producers aren't playing by the rules in this game. Who has set up the game and what is their reason for watching all the players suffering? Everyone is Watching gives readers an insight into the behind-the-scenes of reality TV and the limits people will go to to get great ratings and of course, revenge on those who they feel have bested or hurt them in the past.
If you love thrillers, books with random people who aren't technically random, and reality TV and social media, then check out Heather Gudenkauf's new release "Everyone is Watching".
Everyone is Watching is the Squid Game of the Book World for 2024.

I really enjoyed this book! I finished this book quickly because I needed to know what happened! The twists were unexpected, the story itself was original and kept me wanting more. Great read from a great author

This was an interesting plot, five individuals are invited to compete in a game show that will give the winner 10 million dollars! Immediately, before the cameras even start to roll, things start to go wrong behind the scenes. Suddenly the contestants start wondering if this opportunity is too good to be true, and people start to get hurt. It is filled with lies, secrets, multiple points of view, and some great twists! If you’re a fan of any of those things, bump this up your to read list.

Five contestants are chosen to compete on a new reality show, One Lucky Winner, for a chance at the ultimate prize—$10 million. However, no one knows what to expect, and the remote estate it’s held at with no access to their phones keeps them secluded from the rest of the world. As secrets start to be exposed, and blood is shed, the contestants realize this is much more than just a game…

I love reality competition shows, and I love thriller novels, so this book is the perfect blend of the two! The book definitely delivers the suspense—I was so curious the whole time how the characters were connected and what was the truth behind this competition. I like how the author used a mix of timelines, sprinkling in some backstory on the characters throughout the novel. This is definitely a binge-worthy book, perfect for a beach read this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row Books for my gifted e-ARC!