While I Was Sleeping is an emotional rollercoaster that is not as I found out a poolside read!!
We meet Maddie as she is a few days away from her perfect wedding, she is happy and pregnant but whilst out for her final dress fitting she feels she is being followed, scared she rings her fiancé, Ryan, who agrees to meet her at the photocopiers. In her attempt to get to him away from this man she is hit by a speeding van sending her into a coma that lasts longer than she could have thought.
We follow Maddies journey of recovery and this is where my review will end as this totally needs you to come in blind so you can ask yourselves the same questions I asked myself as there are a range of emotions for every turn Maddie takes.
This is the most moving book I have read this year and loved the journey it took, the writing style and all the characters especially Maddie, her father and Chloe.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK Fiction for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Probably not my usual reading but nevertheless I did enjoy this book quite a lot. It’s a well thought out plot and the characters ar3 all very likeable. I got a bit bored in some of it and that made me wonder if it just went on a bit to9 long but the story is one that would be difficult to rush I guess.
I would think it could be an excellent read by the pool on holiday and would recommend it.

I have been a fan of the author since I read Fractured and this did not disappoint.
It is hard to say too much about the story without spooling things for readers, so all I will say is it is a rollercoaster emotional ride through Maddies life after she wakes from a coma.
My only issue was the ending not good enough for such a beautiful book and not the ending any of the characters deserved
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC in return for an honest review

Maddie is excitingly preparing for her wedding to Ryan, everything is going perfectly but neither her nor Ryan could foresee the tragic occurrence that was to happen. What happens next is the story of Maddie and those who love her fighting for their lives and those of the people they love. 

I know never to read a book by Atkins in a public space so why I chose to read this on a beach on holiday is beyond me! I just about kept it together as I was furiously blinking away tears. This demonstrates the power of Atkins, always emotionally distressing you but leaving you wanting more, I am seriously addicted to her books. 

This starts really nicely and I was thoroughly enjoying the read and then bam, shock after shock keeps coming. Atkins does not hold back with this book, the twists keep coming, pummelling the reader as they do, you will find yourself on a major emotional and dramatic roller-coaster with this book, right up to the final page. As well as being packed with twists, the plot is superbly written and I was so invested in everything that happened and could not tear myself away. 

Now, moving to the characters, and what a gorgeous bunch of characters Atkins has created. There were times throughout where my sympathy lay with a certain character, but importantly and powerfully, it kept shifting. All of them felt like friends and Atkins really puts them and the reader through the mill.

'While I Was Sleeping' is another outstanding read from Atkins, an author who is proving she can do no wrong!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy.

o be honest, the first words I thought when I reached the end was ‘Bloody Hell!’ swiftly followed by ‘how am I going to review this without revealing any spoilers’. The answer is to keep it short and simple with no detail at all.

Dani Atkins’ strong talent drew me into all the characters lives and thoughts. She made me care for both Maddie and Chloe before delivering the emotional journey she is known for. Readers of her other work will know you need to switch your phone off to avoid distractions when reading her novels and a big box of tissues has to be close by. For newbies to her work, take heed once start you don’t want to be bothered by reality until end of the last page. I was grateful my body declared a duvet day so I could read it in a day.

I have read several of Dani Atkins’ novels and they just keep getting better. I loved the premise and characters even when I shouted at a couple of them. It shows a lot can happen while you are sleeping.

I don’t know how to begin. This book was so emotional. Not one for reading in public!! Very heart wrenching. A definite must read

Oh my! I was completely emotionally spent when I finished this book. From the heart wrenching opening chapter, throughout the intervening years of uncertainty, all the way to the bitter sweet end, this book held onto my heart throughout as it delivered emotional punch after punch. Gosh, I've made it sound all doom and gloom. Yes it's powerful on an emotional scale but it was so much more than that when all was said and done. There are some really uplifting and tender moments to be found along the way, yes, there's heartbreak and confusion, but there's always this underlying warm feeling throughout the book. This meant that it never got too heavy for me to handle and, as I do get a bit emotionally involved in this sort of character driven book, that's very necessary and indeed welcome.
Maddie and Ryan are about to get married. As we meet her, Maddie is pregnant and spending her time rushing about tying up the loose ends and checking things for her upcoming nuptials. Then the worst happens and she is involved in an accident which leaves her in a coma. Fast forward 6 years and, against all odds she wakes up. But it is not the awakening that she would have wanted as Ryan has given up waiting and is married to someone else. But, it's worse than that as she soon starts to discover. And there I have to leave the story as saying much more would spoil things for other readers. Best to learn the rest as the author intends.
For me, this was a very character driven book. Considering there weren't many characters, this meant that each of them had to be darned near perfectly created in order to hold up their part of the story. And they were, Oh my, I made friends during this book. I invested in their lives throughout our journey together and, if I'm honest, I felt a bit bereft when I had to leave them. Especially with how things were left at the end of the book. Chloe was the hardest to get to grips with, considering her role in things that's only to be expected but, to be honest, the whole situation was quite unique so there is really no blueprint as to how people are supposed to get to grips with what has happened and, as such, it is no surprise that mistakes were made and they floundered around a bit to settle into what life had thrown at them all. But, despite all of that, I found that each character played their part to perfection, warts and all, through success and failure, it all felt completely real.
Yes, the story is emotional, very much so. But there are so many happy times contained within the pages. As well as sobbing, I did a fair bit of smiling and chuckling throughout my time reading. Yes, I do admit to having to take a few breaks from it all, a couple of steps back to compose myself before I could carry on but that just spoke to the quality of writing more than anything else. Boy can this author write emotion.
What happened at the end was just... well it nearly broke me; and I'm not that person! Hand on heart, it wasn't the ending that I wanted but, as I have learned in life, it's not all about me, and the ending, when it came, was the right ending for the book. And, after the story ended, that epilogue...
All in all, even though the ending left me a bit bruised, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with these characters and their lives. I've already added the author's other books to my bulging TBR and hopefully will enjoy them just as much when I manage to squeeze them in. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this. Even though it was very implausible and there were a lot of typos and formatting errors, I really connected with the characters and wanted to know how it panned out. Some real sucker punches of emotion. However, I was iffy about the ending.

