Eyes on You

Summary (from the publisher): From New York Times bestselling author Kate White comes a riveting psychological suspense in which a media star must battle a malevolent enemy who may be disturbingly close to her.

After losing her on-air job two years ago, television host Robin Trainer has fought her way back and now she’s hotter than ever. With her new show climbing in the ratings and her first book a bestseller, she’s being dubbed a media double threat.

But suddenly, things begin to go wrong. Small incidents at first: a nasty note left in her purse; her photo shredded. But the obnoxious quickly becomes threatening when the foundation the makeup artist uses burns Robin’s face. It wasn’t an accident—someone had deliberately doctored with the product.

An adversary with a dark agenda wants to hurt Robin, and the clues point to someone she works with every day. While she frantically tries to put the pieces together and unmask this hidden foe, it becomes terrifyingly clear that the person responsible isn’t going to stop until Robin loses everything that matters to her . . . including her life.

Review: I received an uncorrected proof copy of this book from HarperCollins.

Eyes On You covers the span of about three weeks in the life of rising television host Robin Trainer, who seems to have an enemy that is stalking and sabotaging her work and career. Beginning with an aggressive note found in her purse, the events escalate to Robin finding a Barbie doll in her office with the eyes slashed out and having her face chemically burned when her set makeup is tampered with. Robin desperately seeks answers in order to protect her safety and her career.

This novel is written like a flashy, fast paced TV episode. It's trying hard to be sexy and intriguing and reel you in with its suspense and glamour. I didn't like its style from the first page, where Robin describes her "fuck you" shoes. "Not what you'd ever call "Fuck me" shoes - there was nothing about them that would make a guy want to bed you, unless he was the type who liked a razor-sharp heel at his throat. These were what you wore on your feet when you needed armor, when the night would include a few foes half-hidden among the friends and fans. They were the kind of footwear that said you could damn well take care of yourself" (1). I instantly felt myself internally rolling my eyes at how hard the narrative is trying to come across as ballsy and sexy at the same time.

Additionally, I wasn't super impressed with the writing in this book. In particular, many of the similes were less than spectacular. "As if I'd hooked up with her husband or kicked her puppy in the head" (5) and "like a nasty mongrel nipping at my heels" (125) were two of the most egregious that I took note of.

This was a fast read and White does a good job of fueling the reader on; you can't help but be curious and want to know who's lurking behind all the evil acts Robin falls victim of. Robin at times feels like a very unreliable narrator, but the author is clearly deliberately trying to make the reader question her honesty. In particular, Robin lies to her friend, promising not to sleep with her co-anchor and then does so, making me question how trustworthy she is. Later, Robin reveals details about her childhood,  a dispute with her stepmother about who was losing objects and staining clothes, further evidence that Robin may not be all that she seems. Other characters drift in and out of suspicion; stories don't quite add up or they're caught in little lies - but are they white lies or is there something more there? In short, White keeps the reader guessing to the end, which is the greatest strength of this novel of suspense.

Stars: 2.5