A high-tech company is offering help to chronic insomniacs through a one of a kind ‘sleep trial’, promising them a transformed life. But what exactly is the purpose of this sleep trial? Is it really what it looks like? Thea knows things are rarely what they seem, but when someone is desperate, they are willing to take risks!

I really enjoyed reading this one and had a hard time putting it down. This is like a sci-fi-ish thriller, but nothing too unbelievable or unrealistic about it. This was like watching an action-packed movie, and I do believe it has the potential for a film adaptation. And it’s so well-written, I loved the prose, tense and witty at the same time. I absolutely loved all the characters, each has its distinct personality, and even the villains are cool, and charming till the very end, which is not very common in thrillers.

It’s a perfect ‘popcorn-thriller’, the kind you want to finish within 2-3 sittings, and that was my only problem, I kinda dragged just a bit and went in circles towards the end. But all in all, it was a very enjoyable read. Recommended!

I received an eARC through Netgalley, author, and publishers. All opinions are my own. Pub date Dec 1st, 2020.

Wow, I can really imagine "Sleepless" by Louise Mumford being turned into a film. It has everything going for it: mystery, intrigue, plot twists and a fast-paced story line.

A sleep app sounds like a plausible invention but things turn quickly suspicious when the clinical trials are to take place on a remote island. Would highly recommend to read it to find out what happens next!

With hints of sci-fi, dystopian and action, this book will appeal to many readers.

WoW! I read this book within hours! It was beyond ridiculous to put down!
Sleepless will grab you from the very beginning. The characters could not have been any more realistic.
I loved the plot twist! The storyline.... So can't believable!
I loved this book!

Thea is an insomniac. She has tried everything, but nothing worked.
In a last, desperate attempt to fix her condition, she joins a trial that promises to cure her insomnia in 6 weeks.
But little does she know that the trial doesn't just want to help people sleep.


The blurb of this book offered a really intriguing premise, so I was excited to be approved for this ARC.
It was an enjoyable read, but one that I found slow to get going.
However, once it picked up, it kept me really hooked.
But as the story kept progressing, I found it more and more far-fetched ( it felt like sci-fi at times ).
Overall though, it was an entertaining, and definitely a fast-paced debut, and I'm looking forward to future books from this author.

The perfect book to read during containment when sleep eludes a lot of us. I enjoyed this book immensely it combines the mystery of sleep and a horror.

Wow! Quite impressive, riveting, complex, rich, absolutely well-written thriller dances between different genres!

You feel like you read different books at the same time: first half is mysterious, psychological thriller with gothic, claustrophobic vibes of secluded island theme and the second half is more dystopian, sci-fi, futuristic thriller.

Did I like the different direction the book took? Absolutely!

I cannot imagine how struggling, challenging it could to live with sleep deprivation, suffering from insomnia which attacks your both mental and physical state, eating you alive!

27 years old Thea MacKenzie fights with sleep deprivation for years, hardly building a secure life for her, hating her job, having no social life, feeling secure behind the close doors of her house. Her vivid, shiny, free spirited mother Vivian is her only friend. ( that mother is my soul mate! Jane Fonda meets Sex and The City’s Samantha Jones)

Her traffic accident is her wake up call to take her problem serious and try another treatment approach! Like a divine intervention, she sees the ad of a new sleep program Morpheus ( nope she is not going to make a decision between blue and red pills!)

I know it sounds like she takes her first step to Wachowski sisters’ Matrix world to think to apply this program ( her mother still thinks it’s a cult!) and her interview phase didn’t go well in her opinion but thanks to charming bearded Rory she gets her approval to join the party! Woaaahh!

She heads to secluded St. Dunstan’s Island, only sightseeings consist of an abandoned monastery and lighthouse, giving you chilly, gothic, dark vibes.
A face appears from the window of monastery and the walls of Thea’s room slowly move to crush her: she’s suffocating. Weird and suspicious things start to occur.

