Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC.

Great quick read. I've always enjoyed Minka Kent's books and this was no exception. It kept my interest from beginning to end. The main charcter, Autumn is annoying and very unlikeable. The kind of dislike that you hope karma gets her. So in a way it makes it difficult to read but hard to put down. The ending was okay. Kind of a disappointment.

2.5/5

This was another quick and easy to read book. I think that is just a trait of Minka Kent's writing, but I was not as captivated with this one as I was with the other book I read from her.

The narrator (Autumn) was pretty annoying, unlikable and delusional - not fun to read from. Delusion can be fun, but if done properly. She was delusional in a way that was scary and concerning, and that may have been purposely so, but it made the reading process not as fun as it could've been. If you're gonna make a character delusional, at least let it be a fun delusional.

The twists in this book were predictable, but as I've said before, I can forgive that just because I've read so many books in the genre, you can just predict some books if you've read enough of them.

Some things just weren't explained and I think that's what really threw this story off for me. It felt like things were being done or added in just to move the story along, but not to actually help it. It was very strange and even cheap-feeling at times.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this arc.

I went into this book totally blind and I really enjoyed it. I had a great time reading it. The social media aspect was excellent. Minka kent has yet to disappoint me

It was good for overall! I enjoyed the first main twist, the second one at the very end of the book felt like too much.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ✨️

This is my 3rd Minka Kent book and it did not disappoint as always.

It involves one of the most widely used by people nowadays which is social media. But in this scenario the social media is being used to stalk other person's and as if living as that person that she stalks online. And once she is done portraying that person's life, she jumps to another person.

It just makes us realize that those we see and met online are not all real person because the person behind the photo and the person using the account maybe 2 different person so we have to be careful at all times. We have to stay vigilant.

I loved it so much 🤍

I went into this book not having a clue as to what it was about. I was pleasantly surprised with a thriller that had question after question, and where nothing was as it seemed.

The ending felt a little bit rushed, but overall it was a great book!

This book! I read it quickly and enjoyed it immensely! I figured it out but not early!

There were very interesting themes that were well developed by the author. I did not see some of what happened coming… Autumn was a surprise to me. The complexities of these families made this something I could dig into and enjoy. I like how Minka Kent writes and I fully appreciate her character development and how she built this up.

Would I read this author again? Absolutely yes!!!

Autumn, finding the social media account of the family that adopted her infant daughter years ago, becomes obsessed with the family, and is determined to meet her daughter. When she secures a job as the family’s nanny for the summer under false pretenses, she soon learns that things aren’t as blissful as they appear. The Memory Watcher takes the simple act of following a family on social media and throws it on its head in this topical and all-too plausible thriller that keeps you guessing throughout, until the frantic final chapters which totally upend the book. Although there’s a lot of suspense as Autumn gets more involved in the family, the story does lag in certain spots, but the head-spinning conclusion more than makes up for it. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book immediately grabbed me and I was completely engrossed. Autumn is as such an interesting character to be in the mind of — uncomfortable, unpredictable, and unreliable. Having both her and Daphne’s POVs really rounded out the story and kept the tension growing more and more with each chapter. There were interesting ruminations on social media and how people are never really who we expect. However, in the last 15% or so the story took a turn into a whole new direction, and utilised mental health in a way that felt like a plot device for shock value to me.

This thriller pulled me in instantly and never let go. Autumn gave up her daughter for adoption and becomes obsessed with the perfect life the adoptive family shares online. But when they suddenly vanish from social media, she takes a drastic step, becoming their nanny to get close to the daughter she’s never stopped thinking about.

The tension builds with every chapter, and just when you think you know what’s coming, Minka Kent throws in another twist. Autumn is such a layered, messy character, and her choices keep you questioning what’s right and wrong.

If you love thrillers with secrets, manipulation, and jaw-dropping reveals, this one absolutely delivers.

“Love is strategic.” And Minka Kent wrote this book strategically. The characters are thoroughly developed, but not so much that I could predict the endings. The Memory Watcher tells the story of motherly love and all its different forms. If you think you are a good plot twist guesser, try this one. You won’t regret it!

