If He Wakes

The two people you can rely on most in life should be your husband and your best friend right?

Atleast, that is what I would think! This book had me questioning how well do we really know eachother? I loved it and would recommend this book to all my friends

I really enjoyed this book from the off! A woman desperate to know what her husband is doing being where he shouldn't be and all the drama that follows on from this. A real page turner with a twist that will keep you hooked.

Rachel believes her husband is having an affair, so she follows him. But instead of catching him with another woman, she sees a hit and run – with her husband’s car as the weapon. Her business partner Suzie, is having relationship problems of her own. Her fiancee seems to have dropped off the earth, and what’s worse, he’s amassed enormous debts in her name. And what about the threatening phone calls she’s getting? Can these two friends support each other is this time of unspeakable tragedy, or will they turn on each other?

I loved this book. So well written. I found this book unputdownable!!

Absolutely amazing. Makes you question your life and to me that shows the author got into your head. I think that the characters were done so well, it was impossible not to get engaged into the world of this book and then start feeling it as your reality. I can't wait to see more from Zoe Lea

This started out having me on the edge of my seat - I love when books grab you right from the beginning. Kept me guessing till the end. Thank you for this complimentary copy of this book from Canelo through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book got better as i was reading it, the ending is terrific. Great read.. would highly recommend to others.




Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an early release of this book

I thought that this was a very good read , I raced through it which usually a good sign . The story is told from two women , Rachel and Suzie who have recently become friendly again after being friends when they were younger . Rachel comes across a twitter message and deducts that her husband Phil is having an affair , she goes to the hotel to spy but whilst parked there she sees her husbands car involved in an hit and run .She is sure it's him behind the wheel but he has an alibi and evidence it wasn't . Suzie is engaged to a man that no one has met and he has disappeared leaving her with lots of unpaid bills and she can't get hold of him .

How the stories come together was brilliant and I found myself really rooting for Rachel , Phil and their daughters . A great twist and a satisfying conclusion , all in all a great read . 5 stars from me !

Rachel finds a Twitter message in her laptop that makes her suspect her husband is having an affair. She decides to follow him and then she witness something that makes her life fall apart. If He Wakes by Zoe Lea was an excellent thriller that hooked me from the first page to the last. It was a very exciting read and had me on the edge of my seat with twist and turns that I didn't see coming. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. I would like to thank NetGalley and Canelo for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Rachel discovers a message on Twitter arranging an assignation, she comes to the conclusion that her husband is having an affair. Deciding to follow him, what she witnesses is something much worse: her husband’s car involved in a hit and run. Meanwhile, Suzie, Rachel’s business partner and friend, has problems of her own. She has not heard from her fiance in days and on discovering that huge debts have been racked up in her name, she assumes that he has left her, taking the money with him. Her view changes, though, when threatening calls begin to arrive. Has something terrible happened to him? With both friends not knowing if they can trust their partners, will they also be able to trust each other?

How well do you really know your partner? This is a question that both of the main characters ask themselves as their lives slowly crumble around them. Rachel appears to have the perfect life with a loving husband and children and a business about to take off, All of this is turned on its head, however, when she reads the Twitter message and witnesses the hit and run. Her husband denies all knowledge, but is he telling the truth? I could really sympathize with Rachel as she struggled to come to terms with what she was discovering, and felt that Zoe Lea’s writing conveyed her trauma perfectly.

With regards to Suzie, the alarm bells were ringing right from the start. Her fiance, Adam, had apparently disappeared, taking all of their money with him. As soon as we realise that he’d managed to avoid any meetings with Suzie’s friend, Rachel, and worked away from home frequently, it was obvious that he was not the man she thought he was. Unlike Rachel, Suzie was prepared to give Adam the benefit of the doubt even though the evidence was screaming her in the face.

It was inevitable that the two stories would eventually collide and that there would be a connection. Whereas part of it was pretty easy to figure out, when I realised the full extent of one of the character’s wrongdoings, it was a huge shock. This was a great twist and not something I saw coming. I could also now understand the actions of another of the characters and my perception of them changed completely. I felt that the ending was realistic and very fitting to the plot.

If He Wakes definitely kept me entertained and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a quick, mysterious read.

Just when you start to feel smug that you've figured it out, you're wrong....

