Lu and Tony are the parents of almost 1-year-old Riley. While Tony goes to work to provide for the family, an exhausted Lu cares for Riley in their new home - feeling very alone and isolated. Though Lu adores her son, she is dealing with memory gaps and strong feelings of rage.

One night, Lu finds herself locked out of her house and covered in blood - eventually being let in by a neighbors sister, Maggie. The next day, the police are on her street questioning the neighborhood about a neighbor being murdered. Unsure what happened, Lu's anxiety continues to rise, and Maggie begins to help Lu take care of Riley and herself.

The beginning of this book was a bit repetitive and drawn out for my taste. I understand how the author was trying to describe and portray Lu to get the reader to think a certain way, but it felt like that section could have been more condensed. But towards the end, the book really started to get good and pick up. There were a few revelations at the end that I felt were coming, but not what caused them. The very end had me surprised at how the events all unraveled. The hard thing about thrillers is that you have to be vague in the descriptions, or else the end will be spoiled.

On a side note, as a mother, it was nice to see some of the mental health things brought up that may occur in the first few years of a child's life. Many things in the story I could not relate to, but there were also some brutal honest truths about being a mom that I didn't expect.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio, NetGalley, and Natali Simmonds for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

** Possible Spoiler Alert ** 3.8 Stars - Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of 'While My Baby Sleeps' audiobook.

At first, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish this book. As a new mom myself, it became painfully clear by the second chapter that Lu was struggling with severe PPA/PPD. Her boyfriend, Tony, was infuriatingly oblivious—so much so that I lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes. Her mother and brother weren’t much better, offering absolutely no support.

Despite my frustration, I pushed through, and I’m glad I did. The story turned into a gripping, unpredictable ride that kept me hooked until the very end (I even had a dream last night that I, myself, was pregnant again lol). I had plenty of theories along the way—including guesses about the big twist—but not all of them were correct. What stuck with me most was how desperately Lu needed help and how no one around her recognized the signs or stepped in.

By the final chapters, I was relieved to see things settle down and for the family to finally take action—though their apologies felt a bit underwhelming. Overall, it was an intense and engaging read. However, I’d recommend including content warnings for those who may be sensitive to themes of PPA/PPD.

While My Baby Sleeps is an addictive thriller. The story is fast paced and unpredictable which is how I like my books to be. I'll definitely be reading more of Natali Simmond's novels. Thanks so much for my gifted audiobook. My review will be shared on my tour date. @coffee.break.book.reviews

Lou is a new mom and she is severely sleep-deprived and is struggling with the challenges of caring for her newborn, Riley.
Her exhaustion leads to memory lapses and heightened irritability, and her partner seems to be working all the time and not available when she really needs help!
One night she finds herself locked out of the house and covered in blood, she somehow ends up being saved by her neighbor Maggie. The plot intensifies when Lou becomes entangled in a murder investigation after waking up with no recollection of the previous night’s events. As she tries to do it all she starts questioning her own sanity, and the story unfolds with unexpected twists and turns.

Overall this was a good book, but personally I felt it was a bit dragged when the author was explaining the struggles of Lou - like we get the point, no need to repeat it in every chapter that Lou was tired!

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio and Natali Simmonds for approving the audibook ARC in exchange for honest review

This book took me on a wild ride through the messy, emotional, and utterly exhausting reality of new motherhood. It dives deep into postpartum depression, the overwhelming struggles of a new mom, and just how crucial support is in those early days. Honestly, I felt like I was right there with Lu, running on fumes, questioning everything, and wondering if she could even trust her own mind.
It kept me on my toes the whole time—I had a theory about halfway through, but I kept second-guessing myself. Even when I thought I had it figured out, there were still dots to connect, and the story threw in some surprises I didn't see coming. The unreliable narration was done so well that I started feeling like I was losing grip on reality along with Lu.
Also, shoutout to the audiobook narrator—she absolutely nailed it! I can only imagine how tough it must have been to bring Lu’s fragile, unraveling mindset to life, but she did it brilliantly. This was one of those books that had me hooked from start to finish, making me feel just as disoriented, paranoid, and emotionally invested as the main character.

