Megan Goldin’s latest novel Stay Awake is releasing August 9, and I was lucky enough to get an early copy! Every time Liv wakes up, her memory is wiped clean. She is greeted with messages scrawled all over her hands and arms with clues from what happened the day before and urging her to stay awake so that she doesn’t lose her memory again. It is a vicious cycle as Liv struggles to discover who she is and what has happened in the past. If you ever wondered what would happen if 50 First Dates crossed over with Law and Order, this is the book for you! I would also very highly recommend Megan Goldin’s other thrillers, The Night Swim (my favorite of hers) and The Escape Room. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Megan Goldin will be releasing STAY AWAKE on August 9, 2022. Thank you to the publisher & Net Galley for my Advance Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review. I’m a newcomer to this author’s work but WOW, I will be anxiously waiting for her next book. STAY AWAKE is a psychological thriller featuring fictional detectives, an unreliable protagonist, and a refreshingly creative, clever plot based upon amnesia. The novel introduces readers to the narrator Liv Reese as she wakes up in the back of a taxi with no recollection of the present or past two years. The prose includes elements of a police procedural, providing up close and personal details of the fascinating murder investigation with evidence tying Liv to the scene of the crime. This author expertly tells the story through alternating timelines and characters, while never allowing the storyline to become dully repetitive given the nature of the themes of amnesia and memory loss being the driving forces of the novel. As a reader, I was rooting for Liv even as an unreliable narrator; however, another character captured my attention. The characterization of Detective Darcy Halliday will have readers rallying behind her and the pursuit of the killer. I loved this character due to her basic values, her humility, ability to bend convention as a woman, and her keen sense of observation. I admired how Detective Halliday’s essence remained intact throughout the story. STAY AWAKE is bursting with entertainment, masterfully plotted, and landed a superb ending to a fulfilling thriller.

What a fun ride this book is! Goldin has written a page-turning thriller that hooks you in the first pages and never lets go. I actually picked this up to see what was upcoming for my reading plans and then couldn’t put it down, at the expense of some other things that I was already reading.
Stay Awake is a story that begins with our protagonist, Liv, awakening in the back of a cab in NYC somewhat confused as she heads home in the middle of the night. She has lost her keys and purse so she knocks on the door hoping that her roommate is home. A stranger answers the door and demands to know why she is ringing their buzzer in the middle of the night, again. She has writing all over her arms reminding her of key phrases, like “Stay Awake” and phone numbers and names. She has a condition where she loses her memory when she falls asleep causing her to start over each time. The story is partly told from Liv’s perspective in the current day and also past Liv from 2 years previously. There are multiple timelines and multiple POVs as detectives try to sort out a current case and an unsolved case from 2 years previously. This keeps the plot moving rapidly. It also keeps the reader guessing. The only issue that I had was in the heading for each timeline or POV change not really orienting the reader at first glance. It sometimes took a couple of paragraphs to grasp where in the story we were at that moment and who was there. Occasionally this took me out of the story, but briefly. The plot drives the story so well that it clearly makes up for a little hesitation in following the story arc.
I loved the character development. I enjoyed the story and especially loved the ending. Really fun and thrilling read. Great when you are craving the fast paced thriller to hook you.
Highly recommend.

#StayAwake #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

Reviews for books like this need to be vague because it would be easy to spoil the book. A note here: As I read others’ reviews before writing my own, several of the top ones spoil certain aspects. So I advise not reading reviews if you want to be surprised. (It defeats me writing a review, but I promise, it’s spoiler free.)

Imagine waking up, seeing a note on your hands saying, “stay awake,” and you have no memory of how you got to where you are. Everything is different, even down to how you look, and you realize you’re missing two years. Additionally, you learn someone has been murdered, and you’re the prime suspect.

I read Goldin’s two previous books, so I knew I would enjoy this one. I can’t even imagine the constant state of confusion Liv was in. Her confusion and fear leaped off the page. Goldin writes in-depth characters and a tense storyline that keeps you flipping pages long after bedtime. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this along.

