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Finders Keepers
Dear Diary. Today I'm going to kill her. Love, Rose.
When Rose discovers her troubled past splashed across the pages of a bestselling book, she knows her carefully constructed life is about to unravel.
The author, Emily Harper, claims the story is fiction, but Rose knows better. Desperate to find out how Emily discovered her deepest secrets, Rose ingratiates herself into the author's life, posing as an eager assistant and adoring fan.
But as Rose gets closer to the truth, long-buried memories resurface. Slowly, the horrifying events of her teenage years come into focus, revealing that sometimes, the people you trust the most are the ones you should be most afraid of.
When Rose discovers her troubled past splashed across the pages of a bestselling book, she knows her carefully constructed life is about to unravel.
The author, Emily Harper, claims the story is fiction, but Rose knows better. Desperate to find out how Emily discovered her deepest secrets, Rose ingratiates herself into the author's life, posing as an eager assistant and adoring fan.
But as Rose gets closer to the truth, long-buried memories resurface. Slowly, the horrifying events of her teenage years come into focus, revealing that sometimes, the people you trust the most are the ones you should be most afraid of.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2023
About the author
Natalie Barelli
12 books3,362 followersNatalie Barelli lives in Australia with her family where she is forever thinking up ways of killing people and getting away with it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,552 reviews
September 17, 2023
3.75🌟
How would you react if you discovered someone wrote a book about your dark past? Everything in your life, chronicled on your laptop. The same lap top that was stolen!
Well, you’d be hell-bent to get that laptop back pronto, before this thief can do more damage!
Enter “sweet” Emily. (So called) author of Diary of an Octopus. While marketing her book she’s befriended by her biggest fan, Rose. Who coincidentally, is the person that actually lived the events contained in the book.
Rose desperately needs to embed herself into Emily’s life. She must find a way into her apartment to retrieve that laptop! Her life and future depend on it.
I listened to the audio and I have to say Emily’s character started grating on me as much as it did for Rose. There so much “sweetie” talk! It was an over the top sugar rush!
Natalie Barelli always delivers fun, twisty reads. And I’m looking forward to more!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media
How would you react if you discovered someone wrote a book about your dark past? Everything in your life, chronicled on your laptop. The same lap top that was stolen!
Well, you’d be hell-bent to get that laptop back pronto, before this thief can do more damage!
Enter “sweet” Emily. (So called) author of Diary of an Octopus. While marketing her book she’s befriended by her biggest fan, Rose. Who coincidentally, is the person that actually lived the events contained in the book.
Rose desperately needs to embed herself into Emily’s life. She must find a way into her apartment to retrieve that laptop! Her life and future depend on it.
I listened to the audio and I have to say Emily’s character started grating on me as much as it did for Rose. There so much “sweetie” talk! It was an over the top sugar rush!
Natalie Barelli always delivers fun, twisty reads. And I’m looking forward to more!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of Finders Keepers by Natalie Barelli
This thriller is told in a sort of, uno-reverse fashion and I really enjoyed the unique way the story was told. We know the answers to some pretty big questions pretty early on. But is it all that cut & dry? Is life ever that simple?.... Exactly.
Through the use of some heavier topics, such as grooming and gaslighting, we get to see how wrong first impressions can be. And no matter how much you may think you have it all figured out.. chances are you probably don't.
I was pleasantly surprised by this one! It was very hard to put down and the twist kept coming!
Until next time,
Hades
🩵
This thriller is told in a sort of, uno-reverse fashion and I really enjoyed the unique way the story was told. We know the answers to some pretty big questions pretty early on. But is it all that cut & dry? Is life ever that simple?.... Exactly.
Through the use of some heavier topics, such as grooming and gaslighting, we get to see how wrong first impressions can be. And no matter how much you may think you have it all figured out.. chances are you probably don't.
I was pleasantly surprised by this one! It was very hard to put down and the twist kept coming!
