I love Romy Hausmann's previous book "Dear Child", hence I chose this ARC from Netgalley. However, this one is not as best as her previous book. I find it very confusing and hard to follow. You'll be wondering until about 40% of the book before all the unconnected plots begin to fit in place. I don't dislike the story, but I am hoping the story line shall be easier to follow, however U can still say YES for the ending.

Thank you Netgalley and Quercus Books for eARC of this book.

Wow. A fantastically unique and compelling novel. It drew me in from the first page and had me gripped till the very end.

I thorough enjoyed the author’s previous book but having read the reviews of this one, was a bit nervous to start it. I accepted that it would be a confusing read to begin with so just went with it and found I enjoyed the different threads of the story and as the book progressed, they all came together and on the whole, they all tied up nicely. I was slightly confused by the epilogue and am still not entirely sure what that thread was really about but overall I found it an enjoyable read.

I was a big fan of Romy Hausmann's first novel Dear Child so I was thrilled with a chance to read Sleepless. There's no comparing the two novels though, this new title did have an altogether different feel to it, even though it is also themed as a psychological and mystery novel.

I was already a good portion into the story before the connections between the characters made sense, especially at first it felt quite confusing. A young girl Nelly is having an affair with a salesman who stays at her parent's inn whenever he's travelling but it was impossible to work out what her appearance had to do with Nadja, especially because it happened in a different time frame. I couldn't place what happened in the past to Nelly in any context and this thread is left then as well so other then introducing another character into the story, I did not see the relevance right then but eventually it does become clear in the end. 

Nadja Kulka is quite a mysterious character, she was arrested when she was only 15 for committing a terrible crime and now she's in the heat of the fire again when she's called for help by Laura, a friend she made while working at a Gero van Hoven's law firm. I'm always team underdog so I liked her but with everything that happened the author managed to make me have my doubts too... Is Nadja the perfect victim or is she in fact the one orchestrating and lying most of all? Who is the real villain of the story, Laura, her husband Gero van Hoven, or Nadja, it isn't always clear and changes a over the course of the story too.

I absolutely love novels with fascinating characters that make me want to analyse them and Nadja was the most fascinating of all. Laura was a cheat and Gero a shark (he's a lawyer after all) who didn't listen when his client said he was innocent, so I catalogued them as the other party from the start and there was no love lost on them but Nadja, yes she was the one worthy of trying to figure out. Haussman is at her best on the psychological front and I enjoyed this part the most again. Nadja's childhood was addictive to read and the story also came full circle with Nelly's story tied into the great emotional ending of the novel. The story is about sacrifice but you'll have to read it to learn who is being sacrificed. I found it a tad unbelievable, in light of how it all started but maybe I'm too severe, who knows. Let me know when you read it so we can exchange viewpoints.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, however, it did take some initial perseverance to get into it with seeming two stories running alongside each other. It then soon turned into a page turner where I was certainly intrigued to find out if the two stories linked at all, how they would and what was going to happen next. Without telling you too much I was pleased that the ending rounded everything off so that you knew the outcome for everyone in the end.

This is a really sad DNF for me. I absolutely loved Dear Child and thought it was such a brilliant books that I really had high hopes for this one going in but it got to the point where I was half way through the book and I couldn't keep the story straight in my head at all. There were so many timelines, narrators, and unknown characters that it was just frustratingly hard to follow the story. There was just too much going on and whilst I like a bit of confusing plot lines this was just too many and I couldn't carry on with the book.

This book took me quite a while to get into, at the beginning, there seemed to be 2 stories which were only linked by the solicitors. And in reality only seemed linked at the end. Nadja works for one of the partners at the solicitors and is called upon by his wife to help her out. The fact that Nadja served time in prison for murdering her mother helps Laura's cause.
Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own

I so wanted to read this book as had read previous by this author, but I found it confusing and couldn’t get into it. This is just my personal opinion.

Sleepless by Romy Hausmann was a tricky read. Definitely not one to pick up for light reading by the pool or in the garden. This requires a bit of concentration to understand the characters and recognise the links as they are gradually revealed. There was a lot going on in this book, maybe too many characters and links at times. The plot revolves around Nadja and elements of neglect, despair, regret and guilt. The characters are not particularly likeable- even those who have a degree of humanity like Ludwig. The storyline charts the darkest of human nature but throws in some redemptive elements too. Overall it pulls you in, if only because you can’t afford to put it down or you’ll be lost as to who’s who and what they’re struggling with. The actions in relation to the murder are somewhat unbelievable but just about work alongside the accents of mental illness throughout the narrative. I did enjoy the book but I couldn’t invest in any of the characters and wasn’t sorry to leave them as the book ended. That, for me, pulls this from a four star to a three and a half star read

Being a fan of Romy Hausmann’s previous work I was very excited to read ‘Sleepless’. However, unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to expectation. I found the first third of the story to be very disjointed and ‘jumpy’ with the author quickly darting from one character to another which consequently left me unable to keep up at times. Though It did begin to make more sense towards the second half of the book and I enjoyed the twists along the way! Overall I would say it was quite an enjoyable read and I found myself particularly liking the protagonist’s characteristics.

I really thought I would enjoy this book, but I never really did. I found it confusing and hard to follow, and I had to persevere in finishing it. As it concluded, strands of it began to become clear, but by that stage I was too disappointed to recognise its clever plot creation. I felt it was the type of book you may need to read twice, to fully appreciate how it links, but life is too short. It will appeal I am sure to others.

