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
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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).

Title: While My Baby Sleeps
Author: Natali Simmonds
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Sofia Zervudachi
Genre: Family Drama
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Pub Date: February 7, 2025
My Rating: 2.6 Stars
Pages: 341

Lu Smith and Tony Baker were friends helping out each other; they became loves and now are parents to an eleven month-old son, Riley.

Motherhood is not easy for Lu, baby Riley does not sleep the 22 hours a day mother’s hear about- in fact, he is up most of the night crying. Lu is getting next to no sleep. She doesn’t have any help nor does she ask Tony for help. Taking care of an infant is far more difficult than she imagined.

One morning, Lu wakes up on her front doorstep with blood on her hands- with no memory of what happened. When she finds out her obnoxious neighbor – the one she has complained about for playing his music much too loud has been killed - she fears she may be the person responsible. ~ She loves her son but is sleep deprived and wonders if that may be a reason for her memory loss.

Most mothers who read this remember the sleepless night but memory loss and killing someone seems far-fetched! I felt sorry for Lu as I knew she was having a serious case of post-partum Depression and/or a mental breakdown. However, it was a struggle listening to what was going on. Plus-I am never pleased with hearing excessive profanity – I hung in there as I was curious and the narrator is excellent in her performance of the characters.

I enjoy psychological thrillers – find them entertaining. This however was depressing.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 7, 2025.

This book shows the hard parts of early motherhood. Natali isn't afraid to say the hard things. Everything about those days are hard. I could see myself in the main character so often while listening to this book. It was hard to get through some parts, but I'm glad I read it after I got through those days of my own motherhood. This thriller was done in a wonderful way. I couldn't figure out which parts were real and which were not. It was all wrapped up nicely at the end though.

Lu is exhausted and has an 11 month old son, Riley. Her husband-to-be/father of Riley, doesn’t help much and works a lot. Due to her constant sleep deprivation, she can’t think straight and her sleepwalking outside in the middle of the night adds problems!

Maggie, her neighbor Jim’s sister, befriends her after seeing her sleepwalking one night. She pushes herself on Lu and starts helping her take care of Riley. Quickly, things start to get confusing and Lu never knows if she is awake or asleep or if she even knows what is real from day to day. The neighbor she doesn’t like ends up dead and all she remembers is that she was sleepwalking the night he died!

This book is a thriller with great promise and a good plot however, I had a hard time with the constant confusion on Lu’s part. If she would have had some lucid thoughts at least part of the time, I would have enjoyed it more. An unreliable narrator is one thing but just pure confusion can be frustrating.

This story also has some trigger warnings that should be noted: explicit thoughts of harm to a child and domestic partner. Trying not to give spoilers.

I did think the narrator did a great job and had a pleasant voice. She nailed it with how I think Lu would sound!

I love Bookouture books and their authors are all so good. Natali Simmonds is an author I will look forward to again. I am glad I listened to it as I now have another thriller author to add to my list. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to Natali Simmonds, NetGalley and Bookoture Audio for an Audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A solid 4 star for me! As a mum of 7, I have had MANY years of sleepless nights which I will telly you can lead to some scary thought patterns. This book shone a spotlight on the depths of darkness that prolonged sleep deprivation can take you to. It's something that is ofter overlooked, not talked about or understood - this book helps bring to the forefront all the struggles new mothers often face even though they are well beyond the newborn stage.

In this book the author is not afraid to give us a glimpse into the FMC's mind and the dark often disturbing thoughts she has. We are led to believe that these thoughts are not the FMC's true nature but simply brought up in her mind due to her exhaustion and lack of support systems in all area of her life (her partner, lack of friendships and lack of family support). This book alone, highlights how this leevel of sleep deprivation is not something that can simple cured by taking a nap but that mothers (or primary care givers) need long term support in multiple areas of their life so that they can stop living in survival mode and truly thrive in motherhood.

The narrator Sofia Zervudachi was very easy to listen to making this book even more enjoyable - a good narrator truly can make or break an audio book! I'll be keeping an eye for more books narrated by her in the future!

This novel explores motherhood, mental health, and questioning your own ability to be a mother. Lu, the main character, is sleep deprived and left alone with her thoughts. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from the moment she woke up outside her door with blood on her hands until the very end. I would definitely recommend this book.