I was disappointed in this book. I have read several others by Lisa Unger and really enjoyed them. This one did not start strong and continued to be rather repetitive. Yes we know Poppy's husband died. Yes she is on lots of medications. She cannot remember what happened a few days after the funeral. It was constantly repeated for the first 25% of the book. I got tired of waiting for it to pick up. So I gave up.

I've loved Lisa Unger books since I read Beautiful Lies 12 years ago and Under My Skin did not disappoint. We'll developed characters, well paced plot and unforseen twists. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Gillian Flynn or B.A. Paris.

Under My Skin is well written and starts off excellently but loses its momentum in the last 20% with the cemented addition of an, imo, unnecessary and kind of creepy lover for the main character, Poppy.

I liked Poppy, thought her grief over the loss of her husband, Jack, was well done and I loved the complexity of her relationship with her best friend, Layla.

The mystery/thriller aspect of Under My Skin faded as it was obvious who the killer was pretty early in and the "final showdown" (complete with Bond style looong speech from the baddie) was not even remotely believable but was obviously necessary to get Poppy to her "happy ending."

I really liked this in the beginning, kept rooting for Poppy through the middle, and sighed with great disappointment over the last quarter of Under My Skin.

Tldr: Starts off with a bang, ends with a whimper.

The reader learns a lot about Poppy in the prologue of Under My Skin. Her BFF, Layla, put her profile on a dating site and Poppy is meeting with Rick for drinks. She wonders how much to tell him if he ever stops talking about himself. Should she tell him about her husband who was murdered a year ago and his killer was never found? That she can't sleep and had a breakdown? She looks at him and wonders what is under his skin behind the carefully manicured outer layer.

Lisa Unger has crafted a well written mystery that takes us from the present to remembrances and back again. Sometimes Poppy doesn't know she has lost time. In the beginning, I had a hard time following the storyline and then as I became familiar with this style of writing it was much easier to follow. The tension built slowly and effectively. I had no idea who the killer was as more clues developed.. I was anxiously waiting for the reveal and the story would take a turn I never expected. This is an exciting book with unforeseen circumstances and a surprise ending. The book is an excellent example of the strength of Lisa Unger's writing. A very satisfying read. Look for it on October 2 when it's scheduled for publication.

Thank you to Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for making an Advanced Reader's Copy available. The review is my honest opinion of Under My Skin. #UnderMySkin #NetGalley.

Ugh.. this book really dragged for me and I just had a hard time getting into it. It was well written, but it felt so common-so many ( better) books and tv shows and movies have had a spouse trying to figure out what happened to their partner- and this book wasn’t innovative or anything special for me. I got a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.

I truly enjoyed "Under My Skin" by Lisa Unger. She has created a first class mystery with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the bitter end. Without going into too much detail, this book follows the life of a young widow named Poppy who can't accept the death of her husband even after a year has passed. Her husband Jack was killed in what seems to be a random street attack yet this does not ring true to Poppy's subconscious. I loved how Lisa Unger created an unreliable narrator in the form of Poppy. When we read the story, sometimes we realize that the entire section we have read is actually a dream. Are these dreams flashbacks or do they contain hints to what happened to Jack or to Poppy during a period where she "fell down a rabbit hole" (had a breakdown and lost several days of her life that she can't remember). The novel also makes you think about how we don't always get the goodbye we want and some relationships end without closure. If only we could re-write our last good-bye with someone we love. Lisa also delves into marital abuse and how sometimes it continues from generation to generation. A lot to explore in this book- a real gem!

I love Lisa Unger and I really love when I don’t read the same mystery, thriller, suspense, etc over and over again. I crave uniqueness and a story I can’t solve on my own. Something that keeps my eyes glued to the pages until I’m finished and thinking whoa!!! This is rare but Lisa Unger did it here! Under My Skin will stress you out and keep you on your toes! A must read!

Thank you for the ARC" Under My Skin", by Lisa Unger here is my honest review.

After a year since Poppy's husband Jack was murdered, Poppy is still having, hallucinations, dreams, and unsettling paranoia.
She has no recollection of the days after her husbands murder when she had disappeared for days. Until she can get some clarity of what happened and why she can not begin to move on.
She begins to think their perfect marriage had a lot more flaws than she could remember.
She finds out secrets they had as well as secrets her best fried kept from her.
A great psychological thriller with well deveped characters and a lot of twist and turns.

I love Lisa Unger and this book did NOT disappoint. I am usually able to predict how things end and find it amazing when I can’t! This was one of those times. It was a little confusing but written in a way so that you also felt the main characters confusion as she struggles to find out what happened to her husband, and what’s going on around her right now. Between her blackouts you’re as lost as she is and seeking the same answers. I highly recommend this book as well as others from Lisa Unger!

I'm a huge fan of Lisa Unger and I was thrilled to have a chance to read this arc from netgalley. What a wonderful thrilling story that grabs the reader from the beginning. Poppy is struggling to keep her life together a year after the death of her husband. Poppy is desperate to find out what happened to Jack when he was murdered and she is holding on to guilt for not being with him. Her emotional struggles and her use of medication have caused her to lose moments in time which are slowly starting to come back to her as the story progresses. Searching for the man who is following her and trying to piece together the missing moments from the days she disappeared as well, this was a classic Unger novel and one of the best I have read by her.

This is a tough book to review. I thought the author had an original twist on a thriller/murder mystery. The main character, in her struggle with grief over the loss of her husband, is lost in a mixture of drugs (some prescribed and some not) and alcohol. She gets lost between the present, the past, and a blackout period she experienced shortly after her husband’s murder. Because of this, the reader often does not know which of these time lines is current and definitely cannot trust the main character’s account of what the heck is going on. This could have been done effectively, but it felt like the repetition and contradictions did not make a lot of sense sometimes. Whole loops in time and place were unnecessary to the story. Perhaps some serious editing would have helped. The author does do a good job of resolving the story, and the bad guy is a bit of a surprise, but perhaps because there were not very many indications that persons was bad from the beginning.

