Wow! Oh what a bumpy ride Lu had in this fast paced psychological thriller that kept me listening as the suspense and twists kept happening. I cried for Lu and had empathy for her, even when bad things happened. Anyone who has had sleep deprivation, not to mention fatigue from coping with a new baby knows how it can make you feel, and Lu was suffocating and no one seemed to care. I loved this book, the storyline was great, and the narrator added to my listening experience. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Lu can't sleep. She has a new baby that won't cooperate and a husband that is even worse than the baby. When she does sleep she has vivid and violent dreams. But one night while sleepwalking she wakes covered in blood. Did she do it?
I loved how real Simmonds portrayed postpartum symptoms and how difficult new babies can be. At no point did she shy away from the difficult things that we don't talk about. I was so impressed with Lu and all she did, even when she didn't know it. I am so sad that she, like many new mothers, is often alone.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Natali Simmonds, and Bookoture Audio for my copy of this audiobook.

Sinister and thought-provoking psychological thriller that is super unsettling!

As someone who has experienced an element of sleep deprivation from becoming a parent, the premise of this book immediately spoke to me. However, very soon I realised that the lack of sleep I experienced with my kids was on par with a slightly late night in comparison to lead character Lu! This book really delves into the terrifying reality of what real sleep deprivation can lead to. Lu struggles with paranoia, depression, a sense of worthlessness, delusions, and a deeply rooted rage that manifests in violent hallucinations…although, are they all just hallucinations?? There’s an intensity to this book that makes it an absolute page turner. I was immediately rooting for Lu, despite being unclear on whether she was responsible for committing heinous acts or not. Simmonds is a master at capturing Lu’s sense of confusion and anxiety on the page, which keeps us as readers guessing until the final revelations. There was one twist that I had an inkling of before it happened, but I think that’s made this book all the more tense for me. There were plenty of other shocks and unsettling moments that took me by surprise though!

The audio narration is really strong, perfectly capturing all of Lu’s emotions and her deteriorating mental health. I feel like I felt a deeper connection to her because listening to her words made her feel even more alive. I felt every ounce of her pain, her regret, and her fear. This is both testament to the quality of the narration, but also the power of Simmonds’ words. This is a deeply human thriller that really examines a character at their most vulnerable. It’s fascinating and heartbreaking in equal measure, but there is also a real sense of hope.

a new mom is a complete mess and shell of herself, sleep deprived, and stuck in a relationship with an unsupportive partner. drama ensues when her neighbor is found dead. really captivating book. great on audio!

This was a powerful and emotional listen.
The narrator did a fantastic job of getting it right with the emotions as she was narrating this book.

The main character is a sleep deprived young mum, whose son is almost a year old but hasn’t slept well. She’s recently moved to a new area, her partner is working nights, and her family live a long way away. She’s is alone and struggling.

Not only is her young son Riley, not sleeping well, but one of her new neighbours blasts his loud music all night long. She is struggling and begins to sleep walk. One night, she finds herself outside her house, with no recollection of how she’s got there. She’s covered in dirt and bleeding from a cut on her hand.
One of her new neighbours comes to her rescue and luckily has a key to her house and is able to let her in and clean her up.

Over the next few weeks the story develops and the main character is slowly becoming more and more exhausted from her lack of sleep, she becomes reliant on Maggie, the kind stranger who let her in the night she got locked out.

We discover that another neighbour, the same one who listened to loud music was murdered the same night our MC was locked out. She begins to believe she had something to do with it. He mental health deteriorates and she becomes more and more dependent on Maggie.
Suddenly she begins to doubt Maggie and whether she can be trusted.

As I said the narrator has done such a fantastic job with this book and I felt every emotion felt by the MC


I am keen to explore not only more from this author but even from this narrator.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this story

Such a wild ride! It really makes you wonder what you are truly capable of as a sleep deprived parent, giving your everything for your kids. Even if it means sacrificing your own wellbeing. I did not see the ending coming. I thought it was leading up to a sad ending but was very pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end.

Lu and Tony don't have the ordinary love story. They were friends who helped each other out of bad relationships until ultimately, they began dating. It wasn't too much later that Lu found out she was pregnant, and although unexpected, the couple was excited.
Early on in the pregnancy Lu experienced emotional rage that she thought would subside. But as time goes on, she continues to struggle to sleep which makes this rage worse. It is obvious that Lu loves her baby very much but as the insomnia continues Lu's unexpected symptoms worsen and she begins forgetting things, sleepwalking and has some disturbing thoughts all together. Thing takes a wild turn when Lu finds herself sleepwalking in her neighborhood covered in blood not knowing what happened.

I did enjoy this story overall. It kept me interested and curious as to what would happen next. There were times where it felt very predictable and that was a bit of a turnoff.

