This was a fabulous mystery. Throughout much of the story you have no idea what is going on. Everything unfolded for me at the pace the author intended and I thought the ending was great. I loved the way it all came together.

The characters in this book were well built. I particularly loved Darcy and would love to see this turn into her series.

I have enjoyed Megan Goldin's writing in the past and look forward to reading whatever she comes out with next. Narration of the audio was expertly done by Imogen Church and January LaVoy.

4.5 stars - Almost perfect.

A unique premise is harder to find as more thrillers are pumped into the market, but Stay Awake was one that actually seemed to try something different. This entire story - as do most thrillers - needs the reader to completely set aside the disbelief that someone who forgets everything they’ve done over the last two years when they fall asleep could live a functional life alone. Let alone travel overseas and manage to snag a New York apartment in the midst of all this. But if you can swallow that outrageous setup, it’s an incredibly interesting way to create an unreliable narrator that doesn’t rely on drugs or alcohol. Liv is not some suburban wine mom suspicious of a cheating husband - she’s an incredibly exhausted woman whose disorientation is believable and lack of sleep is entirely relatable.

A few chapters into this book, I thought it could be a rare 4-star thriller for me. It drops Liv directly into the action as she awakes with no memory in a cab, in the sprawling landscape of NYC. It’s the perfect setup for the kind of anxiety-inducing plot points I come to this genre for, and carried that momentum forward about halfway through the book. However, the story eventually falls into this cycle of Liv constantly running into people in her old life and hearing them explain the same thing to her ad nauseum. Coupled with the fact that we get flashbacks to her life two years ago anyways, these interludes seemed completely pointless and just dragged the narrative along.

While I don’t think the dual timelines worked here effectively, I do think the second POV from a detective working a murder case Liv is the number suspect of did. This was the right choice in giving Liv’s backstory in a way that didn’t seem info-dumpy, as we had a character that could actually do this investigation themselves. However, it continued to highlight the fact that there were just too many storylines telling the exact same story.

What Stay Awake delivers with its refreshing premise, falters a bit in executing this setup in a way that doesn’t feel like a repetitive loop of the same disorienting events. I would still recommend this for the premise alone, even if the twists and turns of the novel weren’t remarkable and the page count could have been condensed. It was enough to make me interested in Megan Goldin’s other releases, to see if she has a history of these kind of out-of-the box thriller pitches.

Thank you to the publisher Macmillan Audio for providing an audiobook ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

What a read!
I loved this book - I listened to the audiobook version, and the narration was fantastic, especially by Imogen Church. I sometimes get confused with differing timelines with audiobooks but that didn’t happen with this title. I was up well past midnight finishing because I couldn’t turn it off! Every chapter gets more exciting as you get further into the story and learn more about the backstory of the characters from two years ago.

The characters were well thought out and it was a real mystery that you can’t wait to figure out. I also really loved the two detectives, and the dynamic between them throughout the story.

A fun, addictive thriller, for anyone who is a fan of Ruth Ware, Catherine Steadman, and similar thrillers. I will definitely be recommending to my book groups!

So many thanks to Macmillan Audio, who granted me access to the ARC through NetGalley :)

Maybe 4 and ½ Stars ✨.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, St Martins Press and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copies of Stay Awake.

What I Loved-

✨ The Audio- Imogen Church & January LaVoy.
Are you kidding me?!
They hired the best of the best for this audiobook.
If I were Abby Lee Miller- these ladies would be at the top of the pyramid.
They're both fabulous.
They both did a magnificent job.
Highly recommend this book on audio.

✨ The Dual Perspective- I loved following both Liv and Darcy. I enjoyed both perspectives equally and the piecing together of the mystery was done masterfully using both characters.

✨ The Plot- So well executed. I am seriously impressed. From the very first page I was sucked into this story and immediately invested.


✨ The Writing- This book was so easy to follow. I listened to Stay Awake in the span of one day. From the time I woke and into the evening. I could not stop listening.

Overall- I cannot recommend this book enough. I am officially a Megan Goldin fangirl. I look forward to reading more by this author.

