I received a free e-copy of While You Sleep by Stephanie Merritt from Net Galley in exchange for my review.

When I read the description of this book, I was eager to read a haunted house, gothic type story, with plenty of eerie bits and spooky moments. While there are a few of those in While You Sleep, I wanted there to be more. There was never a time that I truly felt scared to keep reading, and those moments are always my favorite. 

I also did not expect to find so many graphic sex scenes in a book I thought was a straight horror novel. I would consider While You Sleep erotic horror, if there is such a thing. For my personal tastes, there could have been about a quarter of the included sex scenes, and that particular point of the story would have been just as clear. 

And while I also figured out two big twists fairly early in the book, which was kind of disappointing, I still enjoyed seeing the reveal when it came. This book is extremely well-written, and the overall story is good, especially if you allow yourself to suspend disbelief enough to not be irritated at certain choices made by the characters.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This story was masterfully written! From the first sentence on, I felt leery, uncomfortable, and probably a little paranoid. Stephanie Merritt kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. This disturbing novel just wanders along in a slow burn constantly eluding to something could be happening at any time. I loved it! 

The topic itself is not novel - we have an unreliable protagonist (is Zoe delusional?), we have a sort of 100-year-old witch hunt story (was Aisle McBride mad or misunderstood?), and we have a very isolated, most likely haunted house on a remote island in Scotland filled with superstitious and slightly hostile townsfolk. 

What drew me in was the mysteriousness of Zoe's back story (why is she taking refuge in this place that isn't very welcoming to outsiders?), her slowly developing friendships with the elusive Charles and the overeager Edward (with their own secrets!), as well as her reoccurring eerie and foreboding dreams. The dreams specifically show Merritt's genius in creating an atmosphere with words. I loved how they slowly escalated blurring the line between fiction and reality. We never really know what are the signs of a madwoman and what are paranormal or maybe even perfectly explainable occurrences. The spooky events taking place at McBride house could be the evil doings of spirits, the delusions of a single woman, and the deeds of a sick perpetrator, or something completely different.

This story is complex. No one answer can explain it all. Or can it? 

As a side note, I don't think the current synopsis on Goodreads does the book justice. It gives too much away and not enough. It slightly, but enough to be confusing, misrepresents what this book is actually about. The less you know the better it will be.

While You Sleep is a psychological thriller. Zoe,an American fleeing a bad marriage, rents a house on an isolated Scottish island. The house is straight up creepy, like the house in A Series of Unfortunate Events that hangs over that cliff, only worse! It's the vibe of the house that makes or breaks the story. I think it's a little underrated unfortunately. It's a story full of tension and gothic style horror. The sex scenes were just unnecessary. Characters were cliche.  It's overall a good read if you can get past the beginning. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I admit, I didn't believe this was going to be my type of book at first, especially after getting to the very explicit sexual dream sequence very early on. However, "While You Sleep" transforms into a taut, psychological thriller with some genuinely creepy passages. While I guessed where the twist was going to come from a bit early for my liking, the revelations were still done in a tasteful way.

The main character is decidedly unlikable throughout the story, but as I took that to be the intent, I can only praise the author for maintaining that feeling, and you do end up empathizing with her more as the story goes and her backstory reveals itself.

Most definitely the best part was the continual usage of scenery and weather to ratchet up the suspense. The story was set on a remote isle in Scotland for a reason, and the author makes liberal use of that desolate, beautiful, and foreboding landscape to the tale's advantage. 

4/5. I could see this becoming a decent Netflix movie down the line. 

***I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

It begins, they say, with a woman screaming…

Zoe Adams has Scottish roots,  so when she needs some time apart from her husband she heads to a remote island in Scotland. Responding to an advert for a recently restored Victorian on the beach. No cell service or internet is just the thing to help her reignite her passion. Painting landscapes.

An island so small there isn't even a real policeman.  The McBride house stands alone against the forces of nature and man. A beautiful place in a beautiful setting. The owner and his family operate the pub and live above it, which Zoe is curious about. Such a gorgeous place, why wouldn't you live in it?

The people of the island are not exactly welcoming and Zoe knows they are hiding something from her and her first night in the house she finds out firsthand what that might be. The house may look shiny and new but it has a dark and dangerous past. One full of ancient practices, buried bodies, ghosts and murders. Stories of a widow and her son dying there and most recently a boy disappearing there. But Zoe thinks the bad guys are very human. But can she figure it all out before she becomes one of the horror stories?

This book had it all. Horror, Thriller, Ghost Story, Gothic, Mystery and more. And that is all I'm telling you. I started it and finished it in one day. This is not your average haunted house, it comes with some special benefits that had me reading some chapters again just to be sure I understood what was going on! And that is good! The ending was perfect for this tale and I'm sure I will read it again.

