Watching Over Her

by Ronica Black

All Riley Robinson wants is peace and serenity. She can’t wait to spend the winter at her new cabin in snowy, remote Northern Arizona. On the way Riley meets Zoe Mitchell, a secretive woman whose barely hidden vulnerability captures her curiosity and sparks her interest.

Zoe was doing just fine until without warning she becomes the focus of a stalker. With no idea who is following her and desperate to shrug off the sense of being watched, Zoe takes off to her grandfather’s old cabin. Unfortunately, the cabin hasn’t been used in years, and the snowstorm of the century is moving in. Zoe has no intention of taking chances with a beautiful woman she’s just met, but she can’t turn down Riley’s offer of help and a warm place to take refuge.

As they face the storm and the looming threat of a stalker, Riley and Zoey just might find love in the most unexpected of places.

Genres: Romance, Lesbian Fiction, LGBT, Mystery, Queer

242 pages, Paperback

Published February 15, 2022

About the author

Ronica Black is an award-winning author and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her books range from romance and erotica to mystery and intrigue, and she enjoys trying her hand at all. Ronica also enjoys drawing, painting, and sculpting. She lives in Glendale, Arizona, with her partner, where she relishes a rich family life and raising a menagerie of pets.

Reviews

[Della B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watching Over Her is a romantic thriller with more emphasis on thriller than romance and I for one am ecstatic. Zoe Mitchell is on the run from a stalker who has toyed with her for over a year. Riley Robinson finds Zoe camping near her mountain cabin with a winter storm approaching. She offers Zoe a safe harbour and so much more.
The story begins with a tension filled prologue which sets the pace for the novel. The writing is solid and captures your interest from the start. Zoe and Riley are characters who read as real people with authentic responses. The plot is convincing and gives you just enough information to make you leery of what is given at face value.
Watching Over Her is an engrossing novel and well worth the read and a sleepless night to finish it.

I received an advance review copy from Bold Stroke Books and NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[MZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, let’s post a review about stalkers, but there is romance as well;) The story was quite interesting making this an OK read for me, but unfortunately, I didn’t mesh very well with the characters.

Zoe decides to run from her stalker and ends up on a mountain in a snowstorm. Luckily for her, Riley has a cabin on the mountain and offers Zoe a warm place to stay and more, but Zoe’s stalker does not give up easily. A stalker situation is not the easiest match with a romance and said romance moves a bit quickly and does therefore not have a lot of depth. But if you look at this from a thriller perspective I’m OK with that, and there were some nice twists and suspense moments.
What I had trouble with was the characters themselves. Riley and her friends kept ignoring all the signs to the point that I was ready to pull my hair out (and the hostility of Riley’s friends towards Zoe was also pretty awful). This behavior made Zoe even more paranoid than she already was, but I couldn’t really blame her for that, even the police appeared not professional enough to investigate her story, so I think I would go crazy as well.
You don’t get to see much of the stalker’s POV, but there were some things that made me question his believability, for instance, he seems to have superior tracking and survival skills.

In short, I enjoyed the story well enough, but I obviously struggled with the characters which comes down to personal preference. I’ve seen several reviews of people who enjoyed this better than I did and I recommend to read those reviews as well.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jo reece · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watching over you, on the fence with this one. I loved the whole idea of a cabin in the woods stuck in the snow, idea... but things kind of developed very quickly in the storyline between the main characters which are just off-putting for me. I like slow burn. I didn't like Rileys best friends either. But, it was a quick read and was entertaining, but I did think the ending was slightly weak. I've given ‘watching over you’ a 3.2/5

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book - more thriller than romance - but would have appreciated an epilogue as borderline brick wall ending. Read in a day - Recommended.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book won't be for everyone and I can understand why. I enjoyed it, as much as you can enjoy a romance that starts while someone is on the run from a stalker. It isn't the most romantic setting, although the actual setting of the book is pretty magical and sounds romantic.

