Romantic Psychological thriller?

This book was crazy!!!
A few twists I saw coming & others I did not.

I was in for long haul though. I read this in 24hrs
It consumed my life, until I was done.

Definitely want to read more of this author.

I loved this so much!!!!

I was captivated by the story of Meredith McCall, a New York psychiatrist whose life is upended by a profound loss, leading her into a dangerous obsession with Gabriel Wright, a man from her troubled past. Their entanglement deepens alarmingly when he becomes her patient, challenging every moral and ethical boundary. Keeland weaves a tale of forbidden desires, ethical dilemmas, and a relentless downward spiral that kept me on edge. The twists were unexpected and brilliantly executed, making this thriller an unforgettable journey into the complexities of the human psyche and the shadows of obsession.

The world-building in this book was impressive, but I struggled to connect with the main character, Meredith. Her actions often felt implausible and frustrating. While the story maintains a good balance of suspense and psychological depth, it can also be somewhat predictable.

"The Unraveling" by Vi Keeland does justice to its title, while reading it was very clear that there was a fast unfolding plot within the characters that kept me on edge with every twist. Best known for her hot romances, Keeland adds a touch of that sizzle 🔥 to this thriller, making it very interesting.

The scene-setting might take a little time, but after that, it really gets going, it's like being led through a maze with twists you don't see coming. This read is a twisted, unpredictable thriller guaranteed to throw you many (spicy) turns. This is definitely a book you won't be able to put down. This read is a psychological thriller, with a spicy twist, and is perfect for fans of the TV series You.

Months after her husband's untimely death, Dr. Meredith McCall finds herself aimless and drowning in grief and anger. One day, she unexpectedly encounters a man she is tragically connected to. Consumed by sorrow and confused by how this man can laugh after such a terrible tragedy, Meredith begins to follow him, seeking answers for how he has been able to move on.

The first half of the book had me hooked, yet the second half lost me. Vi Keeland does a wonderful job blending the past with the present, creating an engaging narrative. However, when the story shifts to focus solely on the present, it lost some of its momentum. Additionally, the romantic-suspense aspect of the story left me wanting more. From a romance perspective, the romantic elements felt underdeveloped, missing chemistry and tension between the characters. As a thriller, the twists were predictable and lacked the surprise element that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


The Unraveling by Vi Keeland was a book with a really interesting premise, but I personally thought that it was executed poorly. The storyline felt rushed and like it focused on the wrong things. It was a really quick read, but the story was lacking in excitement.

I am used to reading Vi's romance books so this one was totally different and it didn't disappoint. I am now a new fan of thrillers! Who knew? It's a genre I hadn't read before but this book changed my mind. This is a thrilling exciting book with lots of twists and turns in the plot. The main characters are interesting and complex. Please give this book a try, you will really enjoy it.

Synopsis: Psychiatrist, Meredith, has lost her husband, her job, and everything that was once important to her. With her life unraveling - it appears things can’t get any worse…Until they do.

My thoughts: The Unraveling is romance author, Vi Keenland’s, thriller debut and I am here👏🏻for👏🏻it👏🏻 Keep in mind, Vi’s speciality shines and this one gets a little spicy!!🥵 Perfect for fans of the stalker trope and the Netflix show “You” - The Unraveling is described as NOT a love story but a story of obsession.
One thing to be aware of - The main character, Meredith will make you scream from the get-go. It’s one poor decision after another and you will want to reach through the pages and shake her. Or throw your kindle. She has no personal or professional boundaries, horrible coping habits, and just a very blurred set of ethics. This may bother you or thoroughly entertain you. I personally, couldn’t look away from the train wreck that is Meredith’s life. You’ll have to suspend belief a little bit because some of what happens is beyond ridiculous but I personally don’t mind if my thrillers are a little unrealistic.
I felt most of the book was around 3.5⭐️. I called some of the twists and wasn’t shocked by anything until that ENDING. Honestly, what was that?! That last sentence was so ambiguous and so satisfying that I had to round my ranking up to a solid 4⭐️
All in all, a fun psychological page-turner. I’ll definitely pick up Vi’s next thriller! 👏🏻

Mystery • Thriller • Crime Fiction
Forbidden Romance • Dual Timeline
🎉 Happy Pub Day 9 July 2024

Thank you to @atriabooks for the free copy!

