I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from NetGalley.

This is a real twisted thriller!

Anna had a jam packed life and then discovers her husband maybe having an affair, while also trying to protect her professional reputation and look after her children!

I could really feel the character's distress at her life unravelling.

My favourite quote:
Sometimes I wonder how much of what I do to look after my family will up as a discussion on a therapist's couch."

I don’t know where to start with this one. The author has crafted a page-turning, compelling story that had me thinking one thing throughout the entire book only to pull the rug out from under me a couple of times.
I like when an author can do that.
I thought the premise was interesting and it was unique enough that it grabbed my attention right away. I liked the setting and Anna’s job. Both opened up the story to lots of side avenues, and the author took full advantage of that. I also liked the “math mystery.”
Anna was instantly relatable. She was the type of person who always said yes to everything partly to be indispensable but partly because it was the only way she thought things would get done correctly. I think many women of a certain age can identify with that feeling.
I did think that the author could have used that a little bit more, actually. There were a few times when it came into play, but after a point, it seemed like that aspect of her personality kind of disappeared.
As things in Anna’s life become a mysterious and convoluted, everything in general becomes more complicated. The author did a good job of keeping me a little off balance.
As events occurred, I was never quite sure if Anna was on the up and up or if there was background that was being hinted at but not fully explained. I liked that as well, because it wasn’t an “easy solve.”
I really don’t want to give anything away because there were some good twists. And if I say much more I’ll give away a major point. And I hate doing that.
I will also say, however, that I wish the author had taken a bit more time with language. It was clear that the action was set in the United States. However, there were a lot of British terms (“plaster” for “bandage/band-aid,” “twig” for “catch on,” “biro” for pen, etc.)
I didn’t see any indication that Anna had a British background, so this was a bit distracting. Just a little attention to detail that is a bit of a pet peeve of mine.
But it didn’t wreck the overall enjoyment I got from reading it. This was definitely a solid psych thriller, and I highly recommend it.

Absolutely gripped from the start!
Anna is devastated to discover that her husband appears to be having an affair. She works so hard to keep her family together, she sends the kids to the best schools, lets them do clubs and cooks healthy meals-she tries her absolute hardest at everything and this rips through the heart of everything she has built.
Whilst being taken for granted at work, Anna must decide what is important to her and just what she is prepared to do to keep it.
This book had so many things going on but did not get too confusing and the plots wove beautifully together-genius! Staggering twists!

I didn't like any of the characters but it is a good story. There are lots of twists and a fitting ending. Well worth a read

DNF

While the audiobook was provided by Netgalley and the publisher, I bought the hardcopy.

DNF

On narrator side, specifically:

Bad choice. When you write a psychological thriller from a first person point of view, you are already taking a chance. When you move it to the audiobook, you absolutely have to have the right narrator. Someone who can handle all the characters, and with the right modulation to create proper levels of suspense/tension... emote spectrum of extreme reactions.

This was not the right choice, at all. She was completely flat. Nothing. No emotion, modulation, pacing, or fluency. Nothing
And all the voices (in tone, content efc) sound exactly alike.

Content.

DNFs during chapter 6

Boring. It took six chapters for anything to actually happen and it had nothing to do with anything the book leads you to believe the book is about. Secondly, when something does happen? The main character,'s response is so idiotic... just boringly dumb that I couldn't find any reason to continue.

Unfaithful is a very different psychological thriller novel with very interesting characters – all complex with shades of grey.

Anna is very particular about her family – she is married to Luis and they have two lovely kids Carla and Matti. Anna is a math professor and is at a critical juncture of her career – her research student Alex and she are close to solving the Pentti-Stone conjecture which has been unsolved since years. She has had a fascination for it since long and spent considerable time in her growing years trying to solve it. Alex unexpectedly commits suicide and Anna holds back from telling people all she knew about him and his work. Luis is an artist and Anna suspects that he is having an affair with Stephanie whom he works with. Anna also has a lecherous boss to deal with at work. Her colleague at work June is her only support during these times.