To use the most cliched of phrases, 'If He Wakes' is a real page-turner! The protagonist, Rachel, discovers a Twitter message arranging a secret rendezvous, and immediately assumes it's due to her husband having an affair. She sets out to investigate, and unfortunately she witnesses something much worse. What follows is how Rachel deals with her husband's alleged infidelity. Running parallel to this is Rachel's friend and business partner, Suzie, and the difficulties she is having in her relationship. As with every psychological thriller, there is soon to be twists and turns, with two explosive story lines that soon cross paths, creating a climactic ending.

The whole book leaves you questioning all of the characters, and I found that I very quickly alternated between trust AND distrust for each of the characters. I managed to read this book in just the one day, as I struggled to put it down, and the story moved pretty quickly.

My main gripe with this book is with the technicalities of the writing; Zoe Lea tends to use a lot of commas in her sentences and they don't seem to make much sense. A lot of her sentences come across as unfinished, and she uses a lot of 'lists' of separated by commas and without the important 'and' before the final item. I found her inappropriate use of commas completely irritating to read, and many sentences needed re-reading to make sense of them. Plenty of occasions the text would have benefited from use of a colon or semi-colon, and I found myself very frustrated by this - hence I only scored this book four stars.

This is a brilliant debut novel, it keeps you engrossed and wanting to keep reading to see what happens. Just when you thought you knew what was going on the author throws a spanner in the works and makes you think again. I really hope we get another book soon by Zoe as I for one can’t wait to read it.

Loved this book but I'm struggling to understand why I did not give it 5 stars! Story is excellent and pace very good. You don't really know what has happened until close to the end. I was impressed with the words used when speaking to the daughter after the parents found out what had happened. I.m not a pessimist but I think I was expecting something more depressing than the outcome 1 year on but don't miss any chance to read this

Rachel opens her laptop to find a suggestive Twitter message between two people that are not her. What is the first thing she does? Logs out of Twitter and then worries that her husband is having an affair. I don't get it. She did no looking around to try and determine who either person was and went straight to the unfaithful husband. This was the first of a few missteps in the book. The story, however, was a really good one and shows that Ms. Lea has great promise as a writer. I just wish someone had taken a step back and wondered if things made sense, including the title which doesn't come into play until the last 30% of the book. With those caveats, the book was worth the read and I look forward to Ms. Lea's next offering.

A compelling read for those who like to experience modern- day issues. Your heart goes out to each of the main adult characters as they battle with their ever- developing problems and the moral decisions they have to face. I was desperate to discover how such seemingly insurmountable problems would be solved and was not disappointed with the realistic ending.
This could be a superb book for use in schools with teenagers as they discuss the profound issues of grooming, revenge etc.
Definitely recommended reading for older teenagers and adults.

Told from the dual viewpoints of friends Rachel and Suzie, 'If He Wakes' is one heck of a read, and author Zoe Lea should be justifiably proud of her debut novel.

When Rachel discovers a Twitter message on her laptop, arranging a meeting in a hotel room, she immediately suspects that husband Phil is playing away from home!

Meanwhile Rachel's best friend and business partner Suzie discovers that her bank cards have been frozen, and she's desperately trying to contact her fiancé Adam to sort out the mess, but Adam's away on a photo shoot in a remote area of Wales and the wi-fi signal is somewhat sporadic, so she’s unable to speak to him, however she will have much more to worry about before the week is out - and so will Rachel!

The initial build up was a little slow, but I quickly realised that it was simply setting the scene for what turned out to be a real page turner. It's so easy to write about a book grabbing one's attention, but believe me, it grabbed hold and demanded I get back to it every time I put it down. The storyline has some neat little twists, the characters were believable, and with each chapter devoted to either Rachel or Suzie, it gave us a chance to get really close - get inside their heads, but boy I wouldn't want to change places with either of them, and I doubt that you will either! Two words - Completely engaging!

*My thanks to Canelo for my ARC. I have given a fair and honest review in exchange*

If He Wakes is a fast paced ,take your breath away ,kind of book ! Just the kind of book I love .The story is told from the viewpoints of Rachel and Suzie and is so gripping and hard to put down ,a very exciting read with a few twists and turns though I did guess some of the ending but nevertheless it is still a very enjoyable book despite some of the sensitive issues and for a debut book quite excellent .I can't wait to read more from Zoe Lea .

