This is my first book by Natalie Barelli and despite wanting to delve into her thrillers long before now I've not had the chance to. And I'm wondering what took me so long? I read this addictive pageturning book in a matter of hours and no one was bringing me out of my trance until I was done. This book has everything I love and so many things I hate too...but oh, I still love to hate them...as it makes it soooo good!

There are all kinds of crazy going here but just who is the crazy one? There is so much paranoia, insecurity and passive-aggression going on that it's hard to know just who is pulling the wool over whose eyes. And just when you think you know the direction the story is taking, it back-flips and turns everything around, leaving you thinking...OK, I think I know where this is going now. But trust me, you don't. It's not easy to hoodwink me - other authors have joked with me about trying harder to do just that - but I was outwitted this time. I thought I was being clever and looking where no one else was...but the author double crosses us numerous times just when we were starting to trust her and our own instincts. By the end of the story I so wanted to say that I knew what was going on...but did I really? Hell no! Honestly, I thought Laura was being gaslighted but I think the whole time the author was gaslighting the reader!!

Laura is an art curator for a local gallery and is happy with her fiance Jack and she loves being a stepmother to seven year old Charlie. They are a happy little family unit and everything is going perfectly until that morning...Jack informs her that Bronwyn, Charlie's mum, is arriving to spend Charlie's birthday with her. And she will be staying with them. How long will she be here? A couple of weeks, he assures her. But the silver lining? She's agreed to sign the divorce papers she's been dragging her heels on since she left two years ago.

Laura and Bronwyn share a history pre-Jack and it isn't long before tensions are running high. Charlie, who is excited that her mummy has come to visit, will do anything to please her for fear that her mother won't like her enough to stay this time. And Bronwyn plays on that. Which Laura sees all too clearly...but Jack doesn't. Why? Is he blind? Stupid? Or just playing dumb? That man is quite honestly a p***-weak wet blanket that can't even stand up for his fiance against his ex-wife. I wanted to smack him so many times when he appeared to find the bench far more interesting that the caustic interaction between his fiance and his ex-wife.

And then there is Bronwyn's spur-of-the-moment visit. Why now? And where's her partner Leon? The plastic surgeon she ran off to Italy with two years ago? Laura is sure that Bronwyn has a hidden agenda and she is determined to find out what it is. But then is Laura really a reliable narrator?

Aside from the chaotic stress of her homelife, Laura has taken on a new assistant Summer without really checking her qualifications. More to appease her boss Bruno who is clearly taken with the attractive twenty five year old budding photographer. But then she begins to wonder if Summer's sudden appearance is a coincidence or if there is more her "just being there" one morning to apply for the position? I repeat...is Laura's narrative a reliable one?

Yet in the middle of this chaos is innocent little Charlie, who Bronwyn insists on calling Charlotte and dressing her up as if she were a life sized doll in pinks and frills and everything so un-Charlie. Charlie, who is not exactly a tom-boy, but enjoys adventure and nature and wants to be a vet or run an animal sanctuary. She enjoys exploring nature and playing soccer and rolling in the mud. She's not a pretty little princess into frills and make-up and all the fickle fakeness her mother is. But for the sake of pleasing her mother so she won't leave her, Charlie acquiesces. She dresses in the clothes Bronwyn buys for her, that she isn't comfortable in; she refuses Laura's invitation to play "so she doesn't get her clothes dirty"; she keeps her room clean which is definitely un-Charlie-like...and through it all, Charlie is still unhappy. And it breaks Laura's heart. For the little girl just wants her mummy to love her...but is Bronwyn capable of loving anyone beyond herself?

Oh, I do love a cuckoo-in-the-nest domestic thriller. Threatening everything that our protagonist holds dear with just a flutter of her eyelashes and expensive gifts for her long-lost daughter. Who craftily wrangles their way into the homes and lives of the unsuspecting (until it's too late) and winning others over bar one who sees through their ploys but no one else will believe them?! So while our protagonist appears to be the crazy one, little miss cuckoo deftly swoops in to save the day time and again in such a way that makes the crazy appear even crazier. And the passive aggression...you could cut the air with a knife!!

Honestly, that is just what I expected, and got, with UNFORGIVABLE! Until it went further than that and it leaves you wondering...what the...what just happened? Believe me when I say you think you have it all worked out, but you don't. Not even close. This was a whole new level of psycho and so cleverly done. I don't care if it's been done, in part, before...it's the thrill of the ride that I enjoy and boy, did I get that!! The author engineered everything perfectly that the reader thinks "that's it" only to realise it was nothing but a red herring sent to confuse us and send us in the wrong direction while the real twist kept giving...and giving...and giving...until the final page.

