Book Review: I'll Be Watching You by Beverly Barton (@avonbooks)

I'll Be Watching You by Beverly Barton
Publication Date: October 9, 2014
Published: Avon
Source: Netgalley

My Rating:

Ella, sweet Ella, you were meant to be mine. You can’t begin to imagine all the things I want to do to you. When the time is right, I will come for you . . .
A series of hand-delivered letters leaves Ella scared for her life. Someone is watching her. Wanting her. Someone promising revenge.
Desperate for the nightmare to end, Ella will do anything to discover the truth. Even join forces with a man who comes with his own danger warning . . .

This was my first Beverly Barton read, and while I'll Be Watching You wasn't what I expected, it won't be my last.

Beverly Barton told a thrilling tale, that kept me captivated until the end. The character growth and continual twists left me awed. The way each detail - even the ones that seemed insignificant - came together, made me want more from this author.

Reed Conway is fresh out of a fifteen-year prison sentence for having murdered his stepfather. Upon his release he's vowed to find the true killer and clear his name, but at one time, his main focus was revenge on the man who was responsible for putting him behind bars, and Reed knew the easiest way to do it; through his daughter, Ella.

Reed's release began the story, and immediately I took a liking to him and his family, which consisted of his mother, Judy, and sister, Regina. Both women welcomed Reed home with open arms, and it was evident that there was no love lost between the three during the time he was away. Fairly quickly I came to realize that Reed had more reason than just freedom to be happy. He had motive. I never quite figured out if Reed became an alpha male during his jail-time stay or if that was just his personality. Either way, he was alpha through and through, as evident in not only his demeanor, but his "love making."

Speaking of love making, was there a person in this book NOT doing the dirty?! The story was told from multiple POVs and I can think of only two that didn't have a single sex scene. For the most part, I found the majority of these characters were lust and money driven people, doing bad things, and allowing their social status to excuse them. Ultimately, this killed me because the book was sealed and wrapped with a fluffy pink ribbon. No one besides the killer had repercussions for their actions!

Unfortunately, that wasn't my only qualm with I'll Be Watching You. Ella Porter, when first introduced to her I expected to meet a girl in her late-teens/early-twenties, not a thirty year old judge, who's still living at home and making her lone agenda to please her parents. She had no mind of her own.

The language used confused me most. I kept wondering what century they were in. Being from the South, I have heard every stereotype about the region there is, and while sure, there's still old money and tradition in some small towns, people simply don't speak this way.

The mystery is what kept me reading. It was well thought-out and written. Even the smut was good. I don't read many romantic thrillers, so the change of pace was nice. I just wish it hadn't ended so sugary.

Overall, this was a good read. It delivered on its promise of a thriller and kept me reading. If you're looking for a romance with edge, I recommend it.