I really enjoyed the narrator for this book. I felt very engaged listening to the story and I wanted to keep listening until the end; although, it was a little bit slow at the beginning. Some parts of the story were predictable and some surprises thrown in too!

2.5 ⭐ rounded up

lu, a new mother to her baby, riley, is
struggling to take care of him. sleep deprivation takes its toll on her, blurring the line between reality and illusion.
when a neighbour she didn't really like is found dead, she begins to wonder if she might have played a role in what happened.
but, she's just a loving mother to her baby, right? she would never do such a thing...


first of all, i appreciate how the author portrays the struggles of motherhood, particularly their impact on mental health. the depiction feels raw and authentic, and while i don't have kids myself, i believe that many mothers will find it relatable. prolonged sleep deprivation, often overlooked, can have severe consequences and definitely shouldn't be ignored, because a short nap won't fix shit. overcoming it actually requires time and support from family and friends.

sadly, the mc lacked that support. she wasn't in touch with her mother, and with tony working all the time to provide for the family, she was left with taking care of riley mostly on her own. which made her incredibly exhausted.

i kinda could relate to lu, because i was exhausted too. only for different reasons.

well, this one was a slow burn. it took (only!😃) 45 chapters to draw my attention. i swear most of the book consisted of lu's repetitive thoughts.

"oh my god, did I kill dave? I don't know"

"oh my god, where is my kid? I don't remember"

"where tf is tony? damn, was he kidnapped? lol I dont remember"

"oh my god, tony just cut the cheese and that piece of cheese was SO big, just because he provides for the family doesn't mean he can eat such big pieces of cheese. personally, i cut small pieces of cheese so that it LASTS LONGER. but no, tony doesn't care because he's the one making the money 🤬 damn, I'd take this knife and cut his face just like he's cutting the cheese"
and I believe at least 65% of the book was exactly that.

i usually enjoy the unreliable narrator trope, but in this book, it felt too dragged out and repetitive.

another thing - the plot twists, or maybe - the lack of them. i finished the book and oh, finally, there was one in the last chapter. then I noticed there were actually more, but I didn't even realize they were plot twists. unfortunately, this *thriller* wasn't really thrilling. i only finished the audiobook, because i don't really like to dnf books, but honestly, i wouldn't have missed much if i had.

to sum up - i was looking for a good thriller and didn't find what I hoped for. the book just didn't do it for me.
nevertheless, I love that Natali Simmonds raises awareness about the struggles mothers face.



thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio and Natali Simmonds for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a bit predictable, but it was good. I knew exactly what was happening long before any reveal, but that didn't make the book any less enjoyable, if that make sense.

It was interesting to see the MC's spiral. Though the "big twist" was no surprise, watching her descend into darker, darker depths and more and more madness kept the book entertaining. Even if you know what's happening, you don't know what's happening NEXT.

I was also genuinely surprised by the conversation between the MC and Maggie at the end. THAT did go somewhere I didn't see coming. (Although, on reflection, I really should have.)

Sorry. I know this "review" is a bit all over the place and probably makes no sense to anyone who has not read the book. But I'd rather have it like that than potentially spoil anything for the reader.

So, in short -- good book, easily 3 stars (maybe even 4 if the twist surprises you). Narration was excellent -- no complaints. I loved the English accent. In a lot of ways, it really made the book for me.

If you like psychological thrillers and suspense novels, you'll enjoy it.

I was not a fan of this whatsoever. I didn't particularly care for the narrator. The writing style felt slightly amateur. It was repetitive as well as very slow moving.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture Audio for an early listeners copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was on audio through Netgally. The book is about Lou, Tony, and Riley, their son, who is almost one. Lou and Tony moved into a new neighborhood that was not known to be the greatest. Tony was working long days, while Lou was left home with the baby. She was not sleeping at night. Hearing every voice Riley made. Every day life was increasingly getting harder. With a lack of help from Tony and her family. One day, she wakes up on her doorstep covered in blood and no memory of why she is there. A police officer shows up at her door a couple of days later and says her neighbor is dead. She knows she has hated the neighbor for weeks because of his loud music day and night. Could she have been the one to kill him?? She thinks to herself there is no way I could have done this. I am sleep deprived, but I am not a killer, or am I??
There are twists that you don't see coming. The end had my jaw on the floor.

@Netgally
@Natali Simmonds

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC (audiobook) of this book.