I loved UNFORGIVABLE and will definitely look out for other thrillers by Natalie Barelli, who I've wanted to read for so long but just not gotten around to it. I love the fact that she's an Australian author who lives not too far from where I do...but...I have to say, it really annoys me when authors (particularly Australian) create a setting for their books in America! This is not the first, as I have come across many, and it has me wondering what is so wrong with Australia that one can't base their stories here? Nicole Trope does and hers are amongst my all-time favourites. I'm really puzzled as to why so many don't utilise their own backyards for creating the perfect settings for their books. Really, this book could have sufficed well enough here in Sydney as well as it did in Seattle.

Yep Bronwyn is a character that definitely got under my skin but then she was written in way to do just that - get under the readers' skin. And she certainly did that. If she wasn't messed up crazy, then was it Laura who was? Who was the paranoid one? Because both women displayed perfect examples of paranoia...didn't they? Who's pulling the wool over whose eyes? OMG I wanted to throttle Bronwyn and then smack Jack and Laura's heads together for being so utterly clueless. But then had they all been smarter then there wouldn't have been such a thrill ride of a thriller, would there? There would be no UNFORGIVABLE. And quite honestly, all characters made some very stupid decisions...some more than others, I might add.

UNFORGIVABLE is an edge-of-your-seat thrill-ride a minute that had me turning pages for "just one more chapter". It is addictive and is a train wreck but honestly, I couldn't look away. I couldn't stop reading. I had to know who was playing who and how it all ended. It is fast paced throughout that it felt like a pressure cooker was inside my head as I raced through the pages until the very end.

A non-stop rollercoaster ride I thoroughly recommend UNFORGIVABLE to fans of tense domestic thrillers that love a little gaslighting. And just a little bit of crazy...

I would like to thank #NatalieBarelli, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #Unforgivable in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

“Unforgivable” is unforgettable! Wow! What a story!

Laura is engaged to Jack, and she is step “mama” to Jack’s little daughter Charlie. All is well until Jack’s soon to be ex-wife, Bronwyn, comes back for a visit! Supposedly there to sign divorce papers, she takes over the mother role, and “befriends” Laura. Suddenly, suspicions rise, bad things happen, and Laura’s world spins out of control!
There are so many twists in this story, that just when you think Laura has it all figured out, the twists continue!
What a fast paced, wild story! It was amazing, and I highly recommend this book! 5 giant stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy.

I am a huge fan of Natalie Barelli and love her writing style. Unforgivable was amazing! I was reading late into the night to finish it as I had to know how it would end. This book is a real page turner, so If you've got something to do don't start this book! I highly recommend purchasing this book when it releases on July 26. 2022!

The book tells the story of Laura, who is engaged to Jack, and his daughter Charlie. They are a very happy family to be until Jack's ex comes back from Italy and stays with them for 3 weeks!! Laura is not happy that Bronwyn, the ex, will be staying in their home for 3 weeks, but Jack didn't know how to turn her down when she's been away from Charlie for so long. He thought he was doing what was best for his daughter as she missed her mom. It turns out that Laura and Bronwyn have a past from junior high and high school days. Bronwyn spread terrible rumors about Laura back then and ruined Laura's life in a lot of ways. Jack doesn't know about any of that.

Laura works at an art gallery and is planning a new type of show that will travel around the country. The gallery is in need of a new assistant and Laura hires Summer, a person we're not sure if we should trust. Summer was only hired because she saw something that Laura did and Laura wants to keep her happy. Summer is a photographer also and considers herself good enough to have her own show. Something happens at the gallery. Is Summer to blame? Why does she seem to know more about Laura and her family than she should? Can Laura trust her?

Jack has been out of work for a year as he lost his last job due to a rumor from a woman in his past. That woman was the babysitter when he was still married and living with Bronwyn. Bronwyn confides in Laura that Jack had an affair with the babysitter and that she should be worried about him having another affair. Jack denies the affair with the babysitter, but seems on edge of late. Can Jack be trusted to be faithful? Did he have an affair? Why did he lose his job and why is he having trouble getting a new job? Why is Bronwyn going on trips with Jack and Charlie without Laura? Is she trying to get her family back? Is she jealous of Laura?

The suspense continues to build as you read this thriller. I thought I had it figured out a couple of times, but the twists will keep you on your toes! If you enjoy a great mystery then don't miss out on this book! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of Unforgivable in exchange for a fair review.

