I love Vi Keeland and huge kudos to her for branching out into new territory with this romantic suspense! It is certainly far removed from her normal romcom.

I do normally love her books and I love a good romantic suspense and thrillers… but this one with a stalker theme and the mystery of exactly what happened to her husband and why she’s off work (which we learn as we read in flashbacks… a plot device I’ve never been fond of) is different from both mystery/thriller novels and a typical romantic suspense.

The Unraveling is how Dr. Meredith herself unravels, mentally, after she’s lost her husband. He was the love of her life and a star hockey player in his prime. We’re left scratching our heads through the book while we get clues in the flashbacks of how everything crumbled leading to his death and Meredith being suspended from her psychiatric practice, and winds up stalking someone and in therapy herself - far removed from the shining star she was heading to becoming.

I once read “You” by Keepness (also now a show), and it creeped me out so I’ll never re-read, complete the series or watch it. This book is mentioned in here… officially, I don’t find it that level but I was certainly comparing it as I read, and the mention was definitely appropo. Similar idea without Joe and the serial aspect, just the stalking. Many twists and turns but I think with how many thrillers I’ve been reading recently, I’ve been getting good at picking out the clues so I had a really good idea of how it was going to end.

I found I needed a couple of breaks but in the end, a solid 4-star read. Anyone who is a Vi fan but not into mystery and thriller books maybe won’t want to get into this one - it’s far from a typical romance (that’s hardly even part of it, though it does exist in some form or another), so only hardcore Vi fans and thriller lovers will get the most from this read.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and this is my honest feedback.

This was SO good. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, something else surprised me. I received the ARC Version of this (sent be author/Atria Publishing) & am already waiting for a sequel!

4.5 ⭐️


Wow wow wow ok. I’m glad I stopped trying to play detective because this didn’t play out the way I was thinking AT ALL. I’m familiar with the authors romance backlist and was curious to see how she handled a suspense. The verdict? — nailed it! Finished this in a day and with that ending I wanted more. Eager to see what else she has planned in the genre!

Seductively suspenseful and utterly addictive, The Unraveling is everything you want in a psychological thriller. I’m a big fan of Vi Keeland’s romances, so I was intrigued when I saw this book and I’m excited to say that it does not disappoint! Compelling from the very start, I could not put it down, consuming the story in one sitting, which says everything about its quality.

5 When Obsession Takes A Turn Stars

Let me just start with this is an entirely new side to an author that I’ve read for years and I LOVED IT!! I love a good thriller and when I’m taken down a rabbit hole in a book, I become obsessed with finding out what happens next. Vi Keeland has written a book that is dark, psychological thrilling and is a story that I never saw coming.

Meredith is a NYC psychiatrist that’s whole world has been taken away from her including her husband and medical license that’s been suspended for one year. She’s seeking help for her grief but a man that we come to learn is someone that’s also been affected by the traumatic turn of events in her life enters her world in a way that would seem innocent enough. Here’s the thing though, Meredith becomes obsessed with Gabriel Wright an English Professor and a man that she definitely should be staying away from. But the day this man walks into her office, after she’s allowed to start treating patients again, changes everything.

Gabriel has no idea about the link he and Meredith have and because Meredith doesn’t fess up, all sorts of lines are being crossed, morally, ethically and emotionally. I was literally glued to my couch while reading this book. The relationship between Meredith and Gabriel grows deeper in ways neither of them were looking for and makes them so intriguing to me because there’s moving parts and secrets that had my mouth hanging open.

I’m trying to be so vague with my review because this book needs to be read with no preconceived thoughts of what you think is going to happen, because it’s unlike anything you’ve read before!

This book was just okay for me. I wanted more from it but it just didn't deliver. I did like the writing and writing style alot.

It’s definitely one of the standout books of 2024! In short: Get your hands on a copy now! 😁💯

This is an incredibly engaging psychological thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. Every sentence kept me hooked. It’s not just a thriller; it’s a compelling and thought-provoking story. The characters and story are well-developed, showcasing different aspects of human nature and flaws. I really hope there will be a sequel to delve deeper into these fascinating characters! Fans of the YOU series will love the vibe of this book

What a departure for Vi Keeland! This tale was expertly crafted and I could not put it down. A psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. Every time I started leaning one way, a twist would come and make me doubt every assumption of the stories direction.

Meredith is a Psychologist whose husband was in a terrible accident that not only ended his life, but that of another family. Meredith has extreme guilt over this and is trying to make sense of it all. Meredith is involuntarily drawn into a situation and yet finds herself deeply enmeshed, often blurring her professional lines. Especially when the victim of her husband’s crimes becomes one of her new patients. What seems like minor coincidences starts to become paranoia while Meredith is trying to uncover the truth.

