This is a Psychological Thriller that takes you on a very wild ride. I cannot say how much I loved this book. I have had bad luck with thrillers recently, but this did not let me down at all. This book is told in two timelines (one present day and the other two years before). The beginning was slow to get moving, but once it did I really was into the story. I did not see this book ending like it did, and wow that was one great ending. I listened to the audiobook, and I loved the narrator of the audiobook so much. I was kindly provided an e-copy and e-audiobook of this book by the publisher ( St. Martin's Press) or author (Megan Goldin) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Stay awake, this book is for people who want to have no idea what is going on in a book until the very end; and even then still be very confused. This book is about Liv Reese, Who has a rare form of amnesia. In this amnesia, she forgets everything, every time she goes to sleep. Her mind resets to 2 years prior to win this book starts. Can you imagine? That would be an absolute nightmare. Also, also what a good twist on an old amnesia trope, Bravo.

This book had me guessing and second guessing and quadruple guessing myself till the very end. I had no idea who would be who and what would be what until the very end of this book. It was so well done. I can't believe how many twists and turns there were in this book. You want to believe the narrator, but with her amnesia you can't. So you go on the journey Of discovery with her. It's an absolute trip.

Thank you to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC audiobook.
Thank you to Megan Goldin for this crazy rollercoaster of a book.
Thank you to Imogen Church & January LaVoy for using your voices to bring this book to life. Without your voices, this audiobook would not have been what it was. Holy bananas. The way you narrated these characters were beyond comparison.

Loved this take on the usual thriller plot. Since Liv can't remember anything from the last two years, and her memory is erased each time she falls asleep, we get a thriller version of Groundhogs Day - but with amnesia! It was a very unique read and I was invested in the storyline. I figured out who it was pretty early on, but having the amnesia element kept the story interesting and I was still engaged all the way to the end. Definitely pick this one up if you enjoy thrillers!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

Megan Goldin does not disappoint. This story unrolls in a Momento type ride of memory loss. Imagine if every time you went to sleep, you lost your memory. It was an intriguing idea and the story went along at a fast and eager pace. There are reveals, such as the origin of some important details and phrases, that I found completely interesting and compelling. I was a little disappointed by the final reveal. The who of the who-dun-it, if you will. Everything else was taught and thrilling.

“Stay Awake” by Megan Goldin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 8/9
Genre: thriller

This thriller kept my attention the entire time. I really enjoyed it! I liked how the author went back and forth from the main character Liv to the detectives handling the case. It gave me a mystery thriller feel. The timeline was kind of confusing, so I would not recommend on audio as it goes back to two years in the past and the present. Sometimes it even goes back a couple days. It wasn’t too hard to follow reading it.

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi believing it’s two year ago. When she tries to resume her old life and finds nothing is the same she panics. Her old apartment isn’t hers, she’s told at her old job she moved to London, she can’t read her best friend or boyfriend. Her hands are covered in reminders. One in particular Stay Awake!
Two years ago she was living with her best friend Amy. She had a boyfriend named Marco who she adored. She has her dream job writing for a magazine.
Now every time she wakes up the day before is a blur. She can only remember two years ago.
When she sees news reports of a woman with long dark hair that looks suspiciously like her wanted for murder she has to Stay Awake to figure out what’s going on.

This was my favorite Megan Goldin so far!

Going into it, I was concerned that I would feel like the amnesia trope was overdone, but this one certainly stood on its own. It was just so engaging! It moved at such a fast pace, despite the repetitive nature of Liv needing to re-remember who she was every time she woke back up. I thought this was very well done, in that Goldin was able to convey Liv’s desperation over and over again without boring the reader.

I was absolutely dying to figure out what was going on with Liv. I flew through this audiobook, because I just couldn’t press pause!

Unfortunately, the only thing that didn’t work for me was the ending. While I liked how the case wrapped up, I felt like certain things were resolved somewhat magically and without explanation, which always irks me. It didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment of the book, though!

Audio Review: Stay Awake was narrated by Imogen Church and January LaVoie, two long-time favorites of mine. I absolutely loved it and flew through this production! Their narration added so much to the suspense, and they did an amazing job of conveying Liv’s panic and frustration.