Riley has a cabin in the mountains and while she is driving up with her friends she meets Zoe. A woman on the run. Zoe is skittish and in trouble, with a huge snowstorm in the forecast and no real shelter, she will surely freeze to death. Riley wants to help her, Zoe is reluctant to accept. Riley's friends think she is a fool for wanting to help a stranger. And to be honest, I understand them, but I also find them to be a bit annoying, or a lot annoying...
We get some chapters when we read about the stalker in action and he is a nasty one.
I like the suspense Black writes into the story, but the disbelieving Riley and her even more dense friends are making it hard to really get the stalkery feeling going. Not that I am into that kind of thing, but you want to feel the suspense and understand why the character is so afraid and I just don't get that. I mostly get Zoe's frustration over no one believing her. I much rather would have felt the suspense. I think Riley's friends are the worst when it comes to Riley supporting and believing Zoe. When she is finally on her side, or at least seems to be, her friends put it in her mind that Zoe is a drama llama and Riley just rolls with that... I don't like that dynamic.

I appreciate that this is a bit of whirlwind romance but luckily no declarations of love or forever are made. The dark moment has nothing to do with the couple or their communication and wasn't a dark moment per se, just a culmination of the story. I enjoyed reading this story, but it could have been better.

*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw where we were going and, at first, I was on board, but then we took some odd turns. By the time the ride was over, I was ready to get off. I was too distracted to really enjoy the plot. The characters were ok, but didn’t seem to have much chemistry and the supporting characters were judgmental and, frankly, sort of rude. The story didn’t spend enough time on plot build up and ramp down and way too much time patronizing one of the main characters and calling her a drama queen. It was a bit infuriating. When all was said and done, she didn’t even get an apology! I really liked the main characters best friend’s kid though. He was really cute and added a great light to the story.

[MaxDisaster · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars
Tops.
Well, this was insta-love toaster oven, with poor communication, and the thriller part wasn't well written either. And if the bad guy dies in the middle of the book, it's kinda obvious, it was the wrong guy. A reader is not so stupid to think, that the next half of a thriller book is going to be villain-free.
So it gets points for being well edited and without grammatical errors. And it didn't send me in a fit of rage. But that's it.

[Mildred Gail Digby · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a romance.
It is a horror story about Stockholm syndrome.

Riley’s friends are horrible. If they are leftovers from another book I want to know so I can NEVER read it.

ARC via NetGallety and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


My rating: two stars for a convincing tense storyline but minus all the others for dressing this up as a perfect romance.

[Dide · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is a thriller about a victim of a stalker seeking peace of mind, finding solace & perhaps love and then facing her stalker. Entertaining but it had loopholes that got me re-evaluating my enjoyment of the story.

[Ashlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zoe is running from a mysterious stalker and ends up needing help in a snowstorm. Riley is up at her cabin and offers Zoe a safe place to stay while they ride out the storm but they begin having some problems that make Zoe think her stalker has found her hideout.
This book was an ok read for me. It was a quick book to get through and I liked the thriller aspect of it. I also loved Phoenix’s character, he was adorable. I didn’t love the insta love, especially as I felt Riley wasn’t taking a lot of Zoe’s concerns seriously. Also wasn’t crazy about the dynamic with Riley’s friends, if I was Zoe I would have been out of there pretty quick. The final chapter didn’t make sense either, there’s no way Riley would have been released from the hospital if she was so out of it that she wasn’t aware of what happened, that whole scene should have taken place in the hospital. Overall it was ok but missed the mark for me. It was my first book by Ronica Black, I will try another in future as the writing was well done, I just had issues with plot and character chemistry.

[Aleana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Zoe has been running from a stalker that been plaguing her life when she decides to go her grandfather cabin which isn’t in it’s best shape to get away. When she meets Riley and her friends Riley decides to invite her stay at her cabin while their Riley learns why she running. As they grow closer the stalker is closing in I won’t say what happens just say their are some terrifying moments even when Riley starts to believe that Zoe maybe paranoid having doubts about Zoe which annoy me. I like how the author portray Zoe fears how try live your life but can’t and have take things into your own hands. Enjoyable Read.

[Raychel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Riley Robinson is traveling to the cabin she recently purchased with her two friends and their son, Phoenix. Along the way, they happen upon a young woman--Zoe--who is camping in the treacherous, snowy conditions on the mountaintop. After her friends leave, Riley convinces Zoe to come stay at her cabin and the stalker that Zoe has been trying desperately to avoid starts to terrify them both.

Oof, this is a tough one. To be fair, had I paid closer attention to the description, I probably wouldn't have read this. The plot for this was never going to be for me. A stalker situation does not set the mood for a burgeoning romance. Zoe also frequently describes being called crazy and paranoid for fearing for her life and it is just....so yuck. The point is made and it did not have to go as far as it did. Riley, the cops, Keira, and Elise all thought that Zoe was crazy and they made a huge deal about it. For a book where the plot was literally about a woman running from a stalker, I expected more.