I loved this book, devoured it in fact.
As a debut book, this was great...
I'd say it was a family drama with a rather unpleasant side, the storyline was very believable and intense, engaging and exciting.
The perfect family or so you'd think, but there's a darkness unseen. It all becomes apparent after seeing a message on Twitter....a marriage and friendships are pushed to there limits as this awful news is discovered....actions cannot be undone and the consequences of those actions are felt for a long time....
Engaging, exciting and unputdownable. ...I can't wait for another book from this author

Two friends working together. A husband of one runs over the fiancée of the other and you are left finding out why. The wife who saw the incident and from then ion it unravels into a really exciting and thought provoking story. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity of reading this very good book, it kept me interested from the beginning to the end.

A really good, suspenseful read.

Couldn't put this book down. Each time I thought I knew what had happened there was another twist.
Rachel and Suzie are trying to set up an events business together. They have been friends for ages but not really living in each others pockets. Rachel is married to Phil with two teenagers, Katie and Jessica. Suzie is getting married to Adam, a photographer.
Rachel stumbles onto a twitter message which she assumes is for her husband and jumps to a disastrous conclusion. In the space of an afternoon all their lives change forever. Rachel and Suzie will be tested as never before.
Rachel learns things about one of her daughters that no mother should have to face and how can her relationship with her husband be saved.
How far would you go to protect your family? You may think you are happy but who knows what is round the corner?

I found this book fantastic the storyline was one I had never read before. I enjoyed the characters the book just flowed.it was hard to read in places but I am glad I read it.

Really good story. Really fast paced and full of action. Rachel knows her husband is up to something and Suzie is starting to discover that her fiancé is not who she thought he was. Both men have secrets that need to be discovered. Both men are hiding a lot. I read this book in one sitting. It is definitely a page turner and worth reading.

Rachel, a married mother of two, finds a sexually suggestive twitter message and assumes that her husband is having an affair. She decides she is going to follow him to his rendezvous and instead of seeing him with another woman, witnesses a hit and run.

Suzie, is Rachel's best friend and business partner. She learns some alarming news about her finances and cannot find her fiancé anywhere. In the process of looking for him, she learns that she is not the only one looking for him and that he has secrets and has not been honest with her.

In this book both women learn that those in their lives have been keeping secrets. This book proved to be a fast enjoyable read. There were plenty of twists and turns throughout. This book sucked me in almost instantly and had me turning the pages to learn what was really happening. Who was the victim in the hit and run, who was driving the car, was there an affair, what is going on with Suzie's finances, where is her finance. So many questions for the reader to ponder. Just when I thought I had this book figured out, there was a new twist, a new revelation.

A very enjoyable fast read.

Thank you to Canelo and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book. Story revolves around Rachel, who believes her husband is cheating on her and Suzie, her best friend whose boyfriend has done a runner leaving her with massive debts. Story comes together nicely and is a real page turner. I could not wait to finish book, I was totally hooked. At one point had to wait until my Kindle recharged before I could carry on!!

I need some match sticks to prop open my eyes today after staying up way too late to finish this book last night I literally couldn't put it down until I found out what happened, wow, what a book.This book kept me guessing threw some curve balls into the mix and was a great read.I liked the two main female characters and liked the way the story unfolded,no spoilers from me.The pace of the book was good and it was a cracking read.I would definitely read more by this author and thoroughly enjoyed this one.Thanks to the Publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.

This was a very good book. it had a few twist and turns that I wasn't expecting. I did find the storyline hard to read but it was sensitively done. I enjoyed the lay out of the book, been from the different points of view of Rachel and Suzie and I got a real insight into each of their lives and feelings. I look forward to reading more from Zoe Lea.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publishers for providing a copy In exchange for an honest review.

I really emoji this book, a real page turner, centres around two women that learn things about their husbands that they never knew. Rachel suspects her husband is having an affair and embarks on a mission to find out what is going on. The characters are believable and this book comes with a twist just when you think you know what is going on. An enjoyable debut novel from Zoe.

I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book - I found that the 'twist' was easy to see coming but that is not necessarily a bad thing, it suggests that it is believable within the context of the story. I liked the characters and found them engaging and well written. I will look to read more by this author in the future.

Review: I would like to thank Canelo for asking me to review this book. I must say the cover is not very appealing but the story is amazing.

A real page turner. Two friends who find out shocking things about men they love. I am not willing to say more as any more details other than what is in the blurb would really ruin the reading experience.

This story really grips you. It is full of twists and turns and the ending is utter brilliance.

A must read if you like a thrill!

This book, wow! It took me a while to get into it but once I did I couldn’t stop reading. The way the stories interweaved was genius. I can’t say too much without giving away spoilers but it was a brilliant story and I recommend you read it.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Canelo for this review copy given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Ellie from Canelo for organising the Blog Tour and giving me the opportunity to be part of it.

