I really emoji this book, a real page turner, centres around two women that learn things about their husbands that they never knew. Rachel suspects her husband is having an affair and embarks on a mission to find out what is going on. The characters are believable and this book comes with a twist just when you think you know what is going on. An enjoyable debut novel from Zoe.

I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel and Suzie have just set up business together and are looking forward to their first big event. Then Rachel stumbles across messages , which make her think her husband is having an affair and Suzie finds her fiancé is not all her pretends.
The story is absorbing and moves along at a rapid pace, alternating chapters between the two lead characters. Descriptions are brief and vivid, and the plot twists and turns in a satisfying way. The author has done their research and the story is psychologically and sociologically believable.
I felt vaguely let down by the final crisis, it wasn’t as pacy and gripping as other parts of the plot, and the final chapter was a bit too tidy and neatly resolved. Overall I read it in one sitting, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others who enjoy thrillers without any murders or car chases.

With thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book - I found that the 'twist' was easy to see coming but that is not necessarily a bad thing, it suggests that it is believable within the context of the story. I liked the characters and found them engaging and well written. I will look to read more by this author in the future.

Review: I would like to thank Canelo for asking me to review this book. I must say the cover is not very appealing but the story is amazing.

A real page turner. Two friends who find out shocking things about men they love. I am not willing to say more as any more details other than what is in the blurb would really ruin the reading experience.

This story really grips you. It is full of twists and turns and the ending is utter brilliance.

A must read if you like a thrill!

I read to half way through this book and it was a great start. one topic I can’t read is child abuse, and as soon as this arose. I stopped reading.

This is a “not for me book”. There are many good reviews and I wouldn’t let my review stop you from reading.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

I thought this was a good book. The plot was good, I like how the two storylines worked together, and there was a lot going on. I only gave it 3 stars though because I thought some of it was a little too contrived. I can’t get into details without spoilers but at one point I said out loud “what are the odds of that!!” Also, I thought both of the main characters were a little too naive for me. Other than that, I thought it was a fun and quick read. Not too complicated but enough to keep me turning the pages to find out what happens. I think it would be a good beach read when you are looking for something to keep you occupied but isn’t too complicated to follow. I received a copy from Canelo through Netgalley for my honest review.

When Rachel discovers a message on Twitter arranging an assignation, she comes to the conclusion that her husband is having an affair. Deciding to follow him, what she witnesses is something much worse: her husband’s car involved in a hit and run. Meanwhile, Suzie, Rachel’s business partner and friend, has problems of her own. She has not heard from her fiance in days and on discovering that huge debts have been racked up in her name, she assumes that he has left her, taking the money with him. Her view changes, though, when threatening calls begin to arrive. Has something terrible happened to him? With both friends not knowing if they can trust their partners, will they also be able to trust each other?

How well do you really know your partner? This is a question that both of the main characters ask themselves as their lives slowly crumble around them. Rachel appears to have the perfect life with a loving husband and children and a business about to take off, All of this is turned on its head, however, when she reads the Twitter message and witnesses the hit and run. Her husband denies all knowledge, but is he telling the truth? I could really sympathize with Rachel as she struggled to come to terms with what she was discovering, and felt that Zoe Lea’s writing conveyed her trauma perfectly.

With regards to Suzie, the alarm bells were ringing right from the start. Her fiance, Adam, had apparently disappeared, taking all of their money with him. As soon as we realise that he’d managed to avoid any meetings with Suzie’s friend, Rachel, and worked away from home frequently, it was obvious that he was not the man she thought he was. Unlike Rachel, Suzie was prepared to give Adam the benefit of the doubt even though the evidence was screaming her in the face.

It was inevitable that the two stories would eventually collide and that there would be a connection. Whereas part of it was pretty easy to figure out, when I realised the full extent of one of the character’s wrongdoings, it was a huge shock. This was a great twist and not something I saw coming. I could also now understand the actions of another of the characters and my perception of them changed completely. I felt that the ending was realistic and very fitting to the plot.

If He Wakes definitely kept me entertained and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a quick, mysterious read.

This is a brilliant debut novel, it keeps you engrossed and wanting to keep reading to see what happens. Just when you thought you knew what was going on the author throws a spanner in the works and makes you think again. I really hope we get another book soon by Zoe as I for one can’t wait to read it.

To use the most cliched of phrases, 'If He Wakes' is a real page-turner! The protagonist, Rachel, discovers a Twitter message arranging a secret rendezvous, and immediately assumes it's due to her husband having an affair. She sets out to investigate, and unfortunately she witnesses something much worse. What follows is how Rachel deals with her husband's alleged infidelity. Running parallel to this is Rachel's friend and business partner, Suzie, and the difficulties she is having in her relationship. As with every psychological thriller, there is soon to be twists and turns, with two explosive story lines that soon cross paths, creating a climactic ending.

