After loving Claire’s previous book I Know You I jumped at the chance to read Are You Awake. With its promising storyline I knew it would be great.

Unfortunately I felt let down with the story. Told in two POVs by Tim and Mary, there was a lot of repetitiveness and it became draining with the amount of times they both complained how tired they were.

I wasn’t fond of the characters nor their actions in particularly with Mary and her children.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK/ Thomas and Mercer for the digital copy of Are You Awake for reviewing purposes.

I really enjoyed this one. I did not see it playing out like it did. A nice surprise. I highly recommend this 4 star read. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was engaging and interestingly written. I enjoyed the majority of the POVs being from two sleep deprived individuals so that both you as the reader as well as they themselves cannot quite trust what is happening.

Unfortunately, the mystery wasn't all that mysterious. I also found Mary's husband Jack infuriating, like, it must have been obvious that his wide wasn't sleeping and that he wasn't doing much to help with their two children. Unfortunately that is the reality that some women have to deal with.

I felt as though the ending was a bit rushed, but otherwise a decent read.

Wow........ what a thrilling roller coaster of a read I enjoyed the twists and turns and the edge of your seat moments this was a fantastic thriller

I am a fan of this authors work but this book fell flat for me.
I like the writing style. It flows so well. The beginning of the story started well but then the intrigue disappeared.
I couldn’t connect with the two main characters.

Two neighbors, unable to sleep, see suspicious activity in an abandoned house. As they compare notes they wonder if they’ve seen Sam, a girl who has been reported missing. After the police are somewhat dismissive of their concerns, Tim and Mary set out to investigate on their own.

Are You Awake? has a good premise and Mary and Tim are interesting characters as well. However, the story often lags, with a slow pace and some less-than-believable behavior by not only Tim and Mary, but by other characters as well (including Mary’s husband). The final resolution to Sam’s disappearance and several other unsolved crimes is almost like pulling a rabbit out of a hat – fine for a magic show but not a very satisfactory ending for a mystery novel. Even the final chapter was a little too neat and tidy.

All in all, I was somewhat disappointed with this book. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. Unfortunately since requesting the book, my reading tastes have changed and it would be unfair to review this book as I do not think I could give it the review that would be justified

An ok read though it was extremely far fetched and unbelievable which ruined it for me, saying that though it was an entertaining read .

A good read, full of suspense and it kept me gripped. Good characters and plot. Some good twists to keep you guessing.

Thank you #NetGalley and #AmazonPublishingUK for letting me read this book.A fast read and a good entertaining killer. The first chapter are excellent the rest is good.It kept me on the edge and entertained.

I enjoyed the premise of two strangers coming together in the dead of night to solve a kidnapping. The author did a really great job of setting the witching hour scene and anybody who finds themselves awake through the night will really empathise with the characters. The feelings of loneliness and tiredness, and not being sure if you can really trust what you see.

The storyline kept you guessing for the most part of the book, and the big twist was not what I expected at all. However, once that happened, the ending was a little easier to work out. Saying that, some of the side characters add a little unexpected spice by not being what they seem. Keep a particular eye out for Mary’s husband, Jack.

I found Mary to be a character many will relate to; a tired Mam on maternity leave, wondering if her job will still be there when she returns, and feeling undervalued. I think Mary could be the lead in more books and I’d love to see how the author would continue to evolve her. There does need to be more focus on Mary being a lawyer, though. Understandably she is very tired with two small children but I felt she should have been portrayed as much smarter than this book gave her credit for.

Wow!… Tense and captivating… Full of twists and turns and shocks!… Raced through it, eager to find out the ending – which was just brilliant!’

It is possible that my perspective may be unpopular, but I am convinced that honesty should always be the guiding principle.

I am disappointed that my level of enjoyment did not meet my expectations. Although I have always found the author's previous works enjoyable, I cannot include this one in my list of recommendations.

My interest considerably diminished after completing half of it. I had expected something better. Although I understood a mother's fatigue, the plot went in a direction I could not relate to.

I plan to read more of this author's future works, given that historically, the writing style is both captivating and thrilling.

For this reason, I will not be reviewing on any retail sites.

A spooky read that I loved. There are Suprise twists and a lot of guessing games to enjoy. The characters are superbly presented.

This book has a little bit of a spooky vibe that keeps you guessing and entertained throughout. The book really entertains the reader with the who did it, did they actually do it premise and I will read more in future!

A really good read
A definite page turner
With lots of twists, and turns
Will have you hooked
Thanks NetGalley

Are You Awake by Claire McGowan takes the reader on a mystery that is both surreal and recognizable at the same time. New mother, Mary, is up with her fretful child every night. During the day, she moves through a haze of bone-weary exhaustion. Feelings that Mary was once certain of, whisper out of grasp now. Does her husband still love her? Will her work still need her after her time off from having a baby? Can she still function as an adult in an adult world or has she become one with the group of mothers who only talk about the healthiest formula for babies? In the same neighborhood, a international reporter hides in his apartment each day unready to face the world after the terror attack he was trapped in during an assignment. Unable to sleep at night, Tim, wonders from room to room of his apartment wondering if he will ever be able to live again. The world and its unpredictability, are more than his broken mind can handle.
Both unable to sleep, Tim and Mary each see a disturbing silhouette in a flat near where they live. It appears to be a young woman struggling and thrown down. Then she disappears. Drawn to the place where they last saw the young woman, Tim and Mary meet. With the waking world too harsh, too cold, and hard to navigate, Tim and Mary join forces at night and begin to look into a crime they aren't even certain they saw. However, if they were really awake and saw what they think, a young woman needs their help. And maybe, in helping someone else, they can find their way back to their lost lives.

Not the best read from Claire McGowan. Two incompatible characters just happen to both see the same suspicious activity in the middle of the night and decide to solve the mystery of what may or may not be a missing girl. I personally would like to know where the mum of two young children finds the time of day to do this? Poetic license taken a little too far. I like the writing style of Claire McGowan but unfortunately, this isn't one of her best reads.

I have been very slumpy this month, so it's probably me, but this one just didn't work for me. I didn't care about either of the sleepless characters, and honestly the new mom's husband made me want to literally throw things, because I've been in new mom tired land, and it sucks. Unfortunately, this just didn't grab my attention in a meaningful way, so I ended up putting it down at 11%.

Two strangers meet one night in a park near to where they live. Mary is a mum of two young children who is totally exhausted with this role but unable to sleep so she escapes to the park. Tim, a neighbour, was a war journalist but is suffering from PSTD and insomnia and has also escaped to the park. They both appear to have witnessed a woman being savagely attached in a nearby house that is supposed to be empty as it is being renovated. Mary and Tim join forces to try and solve this mystery. They see news reports of a missing woman who was last seen in this area and become convinced m the woman hey saw is her. But when the police dismiss their report they decide to carry on with their own investigations. They learn that several other young women have disappeared in the area over several years but how are they connected? Mary and Tim soon realise this this is a very complex case and the culprit could be more close to home than they thought. I did find the book a little far fetched at times but I enjoyed it and glad I stuck with it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for giving me the opportunities to read and review this book.