While My Baby Sleeps by Natali Simmonds

This is a thriller about a mother who just gave birth to a baby. She is going through sleep deprivation after delivery. She doesn't have anyone to help her or look after the baby. One night she sleep walks at night and when she wakes up she is outside her house with blood in her hands. She doesn't remember what happened. The next day she sees that her neighbor is murdered.

A fast pacing thriller. Got hooked from the first chapter. Couldn't stop listening to it. The ending made was perfect.

If you like Lisa Jewell books this one is for you.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator has done a brilliant work.

Can't wait to read other books by Natali Simmonds

Narrators for this audiobook were actually pleasant to listen too and therefore made me enjoy the audiobook.

The storyline was ok… I mean I can’t say that it had me on a gripping chokehold but I also wanted to finish it and see it thru. I did enjoy the ending as well.

While My Baby Sleeps is a well written psychological thriller with a very satisfying ending. At first, I found myself relating to the main character. Motherhood is hard. But then she slowly starts to seem a little too dark and I was unsure what to think. As I read on, I felt like I knew the ending, but I didn’t. I am so glad I kept reading. I would definitely recommend this book if you like psychological thrillers especially if you are a mother.

Couldn’t put this one down. I loved it. Even though I was pretty sure what was going on I couldn’t wait for the MC or someone else to figure it out. I suspect many moms will relate to parts of this

Great narrator

Thanks netgalley for my ALC!

Will definitely read this authors next book.

This was something like a nerve-wracking experience! I was engrossed and really enjoyed the book and the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Bookouture for the ARC (audio).

Title: While My Baby Sleeps
Author: Natali Simmonds
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Sofia Zervudachi
Genre: Family Drama
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Pub Date: February 7, 2025
My Rating: 2.6 Stars
Pages: 341

Lu Smith and Tony Baker were friends helping out each other; they became loves and now are parents to an eleven month-old son, Riley.

Motherhood is not easy for Lu, baby Riley does not sleep the 22 hours a day mother’s hear about- in fact, he is up most of the night crying. Lu is getting next to no sleep. She doesn’t have any help nor does she ask Tony for help. Taking care of an infant is far more difficult than she imagined.

One morning, Lu wakes up on her front doorstep with blood on her hands- with no memory of what happened. When she finds out her obnoxious neighbor – the one she has complained about for playing his music much too loud has been killed - she fears she may be the person responsible. ~ She loves her son but is sleep deprived and wonders if that may be a reason for her memory loss.

Most mothers who read this remember the sleepless night but memory loss and killing someone seems far-fetched! I felt sorry for Lu as I knew she was having a serious case of post-partum Depression and/or a mental breakdown. However, it was a struggle listening to what was going on. Plus-I am never pleased with hearing excessive profanity – I hung in there as I was curious and the narrator is excellent in her performance of the characters.

I enjoy psychological thrillers – find them entertaining. This however was depressing.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 7, 2025.

This book shows the hard parts of early motherhood. Natali isn't afraid to say the hard things. Everything about those days are hard. I could see myself in the main character so often while listening to this book. It was hard to get through some parts, but I'm glad I read it after I got through those days of my own motherhood. This thriller was done in a wonderful way. I couldn't figure out which parts were real and which were not. It was all wrapped up nicely at the end though.

Lu is exhausted and has an 11 month old son, Riley. Her husband-to-be/father of Riley, doesn’t help much and works a lot. Due to her constant sleep deprivation, she can’t think straight and her sleepwalking outside in the middle of the night adds problems!

Maggie, her neighbor Jim’s sister, befriends her after seeing her sleepwalking one night. She pushes herself on Lu and starts helping her take care of Riley. Quickly, things start to get confusing and Lu never knows if she is awake or asleep or if she even knows what is real from day to day. The neighbor she doesn’t like ends up dead and all she remembers is that she was sleepwalking the night he died!

This book is a thriller with great promise and a good plot however, I had a hard time with the constant confusion on Lu’s part. If she would have had some lucid thoughts at least part of the time, I would have enjoyed it more. An unreliable narrator is one thing but just pure confusion can be frustrating.

This story also has some trigger warnings that should be noted: explicit thoughts of harm to a child and domestic partner. Trying not to give spoilers.

I did think the narrator did a great job and had a pleasant voice. She nailed it with how I think Lu would sound!