Oh I LOVE a cuckoo, you can’t go wrong with one, craftily get themselves into lives and houses and situations, winning the good folk over and usually there’s the one person who knows what’s really happening can’t get anyone to believe them, it’s reading heaven for me and I tear through the book (s) waiting for that delicious moment when ‘all is revealed’ and the baddie is known
And that’s what I expected and got with this book, until…until it went further and messed ( in a good way ) with my head 😎😂 this was a whole new level of Cuckoo and so cleverly done, so engineered by the author that you on multiple occasions thought ‘that’s it’ only to realise it was a red herring and you had been wrong
Brilliant, honestly as you know I read a lot but this is a romper of a tale, so well done, so exciting to read and so all encompassing a story you will want to finish to find out who is the baddie, you wont be able to stop yourself
Awesome read

10/10
5 Stars

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of Unforgivable. This was a Mega Hit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Loved it, did NOT know who to believe, thought I did and then it went round and round. The plot was a good one and the characters played their part. All in all a Fantastic read. Enjoy!!!!

Unforgivable is a twisted phycological thriller. Laura is an art curator who is engaged to Jack, who recently lost his job. Charlie, Jack's daughter lives with them. Charlie’s mom, Bronwyn, left Jack and Charlie a few years ago and calls periodically and makes infrequent visits.

Jack lets Laura know that Bronwyn is coming for a visit and will be staying with them. Laura is not pleased with this news. But it's only for a few weeks, she can do it for Charlie.

Bronwyn is nice one minute and cold the next. Laura sees a different side of Bronwyn that Jack over looks. Each time Laura tries to talk about what is going on he thinks she just needs to relax it isn't as bad as all that. But it gets worse for Laura, as strange things start to happen making it look as if she is the one that is the problem. As Laura lets her guard down and opens up to Bronwyn, she mistakenly believes Bronwyn is her friend after all this time. Laura will have trouble deciding who are friends are as things take a dangerous turn.
Laura's feelings of inadequacy leave her open to suspect everyone around her.

Jack on the other hand has problems of his own as he was accused of inappropriate behavior with a babysitter in the past. Unfortunately, this is impacting his ability to get another job. While Laura tries to do what is best for the family, she doesn't realize she is in danger.

This is a very twisted story of gaslighting. I think this is a fun afternoon read. There is so much going on it is hard to see who is the one causing the problems. There are several people that are written in such a way it is hard to choose, but it becomes clear as everything escalates who it is. This will take you for a ride, entertaining you all the way.

I knew it would be an explosive recipe when the current partner and the almost ex wife of Jack inhabited the same house. Charlotte, the daughter, was the main pawn.
There are ,any bends in this road and the reader must pay attention or you will get lost.
Bronwyn is something else and a total chameleon. Jack is a dupe and sort of pathetic. Laura, the main character is as gullible as the day is long. I kept yelling at her as I read the book and thought how much more can you be manipulated??
Read it and see for yourself.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgally, Bookouture, and Natalie Barelli for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is definitely a book that is hard to put down. The excitement starts fairly early in this book and does not stop until the very end. I did enjoy the concept and plot of this book.

However, the characters are very frustrating, but in the best ways. The characters are purposefully written in an irritating and frustrating manner. They're supposed to be characters you do not trust and do not like. It makes it very hard to figure out who is the good guys, who are the bad guys, and who are just other characters within this story.

Such amazing writing, but I did have to stop reading several times because of Bronwyn's character. She is so frustrating and someone I could never be around in real life. But that just goes to show how well written her character is.

*******************SPOILERS******************
I had a hard time trying to figure out who the "bad guy" in this story was. I did think Laura was a little crazy at first, but by about a quarter of the way through the book I knew she had to have some good reasons. I HATED Jack because he was such a pushover when it came to Bronwyn. I get that he was trying to keep the peace and was going through a lot with trying to find a job, but he was a terrible partner and father for never standing up for his fiancé and child. I loved Charlie and felt so bad for her throughout the book, especially since her mom obviously never loved her and was just using her to get closer to Laura and Jack.

I went back and forth several times throughout this book thinking Bronwyn was trying to get back with Jack by sabotaging the relationship and thinking Summer may have been the old baby-sitter with a new look.

I was a little surprised that Bronwyn had killed Laura's mom and several other people from such a young age. However, that was such a good twist and showed how truly evil she was. I loved seeing it all wrap back up to the first chapter, where we knew absolutely nothing about any of the characters to where we knew everything we needed to know.

****************************END OF SPOILERS*****************************************************************************

It truly was a great read; I just had a hard time reading it because of how much of a pushover Jack was and how awful Bronwyn was. But that was just an amazing show of how good of a writer Natalie Barelli is.

'They say the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to convince the world he didn't exist'. This could not be more true throughout this totally twisted tale! You will think you know who the devil is here, but it keeps its pressure all the way through until the explosive end. Fantastic read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I was not Laura’s biggest fan! I had to say it. She was annoying and everything wrong with being the new girlfriend/wife. Laura is in a relationship with Jack who has a daughter named Charlie from his first marriage. His ex Bronwyn kind of left and only makes guest appearances in Charlie’s life. Laura has been there consistently for the last 2 years. Bronwyn decides to come visit for Charlie’s birthday and the insecurities Laura ((and a lot of people would probably feel)) start to show. She feels like her role in Charlie’s life is being forgotten and that Bronwyn is easing her way back into Jack’s home and heart. As a reader, I wanted Laura to be paranoid and wrong…but was she!?! I enjoyed this one and a couple of those twists at the end! Pure excitement from me!