I also just couldn't bring myself to care about anyone other than Zoe, the dogs, and Phoenix. Riley gave me uncomfy vibes. The sex scenes seemed so oddly placed--especially given that Zoe previously thought she was a straight woman and is literally afraid for her life. Overall, just a no from me. I hate giving eARCs low reviews but it all around made me uncomfortable.

**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoe Mitchell has a stalker. For a year he has been messing with her life till she flees in the middle of the night. Riley Robinson brings her friends to her mountain cabin. While getting provisions in town she meets Zoe. Later she finds Zoe camping near her cabin. Concerned for her safety with the impending stormy weather she insists Zoe stays in the cabin. The friends leave planning to return the following week to pick up Riley. Riley breaks through Zoe's barriers but still can't be sure if she believes her story. At least until someone messes with their generator.

Ronica Black nicely builds this suspenseful thriller mystery. The few pages with the watcher's thoughts brings in the right amount of creepiness, The romance is very instant with the whole novel covering less than a week. I liked Zoe and could feel her fear. I got a little whiplash from Riley as she believes Zoe and then discounts her fears thinking she is being dramatic. The ending and wrap up all happens too quickly. Only when it was over did I realize how little I knew about the characters e.g. what did Riley do for a living, do they have family etc. The focus is on the thriller plot and getting a little romance too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 stars rounding up)

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book might be a bit marmite… you’ll either like it or you won’t … no middle ground. I liked the main character Ali and especially her relationship with the child of her friends. Ali’s relationship with Phoenix was written by someone who spends time with kids. But Phoenix’ parents are rather unpleasant and totally lacking in any human compassion. I wondered if this was to offset Ali’s incredible openness but if so it didn’t really work for me.

Zoe just seemed a foil rather than a character. Having had a persistent stalker she tries to disappear. Did she really expect to survive camping in snow or was it just a mind slipping into madness? Her being drawn to Ali seemed credible but the lack of support and indeed hostility from Ali’s friends would have made me run a mile rather than anything else.

The cabin and the environs were very well captured and Ms Black is a good writer. I just didn’t warm to this one too much.

I was given a copy of the book by Netgalley.

[Domi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watching Over Her caught my eye immediately: a stalker, a cabin in the snow and cutt off from the world? I wanted to curl up and immerse myself in the story immediately. Unfortunately I am one of those reader falling on the "don't like" side of the fence. Even when suspending your logical thought and enjoying the story there were too many things that put me off. Those friends of Riley..excuse me? I get that you're maybe a bit distrusting but this was with complete lack of empathy and plain rude. The falling in love part was way too fast, but it's hard to balance a thriller with a love story, yet this was not really believable to me. And the ending all of a sudden felt a bit rushed and anti-climatic. I did like the kid, Phoenix, and the dog. All in all, not the best book by Ronica Black I have read, but I liked the idea for the plot.

***Thank you Netgalley en Bold Stroke Books for giving me the chance to read and review this book***

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up
‘Watching over her’ completely hooked me from its summary; a WLW romance combined with a tense, stalker thriller based in a snowy cabin in the woods. With a summary like that I had very high hopes because they are two tropes that I would automatically pick up and get lost in.
For me Black has written a story that you will either love or hate because the characters are quite set in their own personalities and I wouldn’t say there is much of an arc or growth with them like you would generally get in a romance focused novel. I didn’t mind the fact that they were set in their ways, especially the secondary characters, because obviously half of the narrative has to focus on the stalker/ threat storyline to make it a successful story overall.
Riley is visiting her cabin in Northern Arizona with friends but meets Zoe, a secretive woman who is clearly hiding from something up in the remote area. I did feel like their relationship did develop a little fast as a reader but I also understand that if this were a film adaptation that trust would have to develop rapidly between the two MCs as to resolve the threat and danger they are facing from Zoe’s stalker.
I loved the remoteness of the setting and it was depicted beautifully and I particularly enjoyed the character of Phoenix. Overall I just found certain pivotal points a little rushed for my personal taste.

