This book was absolutely wild! I didn’t anticipate it being so dramatic. I thought it was going to be about a couple who meets in dreams and falls in love in real life. Instead we got drug addictions, rape, an abusive boss, a really indecisive (and at some points unlikeable) narrator and no real resolution. Half the time I was wondering if this was some twilight zone episode where her real life was all dreams. And to some extent it was. I was waiting for a resolution and unfortunately they left it on a pausing point (not really a cliff hanger because there’s no suspense) to get you to read the next book.

I see there’s a second book and I’m not sure if I’ll read it because it sounds like the exact same book. Ness debating between her husband and Altan, her ex boss out to get her and ness in a never ending pit of distraction.

It is contemporary fiction. I loved the premise of the book as I found it different and entertaining. While reading the book, you might end up wondering if that is for real or such things really happen where fantasy and reality collide. Though there were a few problematic scenes, it refreshed me and got me back to reading. So, it was easy to say goodbye to my reading slump.

There are two-person, Vanessa and Altan, who works in a pharmaceutical company and are working on a project where they have medical trials before the medicine comes out to the market. Here, they are working on a medicine called Morpheum, which is a sleeping pill. Vanessa finds out that Altan is stealing it and she becomes his accomplice in the scheme as she wants to have some rest from her nightmares too. Now, how they work on it and what all it includes is interesting. I'm not going to give you a spoiler but, it is a fun read.

It also discusses how few secrets in our life can become the cause of some big problems that it becomes so difficult to handle after a while. Vanessa looks like a good person but she is too silent when something wrong is happening. Altan is a carefree guy but by the end of the book, he doesn't feel like one. If you wanna read something light, this book is for you.

Such a cool premise but this book just didn't do it for me. The beginning was good and intriguing, the middle really dragged on and was just very repetitive (especially with the multiple perspectives) and the felt the end to be a bit sloppy and rushed

I felt like there were alot of plot holes in the book too and I didn't feel particularly connected to any character. I was so excited by the synopsis of this book so I was pretty gutted that it didn't live up to the could be of an amazing book.

i heard great thinkgs about this book. i unfortunately did not enjoy it like apparently the rest of the world did. so. that's the tea on that. pass on this and no thank you. bai.

I was really excited to read this book. Shared dreams sounds like an interesting plot. But sexy shared dreams with a hot co-worker, sounds like a really fun plot. Unfortunately it did not play out that way for me. I couldn't connect with this book. I am not sure what exactly I did like but it just wasn't for me.

3.5 undecided STARS ★★★✬✩

This book is for you if… you are not one of those close-minded eejits who think women are nothing but baby machines and strongly believe we are valid in our desire to not have kids. I'd say people with the ability to bear children, but the lack of a desire for it might find this book especially worthwhile because that's why I liked it so much.

⤐ Overall.
I haven't had mixed feelings to that degree about any book in a damn long time. Right after finishing the book, my first instinct to rate it 3 stars but now that I'm looking through all the quotes I saved I remember how much sense this book gave me.

At first, I deeply identified with Ness' struggles. My friends are sporting baby bellies left and right while I'm like 65% sure I don't want to have kids. Ever. And when I tell people that they seem to take my state of indecisiveness as a challenge to convince me that it's 100% granted I'll totally be swooned by the idea since ... Ya know the clock is ticking. Simple biology.
‘Aw, Bug,’ he said. ‘Everybody says that.’ ‘But I mean it!’ ‘No, you don’t,’ he cooed, pulling me toward him and rubbing his hands up and down my back, speaking softly, like my mind was a skittish horse that could be coaxed and calmed, instead of its own steadfast thing.

‘OK,’ I said. ‘Let’s get this over with. You want to have kids?’ ‘Yes,’ said Pete. He was shifting into lawyer mode, suddenly all business. ‘Do you?’ I shifted into business mode, too, so it was easier to say, ‘I'm not sure.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘Do I have to justify it?’ ‘I’d like you to. So I can understand.’ ‘So you can understand or so you can change my mind?’ ‘Both,’ said Pete. He didn’t smile, so he wasn’t kidding. ‘See, that’s the problem.’ I motioned for more coffee from the waitress. ‘I don’t want my mind changed. My mind is very happy where it’s at.’

Simple biology that is until it's not so simple anymore when I explain if we're talking nature, it would be more than legit that I didn't want any kids, biologically speaking, overpopulated planet, stressed ecosystems and all. Ton's of people with uteruses shouldn't have a desire to not want kids anymore.

A person with the ability to bear children with my career ambitions will have to face the ugly truth that becoming a parent will come at the cost of literally everything else in your life. Once you have kids, life, as you know and love it, will be over for at least 16 years.
‘Well, if we don’t have money to travel, how the hell can we afford a child? Do you know what daycare costs?’ ‘Daycare?’ Pete looked truly taken aback. ‘I just assumed you’d stay home with the baby.’ Oh. It was on. I threw the towel on the ground. ‘Why would you even think that?’

