Audiobook Review: The Student by Tanisha Stewart
The Student
Series: The Red Series
Author: Tanisha Stewart
Narrator: Edwin Andrews
Published: July 11, 2024
Audiobook: 3 hours 00 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: October 22-23, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 2.5 stars
Novella Description:
Nicholas always strived for perfection, but he never could measure up to his mother’s unreasonable demands. His hopes of passing the prerequisites for the pre-med program at the prestigious Plankton University are dashed when he fails out.
He has almost lost hope, but maybe he can find it in psychology?
Until he encounters Professor Jackson. For an introductory class, her standards are way too high. As time wears on, Nicholas feels like he’s in over his head. His mother doesn’t know his secret, Professor Jackson won’t let up on his grades, and sooner or later, the walls will come crashing down around him.
Maybe Nicholas can reason with Professor Jackson. Maybe he can make her see his point of view.
Maybe they can come to an agreement about his grades?
Because the only other alternative is to kill her.
Jessica’s Review:
The Student just did not work for me. We have two povs in this novella: Nicholas and Professor Jackson.
Nicholas’ ultimate goal is pre-med and he signed up to take Professor Jackson’s introductory psychology class. Nicholas strives for 100% perfection, anything less is failing. And he receives a 90 on a test and this is not good enough for Nicholas. He becomes increasingly unhinged, to a detrimental fault. He is determined to receive a high A, at any cost.
We also have Professor Paris Jackson who is dealing with a few issues: a recent break up where her significant other lied to her on serious issues. She is also dealing with a lack of respect from her superior. Whenever emails are sent her superior addresses her as Paris versus the Professor, which she has rightfully earned.
With a downhill descent from Nicholas, it just doesn’t make sense as to just why a 90 is not good enough. So many times, he mentions he is failing. This is his mindset in that he IS failing. The listener then experiences his childhood, and we come to understand Nicholas’s issues. But then the situation he puts himself and Professor Jackson in is an extreme.
The execution of this story just didn’t work for me. I think we might have needed to go deeper into fully understanding Nicholas’s thinking. I kept thinking “You aren’t failing!” I did like the ending, as it was satisfying. If this had been the first of Stewart’s novellas I had listened to I don’t think I would have listened to the third one that I was able to get on Audible for free.
Audiobook Review: The Babysitter by Tanisha Stewart
The Babysitter
Series: The Red Series
Author: Tanisha Stewart
Narrator: J.R. Mason
Published: November 21, 2025
Audiobook: 3 hours 58 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened: October 8-9, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Audiobook Description:
Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned …
When Sariah Simmons accepts a week-long babysitting position for the affluent Rodwell family, she sees it as the perfect opportunity. But behind the pristine walls of their suburban home, she discovers disturbing signs that something isn’t right.
Caroline Rodwell, a traveling nurse, keeps everything under strict control. Her husband Richard maintains their picture-perfect image. But basements hold secrets, and perfect families often hide the darkest truths.
As Sariah digs deeper into the Rodwells’ world, she realizes she’s not the only one harboring dangerous secrets. In a high-stakes game of deception where lives hang in the balance, the truth could destroy everything – and everyone – in its path.
Jessica’s Review:
Tanisha Stewart’s author Facebook page popped up on my feed and I looked her up. She has written The Red series among her other novels. The Red series is a series of standalone thriller novellas that can be read in any order. I also saw there were three available for free on Audible, so I grabbed them and listened to all three. I started with The Babysitter.
There are sound effects which enhanced the listening experience for me. I always enjoy immersive listens. I did have one issue with the narrator: She did not distinguish between the two povs of Sariah and Caroline; so there were times I had to go back to catch whose pov each short chapter was from. Another issue seemed to be the editing: One chapter ended and immediately the next chapter started, seemingly without a breath in between. And when there was a twist, sometimes a listener just has to have some kind of break to take in that twist before going on to the next chapter. This was for every chapter.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed this novella! It was suspenseful and I wanted to get to the end to find out just what was going to happen! The direction the novella goes in was very unique and unexpected! I will just say that everyone has secrets and the way the past and present come together for a conclusion, it was brilliant for me.
