{I've Been Reading} Follow Me

I'm starting to think that the word "follow" might be trying to replace the world "girl" in the titles of thrillers. I've read Follow Me, Follow Me Back, Followers....and Unfollow Me is still in my TBR list. There are also lots of thrillers involving social media that don't use the word in their titles but still rely on the scary concept of oversharing online.



Follow Me by Kathleen Barber kept me turning pages until the end. Influencer Audrey Miller arrives in Washington  DC prepared to start the job of her dreams and move into an apartment she's only seen in pictures. It's in the basement, with a lock that doesn't always work and a bedroom window that opens onto a narrow alley. She's also moved closer to the stalker she doesn't yet realize is watching her online and off.

The book alternates between Audrey and Cat, her best friend from college. The two women couldn't be more different. While Audrey shares everything with the world, Cat shuns social media and has made a success of the life she keeps private. There's also a third narrator, "Him." I spent the entire book wondering if he was one of the males in Audrey's life or someone else entirely. This is exactly the kind of domestic thriller that I love to read.




The Bug Jar by Ava Black

Samantha Holland hates her job selling lipstick. She believes her therapist may have misdiagnosed her so she takes her prescriptions when and if she thinks they'll work, but can't be bothered to schedule an appointment to figure out exactly what's going on. Oh -- she also thinks she might have killed her lover's stepson. The boy is definitely dead and there's a dent in her car, but her memory of that night isn't too clear.

I was enjoying this one until midway through when it suddenly took a much darker and uncomfortable turn and I was tempted to bail on the whole reading experience.  Honestly, I could have put it down and not missed anything better than the first half.

Disclosure -- The publisher sent me an advance review copy. This post contains affiliate links.