Well Done!

Netgalley/ Pegasus Books March 05, 2019

Wherever a story goes with a different country or scenery, it’s important to tell the story with a detailed description of the area. This book does that with a remote island where a house sits and Zoe from America arrives to live there.  With her arrival all sorts of strange happenings start to happen.  I really enjoyed this book and it was a welcome change from the ho hum scary stories you sometimes read.  Try it out and enjoy!

I'm not typically one to pick up a thriller. However, throw in a ghost story and I'm interested.

While You Sleep started well. Zoe, an American, is fleeing from the confines of her failing marriage. You see, the best thing to do when your marriage is on the rocks is go rent a spooky house on a remote Scottish island, especially when it's on a sea cliff and none of the locals will stay there themselves. Great idea! Let's go!

From there, we see the typical haunted house vibe: strange noises, disembodied voices and singing, a watchful presence, strange visions, and dreams. Then we get some midnight ghostly sexy time and BDSM, which felt awkwardly out of place. 

As the book progresses, we learn more about the island and its inhabitants, including the story of the original owner of the house. A widowed woman living alone with a mute child, of course, HAS to be a devil-worshiping witch or worse, possessed. Needless to say, the characters were pretty cliched from the dippy American to the all-knowing Professor. They all managed to completely fulfill their designated stereotype to the fullest.

I was disappointed that the author didn't capitalize more on the location. The house was such a manifestation itself. Creaky, old house sitting on a windblown cliff above the tattered waves. Some of the unease and tension were very well done throughout the novel but mainly centered in and around the house.

While You Sleep had potential but began to lose its luster halfway through. While there were some twists and turns, especially at the end, it wasn't enough to merit more than a "meh" from me.

While You Sleep is an intriguing and eerie present-day ghost story and thriller, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Books like this aren't my usual genre, but Stephanie Merritt did a masterful job of pulling the reader deeply into the story.  She is a skilled writer and excels at creating atmosphere.

The story is  Zoe Adams, who is escaping her life and marriage in America by renting a house on an isolated Scottish island where she plans to paint.  The house is in a very small village, inhabited by some really interesting, well-written characters, and soon Zoe is having some really disturbing dreams.  Or are they?

All in all, a sexy, psychological thriller.  I would definitely recommend reading.

Atmospheric ghost story wrapped in a murder mystery that was hard to put down. The explicit sex scenes are not for the feint of heart and if you can get past them, this is well worth the read.

While you sleep was a quick fantastic thriller that I could not put down. It had be gripped from page one to the very last page.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review 

The book starts out with ghost sex, which normally would put me right off, but I have to say they made it work

I had a growing sense of dread as I read.  Most of it was due to the masterfully-crafted suspense.  But also because I was growing increasingly worried that the end could never live up to the build-up.   (I have been burnt before.) Fortunately, I was so wrong! I highly recommend While You Sleep for its well-plotted story and engaging characters.

A mysterious death in a glamorous location on a Scottish Island leaves readers on a prolonged thrilling journey that they just can't seem to escape nor do they want too.
Stephanie Merritt digs right in with the death of a mother and child at the McBride house and ever since the place feels bizarre.
If you add that to the fact a young boy on a dare much like in the movie 'Monster House' goes in on a dare but never returns and you get the set up for a terrifying chilling ending.
For Zoe the house offers peace, stability, and comfort from her current failing marriage.
All is well till the creatures stirred and that's saying it mildly ...
Will the truth ever come out and will she finally get the peace and quiet she deserves?
Perhaps the locals know more than they are saying but what if the place really is spooked?
Well , adios ... enjoy the trip!
Thank you to Stephanie, the publisher, NetGalley, and Aldiko for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Let me just start by saying that I was in a reading rut with nothing really keeping me interested...then THIS little beauty came along and I whipped right through it! Could not put it down! So, while it's not likely to be winning the Booker Prize any time soon, it IS a fabulous read that keeps you guessing. So thankful it got me back into the pages!!

So, if you are looking for a fast-paced supernatural thriller with a little bit of mild erotica thrown in for good measure, this is your book. 

Backdrop: Zoe is an America artist needing some space from her controlling husband. So, she rents a recently renovated historical home on a far corner of an island off the cost of Scotland in an effort to relax and revive her artistic spirit.  Alas, no relaxation for Zoe as she soon finds herself being regaled with island stories of murder and ghosts, living in a "haunted" house, flirting with the handsome young school teacher, and thwarting off superstitious islanders and a lecherous neighbor.  

