I started reading this book with an open mind, hoping for the best. However as each chapter went by, I just couldn't get into it and the story was not holding my attention at all. I have to admit that I put it down about a third into it and did not carry on to the end. The book was full of silly formatting errors also which just disrupts the whole experience.
Life is too short for rubbish reads! Would I recommend you pick up this title? Unfortunately not, and I won't be rushing to read any of this author's other works either.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.

I really enjoyed Sleepless by Louise Mumford.
I was hooked from the start and I liked the character of Thea. The twists and turns throughout the book kept me wanting to read more and the ending did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my ARC.

An enjoyable read a tight knit plot and well presented. Solid protagonist who you really feel for throughout the novel. Has a hint of Shutter Island about the whole book ( but not as good ) and plenty of twists to leave the reader wondering.

Well worth a read

Perfect for Halloween! I really enjoyed this eery, claustrophobic psychological thriller and found myself very tired in the morning after nights of “just one more chapter”!

Thea suffers from very serious insomnia. After her state drives her (ha!) to cause a car crash, she decides to join an experimental programme showing promising results. Very quickly, Thea will discover that something is not quite right/ borderline creepy and she will set to uncover the truth about this “Morpheus” programme.

The book reads really well, it is fast-paced, gripping and the descriptions are very realistic. The fear of conspiracy, the treasons and the horror surrounding Thea makes us doubt everything and anything, and it’s impossible to know where the story will take us.

A lot is actually left for the imagination, which might not please everyone but to me, it was a nice addition (picture the last scene of Inception for instance).

This book caught my attention as I suffer with sleep problems and was curious. The book should really be listed as science fiction as the plot became more and more far fetched. It really was about the bad guys picking off the participants one by one and I struggled to pay attention as I was not interested in the outcome.

Great premise, awkward and uninspiring execution that wasn’t really for me. Weird sleep experiments on a remote island? You know things are going to turn sour, and turn sour they do. But at the same time they also turn completely silly and unconvincing. Wanted to live this but struggled through to the end with not much reward.

Oh what a shame!
This was such a good idea for a book, loved the idea of sinister sleep experiments and a dive into how messing with sleep can impact personalities and people etc. Everything pointed to an excellent slow burn...
However, despite the great set up and excellent descriptions of insomnia, this quickly turned into some kind of James Bond / Scooby Doo style action caper with people running around on an island whilst evil villains picked them off one by one, it had it all, even down to the secret weapons and futuristic lair that eventually blew up.
The second half of the book didn't even mention sleep.
Good idea, dreadful execution.

Although I thought that this was a decent read, I think that the blurb gives a wrong impression. The plot is firmly sci-fi in my opinion. I don't mind that, I quite like the genre, and it could be argued that it is a thriller as well but the trouble is I don't think it can quite make up its mind.
It starts off well enough. Thea is an insomniac who has reached the end of her tether. When she keeps seeing an advert for a trial for a new treatment she jumps at the chance. This is where it all starts to go wrong for me. I understand the desperation but would any sane person go careering off to a remote island without doing a little research first? Things start to get very strange once she arrives and no matter how hard I tried to suspend belief it just gets too crazy for me.

Fab. A gréât thriller full of twists and turns and oddly believable. Full enjoyed and read it all in one sitting.

I really like the premise of this thriller, where Thea is an insomniac who takes part in a clinical trial which may be able to help her. The characters were not easy to like and, at times, the story was a little difficult to keep with - though that could be because I was trying a genre (dystopian in nature) that I don't normally read, Overall, a worthwhile read especially if this is more naturally your genre. Many thanks to HQStories who provided an ARC copy through Netgalley for an honest review.

# Sleepless #
To enter a trial on sleeping or any other really depending on why you entered can be a rewarding thing. As a insomniac myself I felt empathy that yes things were overlooked. But at what cost. This is really a story of survival twisty turny one direction to the other it really does set you on a trail then suddenly another brilliant twist or turn, it a deep phycological story nothing short of genius. It’s written well holds you quite powerful , you don’t want to put down. With rather a unexpected twist at the end. One I definitely didn’t see coming. This is a great read. I know it’s left me thinking quite a lot after the book to what actually happens at these trials. It makes a shive run cold down my body. I know it’s only a fictional story. However who’s to say really who do you trust ????? That’s left me thinking especially as I have always been happy to be a genie pig for cancer treatment. I might now rethink things

3.5 rounded up.