[Bee Sherrard]

Zoe Mitchell doesn't know why she is being stalked and she doesn’t know why. Now she’s on the run to the only place she can think of, her late grandfather's cabin in Arizona. She has told her friends and even went to the police but none seem to be being taken seriously. On her way she meets some other campers who are on the mountain visiting Riley Robinson’s new cabin.
When they meet Riley is stunned that this woman would try to stay in the mountains with not enough supplies. When her friends go back home she rescues Zoe. And after hearing Zoe’s story she believes her and now wants to help any way she can. Doesn’t hurt that there is a strong attraction.
Now we have a story that you won’t want to quit reading. Simply put, a very good read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Interesting characters but predictable story. Just suspend your disbelief for awhile and don't think about things too much. I'm not a fan of "Insta love" but I commend the author for attempting a thriller and a love story. I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Alicia Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

• Watching over Her
• Ronica Black
• MC Riley Robinson & Zoe Mitchell
• Northern Arizona
• Winter & Cabin
• Publisher Bold Strokes Books
• NetGalley




Zoe is on her way to her grandfather’s cabin, she is running from her stalker.


Riley Robinson just bought a cabin In Flagstaff Arizona. Elise and Keira came up along with there son to Riley’s cabin.


The story is a thriller. It keeps you guessing and you will never believe who the stalker is. Riley felt an instant pull to Zoe that’s what she wanted to help her and invited her to stay with her.They told each other their fears and what they both really wanted which was love and a family.

Although, this book isn’t for everyone I really liked that it wasn’t a typical romance.


I highly recommend this book it will keep you on the edge of your seat for sure

I received this book through the publisher Bold Strokes books through NetGalley Exchange for an honest review. Thank you Bold Strokes!!

[~lil maso~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoe knows something is wrong, that someone is following her every move but no one believes her.
Armed with nothing but a tent and some basic supplies, she heads into the mountains to her grandfather's cabin, a place no one else knows about in a desperate need to get some control in her life and to figure out what she can do.

Riley is staying in her cabin during a winter storm with her friends visiting for a wee while and on the way up she runs (literarily) into Zoe, who seems a little shaken up. When Riley realizes Zoe is sleeping in a tent in the middle of a snowstorm, she demands she come and stay with her until the storm passes.

As Zoe opens up to Riley about her stalker, things start to take a creepy turn, things start to happen that not even Riley can ignore.

My only . . . complaint (I guess) is the romance was kind of pushed aside, and when things just started to fall into place, it was the end. However, I am probably just being greedy because I really adored these two together lol

I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. However, I also purchased the audiobook, 5 stars for Keira Grace's performance.

 

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[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the digital galley of this book.

Riley Robinson just bought a cabin in the snowy, remote mountains of Northern Arizona. Ready for some R&R and some quality time with her best friends and their adorable son, her plans are derailed when she first runs into a scared woman in the grocery store and later sees her walking up the mountain, alone, with a hiker’s pack.

Zoe Mitchell has been the victim of a stalker for well over a year. With nothing to go on regarding their identity, she takes off in search of her grandfather’s old cabin in the mountains. What she finds is a broken down shack where she may freeze to death. Riley wants to help, and when Zoe finds herself as Riley’s houseguest, sparks fly between the two women. With a stalker on her heels, Zoe is reluctant to relax, and until the matter is settled, they’ll face issues being together.

I blew through this one pretty quickly and enjoyed it. There was enough romantic and storyline suspense to keep the characters guessing and me invested. We get snipets of the stalker’s pov which gives us more insight to the story, but there are certain parts where we know as much as the characters, which keeps things suspenseful. The romance is cute, and there’s an element of a somewhat unrelaiable narrator in Zoe, which provides a bit more romantic tension as the women’s attraction progresses.

Ronica Black is one of my favorite sapphic romance authors, and I’m always down to read anything she writes. This one is out now, wherever you get your books, and despite it’s winter setting, it’d be a great choice for a beach or poolside read.

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romance and a chilling setting with a stalker at bay? Sign me the hell up!

This book is for people who love some scary excitement next to their budding romance so if you're only looking for one of the two don't read this book.

But it was right up my alley. I love stories that get your blood pumping and where you are trying to figure out what the next angle will be. Keeps you on your toes and your nose in the book! It was riveting!

The romance part was an insta romance and I did feel the tension between the two MC's. Riley is just a sweetheart for wanting to take care of this complete stranger which she can't seem to get out of her mind and she is trusting her gut instinct with Zoe. Didn't serve her well later on in the story although I can see why as she really does believe the world is a happy place where bad things just don't happen. Until they do.