An addictive read. Maddie was on the verge of having all she desired and then it was blown away. She recovers from a coma and tries to piece her life together again. A heart wrenching story of love and loss that will tear you apart in some parts then have you smiling with joys in others . A rollercoaster of an emotional ride. The writing style is easy to deal with but the topics more deep and well addressed in the storytelling.

This is a brilliant memorable read. I laughed and cried the whole way through. Wonderfully put together with likeable believable characters. This book had be riveted the whole way through.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Oh my goodness! Dani has done it again.
An amazingly powerful book.
I was crying when I read the sports day chapters and then full on sobbing for the rest of the book
And when I say sobbing I mean proper ugly crying with loud sobs and everything.
Highly recommend but have the tissues at the ready as you may well need them.

Hmm . . . What to say. I liked this story for the most part. It was well-written and it was most certainly thought provoking. I felt so much empathy for Maddie. I have to say I began to dislike Ryan and Chloe, Ryan for basically letting Maddie down, Chloe for taking Maddie's place. I was most definitely Team Maddie! I didn't like the ending. I prefer Dani Atkin's earlier work. Her last two books haven't been as enjoyable in my opinion. I guess I just wanted a different ending - I'm not exactly sure what would have been the right ending actually. It's a good read, but it left me feeling sad on behalf of Maddie, and I prefer to feel more positive when I've finished a book. A question of preference.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Highs and lows great characters lots of surprises and a little sugary maybe but even for an old cynic like me it was a simply lovely book to read even made me shed a tear - perfect summer read

Gorgeously written book about what it means to be alive!
When Maddie suddenly awakes from a very long sleep, she discovers her world turned upside down.
Her fiance is now married, she has no job, no home and her mother no longer recognises her.
But then she discovers that a miracle occurred while she was asleep- one that changes everyone's lives for the better.
I could not put this book down. It was mesmerising and thought-provoking.
I really did not like the ending though- too sad!!!

I read Fractured by the same author and really enjoyed it so was looking forward to this one This too was just as gripping It was more of a family saga and less of a thriller. The story is told through 2 women who are so intricately woven together by their family. They develop a respect worthy friendship because their ties force them to and I found this very heartwarming. There are a few twists along the way to keep you wanting to know what will happen next. This was an easy read. I'm giving it 4 stars only because there is a character in the beginning whom you think will come to light later in the book but is never mentioned again. Because I was looking for an explanation on his role and it never came I didn't fully enjoy this book.

A stunning read - unpredictable and an original story that will stay with me for a long time - definite 5 *

Maddie is preparing for her big day but on the way to her dress fitting is involved in a freak accident leaving her in a deep coma for 6 years!!! Her devoted fiancée stays by her side for years but thinking life has to move on he does just that - then a miracle happens and Maddie wakes up.

Piecing together the life she left behind she realises how much things have changed - what follows is a roller coaster of emotions that will move you to tears.

A great book highly recommended!!!

We meet bride-to-be Maddie just before her wedding to Ryan, the love of her life and father to their unborn baby. On the way to her final dress fitting, tragedy strikes, changing many lives for ever. Dani Aktin’s novel is beautifully written, devastatingly heart-wrenching and full of twists and turns. I don’t want to say too much and give it away, but the journey Maddie and those around her go on will stay with me for a long time.

Wow! I was not expecting this. A hard hitting, punchy and gut wrenching story which moved me beyond belief and kept me anxiously turning the pages.
There were some parts when I had to hold back the tears and other parts that just made me smile.
An absolute cracker of a book which will stay with me! A must read!

I am a bit of a Dani Atkins fan, having read and enjoyed her other books. I read this one based purely on that, and didn't even read what it was about. I am glad I didn't as it was a surprise, and I was kept guessing from page one right to the end.
This is my favourite Dani Atkins so far. All the characters were likeable (despite their flaws) and I was desperate for a happy ending.
It is an incredibly moving book. I cried about 6 times and proper sobbed twice. I really don't want to write any more to avoid spoilers, as the book is full of surprises that add so much to it's charm and emotional power. I think this book is going to be big.
Thank you so much for letting me read it. I am going to be telling all my friends and my book club to buy it! #NetGalley #WhileIWasSleeping @AtkinsDani

Loved loved loved this book. Could not get enough of it and stayed up way to late reading on a few hot summers evening. Its one of those books that had me hooked from the first page. A very emotional book, heartfelt and heartbreaking....sad yet happy. Although essentially a tragic yet beautiful love story, I felt this book was also about friendships, family and motherhood. I am still thinking about the characters as few days after finishing the book which to me is a sign of a great read. Anyone who is a fan of Fractured then this book is definitely one for you. One question remains; who does believe in Miracles?