The layers of complexity to the story and characters which the author adds chapter after chapter is excellent and among the best I have read in recent times. Anna is the central character in the story and I loved how the author developed her character. You may not like the way she behaves many times but that adds to the strength of the story. The pace of the story is excellent as well. The ending surprised me, though there are some loose ends which do not entirely tie up.

A book I definitely recommend!

My rating: 4.5 / 5.

3.5 stars

I had not read this author but the accolades intrigued me. Starts slowly but something’s always happening. It was pretty twisty after it got going. I didn’t care for any of the characters much. Even the main character Anna, a college professor, was hard to root for... after all she was being dishonest about solving the math equation that was so challenging and unsolvable by many sharper minds than hers... or so she thought, and we readers were led to believe.

Anna is a woman trying to win an award for doing something no one else could do in math. Her star student Alex believes he’s solved the puzzle, but he dies suddenly. She has a creepy boss, drinks too much, and someone is watching and threatening her. She’s also trying to save her marriage even though she knows her husband is unfaithful, and going so far as having the other woman over to dinner to see for herself their attraction. She’s a regimented mother and trying to be all things to too many, with the help of a few cocktails for backbone, and the support of her best friend June, the only likable and relatable character, imo.

The author brings too much to the table. Some of the scenes seemed implausible, and calamity after calamity got me feeling that the author was trying too hard to create more twists as opposed to focusing on developing what she had already brought out. The ending did surprise and left me with mixed feelings. Even though I was kept interested for the most part it did feel unfocused. Apparently I’m in the minority with my personal opinion, so don’t let me hold you back. You may just love it.

My thanks to #NetGalley and publishers #Bookouture for my copy of this ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I’d seen such a lot being said about this book, and all of it good. There was no doubt in my mind that I had to read it. And, everything they were saying about it was true!

It was a slow start, but far from dull as the reader is introduced to Anna and her family, and then her colleagues. She’s a maths professor, a numbers geek, working at the university mentoring students – it’s all pretty normal. Her husband, Luis, is an artist in the throes of an exhibition that could be awesome for his career. With two wonderful kids and a dog, life really is perfect.

It all starts to go wrong when Anna is passed over for a tenured position. Then one of her students, with whom she has solved a high-profile maths theory declares he’s going to publish alone, leaving her name off the paper. When he falls to his death, she wonders if she was responsible in some way. Will the police come for her? They do, but only to question her, but Anna is extremely paranoid and has moments of introspection that last forever.

She’s faced with the dilemma of whether to publish now as the sole author. But on top of that, she senses her husband is having an affair. Then her boss, Geoff, is a slimeball who can’t take no for an answer. Anna feels like her life is out of control, and she’s not about to sit back and be walked all over again. Trouble is, it seems anything Anna touches simply creates more problems for her, and by getting drunk she does actually lose control … and then cannot recall what she might have or might not have done (which is kind of important when there are more fatal accidents and she has no alibi)

Told in first person, with Anna as the most unreliable narrator, you might feel the plot is more than a little unrealistic at times. But, oh is it fun. Is Anna going mad with everything that’s going on? You have to wonder, and in doing so, you’ll be hooked till the very end which will blow you away with an almighty bonkers turn of events. The clues are there, but will you see them? I didn’t.

If you enjoy a fun, crazy ride with a hefty dose of paranoia and oodles of suspense, then check it out.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher – Bookouture -and have reviewed this voluntarily.

This book had lots of fun twists and turns along with interesting characters. I really liked all the twists and turns, but she kind of lost me with all the math talk. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

4.5/5

I hugely enjoyed reading this tense, twisty, well-written thriller. Totally engrossing and with brilliant characters, I raced through it over 2 nights. Unfaithful is a must-read for psychological fiction fans and I think it would also make an absorbing tv drama.

I’m so glad Natalie Barelli enjoyed reading domestic noir thrillers so much that she decided to start writing them.

Unfaithful is a gripping tale, with many twists and turns to keep the reader engaged throughout. The main character, Anna, is initially portrayed as the perfect wife, mother, and colleague, albeit with slight tarnishes but on the whole life has been pretty kind to her so far. As the story unfolds, this quickly changes and she finds herself in a thrilling downward spiral of lies, secrets and, paranoia.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, the character of Anna was very likable whilst at the same time slightly unpleasant in her displays of dysfunctional behaviour.