I love Bookouture books and their authors are all so good. Natali Simmonds is an author I will look forward to again. I am glad I listened to it as I now have another thriller author to add to my list. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to Natali Simmonds, NetGalley and Bookoture Audio for an Audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A solid 4 star for me! As a mum of 7, I have had MANY years of sleepless nights which I will telly you can lead to some scary thought patterns. This book shone a spotlight on the depths of darkness that prolonged sleep deprivation can take you to. It's something that is ofter overlooked, not talked about or understood - this book helps bring to the forefront all the struggles new mothers often face even though they are well beyond the newborn stage.

In this book the author is not afraid to give us a glimpse into the FMC's mind and the dark often disturbing thoughts she has. We are led to believe that these thoughts are not the FMC's true nature but simply brought up in her mind due to her exhaustion and lack of support systems in all area of her life (her partner, lack of friendships and lack of family support). This book alone, highlights how this leevel of sleep deprivation is not something that can simple cured by taking a nap but that mothers (or primary care givers) need long term support in multiple areas of their life so that they can stop living in survival mode and truly thrive in motherhood.

The narrator Sofia Zervudachi was very easy to listen to making this book even more enjoyable - a good narrator truly can make or break an audio book! I'll be keeping an eye for more books narrated by her in the future!

This novel explores motherhood, mental health, and questioning your own ability to be a mother. Lu, the main character, is sleep deprived and left alone with her thoughts. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from the moment she woke up outside her door with blood on her hands until the very end. I would definitely recommend this book.

While My Baby Sleeps definitely keeps you guessing what’s going on! It will have your emotions running high as you ponder while trying to figure out what is truly happening. The narrator did a great job bringing Lou’s character to life.

Lou and Tony have just moved into their new home. The stresses of getting acclimated to their new surroundings, dealing with a needy toddler, a noisy neighbor, and an insensitive husband eventually takes a toll on Lou’s mental health. She gradually treads on the line between reality and her illusions leaving us wondering what’s true and what’s not.

Overall, a solid read that I recommend simply to fully learn the extent of what’s happening throughout the story, as well as for the satisfying twist at the end.

Thank you Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5⭐⭐⭐



* Trigger warning - postpartum depression, family drama , psychological thriller .



* lu was a new mother who suffers with sleep deprive and fatigue . It goes to show to postpartum depression as she is getting annoyed with other people aswell including her neighbour . She kind of making a way to relieve a way for her to become a great mum by making a person who is trying to help her. ( make any sense?) Nope? You better read the book as it was highly addictive. May trigger some peope.

*it was a predictable ending when it comes to chapter 7 as you can recognise what is happening to her . The ending was a good to end things and nt to add more in to the series.

* thankyou bookouture for the arc copy of this book for a honest review.



⭐shaye .reads

Just when I thought I’d guessed the twist…. It surprised me again! I struggled to put this one down I had to know what was happening!!! Definitely a must read!!

Leaving your job and moving to a new neighborhood would be hard for most people-- and Louise is already adjusting to the consistently sleepless nights of life with a newborn. With her husband working overnights to support them and not a lot of friends to rely on, Louise is already exhausted so when her neighbor is murdered and she's dragged into the police investigation, her already thin grasp on things begins to slip even further.

This one is definitely a very slow burn. I love a story that isn't afraid to be blunt about how difficult life is with children. As a mother who had health complications and also social stress (from the pandemic) in my son's newborn stage, I appreciate the author pulling no punches when it comes to how desperately sleep deprived you can be, how frightening it can be, and how much of a toll it takes on your mental health. I love to read fiction that touches on real life problems. The only thing I didn't love is that it took a very long time to get where it was going. I was almost 40% of the way through the book before the pace picked up and if I didn't have a particular interest in the new mom struggle situation I definitely would DNFed because it was dragging and a bit repetitive.

That being said, the back half of the book was well paced and while I predicted the twist pretty early, it was still entertaining and held my attention consistently (and would have even without a personal interest).. I liked the way it all played out, though the end seemed to fall into a pretty optimistic resolution which surprised me because of how dark "My Daughter's Revenge" was, but I still enjoyed it. Overall I would definitely keep reading more from this author I just preferred her previous book.

I related so much to this book, having had a difficult infant myself. It is entirely possible to lose your grip on your mental health when entirely sleep deprived. Is that what happened to this mama? Enjoy the ride.