Like I said, I absolutely could not put this down. This book was fantastic and definitely an ending that I didn’t see coming. You should one-click immediately.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy of this book.
This was a fun cat-and-mouse psychological thriller with a shocking ending. Just when you think you know what's happening, the author throws in a surprise. The chapters are very short and most are so engaging you can't help but flip those pages.
The one issue I had with this book is the trope of an unreliable woman who turns to drink to drown her sorrows, but at the end of the book, she magically stops drinking altogether. I wish we moved on from this portrayal or maybe handled it differently. This is what gave me pause and made me feel slightly uncomfortable.

Dr. Meredith McCall is a psychiatrist going through her own mental anguish in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy. When she crosses paths with Gabriel Wright, a man also connected to the tragic event, she’s irresistibly drawn to him. She finds herself thinking about him constantly and spends many hours following him around NYC. When the magnetic Gabriel shows up as a patient at her practice, Meredith knows it isn’t ethical for her to treat him, but she can’t help but keep him in her orbit.

I was instantly riveting by this dark, twisty tale of grief, obsession, and stalking. Meredith is such a fascinating character. The reader is privy to her innermost thoughts, almost like you’re her therapist. She makes so many bad decisions you just want to shake her, but just like a trainwreck, you can’t look away. It’s worth noting that author Vi Keeland is a bestselling romance author and this book is sexier than your average thriller, so don’t be surprised when the spice starts heating up! The Unraveling is the author’s debut thriller, and it is GOOD! The prose is sharp and suspenseful, and the ending had me on the edge of my seat. I’m anxiously awaiting future thrillers from the talented Ms. Keeland!

Google Vi Keeland and it seems she is the mistress of many spicy romance novels. 🌶️

The Unraveling is her debut into crime fiction. And what a cracking debut! 🌟

From the first page to the last, The Unraveling is fast-paced and action-packed grabbing your attention and keeping it throughout.

This book is the perfect combination of crime and spice!🌶️🌶️🌶️

Meredith’s hockey star husband dies in a car crash killing an innocent mother and daughter. Meredith has recently returned to her psychiatry practice after being suspended for a year because her opioid addicted husband had been stealing her prescription pads.

Enter Gabriel, who was married to the woman Meredith’s husband killed and Meredith becomes obsessed with guilt, shame and could it be - lust?

As Meredith’s life starts to unravel, she finds herself breaking a multitude of professional boundaries.

This was a great read and I think crime fiction fans are going to love it. ❤️

Thank you @vi_keeland and @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly wanted to read this book because Vi Keeland wrote it, so i went into to it assuming it would be like her other books and boy was I wrong.
I did not realize this was her debut thriller book and I am OBSESSED.

The FMC Meredith is a therapist, who is struggling with the grief of her late husbands actions and finds herself in some very unethical situations with her patient Gabriel.

The twist and turns in this book were perfection. I was constantly thinking I had everything figured out only to have a twist pop up and derail my entire thought process. And the last chapter... I needed more.

This is a book that once you start it you won't be able to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

This psychological thriller is a study in grief, obsession, and regret. It easily caught and held my attention.

Psychiatrist Meredith McCall has gone through a recent tragedy that forever changed her life. Her practice on hold, she becomes consumed with the need to see how someone else with ties to the tragedy is surviving, and finds herself following Gabriel Wright around the city. When she reopens her practice and he shows up at her office as a new patient, Meredith knows the smart thing to do would be to refer him to another doctor. But making the wrong choice feels right…

The tragedy itself is explained early enough to quench the need to know what happened, while still leaving enough blanks for an interesting finale. This character driven story is full of moments that will have you screaming at Meredith’s horrible decisions, as she makes choice after choice that dig her deeper into drama. I couldn’t look away, especially as Meredith revealed all of her actions to her own psychiatrist. It felt like I was listening in on conversations I shouldn’t hear, which gave this such a guilty pleasure vibe. I loved the twists and turns and the way we eventually couldn’t tell who was stalking who, who was in the wrong, and who (if any) of these characters we should be rooting for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Gosh. Unfortunately, this book was a slog. Meredith is a psychiatrist in NYC and the story alternates between two different timelines — Now and Then. “Then” Meredith is married to a professional hockey player who is recovering from an injury. “Now” Meredith is reeling from The Thing That Happened and working on her recovery. She ends up stalking a man who was connected to The Thing That Happened after spotting him by chance, and then he walks into her office one day as a new patient.