The author has hit on a perfect mix of "maybe-supernatural"/"maybe-not-supernatural" mystery in the plot to keep you turning pages. And a few twists were thrown in that I never saw coming that only added to the compulsion of, "I must finish this to find out what is going on!!!"  A great, quick read perfect for a dark and stormy night.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review. Wow! If you are looking for a thriller this is it! This book is non stop from the beginning. My heart was racing at so many different times in this book! After the ending, I have so many questions though.  I certainly hope Ms. Merritt writes a sequel.  I will be the first to read it! One word of advice- don't read this book before you go to bed! :) Loved it!!!

While You Sleep is an atmospheric Gothic thriller with so many surprises towards the end that I felt riveted. There were many times I felt goosebumps rising on my flesh as I was reading and even more times I was looking over my own shoulder. I was deeply engaged in the story and devoured it as much as I could in one sitting- I simply didn't want to miss a thing!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 out of 5 stars.

Zoe feels stifled in her marriage to Dan. Against his wishes, she leaves America for a remote Scottish island where she plans on spending some much needed alone time, unplugged and free.

As with any small town, the locals are curious and suspicious of Zoe, but she manages to make a few friends. She also manages to make some enemies. 

There's a lot of local legend and lore surrounding the house she's renting,and though she tries to ignore it, it becomes harder and harder to as the strange happenings at night escalate.

Scottish gothic tale available for grabs on NetGalley? Yes, please!!

I can't say I was in love with all of the book. Although the steamy scenes did end up being necessary to the plot, it irked me that there were a few times I was reading 50 Shades. 

However, aside from that the writing was beautiful. The ghostly happenings we're enhanced by the weather and atmosphere. 

Don't be deceived. This is no regular old ghost story. While the author keeps you guessing about what's happening until the end, and of course there's moments you think you know what's going on, but you don't realize all of it.

A devastating story of what humans are capable of, and a brilliant story of what might be but isn't understood, or has been forgotten.

Right off the bat I observed that this author crafts exquisite sentences. Beautifully descriptive without being overbearing or verbose. Phrasing and word choices are brilliant. The author turns words into works of art!  I actually stopped many times throughout the book to re-read sentences because they were so strikingly perfect to me. Very impressive. 

Using this amazing talent to craft words, the author also did a fantastic job of setting up a creepy, uneasy feeling throughout the story. Every time Zoe went to the house alone I kind of wanted to stop reading! Whether the events Zoe experienced were real or not real, the sense of foreboding and fright was tangible. From tiny events that invoked minor jumps to major occurrences that invoked sheer terror, the author delivered a truly atmospheric and unsettling story. And the tension increases at a perfect pace in my opinion – and you are never truly sure of what is happening until the climax at the end. Sadly, I predicted the twist at the end (which obviously lessened the impact for me), but I still enjoyed the story. This is one of the creepiest books I have read in a long time.

I did have a little irritation with the main character Zoe. She seemed to be a tad unrealistically brave in constantly returning to the house alone, considering what was going on. While I understand that ultimately it was important to her backstory, Zoe was too easily offended when people offered to help her. She reacted as if everyone assumed she was “just a woman” and couldn’t do anything for herself, rather than realizing people were just being kind and offering a newcomer assistance in what was a crazy and scary situation. So she kept putting herself (unnecessarily) in potentially dangerous situations just to prove she was capable. The impetus for this behavior was ultimately a fundamental part of Zoe’s psyche and impacted how she reacted and experienced everything around her. But thankfully the instances of her negative reaction to offers of help wasn’t an enormous part of the story, but it was annoying to me nonetheless. 

I also wasn’t quite expecting the nature of the nocturnal visits. They weren’t terribly graphic, but it is not the type of detail I tend to read. As someone who loves a good ghost story and psychological thriller, but not erotica, I think it is prudent to warn readers that this type of storyline exists in this book.

This is the first book I have read from this author (who also writes under the name of S. J. Parris). I will read more of her work. I love gothic horror/romance novels and this one was really good. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Pegasus Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much. Felt very old school, gothic novel. I loved the setting, and the creepy old house. The writing was wonderful. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book.

On a remote Scottish island, the McBride house stands guard over its secrets. A century ago, a young widow and her son died mysteriously there; just last year a local boy, visiting for a dare, disappeared without a trace. For Zoe Adams, newly arrived from America, the house offers a refuge from her failing marriage. But her peaceful retreat is disrupted by strange and disturbing events: nighttime intrusions; unknown voices; a constant sense of being watched.

The locals want her to believe that these incidents are echoes of the McBrides’ dark past. Zoe is convinced the danger is closer at hand, and all too real—but can she uncover the truth before she is silenced?

While You Sleep was an intense dark horror story that I couldn't get enough of! It reminded me of an Anne Rice novel. Excellent characters and interesting plot, I think a lot of horror/thriller fans are going to enjoy this one.

Thank you #Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of #WhileYouSleep
Pub Date: 05 Mar 2019