I’d recommend this title to anyone who enjoys psychological/domestic noir thrillers.

Many thanks to Bookouture, and NetGalley for the advance copy and to Natalie Barellli for such great writing.

Oh, this one was just FUN!! Super fast, twisty read that centers on Anna, who suspects her husband is having an affair. Told from her perspective, she is an accomplished professor whose career has hit a snag. Also, her best student has died. Add to that the affair, and well....just READ IT! Anna is unlikeable, needy and will go to any lengths to keep her perfect life and family from unraveling. Having said that, I still liked her and rooted for her! Kudos to the author! This was my first, but not last, book from Ms. Barelli!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Natalie Barelli and Bookouture for this ARC!

DNF @ 42%. Storyline is too far-fetched for me to continue. I’m not connecting to the characters or plot. The main character is uninteresting and unreliable and I am not feeling any sort of investment to continue on.

Unfaithful, by Natalie Barelli, is a fast paced and edge of your seat easy read that is full of surprises. Unfaithful is a brilliant tidal wave of twists and addictive storytelling at its best! Natalie Barelli has done a fantastic job creating the perfect plot with well developed characters, questionable actions and events, hidden secrets, deceitful motives, and unexpected turns that will shock you again and again! I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t put it down! The surprises throughout the book left my mind reeling! WOW!

Dr. Anna Sanchez has steadfastedly been working harder than ever and going above and beyond at her job at Locke Weidman University. She’s hopeful that she’s proven herself as the ultimate team player so that she’ll be chosen for the full time professorship. She feels confident that she’ll get it, and is even more excited about unveiling the work her student Alex has been doing sooner than later. As his supervising professor, him solving the unsolvable Pentti Stone conjecture will also be a huge success for her as well.

Alex is just as troubled and secretive as he is brilliant though, and his last few minutes with Anna leave her feeling betrayed and confused. Anna makes a split second decision that will change everything. Alex was too suspicious to keep his work with him so he had been keeping it in a locked drawer in Anna’s locked office so that there was no possibility of anyone else getting access to his work. When Anna is passed over for the professorship and a much younger woman, Mila, gets it, she is crushed. She can’t help but wonder if the decisions she made that one night with Geoff, the head of the mathematics department, had anything to do with the decision to give Mila the professorship.

Feeling lost, confused, and alone, Anna seeks comfort from her husband and goes to his art gallery hoping he’ll be able to reassure her. By the end of the night she has more than one reason to believe he’s having an affair though. Another impulsive decision with Ryan soon after leads to unforeseen consequences. Not to mention June being so overwhelming nice to her is comforting but also a little disconcerting.

All Anna can think is why wasn’t I enough? Why wasn’t your family life with me and our children Carla and Matti enough? But, things aren’t that easy because Anna is keeping secrets of her own and is the one person left with Alex’s significant revelations about the Pentti Stone conjecture after he dies...so why is it that others seem to know more about Alex than she did? What else could they possibly know?

Thank you Natalie Barelli, Bookouture, and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of reading Unfaithful. My feedback is voluntary and expresses my honest opinions.

You know the moment when a character walks off the page and enters your life?

Well, that happened to me at 42% when author Natalie Barelli’s main character, Anna, zipped into my peaceful breakfast time and created so much chaos that I flew through the pages, trying to keep up with her lies and actions. Man, was she a whirlwind!!

Where do I start with her? A happy, but slightly dissatisfied, family and professional life was shown to me where Anna managed her kids and artistic husband. Until one day, the death of her student and the evidence of her husband’s affair shoved her into a dark, downward spiral.

Anna was unreliable, unlikable. With her lies, desperation to be recognized at work, subtle neediness to want her husband back, anger leading to drunken confessions and hasty make-outs, she was unstoppable. She soon got herself a stalker too who was relentless.