Conclusion, the thriller parts where just the right amount of thrilling and the romance parts were just the right amount of cute and hot.

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Sammy ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The whole premise of this story really drew me in, staying in an isolated cabin on top of a hill during a snowstorm whilst outrunning a stalker, a sapphic romance, however, I don't think it was executed as well as it could've been.

I wasn't too fond of the characters, Riley seemed to lack basic common sense, Elise & Kiera ignored every sign of something bad happening (In my opinion, they should've been more on the edge since they had a four year old) and Zoe well, I found it surprising how easily she trusted everyone when she hadn't the slightest clue of who her stalker was.
This was very fast paced, not my cuppa tea but it certainly will be for others, other than that, it was still an enjoyable read. Quite predictable? Yes, but still had me on the edge of my seat at times.
Rating: 3.5/5 rounded up.


**Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me with this eBook in exchange for an honest review**

[Patty Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story. I really liked Riley and Zoe their romance was very sweet and interesting to say the least. Zoe is straight and Riley is a gay., so the idea of them falling in love was very cool. The suspense and danger that was prevalent throughout this book was spot on. The supporting characters were just okay to me in this, because they didn't support what the character of Riley was feeling for Zoe, and how she wanted to help her, so it was hard to like them at all. I did like their son Phoenix. I felt the person stalking Zoe was very creepy and dangerously violent. This storyline unfortunately happens quite often in the news, and this author did a really good job of portraying that in this book. I would definitely recommend this to my friends and family, and I look forward to what this author writes about next.

[Sloan Stryker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riley and her friends are spending some time at Riley's cabin and she plans to stay after they leave. While getting supplies she runs into Zoe a young woman who appears lost.
She'll soon run into Zoe again but now she's living in a tent with little supplies. A storm is approaching and Riley has asked her to come stay at her cabin.
Soon Zoe will confide in Riley that she's on the run from a stalker. No one believes Zoe though not even Riley. That was a big mistake.
She'll soon find out that Zoe's stalker is real and is now after both of them. Is it too late?
This is a great story with a lot of action and some heart warming romance between the two women.
But hold on because when you thought it was over.......

[thesapphiccelticbookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Zoe takes off to her grandfather's cabin to get away from a stalker. Unfortunately the cabin is no longer fit for use. Luckily Riley, who is staying in her cabin nearby takes her in and they ride out a snowstorm together.

This short book is a cross between a sapphic romance and a thriller. I was hooked into this book from the very beginning to this very end and nearly read it in one sitting. I loved the side characters, Riley's friends, Keira and Elise and especially their son Phoenix.

Overall an thoroughly enjoyable and gripping read.

[monica.b.czuba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Awesome story and Read

This was a brilliant story about a stalker who goes after a young woman for a long while named Zoe , she becomes so afraid that she preys to disappeared She goes to the mountains to her grandfathers cabin. Whilst shopping she meets Riley.
Monica Black (author) did a superb job writing this story yet again, showing how stalking can become an obsession and deadly to. Do the authorities take it seriously not always even now, they think women are weak and when stalkers kill it is to late ! But the so called authorities then try to cover there mistakes they made.
Highly Recommend, 5 ☆☆☆☆☆ would be more like 10 stars but not allowed.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

A terrifying read, Zoe is fleeing her stalker when Riley and her friends find her. Not only did she have to battle the elements but also everyone not believing her story. I was gripped as I needed to know how this book was going to end but it was not always a comfortable read. The author builds the suspense well although, I predicted the ending... If you like thrillers this is for you but not if you have been stalked or had an abusive ex.

With thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[The Red Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feeling about this book. If you read it based on the blurb and the finding love "in the most unexpected of places" and goes for the love part, you might be disappointed. I mean, they do find love, but it's a tense storyline where a stalker is loose. The love part is also kind of an insta love that is not my favorite kind of book.
I do have to say that I hated Riley's friends. This won't be a book for everyone.

[Veronika · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story was interesting and I rather liked Zoe and Phoenix, I did have a few issues with Riley and MANY issues with her best friends, who were just awful! They seemed so rude, judgmental and entitled that it definitely made me angry on Zoe’s behalf.

At the very least I expected an apology at the end but nope, which definitely made me give this book a star less.

Thank you Net Galley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.