Rachel thinks her husband is having an affair. She follows him one day to find out if it’s true. Instead of seeing her husband with another woman, she witnesses his car in a hit and run and she thinks her husband was driving. Rachel’s best friend and business partner Suzie is deliriously happy. She is helping run what seems to be a thriving business and she’s head over heels in love with her fiancé, Adam. That is until she finds her joint bank account with Adam has been frozen, and after visiting the bank Suzie finds the account is massively overdrawn and huge debts are piling up. Adam isn’t answering his phone and is nowhere to be found. What both women are about to find out will blow their worlds apart.

This is a debut book by this author, and what a way to start! The blurb sounded intriguing although it didn’t give away a lot of clues as to what this book was really about. The story is told from Rachel and Suzie’s perspectives. I did, at first, wonder what part Suzie played in the story – Rachel’s was obvious, but I couldn’t work out where Suzie’s story was going. I have to admit I enjoyed Suzie’s story more and definitely connected with her more initially.

Rachel thinks her husband, Phil is having an affair and follows him. What she actually sees is Phil’s car involved in a hit and run, but she can’t be sure who was driving. Suzie has recently gotten engaged to Adam after a very quick whirlwind romance. She finds he has been building up huge debts in her name after her bank put a stop on her account. She refuses to believe it’s anything other than a bank error and tries her best to get hold of Adam to sort this out. Both women throughout the first half of the book come across as a bit naïve and very trusting of their men, particularly Suzie. In fact, I felt quite sorry for Suzie as everyone else seemed to think, behind her back, that she was naïve and gullible too. I did want to shake Suzie at times and tell her to open her eyes, wake up and smell the coffee, as Adam obviously wasn’t the man she thought he was.

All in all, I thought this book was great and flew through it in just over a day. It was a great thriller and held my interest all the way through. It was fast paced and there were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing as to what was going on. It does have some sensitive subjects which some people may not like to read about (I can’t really tell you what though as it would spoil the book) so be aware of this. In my opinion, it was a highly enjoyable read that left me on the edge of my seat. Would definitely recommend this one!!

A very dark story underlying the relationships between the characters. Great characters portraying a range of very real emotions. Enough twists and turns to keep you guessing almost to the end. A very enjoyable read.

Couldn't put this one down. excellent story line that kept me guessing about who was driving the car ! Rachel's character is very believable supported well by her friend Suzie. Both just starting out in business together and having a major crisis each dissempowering them both in pulling together to get the business running smoothly. Their personal problems overwhelm them for a while until they get to the bottom of the issues. A story full of manipulation, secrets and miss placed trust.

Fantastic debut! Had me hooked from the first page, the alternative chapter's of characters each ending on a bombshell kept me reading right to the end in one sitting. A book full of secrets and twists, brilliant.

I read this book in one sitting. Hubby had to go to the fish n' chip shop to get dinner because I was just not putting it down. FABULOUS. Loved it from start to finish. I have already recommended it to several people.

OMG, what a great book this is! Rachel and Suzie are running an events business and have a big event coming up. Rachel thinks her husband, Phil, is cheating on her and follows him. Suzie's fiance' Adam suddenly goes missing with all of Suzie's money. What happens after this is a real page-turner with lots of twists, turns with an ending I did not see coming. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good thriller.

This is the story of two friends, whose lives fall apart simultaneously. The characters, with their flaws are credible and likeable. Their situations are scarily realistic. It is a truely gripping read, but I found the long passages of their thoughts to be a bit long winded so only 4 stars.
It shows understanding of how women can easily be manipulated.
I will definitely look out for other books by Zoe Lea.

An easy to read book that I devoured in more or less one go. I don't know if I could define this a psychological thriller, there is not much of a thriller in it but there are a few twists and a bit of mystery, enough to keep you going and read on.
Rachel and Suzie were good friends when young, lost touch for years and recently rekindled their friendship so much that they decided to start a business organising events together.
Rachel is happily married to Phil and has two daughters while Suzie is engaged to Adam, a photographer. One day, Rachel finds her a Twitter account still logged in on her laptop and in it a saucy message. Rachel suspects that the account belongs to Phil and that it is evidence that he is having an affair. She follows him with her car but she sees something she does not expect.
Meanwhile Suzie's bank cards are declined and can't get in touch with her fiance. Initially she does not worry too much but things get complicated and very very unpleasant for all involved.
The book deals with a very delicate subject but I don't think it is done with bad taste, it is sadly something that happens and need to be discussed. Although, it might be disturbing I don't have a problem with a book dealing with difficult subjects.
Overall it is not a book that has changed my life but in the realm of psychological thrillers, it fares quite well.