3.5 The phrase "stay awake" was written probably 100+ times because of how important it was! Why does Liv see this phrase everywhere? It's on sticky notes near where she wakes, it's written on her hands, and people continue to tell her this phrase!

Liv wakes one morning to find herself in an unknown location. She goes home to find strangers living in her apartment that for whatever reason no longer has her possessions inside. You as the reader are as baffled as Liv tries to navigate what is going on!!

The book is a bit repetitive due to the nature of the storyline. It did feel a little Groundhog movieish for me with the constant repeats, but it was a huge part of the plot.

I loved that I didn't solve this thriller on my own and almost felt like I was Liv, the main character.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advance ebook in return for my honest review.

I love Megan Goldin's other books and this one did not disappoint. I liked how the author kept the reader just as confused as the main character who has amnesia and loses her memory of the last two years when she goes to sleep. The reader follows the main character in her journey to find out about her trauma and what happened to trigger this amnesia. I love who done it books and I definitely did not figure out who was the culprit till the very end. They we're not even on my radar! I highly recommend this book! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!;

A different kind of thriller than I usually read, but it was a great ride! A tad unrealistic, however I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. A female protagonist with memory issues caused by trauma is trying to figure it all out and survive. Even with blood on her hands, I was rooting for her!

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

Stay Awake
Megan Goldin


Goldin’s Stay Awake may just be the best thriller of the year, a fast paced super psychological thriller that will keep listeners up all night on the edge of their seat with their nails bitten to the quick; think of a dark Groundhog Day that repeats every time you wake up but instead of trying to impress a girl you’re running from a killer, only you don’t know it and oh by the way every time you wake up it’s rinse and repeat because you think it’s two years in the past. Wow! And while Megan builds her story the audience will get fed crumbs that might fill in some blanks but could just as easily be red herrings leaving the audience listening attentively to every word so they don’t miss a breath.

Liv Reese wakes up in a NYC cab with a pocket full of cash, a bloody knife in her pocket and strange phrases like WAKE UP written on her hands. Deciding she must have had too much to drink she goes home to her apartment and discovers that someone else lives there, she goes to her office and discovers that while she’s well known she doesn’t work there anymore it’s like she’s in an alternate universe and she’s not sure where to go for help, she thinks about calling the police until she reads a message on her hand that says, TRUST NO-ONE. Tired, afraid and a little paranoid she just wishes her best friend and roommate Amy or her boyfriend Marco would answer their phones then maybe she could make some sense out of all this nonsense.
Liv doesn’t know it yet but she’s in grave danger and her strange amnesia is both a blessing and a curse, the big question is will she figure things out before the danger catches up to her.

Meanwhile NYC detectives Halliday and Lavelle have their hands full trying to solve a bizarre murder of a man in a short term rental with no murder weapon on scene the only evidence is a long strand of dark hair on the pillow beside the dead man and the biggest clue is the words written in the victim’s blood saying WAKE UP.

The characters are amazing in this intense chilling novel and everyone plays their role perfectly, Liv will make the audience scream STAY AWAKE more than one time during the novel, she’s vulnerable and wide opened to all the sucker punches she gets during the novel and the lead detective Darcy Halliday is fantastic a no-nonsense cop with a good head on her shoulders, a military background and compassionate. Her fellow detective Jack Halliday is also a good character a Yin to Halliday’s Yang open minded but at times needs coaxing to see things her way. The villain however remains in the shadows until the shocking reveal that will have most listeners bamboozled. Fans of Megan Goldin, Hank Phippi Ryan, and Lisa Gardner will not be able to take off the earbuds until the credits roll.

I loved "The Night Swim," and "Stay Awake" had an interesting premise, so I had high expectations for this book. "Stay Awake" is about Liv, who has many forgotten memories. The concept for this book kept me engaged as I attempted to find out what happened to Liv. I thought the big reveal was well-done. In terms of cons, the book's timeline jumps around, and there's another POV of the detective. This was occasionally distracting and hard to follow. Some of the phrases were repetitive. Ultimately I gave this book 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks for the advance review copy.

