While I Slept

by Stavros Stavrou

Millennial math expert Stefanos is nearing his breaking point as he grapples with the aftermath of a painful breakup, compounded by the torment he endures under his narcissistic boss, Donald. Stef’s demanding life takes an unforeseen turn when he meets Oleks, a young neurodivergent prodigy who stirs memories of his late autistic brother, Alexandros. As Stef immerses himself in curating math content for Oleks, he is drawn into a whirlpool of emotions that force him to confront his grief and the lingering impact of his brother’s life.

Luke—a compassionate and skilled ICU nurse—is lost in his sexuality while battling haunting memories of childhood trauma. His strength is put to the test when the healthcare system is suddenly overburdened by a pandemic.

Stavrou’s debut novel, While I Slept, is a compelling tale of love's sacrifice, human resilience, and the strength found in unexpected connections. He will leave you captivated until the very last sentence.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 5, 2024

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have to give this book 4.5/5 and I will explain why.

There were many characters I enjoyed such as Devon and Andre, I liked their personalities the best. ;)

I also really enjoyed the character of Luke as well as the healthcare setting. Luke was a character you could relate to as well as many other gays can relate to. The main character (Stephanos) was interesting, but has a totally different personality to me. (I'm assertive and this character is extremely passive) At times I wanted to scream "Just leave your job or tell your boss to F off" I don't want to give away too many spoilers but there were lot's of great story lines throughout the book. Some of the storylines I wished went on a bit longer, such as Stephanos' mother. However. I did not enjoy the character "Olek" at all. I found the character to be extremely boring and extremely annoying. That is the part where I took a .5 stars off. I literally had to skip over 2 or 3 chapters where that character was in because my eyes would glaze over.

Overall it was a really good book and with what we read at the end, I'm excited to read the next book.

[Evan Potts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed While I Slept! It had a lot of really relatable plot lines like the perils of gay dating apps and the reality of workplace abuse. Parts of this book have been stuck with me since finishing. Some of the writing from the hospital felt blunt and disturbing at the time, and this was probably the reality for Stefanos facing such intrusive, but necessary care. I loved that it has a happy ending and need to go to bath and body works to smell the blueberry waffle scent. Overall an enjoyable read with short chapters making it easy to pick up and put down.