Member Reviews
I’m shook. I’m shocked.
I don’t know what I just read and WOW.. I can’t wrap it around my head what I read & I have no idea how to even begin letting go of this book and getting it out of my head.
You know those books that you expect to go one way but then they go another way and right when you’re at the end you realize that you were wrong the whole time and you well and truly may be going insane because just WHAT. This was one of those books.
After Meredith loses her husband to a car accident that he caused after being under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Meredith’s life is completely changed. Because not only did her husband kill himself in that accident, he took two innocent lives down with him. The guilt that Meredith faces after this for not stopping her husband and getting him the help he obviously needed, is insurmountable.. & when Gabriel the husband and father of the two victims her husband murder ex shows up at her psychiatry office.. what is she to do? Turn him away would be the smart choice wouldn’t it? Welp.. that’s not what Meredith does!
I swear this book was one shocking event after the other and trust me when I say.. you will not be expecting that ending. Nor the epilogue.
4 stars-This is a stalker story dished out in small guarded bites. Definitely slow burn. I would say that the small description does not give too much away, but I think that worked better for me, if more had been said I am not sure I would have had the same attachment to the plot. As I read I did find myself turning the pages faster to find out how the story would end. There were a few over the top moments, however, I did find the ending quite interesting. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed The Unraveling by Vi Keeland, despite its intense and unconventional plot. The story is far from a typical love affair; it's an exploration of obsession and emotional turmoil that pulls you in from the start. Meredith McCall’s descent into fixation over Gabriel Wright is both compelling and disturbing, showcasing how grief can twist into something darker.
I found Meredith’s internal struggle and the ethical dilemmas she faces quite gripping. It was fascinating to see her unravel as she gets entangled in Gabriel’s life, and the way the narrative delves into psychological complexity really stood out to me. The tension and moral ambiguity kept me engaged throughout, making it a memorable read.
While the subject matter is heavy and the characters' choices often challenging, it’s exactly what drew me into the story. If you’re up for a deep dive into obsession and personal collapse, this novel is a gripping choice.
The premise of this book is very cool. It takes a romance book scenario and turns it on its head. The main character was married to a hockey player, but this is not a romance. Some mysterious accident happened that left the main character grieving and unstable. When she sees the loved one of the others involved in the accident looking happy, she starts stalking him to try and catch how he really feels. But there are TOO many coincidences when they keep meeting and he shows up at her therapy practice.
This book is super readable, and the premise is unique from other thrillers. I like how the chapters are short and at first oscillate between past and present, and then only in the present. Overall it's a tad predictable but some of the twists are still interesting and the erotic thriller aspects add excitement. It is Keeland's first thriller and I really hope she writes more because this is very entertaining!
The Unraveling is a standalone and a psychological thriller with a HEA. Not the type of book I usually read. But this is Vi Keeland and I love her books so of course I wanted to read the book.
The Unraveling is nothing like anything that I have read by this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
There were some twists and turns to the story that I didn’t see coming. This book kept my attention from beginning to the end!
I will definitely read any other books that Ms. Keeland writes! She knows how to keep a book interesting and unputdownable! It kept me on the edge. 5 STARS for sure!
Interesting psychological thriller book that kept me on the edge of my seat. I just wanted to know how it would turn out. Meredith is dealing with guilt after her husband killed two people in a car crash. She wanders how could she ever be happy again and what happened to the family of the individuals her husband killed. She sees the husband of the family her husband killed and was surprised to see he was happy. She follows him to see if she can see how he moved on so fast.
Read if you like:
-Psychological Thriller
-Mystery
-Unreliable Narrator
Thank you to the publisher and NetGally for this Advanced Release copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I’m very conflicted about this book! I actually think it will appeal to a lot of people. It’s filled with mind games and desire and tragedy. I actually thought I had things figured out but turns out I didn’t. That ending though! There was just something about it that I didn’t LOVE but I still enjoyed reading it and was dying to know how it would end. Like I said I think this is going to appeal to a large audience and I would definitely recommend it. A little bit of spice but nothing too crazy if that’s not your thing.
*4.5 Stars On Instagram Account*
"Maybe Gabriel was right after all. We're depraved, not deprived."