This was a read that took me a little time to get into but once I did oh boy my head was going round and round not quite knowing what more surprises were about to be revealed.
At first the book seemed to be disjointed as there were many different strands and timelines but gradually all these seemingly unconnected events began to start fitting in place and made sense and the book really took off.
It’s a chilling story which at times sent shivers down my spine and it’s also a very complex read that is beautifully written teasing the reader with snippets of information making it a very compulsive and intense read. I loved the previous novel by Romy Haussmann Dear Child and I also loved this one the author seems to have an ability to pull you into a story making you feel you are there and that’s what makes her books so good.
So a well recommended four star read and I am really looking forward to the next novel from this super talented author.
My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A dark and intense thriller depicting the story of two women that become embroiled in a murder and the way they deal with the outcome.

Sleepless by Romy Hausmann
I give this book 3.75 stars

Nadja was convicted of a cruel crime. After being released from prison, she's wants to live a normal life.But Laura kills her lover and begs Nadja for her help, Nadja can't seem to be able to refuse.
The 2 women make for a remote house in the woods, the perfect place to bury a body. Suddenly Nadja finds herself both the perfect victim and the perfect murderer . . .

This is a complex and intriguing book.The author gives so much depth to the vast array of characters and the story is well written. As you read everything cleverly pieces together like an intricate puzzle.l must admit to start off with l didn’t have a clue what was going on but lm so glad l persevered.
With thanks to Netgalley,Romy Hausmann and Quercus Books for my chance to read and review this book

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Fast paced very enjoyable thriller that will have you hooked from the beginning.

I was really interested in this book based on the last book, as well as from the plot description, but unfortunately I ended up feeling confused for most of the book. it's probably just me, but I struggled to differentiate between the characters and didn't understand the plot. Hopefully others will enjoy this one, though!

Sleepless by Romy Hausmann a powerful four-star read. This one will take a while to get into, it took me a couple of attempts to get stuck in, but at about 30-35% of the way through, I don’t know it was like the whole thing unfolded and suddenly boom I knew where it was going and who was telling what story. Dear Child was a story that stuck with me and this one I feel will have the same power, coming to mind in the random moments, thinking about different characters and what they would be doing when. This wont be for everyone, but those who get the story will not be able to forget it.

The central character of the latest book by this talented author is Nadja who many years ago was convicted of a terrible crime in her native Poland. In the present day, Nadja finds herself caught up in a situation she cannot make head nor tail off. The novel is about guilt, retribution and sacrifice and is intriguing to the very end.

I’m not going to pretend that this is an easy read because it takes a long time for the seemingly disparate threads to connect from the various timelines which initially seem random. You have to be patient as little by little the pieces of the jigsaw are released and you begin to see the bigger picture. It’s clever writing because it ought to be really annoying but somehow the author manages to keep you engaged by the quality of the writing. At the start there are a lot of film references especially from the 1940’s and the novel does have a sort of ‘celluloid’ feel to it. You have no idea what to make of the characters, Nadja remains enigmatic to the very end as you go through a whole range of emotions from being sorry for her to urging her to wake up from the somnambulant state she’s been in for years and then she really shocks you on occasion. I can’t say any of the characters are likeable as they all have extreme dark sides and some of their actions beggar belief. They’re so manipulative and lack morality. There are some good descriptions such as characters feelings that are quite unique and original. At times the storytelling is very creepy and chilling and you gulp in shock at what’s unfolding as it’s so malicious. You read on with baited breath as plans unravel, are reformed to meet the changed circumstances until SOME sort of justice is achieved. There’s twist after twist and at times it’s dizzying as your brain rushes to try to keep up.

Overall, this is very different and you have to persist and roll with it. It’s very intricate storytelling and there’s a masterful connection of the multiple threads in a very complex plot. I don’t think this is quite as good as ‘Dear Child’ but it’s still darned good and well worth reading.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Once again I was blown away by Romy Hausmann. I was so enthralled by the story I read it in less than 24 hours. I just had to know how it was going to end. In the beginning, there are a few different stories going on and I wasn’t sure what was happening . But as the story progresses, it starts to become clearer. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait until her next one comes out. I actually hope it will end up a a tv show/movie. Would love to see her books brought to the big screen.

It's been years since Nadja Kulka was convicted of a cruel crime. After being released from prison, she's wanted nothing more than to live a normal life: nice flat, steady job, even a few friends. But when one of those friends, Laura von Hoven - free-spirited beauty and wife of Nadja's boss - kills her lover and begs Nadja for her help, Nadja can't seem to be able to refuse. The two women make for a remote house in the woods, the perfect place to bury a body. But their plan quickly falls apart and Nadja finds herself outplayed, a pawn in a bizarre game in which she is both the perfect victim and the perfect murderer.

From the plot description, this read sound intriguing and exciting, however none of this came across in the read. The first half of this book is so incredibly confusing, I did not know who was who or what was going on. I found myself having to stick with it and plough through it and I really was not enjoying it. To make things worse, Hausmann writes this in a very confusing style, from multiple viewpoints and it was not really clear who I was following at any one point. In the second half, Hausmann changes the writing style and it did make more sense and I am pleased to say the plot picked up pace and became exciting. However, it was far too little too late and my interest had already waned.

The characters are fine but nothing special, I did not connect to any of them and was not particularly invested in their stories. Nadja turns out to be a really interesting character but she is not in the beginning of the book enough and it meant I again failed to establish a connection.

'Sleepless' is a confusing mess of a read. If you strip it back, I think there is some excitement and this could have been a really intense, gripping read. Sadly, this was not the case, the second half of the read just about saved this from being 2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for an advance copy.