Eminently readable. This is a chilling ghost story mixed with a thriller and a bit of raunchiness thrown in for good measure.

Zoe has left her home in America to stay to a remote Scottish island to have some time to herself and to consider her future with her husband. She has rented the large and isolated McBride house. She soon learns that the house has a strange history and is feared by many of the locals. From her first night in the house weird things begin to happen.

This is a seriously spooky novel and had me holding my breath on a number of occasions.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

This book kept me up at night and made my skin crawl. Zoe moved to an isolated Scottish island to escape from her husband for a while. She rents a house that is reputed to be haunted by Ailsa McBride, while there Zoe starts having erotic yet terrifying dreams waking with the feeling that she has had sex. A fantastic but scary book

I would say While You Sleep is more of a supernatural romance novel than a psychological thriller and the book was quite out of my normal comfort zone, but it's always good to try new things.

Zoe Adams needs to get away from her past for a bit. She flees her troubled marriage and rents an old house on a remote Scottish island. The house has quite the history and none of it good. Zoe can tell there are stories about the place that her landlord does not want her to hear. As strange things begin to happen she wonders if the house is really cursed or that her mind is playing tricks on her. The further into the story we go the more you don't even know what's going on anymore. There are just so many twists and turns to keep the reader hooked and guessing as to what's going on. There became I point I didn't know what was really happening and what was ghostly goings on, it gets ito and plays with your head so much.

Gothic and atmospheric, the story is fairly slow paced but intense at the same time. Sometimes it's a little too intense and I felt myself needing to take a break. It's hard to know who to trust and who not to, but that's good because it keeps you guessing. For the last third of the book I couldn't down as it go to the point I was desperate to see how things would end up.

If you like creepy goings on and strange romance then this book will be perfect for you. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy.

I had high hopes for this book and at first it didn't disappoint,drawing me in with chilling happenings. However, by the time the story unfurled, I felt short changed and the ending was a cop out. Putting everything down to paranormal and mental illness did not cut it with me.

This book was fantastic! The plot took you on a jaw dropping journey from ghostly pasts to the eerie present. I loved how the main character, Zoe's thoughts, feelings and experiences were intertwined with that of a previous character and at any one point you didn't know whether Zoe was dreaming or in reality, I thought I knew how the story would end but I couldn't have been more wrong! This book took such an unexpected turn that I was completely surprised. A brilliant read for 2018 and definitely one I will be recommending.

Zoe Adams is a foreigner to the remote island in Scotland that she chooses to make her temporary home in more ways than one. She is the first newcomer to the island in months. The infamous McBride house is to be her sanctuary after she flees her home in America to escape her marriage issues. But the McBride house has a lot of secrets

The owners of the house are also the landlords of the local pub, Zoe is taken there on her first night on the Island to meet the islanders acquaintance. Some of them are more welcoming to Zoe (and newcomers in general) than others.

Edward, the local teacher, and Charles the local bookshop owner befriend Zoe almost immediately. Edward is decades younger than Zoe, but there is something undeniably attractive about him which Zoe fights hard to resist. She didn’t come away to find a new partner, and she certainly doesn’t need further complications in her life.

Both are aware of the history of the McBride house where Zoe has chosen to stay, and both are concerned for her wellbeing, whilst telling her not to listen to local folk scaremongering. Zoe as you can imagine, is confused by the mixed messages she’s receiving.

She decides to just ignore the tales of the house’s history and enjoy her time in a house so very different to her own.

While You Sleep opens with two young boys taking part in a dare outside the McBride house, which is supposedly haunted. One of them loses their nerves and makes a run for it, whilst the other stays and is never seen again.

The locals are clearly still in shock, even though more than a year has passed since the boy disappeared and Zoe arrived, the two things shouldn’t be connected, but Zoe is soon to find out that everyone on this remote island is connected somehow, whether they want to be or not.

While You Sleep is a creepy, atmospheric thriller and something very different to my usual read. I loved it!

Excellent story line and great main characters. I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend.