Until next time,
Hades
🩵
May 26, 2026
Finder Keepers written by Natalie Barelli was a slow developing, mildly interesting and mysterious story. Although this novel presents itself as a thriller-it is not. With a well written story line, and mildly developed characters, Finder Keepers is a “beginners reader” into the genre of mysteries. So much left to discover- I was surprised it didn’t dive deeper. Unfortunately, this novel stalled a bit for me and left me wanting more.
Characters
👉Rose: She is our young main character- she is dodging past memories and trying to live in the now.
👉Iris: This is Roses fake persona after finding out her “real” identity was stolen.
👉Emily: Up and coming new Author -writing about the identity of Rose - and the trauma Rose faced -although passing it all off as it was her own experiences.
The interaction(s) between these characters feels very young, abrasive at times, unbelievable, and shallow. Truthfully, I think this makes or breaks your novel. Is it plausible? Can it go where it needs to go in order to keep the reader engaged? I didn’t think so.
👉A Peak inside the story:
Rose is a young adult who discovers that her personal story of her childhood trauma was published in a novel by a woman she doesn’t know, named Emily. Rose begins the adventure of trying to figure out how this author knew about her past. Overtime, Rose uncovers things related to a lost laptop. On this laptop, Rose, in earlier years, had transcribed her personal journey and filled the laptop with traumatic incidents she experienced (using it much like a diary). How could Emily have ever known any of this? Where is Roses laptop? Rose goes to lengths trying to seep into Emily’s inner circle and this is where the mystery begins to unfold.
I was very excited to read this book. I was let down at its lack of depth, but thought it might get better. It was a very surface level story.
I want to thank NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
My rating is 2.5 stars. ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
Characters
👉Rose: She is our young main character- she is dodging past memories and trying to live in the now.
👉Iris: This is Roses fake persona after finding out her “real” identity was stolen.
👉Emily: Up and coming new Author -writing about the identity of Rose - and the trauma Rose faced -although passing it all off as it was her own experiences.
The interaction(s) between these characters feels very young, abrasive at times, unbelievable, and shallow. Truthfully, I think this makes or breaks your novel. Is it plausible? Can it go where it needs to go in order to keep the reader engaged? I didn’t think so.
👉A Peak inside the story:
Rose is a young adult who discovers that her personal story of her childhood trauma was published in a novel by a woman she doesn’t know, named Emily. Rose begins the adventure of trying to figure out how this author knew about her past. Overtime, Rose uncovers things related to a lost laptop. On this laptop, Rose, in earlier years, had transcribed her personal journey and filled the laptop with traumatic incidents she experienced (using it much like a diary). How could Emily have ever known any of this? Where is Roses laptop? Rose goes to lengths trying to seep into Emily’s inner circle and this is where the mystery begins to unfold.
I was very excited to read this book. I was let down at its lack of depth, but thought it might get better. It was a very surface level story.
I want to thank NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
My rating is 2.5 stars. ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
September 27, 2023
4.5 Stars
What would you do if someone made your diary into a novel?
Rose had lost her laptop a few years ago at the airport. She was unaware that this one mistake would change her life forever. Her laptop contained her diary, where she wrote her deepest thoughts and secrets. Now, someone has transformed her diary entries into a full-length novel. She must locate this author and retrieve her laptop before her darkest secret is revealed to the world.
The story completely enthralled me. There were so many unexpected twists and turns! I didn't want to put the novel down! Highly recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers.
*** Thank you to NetGalley, Natalie Barelli, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
What would you do if someone made your diary into a novel?
Rose had lost her laptop a few years ago at the airport. She was unaware that this one mistake would change her life forever. Her laptop contained her diary, where she wrote her deepest thoughts and secrets. Now, someone has transformed her diary entries into a full-length novel. She must locate this author and retrieve her laptop before her darkest secret is revealed to the world.
The story completely enthralled me. There were so many unexpected twists and turns! I didn't want to put the novel down! Highly recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers.