Rachel Farrell opens her laptop and sees a provocative tweet that she believes is between her husband and another woman, planning a tryst. When she surreptitiously shows up at the location close to the appointed time, she witnesses a terrible hit and run accident and has her own minor one out of shock from what else she sees.

We begin at the accident and I found it interesting how without context I didn’t know how to take it all in. The story is told in first-person narrative from Rachel’s point of view and third-person narrative from Suzie’s, Rachel’s friend and business partner. That was initially a little odd but as the story progressed, it actually felt like a clever device to position the issues, reactions and reveals. What began as a potential marital conflict evolved into so much more and twisted terribly.

I liked this story, quite a bit, but would have enjoyed it more if the pacing had been tighter. Those times where significant action was unfolding, either Rachel or Suzie (more often) would often muse over inconsequential details or downright minutiae that did nothing but aggravate. Otherwise, the plot was really good and the convergence of Rachel and Suzie’s worlds was nicely done. Despite my issues, I flew through the story about 40% in and liked how it developed. I’d read more by this author. 3.5 stars

This debut novel is a dramatic treat. The chapters are split between the two lead characters, Suzie and Rachel who are friends, starting a new business together. Their lives are shattered by a dramatic event, witnessed by Rachel and the ripple effect resonates throughout the family and deeply impacts their friendship.

The tension begins immediately in chapter one and grows as the story unravels. It kept my interest throughout.

Congratulations to Zoe Lea and many thanks to net galley and Canelo for the opportunity to preview this great debut.

An absorbing, believable first chapter perfectly sets the scene for what is to come, in this tense and shocking psychological thriller. Told from Rachel and Suzie's points of view the two friends both experience increasingly disturbing events in their otherwise ordinary lives that leave them doubting everything they previously believed; threatening, their friendship and sanity.

The plot cleverly conceals more than it reveals and just when you think you've solved the mystery, you find another twist. Authentic characters complement the realistic storyline in a readable mix of action and introspection. The genuinely chilling factor of this story is it could happen and probably has, real nail-biting, what if it happened to me? Experience the nightmare without the consequences when you read this book.

I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This novel is a topical and dramatic story with an unexpected, controversial twist. Rachel and Suzie are friends. Initially, I thought Rachel was an unstable, hysterical and neurotic woman and Suzie seemed selfless and more discerning, but even she was finally tripped up. Rachel is married to Phil with two teenage daughters and believes all is well in her life. Suzie is engaged to the love of her life, Adam. Both have put their trust in their men but become increasingly anxious that their men have hoodwinked them. The dynamics change when their men's behaviour becomes erratic. A twitter message and lies make Rachel panic that her husband is unfaithful. An absence of text messages, an empty bank account and threats from unknown sources trouble Suzie. As the two women investigate in an attempt to join the dots on the dilemmas, they uncover some alarming facts. My only doubt about the novel was that there was an overload of analysis and repetition of thoughts, reflections and facts. This style slowed down the plot and made my interest dip at times. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable, compelling read. Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
I absolutely loved this book. It kept me guessing at every turn. Every initial impression it gives you is incorrect, and I had so much fun trying to pick apart the threads as I went along and solve the mystery! It was much more twisted than I had imagined (which I liked). Slightly reminiscent of Karin Slaughters writing style. I will definitely be seeking out more books by this author now. The distinctly British feel the book had added to the fun for me. Pick this one up for sure if you like to unravel a good mystery!

For a first book I thought this was very good, it kept you enthralled in the story trying to work out what was going on. Will these two friends recover and at what cost? With these two story lines and the detail it has been written very clear and you begin to know the characters but not what to expect. I love a good mystery and this will make an excellent read for the summer evenings.

I don't often describe a book as 'a real pageturner' but in this case it's true - I was so engrossed towards the end that I was almost late for work. There were lots of twists and turns, some of which you see coming and some that come as a real surprise. For me though, I enjoyed the relationship between the two friends, Rachel and Suzie, as they both have their lives torn apart. It was interesting to see the two threads come together quite spectacularly at the end but I'm saying no more as I don't want to spoil it. A truly engrossing read with characters that leap off the page so that you are still thinking about them weeks later.