First, let me say I really love Lisa Unger. Her Hallows books are beyond compare. And this one, while good, does not compare.

I enjoyed the writing, which was fast paced and stellar as always, but I hated Poppy and her inability to help herself. I spent much of the first half of the book angry at her vacillation between what she should be doing and what she is doing. Her paranoia seemed at times warranted and other times wildly manufactured.

That said, I did enjoy the satisfying ending, and I enjoyed the book overall.

If you are new to Ms. Unger, try the Hallows books first.

To say that I'm a fan of Lisa Unger would be an understatement; I've read everything she's written and loved all of it. To say I consumed this book would be a lie; IT literally consumed ME! I was breathless the entire time I was reading. Who knows which are nightmares and which are memories? Certainly not Poppy whose husband, Jack was murdered a year ago and there have been no leads. Poppy is devastated and can't move on with her life, even "losing" some days immediately following his death. Friends and family are there to help as well as a therapist and police detective, but Poppy is sleep-deprived and attempts to self-medicate with pills and alcohol. But there are way more secrets and lies to uncover and we are thrown into a whirlwind of questions with no answers...until Poppy can "awaken" and take control of her own life. Like all of Unger's books, this one has many beautiful and dark layers that must be peeled away before the truth can emerge. Plan on staying up all night for this one!

I really struggled with reading this book as Poppy is an unreliable narrator. When I read the description of the book, I was intrigued by the plot, however, there were many issues between Poppy's real world and dream world that left me confused and irritated as a reader.

A year has passed since Poppy’s husband Jack was brutally murdered. No progress has been made in resolving the case, and Poppy remains rooted in a determination to learn more, while resorting to drugs and liquor to get through each day. Those determined roots immobilize Poppy. Layla, her best friend encourages Poppy to accept the circumstances, and begin dating. But dating only opens new, more confusing doors in the never-ending maze that is Poppy’s life. From page one, readers are drawn into a world where reality might, in fact, be a dream – where perceived safety is likely dangerous – and where the present might really be the past. Under My Skin is a riveting read from beginning to end, and readers will be compelled to burn the midnight oil to find their own rest and resolution.

The books is written in 2 parts. Part one is slow, confusing and repetitive. It’s confusing and hard to figure out what is real and what is a dream. Part 2 is better and the who and the why of the murder is revealed almost at the end. It’s guessable but I still didn’t guess it right. Poppy is an unreliable narrator. She’s the epitome of being unreliable actually! I don’t understand her character well. It’s hard to imagine that she continues to consume pills and alcohol despite knowing that the only way she can solve her husband’s murder is by keeping a clear head. The actual story is extremely interesting but it’s not been treated well. The writing ends up confusing the reader and there were many places where I had to stop and re-read! Given the stark difference in the plot between part 1 and 2, I think a rating of 3 is a good indicator of the book overall.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for providing me with a advance reader copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.**

Poppy thinks that she is being followed. She was married to a fellow travel photographer, Jack. Jack and Poppy began a business dedicated to protecting the rights of people who make a living with their camera. However, after 5 years together, Jack is brutally beaten and left for dead. Newly widowed, Poppy is in charge of the business, has a hot desire to find out who Jack's killer was, and is mired in drugs and alcohol. At her best friend, (Layla's) advice, she goes on three internet dates a year after Jack's demise. She ghosts all three - not wanting more than a one night stand. Eventually, Poppy finds it difficult to discern among reality, memories and dreams.

Having suffered a breakdown a few days after Jack's death, Poppy has absolutely no memories of that time. Detective Grayson, on the case (and has been for a year) still has the need from time to time to question the once suspected Poppy. Layla (Poppy's best friend) is married to Mac with 2 great teenagers. Layla & Mac are also filthy rich. Izzy (their daughter) tells Poppy that all Mac & Layla do is fight.

Although Poppy's therapist is trying to wean Poppy off her meds, Poppy gets pills from Layla and drinks, as well. She just knows that she is being followed by a man in a hooded jacket and tries to confront him!

Poppy accepts a 2nd date with Noah - she wants to go to Club Morpheus. She had found a matchbook from there in Jack's possession. Also, the name "Elena" is written inside the matchbook. Noah (a date Poppy has once) goes with Poppy and allows her to react to the club. Poppy finds out that she was at the club before and the bartender has a picture of them (Poppy & Noah) together at Morpheus. Poppy crashes to sleep as Noah drops her off, yet he stays overnight on the couch to make sure Poppy is OK.

Tarot decks, therapist visits, token work performances and nights spent at Mac & Layla's all begin to lead to Poppy's undoing. She needs to give up the drugs and booze in order to sort her life out. One day Mac, Layla, Poppy's mom and Tom (the security man of Mac's) catch Poppy in an ambush to get her to seek help from their PI.

Not so good. Poppy runs out and begins to unravel the entire truth - which has surprising twists and turns most of us do not see coming...

Many thanks to Harlequin - Hanover Square Press and Netgalley for a thrill of a ride!

I am a fan of Lisa Unger and have read all of her books and always look forward to escape in a new one. All I can say is I am sorry its finished and I don't have one of her books to read.

Poppy's husband, Jack, was murdered 1 year ago. Immediately following his death, Poppy disappears for a few days and reappears with no memories of what happened while she was gone. Where was she? And what was she doing for these missing days? Poppy rushes to unravel these mysteries to help her to figure out what happened to her husband, As Poppy begins to solve the mystery of where she was, she gets closer to discovering what happened to her husband... but maybe too late!
Overall, a good book. It took me a little while to get into the storyline but I was hooked by the end!

