Deep into the mind of our main character, Becky is a scary place to be. Partly because she can't sleep and partly because she keeps catching people acting strangely- staring at her, knocking things off shelves, threatening her.

This read was like a roller coaster, all up and little down. The suspense is tangible, you can almost taste it. The author is skilled in this, the gift of making even the reader paranoid. For myself, the ending was predictable but left me with a lot of questions that I don't know if I'll ever figure the answers out to. Something about the balance of the novel felt off.

That being said, I enjoyed the writing style tremendously and will keep a close eye on what this author will release. It's clear J.E Rowney isn't afraid to 'go there' with plot and intention.



I received this novel through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

J.E Rowney's debut book is a well written psychological thriller centred round Becky who ever since her brother Jordens death has suffered from insomnia.Becky has moved away to university to try and start afresh but it seems someone has followed her and is hellbent on destroying her new life for some unknown reasonas the book progresses we learn more of Becky's past and just how Jorden died,the story rattles along at a good pace to keep you interested,i would say though i thought the ending although good was a little bit rushed but a promising debut book from J.E Romney and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre.A decent 3 star read.

Becky has a traumatic past. Something happened few years back and since that incident she is unable to sleep. She has been suffering from insomnia and no drugs could cure her. When she decided to enroll into a college far away from home she thought that being among unknown people would help her live a normal life. But happiness was never in her fate. Strange things started happening with her which made her question her sanity.

The book is nicely written and keeps you hooked till the very last page. The curiosity to know what exactly happened to her won't let you put it down. The story helps you understand what a patient suffering from insomnia really has to go through. It gives you an insight into the lives of the people suffering from it. Most of the times people use the word 'insomnia' very casually but once you read the book you would understand the sufferings and inconveniences of the patients dealing with such a cruel disease. The plot is beautifully weaved and lets you keep guessing. At times it really gets creepy which i definitely loved being a fan of crime thrillers and murder mysteries. Overall it was a good and engaging read.

P.S I will update the link to my blog within a few days.

I quite enjoyed this , read it very quickly as I was intrigued as to what was going on . The idea of this theme was good and it progressed at a steady speed . I loved the ending as it all came together quickly within the last few pages. I would definitely consider reading more from this author in the future

Insomnia. The silent killer. The mind that gets no adequate rest can get up to all sorts of things. At the very least it makes for a classic unreliable narrator. And that’s what you have here, an 18 year old university freshman (or is it freshwoman these days) thoroughly traumatized by her beloved brother’s death two years earlier and completely addled by lack of sleep, our protagonist stumbles through her days in a sort of hazy daze and, no matter how much she strives for some sort of normalcy, becomes increasingly more and more paranoid that someone might be after her. There are mysterious occurrences, voices, phone calls…or are there? That’s the thing, she just isn’t all that sure of her reality and neither can the reader be. You get to find out, of course, it is a fairly short book and it gives you a double whammy of an ending too, almost ambiguously so, but then again, very much along the lines of what you might have expected. So it’s a reasonably prototypical female thriller, although there’s no split narration or any of that, it’s a pretty straight forward first person descent into madness and it works pretty well for what it is. Despite the characters’ young ages, this definitely doesn’t read YA, so kudos to the author on that. And the claustrophobic atmosphere of uncertainty, inability to trust one’s own experiences, the constant exhaustion, the fear, the liminal sort of consciousness levels…that’s all very well rendered and makes for a fairly compelling read. It might have done with a more twisted of an ending, but, you know, for the time invested, it’s fine, it worked. Made for a decently entertaining quick read. Thanks Netgalley.

This was such a gripping and compelling novel!
The story really drew me in.
It was very well written with a strong plot and good characters.
A wonderful psychological thriller!

**Review will appear on my Instagram blog in two weeks, will update the links then**


Haunted by what happened in the past and suffering from insomnia, Becky moves to a new place, with hopes to graduate and start over anew. But soon strange things start happening, there are shadows lurking inside her room, and outside her window, someone keeps calling her name but don't show their face. Is her mind playing tricks on her? Has someone followed her from the past? Or is it something more sinister?

Absolutely gripping from get go, a quick, and fast paced thrilling ride. It's the kind of a book that you finish in one sitting and then gape at the wall once you've finished it. It's exceptionally written and has a spooky feel to it. This'll legit put you on the edge of your seat and will have you guessing throughout. And the ending will make you think, rethink, and overthink, just what you read. I kinda like such stories where the ending is left to the reader to take wherever they want, but I desperately wanted to discuss this ending with someone to make sense of it all, I guess I'll just wait 😅. Absolutely recommended if you are looking for something short and thrilling, but beware of how the ending will come at you 😄

Thanks to Netgalley, author and, publishers for the eARC.

This book is very gripping. I read it in two sittings and only stopped during the first because I had to do something. This is easily a book I could have read in a single sitting.

The story is very fast-paced and reveals little pieces of Becky's past throughout, only giving you enough to keep you guessing.

During thrillers and mysteries, I always enjoy guessing the ending, and I often end up guessing correctly. But I am always pleasantly surprised when I am wrong, and this book was one of them. The ending was something I didn't see coming and I think it was a great way to end a thrilling book.

A great read, very well-written and developed throughout. A book I recommend.

Jarred with past traumatic experiences, Becky suffers extreme case of insomnia and survives on micro sleeps throughout the day. In her already muddled up life she started encountering calls from an unknown number and uncomfortable incidents in the library...little more than 160pages this psychological thriller is so good that I read it in one sitting. It has been quite a while I came across such a gripping narrative.

Review for 'I can't sleep' by J. E. Rowney

Read and reviewed via an ARC Copy

Will be available to purchase from the 16th October

This is the second book that I have read by this very talented author and it most certainly won't be my last.

This book was very well written and I found the characters very strong and believable meaning I managed to connect with the story and felt like I was really in the book. This was helped by the excellent descriptions.

I was immediately hooked from the first page until the last and found it a true page turner. It is filled with suspense and mystery and leaves you questioning who is behind it all. I was not expecting the ending at all which gives it bonus points from me, nothing worse than a crime thriller where you know the ending before you even get half way through!!

This book was set in the UK which is always a bonus for me as I live there!! This book is an excellent psychological thriller that I highly recommend to fans of mystery and suspense or anyone looking for a good read!!

Rated 5/5 on Goodreads and Amazon (I loved it)

#ICantSleep #JERowney