The Unraveling - by VI Keeland

Meredith’s life was once the envy of all who knew her. She and her husband Connor, a professional hockey player, were very much in love; he was at the top of his field, and she had built a successful psychiatric practice in New York City where they lived. Then Connor was seriously injured during a game, and had to take time off to recuperate from his injuries. His anxiety over whether he would ever heal sufficiently to play the game he loved developed into anger, especially as his dependence upon opiate painkillers and later alcohol worsened. Meredith did her best to support him through his challenges, but Connor directed a lot of his anger onto her. He promised he was stopping the pills and the drinking, but one night after a fight with Meredith he went out. He got behind the wheel of his car, very much under the influence, and struck two pedestrians, a young mother and her daughter, before crashing the car. Meredith became a widow, and Gabriel, the husband and father of the two victims, had his family stolen from him. Further complicating things, Connor had taken some of Meredith’s prescription pads in order to fuel his need for opiates when his doctors refused to do so. Meredith believes that she should have been more aware, done more to prevent Connor’s descent into addiction….had she done so, she tells herself, Gabriel’s wife Ellen and daughter Rose would still be alive. She is suspended from practicing for a year because it appeared as if she had written the prescriptions for him, and during that time off can barely function. When she sees Gabriel one day when she’s out wandering the streets, she notices him smiling. How can he be happy, when she is still so miserable? She decides to follow him to see if she can find an answer to that question, and so begins an obsession with the man whose life she believes she helped ruin. Their paths continue to cross, and Gabriel doesn’t seem to recognize her. Meredith knows rationally that she should stay away from him, but cannot, and she makes one bad decision after another (drinking a bottle or two of wine each night probably isn’t helping). There is more to what is going on in her life than she realizes….is she losing her mind, or is she being followed and gaslighted? Is Gabriel as unaware of her identity as he seems? Resuming her work with clients gives her the focus she needs…but may also prove to be her undoing. The Unraveling is a psychological thriller that explores the dark pull of loss, guilt and obsession. When someone who is trained in identifying destructive behavior and helping others to overcome it becomes herself enmeshed in an ever-worsening series of decisions, she knows that what she is doing is wrong but can’t seem to stop herself. Is her behavior towards Gabriel, while certainly counter to professional ethics, understandable given the tragic bond they share? Is Meredith becoming paranoid due to stress and/or overindulgence in alcohol, or is someone really out to get her? When it turns out that Gabriel’s relationship with Ellen was rocky, does that explain why he doesn’t seem to be as devastated by his loss as Meredith is by hers? As a reader I was far more suspicious of happenings than Meredith was, but while I expected some of the plot twists before they popped up I couldn’t be completely sure of anything until the very last page. A quick read that grabbed my attention early and held onto it throughout, The Unraveling should appeal to readers of Rachel Hawkins, Araminta Hall and Jenny Hollander. Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for allowing me early access to a copy of a book that is perfect to bring along on your summer vacation.

Woah! This was not what I was expecting. I knew going in that this was not in the romance genre and that really excited me. I love when an author steps out of their comfort zone. Especially when they blow my mind the way Ms. Keeland just did with The Unraveling. This story pulled me in pretty quickly. I immediately was invested in what had happened, where this character was now in her life, and what her motivation was. As the answers were revealed, new questions arose. And I loved every mysterious, twisty turn it took. I recommend staying away from any reviews that give away too much of the story.

Dr. Meredith McCall is a psychiatrist that has just suffered an unimaginable loss. In the aftermath, she crosses paths with Gabriel Wright who shares this loss with her although he doesn't know it. But, how is he so happy when she can barely get out of bed in the morning? Meredith must find out why and how Gabriel has been able to manage this loss so easily and the only logical way to do that is to follow him right? Then one day, Gabriel walks into her office as her new patient. Meredith knows this crosses all ethical boundaries of her job, but she can't seem to let him go, Review: Wow just wow!!!! My first 5 star read since April and a thriller at that! That is near impossible for me, but this book was pure perfection! I could not put it down, it sucked me in immediately, and I will for sure be thinking about it for a long time!! I was so invested in this story and the characters. They are super messy, definitely unethical, and a little crazy and deranged. All I have to say is, buckle up because the unraveling of these characters' secrets is going to bring you on the best ride of your life! And lets not even talk about the ending!!! What the heck did I just read?!?!?! My mouth was hanging open in utter shock after reading the last paragraph. Complete insanity!! I did not see that coming in the slightest and I loved every messed up second of it! I heard this was Vi Keeland's first thriller and I am immediately starting a petition for her to write 10 more!

The Unraveling by Vi Keeland is an excellent book. The book is not one of VI’s romance novels. This story takes you on an incredible journey through loss love, grief, mental health struggles and finding one’s self. The book has some surprising twist and turns that makes putting the book down quit difficult.

Gabriel and Meredith are connected by a horrible incident. One night that changed both their lives. Gabriel appears happy eighteen months later, and Meredith wants to know how or if he is truly happy. It takes her down a dangerous trail. The story is told from Meredith’s viewpoint and goes back and forth from past to present. The reader is slowly drawn in and held prisoner to the whys of the story. Just when you think you have it figured out the twists just keep coming! Loved the ending!

The mystery/suspense/psychological thriller genre is one of my favorites to read besides romance, so when Vi Keeland announced she was venturing into that world, I was ridiculously excited. What kind of story was she going to be telling in her debut thriller? I couldn't wait to find out! Vi doesn't keep us waiting long to fall down a rabbit hole, along with our protagonist, Meredith. She's a recent widow who had a thriving practice as a psychiatrist, until one tragic night changed her life forever. Now eighteen months later, she's trying to rebuild her life and her practice, but one chance encounter with Gabriel Wright, the man whose life also changed irrevocably that tragic night, sends her spiraling down a dangerous path. Unraveling is certainly an appropriate title for this story as it pertains to Meredith, but also other characters too, as we learn by the end of the book. Who might those characters be? You'll have to read to find out. For someone who was intelligent enough to graduate medical school and become a Psychiatrist, Meredith sure made a slew of very questionable and downright stupid decisions on the daily. The number of times I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and say, "Girl, just no." were innumerable. But people who are suffering the type of tragedy she was, even someone who is trained as a psychiatrist and supposedly know right from wrong and all the correct coping mechanisms, often are the ones who make the biggest mistakes. And boy, Meredith made some doozies! If you aren't paying close attention, there are lots of hints dropped throughout the story that all culminate in that final, jaw dropping last paragraph. I admit, I had to read it several times to grasp exactly what it was implying, and I am still obsessing over it today to make sure I fully understand the total weight of its implications. My OCD won't let me drop it until I've overanalyzed it to death, no pun intended! When you get ready to start reading, be prepared to strap in tight and hold on for the ride. Vi delivers a truly twisted tale that I just could not put down. Her first foray into writing a thriller was an absolute success and I sincerely hope she continues to bring us more twisted stories!