Watch Over Me

by Jane Renshaw

Flora always dreamed of the day she’d become a mother. But some dreams turn into nightmares.Flora and Neil are happily married, but they can’t have children so decide to adopt. And when Flora  meets little Beckie it’s love at first sight. Deep in her heart, she knows they’re meant for each other, destined to be mother and daughter. When Flora officially becomes Beckie’s mum, it’s like a part of her that’s always been missing is finally in place. She is complete, every day filled with purpose and joy. There’s only one problem. Beckie was taken from her birth family, the Johnsons, because they have a history of violence and criminal behaviour and so are judged to be unfit to care for a child. But the Johnsons don’t agree. As far as they’re concerned, Flora has stolen their little girl and they are determined to get her back. They’re very smart, utterly ruthless – and they have a plan. One that will turn Flora’s life into a living hell and push her to the very edge of insanity. This stunning psychological thriller is perfect for fans of K.L. Slater, Mark Edwards, and Teresa Driscoll.

What readers are saying about Watch Over “Fantastic, absolutely brilliant! I loved all the twists and turns…every time I thought I had worked it out another twist appeared.” -NetGalley Reviewer“I was hooked on this story…from the moment I picked my Kindle up until the moment I put the Kindle back down, I was completely under this book’s spell. ” -Gingerbookgeek“I can promise you Watch Over Me will be making my top books of 2020 list in December! There’s some great twists in here as well. The ending was perfect. This is a strong 5/5 and I’m very happy I got to read Watch Over Me. I can highly recommend this book.” -NetGalley Reviewer“There were many times I forgot to breathe, I was that engaged and absolutely loved the ending. Great psychological thriller…I highly recommend!” -Goodreads Reviewer“There are lots of twists and secrets revealed with the ending being incredibly gripping and surprising. I had many ideas about what was going on but was proven wrong, which I always enjoy.” -Over The Rainbow Book Blog“The shocks were plentiful, and that made reading enthralling.” -Shalani’s Books and Reviews“The book was very exciting. Right from the word go I was hooked. I couldn’t put it down. It was fast paced. Fantastic twists and plot. A real winner.” -NetGalley Reviewer“An excellent page turning read and had me hooked right to the end.” -NetGalley Reviewer“Jane Renshaw plays mind games with you in this tension-filled psychological thriller that will leave you gasping in shock.” -Book Review Hub 

Genres: Psychological Thriller, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Adoption

430 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2020

Reviews

[Mackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watch Over Me was a complete surprise. I was expecting a simple crime story and what I got instead was a dark, twisty, psychological thriller. Yes, I know, it says psychological thriller right there on the cover but we know that what we readers think of a "thriller" is not always what publisher's consider "thrilling." Let me tell you, Watch Over me was suspenseful, edgy, creepy and, yes, thrilling!

A child, Beckie, is being torn between families. One is educated and wealthy and desperately searching for a child they can love and call their own. The other is, well, there aren't a lot of kind descriptors for this family. They are poverty stricken, unhealthy, morally bankrupt and Beckie's mother is in jail for murder. It doesn't sound like the ideal situation, does it? The government didn't think so and they removed Beckie from the squalor and "gave" her to Flora, a mother with so much love to give. However, Beckie's family loved her. Her grandmother, a foul-mouthed obese woman, really did love Beckie. So, when is it okay to take a child from one family and give it to another. That is the question at the heart of this book as Beckie's biological family goes to amazing lengths to get Beckie back. Their actions had me wondering if they were truly as ignorant as they appeared.

BUT - and that is a huge but right there - BUT, the ending and the twist is what will leave you sitting in your seat with your mouth hanging open. I generally do not like twists at the end and only appreciate them when they are amazing. Let me tell you, IT IS. I highly recommend Watch Over Me which grip you tight from start to the startling conclusion.

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 1 out of 5]

F*** f*** f***ing! Honestly? I was barely into WATCH OVER ME when I was assaulted by the overuse of this f***ing expletive. Sure, plenty of books use the f-bomb but NOT to this extreme and I found it totally unnecessary. It was disappointing because the premise sounded interesting.