And that’s where I have to shut my freaking mouth!
I know some of you may not like the changing direction of the story from the mixed reviews I’ve read after concluding my own reading experience. Reading is subjective thing! But I highly recommend you to give another chance and go blind to experience this reading adventure!

For me, the intelligent sci fi induced direction was brilliant and if author plans to write a sequel, I am all set to read it! I had so much fun!
I’m giving my four dystopian, claustrophobic, insomniac, well written stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital/ HQ for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Really interesting premise and a plot unlike anything else out there at the moment, so I really applaud the originality. The story is another Thea and her insomnia and the clinical trial she joins to get help. The trial and the technology are not as they seem! The topic of insomnia was really interesting and something I don’t know a lot about so I enjoyed that aspect. The plot was good, it was well written and the character was likeable, but as much as I enjoyed it I wouldn’t say I was gripped! Solid 3/5

This is a fast-paced, entertaining read, definitely written by someone who has experienced insomnia and is keen to explore the intriguing world of sleep.

The opening scene is particularly striking and memorable; it is definitely among the best ways to grab a reader’s attention that I’ve experienced lately.

The book’s premise is certainly interesting, and some passages, such as the opening that I already mentioned, the dream sequences and the penultimate scene are truly captivating. Our protagonist seems very human and relatable, she struck me as the one among the characters who was most fully fleshed out. Next to Thea, her mother Vivian is also interesting, and their relationship is explored rather nicely. Another character I really enjoyed was the landlord at the pub where Thea stayed for a night before crossing to the island, and it’s unlikely I’ll forget the phrase “tuna and dandruff sandwich” any time soon.

The part between Thea deciding to try out Morpheus’ programme and her leaving for the island seems a bit rushed. On the one hand, it’s understandable that the author wanted her character to get started on her adventure as soon as possible, but it seemed to me like an odd jump compared to the excellent beginning of the story. Another thing I would have liked to see more of was the sleep experiment itself, as well as the background that is only hinted at towards the end. I also couldn’t shake off the feeling that the explanation and the subsequent revelations came a bit too easily. Still, there are loads of exciting action and some well-placed insights about both sleep and wakefulness.

Despite the pacing that I found strange at times, the story is very atmospheric and immersive, so, overall, I think it’s a great debut thriller and definitely worth reading. I’ll also be looking out for future books by Ms. Mumford.

A decent storyline with plenty of twists and turns but unfortunately it didn’t capture my attention as much as I wanted it too. There was a fair few typos which didn’t help with the overall experience and it did get a tad far fetched at times. I don’t think I would recommend this book sorry.

A story full of suspense. It starts off by making the reader believe Thea would discover how to improve her sleepless nights, but you soon discover there is more to the story than this. An enjoyable page turner.

I really loved the science fiction/ dystopian vibe this book created. As someone who only occasionally dips her toes into science fiction writing, this book was enthralling and unputdownable. I had to know what happened to Thea. I also found the world building, the remote island where the sleep experiment happens, the technology all very plausible and well constructed. I also loved the characters of Viv, Thea’s mum and Ethan, Rory and Rosie.

The only criticism I have for the book is that the plot dragged along for the last quarter. From the lighthouse scene to the end the plot was lagging and there wasn’t enough side plot to keep a reader interested until they made their escape. Then the last few chapters felt rushed and jarring in comparison. Throwing into the mix drones, fire and bloodshed. However, I think that the clunkiness with plot is to be expected with a debut author and so it isn’t something I want to dwell heavily on.

I want to reinforce this is a very promising author. To convince a reader like myself to read more science fiction is a great compliment to the book. This novel was a really enjoyable read and I was happy with the plot points all the way along. I think it’s more science fiction than thriller but the thriller elements were executed wonderfully too. A fast paced read that any adrenaline junky reader will love. I look forward to seeing what this author writes next.

Thanks to HQ, the author and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the premise and the start of this book, when a young woman with insomnia signs up for a sleep trial. Without wanting to give spoilers it is fairly obvious from the start that all will not be as it seems, and the story goes into well worn territory, which I feel other authors have tackled better.
Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book

I was so excited for this book as it sounded really intriguing.

