Title: Esther is Now Following You

Author: Tanya Sweeney

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Bantam

Publication Date: 29th January 2026

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover:

Summary:

You’re the love of Esther’s life. You just don’t know it yet…

Esther first sees Ted walking in a park in London. They lock eyes and for a fraction of a second, she feels something she’s never felt before.

She starts by reading up about his life in Canada and his work as an actor. Then she watches every interview with him online. It isn’t long before she’s joined Ted’s fan site online where her and the ‘Tedettes’ stalk his every move.

When Ted gets a new celebrity girlfriend, Esther decides that things have gone far enough. She leaves her husband, takes all their savings, and buys a one-way ticket to Canada.

After all, Ted might not know it yet, but they are meant to be together – he just needs a little bit of persuading…

Review:

I was immediately intrigued by Esther is Now Following You because of the quirky cover (and ever so slightly unsettling tagline) and I have to say, it did not disappoint. This is such a compelling read which has so much going for it and which has a sort of ‘can’t look away’ quality which renders it totally gripping. Esther is not a hugely likeable character, nor is she intended to be I think. She makes many seriously questionable choices and does some things that sort of made my head spin. And yet, she is also very human and there is grief and trauma in her life which goes some way to explaining how a seemingly harmless crush on a minor celebrity can escalate into a frankly bizarre obsession and fixation on a person that doesn’t really exist in the way Esther thinks he does. Esther is Now Following You is quite an uneasy and uncomfortable read at times, with logic and reason going completely out the window as Esther becomes more unhinged in her quest but there’s also a thread of sadness and darkness which makes it sort of poignant and heartbreaking at the same time. I did sometimes really feel for Esther, against my better judgement, and that is testament to Sweeney’s sharp, witty, and resonant writing. Reading this book felt sort of surreal from time to time but I was utterly captivated throughout and found it totally unputdownable. I would highly recommend adding it to your reading list. 

★★★★.𝟓 

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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