Book: He Knows When You’re Awake

Author: Alta Hensley

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult, for an advanced audio copy.

He Knows When You’re Awake is Book 2 in the Naughty or Nice series. This will work well as a standalone, but readers of book one will recognize the female lead from that story. In book one, I found Sloane to be more interesting, so I was happy she would be the focus of this book. 

This is exactly how you do a sequel. You take everything that worked in the first book and enhance it, and the weaker parts from the first book you make strong. One of my biggest problems with book 1 was that it was labeled a dark romance, but it was not all that dark. Yes, Jack stalked Chloe, but he was just a nice guy. In book 2, while Cole is a good guy, he has a much darker past that is more at home in a dark romance. 

This book basically fast-forwards through all the stalking, and we start right out with Sloane and Cole meeting. Cole has already stalked her and built up knowledge of her, and it wasn’t necessary to read all about stalking; that works so well. As readers, we are smart enough to understand and appreciate our hands not being held. 

Overall, this is an excellent sequel and is an entertaining book with a holiday setting. 

Final score: 4/5