While My Baby Sleeps is one of the best books I've listened to in ages! I recommend the audio as it gives the drama to feel it best. The author is fantastic at weaving and twisting the tale so well. I haven't read Natali Simmons before this book but I definitely want to read more by this author. Narrator Sofia Zervudachi is amazing giving the story life and action!
Lou has a 10-month-old baby, just moved to a smaller, less safe area and the love of her life Tony is working or sleeping all the time. Her parents are no help and her only sibling is too far away to help. With all the unpacking, cooking, cleaning, and baby care, it's just too much. She knows no one and is totally overwhelmed. She has a blinding rage about things and nightmares plus exhaustion and wonders if she is going crazy. She visualizes killing people and doesn't know how she got locked out of her house with blood on her hands and clothes. Lou is doubting her ability to do all that needs doing but her family is not listening. Luckily her neighbor steps in to help, but is it help?
What a talented writer! You must read this book! So many twists you will not be able to turn it off (or put it down if you have the book). I could not stop listening, I had it on audio in my car, while cooking, and when I went to bed. I had to listen and find out what was next. I kept guessing, was sad then glad then scared for her. What a rollercoaster ride this book is. I loved it I will be looking for more by Natali Simmons.
I personally do not think the title is perfect for the story but it did get me to try it.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this audio. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Natali Simmonds, and Bookouture Audio for the audiobook.a great listen narrated by Sofia Zervudachi. As someone who is postpartum, this book was incredibly emotional. The portrayal of postpartum and its progression into psychosis was masterfully done. It’s a gripping thriller with shocking twists at the end that will leave you speechless.

While I enjoyed this story, I found it to be extremely predictable and so I found myself zoning out towards the end because nothing was surprising. It was pretty obvious who was behind everything going on, so some more suspense would've made this a more enjoyable read to me. That being said, the reader for the audiobook was clear and easy to understand, and overall I felt it was enjoyable. Reminded me somewhat of a Frieda McFadden in that it was easy to digest and fast paced.

Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about this one! 😮😮

For most of the book I was thinking that this was a VERY DARK, Very Disturbing Book... presented as a sleep deprived woman with a relatively newborn baby boy, and trying to be a loving Mom....
That was really NOT the case AT ALL....

Lu is a single Mom to Riley. She does have a significant other, Tony, but they are not married... and, he seems to care more about taking care of HIMSELF, than anything at all about her...
She is EXTREMELY sleep deprived, and basically ***SCREAMING*** for help...but no-one, and I do mean absolutely NO-ONE hears her!! Not her love. Not her brother or sister-in-law. Not even her Mom.
Lu is basically all on her own. All of the time....

To add gasoline onto the fire... Tony works at night!
So, when she's supposed to be sleeping...she can't.. because Riley wakes up...pretty often...pretty much every...single...night...

In addition, they have just moved into a new place.... and, there's a guy a few houses down who insists on BLASTING his music at the highest level possible, until all hours of the night. Not helping at all with her sleep deprivation...

OH...and she's also noted to have vivid daydreams of murder! Murdering the people who annoy her the most! In horrible ways, and with horrible attention to details...

So one night, when she finds herself locked out of her home, AND covered in blood...
Well, to say the least, she's not sure what happened....
Amazingly, her neighbor's sister comes to the rescue...as she said her brother always had a spare key for the old neighbors, and well, it still works....
And so this neighbor, Maggie, and Lu ... well, they bond. And, they become very close. And, Maggie allows her to get...some...sleep!

Lu is BEYOND thrilled! She's made a new friend. She's getting some sleep! Things are definitely getting better... UNTIL .....more people start disappearing!

This was a Psychological Thriller on steroids! It was scary. It was dark. And the more you read, the more things seemed to be spinning out of control!!!

