Book Review: Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Loved it! A must-own book.

Read Watch Me if you like high-stakes dystopian missions, chaotic MMCs with too much personality, and a slow burn romance that might take three books to ignite… but when it does? 🔥

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📖 What’s Inside:

Espionage 👀
Dual POV
🤯 Mind games
On-page intimacy 🟢
Assassins ⚔️
🌈 Inclusive
High tech weapons and facilities
Explicit language
🔥 Slowest of slow burns..like I don’t even know if this romance will catch fire but if it does it’ll be hot!

Book Boyfriend Meter: ❤️

Would date. (I can fix him)

Now listen… if you follow me on Goodreads, you know I’ve been debating whether James Anderson deserves a spot on the Book Boyfriend Leaderboard when his brother Aaron Warner already sits comfortably in the top ten.

And since Warner does make an appearance in this book…

Yeah. He kind of stole James’s thunder.

But don’t worry — I’m still considering James for the leaderboard. I just need to see how his story unfolds first. Stay tuned… the competition is fierce.

✨ Vibes:

We’re back in the Shatter Me universe, so you already know the energy:

⚡ Secret missions
🧠 Psychological warfare
💥 Explosive dystopian action
😏 Elite soldiers with questionable coping mechanisms

Basically: high-tech dystopian chaos with sharp banter and emotional damage.

💭 My Thoughts:

I have been craving good dystopian fantasy lately, and this book absolutely delivered.

I picked it up chasing the high of the last dystopian read that blew me away… and this one hooked me by Chapter 2.

It’s been a while since I last visited the Shatter Me world, but thankfully the story sprinkles in enough reminders to jog your memory as you go. You can read this without finishing the original series first… but honestly? Having that background makes the world and stakes hit harder.

Now let’s talk about the real star here: James Anderson.

He is everything.

Badass? Yes.
Dangerous? Obviously.
But also ridiculously funny.

Fantasy is full of broody, emotionally unavailable men, but James is a breath of fresh air. He’s confident, sarcastic, and somehow maintains this chaotic optimism like nothing in the world can truly get him down.

And then you pair him with Rosabelle, who is basically his emotional opposite…

And suddenly the dual POV structure really starts working. It’s like a reverse grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and it’s so much fun to read.

But the real treat?

The return of Warner, Juliette, and Kenji.

Their banter is pure chaos and I loved every second of it. Honestly, I just want to crawl into this world and join their friend group.

Between the espionage missions, mind games, humor, and slow-burn tension, this book was an absolute ride.

I flew through it.

And now I’m already impatient for Book 2.

📚Read Alikes:

If you loved the dystopian action + morally complicated characters, try:

• Shatter Me — the series that started it all, packed with power struggles and emotional chaos.
• Legend — dystopian rebellion, elite operatives, and high-stakes missions.
• Red Queen — dangerous powers, political intrigue, and enemies on every side.

Should you add Watch Me to your TBR?

YES.

Come for James Anderson’s chaotic charm.

Stay for Warner stealing the spotlight like the legend he is. 😜

🛒 Buy Now

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