I was very happy to have found this novella for free on Audible!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Blog Tour: Guest Post: I Was Watching You by Chris Westlake
Today I am part of the blog tour for I Was Watching You by Chris Westlake. He is going to share about himself and the novel! This one looks to be right up my alley of interests, so goes another one to add to my never ending TBR! (And I love the cover!) This one was recently released last month, September 8th.
Book Description:
I WAS WATCHING YOU is a fast-paced psychological suspense thriller that will have you turning the pages well into the night.
When city girls Faye, Zara and Heidi book a weekend away at a remote cottage in rural Wales, it is intended to be the perfect detox from their hectic lives. But they let a stranger into the cottage…and they return home with a dark secret they don’t want exposed.
Five months later and their lives have returned to normal. They think they have gotten away with it. And then a hand-delivered photograph drops through each of their letterboxes.
They were watched.
But who watched them?
What do they want?
And how far are the friends prepared to go to keep their secret?
Buy Your Copy Here:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
A big hello to readers, and a big thank you to Jessica for this guest blog, which I’m going to use to scratch under the surface of my latest psychological thriller, I WAS WATCHING YOU, from my author perspective.
First, a bit about little old me (which is apt, as I published I WAS WATCHING YOU on my 50th birthday). I’m a regular guy with a full-time job, a wife, two kids and a dog who has always wanted to write novels. I decided to obtain some life experience first, and so, at the age of 34, low on both excuses and expectations, I embarked on an online writing course. I’ve now penned seven novels (I DID IT FOR US will be published in early 2027), and so long as I stay healthy, there will be many, many more to come.
I always envisaged I WAS WATCHING YOU would be like Marmite for readers. Whilst the sharp prose, short chapters and the cliffhangers make it a fast read, the multiple POVs, overlapping storylines and the darker themes don’t necessarily make the book an easy read. This was always my intention, though – I love writing books with hidden layers and depth.
When I started plotting I WAS WATCHING YOU way back in 2023, the Incel community was my initial seed. Initially, I jumped straight in and drafted from male POVs, but the book just wasn’t connecting with me enough. It always hurts to start again once you’ve drafted 20,000 or so words, but it was the right thing to do. Taking my research to another level, I devoured books and videos, and gained insight from both men and women.
At this point, the book grew legs. Concepts spiralled into sub-concepts. It was no longer enough to show the insecurities, bitterness and (sometimes) hatred of specific groups of men towards women – I strove to delve into why this was the case.
Somewhere along the line I decided to write the book primarily from the POV of three female characters. As a male author, this undoubtedly made the endeavour more challenging, but I still think it was the right thing to do, adding a unique perspective.
Most readers love the deeper themes. It is music to my ears, for example, when I read comments that I sensitively tackle issues of modern society. On the flip side, if a reader says they aren’t sure what they were supposed to take away from the themes, then they’re already onto my intended angle – I wanted the prose to be as objective as possible, and for the reader to decide what they took away.
Whilst I’m undoubtedly proud of I WAS WATCHING YOU, and I think it’s the best book I’ve written, there were many learning lessons for my next novel. For example, it was only once I’d finished the novel and sent it to BETA readers that I realised the initial plot didn’t make sense! And so, I involved an editor right from the beginning with I DID IT FOR US.
I hope you are one of the readers who love I WAS WATCHING YOU. If you are, please feel free to follow me on my Instagram, ChrisWestlakeAuthor, or sign up to my Chris Westlake Newsletter, where I’ll keep you informed of ARC opportunities and I’ll send you a digital copy of THE F-WORD REALITY SHOW.
About the Author:
Chris Westlake is a psychological suspense thriller writer from Wales. I WAS WATCHING YOU is his 6th novel. I DID IT FOR US will be published in early 2027.
Contact Chris:
Website
Instagram @chriswestlakeauthor
See the entire blog tour here:
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