*** Thank you to NetGalley, Natalie Barelli, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
September 10, 2024
I must say, this was intense. The main character was hopelessly naive and could have profited from thinking things through, but it definitely lead to some moments that made me quite nervous. There were a lot of twisty moments, but there were some points that I wondered about.
Spoiler alert ‼️
Why did the teacher need his wife to be killed ? Couldn’t he just have made it look like a suicide? And if the main character thought she had a confession on the computer, why not password protect it ?
Spoiler alert ‼️
Why did the teacher need his wife to be killed ? Couldn’t he just have made it look like a suicide? And if the main character thought she had a confession on the computer, why not password protect it ?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2026
Are you looking for a deliciously unhinged thriller filled with despicable characters? Well, you needn’t look any further because Finders Keepers fits that bill to a T. Dark, twisted, and laugh-out-loud funny, the fast pace pulled me in right from the start. You see, not only were there a handful of villains you’ll love to hate, but the intoxicating premise managed to surprise me at every turn. Don’t get me wrong, it was over-the-top from the very beginning, but I had a blast riding shotgun with the two whacked out protagonists the entire time I was reading. After all, with a gaslighting a**hole and a potentially unreliable narrator at the helm of this narrative, I didn’t know what to think until the explosive finale concluded. Trust me when I say that this novel won’t end like you think.
I do have to add, though, that while I enjoyed the book as a whole, the first half did take quite a bit of persistence for me to push through. Seemingly far-fetched and melodramatic, I definitely had to suspend all disbelief in order to move beyond my few irritations. Once I did that, however, all I could do was hold on for dear life. After all, thanks to the whiplash-inducing second half and the crazy-a** characters, I couldn’t put this book down and finished it in one single sitting. With dark secrets and even darker truths, it was a humdinger of a ride from beginning to end. So if you love popcorn thrillers or the great Freida McFadden, grab this one now. It will definitely keep your fingers flying as you read every single eye-popping word. Rating of 3.5 stars (upgraded).
BRIEF BLURB:
Please oh please go into this one at least mostly blind. A dark tale that explores obsession and memory, all you need to know is the following: Rose is horrified when she discovers that a stranger named Emily Harper has stolen her childhood diary and passed it off as her own fictional novel. The bigger problems are twofold, however. First off, there are enough clues in the book that point directly back at Rose as the real author. That in and of itself wouldn’t be too concerning if not for her second problem: the diary-turned-novel reveals the long-buried crime that Rose has gotten away with for years. Hoping to figure out how Emily got her hands on her secrets, Rose infiltrates her life only to find that the truth might be even darker than she has always believed. Will she be able to extricate herself from this nightmare? Or will she lose her life in the process?
Thank you Natalie Barelli and Poisoned Pen Press for my complimentary copy. All opinions see my own.
PUB DATE: February 24, 2026
Content warning: stalking, murder, adult/minor relationship, infidelity, gaslighting, grooming, animal death, violence, mention of: drug/alcohol abuse
I do have to add, though, that while I enjoyed the book as a whole, the first half did take quite a bit of persistence for me to push through. Seemingly far-fetched and melodramatic, I definitely had to suspend all disbelief in order to move beyond my few irritations. Once I did that, however, all I could do was hold on for dear life. After all, thanks to the whiplash-inducing second half and the crazy-a** characters, I couldn’t put this book down and finished it in one single sitting. With dark secrets and even darker truths, it was a humdinger of a ride from beginning to end. So if you love popcorn thrillers or the great Freida McFadden, grab this one now. It will definitely keep your fingers flying as you read every single eye-popping word. Rating of 3.5 stars (upgraded).
BRIEF BLURB:
Please oh please go into this one at least mostly blind. A dark tale that explores obsession and memory, all you need to know is the following: Rose is horrified when she discovers that a stranger named Emily Harper has stolen her childhood diary and passed it off as her own fictional novel. The bigger problems are twofold, however. First off, there are enough clues in the book that point directly back at Rose as the real author. That in and of itself wouldn’t be too concerning if not for her second problem: the diary-turned-novel reveals the long-buried crime that Rose has gotten away with for years. Hoping to figure out how Emily got her hands on her secrets, Rose infiltrates her life only to find that the truth might be even darker than she has always believed. Will she be able to extricate herself from this nightmare? Or will she lose her life in the process?