Insomnia? Yes, me too but not in the same league as Thea MacKenzie who falls asleep just before her alarm goes. In desperate she joins a sleep programme ‘Morpheus’ and heads to the sleep centre on St Dunstan’s Island away from prying eyes .....

This is well written and I really like the premise as insomnia resonates with some many people. The visual descriptions of dazed, surreal images of a fog like existence are very well captured. Some characters are fleshed out such as loner Thea and her marvellously colourful mum Vivian. The setting is good as the island contains an abandoned monastery and a lighthouse which lends itself to some atmospheric sections. The first half contains some claustrophobically, zombie like hallucinatory scenes and there’s a definite element of ghostly, suspenseful creep with some very dramatic events. Then it changes and becomes more alarming and controllingly dystopian and the plot becomes very busy and a tad far fetched and futuristic. The end feels like unfinished business and sort of fizzles out unless there’s to be a follow up? In which case, sign me up now!

Overall, it’s a bit like a game of two halves - I prefer the first half as I like the creepy suspense rather than the dystopian thriller of the second. However, it’s a very promising debut and I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

With thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the arc for an honest review.

I was disappointed by this book. I found it quite hard work as the characters are very one-dimensional, and it was difficult to really care what happened to them. The storyline is outlandish, and I really wouldn't recommend this book at all.

Oh dear. I really couldn't get into this book at all. The writing was a little clumsy, lots 0f metaphors and similar, like she was trying to hard to make the writing vibrant but it ended up being too crowded. The premise is an interesting one but again the 3rd person narrative made it more difficult to connect with Thea. The ending was a little predictable too and rather rushed.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me at all. The synopsis sounded really intriguing, and the concept was interesting, but the execution just didn't work for me at all. The characters are all very one dimensional, and there's no development to speak of - no one has their own voice, and the relationships that develop between characters just felt very forced and flat.

My main issue though was the plot. It just made no sense at all, with weird things constantly happening with no real reason why - the plot itself was just not even a little bit cohesive, and it kept weaving and winding off into tangents that bore no relevance to the story at the heart of the book. The pacing was completely off, and by the time I was 35% of the way in, I was desperately wishing for it to be over. But I stuck with it to find out if the ending was worth it. Spoiler alert - it wasn't. All in all, definitely not a book I can recommend.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

This book is INSANE. Totally a black mirror episode wrapped into a shutter island vibe. I was tripped the heck the whole time and just could not put the book down. Sleep studies are not anything to mess with but when they are trying to mess with you when you are just trying to get help? Eek. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lifelong insomniac Thea finds herself with the opportunity to take part in ground breaking research that promises to cure her sleep issues. She goes to a remote scottish island with a group of other sufferers, and they all undergo various clinical trials and tests to try and solve things. But its not as straightforward as it might seem, and lots of mysterious goings on occur. Will Thea make it off the island, will her life return to normal?
I quite enjoyed it, but the more ghostly elements arent really for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read it

Start this one early (unless you are an insomniac) as it is very difficult to put down.
A cure for insomnia along with all sorts of other sleep disorders sounds too good to be true and to be able to be part of a trial for technology to combat your sleep problems is a dream come true for Thea as she set off for an experimental set up on a remote island where they promise to have her sleeping within a few weeks.
However all is not as it seems and as the behaviour of the staff becomes inexplicably bizarre Thea finds herself running for her life, still stuck on an island.
Fantastic storyline, loads of tension and brilliant characters.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book and it didn’t disappoint. I was hooked from beginning to end. I thought that the plot was pacey and gripping and I couldn’t want to see what happened next. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

After reading the synopsis to this book I thought it would be just for me but sadly I was disappointed.

I couldn't get into the story line or get to liking the characters, it didn't hold my attention and I was glad when I had finished it.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for giving me the opportunity to read this book