Heartbreak, drama, suspense and twists what more could you ask for? This 5* debut book is outstanding and worth a read. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout constantly wondering where the story would take me next.

If He Wakes starts with a bang – almost literally – and proceeds as a well-written, easy-to-read mystery.

Rachel and Suzie are believable but frustrating leads. I had some sympathy with their respective situations but could quite happily have slapped both of them several times over. The story progresses steadily but unfortunately some of the plot developments were not unexpected and there is quite a lot of repetition in the characters’ thoughts.

There is however an interesting and surprising change of direction in the middle of the book which raises the stakes and ramps up the tension. The pace increased and I did really want to know what was going to happen at the end, which ultimately had a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC of If He Wakes

In the tradition of Jodi Picoult, “If He Wakes” is a fascinating book, of family and business life, and moral decisions.
As the story unfolds, some happenings which seem outrageously coincidental, turn out to be anything but. The story twists and turns, leaving me on the edge of my seat, wondering how these problems could possibly be resolved. I loved it!
One thing though, I was bemused at the author’s lack of knowledge of the geography of Wales - when Adam disappeared, Suzie calls ‘a hospital in Wales’?! What nonsense! Then she’s researching car dealerships ‘in Wales’ - does Ms Lea think Wales is a small English town?

Rating: 3.5

Two women, who once were friends in school, meet again and decide to start a business together. Rachel has a catering company, Susie is a photographer it seems an ideal pairing.

Rachel is married to Phil they have two girls – Jessica and Katie. Susie and Adam have a photography shop together, they’re engaged and getting married in about six months.

Life is going well for them and then Rachel discovers that someone has been using her laptop to check a Twitter account and there’s a message…

Suzie is expecting Adam back from one of his photography jobs but the bank wants her, she’s being threatened by some man called Mark and she can’t get hold of Adam…

Rachel is following up on that message she’s come to a hotel on the outskirts of Chester but she see’s a hit an run, it’s Phil’s car, and life starts to spiral out of shape…

Alternating between these two women’s stories we are kept wondering, guessing as to what is going on. There is so much deceit and lying but that is just the beginning. These two womens lives are no longer what they thought they would be and the terrible reasons emerge and it’s more appalling than you can image. As you read the awful truth emerges.

This is a heart-wrenching story, sensitively handled by this debut writer. The two main characters – Suzie and Rachel – whilst you may not love them both are well drawn. Suzie is feisty, determined, capable and strong; she has a good sense of wrong and right. Rachel is a bit full of herself, self-obsessed and ambitious; she does love her family and would do anything for them.

From the start this book draws you in, keeps you there and just when you think it’s mapped out you’re delivered a powerful twist and then once again you’re captivated until the end.

I’ll admit I was a little put off by the title of Zoe Lea’s debut novel IF HE WAKES when I first saw it. Not because there is anything wrong with it but because there are so many other books out at the moment with similar sounding titles that I was crying out for something different. But just like you should never judge a book by its cover, you should also never judge a book by its title because IF HE WAKES is so much more than your average mystery thriller.

IF HE WAKES opens with Rachel, a happily married mother of two, finding a Twitter message from her husband Phil arranging a romantic liaison with another person. Assuming he’s having an affair, Rachel follows him only to witness something so much worse: a hit and run using his car.

Meanwhile, Rachel’s friend and business partner Suzie is increasingly worried about her fiancé Adam, who’s not been in touch for days. When Suzie learns of huge debts racked up in her name she fears he has run out on her, but then the threatening calls start and she thinks something terrible has happened.

As Rachel and Suzie both discover shocking things about the men they love, they become embroiled in a chain of events which looks set to destroy both of their lives – and their friendship – forever.

Captivating, suspenseful and brilliantly written, IF HE WAKES is a psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. From the opening chapter to the shocking ending, Lea gets straight into the action instead of opting for a long, drawn-out build up to the characters and their story. As the narrative flicks between Rachel and Suzie’s stories, the intrigue is kept high with plenty of unexpected twists and even though the narrative takes a darker turn mid-way through, it is sensitively done.

The two main characters, Rachel and Suzie, are well-rounded and believable. On the surface, Rachel appears to have a perfect life, but as events start to unfold, her world comes crashing down. The author’s decision to have her on crutches for most of the story thanks to broken ankle works particularly well, highlighting not only her vulnerability but also her inability to take action on what she suspects.

In many ways, Suzie is the polar opposite. After discovering her fiancé has apparently disappeared, taking all of their money with him, she’s quick to make excuses and give him Adam benefit of the doubt, even though the evidence is screaming her in the face. While this is a little frustrating at the beginning – even we can see that Adam is not the man he said he was – when the truth is finally revealed, it is completely unexpected.

As expected with a psychological thriller, there are plenty of twists and turns throughout the plot and Rachel and Suzie’s stories eventually collide. I did feel, however, that this wasn’t really a story about trust between friends, as the synopsis implied, but rather a story about trust between partners and the secrets we keep.