As my first read by Jane Renshaw I was so looking forward to reading this. The premise was intriguing, the story compelling, right up my alley. I was wrong. The story was slow moving, the characters detestable, the language overused and unnecessary...even if the Scottish vernacular can be difficult to understand, this was nothing compared the constant use of the f-bomb!

Whilst the vernacular takes a bit of getting used to, I do think the glossary of Scottish slag should have been supplied at the beginning for readers to refer back to. I can understand more than most, and if I don't I have a Scottish friend who enlightens me to their meaning...but not everyone does or can understand Scottish slang. It may have been overused in this as well.

I can't even begin to give you and insight what it's about because I never got far enough into it to tell you. I gave up very early on and no amount of "stick with it, it gets better" will change my mind. I felt like I was on a council estate with bars on my window and living in fear of the burly grandmother with a sewer mouth on her! I'm all for being transported to the scene of the story but this was too much.

Despite the loads of time everyone has for reading right now (due to the self isolation and lockdown across the world) I still did not have the time to waste on WATCH OVER ME. There are so many other books out there to read and enjoy...I wasn't going to waste it on something as sadly as deplorable as this.

428 f***ing pages of f***, f***ed, f***ing would do my head in. I reckon the f-bomb was probably on 300 of those pages at least. Too f***ing much!!

For a book I barely started, this review is longer than I would have thought it'd be. I, for one, would no recommend this book to everyone. It's not in everybody's taste, and certainly not in mine. But again, the language just spoilt what promised to be an intriguing tale...maybe.

If I could give less than 1 star, I would.

I would like to thank #JaneRenshaw, #NetGalley and #InkubatorBooks for an ARC of #WatchOverMe in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages)]

I f**king thought that my brain was f**ked after reading this f**King word 505 times in the f**King prose...

Believe me, I am quite good in writing a sensible review. I am halfway down the book and my mind is done in with the Scottish dialect and the number of times the F word has been used for one character...

Unsure if I should continue. My head hurts.

After a break, I continued

MY REVIEW
This was a slow burner suspense where things came to the zenith only in the last 70%. The shocks were plentiful, and that made reading enthralling.

Flora wanted to be a mother and life was beautiful when Beckie was adopted by them. But she had been taken from the Johnsons for negligence by the courts and they wanted her back. Flora and her husband Alec moved away, changed their names, yet the Johnsons followed.

My first book by author Jane Renshaw, I loved knowing the loving family that Beckie had. The author's writing brought the threat of Johnsons alive in the words. The book exploded in the last half which had me at the edge of the seat.

And the reveal at the end had me gasping in joy at the way the psychological games were played by all of them. Secrets were cleverly hidden until the end which made it rocking. But there were 2 serious niggles. The dialogues of one of the characters was written with Scottish accent so I didn't understand most words. The glossary at the end was difficult to refer to in an ebook. And the work F**k was used 505 times.

The last part blew me away so that made it worthwhile. Recommended with a caution.

[Dash fan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5☆ A Twisty Thriller

Watch Over Me is a twisty thriller that was a slower paced read.

I have to say this is one of the most shocking prologue I have read in a long while.

The book starts with a young child called Bekki that has just been taken into care and away from the Johnson Family.
If you read this book you will absolutely loathe this family.
I was so heartbroken for Bekki I wanted to jump into the book and save her.
The poor little girl they gave her too her grandparents who they assumed would look after her, but the Social worker found her in the garden all alone amongst unsavoury things. So Social Services took her straight away to safety.

Now Bekki has been placed in Ruth's care and the Johnson Family have been told they are not allowed any access.
However something just doesn't add up with Ruth, why did she lie about her identity.

Fast forward and the Johnson Family are determined to get Bekki back no matter the cost, they are to be feared, they are manipulative, violent, cunning and they aren't afraid to take what they want!

I have to say I did find the plot to be a little confusing and disjointed to start with.
I wasn't really sure who was who, and it didn't help Ruth and Neil had other names/identities, which took me a little while to figure it out!