Stay Awake? More like stay on the edge of your seat!!

I loved this book!! I binged it all in one sitting!! It had my full attention and kept me guessing who the killer was. I didn’t see that reveal coming until the very last second, then I was like.. 🤯🤯🤯

Liv wakes up in the back of a cab with a bloody knife in her coat and no memory of the last 24 hours. Now her face is all over the news and the police are looking for her in connection of the murder of her ex. Come to find out, Liv can’t remember the past 2 years due to amnesia and could be connected to other murders as well!!

Unreliable narrator, unique storyline, multiple POV and full of twists!! Stay Awake is a wild ride I didn’t want to end!! (This audiobook was fantastic!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼)

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

***4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account***

"A graphic at the bottom of the screen says: Murderer Writes Message In Victim's Blood... Painted on the window in red letters are the words, WAKE UP!"

"...I push up my sleeves and stare at the same words scribbled just below my wrist bone."

The intense panic in the lastest psychology thriller by tension driven writer Megan Goldin definitely added to the grey hairs on my head!

As I read and listened to this wild mystery thriller I realized my review cannot be too detailed because the unraveling of Liz's story is extremely detailed and precise. The author has created a set of clues that are like a treasure map and getting to the X marks the spot finish is rewarding but not easy on the nervous system.

Imagine waking up in a cab with no memory of how you got there or going to your apartment to find strangers living there with only some old mail as proof your roommate once lived there too. Better yet going to your office and everyone greeting you like a visitor who has been gone for two years!

Two of my favorite narrators January Lavoy and Imogen Church take acting to a whole new level as the confused scared and very frustrated Liz and the trying to prove herself NY Detective Darcy Halliday. The chapters switch off between these two leading ladies and I honestly was rooting for both of them which made my brain short circuit.

Despite clever red herrings, a bit of an outlandish medical ailment, and a twisty plot I figured out the truth but not necessarily because of the clues but just a realization that hit me as a constant reader of thrillers.

Liz loses her memory when she sleeps. When she wakes up it's always two years ago. What happened two years ago? Read/listen to this thriller. I guarantee you will Stay Awake until the end.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved The Night Swim by Goldin but this one read more like a first draft. The premise is that Liv loses her memory every time she falls asleep. She's now wanted for murder but doesn't remember anything that's happened in the last two years.

The groundhog's day-esque plot became repetitive pretty quickly, mainly because the reader doesn't learn a lot before Liv falls asleep again. I thought the ending wrapped up a little too nicely, with everything being revealed in two conversations. Additionally, Liv's narration in the audiobook felt a bit overdramatic and unfortunately took me out of the story several times.

My favorite part of this book was Detective Halliday. She was a strong female lead and really helped move the novel along.

This started out as a very interesting concept. That every day Liv wakes up, she can’t remember anything recent – the last memory is of two years ago. The issue with this book is that it was very repetitive, and Liv said the same thing every time she woke up from sleeping. Think 50 First Dates meets psychological thriller. I wanted this to be better but was bored at parts. The dual timeline was needed although I think it could have been executed a little better. I listened to the audiobook and had to keep reminding myself which timeline I was in. I really wanted this to be an edge of the seat psychological thriller but it missed the mark.

It finally happened. After nearly 3 years of dodging the proverbial bullet, I finally tested positive for COVID-19 last week. It took me about a week to overcome the worst symptoms, and I thankfully only have a lingering nasty cough. However, one benefit to being forced to isolate is that I've had ample time to catch up on reading. Megan Goldin's novels The Escape Room and The Night Swim were some of the best thrillers that I read in their respective years of release. This put her newest book Stay Awake, out today, among my most anticipated reads this year. Lucky for me, Goldin's publisher generously provided me with a copy of Stay Awake to review. I found the work to be the perfect form of escapism as I suffered through the worst symptoms of this illness.

