📖ARC Book Review 📖

PUB Date : June 16th 2025

My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 3.5 Crazy 😜 Stars

What did I just read 🫣

I can see why this book is getting all the 🐝 🌶️🌶️

Our protagonist was a morally complex horny little English professor and I couldn’t have disliked a character more if I tried 😂

English professor Elizabeth has the students working on an assignment when she receives an email from one of her students.

This student is an overachiever and has done more than they were asked and already has the first chapter complete .

When Elizabeth is finished reading it she is speechless 😶 and at a loss for words .

What is written is exactly to a T something that happened years ago . Is it just our coincidence…or does somebody know ?

Elizabeth takes matters into her own hands LITERALLY and becomes her own detective 🕵️‍♀️trying to uncover who the unknown student is and she has many speculations running 🏃‍♀️ through her head .

This was a fast paced read with many twists , although one of the main twists I guessed immediately and not sure if was intentional by the author or not , however the ending blew my mind and I did NOT see that coming !!

If you like complex, naughty characters with no morals and a little 🔥 with some nostalgic mystery vibes then I recommend you add this one to your TBR !!



Thank you NetGalley , Atria Books & VI Keeland for this fun ARC !

Never trust your guts while reading that book. It was gripping, emotional and definetely shocking!!!

What is the story about?
Elizabeth, a university professor, receives a novel for approval and everything seems fine, but it's a story that happened 20 years ago. Or rather, how she killed a man.

This story grabs you from the very beginning. I'm not going to lie, the first third of the book didn't go well for me. However, as I went through these chapters, the story fascinated me. I built theories. Each chapter had more and more details. Some of them left me shocked. Some of them were triggering. But the ending? I just exhaled and was ready to close the book, but then the last chapter came and my heart sank. Because it just makes me look at the events and actions of the characters anew.

Potential triggers:
Abuse;
Intimacy with underage;
Mentioning of pregnancy and miscarriage

Thank you NetGalley for opportunity to read that book

After I gobbled up Keeland’s thriller debut THE UNRAVELING, last summer, I just had to start this as soon as it arrived.

Short Synopsis:
Elizabeth is a college professor and living the life she wants. But one night as she’s reading her creative writing students assignments - one of the papers sounds eerily similar to a story she knows way too well … from 20 years ago … and a story she fled from. But nobody is supposed to know…?

My Thoughts:
Vi Keeland excels at writing compulsive page turners, and SOMEONE KNOWS is a story I couldn’t put down. The whole time I was questioning EVERYTHING.

It’s a sexy thriller … if that’s a thing. But this whole rise of murders with a touch of romance is apparently my new favorite thing.

This book is way darker than I normally read and I was NOT prepared. Check those trigger warnings and prepare your hearts

And that ending?! 🤯

What You’ll Find:
Unreliable narrator
Psychological thriller
Dark academia
Twists
Murder with a touch of spice
Bingeable

I read the Unraveling last year by this author and loved it so when I saw this coming out I immediately wanted the ARC. And I got it, yay! Elizabeth is a college professor who teaches writing. She starts getting chapters submitted from a student named Hannah about a young girl, Jocelyn, and her abusive relationship with her high school teacher. This makes for an interesting story for sure, the catch is it’s all true. Word for word is the story of what happened to Elizabeth’s best friend in high school. But who could know what happened and who would be sending this to her? Vi has such an amazing pace to her stories, I really enjoy her writing style. Elizabeth’s character is well written as well. The story grabs your attention and doesn’t let go! Definitely recommend this one! Thanks to the author, Net Galley, and Atria Books for the ARC!

Elizabeth is an English professor who receives chapters from a book written by a student in an online course. The chapters seem to parallel Elizabeth’s childhood and she sets out to figure out who it is that knows so much about her troubled past.

This was a great read. An emotional, fast paced, and at times sexy thriller. It kept me engaged straight from the beginning and I was eager to keep reading until I finished.