I did however like the slower build up that created unease.
Just one thing to be mindful if you read this book is there is an awful lot of Swearing. It didn't particularly bother me, but some readers might find the over use of the F*@K word a bit much.
The Characters were brilliantly written, I loathed the Johnson Family but that's what made them brilliant and believable, how they evoked so much emotion.

Overall Watch Over Me is a twisty, thriller, with secrets, lies, manipulation, adoption, family and the need for survival and protection made for an entertaining and intriguing read with a sprinkle of suspense.

Thank you to Damppebbles tours and Inkubator Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.






My Review is also on my Blog Website :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2020/0...

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love discovering new author and Jane Renshaw is definitely a new author for me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Watch Over Me' but more about that in a bit.
Well what a bunch of characters we have in this book. On the one hand we have Flora, who is keeping secrets and not exactly telling the truth on certain matters. She is apparently happily married to Neil and they adopt a little girl called Beckie. I can honestly say that I didn't take to either of them at all. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was about them that I didn't like. However, I am suspicious of everybody and believe nobody so I might be seeing things that aren't there. Now for the Johnson family. What can I say? Other than they should be given a wide berth and avoided like the plague. Adoption is a thorny issue with families who don't agree with the plan but the Johnsons are in another league. I can't say that I took to them at all. Never mind setting off alarm bells, they set off a factory full of alarm bells for me. They are threatening, intimidating, confrontational and very argumentative. Would I have allowed Beckie to go back to them? No I wouldn't.
'Watch Over Me' certainly took me back to my former worklife and brought back a lot of memories. I used to work in Childrens Social Services and although I worked in admin I still had something to do with individual cases and cases of adoption. I frequently had to liaise with families, who weren't all sweetness and light. I witnessed some pretty distressing behaviour and saw good social workers reduced to tears because of what they had to endure from families on their caseloads. I can certainly say that working at Childrens Social Services was an experience and I certainly expanded my knowledge of rude words.
I was hooked on this story from the moment I first picked the book up. From the moment I picked my Kindle up until the moment I put the Kindle back down, I was completely under this book's spell. The book had developed a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn't willing to break. I read the book in less than 48 hours which is good going for me. I think part of the reason I loved this book was because of the memories that it brought back and I was also intrigued to see in which direction the story was going to go. I found the book to be unputdownable. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I didn't want to miss a single second of the story. The pages turned over increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out how the story concluded grew and grew. All too quickly I reached the end of the story.
'Watch Over Me' is extremely well written. The story starts off slowly but it soon gathers momentum much like a snowball going down a hill. Other reviewers have commented on the use of Scottish slang but I absolutely loved it! I read 'The Broons' in the 'Sunday Post' and we used to have a very good friend, who was from Glasgow and so I was used to hearing and reading Scottish slang. Parts of it aren't that far removed from the North East England dialect, which also helped in my understanding. The story is told from the viewpoint of the adoptive parents and also from the viewpoint of the Johnsons. I did wonder if this way of telling the story might prove to be confusing but I needn't have worried because the different chapters interlinked and the story flowed seamlessly. There is also the issue of the repeated use of bad language in this book but again having worked in Childrens Social Services, I am used to being sworn at very frequently. Jane certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and she gradually draws you into the story. Once she has you in her grip, she will not let you go. The author uses such vivid and powerful descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Watch Over Me' and I would recommend it to other readers. Please be aware though that there is very frequent use of bad language so this book might not be for the easily offended. I will definitely be reading more of Jane's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

[Diane Secchiaroli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good psychological thrillers. I did not figure out who the antagonist was until the very end and I usually figure them out halfway through the book. Although I knew something was amiss with the antagonist it was a surprise as to who it turned out to be. The story is about a family who adopts a girl from a dysfunctional family and their interactions. The protagonist has a secret that isn’t revealed until at least halfway through the story which colors her actions when dealing with the dysfunctional family. There is a lot of suspense throughout the story. This book will appeal to mystery fans and psychological thriller fans.