Thank you Natalie Barelli and Poisoned Pen Press for my complimentary copy. All opinions see my own.
PUB DATE: February 24, 2026
Content warning: stalking, murder, adult/minor relationship, infidelity, gaslighting, grooming, animal death, violence, mention of: drug/alcohol abuse
September 10, 2023
4⭐
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Publication date ~ ebook ~ August 26, 2023, audio ~ September 19, 2023
Page Count ~ 322 (52 chapters)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 40 minutes
Narrator ~ Rachel Leblang
POV ~ single 1st & 3rd
Featuring ~ 2 part story, dual timeline, gaslighting, manipulation
Rose is strolling along when she notices a book display for Diary of an Octopus, but wait that sounds familiar. How did her personal diary get published by someone named Emily? It must be because she left her laptop at the airport 2 years ago and she swiped it.
Rose, calling herself Iris, weasels her way into Emily's life in order to get her laptop back, which is not an easy task. Emily was really grating on my nerves calling her sweetie all the time in her condescending tone, I just wanted to cut her tongue out.
In part 2 we get the POV of Mr. B, who is the star of the diary, and we dive deeper into what happened back when she had a crush on him.
Overall, this was a nice, fast paced one with some nice twists, and that's all I'm going to say.
Narration notes:
She did an okay job. Some voices weren't great at all, maybe I'm still just trying to clear my ears of the sweetie crap, but others were perfect.
*Thanks to the author, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Publication date ~ ebook ~ August 26, 2023, audio ~ September 19, 2023
Page Count ~ 322 (52 chapters)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 40 minutes
Narrator ~ Rachel Leblang
POV ~ single 1st & 3rd
Featuring ~ 2 part story, dual timeline, gaslighting, manipulation
Rose is strolling along when she notices a book display for Diary of an Octopus, but wait that sounds familiar. How did her personal diary get published by someone named Emily? It must be because she left her laptop at the airport 2 years ago and she swiped it.
Rose, calling herself Iris, weasels her way into Emily's life in order to get her laptop back, which is not an easy task. Emily was really grating on my nerves calling her sweetie all the time in her condescending tone, I just wanted to cut her tongue out.
In part 2 we get the POV of Mr. B, who is the star of the diary, and we dive deeper into what happened back when she had a crush on him.
Overall, this was a nice, fast paced one with some nice twists, and that's all I'm going to say.
Narration notes:
She did an okay job. Some voices weren't great at all, maybe I'm still just trying to clear my ears of the sweetie crap, but others were perfect.
*Thanks to the author, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
March 16, 2026
This book started so well with our introduction to the emotional mess that is Rosie and the unbelievable chaos she finds herself in. Then along comes Emily and we have two crazy people bouncing off each other. The story line is wild and gripping, and I was happy to be in for the ride.
Sadly about halfway through the book slowed down with an overload of characters and recapping of past events and reading became harder work. There were plenty of red herrings which kept this reader at least trying to work out who the guilty party was going to be. The final twist although totally unexpected was not really convincing.
Reviewers of this book seem divided into those who love it and those who really did not. I am going for the middle of the road. 3 stars.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Sadly about halfway through the book slowed down with an overload of characters and recapping of past events and reading became harder work. There were plenty of red herrings which kept this reader at least trying to work out who the guilty party was going to be. The final twist although totally unexpected was not really convincing.
Reviewers of this book seem divided into those who love it and those who really did not. I am going for the middle of the road. 3 stars.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
September 22, 2023
A five star thriller read after a while! I wasn’t expecting it to be this good to be honest as I was not aware of the author’s other books before this latest release.