This was a DNF for me around 20% in. Makes me so sad since I loved The Escape Room by this author! I'll not give up on this author though because the reasons why I didn't like this had absolutely nothing to do with the author or the writing. I've found I'm not a fan of memory loss stories and I should have known I probably wouldn't like this if I didn't like the movie Memento but I didn't listen to myself. Thank you for the opportunity!

Everything about this book grabbed me as soon as I saw it the title was very interesting and I had to see what it meant, then the cover was something I'm not used to seeing. A red cover with an ominous figure sounds right up my alley. Then to top things right off when I read the description I knew that this was one I didn't want to miss out on and man was I right on that fact. One of the things that I was surprised about was how elegantly Megan Golding wrote this book her wording was almost poetic at times and considering the sometimes dark story line it was very unexpected but very much welcomed. The best part about this book was how right from the first page our author took us on a thrill ride and never stopped. There was no slow build up she just threw you right into the middle of the situation. I loved this because it left us trying to figure things out with our main character, Liv. The book is all about our man character Liv as she awakes only to realise that is not the next day like she had expected however it is now two years later and she doesn't recognise anything about where she is. She must be confused or so she tells herself only things don't seem to be looking in her favour as the apartment that she once shared with her roommate is now being rented out to a different couple who, according to them, have been living there for a while now. Her world is in total confusion and things only get worse when she leaves as she notices the words "Stay Awake" written on her hands. Who wrote this? What does it mean? And what is going on? These were some of the many questions that I had along with our main character. This is one book that you will be unable to put down because you want to find out what is going on just as much as our main character does. There was multiple time lines and points of view in this book that I'm not normally a fan of however, given the plot of the book it was the right decision. This thriller had everything and kept me guessing all the way. My favourite part though was the fact that it held my attention the whole way through and I never wanted to put it down. Great read I've never read anything like this before and if the rest of her books are even half as good as this one then she has gained a new fan for life. Great read and I'm so glad I got the chance to check it out.

Liv Reese wakes up not knowing where she's at or how she got there. There is writing on her skin, telling her to "Stay Awake". Because every time she falls asleep, she forgets everything from the last 2 years. And now she's right in the middle of a murder and must try to figure what's been going on in her life in order to rescue herself.

There was a lot going on in this one. The back and forth in time and multiple POVs made it hard for me to keep up. I liked the story but the execution didn't work well for me and made it unnecessarily confusing. .

Available August 9, 2022.

Right or wrong, sometimes how you feel about a book is impacted by the book(s) you have just finished reading. When you finish a book you really enjoyed, the bar is set higher for your next read and vice versa. Come on, admit it - I'm not the only one this happens to!

I typically rate Megan Goldin's books 4 or 5 stars, but Stay Awake just didn't hit that mark for me. I truly can't determine if it's because of what I stated above, or it's because the constant repetion (okay, okay, Liv has amnesia!!!!), far-fetched plot, weak characters and constant time switches drove me bonkers!

Not a good fit this time, but I will continue to read anything Ms. Goldin writes!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley. It is scheduled for publication 8/9/22. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

What a ride! Liv’s memory resets each time she wakes. It’s a coping mechanism from an earlier trauma.
Liv’s pov jumps back and forth from 2 years ago to the present to one day ago. While that sounds confusing, it was done well. As long as I read the chapter heading I knew exactly what was going on. We also had the pov of detectives researching her case. I loved being able to see where they were in tandem to what Liv was experiencing.
At about 80% the repeated info got a bit weary when she woke up again but beyond that it was good. It gave me bits of info throughout each chapter that I was slowly piecing together. It’s a complicated way to write a book and Goldin handled it well!
And better yet? The content was near minimal. I didn’t even notice til almost the end but there was hardly any language, no intimacy details, corpses and murders but the information was just enough without any details. I’m not sure how she achieved that but 👏👏.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the gifted copies!