[Insert Name Here · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrifying thriller set in Scotland.
After an horrific tragedy as a child, Flora is finally happy with her husband. They're planning to adopt, and as soon as they see Beckie, they know she's meant to be their daughter. But Beckie's birth family consider her stolen, and they're not giving her up without a fight.
This was a fantastic read. I suspected a certain character shortly after they appeared, but I didn't guess the way they were involved. I really enjoyed following along and figuring it out.
The Scottish dialect gave me pause in some spots. There's a glossary included at the back, but flicking back and forth in an ebook is difficult. However, I figured evevrything out from context. 'Neb' and 'chib' gave me the most trouble, but I guessed them after a bit. ('nose' and 'knife', if you're curious.)
I also thought the final confrontation was over very quickly. However, I loved the fact that it had a lasting impact on Beckie and the others.
This is an excellent read and I thoroughly recommend it to any thriller fans.

[ReadandRated · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars from me

Well if this isn't the sweariest book I'll read this year then I'll eat my f***ing hat hen.

Packed full of F-words, heavy Scottish dialect, casual violence (and good old fashioned hardcore violence and murder), Watch Over Me is humdinger of a story.

It is a book that needs you to suspend belief a little and just go with it - I think if you can successfully do that then you will love Watch Over Me.

There are some superb characters in here - Lorraine, Saskia, Caroline, Beckie, Aylish to name but a few (most of the Johnson clan deserve a mention to be fair although I did get a little lost at times are there are a few of them!). I do wish that Flora and Neil had had a bit more about them though, I couldn't really find myself bonding with Flora unfortunately - Jeez what does it say about me that I preferred Lorraine to Flora?! Don't answer that...

There are so many layers to this book and lots of twists, turns and surprises - if you like a psychological thriller that will keep you on your toes then this is the book for you!

[Kelly Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watch Over Me is a story of a family who adopt a child who has been removed from her biological family by Social Services. The biological family believe she has been stolen from them and will do whatever it takes to get her back.

This book was just the right balance of slow-burning suspense and the rapid, page-turning desire to keep reading.
The clever use of regional dialect helped indicate who’s POV the chapter was written in and an insight into the character’s personality. (I always read regional dialect aloud to make it easier to process and it makes the characters come alive!)

With many twists and turns all driving the story and really making you question the motives and reality of the main characters, Watch Over Me kept me hooked until the last page and, even then, there is still the slight question mark which keeps you thinking even after you close the book

Would recommend to those who enjoy easy to follow thrillers and am definitely going to read more by this author.

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the eARC.
What a terrific book, I loved it!
Alec and Ruth adopt a little girl taken away from the Johnsons, a dysfunctional, ruthless family steeped in crime. The Johnsons are determined to get the little girl, Bekki/Beckie back and harass Alec and Ruth relentlessly into the disappear, under different named, to a new location. However, the Johnsons, much more intelligent than thought, find them again.
The POVs are from Ruth and Lorraine Johnson, in Lorraine's Glaswegian voice, which I adored and made me smile often. My late husband came from near there, so I didn't even have to check the glossary at the back.
There were times I forgot to breathe, I was that engaged! A great psychological thriller, highly recommended!

[Louise Pledge · Rating 3 out of 5]

In good conscience, I couldn't finish this (sorry, NetGalley), not so much because the story was confusing to me, but the language... OH, the disgusting language! I did read much further than I wanted to, feeling obligated because of the complimentary read. But I just couldn't! Obviously, I won't try anything else by Jane Renshaw, either.

[Cristina Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the intricate plot that contains power plays, social stigma, manipulation, trauma and violence. There was so much going on besides the main storyline that drove everything perfectly towards the climax.

It was, by far, the least predictable book I've read lately and that says a lot. I really felt like the author played mind games with me while reading.

The Scottish conversations were a bit difficult to follow, but it's commendable for an author to converge two ways of speaking into writing.

The full-depth review is available on Book Review Hub .