He's right! WOW! The very scintillating The Unraveling, by steamy romance author Vi Keeland, proves her first foray into psychological thrillers is an absolute success.
When we meet Meredith she's so happy. Her husband's a star hockey player, her therapy practice is growing, and they're starting a family. But one knock down on the ice rink starts an avalanche of misery until the unthinkable happens and Meredith is left to dig herself out of the rubble.
Almost 2'years after the tragedy, she's finally back at work but then she sees him. The man whose life she believes she ruined and...he looks happy. How can he be happy? She took everything from him. She starts to follow him to understand how he can be moving on when she's still buried in grief and guilt.
Her behavior borders on obsession. She's trying to curtail her urges...until he walks into her office. He seems to not know her despite her involvement in the worst night of his life. She should refer him to another therapist, tell him who she is; but what if she could help him. He's obviously not really happy if he's seeking a therapist. This could be a way to heal...for both of them. Well, until their patient/doctor dynamic becomes more, until the sexual tension becomes combustible and they burn it all down.
The combination of voice actors Courtney Patterson and Aiden Snow was sizzling and left me undone. Their ability to voice the grief, the guilt and the lust was beyond believable.
For most of this thriller I had it all figured out. I was right about almost all the twists, and then the very last, shut my mouth, startling brilliant paragraph unraveled my brain and all I can say is WOW!
I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Wow, wow, wow!!! That’s about all I can say after finishing this amazing story! I mostly read romance, which this book is not one. BUT…. It did have so many of the elements of a romance that draws me in and keeps me reading.
It definitely had the chemistry, the attraction, the angst, and a completely unique storyline that grabbed me from the start.
The Unraveling is a sexy thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat with all the twists and turns right up through the last page!
-5 Stars!!-
-Diane-
I love Vi Keeland’s books and this one was not an exception, even though this is not a love story. It’s a thriller about obsession.
After experiencing a terrible loss, New York City psychiatrist Meredith McCall feels painfully adrift. When she crosses paths with a man with whom she has a tragic connection, she follows him, sparking an unhealthy obsession with Gabriel Wright. How is he doing so well while her life is in shambles?
But when Gabriel walks into her office as a patient, seemingly unaware of who she is, she knows it crosses all ethical and moral bounds to treat him. Yet, Meredith can’t bring herself to turn him away and becomes further entangled. With her life and career continuing to unravel, it appears that things could not get any worse…until they do.
This book is absolutely addictive. I couldn’t stop reading until I finished it. You just need to understand what’s happening and who the real stalker is. Meredith is a highly unstable character, but she is not the only one. It was a great thriller to break the ice. The final chapter bowed my mind and I couldn’t stop thinking about the plot twists for a couple of days.
I highly recommend the experience!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is my first book by Vi Keeland. She has written A LOT of romance books, but this is her debut thriller. For a debut thriller, I thought it was pretty good. It was oddly bingeworthy while at the same time being extremely repetitive and predictable.
There was a little mystery, with a lot of stalker vibes, but I found the MC very unlikeable and desperately naive.
I'm not sure I would read another book by this author, but I'm still thankful to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC and for introducing me to a new author.
I think this is a good start if the author wants to move into the thriller genre. For me, I felt the story was very predictable and I lost a bit of the engagement in the middle. There were some great twists at the very end, but I do wish I was kept more engaged thought. The story definitely followed a classic thriller pattern. The elements were all there, but I didn't feel a connection to the characters.
The concept of an obsessed woman is a favorite of mine. I think the book would have benefited from a little bit more of the backstory with her husband so that we would care more about WHY she was obsessed. Without it, there was a bit of a disconnect.
There is some romance in here which is fun, but also wasn't as believable as I would have liked.
I would definitely read more by this author.
Oh. My. God. After reading this book, you’re gonna have to scrape your jaw off the floor because the last line actually felt like a sucker punch. This is the book that had me obsessively thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it. I felt crazy, trying to figure out who is lying, who is going crazy, who the mastermind is, and more (no spoilers 😅). After the last sentence, I literally slammed my kindle down (sorry kindle 😭) and sat in silence for a few minutes, just to pick it back up and re-read the last sentence at least 5 more times. I have NEVER re-read any part of any book as many times as I have re-read that one sentence in the past two days. In conclusion, I would sell my soul to read this again for the first time.