I could not put this book down! The story is fast paced and will keep you guessing until the end. Megan Goldin did a fantastic job by creating Liv, the unreliable main character who wakes up everyday and has no memory from the previous day.

📖 BOOK REVIEW📖
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Combine GROUNDHOG DAY and SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY and this novel is conceived.

The author has created a compelling and entertaining plot. The idea of losing your memories each time you sleep is terrifying. Especially without a friend or partner to support you and assist in daily struggles. You fight sleep and don’t know who to trust. What a nightmare!

I alternated between the ebook and audiobook. The audiobook of STAY AWAKE kept me immersed in Liv’s story and the narration was great. Not as good as NIGHT SWIM but still a solid read.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing complimentary ARCs. All opinions are my own.

#stayawake #megangoldin #netgalley #macmillanaudio #stmartinspress #bookreview #justfinishedreading #inexchangeforreview #giftedbook #thrilleraddict #bookrecommendation #bookstagrammer #bookreviewer #crimeandcocktailsbookcrew #mysteryandthrills #thrillerafterthriller #readwithme #bookaddict #thrillersofinstagram #honestreview #usbookreviewer #ireadbooks #ireviewbooks #ilovereading #comingsoon #newrelease

Thank you to the publishers for the ARC! In no way did this effect my rating.

Stay Awake is, without a doubt, going to end up being my favorite thriller of 2022 and quickly become a favorite book of all time. It was so fast paced, entertaining, and suspenseful.

Stay Awake follows Liv Reese, who was living her best life, but flash forward to two years later, she is in the back of a taxi with the words "Stay awake" written on her hands with no memory of the last two years. On top of that, it is revealed that a murder had occurred that night with the same message "stay awake" written in the victim's blood. With no memory, Liv tries to piece together what happened in the past two years and whether she is a murderer. Liv's perspective was often confusing but in the best way possible because the reader is left just as confused as Liv is feeling. It made for an incredible suspenseful atmosphere that'll have you turning the pages as fast as possible.

Stay Awake also follows the perspective of the detective, Darcy, that is put on the case of the murder with her partner Jack. Throughout the book, one detective is convinced liv is guilty of the murder, while the other is hesitant. This back and forth left me questioning whether or not Liv was truly guilty.

Overall, this thriller was amazing and I highly recommend picking this book up as soon as it is released on August 9,

I want to thank St Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review!
It took me a few days to sit on a review with mixed feelings....Although Megan Goldin jumps right into the story, not holding back, it was slow burning until about halfway through. It was a bit repetitive at times and although it was part of the storyline, it felt frustrating. The story had me curious, but it was predictable. The ending was rushed and didn't answer many questions the reader may have. I don't expect all books to be tied up with a pretty bow, but at least finish off some plot starters that are pivotal to make it a memorable thriller. It was the kind of read where the story could've gone in a million different directions, but felt rushed and disappointing in the end. It was a good read, but left me with more questions then answers honestly.

I really loved the premise of this one. Liv Reese stumbles out of house and pulls a bloody knife out of her sweater pocket, the problem is every time she falls asleep she forgets everything that has happened in the past two years. She writes notes to herself up and down her arms, and hands (memento vibes). I was along with every slow twist Goldin took us on.

What didn't work for me, was how repetitive certain sections got, gave me "let's get on with it" feelings, and it was a little slow in the middle to move us from trying to figure it all out to here's what actually happened. This still worked for me, but I would've appreciated a sharper edit to cut out all the unnecessary commentary. Looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Stay Awake is a riveting thriller about a woman with a rare form of amnesia that puts her in the crosshairs of a murder investigation.

When Liv falls asleep, she wakes up not remembering. She is stuck in a time loop from two years ago. When she wakes up one night in the back of a cab in NYC with a bloody knife, she finds herself on the run, but she doesn't know who or what she is running from.

The narrative is split between multiple timelines. Liv and Halliday, one of the detectives investigating the murder, are the main narrators.

The ending fell flat for me. There were no crazy twists, and it never really explicitly gave the killer's motive. The main character, Liv, made horrid decisions. I wish I liked this one more.