[Janice Lombardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different look into adoption. Bekki is denied adoption by her grandparents. Her mum, Shannon- Rose is awaiting trial for murder. After the necessary paperwork and visits, Bekki (now Beckie) is awarded to Ruth and Alec Morrison.. The adoption trial lays out all of the awful truths about Bekki's grandparents - this gives the judge no choice but to award Bekki (now 2 1/2 years old) up for adoption.

On the other side of the spectrum we see childless Ruth and Alec who earnestly (at least Ruth is earnest) looking to adopt a child. After all of the papers are finalized, Ruth and Alec adopt Bekki (now Beckie). Of course, this is not the end by far. Bekki's grandparents and their extended family are determined to "unclose" the closed adoption...

Off the Morrison's go - to change their names and have a new start. Still cautious, they begin a new life. It seems as if Ruth has more secrets to hide, though...

Great story from Inkubator Books and NetGalley! Suggest you give it a read.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

I was really intrigued by the blurb for this one and it really drew me in.

I thought that the story was well paced and developed and the author’s attention to detail was great.  The characters worked well with each other and the plot too.  I thought that Flora was great and really liked seeing her character develop as the book progressed.

There was plenty happening in the story too which helped keep me fully engaged to the end and it had me guessing a fair few times too!

It is a really well written psychological thriller and it is 4 stars from me for this one, I thought it was a really enjoyable story!

[Ixxati · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was told from Juth the adoptive mom and Lorraine Johnson, Bekkie's grandma point of views. The Scottish slang pissed me off. Sometimes I don't even know what they are talking about. The Johnson's used lot of bad words and the way they talked are annoying af! The author used too much 'Fuck' word!

I don't care about Ruth at all! All I care is Alec and Bekkie. I feel bad for what happened to Alec. I suspected that someone who appeared suddenly and when I found out the truth I was like I knew it!! Too good to be true lol

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for Watch Over Me Arc!

🌟🌟🌟.5

[Jo_Scho_Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. When Flora and Neil adopt Beckie they think they’re got their happy ever after. But little do they realise that her birth family, the Johnsons, aren’t letting her go without a fight. They’re ruthless, violent people - and they will fight to the death to get their Beckie back where she belongs.

This started off well for me but then I felt it did veer off into far fetched territory. I also felt it was about 80 pages too long. I’m afraid I got sick and tired of the Johnson’s’ ranting and Flora’s worrying. It lost its impact as I heard it too many times.

That said it’s still a solid thriller, with a violent edge to it, reminiscent of a gangland story. And it was all wrapped up very well at the end.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading this book a few days ago. I liked the annotation and it sounded like something I'd want to read. I didn't care for it as there was not enough dialog and it started out too slow for my liking. I didn't find it engaging.

[Gale Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow start

The story was slow starting. It once I got use to the brogue it was hard to put down. I also felt the endearing wS anticlimactic. But still a pretty good read.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard going but stuck with it for the twist at the end.

[Danielle Kohs · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover of the book and description is what drew me in at first because I've never had the chance to read Jane Renshaw's other book Poison, but I'm a sucker for thriller type books and couldn't wait to pick up this one. I'm glad I got a chance to read her new novel and plan to see what else she publishes in the future! Thank you to @netgalley and @inkubatorbooks for allowing me to read this early readers' copy in exchange for an honest review. The prologue of the book with the child laying on the grass with an arrow through her and the mother finding her was enough to make me want to read more. I had questions already built up even before I started the book. Likes: In the book, I really liked how the author chooses to use a simple-minded voice for the biological grandmother Lorraine Johnson, from this you can tell just how unstable she was to be raising a child and that she has below-average intelligence. It gives the reader the feeling of siding with Ruth in not feeling guilty for taking Bekki away from her biological parents even though she did lie about her identity. I liked the flow of the author's writing and the build-up of what the Johnsons were capable of and how far they would go to get their grandchild back and lastly, how the author threw numerous curveballs in the plot just when you think you know what's going to happen. Dislikes: How the book has a slower start and jumps a few times to 5 years ahead, etc. I think some of the information was unnecessary and could have been omitted. Who's really the woman pretending to be Ruth Innes? As long as the adoption agency doesn't run a deaf certificate background check on her and sees that the real Ruth died fourteen-years-ago in a house fire when she was only six and she gets the child she has always wanted she doesn't care who she has to pretend to be. She has always wanted to be a mother to a little girl as long as she can remember and came close before she miscarried her own baby. The child Bekki whose two and eight months that ”Ruth” adopts has been taken away from her biological family because she was believed to be malnourished, neglected, had vitamin D deficiency, had several cuts and bruises to her face and body, and the mother had stabbed the father in a psychotic episode and is on trial for murder not to mention the whole family has backgrounds of criminal records. For instance, the grandfather was found guilty of locking one of his rival drug dealers up in a dog cage in his own filth for a week while also chopping off his fingers and ear lobe and forcing the man to eat it. The court is told that Bekki is to have no contact with her biological family until she is eighteen if she so chooses because it's found to be in her best interest. The book jumps five years in and to the Johnson family trying to kidnap their child back by coming up with a scam to fool the courts into giving them Ruth's address and phone number.