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢. 𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚋𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗.

Vi Keeland is a best-selling romance author first, and this is her thriller debut. If you are a thriller lover who likes dark romance or vice-versa this is the book for you. I read this in two sittings and stayed up late to finish. I had to know what was going to happen. There are two steamy scenes, open door. 🥵

Widow and therapist Meredith becomes freakishly obsessed with the man whose family was mowed down by her hockey star husband. The first half of the book flips timelines past and present and a lot of it was a depressing look at the destructive power of opioids and how drugs ruin lives. But the second half is rip roaring, pure unhinged unreliable characters.

Surprisingly I ended up being fascinated with the therapy session dialogue - both Meredith’s dialogue with her psych as well as hers with her own patients. It made me think maybe I could benefit from counseling too. My one gripe is Meredith’s self-blame; she suffers from a guilt so deep that it’s completely self-destructive. None of that was her fault!

The steam factor on this one is high for a thriller 🌶️🌶️🌶️ which I enjoyed. Hmm maybe I should be reading some more dark romance??!

I almost don't want to review this. What an interesting ride. Go in blind. That is the review. GO IN BLIND.

My firsts read by this author but definitely not my last. I work with doctors so this had me intrigued from the beginning. Throw in the obsession and disarray in Meredith's life and I was hooked. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a good one! Some twists I saw coming, others I didn’t, but it’s constantly raising the question, “What would you do?”. A quick and easy read! Thank you to @atria and @netgalley for my copy!

When Vi Keeland announced she was writing a thriller, I pre-ordered it immediately, given my love for her contemporary romance novels. Her debut suspense novel, The Unraveling, exceeded all expectations. To be honest, I'm blown away.

Dr. Meredith McCall's life begins to spiral out of control, leading to a meticulously crafted and chaotic game of cat and mouse. The question of who is the predator and who is the prey, along with their ultimate end game, kept me on the edge of my seat. This seductive and addictive thriller has earned a spot on my Best of 2024 list.

Vi Keeland masterfully weaves a complex web of love, lies, and deception, making this book unputdownable. The Unraveling shook me to my core. After the jaw-dropping plot twist, I had to reread it to search for hidden clues. This novel is one-click-worthy and features one of the most memorable endings I've ever read.

As a big fan of Caroline Kepnes' You series from its start, I knew that I had to read Vi Keeland's debut thriller, The Unraveling because it obviously has total stalker vibes, albeit from the female perspective. It is always interesting when a prolific author switches genres; in the case of Keeland, it being a shift from writing steamy romances to pulse-pounding thrillers. Speaking of thrills, I am THRILLED to attest that despite being new to the suspense genre, Keeland is already a master, having written an utterly compelling stalker story that had me hooked right from the start.

New York City psychiatrist Meredith McCall is just coming off of a suspension period where she hasn't been able to practice medicine or treat patients. We don't know exactly what happened to cause her to temporarily lose her license, but it is clear something indeed happened and Meredith is still reeling in the aftermath. As the story's narrative begins to "unravel," how Meredith found herself to be in this predicament starts to become horrifyingly obvious. Pretty soon, Meredith is secretly entangled in the life of a patient with whom she has a tragic connection, and she risks losing it all due to her obsession. Can she regain control of her life before it completely unravels?

I'm not going to lie - it can be difficult to draw me into a story, but Vi Keeland instantly had my attention with her new novel The Unraveling. Written in a frank and self-effacing voice, The Unraveling invites you into the disheveled world of Dr. Meredith McCall as she tries to put the pieces of her life back together after a terrible tragedy. Meredith is at once incredibly likeable, and you can't help but feel like you are a friend she is confiding in as she trauma dumps all of her secrets. However, it soon becomes apparent that Meredith isn't the only character in this story who has secrets, and you're just going to have to hold on for dear life as Meredith makes mistakes and crosses boundaries as this story barrels towards its satisfying conclusion.

