Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a New York taxi with no memory of how she got there or who she is. And written on her hands are the words “stay awake”. When she reaches for her phone, she discovers a bloodied knife in its place. Catching a glimpse of the local news, Liv sees reports of a murder where the victim’s blood was used to write the message on her very hands. What did Liv do last night and why can’t she remember the past two years of her life?

This 👏🏼 book 👏🏼 If you’re looking for a new psychological thriller that keeps you turning pages late into the night, you need to add this book to your TBR! I’m not kidding, I stayed up for half the night just to finish it. I couldn’t stop reading! I did get a little turned around at the beginning of the book but settled in pretty quickly. I really enjoyed the dual timeline of Liv’s present and life two years prior. I love books like that because it’s fun to compare the timelines and make connections! I found myself obsessing over Liv’s missing memories just like she was and it was absolutely fascinating. The suspense y’all! Chef’s kiss 🤌🏼 Thank you Megan Goldin and St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy!

“Stay Awake” by Megan Goldin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 8/9
Genre: thriller

This thriller kept my attention the entire time. I really enjoyed it! I liked how the author went back and forth from the main character Liv to the detectives handling the case. It gave me a mystery thriller feel. The timeline was kind of confusing, so I would not recommend on audio as it goes back to two years in the past and the present. Sometimes it even goes back a couple days. It wasn’t too hard to follow reading it.

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi believing it’s two year ago. When she tries to resume her old life and finds nothing is the same she panics. Her old apartment isn’t hers, she’s told at her old job she moved to London, she can’t read her best friend or boyfriend. Her hands are covered in reminders. One in particular Stay Awake!
Two years ago she was living with her best friend Amy. She had a boyfriend named Marco who she adored. She has her dream job writing for a magazine.
Now every time she wakes up the day before is a blur. She can only remember two years ago.
When she sees news reports of a woman with long dark hair that looks suspiciously like her wanted for murder she has to Stay Awake to figure out what’s going on.

This was an amazing thriller. The action starts right away and I couldn’t put it down. I loved it was told from the point of view of the main character and the detective trying to solve a murder. It also seamlessly alternated between past and present. It was full of twists and turns and though I didn’t guess the ending, in hindsight, I’m surprised I didn’t. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my favorite Megan Goldin so far!

Going into it, I was concerned that I would feel like the amnesia trope was overdone, but this one certainly stood on its own. It was just so engaging! It moved at such a fast pace, despite the repetitive nature of Liv needing to re-remember who she was every time she woke back up. I thought this was very well done, in that Goldin was able to convey Liv’s desperation over and over again without boring the reader.

I was absolutely dying to figure out what was going on with Liv. I flew through this audiobook, because I just couldn’t press pause!

Unfortunately, the only thing that didn’t work for me was the ending. While I liked how the case wrapped up, I felt like certain things were resolved somewhat magically and without explanation, which always irks me. It didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment of the book, though!

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Megan Goldin got me again with this book. Her writing is superb. The way she can drop breadcrumbs and misdirections into a story with perfect precision and timing really sells the story and leaves you wondering if maybe you’re crazy too like the characters. You can never quite trust who’s a reliable character, who’s innocent, who’s the killer, who’s a red herring, because she sets up the story in such a way that you’re guessing and making up theories the whole time. It’s not heavy-handed but its not obvious either. Theres also just enough info to keep the story moving along until you get more of the details of what happened, there’s never too much or too little info given at once — its enough to keep you on the hook and guessing while still coming up with your own theories of what happened. The way she slowly reveals details until the final tada! are masterful. I never saw the killer coming, I guess its true what they say – its always the ones you least suspect. There were a couple things that I assumed that turned out to be true, once I was given enough information, and a couple of things that I missed.

I will say that I enjoyed The Night Swim more than Stay Awake, but Stay Awake is still a fantastic book. I love the jumping timelines aspects of her stories and how they slowly all come together into one timeline at the end, its such a fun, engaging, mind-bending way to tell a story and Megan Goldin really pulls off the format. You’re never second guessing the story or going “wait what?” as you’re reading. I will say though, that the beginning of the book threw off at first and it took me easily 50-75 pages to get into the story. However, by the time I got to the middle of the book I realized that the reason the beginning of the book is so jarring and confusing is probably to mimic the confusing and jarring nature of the main characters memory loss, which I thought was genius. Whether or not this was done intentionally I loved the idea of it once I made the connection further along into the story.

