The Unraveling

Meredith McCall is a successful NYC psychiatrist married to her handsome pro-hockey player husband, Connor. Their future is looking bright when a game injury starts a spiral of events that ultimately ends in a tragedy for her and another family.

Left to deal with the aftermath and her own culpability in this, Meredith finds herself drifting along until she spots a familiar face one day while out. It’s Gabriel Wright, the man who lost his family. She witnessed his devastation firsthand that night, so how is it that he now looks so … happy?

Her need to find the answer to that question and make amends for his loss quickly turns into an obsession. She just wants to see where he goes and what he does with his time … that’s all. Imagine her shock when he walks into her office one day as a new patient! It crosses all ethical boundaries to treat him, but he doesn’t know who she is and she just wants to help, right? It can’t hurt … she’ll keep it professional.

One thing is for sure: it’s a dangerous game being played, and up until the very end you’ll still be figuring out who the players are and how they played it!

So, did I enjoy that game? I did! Was it the most riveting game ever? Nah, but I had plenty of fun with it, nonetheless. It was the slooowest of slow burns, but I enjoyed the psychological chess match! A couple scenes ventured towards erotic suspense territory, but I’ve read a lot spicier things in rom-coms lately! The epilogue didn’t entirely surprise me since I read a lot of thrillers, but it’s still a worthy twist that should be a nice jaw-dropper for some! My biggest complaint is that the ending was resolved too easily, and I thought the suspense and sense of menace could’ve been amped up a notch, but they weren’t things that ruined any of my enjoyment.

Many will recognize best-selling author Vi Keeland for her romance novels that often feature some young attractive man giving smoldering looks to the camera or lifting his shirt so you can see his chiseled abs. No diss to them … it’s just not my thing! This is a solid first foray into the thriller market, and if she ever writes another one - I’ll be there for it!

★★★★

Thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Publishing, NetGalley and author Vi Keeland for this digital ARC to honestly review. It will be published on July 9, 2024.