My Waking Olivia Book Review - No Spoilers
Plot Summary
Waking Olivia by Elizabeth O’Roark is a contemporary, new adult, angsty forbidden romance featuring a slow-burn coach/athlete dynamic. Olivia Finnegan, a fiercely talented runner with a traumatic past, lands at a small college after being expelled from her previous school. Harboring secrets and struggling with sleep-running (a form of sleepwalking triggered by PTSD), she butts heads with Will Langstrom—the broody, overworked young coach fighting to save his family's farm and his track team. Their mutual attraction simmers beneath layers of anger, banter, and boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed. When Will learns more about the violence haunting Olivia, the lines between coach and protector blur, igniting a relationship that’s as healing as it is dangerous—for both of them. The book explores trauma, trust, found family, and the redemptive nature of love, as Olivia slowly learns to let others in and Will faces his own history of responsibility and guilt.
Why I Love This Book
I love how Waking Olivia balances raw emotion, forbidden chemistry, and powerful character growth. Olivia is an unforgettable heroine—tough, sharp-tongued, and deeply wounded, but never a victim. Will is conflicted, loyal, and the perfect blend of grumpy and tender. The author does a brilliant job portraying trauma and PTSD with nuance, and the slow-building relationship feels dramatic, honest, and incredibly real. Their banter is sharp, the longing and push-pull is palpable, and when boundaries finally (explicitly) break, the payoff is deeply satisfying. The depiction of found family—especially Will’s mom and brother—adds warmth and grounding. The story doesn’t use romance as a cure-all; Olivia’s journey to healing is messy and ongoing, handled with care and truth. I finished feeling both wrung out and hopeful, totally invested in both the love story and the characters’ journeys to self-acceptance and trust.
Who Will Like This Book
If you crave angsty, forbidden romances with slow-burn passion and deep emotional arcs, this is for you. You’ll love it if you like stories about overcoming trauma, strong but damaged heroines, broody protectors, and new adult settings with sports and found family. The book is perfect for readers who want their romance to tackle mental health honestly, who enjoy hurt/comfort and the healing power of love (with no magical fixes). It’s a great pick for fans of taboo or student/coach tropes who want vivid character development, realistic dialogue, and high emotional stakes.
⚠️ Trigger warning: This book contains explicit sexual content (open-door scenes), trauma/PTSD, sleep disorders, recollections and flashbacks of violence, abuse, and manipulation. There’s also cheating, push/pull, jealousy, and emotionally difficult moments, especially regarding mental health and family history. Some readers mention the coach is in a relationship for part of the book, and there is dramatic “other woman” conflict.
Tagged As
new adult romance, forbidden romance, coach/athlete, college sports, trauma healing, angst, slow burn, found family, mental health, emotionally intense, open-door romance, dual pov, supportive parents, hurt/comfort, contemporary, indie romance, series
Steam Level
Waking Olivia features several explicit open-door scenes, and the romance is highly charged throughout. Much of the heat is built on slow-burn tension, intense longing, and forbidden chemistry, with a payoff that’s both passionate and earned. Sexual content is explicit but never gratuitous, woven into the story’s growth and healing. This is a solid “4 out of 5” for steam—perfect for readers wanting emotional depth and real heat together.