I loved discovering Liv’s memories along with her and was completely obsessed with who the killer was and if/how Liv was framed. Megan Goldin delivers the perfect amount of suspense for a psychological thriller, and I love how she handled the police side of the events. I really appreciated the back and forth between Detective Halliday and Detective Lavelle, Lavelle was ready to sign, seal, and deliver this case on a silver plater based on the evidence intentionally presented to them by the murderer and Halliday was sure that there was more to this case than what meets the eye and advocated for Liv being more than just the most convenient or plausible suspect in the murder they’re investigating. The motives of who the actual murderer is, isn’t really spelled out at the end but I feel like Megan was telling us the motives of the killer all along, spelled out in the conversations between Levelle and Halliday over the course of the investigation on why Liv would want to murder the victim(s). The seeds are there spread out over the course of the book as to the who’s and why’s but will only make sense once you get to the end and think back on the course of events.

I will read everything Megan Goldin writes because her writing is sublime and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. And you should too!

Liv Reese wakes up in a cab without any recollection of how she got there in the first place, She has writing all over her. It soon becomes clear they are reminders, and the biggest one she needs to remember is STAY AWAKE. Liv soon realizes that the world she knew is no more, she can’t seem to get a hold of her best friend or fiancé and someone else is living in her apartment. What makes matters worse is she sees the same message that was on her skin on the news scrawled in a window in blood at the scene of a crime. Where did the last 2 years of her life go and what is the connection that Liv has to this crime?

Megan Goldin did it again! In this book you get to see things from the perspective of Liv in the present and Liv 2 years ago, you also get the perspective of a detective on the case of the crime that was committed. This book was so fast paced and easy to get into! I wouldn’t necessarily say there were many twists but this book was such an exhilarating read it didn’t need them. I will forever read books by Megan Goldin and I cannot wait for the next one! Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this amazing ARC!

"Stay Awake" is a fast paced suspense that kept me guessing throughout the whole story! Liv Reese wakes in a taxi cab and has no recollection of the why or how. This story is told with flashbacks and current day, which I found to be easy to follow with the labels on each chapter. I didn't want to stop reading to know how Liv's questions would be answered. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐔𝐏 & 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐁𝐑

Reading Megan Goldin's newest book feels like the rush you get from drinking a double expresso. Your heart will be racing, your eyes peeling open wide & your body trebling with excitement.

Nothing beats a thriller that's fast-paced & feels like a puzzle. Stay Awake is extremely unique with a "Ground Hogs Day" flare.

Our main character, Liv, finds herself in a confused state riding in the back of cab. Her surrounding's are unfamiliar & the last memory she has is answering her phone yesterday afternoon while working. Rushing out of the cab, she quickly finds out that the world she has come to know has completely turned upside down when a couple she doesn't recognize answers the door to her home. With her memories erased & these strangers in her home, Liv is feeling alone and very much in danger.

I absolutely loved the complexity of this story. I praise Megan Goldin for writing an entertaining thriller with this much complicated detail. I have never read a thriller where our main character is constantly losing their memory & I absolutely loved it. The ending was a deep breath of fresh air. It feels complete & leaves no loose ends.

Multiple POV
Fast-Paced
Puzzle-esc
Unique & Complex Storyline
Chilling
Who-Done-It

I haven't divulged into a thriller in a long time & Stay Awake "re-awaked" my love for this high-speed pacing genre yet I did find it was a bit predictable. This didn't take away from how entertaining the plot is or the quality of the writing.

But for my regular thriller readers, beware the twist's aren't very heavy. "Stay Awake's" twists may be foreseeable although I think how deep & complex Liv's story is should be the main reason you check this one out!

Megan Goldin does a great job in Stay Awake in making sure the reader has no clue what really has happened to Liv Reese. Every time she falls asleep she forgets everything that has happened over the past 2 years. Revelations are slowly revealed. Did she kills the man in the apartment or not. The reader truly does not know what really happened until the very end. I love books that keep me guessing until the end and makes be say "well I didn't see that coming." Well done Megan Goldin.

I really enjoyed this author’s last book, Night Swim so I was very excited to see she had a new book releasing this year and this one did not disappoint! Megan Goldin knows how to write a thriller! This one especially had a very unique take with a protagonist who loses her memory every time she goes to sleep. It leaves keeps you on your toes and makes you question everything you’ve read. I really loved this book and devoured it in just a few days!

Megan Goldin uses the unreliable narrator with amnesia trope to make a wonderful rollercoaster ride of a read. This twisty thriller was captivating from start to finish and I really enjoyed it.

3.5 ⭐️

This book gave me so much anxiety I’m glad I finished it.

The concept for the book is great and I had a really good time reading it but as the story progressed it started getting repetitive and I couldn’t wait to get it over with.

