Sleepless

by Vanessa Rose

Naomi had lost the love of her life, Paul, and it felt as if her own life had been put on hold. Sleep became almost nonexistent. When her best friend Jessie discovered she was pregnant, she asked Naomi to replace her as a personal chef for her secret client. Reluctantly, Naomi went to the interview. To her surprise, the secret client was one of her favorite actors from when she was a teenager. Once offered the job, she found herself having to step out from behind the walls she had built around herself.

Damion had been cast in a new film, but his usual chef was not going to be able to work for him. When she sent over her best friend, Damion was shocked to find himself inexplicably drawn to her. However, he found himself most wanting to help with her struggle. With an insane plan to help Naomi find ways to sleep, he ended up finding himself falling for her. Was it worth it to him to give up his permanent bachelor status to take a chance on her?

Fearful that she could forget all about Paul if she’s not careful, Naomi fought against her feelings for Damion. Would they be able to fight their demons to be together, or would fear keep them running in opposite directions?

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 18, 2025

About the author

Vanessa Rose is a Contemporary Romance author currently residing in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She can often be found at a coffee shop working on her books and refers to these trips to town as “Going to the Office”. She credits her friends and family with inspiring her and being a sounding board as she plots out her next book. To read her Paranormal Romance works, look for her under the pen name Cherron Riser.

Reviews

[Reading_with_AAron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was rough to read. I straight up binge read it, but as a married woman that was like experiencing one of my worst nightmares.
For a debut in this genre style it was amazing. Definitely kept me hooked the whole time!
Loved the part with Jessie's baby.
That was such a sweet part! I would definitely recommend this book to a friend!

[Carolyn Breckinridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naomi is young and her heart, innocent. She is engaged to the love of her life, the man she is certain she will cherish and live with forever. Until she awakens one night freezing and realizes she is being held in the rigor-mortis grip of her deceased fiancé, Paul. She screams so loudly she awakens Jessica and Brad, their best friends who are staying nearby, and who remain supportive and nearby throughout the remainder of this novel. Sleepless from that point onward, as well as traumatized by nightmares, memories and guilt, Naomi enters a long period of grieving.
In her first romance novel, Sleepless, author Vanessa Rose (who also writes as Cherron Riser) builds her story with a bold, skillful voice. She successfully tackles trauma, loss and grief, the power and importance of loving friendships, and ultimately the titillation, satisfaction, fears and vulnerability of giving one’s heart wholly to another. In her creation of Naomi, the author presents an emotionally-damaged woman who is both a chef and a nutritionist. She is a complex person with conflicting aspects to her personality. At times dependent and needy, at others, assertive and headstrong, Naomi is convincing enough to walk off the novel’s pages. These pages fly by, short chapters easily luring the reader into the next and the next. Many are filled with physical love scenes, authentic in light of the emotional passion found in this book. For those who wish to be warned of significant heat in romance novels, it is not only the foods Naomi prepares that sizzle spicy-hot in this enjoyable romance.

[Emily Gains · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Sleepless by Vanessa Rose

I enjoyed Sleepless. At first, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Naomi as a main character. Grief can sometimes make a character feel closed off, but Vanessa Rose handled it beautifully. Naomi’s pain over losing Paul felt raw and real, and it made me root for her to find some sort of healing, even when she was resistant to it.

The chemistry between Naomi and Damion was one of my favorite parts. Their relationship didn’t feel forced; it grew slowly and naturally, with a lot of tender moments that made me smile. I loved that Damion wasn’t just written as the typical movie-star love interest; he cared about helping Naomi with her struggles, especially her insomnia, and that made him so much more endearing. The “insane plan” he came up with to help her sleep added a quirky, heartfelt touch that kept me engaged.

What stood out most for me was the emotional push and pull. Naomi’s fear of forgetting Paul made her hesitation believable, and it gave the romance real depth instead of just being a lighthearted fling. I appreciated that the story didn’t gloss over grief or make it magically disappear once love came into the picture.

Overall, Sleepless is equal parts heartfelt and romantic, with just the right amount of humor and healing woven in. If you like slow-burn romances where the characters have to work through their pain before finding happiness, this is a wonderful read.

[Lb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is really moving it's heart breaking for Naomi to lose the love of her life (Paul) but sometimes life gives you more than one opportunity for true love will Naomi be willing to grab it and hold on tight? Damion is a true sweetheart and I loved how patient and caring he was with Naomi waiting for her to go at her own pace and never rushing her towards anything.

I really enjoyed this story and thank the author for allowing me to have an advanced copy.

wrote more on my blog: https://elbyslibrary.blogspot.com/202...

*Chef (FMC) *Famous Actor MMC *Wealthy MMC *love after loss *PTSD *nightmares

*Book boyfriend goals *celebrity Crush *reluctant romance *Friends to more *kissing in the rain

*Slow burn *quick read *Indie author *Arc read

[Tauna Gandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you want a light read with something that gets in your feelings, then this is for you.
Meet Naomi a professional chef and nutritionist who recently lost her fiancee in an unexpected accident.
Meet Damion a famous actor who has a grumpy outlook on love and doesn't want anything serious.
they meet through a mutual friend who worked for Damion. neither one is looking for anything but just happens they find each other.
Naomi is haunted by her past which makes her sleepless while Damion wants to help her sleep.
Can Naomi get past the ghost of that haunts her so she can sleep and love again or will she be sleepless forever? Can Damion get over his grumpy ways and no love outlook and see a different view?? only time will tell.
PS have your tissues handy

[Visionary Impart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sleepless is a tender, emotional romance that beautifully explores grief, healing, and second chances at love. Vanessa Rose creates relatable characters with genuine depth, blending heartfelt emotion with a slow, comforting love story. It’s a touching read that shows how connection and compassion can help even the deepest wounds begin to heal.

[Krissy (BOOKISHBOO) Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a book that is emotional, happy, and swoon worthy. This is it!
You watch someone go through emotional welfare but comes out stronger.
It so beautiful!
#emotionalromancereads #slowburnbooks #friendstolovers #booktoker #bookrecs

[Tamsyn L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

GET THE TISSUES READY! Sleepless comes in hard, heavy with raw grief right off the bat. But it's handled so beautifully. This heart-wrenching story is what all second chances should be. The characters are so real you miss them when the book is over. It's well worth every single tear!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet and relatable romance. I loved both main characters right away. I think it explores a lot of feelings that are hard to get through in relationships and the author did a great job expressing those in a realistic way. Fun read, can't wait to see more from her.