The Unraveling is an apt title for this psychological tale. Meredith, our heroine, whilst trying to pick up the pieces of her career, actually seems to loose all sense and she falls further and further into obsession as the story progresses.

I liked the premise of the story but did become somewhat frustrated with Meredith at times and rather confused over her behaviour. I’m afraid I found her a rather unlikable character and the decisions she made just solidified that dislike.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot as I think it would be easy to spoil the story when it comes to thrillers, and what would be the fun in that! I will say, however, that there’s certainly a game of cat and mouse going on with some questions over who’s the cat and who’s the mouse. Around seventy five percent into the story it seemed to lose its psychological element for me and focused for a while, and very much out of the blue, on the intimate relationship between the characters. Although my personal preference for a thriller would be light on the romance side, heavy on the suspense, I would not call what occurs in these scenes romance.

I enjoyed the plot twists which I didn’t find glaringly predictable. However, maybe I missed something along the way but they seemed to come all at once and rather late in the story. The ending, whilst I understood the hint, the insinuation, the “ah ha” moment, also left me rather confused and with many questions. If you like your thrillers on the lighter side, with the emphasis on stalking, then this may be the book for you.

The Unraveling by Vi Keeland is a riveting psychological thriller that grabbed hold of me from start to finish. I devoured this book in just a few hours, unable to tear myself away from its intense storyline and well-crafted characters.

The novel's exploration of obsession through the eyes of New York City psychiatrist Meredith McCall is both haunting and deeply compelling. The author navigates Meredith's descent into obsession with Gabriel Wright, a man connected to her through tragedy, while also grappling with ethical dilemmas that threaten to unravel her career and personal life. The then-and-now timeline adds an extra layer of suspense, seamlessly blending past events with present consequences. The ending is so well done and written, delivering a little twist that left me reeling! Yet, it perfectly tied together the intricate threads of the story.

Thank you to the author, netgalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

One of my favorite thrillers so far this year. I could not put it down! Highly entertaining from start to finish.

What captured me about this book was the first two sentences of the summary:
“This isn’t a love story.”
“It’s a story about obsession.”

OMG is it EVER!!


Vi Keeland writes an excellent psychological thriller here. I did not want to put this book down, it was so difficult to not just put my life aside to read this book. I found myself often reading until late into the night just because. It left me with more questions than answers, but in the best way possible.

Meredith McCall is a NYC psychiatrist, married to a pro-hockey player, Conner. They are the definition of a perfect, successful couple. They are rich, beautiful, and planning for their future full of kids. It’s when Conner is suddenly injured that their life together ends in tragedy, and Meredith’s world unravels. It’s this injury that sets off a chain of events eventually leads to tragedy for The Wright Family.

Meredith feels at fault for everything. She is spiraling into her guilt, and can’t seem to find relief. It’s only when Gabriel Wright, the man who lost his family, walks into her office that she begins to feel relief. But, this isn’t professional. This is a conflict of interest. Meredith thinks she can help, and this will also help her…..what could happen?

I felt anxious and uneasy throughout the entire novel. It was the way Vi Keeland wrote the emotion of obsession, longing, and guilt into the plot. You could feel Meredith’s unraveling. That’s what I loved most about this book.

It’s not a love story. Yet, the elements of “romance” really feed into you if you’re a frequent romance reader. Leave it to a romance author to write EXCELLANT spice into a psychological thriller. Applause, Vi. I thoroughly enjoyed every piece of this book.

what a dark and twisty debut thriller! I’m usually all in for a psychological thriller, but there was something about this one that kept me from diving all in - and that was the stupidity of the main character 🙄

meredith, a therapist reeling from recent traumatic events, is questioning her entire life and letting the intrusive thoughts win 🥴 from stalking people to not admitting when her prescription pad is stolen to SLEEPING WITH PATIENTS, she was unhinged and not in a good way … especially because she kept saying “I know it’s wrong but” … NO! there’s no buts! it’s not that hard!

I do feel like the plot itself was trying too hard to be multiple other thrillers at once, which led to the ending feeling rushed and out of left field. and normally, I love a good last minute twist but I didn’t really see the point of this one 😩

the cast of characters was intriguing, and the fast paced nature of the story worked well - but overall, I think I’ve just read too many thrillers in my life to be caught by surprise anymore 😶🫠

thank you to atria and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: burgundy rosé blend

I loved the twists of this one! If you're a fan of the series, You," and like your thrillers well written with unreliable narrators and some spice thrown in then you'll want to read this.

Wow!!! I was hooked within pages. I needed to know how this all unraveled, who knew what and when. My jaw was on the floor at the end. I know there more than likely won’t be a book two but I really want on. I need to know how their lives move forward!!

Amazing job!