I just picked up the book as it is a new release and I was pretty fed up about hyped books. The most I was anticipating from this read was that it would be an average somehow cliché thriller fiction and I was desperate for some different writing other than the ones I am familiar with. Maybe all these actually helped me enjoy this book more!
I would suggest you NOT TO READ THE BLURB. Seriously DON’T. You would enjoy the book more by going into it blindly.
All I can say is that you will be pretty much guaranteed to be entertained by how much the characters are unreliable and unlikeable but also knowing them with all their flaws and still would like them despite how crazy the plot gets towards the second half.
The first half is fast paced, will pull you more and more towards the second half. The second half is just plain crazy but the pace slows down a bit. I feel it’s deliberate and that’s how I enjoyed the plot twist more.
Forget my five star rating. Just go through it as blindly as possible and keep an open mind. Well…. how many crazy people are we expecting from this story? I won’t tell!
I just picked up the book as it is a new release and I was pretty fed up about hyped books. The most I was anticipating from this read was that it would be an average somehow cliché thriller fiction and I was desperate for some different writing other than the ones I am familiar with. Maybe all these actually helped me enjoy this book more!
I would suggest you NOT TO READ THE BLURB. Seriously DON’T. You would enjoy the book more by going into it blindly.
All I can say is that you will be pretty much guaranteed to be entertained by how much the characters are unreliable and unlikeable but also knowing them with all their flaws and still would like them despite how crazy the plot gets towards the second half.
The first half is fast paced, will pull you more and more towards the second half. The second half is just plain crazy but the pace slows down a bit. I feel it’s deliberate and that’s how I enjoyed the plot twist more.
Forget my five star rating. Just go through it as blindly as possible and keep an open mind. Well…. how many crazy people are we expecting from this story? I won’t tell!
October 8, 2023
having been gaslighted once,
you will probably appreciate
this catharsis: lighter than
most books on this trope,
ironical and empowering.
you will probably appreciate
this catharsis: lighter than
most books on this trope,
ironical and empowering.
September 7, 2023
Natalie Barelli books are always a winner for me. Dark, yet humorous and oh so addictive. I binge listened to this in a day, I really needed to know how this would end…and what an ending 😱 You will never guess where this will take you.
This book is best to go into fairly blind. All I will say that our main character Rose is an interesting character. She has believed that she is a psychopath since the age of 13, and now her deepest and darkest secrets are about to be revealed l
You will be shocked, you will laugh, you will hate certain characters. You do not want o miss this. The narrator, Rachel Leblang was fantastic at giving all the characters a unique voice.
Thanks so much to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook. Released on September 19th.
This book is best to go into fairly blind. All I will say that our main character Rose is an interesting character. She has believed that she is a psychopath since the age of 13, and now her deepest and darkest secrets are about to be revealed l
You will be shocked, you will laugh, you will hate certain characters. You do not want o miss this. The narrator, Rachel Leblang was fantastic at giving all the characters a unique voice.
Thanks so much to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook. Released on September 19th.
August 26, 2023
Absolutely brilliant.
I have read a few Barelli books now, and this is easily my favourite so far.
Completely, utterly compulsive reading, and wondering what was going to happen and by whom changed with every tap on my kindle to turn the page.
As a fan of rodents, I didn't like what happened to Pauly!
I was obsessed by this book. The pacing and drama was as fast as lightning and I couldn't bear to be away from my kindle whilst I was reading it.
It is so well plotted and I am looking forward to rereading it to experience it again (which I rarely do, my TBR doesn't like it)
A fantastic read- bravo, Natalie Barelli.
I have read a few Barelli books now, and this is easily my favourite so far.
Completely, utterly compulsive reading, and wondering what was going to happen and by whom changed with every tap on my kindle to turn the page.
As a fan of rodents, I didn't like what happened to Pauly!
I was obsessed by this book. The pacing and drama was as fast as lightning and I couldn't bear to be away from my kindle whilst I was reading it.