An interesting thriller that I found up to a 3 stars. This is a time jump/time jump sort of thriller. I’ve read books from this author before that I’ve loved, but this does not connect as well with me as her previous endeavors. I’ve really struggled to connect to any of the characters … they just fell a bit flat for me. I simply wasn’t invested in them. This one I read as an audio book and I really struggled with one of narrators - she came across as whiny to me. Perhaps I will try again with a hard copy of the book. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC of this audiobook! I am so glad I got to listen to this book. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! This was the first book I've read by this author and can't wait to read more!!

I’m a little confused by this book, I’m surprised it was written by the same author of The Night Swim which I thoroughly enjoyed. Stay Awake sounded right up my alley and the description of it being similar to the film Memento piqued my interest. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this book largely due to the audiobook narrator whose exaggerated voices were distracting and over the top. Sadly I won’t be recommending this one.

I’ve seen many positive reviews so if the synopsis intrigues you, certainly give it a try.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley for ALC of Stay Awake. This book starts off intense and it stays intense the whole book. Liz has a medical condition that she loses her memory whenever she wakes up. The story is told in present and 2 years ago when her memory lapse happens as well.

This book kept me guessing and kept me interested. The narrator was perfect for the book.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: August 9, 2022

Considering the multiple points of view and timelines, this was easy to follow via audiobook. Liv wakes up disoriented and we find out that she loses her memory every time she falls asleep—a misery version of 50 First Dates. Add in a few murders and this psychological whodunnit will have you guessing until the end!

4.5⭐ - Damn, okayyy! It's been a while since a book has made me feel so paranoid. I spent a good chunk of the story saying "...what the hell is going on here??" under my breath.

This is such a nightmare experience. I can't even image waking up to find out that two years of my life are missing and then coupling that with the realization of how much worse it actually is. Liv handled it as well as can be expected honestly.

It was quite the ride following along as Liv was trying to unravel the thread of what was going on. I also really like the chapters following the detectives as they move through their investigation. The chapters set in Liv's past were very hit or miss for me, but I know that the reason for it is because I just wanted to get back to the present day mayhem. I was most interested in that part of the story and the suspense was killing me.

You could make the argument that the situation was a little too insane to be realistic, but I didn't mind in the slightest. The pacing was perfect and the story sure as hell interested me to keep going. As far as a psychological thriller goes, this one was really great! I was captivated by the premise and the follow through was everything I could have wanted from reading the synopsis. ✌️

"Stay Awake" is the first book I have ever read by Megan Goldin. The synopsis really intrigued me and I was very glad to receive the audiobook. I believe this is a book that I would have enjoyed reading myself as opposed to listening to the audiobook.

The story: after a while, I found that the story/plot was a bit repetitive. Maybe that was the goal, as the main character was starting over/hitting repeat every time she woke up. This was a quick and easy read and fairly enjoyable!

Liv Reese wakes up in a cab with a bloody knife, and can’t remember what happened the night before — or any of the events of the past two and a half years.

I listened to the audiobook for this and for the first half the amnesia plot felt repetitive and annoying (maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad reading it?). Once you get to know Liv and her world that she’s trying to make sense of, the story is more engaging and suspenseful as she tries to remember what’s happening before getting caught up with the police.

There are some twists along the way, but overall this was just okay for me. I’m disappointed since I loved The Night Swim, but this one didn’t quite hold my interest.

Thanks Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my advance listening copy.

I went into this book blind and I was so glad I did. There was a bit of confusion at the beginning (my fault for not having read the full synopsis) but once I caught on, it was a rollercoaster that moved at breakneck speed. The writing is mesmerizing, and the difference in prose between the two narrators made it more believable and I absolutely loved the poetic imagery in Liv’s sections, like seeing the world for the first time (which I guess, in some ways you are). As an avid lifetime mystery and thriller lover, I’m usually able to figure out who did it early on but this one kept me guessing. There were so many red herrings that threw you off the track. Though that is one of my negatives. I wish we had learned about some of those things that seemed important but weren’t. (Spoilers ahead) What was the deal with the waiter? What happened with him? And the art exhibit? We never found out anything about Z/Q and it’s revealed that the exhibit she saw wasn’t actually the real exhibit? What was that and why? Why did the murderer commit the crime? What was the motive for making Liv think she was crazy? Maybe I missed something but it wasn’t clear. The unanswered plot points took this down a star for me. But overall, a very enjoyable thriller!