I couldn’t even fathom being in Liv Reese’s shoes. Not having any recollection of the past two years of your life, not knowing that someone’s hunting you down and having no one to trust, not even yourself.

There is some characters in the book that I would’ve liked to know more about because they appeared for a little bit and then they just fell off the face of the earth.

The ending was nice but I was still missing something.

Overall, a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the amnesia trope and short chapters, but this one was a little too confusing with the timeline jumping around. I felt like I was left with some loose ends, the characters weren’t that likable, and I found it to be repetitive at times.

This was so good! I loved the novel start to finish. It was so hard to put down when I had to. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes creepy thrillers.

I’ve loved Megan Goldin since The Escape Room. Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi cab with no phone and scribbled notes all over her hands- STAY AWAKE they admonish. When she gets to her apartment, a stranger is living there and has no idea who she is.

With a blood covered knife in her possession and no memory of anything that has happened during the past two years, Liv is on the run to try and find the missing pieces. While the police suspect her of murder, Liv must try to prove her innocence and stay both alive and awake.

It’s a great, fast-paced book that you won’t want to put down.

What a wild ride! Liv wakes up and can't remember anything that has happened in the past two years. As far as she knows, her boyfriend Marco and her best friend Amy are alive and well. But they aren't. And the killer is coming after Liv. Told in dual timelines, the tension is kept on high with Liv's point of view in first person and the other view in omnipresent third person. It brings the reader into the confusion and emotion of the story. I expected that the concept of Liv losing her memory every time she fell asleep would get annoying quickly, but that never happened. When I wasn't actually reading the book, I was pondering how it was going to get resolved. The story kept a fast pace despite Liv needing a recap to figure out what was happening to her. That is good writing!

Stay Awake? More like stay on the edge of your seat!!

I loved this book!! I binged it all in one sitting!! It had my full attention and kept me guessing who the killer was. I didn’t see that reveal coming until the very last second, then I was like.. 🤯🤯🤯

Liv wakes up in the back of a cab with a bloody knife in her coat and no memory of the last 24 hours. Now her face is all over the news and the police are looking for her in connection of the murder of her ex. Come to find out, Liv can’t remember the past 2 years due to amnesia and could be connected to other murders as well!!

Unreliable narrator, unique storyline, multiple POV and full of twists!! Stay Awake is a wild ride I didn’t want to end!! (Highly suggest the audiobook, it’s fantastic!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼)

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an eARC and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the most intense and scary thrillers I’ve read this year. The weaving of past & present lives of Liv Reese was excellent. None of Liv’s memories are what she believed them to be, and even her present life is questionable. She’s caught in a murder mystery and doesn’t know who to trust. The writing was excellent and so was character development. This was an unputdownable book!

Thank you to Megan Goldin, the publisher and to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

***4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account***

"A graphic at the bottom of the screen says: Murderer Writes Message In Victim's Blood... Painted on the window in red letters are the words, WAKE UP!"

"...I push up my sleeves and stare at the same words scribbled just below my wrist bone."

The intense panic in the lastest psychology thriller by tension driven writer Megan Goldin definitely added to the grey hairs on my head!

As I read and listened to this wild mystery thriller I realized my review cannot be too detailed because the unraveling of Liz's story is extremely detailed and precise. The author has created a set of clues that are like a treasure map and getting to the X marks the spot finish is rewarding but not easy on the nervous system.

Imagine waking up in a cab with no memory of how you got there or going to your apartment to find strangers living there with only some old mail as proof your roommate once lived there too. Better yet going to your office and everyone greeting you like a visitor who has been gone for two years!

Two of my favorite narrators January Lavoy and Imogen Church take acting to a whole new level as the confused scared and very frustrated Liz and the trying to prove herself NY Detective Darcy Halliday. The chapters switch off between these two leading ladies and I honestly was rooting for both of them which made my brain short circuit.

Despite clever red herrings, a bit of an outlandish medical ailment, and a twisty plot I figured out the truth but not necessarily because of the clues but just a realization that hit me as a constant reader of thrillers.

Liz loses her memory when she sleeps. When she wakes up it's always two years ago. What happened two years ago? Read/listen to this thriller. I guarantee you will Stay Awake until the end.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved The Night Swim by Goldin but this one read more like a first draft. The premise is that Liv loses her memory every time she falls asleep. She's now wanted for murder but doesn't remember anything that's happened in the last two years.

The groundhog's day-esque plot became repetitive pretty quickly, mainly because the reader doesn't learn a lot before Liv falls asleep again. I thought the ending wrapped up a little too nicely, with everything being revealed in two conversations.

My favorite part of this book was Detective Halliday. She was a strong female lead and really helped move the novel along.