You can tell Vi has grown in her thriller writing since The Unraveling.
This book was great. It had me on the edge of my seat, wanting more. When all the pieces of Elizabeth's life is finally getting put together, it had me wondering. Was Elizabeth suffering from multiple personality disorder? Or was she actually there with her 2 other friends when the teacher was in the hotel room?
Then when someone from her past shows up and says he doesn't know who she is. I didn't believe it one bit. That right there was a "whoa" moment and true fashion thriller form! I can't wait to see what Vi has next in this genre.
Thank you Atria for the advance copy.

This was certainly a twisty ride!

Elizabeth did something very bad 20 years ago to help out a friend. She's put the past where it belongs and now enjoys being a professor in New York. One fateful night, she opens a new novel that one of her students is writing... and it's her friend's story of abuse.

At first, she brushes it off and thinks it's just a big coincidence... but the chapters keep coming, and the author knows details they shouldn't. Which can only mean that someone knows what she did.

Shaken, Elizabeth returns home to Louisiana to try and get some answers and figure out who is toying with her two decades after the crime. However, she finds out more than she was expecting, and has to deal with the fallout.

Twisty, sexy, and suspenseful, this thriller is a quick read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Vi Keeland may be known for romance but she is KILLING this genre. I was hooked from the very beginning and finished it the same day as I just couldn’t put it down. The storyline was very easy to follow and the twists were twisting! I loved the little bit of sexy mixed in with the suspense. Would absolutely recommend this book to friends!

Wow... okay. I was totally not expecting that! Without a doubt, Someone Knows is a page turner. The characters are captivating. The storyline.... *chefs kiss*. Add in the suspense of wanting to know all things. This story will suck you in from the beginning and not let go until that final sentence!! Yeah, definitely 5 stars!

Holy CRAP. This was so good! This has everything I love in thrillers. Small town with secrets, an unreliable narrator, everyone is a suspect, and SO MANY TWISTS. As usual with Vi, she puts a little bit of everything in here. So there’s mystery, some spice, and a heartbreaking twist. I loved this book so much!

OH. MY. GOSH. This book is a real page turner! Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, WRONG! The twist and turns have you wanting to not put it down!

I could not put this book down! It is the best one I have read in a long time. Gripping, suspenseful, well written…it is all the good things! There were several twists I did not see coming. 5 stars!

holy shirtballs this book threw me for a loop!!! as someone who reads a lot of thrillers, it’s very satisfying when an author fools me with an ending or plot twist - and I’m very pleased that vi keeland was able to do both!!

while the premise of heavy trauma relates similarly to MY DARK VANESSA and FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, the plot itself goes way beyond! the concept of using people as a conduit for trauma was a recurring theme that was done rather nicely - and led into the mystery elements of who knows what really happened to elizabeth twenty years ago 👀

the pacing of the story was well done, focusing on elizabeth’s anxious-driven chase to find out who is mentally torturing her as well as chapters of an anonymous book writer. the chapters broke up the daily grind of elizabeth’s life and gave more detail into her past - while giving the reader more clues about who is truly behind it all!

and it is not over until the very last page!! the last chapter had me SO GAGGED y’all 👀 while I guessed the first plot twist moments before it happened (and I was so pleased), the rest had me along for a roller coaster ride!!

a huge thank you to atria for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: walla walla valley pinot noir

🚩🚩🚩 TW: physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, grooming, r!pe, assault, death of a parent, death of a child, stalking 🚩🚩🚩

I'm just dipping my toe into the thriller world so l'm no expert but I really liked this book. I liked the twists and I'm still thinking about the ending! I went back and reread it because it got me so good! Definitely recommend

Title: Gripping, Twisted, and Unforgettable!

I just finished reading Vi Keeland's latest book and her first thriller, Soneone Knows and WOW! This book absolutely blew me away. From the very first page, I was hooked. The suspense, the twists, and the intricate plot had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Keeland's talent for building tension and creating unforgettable characters is on full display here.

The story kept me guessing, and just when I thought I had it figured out, another unexpected twist would come. The pacing was perfect, with just the right amount of twists and turns to keep me glued to the pages, yet never feeling rushed. Keeland's writing pulls you in and doesn’t let go, making it impossible to put the book down.

The characters were layered and complex, each one playing a vital role in the story. You feel every emotion they experience, and it makes the stakes feel that much higher. The romantic elements were seamlessly woven into the suspense, providing that extra depth to the characters’ motivations and actions.

