A truly gripping read. The story immediately sets a scene that is horrific for Rachel to take in. It seems we know who has created this situation right away and I thought I had it all figured out. I so felt for Rachel but she has great support from her best friend and business partner and then hold on - Suzies' life starts to unravel as the man she is madly in love with disappears. The tying up of this great saga is very clever and I really enjoyed this story with all its twists and turns.

"You can always trust your best friend....can't you"

That's the strap line for the book, and yet the book was less cat and mouse game between best friends, more a sad story of acting on impulse and how the selfish and abusive actions of one man impact on those around him. The title is also a bit of a misnomer; there was no tense build up to whether 'he' woke up, because everyone had worked out who had done what long before that moment. There was even a section of the book where one of the characters tries to work out who was in hospital, but the title is a BIG giveaway, so there was no real suspense. I also remembered reading earlier in the book the sex of the victim.

I couldn't ever relate to the main characters (a week on from reading it and I've forgotten their names) and found them overly simplistic in their rendering. Similarly the plot itself progressed in fits and starts, never quite building up sufficient pace to keep me gripped.

Not one I would recommend.

I received an advanced copy from the publishers via net galley in return for an honest review.

Rachel and Suzie were close friends at school but lost touch. Rachel is now married to Phil with two children, Jessica and Katie and runs her own successful catering business. Suzie is engaged to Adam and they run a photography business together. After running into each other, Rachel and Suzie become friends again and decide to set up in business together as event organisers with their first big party due in days. Then both their worlds fall apart when Rachel sees a message on Twitter and believes that Phil is having an affair and Suzie finds her business is not doing as well as she thought and Adam has gone missing. The reality is worse than they first thought and rips the friendship apart.
Really enjoyed reading this although the ending was a little disappointing.

Absolutely loved this. A real twisty plot that kept me guessing most of the way. A real page turner that I couldn't put down.

I really enjoyed this book and how it all tied up in the end. 2 stories running in parallel. Both equally interesting characters and I was enjoying reading how they had met and started a business together. This combined with the main story of possible adultery and a web of lies made it a page turner for me. Every page for me was entertaining and the build up to the climax was very clever. Definitely 5 ⭐️

Rachel and her friend and business partner, Susie find an incriminating Twitter message on Rachel’s laptop from an unknown source. It implies an illicit meeting that Rachel can only asume is with her husband. She follows him to the mentioned hotel and instead of finding him with another woman, sees his car hit someone and drive away. Her turmoil of what she has witnessed causes her to have an accident in her own car and bit by bit her world comes crashing down. Meanwhile Susie is also struggling with her own personal problems and trying to keep their business going while facing unimaginable difficulties. The story twists and turns and is a definite page turner. I raced through this book in a desperate attempt to discover the answers which became darker and more horrific than I could imagine.

I really enjoyed this book, it did however take me by surprise being set so close to home! It was lovely to read how the author had captured my home city and reading the detailing seemed to make it magical, I almost saw it the way an outsider would and that was lovely.

Our storyline is based around Rachel and Suzie, two friends who are also business partners. Who are both hiding secrets from each other about the men in their lives.

It was a great storyline and I loved the way that it developed, it was fast flowing and I soon discovered that I was at the end. Well worth a read.

From the very first beginning I was hooked. The subject broached by the author could have been difficult to digest but is so well written it keeps you wanting more. I would definitely recommend this and will certainly be looking out for the next book by this author.

12 stars is possible- What happens when the two people you trust most in the world cold have decided to betray you? Will you try and find out the truth or will you bury your head in the sand? This was a brilliant debut novel that had be shocked, surprised, and dumbfounded page after page. This was written in two POVs that made it so entertaining and a must to finish as soon as possible. Thank you for allowing me the pleasure of reading and writing about this book.