I’ve read similar plotlines before, so I saw most of the twists coming. That said, I still enjoyed the book—especially how it portrayed the exhaustion of a sleep-deprived new mum. The way it tackled sensitive issues was well done and added depth to the story. My biggest gripe was the ending. It felt rushed, like there wasn’t enough time to fully wrap everything up. A bit more explanation would have made it more satisfying. Still, a decent read with some strong emotional moments

Wow! What an intense book. Being a new mother is hard. The main character is seriously sleepy deprived and has very vivid dreams when she does sleep that make her question whether they're real. When an annoying neighbor ends up murdered after one of these crazy dreams, she begins to wonder if she's responsible. I couldn't stop reading in order to find out the truth.

This book had a very intriguing premise and I was excited to dive in. Unfortunately, I found it rather slow and it just didn't hook me and make me want to keep going. This took away from the potential that this book had.

Not necessarily a bad book, just not for me.

Very good quick read. Kept me on the edge of my seat.
I had some ideas of what was happening but the author was very good to keep you guessing.
The blur of reality and the mind is very strong in this book and definitely keeps you wondering if what is happening is really happening or just all an imagination.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy.

While My Baby Sleeps by Natali Simmonds and narrated by Sofia Zervudachi was an excellent book from start to finish and I loved it; This was a book that gripped me from the beginning and I found it hard to turn this audiobook off and WoW, loved the ending I did not see that coming - Superb!

The narrator Sofia Zervudachi was excellent she pulled you into this book and made you apart of it!

I was lucky to receive the ebook and I was able to use both forms to enjoy the book.

I highly recommend While My Baby Sleeps - Perfect 5 star book

Big thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Bookouture Audio for an audio ARC of this book.

While My Baby Sleeps by Natali Simmonds is a deeply emotional and soothing audiobook that beautifully captures the quiet moments of motherhood. The narrator’s voice adds warmth and intimacy to the story, making it an immersive experience. The book offers a heartfelt reflection on the challenges and joys of caring for a newborn, all while balancing personal emotions. The pacing is perfect, and it leaves a lasting impression. I’d give it a 5 out of 5 for its relatable themes and excellent narration.

Despite not having any relatability to the mother‘s experiences in this book, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it as it was so brilliantly written and kept me guessing with all the twists in the story.

The narrator was excellent. To create that much anxiety and tension in an audiobook without becoming annoying is difficult, yet she managed to inject so much emotion without once ‘going over the top’.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an audio ARC of this book. I listened while a pillion on a motorbike via Bluetooth to my crash helmet through Asia and the audio was the best I’ve encountered so far for clarity and voice levels.

I loved the audibook and the narrator was fantastic! I also, got the ebook and was able to use both forms to enjoy the book.

This was a bit predictable and some parts of the story were so repetitive but overall it was enjoyable.

I do really enjoy the deep dive into postpartum issues and that part was very realistic.



Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Lu loves her son Riley, but as a tired and sleep-deprived new mom, she needs some help. Her partner, Tony, isn't much help, but fortunately, their neighbor Maggie steps in to make things easier.

I liked this book, even though the story was a bit repetitive and dragged on. The narration was beautifully done.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the free copy of the book.

Very well written, with relatable characters and well-constructed dialogue resulting in a very disturbing — but also satisfying — storyline ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A rattling good tale with twists and turns aplenty.

Lu is an exhausted mother to an 11 month old son, Riley. Riley keeps Lu awake at all hours of the night and her partner, Tony, is no help. Lu is so sleep deprived and depressed that she begins having thoughts about killing people in horrible and unique ways. Lu tries to ignore the thoughts until she wakes up after sleepwalking and finds that her hands are covered in blood and one of her neighbors has been murdered. Lu is disoriented and quickly finds solace in Maggie, her neighbor’s sister. But the horrible thoughts continue to escalate and Lu must grapple with what she may or may not have done.

This book feels like a trippy out-of-body experience. Definitely takes psychological thriller to a whole new level. While I predicted several of the twists, I really enjoyed the ride. I also really enjoyed the social commentary and the very real feelings that mothers experience that often get overlooked or ignored. The characters in this book were wonderfully frustrating and I found myself really empathizing with Lu, though I don’t have any children. I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrator. I thought she did a great job adding to the suspense and tone by changing her pace and inflection appropriately. Overall, I really enjoyed this author’s style. It reminds me a lot of A.J. Finn with a touch of Freida McFadden. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Thank you Bookouture Audio for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a solid thriller! The story is unique. I enjoyed how well written the characters are. This is fast paced and well written. I enjoyed this and would recommend it! I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. Special Thank You to Natali Simmonds, Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.