Having a baby will not create more of me. It will cut me in half.’ ‘But you don't know that,’ Pete said. ‘And neither do you. So why do we trust your intuition over mine, especially when I have more to lose?’


I guess by now you see how much I felt the heroine's struggle. That last sentence right there especially made me furious. Because this argument is as much a fictional one as it is a real one. I had all these conversations with my last boyfriend, his friends, my friends. Women have to sacrifice 10 months of their life and their bodily functions to what is basically a parasite. And the time after giving birth, don't even get me started. One of my best friends actually said it's not normal for a person with a uterus to not have kids. I can't explain how hurtful that is on so many levels.

Y'all hearing the but? Jup... But...then the whole story got too twisted to be enjoyed unconditionally. You all read the plot so you won't be spoiled by what I'm telling you to know. The reason this is not a 5 star read even though I loved so many parts of it... is...the cheating which is absolutely not addressed as such. I would be lying if I said I'm trying not to judge too hard. Because I do. If you define cheating as harbouring emotions that go beyond the platonic-friend-coworker-who's-stuck-in-the-same-shit show kind of thing, you'll not like what's happening in this book.

I don't even have much to say about that specifically, but at around 60% of the book, I was very annoyed with Ness for living the life in her dreams with Atlan AND her husband Pete and still finding the audacity to be mad at Atlan for trying to get his romantic life back on track. It felt very fruitful and didn't really give the plot the dynamics it could have. Even though I can't name them. So, yeah. Save to say I'm undecided, eh?

⤐ What’s happening.
‘Granted, I also wanted to travel and not have kids, but it was revolutionary when a woman had wanderlust. When a man did, it was … typical.’

Nightmares of the worst kind have plagued Ness for quite some time. Ever since her husband Pete brought up the baby topic, she can't get rid of agonizing dreams that steal as much of her vigour as her crappy job does. Then she discovers that the morpheum pills she's putting through trial catapult her into a vivid and liberating dream world, she doesn't even want to wake up anymore. Especially not after that extremely hot sex dream she had of her coworker Altan. Or should I say with her coworker. Because they've actually met in their dream and their intermezzos slowly turn into something that goes beyond 'hehe, I dreamed of you, awkward.'
Con:
⇢ waking up gets harder every day
⇢ boss' sexual harassment
⇢ the baby topic
Pro:
⇢ escape pills
⇢ getting to know coworker she had a crush on
⇢ no more baby dreams

_____________________
4 STARS. Would stay up beyond my typical hours to finish it. I found some minor details I didn't like, agree with or lacked in some kind but overall, this was enjoyable and extraordinary.

3 STARS. Decent read that I have neither strongly positive nor negative feelings about. Some thinks irked me and thus it does not qualify as exceptional.

Sleeping Together by Kitty Cook

About a woman who gets very skittish when her husband mentions having a baby and she starts having nightmares because she is not sure/happy with the prospect. Her colleague has become addicted to sleeping pills.

When I first select i thought it had great potential but alas I felt it fell a bit short.

It was a rather strange book about infidelity and addiction both very touchy subjects.

The normal conversations people have just didn't happen. Some parts in the book handle the subjects well others poorly.

I have mixed views about this book. It really depends how strong you feel on the topic of the book.

Thank You NetGalley/Publisher & Author for this gifted ebook

Summary--
Vanessa Brown is having nightmares: about babies. Ever since her husband, Pete, mentioned he wanted to start a family, Ness has been trying to convince herself she’s stoked to spawn despite her inability to keep a cactus alive—and a decade-old secret she doesn’t like to remember. So when she catches her slacker-cool coworker, Altan Young, stealing sleeping medication from the pharmaceutical company they both work for, she decides to try the pilfered pills to finally find some rest.

Review--
I really wasn't expecting this book to be the way it was written.
Wanting more I guess.
I had high hopes.
I just wasn't into it.

Rating--3/5

Infidelity is always a difficult topic and always splits the crowd in reviews. I think the book synopsis is quite clear about the fact this happens and those who don’t want to read about infidelity should avoid the book. It seems unfair on the author to request an arc of something you know you will not enjoy and then leave a negative review???

Personally I find the topic interesting and I am happy to read about the subject and understand why some people do stray.

I liked the idea of medication inducing these wild dreams and the impact of the dreams on the characters lives. I enjoyed this book and feel that it flowed well. I do wish the main character had spoken to her husband, but that wouldn’t have made for such an interesting read.

Overall, a good, though provoking book. I enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

I wasn’t a fan of this one. I found the relationship to be toxic. I also found that there were too many triggering topics, that were handled poorly.