Liv Reese awakes in the back of a taxi having more questions than answers. Her amnesia is only further pronounced as she steps up to the door of her apartment and is greeted by strangers. Who are these people in her home? The tenants seem as confused as she is, and they quickly close the door. Liv goes into her pocket to retrieve her phone but instead pulls out a knife covered in blood. Her phone is nowhere to be found. Liv's hands are adorned with hastily scribbled messages like a random phone number, "Don't open the door", and most startling "STAY AWAKE".

Incoming homicide detective Darcy Halliday has been partnered with department veteran Jack Lavelle. Beyond the usual newcomer/veteran dynamic at play, the pairs' boss has tasked Lavelle with vetting Halliday for future promotions. Halliday has a history of working for the state department, a past that is understandably shrouded in mystery. Halliday and Lavelle don't have much time to get to know each other before they are called to the scene of a gruesome murder. The brutal stabbing would be bad enough, but it is the message scrawled on the window of the room in the victim's blood that chills everyone to their core. STAY AWAKE!

Megan Goldin is fast becoming known for her ability to produce compelling standalone thrillers, and Stay Awake further cements that status. She's crafted the perfect unreliable narrator in a character who loses her short-term memory each time that she sleeps. The novel alternates perspectives between this woman who is attempting to compile the events that lead her to this point with that of the detectives investigating a murder in which she is the prime suspect. Goldin sprinkles in flashbacks to her protagonist's past, giving the reader insight into the person she used to be. This provides some much-needed depth to a character who is otherwise stuck in a repetitive loop of insomnia and paranoia. The short chapters and fast pace make this the kind of can't-put-it-down read that I've come to expect from Goldin. I did see the ending coming well before the big reveal, but it did little to deter my enjoyment of getting to that point. Stay Awake is another solid thriller from an author who is already one of my go-to writers in the genre.

I really enjoyed the plot of this one but omg the main character was very annoying. I would have given it a higher rating if it weren’t for that character and the ending. But overall, it wasn’t terrible!

Review of Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow what a ride this one was! I devour the audiobook for this one. The premise was great, the writing stellar, and the execution on point. I have her to read a book by this author that I didn’t really enjoy. The twists in this one were great and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next and what the truth was. It gave me major Memento vibes if you have ever watched that movie.

Quick synopsis: Liv wakes up in a taxi with virtually no memory if the present. She has writing all over her arms warning her to Stay Awake. She goes to her last home to find new people living there. Then she tries to go to her boyfriend but he, too, is gone. She sees in the news about a murdered man and becomes fearful that maybe she is somehow involved. The police agree and start their chase after Liv. The biggest problem? Every time she sleeps she loses all memories from the last two years.

The Escape Room is one of my favorite thrillers so I was so excited to get an advanced copy and read Stay Awake. I loved how this book started out with a bang, but while reading, it started to feel repetitive to me and it felt like it took a long time to figure anything out.

The book is told from Liv’s perspective in the present and two years earlier along with a detective’s point of view in the present. I started out listening to the audiobook, but then decided to read along with the digital ARC because I struggled keeping track of the timelines. I had a hard time with Liv’s narrator, and this upset me because I’ve loved Imogen Church as a narrator of other books. January LaVoy did a great job narrating Detective Halliday.

This is a fast-paced story with short chapters which is what I look for in a thriller! I thought the premise was cool and it totally had Memento vibes, but it wasn’t my favorite. I think I might have liked it better had I skipped the audiobook altogether. I was able to predict whodunnit and felt there were some plot holes throughout, but I have read some glowing reviews of this one so please don’t let mine sway you. 3/5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

𝘈𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤!

I don’t think Megan Goldin can write a bad book, just wow! I was hooked since chapter one and it was imposible to stop!
It kept me at the edge of my seat, it was twisty, suspenseful, clever, riveting and brilliant! All the stars!

Thank you Macmillan Audio St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ALC.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

Liv is losing her mind…literally. She experienced a terrible trauma 2 years ago and her mind is on a loop. She cannot remember anything recent. She thinks she lives and works in the same place and she keeps going back to the terrible night the tragedy struck. But, her life is in danger and she has no idea!