Sadly I DNFd the book early on. I don't feel that there was anything wrong with the book, I just felt that it was a bit too slow a start and I wasn't entirely sure what was happening.
I did not seem to enjoy my experience but that could be down to my reading mood at the time

This book was very unique in its premise, featuring the suffering of those with insomnia and I really enjoyed the idea of the book but I felt the actual thriller part was a little rushed, it was as if all of a sudden everything was going wrong. I enjoyed the suspense of most of the book, but felt as though the main plot idea of what could be done with the sleep technology could have been explored and explained a little more, ramping up the suspense and the importance of Thea in the novel. The writing style was brilliant and I loved the development of Thea, Rosie, Rory & Ethan and had genuine affection for them all. The emotion captured in terms of the relationships and the turmoil they experience was brilliant I just wish there was a little bit more detail.
Overall a 3 star read for me, could have focused more on the scary subject of what the sleep tech could do, and also I felt it just ‘ended’. There is a section at the end that is just left and I wish there was a bit more from it.

Not quite what I was expecting. It started well. Thea suffers with insomnia so decided to sign up to a sleep clinic that will cure her.
All is well to start with but then Thea sees something or someone in the monastery and that's where things take a nasty turn.
In some places you have to suspend disbelief. I thought the ending dragged on a bit.
Good descriptive writing when Thea is in the sea.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC

Twenty-seven-year-old Thea Mackenzie is a long-term insomnia sufferer. She has survived on a few hours’ sleep. So, because of her insomnia it caused her to crash her car. She is desperate to do something to cure it. So, by chance she sees an advert for a clinical trial to cure it. Held on a remote island she jumps at the chance. At first, she must pass an interview to see if she is suitable. She thinks she has blown it, but she is surprised when they tell her that she has passed.
But when she arrives on the island, nothing is straightforward and instead of feeling that she is on a clinical trial, she feels that she has been imprisoned as she is not allowed to venture on the other side of the island and weird things start to happen.
Thank you NetGalley and HQ for a copy of Sleepless by Louise Mumford. I did like the premise of this story and it was well written but, after finish reading it, I am afraid this book wasn’t for me. It did start well but, for me I could not connect to the characters in this story and as the story developed, I got confused on which character on whose side. They kept changing sides so often I could not keep up. I also thought that the ending of the story was stretched out so much that I lost interest. I skipped the last 10% of the book.

When this novel opens, the protagonist Thea, twenty seven years old and single has just been involved in a car crash. Sleep deprived due to her severe insomnia, Thea is desperate to fix this debilitating problem. Sleep app Morpheus promises to do just that and after an initial home interview and a night being observed (not sleeping!) she successfully gains a place on a six week sleep trial on the island of St Dunstan’s. Only her mother Vivian, simply the best character in the whole of this dystopian, sci-fi type thriller, is wary, convinced Thea is about to join a cult. Still undeterred and desperate, Thea makes the journey to the sleep centre where she meets fellow sleep deprived individuals who are all willing to forgo life’s luxuries and everyday privileges to become lab rats. The trial is the brainchild of Moses Ing, whose status is legendary but the day to day running of the centre is left in the capable hands of his second in command Dolores Maxwell. So far so good. However what happens when control falls into the wrong hands and technology designed for the good is misappropriated and becomes something more evil?

The premise for this novel is most sinister with Thea offering herself up to be Ing enterprises/Aspire’s star guinea pig. Would I sign up to a sleep app such as Morpheus and enrol on a sleep trial? Absolutely not! But Thea is desperate and that often prompts people to do the craziest things. I’m sure we’ve all suffered from insomnia at some point in our lives and I could recognise that feeling Thea experiences of finally falling asleep just as you need to get ready for work and start your day. I suppose her willingness to try anything to cure her inability to sleep once and for all makes Thea believe she has nothing to lose so why not give it a whirl? Despite the innocent facade, events turn ominous and even threatening quite quickly. Had I been Thea and encountered the prison like conditions where absolutely every aspect of your life is controlled I would have got the first boat back to the mainland but then the beauty of this storyline is that St Dunstan’s is cut off from civilisation, and with no mobiles permitted, those taking part in the trial are well and truly at the mercy of the sleep experts. Chilling, mind altering madness ensues where dreams, nightmares and hallucinations coalesce to turn these guinea pigs into drooling, vacant beings.