Fun and easy to read, Kitty Cook takes you along the highs and lows of a very particular relationship, Perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary.

This book really took me by surprise! The concept sounded interesting enough, but it was an easy and engaging read and I couldn't take myself out of the world once I dove in.

I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a fun, but heavy read and touches on some difficult subjects. The plot was original and I loved the transitions between the dream world and real life. I liked how the main character, Ness, was flawed and sometimes not particularly likeable, but you still need to know what happens to her. This novel discusses some hard topics such as sexual assault and substance abuse and I think the author writes about these topics well. I'm excited to read the sequel.

To be completely honest I didn’t know what to fully expect from this book, but I have to say how much I enjoyed it and how much of an easy reading this was.
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Of course, there were heavy topics such as substance abuse, sexual harassment/sexual abuse, and infidelity. But it was all wrapped up into this compelling story about two people how understanding each other’s deepest fears and dreams without any judgment.

Vanessa, it’s a very deep character that might not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially those who don’t get past the surface, which is a hard thing to do when you don’t identify with her experiences and/or grieving processes. The fact that went through everything she went through in college and never dealt with it and it finally catches up to her, could explain a lot about every decision she makes throughout the book. I read and re-read the book, taking notes and the second time after I had empathy for her, and while I don’t personally relate to her, it was truly a ride to see how putting your traumas on the background will eventually catch up to you.

I’m excited to see where Nessa’s journey will take her next and truly hope to see her dealing with her issues and becoming a better person from it.

Thank you NetGalley, Brass Anvil books and Kitty Cook for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I’m going to just start by saying: I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. If you’re a fan of Black Mirrors or Maniac (both on Netflix) then you MUST read this book!
Vanessa Brown, Ness, is living every gal’s dream life. Married to a selfless and patient man, a solid job with a tolerable and cute office mate and now... the ability to live her wildest dreams. Only problem? The last part is only in her dreams.
Ness gets sucked into a scheme to steal experimental pills from her work with her office mate, Altan, to escape the stress of a past life and the possibility of becoming a mother. She never expected to fall for the man who joined her on the journey.
A large theme in this one is infidelity. I know that some people have that on they’re “no way” list, but I really didn’t hate Ness for the choices she made. I wanted to shake her a lot and I felt all three people involved deserved better, but sometimes getting there is messier than intended.
I honestly didn’t know who I wanted Vanessa to end up with and I won’t give anything away more than... this is a really really good book! Book 2 is already out and I've got it pulled up on my Kindle. If you need me I’ll be in Ness’s world for the rest of my weekend!

I quite liked the idea of Sleeping Together, where two people can wander through a dreamscape together. The dream sequences were captivating, and definitely my favourite parts of the novel. There were parts I loved, parts that made me angry, and parts that made me REALLY angry (most of them involving the awful Malcolm).

Ultimately though, I spent most of the book a little confused. I just couldn't understand why Ness, having a husband who was kind and caring, was just not communicating with him at all, whilst also having a strange physical but not physical affair.

At a certain point, lines do start to blur and you start to question whats happening and whats a dream, which was pretty clever. I'd still say its a middle of the road read, with some interesting aspects.

Ness is having nightmares after her husband suggests having a baby. Altan, her coworker, is stealing sleeping medication which is currently undergoing trials where they work. When they both start taking it, they end up not only having the vivid dreams advertised as a benefit of the medication but also having shared dreams with each other, which leads to them falling for each other. I really felt drawn in by Ness's character right away, with her feelings about not wanting a baby and the husband who didn't get it. Kind of a lot of trigger warnings for this one, rape, abortion, sexual harrassment, addiction, but I really liked it a lot and will be reading the second book soon. 4.5 stars, rounded to 4.

I mean...sure.

Two co-workers sharing sexy dreams. A husband who is sweet and loving.

This was kind of dumb. Like, it read like chick-lit but more YA and more because of the language. It's lame.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Okay so I was not really sure how I felt about this book at first there was just some conflicting feelings. I was frustrated by the main character most of the time because of how good her life was and how badly she wanted to wreck it. i understand that this is supposed to be a book to bring light to this type of stigma but for some reason it just wasn't doing it for me.

Oh boy, I do not even know where to start with this one. I was not a fan, not a fan at all. This book did the one thing that I hate in all romance books, CHEATING!
In this book we follow our main character who has this good life with a steady job and loving husband. When her husband brings up the idea of babies she begins reliving some past trauma and having nightmares. She begins stealing sleeping pills from work and somehow her dreams link up with her male co-worker.
So now our main character is addicted to these sleeping pills, all while having sex with and going on these trips with her real-life coworker in her dreams.
All of this felt really yucky to me. Her husband was an incredible man, she even admits it many times. This book left a really bad taste in my mouth.