To top that, her paper was about to be published in the eminent journal of mathematics. But hold on!! That was not her work, and she had destroyed the proof books. I cringed and had to walk off the excess energy. The tension was getting to me, but she was one cool babe. She whispered in my ear, almost tenderly, that she would manage. How?!! Intrigued and scared? I was too. Only 3 words…

READ THE BOOK!!

The story had twists as Anna took some deadly turns. My mind was focused yet thoughts and possibilities churned in me. This was one freak-out of a book that truly encompassed what a psychological thriller ought to be. What a book!!

Loved this twisty tale with its strong, well-developed characters and intriguing storyline. Recommended! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Wowza!!! This was such a fun book to read, if “fun” can appropriately describe a domestic suspense thriller! Natalie’s writing style was so fun and engaging to read. It flowed so effortlessly. (Although I know sometimes there is a lot of work to make it seem effortless!) I was thrilled (see what I did there?) that I was so shocked at the ending! I had some theories that were obliterated and I couldn’t it more! The very ending gave me the sigh I always hope for when reading a book. (But I won’t tell you what kind of sigh I like because I don’t want to spoil the ending!) I love everything Barelli has written and this was different but equally as amazing! 5 stars for sure from me!

Huge thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me the incredible privilege of reading this book in advance!

Rating: 5 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Unfaithful
AVAILABLE NOW!!!! November 27, 2020
Author: Natalie Barelli
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Sipping Synopsis: Could you find out, or assume, that your husband was cheating and just keep quiet? Well, that is exactly what Anna does. But this is not her only problem. A cheating husband, a close student who dies suspiciously, threats, is just a little of what Anna goes through. But she is determined to keep it classy and be the perfect housewife…or is that just an illusion in her head?

What in the BLANK did I just read??!! Just wow! This book was nothing like I thought it was going to be. I went into this book with the typical woman scorned story in mind. I got some of that but SO, SO much more. As I was reading Unfaithful, I felt there were so many good storylines that I was reading 3-4 books put into one. You would think too many storylines would muddle the main synopsis but not in this book.

Final sipping thoughts: This is my first Natalie Barelli book but trust and believe it will not be my last. I did not even realize how good this book was until listening to the last 15-20%. It kept me interested and surprised but when the main twist was revealed, I was absolutely floored. I pride myself on figuring out twist, but I think Barelli was so clever it literally comes out of nowhere. I can see many of my fellow psych thriller lovers will say that they hate it because of that-not me! This is what I loved about it and I think you will too!

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @Bookouture and @DreamscapeMedia for an advanced copy of @Unfatithful
#Unfaithful #Bookouture #DreamscapeMedia #NatalieBarelli #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #AmazonReads #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #bookreviewer

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: November 27, 2020

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli is a psychological thriller that takes you on an incredible rollercoaster ride.

Every time I thought I had figured things out or that that couldn't get crazier or escalate any more I was wrong! This book is so intense and has you question your own humanity.

I don't read a lot of psychological thrillers (because they usually freak me out) and this one snuck up on me and wouldn't let go! I loved this book!

I'm so grateful to Natalie Barelli, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Anna is kind of a quirky character. She is a math professor at a college. She has a very awkward student named Alex; who is working on a major math problem that has never been solved as his thesis.

Her coworkers seem to use her and she is happy to be the helpful one, taking notes at meetings, organizing dinners, etc. even though that isn’t her job she is trying to always please everyone and make everyone happy. Show she is a team player. Her home life is well organized and run. Her kids are bright and well-mannered and she is always making healthy meals for them.

She has come close to being unfaithful to her husband one time, but didn’t go through with it.

One day she shows up unannounced at her artist husbands studio because she is distraught that her student, Alex has died. Her husband isn’t there but all the signs are there that he is having an affair.

Instead of confronting her husband, she ends up acting like everything is perfect.

Many things start to snowball with her job, her coworker, the math problem that’s never been solved, her only friend, and her husbands mistress.

This was a great story and as much as I what I thought was happening, I was completely wrong.

I was pretty shocked by the ending and strangely satisfied.

I felt anxious for Anna just for trying to be so perfect all the time and for some of her dumb moves and trust but I did like her as a character. She did end up showing resilience.

I loved The Housekeeper and this one did not disappoint.