The whole book leaves you questioning all of the characters, and I found that I very quickly alternated between trust AND distrust for each of the characters. I managed to read this book in just the one day, as I struggled to put it down, and the story moved pretty quickly.

My main gripe with this book is with the technicalities of the writing; Zoe Lea tends to use a lot of commas in her sentences and they don't seem to make much sense. A lot of her sentences come across as unfinished, and she uses a lot of 'lists' of separated by commas and without the important 'and' before the final item. I found her inappropriate use of commas completely irritating to read, and many sentences needed re-reading to make sense of them. Plenty of occasions the text would have benefited from use of a colon or semi-colon, and I found myself very frustrated by this - hence I only scored this book four stars.

Just when you start to feel smug that you've figured it out, you're wrong....

Rachel finds a Twitter message in her laptop that makes her suspect her husband is having an affair. She decides to follow him and then she witness something that makes her life fall apart. If He Wakes by Zoe Lea was an excellent thriller that hooked me from the first page to the last. It was a very exciting read and had me on the edge of my seat with twist and turns that I didn't see coming. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. I would like to thank NetGalley and Canelo for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thought that this was a very good read , I raced through it which usually a good sign . The story is told from two women , Rachel and Suzie who have recently become friendly again after being friends when they were younger . Rachel comes across a twitter message and deducts that her husband Phil is having an affair , she goes to the hotel to spy but whilst parked there she sees her husbands car involved in an hit and run .She is sure it's him behind the wheel but he has an alibi and evidence it wasn't . Suzie is engaged to a man that no one has met and he has disappeared leaving her with lots of unpaid bills and she can't get hold of him .

How the stories come together was brilliant and I found myself really rooting for Rachel , Phil and their daughters . A great twist and a satisfying conclusion , all in all a great read . 5 stars from me !

This book got better as i was reading it, the ending is terrific. Great read.. would highly recommend to others.




Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an early release of this book

Thoroughly enjoyed this contemporary story, written from the viewpoints of the two main protagonists. The complex plot unfolds piece by piece with a believable outcome - great debut.

Rachel sees a DM on Twitter between two people arranging a romantic meeting and although she tries to convince herself the message is from just about everyone else in the house, she suspects her husband is having an affair.     Like most people, she decides to follow her husband and instead of seeing him in the arms of another woman she witnesses his car being involved in a hit and run.   

Rachel ends up breaking her ankle and for the rest of the book she has her leg in a cast.  

Meanwhile, Suzie, who is Rachel's best friend and business partner is wondering why her bank card has been declined and why she can't get hold of her fiancé, Adam.   When she manages to get a meeting with her bank manager she discovers that he has forged her signature and borrowed thousands more than she thought - not to mention the fact that he's used her flat as collateral.   I totally understood the way that Suzie was desperate not to involve the police.  She didn't want to Adam to accuse her of being too needy just because she wasn't able to get hold of him for a day or two.  After being dumped by her last boyfriend for being too clingy, it must have been at the forefront of her mind that she needs to relax a bit.    There is also the underlying fact that Suzie is desperate to get married and she doesn't want anything to jeopardise this. 

I did not believe the friendship between these two women.  I understand that at times you won't always want to share everything or indeed anything, with your best friend but these two women are going through a MASSIVE, potentially life changing event and yet neither one of them are seeking support from the other. 

I read this book in a matter of hours.  I don't think this was due to the fact that it was unputdownable, but rather that I am off work at the moment and spending hours either in bed or with my feet up.

This started out having me on the edge of my seat - I love when books grab you right from the beginning. Kept me guessing till the end. Thank you for this complimentary copy of this book from Canelo through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Absolutely amazing. Makes you question your life and to me that shows the author got into your head. I think that the characters were done so well, it was impossible not to get engaged into the world of this book and then start feeling it as your reality. I can't wait to see more from Zoe Lea

I loved this book. So well written. I found this book unputdownable!!

I really enjoyed this book from the off! A woman desperate to know what her husband is doing being where he shouldn't be and all the drama that follows on from this. A real page turner with a twist that will keep you hooked.

Rachel believes her husband is having an affair, so she follows him. But instead of catching him with another woman, she sees a hit and run – with her husband’s car as the weapon. Her business partner Suzie, is having relationship problems of her own. Her fiancee seems to have dropped off the earth, and what’s worse, he’s amassed enormous debts in her name. And what about the threatening phone calls she’s getting? Can these two friends support each other is this time of unspeakable tragedy, or will they turn on each other?