TW: murder of a child
4.5 Stars!
"Do you feel like you deserve to move on, Meredith?"
Holy moly, was this good! Totally surpassed my expectations. Had everything I love in a psychological thriller:
- Non-trustworthy characters
- Stalker(s)
- Psychologist/patient trope
- Some steam...which was a pleasant surprise!
- Intrigue, lies, betrayal, secrets
I had read a few of Vi Keeland's books previously, though it has been years. However, this is BY FAR my new favorite by her! I listened to the audio and Courtney Patterson does an excellent job. Aiden Snow does as well (he is my #1 fave male narrator), but he only narrates one chapter. The audio book is a quick listen, and is highly bingeable!
I would recommend this book to fans of Verity. The plots have a few similarities but also VERY similar vibes.
The book does have some difficult subject matter, but nothing graphic. I am a wimp and I was able to handle.
This was a totally bonkers read that I devoured in 24 hours. That last sentence...OMG!! Do not sleep on this one, y'all. It's such a fun psychological thriller and a great summer or vacation read!
4.5/5 stars, rounded up
Thank you Emily Bestler Books for the advanced reading copy!
SYNOPSIS -- Meredith McCall is fresh off of the worst loss of her life when she runs into Gabriel Wright, a man deeply affected by the same tragedy as Meredith, but in a much different way. When she sees him laughing, she's immediately drawn to follow him, because how can he be so happy when her life is a mess? When Gabriel later shows up to Meredith's office as a new patient, she can't seem to stay within ethical limits and becomes even more entangled in this very, very messy web.
I LOVED this book. First of all, it was such a quick read and impossible to put down. The chapters were fairly short, and with time jumps it made things go even quicker. As a therapist myself, this was really tough to read at times, but SO interesting. It was truly fascinating to go through Meredith's thought process and grief with her, watching her allow her life to unravel even further with each page. I love an obsession story, and this really checked all of the boxes for me! While I did have my suspicions about a few things, I was SHOCKED by the ending, truly until the last page. This story was suspenseful and twisty and utterly unexpected overall. Wild choice for me to read this in my office on my lunch break - LOL - but a fantastic read, especially knowing that this is Vi Keeland's first foray into the thriller world. I can't wait for what comes next from her, and I'd highly recommend this one in the future!
Meredith has been through it. Almost two years ago a tragic series of events connected her life with Gabriel's. He should be struggling just like her, right? So why does he seem happy when she passes him on the street? This is where The Unraveling begins.
This was a fun, twisty thriller. It tackles some tough issues, but it doesn't dive in enough for it to be too emotional or heavy. I was lucky to receive the widget for this ARC for a book club. There were some readers who wanted more depth from these topics and others thought it was ok to let it be a fast, entertaining read. My impression is this book was meant to be the latter.
This book kept my attention, and I thought the ending was clever. It was one of those books that kept you guessing until the very last sentence. There were some parts of the book that slowed down, and the writing didn't always click with me. You know in school when you added sentences just for the word count? That's how it read for me at times. Overall I enjoyed my experience.
Rating: 3.5
I Loved thisss bookkk!! This can be read in only one sitting for how addictive it is. I reallyy wanted to know what's happening in this bookk. I didn't expect the twist it was reallyyy captivating and I'm so glad i got the chance to read this book. It was giving a good stalking thriller with some romance vibes, once i sit and read it i find myself not wanting to leave the book!! it was addictive.It was really an entertaining ride and I'm looking forward to read more by the author.
Thank you so much NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this amazing book.
I won’t say no to a stalker/obsession book and this was so twisty! Meredith is such a frustrating MC who really needs some boundaries but I had to root for her success. The short chapters had me blowing through this. The unreliability factor really worked in this one. The last sentence - 🤯
I initially had a little trouble getting into the writing style but once I settled in, I was entertained. It lagged a bit in the middle but that last chapter was fire! All but 1 person in my book club absolutely loves that final twist!
What a great ride! Plenty of twists, turns and intrigue. I never fully trusted what I read to be the whole truth, and I had my suspicions, but there was one part at the very end that I didn’t expect. Vi did a wonderful job with this book and hope she continues writing in this genre.