So… it was pretty evident that this was a romance author’s first stab at a thriller. I could certainly see the bones of a good thriller, but the execution was just not there. There was no real explanation or even an attempt at an explanation for why a psychiatrist would make such awful decisions and be so, so stupid. I understand she was grieving, but her choices made no sense whatsoever and everything hinged on her being a total dumbass (which is my least favorite crutch for a thriller or mystery). It was just not believable to me. I also found everything completely predictable and repetitive. The twist ending was just, like… weird. If an author is trying to elicit a gasp with the last sentence of a book, I think the reveal should be clear, clarifying, and surprising. This was none of those things. I was also caught quite off-guard by the graphic sex scenes, but that’s a minor issue for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Psychiatrist Meredith is lost after the tragic death of her husband and has taken a year off work. When she notices a man connected to his death walking down the street, she begins to follow him everywhere and it becomes an obsession. Until one day he sits down across from her as a patient, and even though morally and ethically she knows she should turn him away, she just can’t let go….and maybe neither can he.

This was a twisty one!! You never really know who is stalking who throughout this story, and so many bombs drop right up until the very end. I needed a quick and fun thriller and this one delivered. I love when a psychiatrist loses it.

4.5 stars

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the free digital and print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Unraveling is the second time this year I’ve read a genre swap from romance to thriller and again I am impressed. Most of my Keeland readings have actually been audiobooks as I truly loved her contemporary romances. But The Unraveling has such a fresh feel to it, you’d think Keeland has been writing thrillers for years. From a mysterious and chilling opening, to a disturbing reveal, and an even more shocking twist, The Unraveling is one of the best books I’ve ever read.

Meredith McCall has experienced something truly heartbreaking; and no spoilers here, it is truly worth the slow reveal. Keeland delivers Meredith’s story by traveling from a then POV to a now POV. As past stories are revealed to the reader, more of the fogginess Meredith is living in comes to light. Let’s be frank here, Merdeith begins stalking a victim (Gabriel) of her former husband; and its not why you’ll think. Experiencing grief in a truly unique way, Meredith’s view is one of grim curiosity. As she enmeshes her new reality with Gabriel’s own, Meredith struggles to control her behavior. It is truly an unraveling of impulses as Meredith loses herself in Gabriel, crossing boundary after boundary.

A surprising character is Meredith’s own psychiatrist (when she herself is also one) whom, in typical drama/thrillers you’d expect her to hide her secrets; but she DOESN’T. Sometimes it felt like that I, as the reader, was also her psychiatrist; hearing her innermost thoughts and feelings and only seeing the world (then and now) from her point of view and what she allows the reader to see.

If you think you’re ready to learn the truth, you truly won’t be. I have never been more shocked by a twist; and one that is delivered SO CLEANLY and sharp! A fantastic new release from Vi Keeland and she better be writing more like this because I was HOOKED.

3.5 stars!

A twisty, fast paced thriller. The characters in this one you will love to hate. It had me wanting to yell “what the heck are you doing?!” at the main character again and again. While some of the twists were a little predictable, it was still a very entertaining read.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for a copy of this book.

I recommend you go in blind on this one, so I'll keep my review short and sweet to avoid spoilers.

The Unraveling is perfectly titled, and I binged it. It is a fast-paced, sharply written, tense and twisty psychological thriller. Keeland is best known for writing romance, and this is her debut thriller. I can see why she's so popular. Her storytelling is addictive, and in this one, the short chapters propel the suspense. Keeland gradually reveals just enough to keep you riveted but never entirely pulls back the curtain, keeping you guessing to the very end and for a little while after you finish! This is unhinged, spicy, and unpredictable. The characters cross all sorts of boundaries and display very questionable behavior. They are vividly depicted, especially FMC Meredith, yet they also remain enigmas for most of the story. I felt constantly off-balance, and my theories and suspicions shifted so many times that I lost count. I finally quit trying to figure this out and just enjoyed the wild ride. What an entertaining guilty pleasure of a read and so much fun!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books Emily Bestler Books for the free book!

Twisty, fun and a fast read! I read this in two sittings and really enjoyed it. A crazy cat and mouse story that will keep you turning pages. I will sure be reading from this author again. 4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for this e-arc

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

I haven't read a Vi Keeland book before, and reading the premise of this story, I was intrigued. It seemed like something up my alley.
However, I couldn't get into it as I had hoped.
I'm a huge mood reader, and maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this kind of story, but it left me unable to relate to any of the characters, even though it does deal with a lot of traumatic events.
The writing and how everything was handled was written well. it has got to be strange being a psychiatrist and then going to one yourself. you'd know the tricks and queues to look out for, and it would feel surreal to be on the other end.

I did like the back and forth in the storyline, to build the tensions and backstory of how things came about, and why things were done. but again, I didn't really relate to them.

I hope to give Keeland another go, I might try her romance books next, I think I would enjoy those too.