Title: Watch over Me
Author: Tara Sivec
First published June 14, 2013
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Rating: 4.02
Overview
Lila Evans had a comfortable life in the city with her husband and two children. After her husband’s sudden death, Lila is forced to leave the only life she’s ever known and move to a small town with her children to start over.
The move is difficult, as Lila and her children try to adjust to a new school and a new way of life. Lila is determined to make a new life for her family, but she can’t seem to leave the past behind.
She struggles to deal with her grief and the guilt she feels over her husband’s death. Just when Lila thinks she can’t go on, she meets Mark.
Mark is a kind and caring man who seems to understand Lila’s pain. With Mark’s help, Lila begins to see that there is hope for the future.
But can Lila really let go of the past and embrace a new life with Mark? Will she be able to trust again and find love once more?
About the Author
Meet Tara Sivec, a multi-talented individual who wears many hats – she is a USA Today best-selling author, a wife, a mother, a driver, a cleaner, a cook, a babysitter, and a master of sarcasm. She resides in Ohio with her spouse and two kids, eagerly awaiting the day when they grow up and fly the nest.
Tara had been in the brokerage industry for fourteen years before she decided to put down her pen and write instead of gouging her eyes out with it due to boredom. She dabbles in a variety of genres such as Romantic Comedy, Romantic Comedy/Mystery, Romantic Suspense, New Adult Drama, Contemporary Romance, and Psychological Thriller.
Her book Seduction and Snacks won the Indie Romance Convention Reader’s Choice Awards 2013 for Best Indie First Book, and she was voted Best Indie Author in the Indie Romance Convention Reader’s Choice Awards 2014.
When she’s not busy writing, Tara daydreams about all the baking she would do and the naps she would take if she ever had any free time.
Editoral Review
Watch Over Me by Tara Sivec is a heart-wrenching romance novel that will leave readers feeling emotionally spent. Sivec is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author known for her witty and humorous contemporary romance novels.
However, Watch Over Me is a departure from her usual style, delving into darker themes of loss, grief, and trauma.
The plot follows the story of Addison Parker, a young woman who has suffered tragic losses in her life. She takes a job as a live-in nanny for the McAllister family, hoping to escape her painful past.
The McAllister family is wealthy and dysfunctional, and Addison struggles to navigate their complicated dynamics while dealing with her own emotional turmoil. She finds solace in the arms of their enigmatic and brooding son, Grayson, who is also struggling with his own demons.
Sivec’s writing style is raw and powerful, making the reader feel deeply invested in the characters’ lives. The setting, a sprawling estate in rural Pennsylvania, is vividly described, adding to the atmospheric quality of the novel.
The themes of grief and trauma are handled with sensitivity and empathy, and the character development is nuanced and realistic.
However, there are some weaknesses in the plot structure, particularly in the pacing. The novel starts off slow, and it takes a while for the conflicts to build up.
Additionally, some of the plot twists feel contrived and unrealistic, and the ending is somewhat predictable.
Despite these flaws, Watch Over Me is a compelling and emotional read that will appeal to fans of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. It also touches on important issues such as mental health and domestic abuse, making it a relevant and timely read.
Overall, I would highly recommend Watch Over Me to readers who are looking for a gripping and emotional story that explores the complexities of love, loss, and healing. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, based on its powerful writing, well-developed characters, and relevant themes.