There was just something about the first of this book which I did not like. I just cannot quite put my finger on it. Possibly because I didn’t know where my feelings for Liv were supposed to fall…is she a good person or a bad person? I really almost quit reading. But, I am glad that didn’t happen. Because, the intensity just keeps building! I actually caught myself gripping the steering wheel extremely tightly at some parts of the story.

This is a unique premise. I found Liv’s situation different and very interesting. I mean…how would you handle losing your memory every time you slept. The notes she wrote to herself, the situations she found herself in…Very well done!

The narrators, Imogen Church and January LaVoy did a great job tag teaming the characters! They kept the intensity level high!

Need a story which will have you scared to go to sleep..THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This book y'all! I switched between ebook and audio, and I really feel the audio gave an even higher level of intensity!

I'm a big fan of the unreliable narrator and no one is more unreliable than Liv. She has a rare form of amnesia - when she falls asleep, she wakes up not remembering anything that has happened recently! It's like the movie Groundhog's Day, but more horrific. She finds herself in a time loop - and we travel back and forth in time with her over the two year time frame. When Liv wakes up in the back of an NYC cab holding a bloody knife and no memory of what happens, she goes on the run, although not sure what she is running from.

The narration comes from Liv and Halliday, a younger detective working the murder case. I really liked Halliday, but found Liv's narration more intense and captivating. Following the murder investigation was very interesting and I loved the peeling back of the layers of this case.

This book is filled with drama and suspense and I was so engrossed that I didn't even attempt to figure out who the murderer was, I just kept reading and reading to find out what would happen next!

Liv’s amnesia worked for me in this book. We got just enough of her forgetfulness. She was a likable character and I found myself cheering for her, despite the mess that her life is at the moment. It ends with a bang!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

WOWWWWW this was UNPUTDOWNABLE. When Liv Reese goes to sleep, she wakes up with no memory of the past 2 years of her life. Her hands and arms are covered with scribbled messages to help her remember. As she tries to piece together her memories, Liv finds herself accused of a crime she doesn't remember committing. If you've seen the movie Memento, then you're already familiar with this type of amnesia.

I LOVE the way the narrative unravels, slowly feeding you with bits and pieces, and forcing you to keep turning the pages. That's what made the story so addictive. Despite the amnesia trope, it didn't feel repetitive whenever Liv had to re-learn about her past. I did get frustrated that it took Liv forever to finally use Google to do some basic searches about the people she was trying to find. She should have probably written "GOOGLE SEARCH" on her hand 😂

Parts of this story creeped me out SO MUCH omg. I had chills listening to the audiobook at night. The culprit's identity is actually so obvious - right there in your face obvious LOL. But this very obvious clue is hidden among a million red herrings. It also doesn't help that the main narrator is unreliable. There was only one red herring that was left unexplained and ironically, it was this particular red herring that fooled me for the longest time. But hey, I'm proud of myself for eventually figuring it out 😂

I highly recommend this one on audio! Both narrators were so good!!

P.S. Loved the ending iykyk

Wow, wow, wow!!!

I found my fave thriller of the year! Absolutely LOVED every single second of this book! It was one of those books that you stay up late for and wake up the next morning craving answers!

I loved the main character, Liv, she was super like-able and I found myself rooting hard for her to figure all this out!! While the storyline does jump back and forth, it was very easy to follow and adds to the confusion of WHO TO TRUST!?!?

You guys know I read 1-2 thrillers/month, but if you are going to pick one to read this year - this should be it!!

The narration was excellent. The multiple voices and accents from the narrator were unique. Highly recommend this on audio!

Y’all it’s been a while since I’ve read a thriller that hooked me like Stay Awake by @megangoldinauthor

Liv Reese wakes up with no memory of her life for the past two years. She only knows the scribbles on her arms to Stay Awake. When em she catches a glimpse of the news she hears about a recent murder. Is it a coincidence that the same Stay Awake message was screamed in blood at the crime scene?

This book has a dual timeline that can throw you for a loop. If you stick with it things will make sense the further along you get. I’m not always the fan of an unreliable narrator but it really worked on this storyline. I had to keep going to learn how everything played out. Highly recommend this thriller if you are looking for a wild ride. Stay Awake is out today!