*I received a free advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review

This story features ideas that have been done better in other thrillers - a narrator that is unreliable due to pills and alcohol, a murdered spouse, lost time, a questionable new love interest. The story felt long and a bit repetitive and by the time I got to the reveal I didn't care enough about any of the characters for it to make a difference.

After Poppy’s husband is violently killed while out on a jog she where was supposed to have joined him, her entire life spirals into an emotional breakdown, leaving her with gaps in her memory and a paranoia that she is being followed. A year later, Poppy is still struggling to put her life back together, while piecing together dreams, memories, and even possible clues to prove her husband’s death wasn’t due to a random robbery, but rather from something much more sinister. Although I found parts of the storyline not always adding up (either the book was too smart and I was under-caffeinated, or there were some holes), I still had trouble putting it down. And even when the ending fully wrapped up, I still had a few questions. 3 ½ stars

Special Note: Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers of this book for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

What a twisted, mind bending, tragic, emotional story! Poppy is searching for her husbands killer while grief stricken and going through a breakdown complete with memory loss trying to connect the dots and search for the truth! Great thriller!

Wow does Lisa Unger weave a terrific mystery with Under My Skin! Poppy has lost her husband Jack to a violent crime. But, was it just a random street crime or something else? As Poppy tries to figure out what happened to Jack, she is pulled down into the depths of despair. She starts to question everything. What is real? Is she dreaming, having memories or is she awake in the present? Who is the hooded man? Is he friend or foe? Her grief wrenches at you through the entire book..

The book keeps you guessing until the very last page. I wanted to rush and get to the end, but on the other hand, I didn’t want it to end. This is a book that will stay with you long after you read the very last page.

This book is full of twists and turns. I was concerned at first that maybe I was falling victim to an unreliable narrator, which many thrillers have used lately. Poppy was obviously very much in love with Jack. His death crushed her. She was lost. Layla was a wonderful friend, but a part of me was a little untrusting of her. Partly because she was providing Poppy with medication to numb her. I think that she may have hurt her more than she helped her at first. I have to say this book kept me guessing. I thought I had it figured out many times, but I was clueless.

The book drew me in and kept me intrigued to the very end. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

I receive and ARC from NetGalley and HARLEQUIN-Hanover Square Press (US & Canda)

Ok, I am going to start off by saying upfront I am a Lisa Unger fan, I love her writing style, I love her characters, love her books. Under My Skin by Lisa Unger tells the story of Poppy who has just lost her husband while he was jogging to an apparent random robbery, Poppy is not handling it well, popping pills her friend is giving her, drinking, having blackouts.....all the while she needs to know what really happened to Jack, her husband. Ride along with Poppy to see if she ever gets the truth and will she be able to straighten herself out before she truly loses herself. Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for allowing me to read this ARC book and give my honest opinion.

4.5 Stars

Reading books by Lisa Unger is always a Master Class in fiction writing. I've attended her book signings and read all of her books, and while I've enjoyed some more than others, it struck me that Under My Skin must have been an especially difficult story to write. Dreams and hallucinations, versus reality, is a tough subject.

As a recent widow myself, I felt an instant connection to the protagonist, Poppy, and feel it's important to mention that Poppy's struggle with grief struck a major chord with me. Her emotions, behavior, and reactions were both understandable and believable within the context of her loss. Grief affects people in profound ways, and the need to escape the pain can be all-consuming. Lisa Unger did a fantastic job depicting the ways grief can cause indescribable anguish. I cried at the end of this book and give the author major kudos for empathizing so well with the grieving process.

Under My Skin kept me turning the pages until the very end. I received a copy of the story from NetGalley.

This book I got as an ARC and was thrilled because I truly love reading Lisa Unger. But I must confess that I had a hard time following the story. It centers around Poppy who lost her husband through a brutal murder while he was running in the park. It then goes into how his death affected her, her grief overwhelms her to the point she does weird things, blacking out constantly and getting to the point where she doesnt know what is real anymore.

She is intent on finding out the why and who of her husband's death and the story sways back and forth between before Jack and after Jack. I might have given it 3 stars except I really could not figure out the who and why he was killed. This I did not find out until the end of the book and was both surprised annoyed that I did not see it before.

And so I have given it 4 stars because of this and will continue to read more books by Unger. This book is due to be released October 2, 2018.

This book is so full of twists it is hard to know what is real and what isn't. Poppy is a believable and confusing character. The mystery surrounding her husband's death and the blank portion of her life is told in a way that makes you feel you are in the story. The dynamics between Poppy and the people in her life are intriguing. When the answers finally come to light you will be gasping with shock. I always say the hallmark of a great suspense story is when you don't figure things out before the author makes the reveal. This is truly a great tale of suspense.

Thoroughly enjoyed this novel and the main characters plight with reality and imagination. Her spiral downward made you question your own sanity as well as her own.

4.5 stars*

Another stunning book by Lisa Unger!

A year has gone by, but Poppy is still reeling from the unsolved murder of her husband, Jack. It doesn’t help that she lost time shortly after his funeral, or that her reality is being peppered with hallucinations of places she’s certain she’s never been, and people she’s never met. What happened to Jack? And is someone stalking Poppy, or is she slowly losing her mind?

I loved this thriller. You feel unsteady the whole time you read, the scenes beautiful and macabre, the whole novel very dream-like. Poppy was a wholly sympathetic character, and I loved how the mystery of what happened to Jack (and Poppy’s lost few days) unraveled. There’s a cameo of a beloved character from the Hollows series, and some of the characters from another Unger book have a strong role here as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc.

I love Lisa Unger’s style of writing. She is truly gifted and gets better and better with each book. This has to be my favorite of her books so far.