Rapid Eye Movement by Amanda Sheridan

A Mystery/Thriller, Independently Published 2020, 315 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

Pacing. This one felt a little slow in some spots and fast in others, making it an uneven pace.
Character confusion. The two main characters, Jennifer and Lucy, feel a lot alike. This made it difficult for me to keep track of which one was which. I expected them to feel a little similar and blend together, based on the premise, but it was more of a challenge than I anticipated.
This is a minor (and probably personal) one. I am a wine drinker and I know a lot of wine drinkers. I don’t know anyone who drinks wine like these characters. The speed at which they consumed glasses and bottles was shocking. I only mention it because, as a wine drinker, it kept pulling me out of the story to make sure I was reading it correctly.

The ending. We knew, because of the alternate timeline chapters, that something was going on. The ending sort of surprised me, even with the hints, and I love that! I just realized this is the first in a series (there’s a description of the second book at the end of this one) and I’m interested. I’m not entirely sure it needs one, as I’m the kind of reader who likes to have things left unspoken, but I’m interested.
The concept. This entire idea of two people dreaming of each other’s very real lives is fascinating. I liked the way it played out, I liked the way the characters reacted, and I liked the way it came together in the end. Excellent original idea!
Massive timeline. Sometimes I dislike books with a long timeline. For this one, it worked! This book doesn’t take place in a day or even a week. A lot of time passes. We get to witness the characters change, move, and grow. For the story we’re telling, that’s important. I don’t think it could have been told on a smaller timescale.

This book was well done and the right readers are going to adore where this one goes.