There is something about a ghost story that makes it perfect winter – and indeed Christmas – reading!
Zoe Adams arrives on a remote Scottish island. Ostensibly to paint the beautiful rugged landscape but it is also an escape from a failing marriage back home in America. Renting the McBride house on her own sounds like the perfect solution. Time to think. To paint. To make decisions.
Her host is keen to keep her away from the locals and their tales of bygone ghosts and superstitions. Although the house has been fully renovated and modernised it is remote and they have concerns that it might be too much for a woman on her own.
Weary from jetlag and a long journey Zoe is desperate for sleep and a chance to relax. As soon as she relaxes and allows herself to sleep Zoe finds herself experiencing bizarre dreams that involve her sleepwalking around the house and feeling as though she has been physically assaulted.
Desperate to learn the truth about the McBride house she enlists the help of Edward, the local school teacher, and Charles, a local historian and bookseller. With their help she starts to piece together the true story of the island and the woman whose spirit still seems to linger.
While You Sleep is one of those books that you won’t want to put down until the very last page. A spooky supernaturally themed thriller with an unexpected twist.
Supplied by Net Galley and Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.

Perhaps it was the fact that I read this book whilst on holiday in Scotland that added to the books allure. Perhaps it was being surrounded by similar landscapes, weather, and the unmistakable accents that helped draw me into an environment and setting that felt both surreal and tangible at the same time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot had me captivated from the onset. Sure, perhaps it could be argued that a few reveals didn’t come as too much of a surprise, but this was overshadowed by the very many (some large, some small) twists and reveals that kept the story going at a galloping pace throughout.

‘While You Sleep’ is not your run of the mill thriller and Stephanie Merritt does an outstanding job amalgamating two genres and storylines with ease. Will definitely look out for more offerings from her in the future.

Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins for a review copy.

Full of atmosphere and mystery helped by the excellent description of the remote Scottish island and the characters makes this an enthralling read.

In an attempt to escape a failing marriage, Zoe rents an isolated and recently renovated house with a chequered history. It doesn’t take long for creepy things to start happening which spurs Zoe on to finding out more about the house’s history but as the story develops, you start to question whether the happenings are real, paranormal or a figment of Zoe’s imagination.

There are many twists and turns in this book which keeps you guessing as to what is going on and although I found it a struggle at times due to the sheer amount of questions you ask yourself, While You Sleep is an eerie and atmospheric story that is quite unlike anything I have read before.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest review.

After a relationship breakdown Zoe travels to a remote part of Scotland from America to have some "space". She resides in a beautiful old house on the beach unbeknown to Zoe the house has quite an interesting past!

I began reading this with no knowledge of what the book was about! I was quite suprised by the intimate scenes which werent particulary to my liking and iI thought it cheapened the book slightly. Other rhan that small blip the writing is brilliant. Very atmospheric. I read it at night which probably made it scarier!
Not your usual thriller. Romance, sex scenes, paranormal and disappearance!

An atmospheric haunting read.

* I was invited to read 'While You Sleep' ( a psychological thriller/ ghost story ) by the publisher and have given an unbiased review in exchange*

Standing in splendid isolation on a remote Scottish island, the McBride house may have been brought into the 21st century in terms of its renovation, but its secrets go back centuries.

Artist, Zoe Adams has travelled from her home in America, to rent the McBride house, primarily because of its isolation - she's seeking refuge from a failing marriage, and also hopes that the peace and solitude will help her come to terms with a tragic event a year earlier, which contributed to the breakdown of her relationship.

Before she even has a chance to settle in, strange noises and visions, together with other unexplained events leave Zoe questioning her sanity. She does her best to see rational explanations to these events but others on the island are only too happy to tell her about the deaths and hauntings associated with the house. This is an island of superstitions and myths, but can Zoe discover the truth from the myths? She enlists the help of schoolteacher Edward and bookshop owner Charles to help unravel McBride's secrets before the house has an impact on her life in a most sinister way!

It might just be me, ( because I have to be honest, when it comes to ghost stories / the supernatural, I'm a bit of a wimp ), but I certainly found this to be a really creepy, spine tingling read! Initially Zoe manages to find an explanation for all the eerie events, but there came a time when I thought " What the heck girl! get yourself out of there! I would have been out of that house faster than a ferret up a trouser leg!

Wonderfully descriptive, the author creates the perfect atmosphere with characters that suited this isolated part of the world particularly well ( though I didn't actually like too many of the characters ) As the storyline progresses the tension increases at an alarming pace, with some neat little twists along the way, making it increasingly difficult to put down. As for the ending, I loved it, and it featured one of the characters that I did like!

