He Knows When You’re Awake - Target Exclusive Edition - By Alta Hensley (Paperback)

Third time something is damaged

Love the exclusive editions, they’re beautiful! And the story is phenomenal!

He Knows When You’re Awake is a Dark Holiday Romance featuring billionaire Cole Ashton who approaches luxury jewelry maker Sloan Whitaker with a proposition: help him create a jewelry line designed to bankrupt his former, unethical business partner. Since the line must be ready by New Year's Day, Cole proposes that Sloan move into his penthouse to ensure the deadline is met—a classic "Forced Proximity" scenario. The story gains tension because Cole has been watching Sloan and seems to know everything about her. As they live and work in close quarters, intense feelings inevitably begin to develop. He Knows When You’re Awake is a compelling read—it's fun, a bit dark, and kept me listening just to find out what happened next. While I enjoyed listening to the book, I felt many of the micro-tropes were underdeveloped beyond the central "Forced Proximity." Cole is described as "Morally Gray," but his actions rarely supported this; in fact, they often showed otherwise. Initially, I suspected his close watch on Sloan was driven by romantic stalking, but once she moved in, it felt more like he was simply vetting her for the business project. Midway through the book, I found myself confused about why he originally started stalking Sloan. The book included "spice," but it was rather tame. Although the trigger warnings listed BDSM, the scenes were not as intense as those in other Dark Romances I have read. Interestingly, the conversations during the open and closed-door scenes often contained more BDSM elements than the acts themselves. This milder approach makes it a good "dark romance" for readers who are just trying out the trope. I appreciate that the book utilizes a Dual POV (which I love), and the audiobook was presented in a Dual Narration format. Rock Engle and Jillian Macie were excellent narrators and perfect for their respective parts, alternating chapters based on the character's focus. However, I found that Macie’s performance of Cole’s voice sounded a bit juvenile. Additionally, most of the spicy scenes were written from Sloan's point of view. For this reason, I think a Duet Narration (where both narrators perform the dialogue of all characters in the scene) would have been more effective in bringing the heat to those intense moments. Ultimately, I really enjoyed He Knows When You're Awake and plan to go back and read the first book in the series. The female characters were well-developed, smart, and the kind of women I would genuinely want to befriend. While this is a Holiday Romance, it would be a fun read any time of year. I give this book 3.5 stars because, despite my enjoyment, I wish the core tropes had been more fully developed.

The book came in quick and the only reason why I’m not doing 5 stars is the box came in extremely damaged and there was nothing to actually protect the book from damage in the box.

Alta Hensley is on my permanent author nice list with her second Naughty or Nice novel! After listening to He Sees You When You’re Sleeping, I was excited to find He Knows When You’re Awake audiobook, and it did not disappoint! He Knows When You're Awake: A Naughty or Nice Novel audiobook delivers its a stalkerish dark romance but manages to maintain being light hearted in a way with the slight comedic undertone. Rock Engle absolutely nails Cole, our morally gray billionaire stalker MMC. His voice radiates that smooth control and dark intrigue perfectly. Jillian did a great job as well. Her narration for Cole in her scenes were on point! making him edgier and slightly darker. IYKYK! Cole and Sloane meet by “accident” after a spilled drink in a bar. He’s instantly captivated by her jewelry designs and the stories behind them. When she mentions her new line, Midnight Frost, has a BDSM-inspired edge, his interest intensifies. Sloane’s desperate to break free from her current job and create jewelry she truly loves, but with denied loan applications and a failed resignation, she’s running out of options. Then comes a mysterious email: a potential investor inviting her to a luxury resort in Switzerland to pitch her collection. It sounds like a dream, or a beautifully wrapped trap. Cole’s plan is meticulous. He’s been watching, waiting, and planning his move. He offers her unimaginable compensation, unlimited resources, and her own studio- but what's the catch? Only if she agrees to move into his penthouse, work under video surveillance, and deliver her collection by New Year’s Eve. Oh That's all huh?! But what exactly does the man who plans everything want from this arrangement? As Sloane tries to keep things professional with forced proximity, undeniable chemistry, and an unraveling that’s both sweet and spicy; what could possibly go wrong? This is a light-hearted stalker romance, think stalker rom-com more than true dark romance. Fun, flirty, and filthy, with a holiday sparkle that makes it a perfect festive binge for readers who like their Christmas stories with a side of dominance. Alta Hensley delivers a festive, fast-paced romance full of tension, possession, and genuine care, with just the right amount of holiday flare. Thanks to NetGalley, and Harper Audio for the gifted eARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. If you haven't read or listened to He knows Knows When You're awake yet? Please do so again.

Bought online cuz they were sold out in stores but whoever packed it came all bend n cover was dented

I am excited for this book and I bought the collectors edition because it was so cute. Unfortunately, whoever packaged this didn't care and the book arrived with the cover ripped and the edges curled because it was bouncing around loose in the box with no protection. No peanuts, now paper, no protective wrapping. I would get a new copy but they are sold out in stores.

Packages was great. Great job!