I wasn’t ever totally sure I was supposed to take this storyline too seriously given Thea’s mother Vivian is quite a comic character with plenty of references made to her vagina printed scarf and days as a conspiracy theorist/activist leading her menopausal army into battle. But don’t ever forget she’s RETIRED!! Plus Alistair the pub landlord at Sanity’s end adds to the humorous feel with his less than hospitable persona and his bacon and dandruff sandwiches. Even the bearded Rory, the man responsible for Thea ending up in the Sleep Centre is permitted a lighter, less gruesome role, dishing out contraband chocolate to Thea and her friend Rosie and is seemingly one of the few trustworthy characters on the whole of this island. The rest are overwhelmingly menacing and despicable and could easily feature in any nightmare!

If I’m being totally honest I felt I was in the middle of some bizarre Dr Who episode, especially given Moses appearance. Certainly the vibe is very much sci-fi and dystopian with an extra helping of horror. I do occasionally enjoy dystopian novels (I’m thinking here in particular of authors such as Christine Dalcher and John Marrs) and my favourite all time novel is Flowers for Algernon but as this storyline progresses it slides into unbelievable territory so that poor Thea truly is a lab rat caught in the worst nightmare imaginable. Clearly insomnia is the lesser of the two evils here. After some action packed kind of horror fest the ending is strangely sweet, which I welcomed although I still didn’t feel like I knew Thea beyond her distressing condition. Full credit to the author for creating fiction that is inventive, original and well written. There are so many great analogies throughout and her descriptions of wakefulness, dreams and hallucinations are vivid and for me the strongest element of this thriller. In terms of enjoyment this wasn’t really the kind of read that I’d put at the top of my list despite the fact I found the synopsis intriguing. The ONLY reason I’ve decided to give a 3 star rating is because the storyline ended up being more gruesome than I find palatable and with so much going on I thought I was trapped in a nightmare I wouldn’t be able to escape! My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

A fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining read. Thea has suffered from insomnia for years, and her life has been reduced to getting through the day. When an advert crops up for a chance to join a sleep clinic trial she leaps at the chance. Accepted onto the trial she finds herself on an island with 50 other clients with sleep disorders. Initially, things appear to be improving, but there's a sense of things being not quite as they seem. The strangeness of the clinic with its strict regimes, inflexible staff and maze-like corridors create an uneasy atmosphere. I was reminded very much of 'Shutter Island' during the first half of the book and really enjoyed seeing where the plot would go.
The second half of the book veers into a somewhat dystopian plot, with half-crazed scientists, invasive technology that can control the populace, Machiavellian corporations and characters that seemed to appear from no-where. This part of the book was very much action-driven and whilst a satisfactory ending was reached (with the possibility for further books), on reflection, this part of the book was substantially weaker. So, 4 stars for the first half, 2 for the second, giving a nice average of 3.

My thanks go to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I started reading this book with an open mind, hoping for the best. However as each chapter went by, I just couldn't get into it and the story was not holding my attention at all. I have to admit that I put it down about a third into it and did not carry on to the end. The book was full of silly formatting errors also which just disrupts the whole experience.
Life is too short for rubbish reads! Would I recommend you pick up this title? Unfortunately not, and I won't be rushing to read any of this author's other works either.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.

I really enjoyed Sleepless by Louise Mumford.
I was hooked from the start and I liked the character of Thea. The twists and turns throughout the book kept me wanting to read more and the ending did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my ARC.