NetGalley Buddy Readers discussion

The multimillion-copy and New York Times bestseller B. A. Paris returns with a triumphant, unsettling new suspense novel.

Who is watching Nell Masters?

Nell Masters is certain someone is following her. The hairs on the back of her neck rise when she travels to and from work, there are silent calls to her office, and a huge bouquet of flowers arrives without a card. And Nell has a reason to be looking over her shoulder, because she has a secret that she’s hiding from everyone in her life, including her new partner, Alex. But Alex also has secrets of his own.

Fourteen years earlier, when Nell went by the name Elle Nugent, she witnessed a student, Bryony Sanders, getting into a stranger’s car. When Bryony was found murdered, Elle became obsessed with finding the person responsible. She was convinced she knew who it was and her fixation with Brett Parker, the man she accused, led her down a dangerous path . . .

Now, Nell tries to convince herself that this unnerving feeling of being watched is all in her mind. Has someone from her past discovered her new identity? Has the stalker become the stalked? Or is there something even more deadly at play?

I have this one, but not ready to read it.
I will come back when I am.

perfect! We'll be here!!

Nell: Present 62% (view spoiler)[ Elle is the past and Nell is the present. I'm pretty sure they are the same person but not 100% yet. Elle saw a girl get into a car to chase someone who stole her phone and was later found dead. Elle tried to yell at her to not get in the car, but she did. She felt like she recognized the driver and she tracked him down and harassed him until he ran after her and got hit and killed. Then his son (Damon Parker) stalks her. He eventually pushes her in front of a train but someone who fell in trying to look at what was going on gets hit and dies and the train stops and doesn't hit her. The son was convicted and would be required to spend about 12 years and he vowed to kill her. Elle changed her name and moved. She's moving on and has found someone she loves (Alex) but he goes from England to the US. She also feels like she is being followed. We also get the perspective from someone who is planning on killing her. (hide spoiler)]

through Extract from Notebook Number 4 - since there are no chapters and it's all called the same - I'm about 29%

and (view spoiler)[ I'm really hoping that the current story is not tied to her old story. I'd hate for it to be the son the whole time - the son of the first guy (who was actually his step dad) and Alex is his actual father. . .
if Alex and she are tied to Bryony - then has the son been killing everyone? did he kill Alex's ex-girlfriend? and the step dad?

I really hope the two events are separate. . . (hide spoiler)]

through Elle past - 36%

(view spoiler)[ wow, she is really losing it. they've warned her, her significant other has warned her. . .and yet, she feels compelled.

and, even then, someone else besides her partner was watching. Is that who it is now? still watching? (hide spoiler)]

through Elle Past - 40%

(view spoiler)[
the dinner was awkward.

and WOW! I hadn't expected the guy she's stalking to charge her and get ran over. Now, I think, we can guess why she changed her name. Yikes (hide spoiler)]

Through Part 1 / 58%

(view spoiler)[
okay, hmmm. . .her friend group does seem a bit suspect but now everyone seems to be lol

so the son went to prison - hopefully that means it's NOT Alex's son?

but someone copied her key? could that have been Marcus, like she thought?
(hide spoiler)]

through Extract from Notebook 4 / 74%

(view spoiler)[
so she suddenly wants to be a mom? and have more with Alex?
this seems so odd?

so, is it Alex who is stalking her? is he really not leaving? does he do this with all the women he dates?

I'm not loving our main characters. she kind of. . sucks (hide spoiler)]

I finished this book and then found out you guys are reading it! I haven't been here for a while so Hi, I miss you all 🌺

(view spoiler)[I honestly don’t know how I feel about the reveal. I wasn’t very impressed, and I really dislike the trope where the killer is portrayed as an invisible mastermind, yet suddenly becomes incompetent when it comes to killing the protagonist. We’re supposed to believe this woman was meticulously stalking Elle/Nell, but somehow she didn’t notice that she had a visitor, and then failed to kill her? It just didn’t feel convincing to me.

I really enjoyed the book up until that point, which is why I’m conflicted about how to rate it. The buildup worked for me, but the reveal undercut some of that tension and left me unsure how I ultimately feel about the story as a whole.

(hide spoiler)]

Yay! Welcome back!!

yes, I was conflicted with this one too! I bumped my rating up to 3. . .

I got approved for this! I'll probably read it in early January so I'll be back.

yay!! Can't wait to see what you think of it!