I'm going to 🛑🛑 STOP RIGHT HERE! 🛑🛑 If this sounds like something you'd like, please KEEP YOUR EYES 👀 OPEN for it!!
It will be released in a few days on 2.7.25 !!!

#WhileMyBabySleeps by #NataliSimmonds and narrated perfectly (through a psycho's mind...) by #SofiaZervudachi.

4 Big, Dark, Moody ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!!!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for an ARC of the audiobook!
**** Again, Please Note: RELEASE DATE IS FEB 7 th !!! ****

As for me… You can always find my reviews on: Goodreads.
Insta: @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

While My Baby Sleeps by Natali Simmonds.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC. Sofia Zervudachi is the perfect narrator for this book, she has an (in a good way) almost hypnotic way of speaking that you can just hear how tired the main character is.

The first part of the book seems to be repetitive but it’s done for a reason. We meet Lu who has a 11-month-old boy, Riley, and her partner Tony. They have recently moved to a new place and Lu is always exhausted. She is trying to unpack boxes and keep her little boy entertained but she is just bone tired. Tony works night shifts all the time so she doesn’t get any help from him. She is always exhausted. She just wants to sleep but the idiot a couple of doors away keeps playing his music so loud that she can’t sleep.

One night she finds herself locked out of her house– she has no recollection of how she got there and she has blood all over her hands. She remembers her neighbour has a spare key to their home and even though it is the middle of the night, she knocks hoping for some help. Maggie, the neighbour's sister answers and helps Lou inside to get cleaned up. The next day the street is full of police as the body of the man who plays the loud music was found in the alley.

She’s a sleep deprived mom, not a killer, right?

But she has this rage building up, she imagines killing people – the impatient person in the line behind her at the grocery store, the woman at the baby group, even her partner! Could she be the one who killed Dave?

A wonderfully twisty story.

Trigger warning: Deals with mental health and postpartum depression.

I really enjoyed the narrator for this book. I felt very engaged listening to the story and I wanted to keep listening until the end; although, it was a little bit slow at the beginning. Some parts of the story were predictable and some surprises thrown in too!

2.5 ⭐ rounded up

lu, a new mother to her baby, riley, is
struggling to take care of him. sleep deprivation takes its toll on her, blurring the line between reality and illusion.
when a neighbour she didn't really like is found dead, she begins to wonder if she might have played a role in what happened.
but, she's just a loving mother to her baby, right? she would never do such a thing...


first of all, i appreciate how the author portrays the struggles of motherhood, particularly their impact on mental health. the depiction feels raw and authentic, and while i don't have kids myself, i believe that many mothers will find it relatable. prolonged sleep deprivation, often overlooked, can have severe consequences and definitely shouldn't be ignored, because a short nap won't fix shit. overcoming it actually requires time and support from family and friends.

sadly, the mc lacked that support. she wasn't in touch with her mother, and with tony working all the time to provide for the family, she was left with taking care of riley mostly on her own. which made her incredibly exhausted.

i kinda could relate to lu, because i was exhausted too. only for different reasons.

well, this one was a slow burn. it took (only!😃) 45 chapters to draw my attention. i swear most of the book consisted of lu's repetitive thoughts.

"oh my god, did I kill dave? I don't know"

"oh my god, where is my kid? I don't remember"

"where tf is tony? damn, was he kidnapped? lol I dont remember"

"oh my god, tony just cut the cheese and that piece of cheese was SO big, just because he provides for the family doesn't mean he can eat such big pieces of cheese. personally, i cut small pieces of cheese so that it LASTS LONGER. but no, tony doesn't care because he's the one making the money 🤬 damn, I'd take this knife and cut his face just like he's cutting the cheese"
and I believe at least 65% of the book was exactly that.

i usually enjoy the unreliable narrator trope, but in this book, it felt too dragged out and repetitive.