Side note about the audiobook: I really disliked the voice actor who read Liv. I almost dnf’d because of it. Everything she says is overacted and dramatic, like she’s trying too hard. She sounds surprised at literally everything, even things that shouldn’t be surprising, like you no into the living room to watch tv. And she draws out words often that don’t need it. Way too overacted. Pronounced “Houston” as “Hoostin.” Almost threw my headphones across the room multiple times. Luckily the plot kept me listening.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for a this ARC in exchange for an honest review

What a ride this was! I was hooked beginning to end. I loved all of the twists and taking turns guessing who it was/whether Liv could trust someone or not. I also liked how right from the beginning with Liv’s memory loss issue that her point of view throughout wasn’t reliable. 5 stars! I was a fan of The Night Swim and loved this as well!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the early listen/read. Love this author and the narrators! This audiobook/book took ahold of me from the very beginning and held me captive to the very end. What a story! The characters were all so interesting and loved reading about them all. There were some nail biter times with this story. Definitely fit the bill for the Psychological Thriller it is!
Highly recommend

Wow—this book was a wild ride. Just the thought of the condition Liv had—gave me anxiety. Audio was great and there was a nice, satisfying ending.

I liked Night Swim but it didn't feel like a true thriller to me. It wasn't suspenseful enough. Stay Awake makes up for that in spades. Goldin handles dual POVs and a multitude of timelines with expertise.

Everything starts right off the bat and doesn't stop. The characters (both heroine and villain) are written brilliantly.

I don't think there is anything more about Imogen Church that I haven't said before. She is a masterclass. This is the first book I've listened to with January Lavoy and she also did a fantastic job. Both played off eachother perfectly.

Lastly, kudos to Mac audio for actually nailing how they labeled each change in timeline. It would have been a horrid disservice to the author, if they hadn't.

Those who've enjoyed the movie Momento will definitely enjoy Stay Awake by Megan Goldin. It was just an addictive read. I like the set up and how the mystery unfolded . A woman wakes up not having any memory which resets every time she falls asleep. We go on a wild ride as she figures out why she doesn't remember the last two years of her life.

It took me a while to connect with the story but once I got about 50% into it I couldn't stop. I felt so bad for Liv as she tries to piece together her life and tries not to fall asleep. It does get repetitive in some parts and sometimes I felt the detective storyline was more information dump. I didn't guess the reveal at all! It was perfect but wish we got more explanation of why the murders had to happen. This was a fun read though and I think others will have a great time with this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me on my toes. The dual povs was expertly written and I swallowed this book whole. The writing was a bit choppy but I still loved it.

What if you forgot everything that happened to you once you fell asleep?

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stay Awake, by Megan Goldin (Publication Date: 08/09/22) was suspenseful to say the least.

Liv wakes up in the back of a cab with no idea of what is going on. She goes home only to find there's someone else loving there. She goes to her office and everything looks different than the day before. A very confused and flustered Liv last memories are all mixed up and then she notices the words, "Stay Awake", written on her hands. Liv discovers the same words are also written in blood on a window from a murder investigation on the nightly news and she is the prime suspect.

As things unfold Liv realizes every time she falls asleep all of her memories from that day disappear. Her last memory is from being on the phone at work 2 YEARS AGO. Then a stranger calls who seems to know all the details she is missing.

Liv doesn't know why this is happening or who to trust. She only knows she needs to stay awake and stay alive.

Stay Awake is a true thriller. It has a mystery that's not easily predicted and suspense to keep you guessing and engaged.

Each character from Liv to her friend's to the investigators had a unique and purposeful point to the plot.

I enjoyed Goldin's ability to surprise me and keep my blood pumping the whole way through. She created imagery with finesse. This book had me staying awake turning pages with the need to finish before I fell asleep.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillian.audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.