The Wicker Man meets Anne Rice's The Witching Hour

Gorgeously Gothic and packed with atmosphere as an American artist takes up residence in a haunted house on a tiny, remote Scottish island. What plays out has been seen many times before: eerie singing in the night, erotic dreams of a demon lover, lost children, obsession and a diary from the past.

Merritt may not be doing anything very original here, but she delivers her tale with fluency and panache.

If you like to be unsettled then this is the book for you. A creepy house with a horrible history, bumps in the night. Was it the past coming home? I won't spoil it for you but I found it a cracking good page turner.

Zoe Adams needs to get away for a while. She arrives on a small Scottish island to become a tenant of the McBride house. Things however don't turn out as planned for Zoe.

I had no idea what this book was about. I was however was expecting a pyscological thriller as that was the impression I got from the cover. The book however turned out to be a ghostly haunted house affair.

As with other books I've read where a lead character goes to a small Scottish island I am always reminded of The Wicker Man. This story has that broodiness about it, the tiny village, the tight knit community, the big old house with its secrets and legends.

I love books with old houses and secrets. This book I did enjoy as it has everything that I look for. I like the creepy darkness that the house has to offer. The book is erotic in places as the story unfolds, and it's not quite your hidey seeky ghostie story.

For me however I felt the story did become a little predictable. I easily guessed a couple of things, especially the ending. This didn't spoil the story but it just made me wanting to read the end just to show I guessed right.

The book was quite enjoyable but with it being a little predictable there wasn't anything to make it stand out from other books which are similar. If you like old houses with a curse and secrets then this book could be for you.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review the book.

I honestly don't think I've read anything like this book before. It starts off as what you would associate as a ghost story, although still far from any I've ever read. Zoe wants to get away from her life back home and so saves up to spend time in this big, old, beautiful house to paint, to get away from her believed to be cheating husband. I would say you get the usual ghostly goings on, but other than the singing, it is pretty far from. If it was me, I would have legged it from the house at the first sign of anything being amiss, but thankfully the author gave Zoe a reason to have to stay, making it believable for me.

As the plot develops, you don't even know what's going on anymore. There are just so many twists and turns to keep the reader hooked and guessing as to what's going on. You don't even know what's real and what's ghostly hauntings anymore.

This book wouldn't have been the same for me without Edward and Charles - I really connected with both of them and Stephanie did an amazing job with the characterisation of Annag as I seriously hated her!

The ending was a massive shock and far from what I was expecting, including the reason why the young boy went missing before Zoe moved in. But you don't just get one shock, you get a bundle of shocks all at once and I seriously finished this book with my mouth open in shock and if I wasn't so shocked, I probably would have ended it in tears.

The only thing that could have made this book stronger for me was is that I probably would have eased the reader into the hauntings a bit more, rather than have two very big hauntings within Zoe's first night at the house.

I have to admit I went into this book blind, I hadn't read the blurb but I had read previous books from this author so I was expecting a good novel.

What I got was a rather surprising read and I was quite impressed until the last 1/4. There was a good mix or mystery and the unexpected, little details that suddenly became clear the more that you read but I wasn't prepared for the paranormal element.

Now I don't mind a bit of paranormal activity however for the last quarter of the story it seemed to all become a little rushed, as though the author couldn't figure out how to end it and I was left feeling a sense of disappointment as the book had an abundance of potential, I mean at this point I had been reading for 3+ hours straight as I wanted to see what would happen next.

I was left with questions, certain events seemed to have been skimmed over whilst others just didn't add up in my mind. Over all it was an ok read, but probably not something I'd rush into reading again.

***ACTUAL RATING 3.5 / 5***

‘While You Sleep’ evokes the intrinsic atmosphere that should accompany any ancestral home that surveys the bleak and rugged Scottish coast – cue a serious bout of paranoia for our main character, while looking over my own shoulder at every creak and shadow.

It would have been more apt for the renovated old McBride house to have been marketed as the Horny House of Horrors before its unsuspecting tenant agreed to take on the temporary lease. Pity the owner’s website didn’t mention all of its unique ‘attractions’…

Anyway, Zoe steadfastly refuses to surrender to superstition, local gossip, and the unfortunate recent history that has afflicted her new residence. But in doing so she also chooses to ignore an important cautionary message.

Given the explicit nature of some of the scenes I’m not entirely sure this suspenseful tale will appeal to everyone.
That said, the story has an incredibly disconcerting edge and shows how the ghosts of the past will manifest themselves, no matter what you do to try and escape them.