another thing - the plot twists, or maybe - the lack of them. i finished the book and oh, finally, there was one in the last chapter. then I noticed there were actually more, but I didn't even realize they were plot twists. unfortunately, this *thriller* wasn't really thrilling. i only finished the audiobook, because i don't really like to dnf books, but honestly, i wouldn't have missed much if i had.

to sum up - i was looking for a good thriller and didn't find what I hoped for. the book just didn't do it for me.
nevertheless, I love that Natali Simmonds raises awareness about the struggles mothers face.



thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio and Natali Simmonds for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a bit predictable, but it was good. I knew exactly what was happening long before any reveal, but that didn't make the book any less enjoyable, if that make sense.

It was interesting to see the MC's spiral. Though the "big twist" was no surprise, watching her descend into darker, darker depths and more and more madness kept the book entertaining. Even if you know what's happening, you don't know what's happening NEXT.

I was also genuinely surprised by the conversation between the MC and Maggie at the end. THAT did go somewhere I didn't see coming. (Although, on reflection, I really should have.)

Sorry. I know this "review" is a bit all over the place and probably makes no sense to anyone who has not read the book. But I'd rather have it like that than potentially spoil anything for the reader.

So, in short -- good book, easily 3 stars (maybe even 4 if the twist surprises you). Narration was excellent -- no complaints. I loved the English accent. In a lot of ways, it really made the book for me.

If you like psychological thrillers and suspense novels, you'll enjoy it.

I was not a fan of this whatsoever. I didn't particularly care for the narrator. The writing style felt slightly amateur. It was repetitive as well as very slow moving.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture Audio for an early listeners copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was on audio through Netgally. The book is about Lou, Tony, and Riley, their son, who is almost one. Lou and Tony moved into a new neighborhood that was not known to be the greatest. Tony was working long days, while Lou was left home with the baby. She was not sleeping at night. Hearing every voice Riley made. Every day life was increasingly getting harder. With a lack of help from Tony and her family. One day, she wakes up on her doorstep covered in blood and no memory of why she is there. A police officer shows up at her door a couple of days later and says her neighbor is dead. She knows she has hated the neighbor for weeks because of his loud music day and night. Could she have been the one to kill him?? She thinks to herself there is no way I could have done this. I am sleep deprived, but I am not a killer, or am I??
There are twists that you don't see coming. The end had my jaw on the floor.

@Netgally
@Natali Simmonds

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC (audiobook) of this book.

While My Baby Sleeps by Natali Simmonds

This is a thriller about a mother who just gave birth to a baby. She is going through sleep deprivation after delivery. She doesn't have anyone to help her or look after the baby. One night she sleep walks at night and when she wakes up she is outside her house with blood in her hands. She doesn't remember what happened. The next day she sees that her neighbor is murdered.

A fast pacing thriller. Got hooked from the first chapter. Couldn't stop listening to it. The ending made was perfect.

If you like Lisa Jewell books this one is for you.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator has done a brilliant work.

Can't wait to read other books by Natali Simmonds

Narrators for this audiobook were actually pleasant to listen too and therefore made me enjoy the audiobook.

The storyline was ok… I mean I can’t say that it had me on a gripping chokehold but I also wanted to finish it and see it thru. I did enjoy the ending as well.

While My Baby Sleeps is a well written psychological thriller with a very satisfying ending. At first, I found myself relating to the main character. Motherhood is hard. But then she slowly starts to seem a little too dark and I was unsure what to think. As I read on, I felt like I knew the ending, but I didn’t. I am so glad I kept reading. I would definitely recommend this book if you like psychological thrillers especially if you are a mother.

Couldn’t put this one down. I loved it. Even though I was pretty sure what was going on I couldn’t wait for the MC or someone else to figure it out. I suspect many moms will relate to parts of this

Great narrator

Thanks netgalley for my ALC!

Will definitely read this authors next book.

This was something like a nerve-wracking experience! I was engrossed and really enjoyed the book and the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Bookouture for the ARC (audio).