Cleverly crafted with just the right amount of ominous atmosphere and character relatability, The Unraveling will appeal to fans of thought-provoking, perfectly paced suspense fiction.

THE UNRAVELING - VI KEELAND

3.5⭐

PLOT
After losing her husband NYC psychiatrist Meredith McCall feels her life has drifted apart. When she finds a man with whom she has a tragic connection she follows him and develops and unhealthy obsession with Gabriel Weight who seems to be perfectly happy and content while her life is in shambles until he decides to be her patient and their life becomes entangled. But her life and career continue to unravel and things slowly become worse.

MY THOUGHTS
This was a quick psychological suspense story more of obsessive kind than thriller per say. It starts with alternating timeline which is quick to read and slowly the story begins to unravel. I could pretty much predict everything except the last 2 twists esp the second last being excellent though I did have some questions about the last one ( let's discuss if u have read this) it was unimaginable!
Being a doctor myself I couldn't really get behind Meredith and her talks with her patients ( not at all how you do it) so you really have to suspend your beliefs to let the story go forward.
Apart from this it was a quick read!

This was a easy fast read. I thought I had an idea how it was going to end, but the very last page told me I was wrong!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read the ARC of the Unraveling by Vi Keeland.

Huge thank you to the publisher's at Atria books for the opportunity to review The Unraveling by Vi Keeland. This book was suggested to me by the marketing team at Atria and I am beyond grateful it was. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was compelling from start to finish. There was a lot going on with this one. I thought this story was told with perfect pacing. Enough to leave you wanting more and more with every chapter's end. It ended the way I expected it to but it didn't make it any less thrilling for me. I knew exactly where this story was headed but the way Vi Keeland told it was perfect. Overall, I really enjoyed it. Can't believe this is their debut thriller. What a fantastic one at that!

4.25stars-THE UNRAVELING by Vi Keeland is a contemporary, adult, psychological thriller focusing on widowed psychiatrist Dr. Meredith McCall.

Told from first person perspective (Meredith), THE UNRAVELING follows Dr. Meredith McCall as she tries to navigate her life going forward. A tragic accident, loss of life, and two years of guilt find our heroine facing her past, a past that is now controlling her present. As Meredith begins to unravel, so too, do the ghosts that continue to haunt her, ghosts that refuse to let go, ghosts that are more real than she could have ever imagined.

The world building is fraught with twists and turns, betrayal and vengeance, power and madness, obsession and control.

We are introduced to widower Gabriel Wright, Meredith’s late husband Connor Fitzgerald, psychiatrist Dr. Alexander, receptionist and friend Sarah, and patient Rebecca Jordon, all who play a role in Meredith’s ongoing struggle.

THE UNRAVELING is a thought-provoking and unconventional story; a cautionary tale ; a raw, real and twisted despair, remorse and vengeance; of determination and dissolution. The premise is intriguing and powerful; the characters are desperate, tragic and questionable.


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I love a book like this that I can devour in one sitting. Very entertaining and I loved the great ending!

I love psychological thrillers that explore relationships between therapists and patients, and this read added an additional twist that made it fresh, provocative, and a propulsive page-turner.

Meredith is a psychologist who is grieving the loss of her husband after a tragic accident that killed him and another man's wife and young daughter. Since the accident her life unravels into grief, obsession, and increasingly morally gray decisions. Stalking the other man in NYC to see how he has been able to 'move on' after losing his wife and child, and then violating ethical code when he becomes a patient at her psychologist practice without revealing how they are connected. Short chapters, dual timelines, blurred lines and steamy spice made this thriller difficult to put down. I never saw the ending coming making it very satisfactory!