That said, IF HE WAKES is a great read that will keep you hooked from the start to the end. What’s more, at just 225 pages long, it is possible to read it in just one day, making it the perfect holiday read or weekend escape.

If he wakes by Zoe Lea was my 10th book of 2018. I received the copy of this book via Net Gallery as I have reviewed a previous Canelo book, so many thanks to both.
I have come away a little conflicted with this book. I quite liked it, but just felt it could have been a little bit more than it was. I was never left going ok, one more chapter.
The story is written from two friends perspectives; Rachel and Susie, old friends back in contact and have set up a business together. Rachel, married with two daughters and a very comfortable idealistic life. Susie is 37, engaged to her new love, Adam, new business and all is going well.
However it all starts when Rachel sees a message on Twitter which she suspects is her husband having an affair. She follows him and sees a lot more than she bargained for, from that moment on, life will no longer be the same. At the same time Susie has her own problems with her Adam away on business she gets her bank card refused and calls from a loan shark. All is very not as it seems.
I did quite enjoy it, it just lacked something, I think it could have been more. I picked up the plot and the slight twists before I got to them. But for a debut I certainly wouldn’t not read the second book. The ratings for this on @goodreads are high which makes me feel that I could be being over critical.
In balance I think 3.5/5 is a fair rating.

Gripping read, unexpected plot twist, interesting characters, devoured in a couple of days.
Excellent holiday book.

Every now and again a new author comes along with a debut novel that knocks you off your feet. Zoe Lea is one of these authors and If He Wakes is one of those books.

Rachel, a happily married Mum of two, accidentally finds some very unexpected and upsetting messages on her husband Phil’s Twitter account, arranging to meet someone at a local hotel in the middle of day. Obviously, she immediately assumes that he’s up to no good and decides to follow him to the hotel to see what’s going on. While following him, she sees something perhaps worse than meeting with another woman – Phil hitting a pedestrian at a crossing, and speeding away. She can’t believe what she’s seeing & to make matters worse she is shunted from behind, and breaks her leg in the process. Now she’s immobile, drugged up on painkillers and trying to figure out whether or not her mind is playing tricks on her, or if she really did just see her husband put someone in intensive care and drive away?

Suzie is Rachel’s business partner, and more importantly, her best friend, is trying to keep the business on its feet while Rachel is laid up with her broken leg. She discovers to her horror that her bank cards have been frozen and while trying to find her photographer fiancé Adam, who controls all of their finances through questionable business practices, she finds that she is not the only person looking for him. He is in a remote part of Wales with a dodgy signal, however as time moves on and we learn more about his behaviour and his financial situation, it becomes more and more obvious that his wi-fi signal is not his biggest problem.

Told from the different viewpoints of Rachel and Suzie, who are both struggling with their own, growing, personal horror at the same point in time, this novel takes you on a breath-taking journey – it shows the limits of friendship, and just how honest people are prepared to be with each other, especially when the truth is too horrible for them to even contemplate.

With some clever twists and a really believable, disturbing plotline, Zoe Lea’s debut is bound to be a huge hit and rightly so.

"They say that when you have a traumatic event, there is the 'before' and the 'after', that all things fall under those two categories, but no one talks about the precipice."

Rachel sees a man in a BMW who looks a lot like her husband hit and run. WHAT? That cannot be her Phil. They have two daughters (Katie and Jessica) and a wonderful life -- and is he having an affair? Rachel has worked so hard to start up a new events business with partner, Suzie, and now she's laid up with a broken ankle and everything is falling apart. Suzie is beside herself -- her fiancé, Adam, has vanished, her credit cards are frozen, and she's getting threatening calls from creditors demanding money that Adam has borrowed without her knowledge. Their nightmare has just begun.

This was a great fast-paced psychological thriller that I could not put down. I really enjoyed the narrative from the points of view of both Rachel and Suzie as they deal with the drama each faces. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll just say that the central issue was one I didn't anticipate at the outset but is very timely and important. Sometimes it's hard to DO the right thing -- or even know what the right thing is...

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the e-book ARC to read and review.

One of those rare books that holds your attention from the outset.
Plenty of twists to keep you intrigued.
Thoroughly recommend you try it!

What an amazing book , I couldn’t put it down once I started . It’s been a while since I’ve read anything this interesting. I loved the two stories of the friends building separately and then how their lives were linked and being set in Chester too , nice part of the world to add more to the story . I would highly recommend this book

If He Wakes is one of those books that’s effortless to read, it’s written so well that it’s impossible to put down until all the pieces have been put together. Friends Suzie and Rachel, content and comfortable in their lives discover that the men they love are not who they seem. I didn’t see the solution coming it took me by surprise and then I felt completely different about the book. The ending felt worthy yet not quite deserved.

I raced through this book to see how it was going to end. A five star read. Thoroughly recommended

Excellent read, great plot which twists and turns with an unbelievable outcome. Set in an around Chester two friends and business partners have horrendous things happen in their personal lives that appear totally unrelated - or are they? A brilliant quick read that you get straight into and don’t want to put down
My only slight quibble is I know Chester train station and it has ticket barriers so there would be no ticket to give to the police.......