Unforgivable is unforgettable! I started the story and could not put it down. I stayed up until 3 AM to finish the story. Love and revenge is at the heart of this story. Lisa’s love for Charlie is deep and helping her to deal with her mom walking out on her, is all she is trying to do.
If you like a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat this is a book for you. Thank you netgalley for complimentary copy.

What a fun mess this book is. Poor little Charlie has a biological mother, Bronwyn, who is self absorbed and living in another country, a caring dad, and a stepmother to be, who is the true mother in this odd setup.

Laura is the soon to be wife of Jack, that is if Bronwyn will ever come and sign the divorce papers. Well she’s on the way and planning to stay with Laura, Jack and Charlie. , Bronwyn is loaded so why not get a luxury suite? Read on there is a reason.

This living arrangement does not prove to be a healthy situation especially since Bronwyn is crazy and twisted. Laura feels becoming a stepmother is the best thing that could have ever happened. She loves picking Charlie up from school, watching her little backpack bouncing behind her as she runs over for a hug. Charlie finlally seems to be at peace and happy after a few rocky months of panic attacks when her mother deserted her.

Bronwyn returns to her daughter’s life with a flourish or maybe vengeance would be a better word. She showers Charlie with gifts, trips and makes promises she can’t keep. She even takes her out of school to shop and play.

This reader was quite upset with how Bronwyn took over Charlie’s world and how Laura reacted to the whole situation. Barrelli has crafted characters you don’t like yet it was fun to watch the train wreck they make of their lives.

Laura, “When I raise my concerns, no one wants to listen. I know I sound like the jealous new wife, but nothing is more important to me than Charlie’s safety. Me and Bronwyn have history. We both have dark secrets in our past, and I know the dangerous lengths she will go to get what she wants.”

I truly enjoyed this twisty page-turner but felt the closing was a little too happily ever after than it realistically could have been

This was such a page turner! I cringed SO MUCH because (and I hate to say this but it’s not a spoiler) I hated a ton of Laura’s choices!!!! But she’s so much like many of us. No spoilers here. I related to many characters in this book! And yes! Some of their actions are unforgivable! Natalie Barelli is one of my favorites and I’ve read everything she’s written! I’ve yet to come across anything that I don’t love!

Really enjoyed this story. Have read several from the author. This story didn't disappoint. Held my interest and kept me guessing whether the narrator was crazy or the ex. Definitely recommend. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Not your normal thriller, in its own and was very good. Didn't figure out what was happening
Not sure I've read this author before but will definitely look.for more from her

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

This is a new author to me but one I will look out for more from. I enjoyed this book right from the start and when I thought I had got things sussed out.........................I was proved wrong. Bronwyn was certainly an awkward character.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

Thanks NetGalley, Bookouture and Natalie Barelli for an ARC to review.
I absolutely loved this one, not your typical domestic psychological thriller you think you have read many times before.
Laura loves her life, the perfect job, the perfect little girl, the perfect man, the perfect home
Except they are not totally here to keep
Mommy enters the picture and everything gets twisted and you won't see it coming.

HOLY WOW JESUS CHRIST


I am just struck wow. This book was AMAZING.

Every single word, paragraph, page, just wow. Incredible.

I adored every second of it and I could NOT put it down AT ALL.

Everything was beyond perfect and I loved it so much.

I just think that Bronwyn's character in the start could use a little more finesse but otherwise, it rounded off VERY nicely at the end.

This is a masterpiece.

As always Natalie delivers again. If you are on the hunt to pass some time reading some great writing this is the book for you. Her characters are always intriguing and she never disappoints with her writing skills and how she draws you into her plots.

This kept me guessing to the end as one mother will do anything to keep her daughter safe for, her other ,other Bronwyn. But does she really need to? Does she need to be worried about her husband Jack too? You need to pull up a comfy spot and grab this book to find out.

Bronwyn left her husband, Jack, and their daughter, Charlie. Jack is now with Laura, who helps him raise Charlie. His daughter even calls her "mama". Until the day Browwyn comes home to see her daughter for her birthday and, according to Jack, to finally sign the divorce papers. But Laura and Bronwyn have history and tensions run high between them.
This is a gripping domestic thriller with a few twists. I read this as an audio and physical book, in one sitting each, and loved both versions. I get Bronwyn hating the fact that Laura is raising Charlie, but she is a real bitch, I was really rooting for Laura. It will keep you guessing until the final reveal, with a satisfying ending.
I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, Bookouture and Dreamscape Media, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.