[Mairy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Book for this eARC. This was the story of a little girl born into a low-class, dysfunctional, criminal family called the Johnsons. She gets taken away by Social Services and gets placed into a new family. The Johnsons cannot go anywhere near Beckie, the adopted little girl. But Lorraine, the grand-mother, the brain of the family ends up retracing Beckie and her adopted parents and that’s when the story gets intense.

As intense the plot was, it was a nightmare to read through the Johnson scenes and that Scottish slang. I literally had to read out loud in order to understand the dialogues. Beside that, the plot was strong, well thought out and the characters complex. My favorite character was by far Beckie, a little toddler with a doomed future but, thanks to her adopted parents Neil and Flora, her maturity, her intelligence, and her sense of observation, she turned into a bright young lady. Definitely the star of the book!

If you like psychological thrillers, this is a book I recommend.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flora & Neil have always wanted a family & not being able to have one themselves they decide to adopt & it is love at first sight when they meet two year old Beckie. She has been taken from her home because of neglect & abuse & they want to do all they can to make sure she feels loved and safe. However, the Johnstons are not going to give her up easily. As far as they are concerned Beckie has been stolen from them, they want her back & are quite prepared to do anything to achieve that end.

The safe, middle-class family Beckie lives with could not be more different than the chaotic hard drinking, violent . foul mouthed family she was taken from. Flora & Neil will go to any lengths to keep her safe.

This was a fast paced thriller. Personally I didn't find the language of the Johnsons a barrier to enjoyment, but then I live in Scotland & could imagine it might be a bit trickier for those unexposed to the rich dialect! All in all an enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

[Jan Temple · Rating 1 out of 5]

Needs a rewrite

This story was interesting but the vernacular used for one of the main characters was the worst! I like to enjoy what I read and this was way too much effort to understand what the character was trying to say. Really, "dug" used for dog??? I found myself dreading every time the storyline switched to that character. There was an extensive glossary at the end of the book having to explain so many colloquialisms. When you're reading an e-book, you don't know what is at the end until you read that far. Also, who wants to check the glossary for terms four or five times on each page? This book would be so much better rewritten without all the "gobbled up" language. Way overdone. Won't be reading this author again for that reason. I read for pleasure, not as a wearing job.

[Rebecca Nagrodski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this occasionally ventured into the outlandish, I have to say that overall, I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller!

In addition to being a great story, the book also left me questioning my own ideas about adoption; identity; and familial relationships (nature vs nurture). I didn't mind this aspect at all as these concepts were seamlessly included in the story and the book was never heavy handed with its message.

Many thanks to Inkubator Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This was a very intriguing read!

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really tried to get into this book. In fact, I completed half of it, but I just couldn’t keep going. I had a hard time keeping focus when the dialog changed from Ruth/Alec to the Johnsons. And I’m sure that’s all on me. I also felt like it dragged on quite a bit.

All that said, it was a pretty decent story line.

[Mickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a slow burner. I found the first 40% a little dull if I'm honest.
But then it really picks up. Plenty of shocks and suspense. There was also a lot going on aside from the main storyline, which made for an interesting read.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this.

[Bookaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow what a book loved this could not put it down. The glossary of Glaswegion phrasology def came in handy. Thanks NetGalley for the opprotunity to read.

[Sunny Book Reviewers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch Over Me by Jane Renshaw

5 stars

This is the story of a young girl, Beckie or Bekki (depending on who’s telling the story), and her adoption, against the wishes of her maternal grandparents, the Johnsons, who we first meet in the Glasgow Sheriff’s Court during the adoption process. The potential parents are in a cottage in the Scottish countryside, immediately highlighting a social divide.

I got in to the book straightaway, though because of the scene setting, it could be considered a “slow burner”. It starts with an undated prologue highlighting a very significant and traumatic event but as no names are used, we’re left wondering who is who and how it fits in.

The story then switches between being told by Beckies adoptive mum, Flora and her maternal grandmother, Lorraine. The differences in their lives is highlighted by the different styles of writing - Flora comes across as privileged and middle class, trying to give her adoptive daughter the best upbringing she can after her unsettling start in life whilst Lorraine and the family have a criminal background and the sections Lorraine narrates incorporate some strong Scottish slang. However, Lorraine as the matriarch is clever and manipulating and you begin to wonder who is telling the truth.

It’s a story with a few twists and turns, some coming totally out of the blue and with others, I had an idea but wasn’t totally correct, making it a perfect psychological thriller for me.

I found it believable and totally absorbing, reading it in a couple of days. I even ended up having some sympathy for the mainly despicable Johnsons but only as they railed against a system biased against the social underclass.

This is the first Jane Renshaw book I’ve read and I’ll definitely be looking out for more. I’m happy to recommend the book but with a couple of provisos: there’s a lot of Scottish slang which I initially found irritating. With hindsight, I should probably have read the glossary of slang terms first but what I ended up doing was “bookmarking” the glossary so I could refer to it whilst reading until the words were familiar.

Secondly, in the chapters concerning the Johnsons, the language is very strong. If you aren’t happy with swearing in your books, this isn’t for you.

If, on the other hand, you want to read a story which I believe is a sad indictment of the society in which we live in, where social workers are damned if they do and damned if the don’t, where money and privilege still carry weight and the desperate attempts people will go to to rectify those perceived wrong doings against them, then this is definitely for you.


Gillygill

@SunnyBookReview who received a copy of this book to review.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful, edgy, thrilling and a little creepy in places this book kept me on my toes!

The story follows Beckie (or Bekki depending on who is telling the story), a young child, who has been taken from her birth family who have a history of criminal and violent behaviour and who is adopted by Flora and Neil who appear to be the perfect parents. Her birth family, particularly her grandmother, are desperate to get her back and goes to some amazing lengths to get what she wants.

The story is told from both sides, from Bekki’s Grandmother, Lorraine who plots to get her back through to Flora, Beckie’s adoptive mother and her panic and need to protect Becki. Both fiercely love this little girl.

There are plenty of twists and turns and, in some ways, you want to hate Lorraine and her family, but their commitment is admirable, and you can’t help but feel for them as well. There is a lot of Scottish slang which was initially difficult to read but became natural very quickly (there is also a glossary at the back if you need it but I didn’t find that I did!)

A great ending!

[Tina O'reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very pacy thriller with twists and turns though the start was a bit slow.
A couple had adopted a little girl and life's been good for the last few years. Flora and Alec adore their little girl and think nothing can disturb their comfortable lifestyle.
However, their daughter's birth family weren't happy about the way she was taken from them. They are rough sorts, some are criminals and they would do anything to try and get her back. The grandmother is particularly determined (warning - bad language in the book - could offend on occasion).
It's not as simple as it seems. The little girl was taken away for a reason. It had been legally enforced.
The birth family discover where Flora and Alec live and the adoptive family are forced to flee and to make a new life to protect their little family.
Some characters turn out to be big surprises.