Watch Me by Lauren Barnholdt: Book Review

WATCH ME by Lauren Barnholdt Book Review (Previously published as Reality Chick)
Publication Date: June 20th 2006 by Simon Pulse
Rating: – Acceptable |

Book Summary: She thinks she has nothing to hide…

Ally has everything under control. She’s about to move into a house full of strangers and have her life broadcast to the world, but as long as she still has her long-distance boyfriend, Corey, nothing can go wrong. Nothing, that is, until Ally starts spending time with her housemate Drew, the hot and sensitive guy who always seems to be around when she needs someone the most.

As suspicions and lies start pulling Ally and Corey apart, she’s not sure if she can trust anyone, not even herself. Ally is about to learn the hard way that life is what happens when everyone is looking, and it doesn’t always capture her good side….

Book Review Overview:

• Love that WATCH ME features college-aged teens
• If you take out the cameras, WATCH ME is a realistic portrayal of a long-distance college relationship
• Ending was sweet and satisfying, but it isn’t my favorite Barnholdt

WATCH ME by Lauren Barnholdt is a quick, fun contemporary read. I’ve had WATCH ME sitting on my shelves for a while, and I finally picked it up when I decided I needed a good Lauren Barnholdt fix.

On a side note, title changes are confusing. WATCH ME by Lauren Barnholdt was originally published under the title Reality Chick with a different cover. I had a difficult time finding it on GoodReads at first since WATCH ME is still under its original title.

Minus the fact that Ally is on a reality television show, I think that the premise of WATCH ME is pretty realistic. I think from the very first page of the novel, readers can guess that Ally and Corey’s relationship is going to go downhill. It’s inevitable. Ally experiences a ton of insecurities about her relationship with Corey despite the fact that they’ve been together for almost two years. The distance is a problem, plus the fact that college is an overwhelming experience that changes you. I think that at the end, Ally was very mature about the way she handled her relationship with Corey.

Like a good reality television show, WATCH ME is full of fun and interesting characters:

• Jasmine: the sexy, flirty girl who doesn’t want to be tied down by a boyfriend
• Simone: the soft-spoken virgin
• Ally: the girl with the long-distance boyfriend
• James: the ghetto guy who claims he’s a player
• Drew: the hot, Abercrombie type

As far as first impressions go, I didn’t like Jasmine. She’s just the kind of girl that I don’t see myself being friends with. But as the novel progressed, I grew to like her. She’s fun, comfortable with her body, and she’s extremely loyal to her friends. She was definitely my favorite secondary character.

I thought that the ending of WATCH ME was sweet and satisfying. However, I don’t think that WATCH ME comes even close to the level of my favorite Barnholdt novel, Two-Way Street. There was chemistry among the characters, but WATCH ME lacked romantic tension because Ally was in a relationship for almost the entire book.

Despite the fact that I thought WATCH ME was just okay, this is not stopping me from reading the rest of Barnholdt’s novels. I’m determined to read the rest of her books until I find another one that I love just as much as Two-Way Street.

I would definitely recommend WATCH ME by Lauren Barnholdt to those who are fans of contemporary romance, reality television, and juicy gossip. Read WATCH ME if you like books by Elizabeth Scott or Jennifer Echols. And of course, if you are a Lauren Barnholdt fan, you should definitely still check this one out.

Why I’m Biased: I’m a big Lauren Barnholdt fan ever since I read Two-Way Street.

Other Book Reviews:
Escaping Through Books
Paranormal Indulgence
Reading Lark

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