My review is written with thanks to Ellie Pilcher at Canelo for inviting me to take part, and for my copy of the book through Netgalley.
Suzie and Rachel are partners in a catering business, and best friends. When Rachel believes her husband is having an affair, Suzie supports her as she visits the hotel she thinks he visited with his mistress. Rachel does not find proof of an affair, but she does witness her husband being involved in a terrible hit and run that leaves the victim in a coma. Meanwhile, Suzie has not heard from her fiance for several days, and when she discovers that her bank account is frozen, she begins to discover a much darker side to him. Will their friendship survive these secrets?
It is clear from the outset of If He Wakes that several of the characters have secrets and they are hiding the truth from their loved ones. I found this aspect of the novel really compelling, as I tried to piece together what had happened and separate the truth from the lies. Although I worked out the ending a little early, Lea's writing style is such that the tension continued to mount until the last page and this kept me reading until the end.
The chapters are written alternately from the viewpoints of Rachel and Suzie. This gave me insight into their thoughts and feelings, and helped me to understand their actions, particularly when one of the characters knew something that they had not yet told their friend. I found both Rachel and Suzie quite easy to relate to, and I wanted to shake them occasionally, but as the tension grew, I asked myself what I would do in their situation, and thus became further involved in the plot.
If He Wakes looks at the subject of child grooming. Whilst this might be triggering for some readers, Lea approaches it with sensitivity, and it is obviously well researched. The descriptions of the groomer's manipulative behaviour drew me into the plot and it was easy to see how a child could be taken in by it.

I enjoyed this book, the author has a great writing style. Looking forward to reading more of her work. Recommended.

Best friends and business partners Rachel and Suzie find their friendship tested and pushed to breaking point due to the actions of the men that they love in this gripping tale of friendship,secrets,lies,manipulations,misconceptions,relashionships and revenge.

After discovering a Twitter message arranging a romantic liaison,Rachel assumes that her husband is having an affair,so she follows him and is shocked and devastated when she witnesses him running someone over with his car.

Meanwhile Suzie is increasingly worried about her fiance who she hasn't heard from for days.When she learns that huge debts have been raked up in her name she fears he has run out on her,but after she starts receiving threatening phone calls she begins to wonder if something terrible has happened.

The chapters are quite long and alternate between Rachel and Suzie`s points of view.I thought that Suzie was a very likeable character but I didn't like Rachel very much for most of the book for various reasons.The author`s depictions of Rachel's reactions to having to use crutches were over dramatic and caused Rachel to come across as a bit of a drama queen.Both characters chapters contained some intreguing twists and turns and quite of number of them ended on a cliff hanger causing the reader to have a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome.

This is a very well written debut thriller,the characters are realistic and vivid and the story holds the readers attention from the first page right through to the believable conclusion.The story is quite uncomfortable to read at times but the subject matter is written with sensitivity and isn't over graphic.This book would definitely cause some interesting discussions if it was read by a book group.

I absolutely loved this book!! I guessed what was happening about 3/4 way through and I honestly didn't see it coming, but was so shocked by the twists and turns of this book. It was amazing. I wonder if there will be a follow up as to how Suzie continued her life afterwards.

I really loved the characters, although at times I wanted to reach through the book and shake some sense into them, but they really grow on you as a reader.

What I also love is that it's about a subject which has a lot of press and taboo surrounding it, but something that is close to everyone's heart. As a parent I could really see both Rachel and Phils points of view, but I really felt for Suzie.

Keep up the great work Zoe!!

What would you do if you discover that your husband has an affair? After Rachel and her best friend, Suzie, discover that Rachel's husband has a meeting in a hotel, she decides to follow him without suspecting that her world will crash in front of her eyes...

This is the story of Rachel and Suzie, and how these two best friends with a stable life (one with husband and children and the other with a fiancée) see their lives changing forever thanks to their partners. The story is told between both of them; we will see how their friendship in the beginning is something reliable and as the plot starts twisting they start to hide their thoughts and feelings. Let me say that I don't think they are trying to hide what they are suffering but more the anxiety to tell all their fears out loud. Both of them are brave, and their characters feel real and natural making the story touchy and bittersweet, but a surprising read.
In the beginning I was a little disgusted with how the author shows us the men in the story, liars and cheaters, but as we start entering to the plot, we see how the author makes a 360 degree turn and our perspective of them changes completely, really putting us on their skin and question ourselves what would we do if it was our life...
There are a lot of interesting themes linked in the plot, but just telling them it would be revealing too much, so be prepared for a surprising book full of twists and surprises.
Let me say I really liked this read, how the story is written and evolves to a catharsis that there's no returning point, bittersweet, yes, but the best ending I've read lately.
What could be worse that finding your partner cheating on you?

Fantastic book, one of the best books I've read so far this year. It grabbed me from the beginning and I couldn't have guessed where it was going, it just had me hooked. I loved it and highly recommend it.