✨Five Star Book Review ✨
The Unraveling
By Vi Keeland @vi_keeland
Publishes: 7/9/24
Genre: thriller

I was able to read this novel a little early on @netgalley , but I also chose to get a physical copy in my July @aardvarkbookclub box. I had a feeling I would like this one. I was wrong though, because I loved this book! It was such an all-consuming, thrilling story that kept me rapidly devouring the pages within all the way through the very last page. It’s a definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating for me! I’m sure it will be one of my top reads of the year. This is your sign to add it to your tbr immediately!

All this and more…
🧠 psychological
🤯 mental breakdown
💊 addiction
🌶️ sprinkle of spicy scenes
🫣 thrills and suspense
🤫 secrets
🗽 NYC
⏰ past and present timeline
🌪️ twisty
🩳 short chapters
🏃‍♀️ bingeable page-turner
📦 July Aardvark choice

#theunraveling #bookreview #bookrecommendation #fivestarbookreview #thrillerbooks #newreleasebook #aardvarkbookclub #bookstagram #bingeablebooks #netgalley #netgalleyreview #arcreview #vikeelandauthor #atriabooks #emilybeslterbooks #bestbooksof2024

OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK.
Once I started, I could NOT put it down. It has just the right amount of twists and turns that everything feels unexpected and you have to know what comes next. The writing was great, and I loved the little bit of spice to add to the plot. I’m not much of a thriller reader, but if they were all written like this I could be. If you’re a fan of YOU, this is a great read!

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Shuster, and Vi Keeland for the ARC! I can’t wait to read more!

Talk about folks just making bad decisions after bad decisions! 😮‍💨 I was so sick of Meredith at times! 🤦🏾‍♀️

This story has some unhinged characters that you just can’t seem to fully trust and so many secrets. The writing is well done and quite addictive because I struggled to stop for some breaks throughout. Unfortunately my only issue was the ending— it was kinda confusing a because I feel like the jaw dropper wasn’t fleshed out well enough. The ending could’ve been stretched out a bit more.

This is my very first book by Vi Keeland but def won’t be my last!

I've read plenty of Vi Keeland in her other genre. She brings plenty of that to this genre, but its still a trip. Meredith is obsessed with a widower. Not just any widower. Nope. This one she has a very close, unethical connection to. So begins a downward spiral of WTF.
She's drinking and stalking. All unhealthy things in her situation. And more.

ARC REVIEW🤯😳👀😵‍💫🥵🔪

The Unraveling - Vi Keeland
Pub date: 7/9/24

OKAY. What the f%*k did I just read?!

First off— I am SHOOK that this is Vi Keeland’s debut novel in this specific genre. She has published tons of romance books, but when I found out this was her FIRST ever psychological thriller, I was beyond impressed. (And as you guys may know by now, I’m picky with my thrills).
I really don’t want to spoil this book for anyone, so my advice is go in blind. You’re going to be second guessing everything the entire time anyway, so there’s no use in getting hung up on the synop.

You’re going to LOVE this if you enjoy:
🔪 stalking
🔪 obsession
🔪 the “YOU” books/netflix series (!!!!!)
🔪 psychological suspense
🔪 an ending that will make your jaw DROP

Thank you to @netgalley @atriabooks + #emilybestlerbooks for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Go grab this one when it hits the shelves this Tuesday!!

#arcreview #thrillerbookreview #thrillerbooksaddict #atriabooks #atriathrillers #vikeeland #theunraveling #summerthrillers #psychologicalthrillerbook

Oh my. I typically love psychological thrillers, but this one was not for me. First off, I’m not a big fan of the unreliable narrator. And second, I’m definitely not a fan of spice. I know many readers love both of those items so I’m sure many will love this book.

In The Unraveling, Meredith loses her famous hockey playing husband in a drunk driving accident where he also hits a woman and little girl. Meredith, a psychologist, becomes obsessed with the woman’s widow.

I was definitely surprised by the twists and thought they were good. The paranoia of Meredith along with her drinking and obsessive actions made me a little bonkers, to be honest. When the spice hit, that was it for me. I only finished this one because those parts were near the end of the book. I was invested enough that I still wanted to see how it ended.

*Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eGalley!*

After experiencing a terrible loss, psychiatrist Meredith McCall spins down a well of obsession when she runs into a man with a connection to her tragic event.

Wow! What just happened?!?

Keeland dives deep into obsession, where you are no longer even sure who is obsessed with whom, but you are sure that this is probably not going to end well. Then suddenly the floor drops as Keeland throws some twists and turns that I was not expecting. This is a fast paced thriller, that kept me coming back for more. Given Keeland background of spicy romance, this does have some of those elements woven throughout to up the ante. Highly recommend if you are into psychological suspense thrillers and okay with some spicy dark scenes.