What a fantastic, fast-paced book that keeps you turning the pages! Autumn has been stalking her adoptive daughter’s parents for years. She even went as far as to get into a relationship with a guy who lives right behind them to keep a closer eye on them. Daphne (the mother) is an internet influencer, and she can stalk them through her social media presence as well. An idyllic, perfect life on the internet isn’t always as it seems. People only show you the parts they want you to see and aren’t always who they appear to be. This is a captivating story of secrets, lies, and deception. It’s a great summer read that you won’t want to put down.

Through multiple point of views you get to see a story about a couple with one adopted daughter, and two other biological children. The daughter, Grace, had a closed adoption but not on request of the biological mother. The bio mom moves in next door and offers to babysit…

I loved the story/plot throughout the book but I did get confused with how many POVs there were. Overall it was a good one, I just wish there was more of a plot twist.

Read in 2 hour and 29 minutes.
Although the dialogue was a little corny, I liked the dual POVs and the street pacing.

Autumn is down on her luck and obsessed with monitoring the daughter that she gave up at birth, to the point of stalking the adapted mothers’ InstaFace (a nice merge of platforms there) and in real life.

When she manipulates her way into babysitter her own daughter, she sees that their golden lifestyle doesn’t glitter from behind the scenes, and everything explodes.

It’s a solid book and fans of Jeneva Rose and Liv Constantine will like this.

Thanks to NetGalley letting me read and review this!

I have read several books by Minka Kent and I have enjoyed them all. This book is definitely no exception. The story covers many aspects that will hit a cord for anyone who reads it. It is about love, loss, trauma and trying to figure out who you want to be. Highly recommend.

Another thrilling read that kept me on my toes!! The ending was a total shocker!

I really like this author, and totally recommend.

Release: May 6, 2025
Author: Minka Kent
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Rating: 4 ★ 

The Memory Watcher is one of those thrillers that creeps up on you. It starts slow, drawing you into the complicated lives of two very different women—Autumn and Daphne—before flipping everything on its head. At first, it seems like a simple story: a birth mother quietly obsessed with the family that adopted her daughter. But Minka Kent peels back layer after layer, revealing a web of secrets, lies, and twisted intentions that I absolutely didn’t see coming.
Autumn gave her daughter up for adoption years ago, but she’s never stopped watching—especially through the lens of social media. When the perfect-looking McMullen family's online presence suddenly disappears, Autumn makes a bold move: she inserts herself into their lives in real life. What she finds isn’t the shiny, filtered life she expected, and things spiral fast from there.
Both Autumn and Daphne are unreliable narrators in the best possible way. Just when I thought I had a handle on the story, Kent would throw in a twist that made me question everything. And that ending? Totally wild. I had to stop and ask myself what I just read—in a good way.
I loved how the book explores identity, perception, and the dark side of the "perfect" life people present online. If you're into psychological thrillers with complex characters and a ton of curveballs, this one’s a must-read. I devoured it in a day and already want more from this author.
Autumn Carpenter’s quiet life is upended when she discovers the social media account of the family that adopted her daughter, Grace. Fascinated by their seemingly perfect life, Autumn becomes obsessed, watching every moment of Grace’s childhood unfold online. But when the McMullen family suddenly shuts down their social media without explanation, Autumn’s obsession takes a dangerous turn. Desperate to stay connected to her daughter, she manipulates her way into the McMullens' life by applying for a nanny position. Once inside, she uncovers the shocking truth: the perfect family she admired is hiding dark, ugly secrets beneath their picture-perfect facade.


Favorite Quote:
"everyone's too self-centered and ego-driven. And lazy. God, are we lazy as a society. It's disgusting really. We're fed information, we don't question it, and we allow it to shape our thoughts, our wants, our desires... Our life decisions. And then we wonder why we're so fucking miserable all the time."

This book was such an easy read. Your writing style makes your books flow smoothly. I enjoyed reading this book. There was lots of suspense throughout the book and I wanted to know what was going to happen. The book kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. The ending was a bit confusing, but other than that I really did enjoy the book.

This was a decent thriller, it was super enjoyable throughout until close to the end. It just started being confusing and making no sense. The ending just did not work for me and how the author chose to close off the story left me unsatisfied.

This was an interesting read but not really my thing. I did enjoy reading but felt like it dragged for a while before it really started.