If you're a fan of thrillers that leave you breathless with every chapter, this book is an absolute must-read. Vi Keeland has truly outdone herself with this one. I cannot recommend it enough! A 5-star read, hands down!

5 stars.
Brilliant page turner, highly recommended! Vi Keeland is one of my favorite romance authors, I was excited to read her first thriller.

Vi Keeland’s Someone Knows pulled me in immediately with its story-within-a-story concept, much like Verity or The Night Film. An English teacher discovers a manuscript that unearths a disturbing past, and from that moment on, I was hooked.

The pacing was spot-on, always keeping me engaged without feeling rushed. While some twists were predictable, I found that added to the fun—Keeland sprinkled in enough clues to make you question everything. The unreliable narrator aspect was done well, making you second-guess what was real versus imagined.

📌 Tropes & Themes:
🔍 Unreliable narrator
🏡 Small-town Louisiana setting
🧠 Memory trauma & hidden secrets
⚠️ Past abuse and psychological twists

If you’re new to thrillers, this is a fantastic pick! It’s suspenseful without being overly complex, and there’s always something happening to keep you engaged. If you’re a seasoned thriller reader, you might find it a bit predictable, but it’s still a well-crafted, gripping read.

Overall, a strong four-star read for me, and I’ll definitely be picking up more from Vi Keeland in the future!

**Review of *Someone Knows* by Vi Keeland**

*Someone Knows* by Vi Keeland is an emotionally gripping novel that masterfully blends romance, suspense, and psychological depth. The story follows two individuals whose lives are forever marked by a tragic event from their past, leading them to navigate a complex relationship built on secrets, lies, and unresolved issues.

Vi Keeland excels at creating multi-dimensional characters, each struggling with their own emotional scars. The protagonist, while confident on the surface, reveals layers of vulnerability that make their journey toward healing and self-redemption deeply compelling. The other lead character, similarly, faces their own internal battles, and their development throughout the novel feels authentic and raw.

The plot is one of the book's strongest elements, full of twists and turns that keep the reader on edge. While romance is at the core of the story, it is intricately interwoven with suspense and mystery, adding depth and intrigue to the narrative. The slow-burn chemistry between the two characters is undeniable, and their evolving relationship feels both realistic and emotionally satisfying.

Keeland's writing is fluid and engaging, expertly balancing tension with moments of introspection. The pacing is well-executed, allowing for character growth and plot development without losing momentum. Although the narrative does have moments that may feel somewhat predictable, these are minor flaws in what is an otherwise captivating story.

Overall, *Someone Knows* is a powerful blend of romance and suspense that will keep readers invested from beginning to end. With her signature style, Vi Keeland delivers a story that is equal parts emotional and thrilling, making it a must-read for fans of romantic thrillers.

Whag a gripping and fast paced thriller! This is my first Vi Keekland book and im impressed. I couldn't stop turning the pages late into the night until there were no more pages left to turn! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Someone Knows by Vi Keeland

Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for the ARC.

Small town
Forbidden relationship

A fast read about Elizabeth, a New York-based English professor who grew up in a small town in Louisiana. One day, while reading a story written by one of her students, she was shocked to realize that it was the exact story she lived 20 years ago. But the thing is, she thought nobody else knew…

This book started out strong—the kind of opening that hooks you right away. But as the story progressed, the FMC became increasingly paranoid and didn’t think as logically or intelligently as she should have. I felt restless from her point of view.

There were a lot of plot holes. I think they were meant to mislead you, making you believe, “This is what happened,” instead of something else. However, the execution felt clunky. The answers to all the questions were obvious (at least to me). Then, it got interesting again in the second half—that’s when I couldn’t put it down. I finished it in one sitting to test if my theory was right—and yes, it was.

There were a lot of wasted characters here. Sam and Lucas? Oh, they deserved more. Elizabeth, the FMC, is too careless for someone who should be cautious. It was hard to connect with her—she felt flat. Noah, the MC, wasn’t remarkable either. He’s not the kind of character you’d feel remorse for or even hate. I love Mr. Hank though.