I have mixed feelings about If He Wakes. I found the first 50% very tedious and hard-going. So much was being repeated and neither Rachel or Suzi stood apart. Both procrastinated profusely, both seemed inept at making decisions, and both seemed to be unable to act like adults. I also found it a little odd that Rachel is written in 1st person and Suzi in 3rd. But both are 'main' characters. There was a section where I thought I was reading Suzi, but it was actually Rachel reflecting/watching Suzi. I had to read it twice. But having said that, for the most part written this way worked.

I really hate books that start a dialogue and then take pages of endless sidetracking before the conversation progresses on. This happened a lot, and also when forward momentum in the storyline was moving on, we were taken off-momentum constantly with even more sidetracking. Now some of it is definitely needed and okay, but to the extent of the first half of this book, I was close to putting an end to reading on, it was too much for my taste.

But, then I hit the 50% marker and the whole tone of the book changed and it became far less going over the same ground and began to have life and soul. And I was finally immersed then and wanting to read on. I felt the excitement and buzz, and need for answers and I read the second half quickly. It was great and I was drawn in.

The first half of the book gets a max of 2 stars for me, the second half a solid 4 1/5 So overall I give this reading experience a 'I liked it' 3 stars. I received If He Wakes from Netgalley. My reviews are my own and reflect my reading experience.

Fantastic debut novel by this author that I would highly recommend. Only reason that I didn't give it 5 stars is because I felt it was a bit slow to get started and it took a good few chapters for me to get into it. However once it got going it certainly grabbed my attention and turned into a proper page turner. Look forward to reading more by this author.

This book is absolutely brilliant and I will definitely be looking for more titles by this author. Very gripping and and could not put it down, superb!

If he wakes was a great review. I was hooked from the first chapter and starving for more at the end of the review.

This was a light and enjoyable read.

If He Wakes by Zoe Lea is about two friends who discovers shocking news about their significant other. Rachel believes her husband is having an affair and follows him to a hotel. What she witnesses instead is far more shocking than what she intended to find. Suzie expects to marry her photographer fiancé and business partner... until she finds out she's in massive debt and her fiancé is no where to be found.

The story is fast paced and an easy, entertaining read. Don't expect well-developed characters, as this is mostly a short story with a buildup of events that leads to the truth and discovery. Nonetheless, I do recommend it if you're looking for a pleasant read.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

An exceptionally twisted storyline which keeps you hooked in. The start of the book leaves no room for considering the ending so well and truly engaging with the reader!

A woman who thinks her husband is having an affair, her friend who thinks she has the perfect fiancé and a hit and run accident. What could they all possibly have in common, what secrets are about to be uncovered and how will it destroy their lives? A must read with secrets that will shock and surprise you - this well written book will keep you gripped till the end.

This was such an exciting book and had me emotionally engaged right from the start. The characters are wonderful, very vivid and down-to-earth, and the story galloped along at a great pace. The plot was original and cleverly twisted, and best of all there was a very satisfying ending (I can't bear those writers who think it's clever to leave you hanging. It's not. It's irritating). If you love psychological thrillers you'll love this.

I enjoyed this book from the getgo until the last page. The story and the characters are beautifully written and it was a pleasure to read. I will definitely look out for her next novel. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to review this novel.

Entertaining story, the two main characters being businesswomen Ideal as a holiday read or for passing the time on a long journey

If He Wakes is a story told between two friends, Rachel & Suzy, who are childhood friends. I think my fundamental problem with this book was that nothing surprised me. Ok, nothing is strong, there was one or two things along the way that I was like "oh I didn't see that coming", but for the most part, I saw it coming.

Maybe I just read too many of these books so that I need a real left field idea to take me by surprise, but because this was lacking for me I was disappointed. I didn't particularly grow fond of the characters either, they were flawed and it made them more real, but they just weren't really likeable. I felt that the book was so fast paced that it didn't give the characters time to develop.

Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable read, I read it in a couple of days and stayed out in the sun longer than I should have because I wanted to finish it. But I also wonder if part of that was just because I wanted to see if it was going to surprise me after all, and then it didn't.

I'd definitely give Zoe Lea another chance if she published a new book, I felt there was potential there, but still room for growth.