I thank NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

A roller coaster of a story full of twists and turns that kept me guessing. A much more complex story than it first appears. I can't wait to read more by this author!

Under My Skin by Lisa Unger will be the second novel I have read from this author, though she has a long body of work- no pun intended!

This one is called an “addictive psychological thriller” so what more do we really need to know?

Here’s the scoop:



It’s been a year since Poppy’s husband, Jack, was brutally murdered during his morning run through Manhattan’s Riverside Park. In the immediate aftermath, Poppy spiraled into an oblivion of grief, disappearing for several days only to turn up ragged and confused wearing a tight red dress she didn’t recognize. What happened to Poppy during those lost days? And more importantly, what happened to Jack?

The case was never solved, and Poppy has finally begun to move on. But those lost days have never stopped haunting her. Poppy starts having nightmares and blackouts–there are periods of time she can’t remember, and she’s unable to tell the difference between what is real and what she’s imagining. When she begins to sense that someone is following her, Poppy is plunged into a game of cat and mouse, determined to unravel the mystery around her husband’s death. But can she handle the truth about what really happened?



A good old fashioned murder mystery is always a fine idea. Perfect reading for a lazy fall weekend. October 2018.

I love Lisa Unger's thrillers, and this book is no exception. She really knows how to build up creepy suspense, and how to weave in calming, soothing characters to hold your hand throughout the way. Poppy is a sympathetic character, living a nightmarish, newly-widowed existence. She seeks mental solace in her best friend, Layla, and her shrink, Dr. Nash. She seeks physical solace in meds, some prescribed, some not. Unger does her usual amazing job of making the reader feel like he/she is suffering right along with Poppy.

The only aspect of the book that I found annoying was the use of dream/memory sequences. It was a little too much for me, but I'm someone who fast forwards through all the dream sequences in The Sopranos. It's my own preference, but I do understand that these literary devices serve a purpose.

What a great read! Poppy’s husband Jack was murdered a year ago and the murder has never been solved. Poppy had a breakdown shortly after Jacks death and has no memory of where she was or what happened for several days. Poppy has been taking pills to help her sleep. She is having dreams that she isn’t sure are dreams. Are they memories returning or is she going crazy. What is real and what is a dream. Poppy finally decides in order to move on she needs to know what happened to a Jack. She is obsessed with finding the answer.

This book had so many twists! You were never sure if Poppy as dreaming or what happens is real. I was just as confused as Poppy! It was hard to put this book down. The ending was a surprise. I would give this book 4 1/2 stars. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A typical plot, but there were still some surprises I didn't expect. There were some moments that seemed like magical realism and I'm still not sure if they were only delusions or actual magical realism, if that makes sense. The main character and her best friend were well developed. Her husband and surrounding characters were more outlines than anything else. Also, the time lapses were never fully explained. Not completely. Nothing new or astounding in the novel, but entertaining and a quick read.

How do we know the difference between dreams and memories?

Ms. Unger is back with another spot on psychological thriller.

It has now been almost a year since Poppy's husband Jack was murdered while on an early morning run. His killer has never been found.

Poppy has become a ghost in her own life. Not sure if she is dreaming or remembering what happened in the days after the murder. She's seeing a therapist but she isn't telling her everything. She's popping pills with alcohol to try to sleep but even then she isn't sure if she is sleeping or dreaming. Did she have a break from reality? Will she ever remember what happened?

Looking at her through my own experience with losing a husband in a second, I can relate to Poppy. And I can tell you this hit very close to home for me. Thinking you see your husband sitting on the sofa or lounging in doorway only to find none of its real.


When strange men start texting her and following her she isn't quite sure if they are real or if she is really losing her mind. But the one thing you can count on in this story is that nothing is what it looks like and no one is what they say they are. 

I love that the author keeps you on your toes with a fast pace and a main character you just want to hold on to and reassure her that it will be okay.

Well Done!

Netgalley/Harlequin Park Row October 2, 2018

No, this book isn't doing anything for me. .I know it is supposed to be a thriller, but so far I don't care enough about the characters to want to read more. 12% into the book and I'm done.
After losing her husband the previous year, Poppy is starting to get out again, but dating is not working. She isn't ready, but a friend sets her up on a dating site. Her mind isn't into it, partly because she thinks she is being followed by a strange man. The not knowing if he is real or not drives her crazy and annoyed me so I stopped. I'm sure it gets better, but I am done.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Interesting premise, based in how trauma can wreck your memory, and in this case, your life.
The utter horror of what happened to her husband, I could so imagine her reaction. In trying to make sense of some of her reactions to her loss and then trying to find a path forward, strange things start to happen. Flashes of previous events that don't seem to make sense start and become more frequent.

As the layers of the story unfold, the betrayal is revealed. It is a sad story, abuse, violence and all the horrifying feelings and issues that come along with it. The hidden abuse, the beatings and threats, those things will always be carried.

Not a sweet little book to pick up at night, but worth reading.

Rounded up. This was a bit confusing at times but I think it’s meant to be written this way. The main character, Polly, is stumbling around, desperate for answers, while fueled by grief, alcohol, and drugs. At times, it is not clear if Polly is awake or dreaming, hallucinating or actually seeing.

The setting and characters are interesting. The bits about photography were enjoyable as well. We are introduced to a good amount of people but not much happens for a large portion of the story. The ending was satisfying and twisty.

I would recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and HARLEQUIN - Trade Publishing for a copy in exchange for an honest review.