Vi Keeland has delivered a fast paced, intriguing and adrenaline filled thriller in The Unraveling with one epic jaw dropping heart stopping last chapter. I got sucked into the mind games and twists from the first page. And the complexity of emotions kept me on my toes. The spice was unexpected but it didn't overcome the suspense at all. This is the kind of book you finish in one sitting.

Psychiatrist Meredith McConall is a deep stage of grief after her hockey star husband died in a car accident while driving under influence and killed two innocent people and she was suspended because her husband stole her prescription pads to buy opioid. Things start spiraling when she accidentally sees the husband of the dead woman in the street and starts following Gabriel Wright. It's stalker behavior. She knows. She even stops after a while. But now he is a patient in her reopened practice... and so many puzzle pieces are there.


Go in blind. That's the best way to enjoy the book. I picked up this ARC because Vi Keeland. I was curious about how she will do the thriller. Now this book is my playing field. Because the heroine is a Psychiatrist..like me and the book is heavy on Psychology and Psychiatry. I was almost rubbing my hands with excitement. Meredith has a difficult journey here. She is obviously depressed and devastated after the loss. Honestly her marriage was a mess after her husband got injured and was in his own hell. Still the loss hurt. Following Gabriel was definitely a dysfunctional coping because she couldn't believe he is going on with his life while she is stuck. And continuing Gabriel as a client after developing attraction and infatuation was unethical but her mind wasn't in the right place. As the story progresses, you can see more things are at play here. The questionable and weird things happening in her life made Meredith question her own sanity. You realise that there is more to Gabriel than his charming personality and his sex appeal. But you wouldn't understand it all till the last page. Just when I thought the real criminal has been caught and Meredith has found peace...The author drops a bomb in the last chapter.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

WOW. Best thriller of 2024 so far. I’m pretty sure I held my breath through half the book, as I waited to see what was going to happen next. If this was a movie, it would be one of those that makes you cover your eyes because you’re sure the MC is about to get CAUGHT. Most definitely did not guess the big twisty finale. A perfect option for your summer beach read!

Disclosure: Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to review this book before it came out, but my thoughts and opinions are entirely
my own.

Vi is an outstanding author! Throughout the book, she made me feel like I was Meredith. I didn't know what to expect with each turn and was always surprised by the outcomes. I devoured this book in such a short time. Every interruption was an intrusion into my escape from reality.

This suspenseful book is full of unexpected turns. While it is based on fiction, you can see the possibility of it happening. Yet, if it did, it would be all kinds of twisted, but it's the messed-upness you can't help but be intrigued by.

Thanks to NetGalley for access to review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Vi Keeland is a hit or miss author for me. I prefer her lone authored books as opposed to the co-authored ones so I was hopeful this one would be a hit. It didn't really hold together for me.

Meredith is a psychiatrist in New York and I can only hope that no-one ever has to deal with one breaking all the ethics rules that Meredith breaks. I struggle when I don't like the protgonist - it leaks into everything I'm thinking as I read so many grains of salt to anyone reading this!

Meredith has something terrible happen a few months before the book starts - this is revealed in alternating NOW/PAST chapters through the first third or so of the book. I think this worked quite well. A mix of 1st person present (NOW chapters) and 1st person past (PAST chapters) is used. Everything except the closing chapter is from Meredith POV. The last chapter is from Gabriel's POV which I think was an interesting choice I can't really expand upon without spoilers. The main interactions throughout are between Meredith and Gabriel this works quite well.

I never got a lot of tension and feeling of a thriller. It sort of feels like a dark romance cut off at 75%. Everything does get tied up nicely at the end. And the closing chapter could raise some questions if the reader wants it to.

What a great book I just read. I can't believe it's Vi Keeland's first thriller because it's perfectly well written.
The plot, and the twist at the end of it was amazing.
I had to pause my reading and I swear I kept counting the minutes to read again and finish it.
It is an amazing book from start to finish, very different from what we are used to reading from Vi, but it certainly has all of her quality.

- After a tragic loss, NYC psychiatrist, Meredith, feels adrift. She comes across someone she shares a connection with from her past which leads to an unhealthy obsession.
- Vague synopsis but I think it's best to go into this one blind!
- This is a psychological thriller and revolves around obsessed/stalker-y types makes me uncomfy in a way that makes me want to binge to find out what happens. It reminded me of the Netflix show/book, You, starring Penn Badgley. I didn't finish the first season so don't go into this thinking they're the same because idk :) but similar vibe.
-Overall, I enjoyed it. It's an easy book to binge if you're looking for a quick read. I believe it's around 300 pages.
- This book is filled with questionable decisions and an unreliable narrator.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC! The Unraveling comes out on Tuesday 7/9.
3.5 stars