It is so well plotted and I am looking forward to rereading it to experience it again (which I rarely do, my TBR doesn't like it)
A fantastic read- bravo, Natalie Barelli.
June 25, 2026
The concept behind Finders Keepers was an intriguing one, and the idea of Rose walking past a bookstore and seeing a novel in the window that is unmistakably her teenage diary, filled with secrets she never wanted resurfacing, ended up being a strong setup. Add in a missing laptop, a stolen story, and a main character who describes herself as a “recovering psychopath”, and I was definitely curious to see where this would go.
What worked best for me was the beginning, especially watching Rose panic and scramble to figure out what Emily knows while trying to get close enough to retrieve her old laptop. Her decision to insert herself into Emily’s life and essentially become part of her inner circle created a messy and unpredictable dynamic that kept me interested early on.
I also struggled with Rose as a character. Despite everything she goes through, I found it difficult to fully care about her, and by the end, some characters had started to become more frustrating than compelling. One part of her story also didn’t quite work for me. I understand why this type of twist can be effective, but it’s a device that feels very overused at this point, and unfortunately, it didn’t have the impact I was hoping for.
One thing I did appreciate was the narration by Rachel Leblang. There was a lot of energy in the characterisation, and she really leaned into each personality. I found myself annoyed and side-eyeing certain characters, which I think speaks to how well they were portrayed. Even though there were moments where my ears were ready for a break, overall it was a strong performance.
Ultimately, this one had a solid premise and an engaging start, but it lost momentum in the middle and the ending was only okay. While there were definitely elements that worked for me, the parts I struggled with are what I’ll remember most. Plenty of readers really enjoyed this one, so I’d still recommend giving it a go, and I’d be interested in reading more from Natalie Barelli, as I think her ideas could work well for me in the right story.
What worked best for me was the beginning, especially watching Rose panic and scramble to figure out what Emily knows while trying to get close enough to retrieve her old laptop. Her decision to insert herself into Emily’s life and essentially become part of her inner circle created a messy and unpredictable dynamic that kept me interested early on.
I also struggled with Rose as a character. Despite everything she goes through, I found it difficult to fully care about her, and by the end, some characters had started to become more frustrating than compelling. One part of her story also didn’t quite work for me. I understand why this type of twist can be effective, but it’s a device that feels very overused at this point, and unfortunately, it didn’t have the impact I was hoping for.
One thing I did appreciate was the narration by Rachel Leblang. There was a lot of energy in the characterisation, and she really leaned into each personality. I found myself annoyed and side-eyeing certain characters, which I think speaks to how well they were portrayed. Even though there were moments where my ears were ready for a break, overall it was a strong performance.
Ultimately, this one had a solid premise and an engaging start, but it lost momentum in the middle and the ending was only okay. While there were definitely elements that worked for me, the parts I struggled with are what I’ll remember most. Plenty of readers really enjoyed this one, so I’d still recommend giving it a go, and I’d be interested in reading more from Natalie Barelli, as I think her ideas could work well for me in the right story.
February 24, 2026
Happy pub day!!
"Dear Diary. Today I'm going to kill her. Love, Rose."
Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for sending me this ARC.
I enjoyed this one so much! From the beginning, this story had a strong hook. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and unraveling the plot alongside them. This one had a few layers, which helped keep the story moving. The pacing was great. I'd recommend this to all my mystery/thriller friends. 4 stars!
Pub Date Feb 24 2026
As always, all thoughts are my own. 🖤💫
"Dear Diary. Today I'm going to kill her. Love, Rose."
Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for sending me this ARC.
I enjoyed this one so much! From the beginning, this story had a strong hook. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and unraveling the plot alongside them. This one had a few layers, which helped keep the story moving. The pacing was great. I'd recommend this to all my mystery/thriller friends. 4 stars!
Pub Date Feb 24 2026
As always, all thoughts are my own. 🖤💫
September 14, 2023
I was a little leery going into another Natalie Barely book. In my experience, she's just a 3 star author. However, the ending of one of hers bumped it up to 4.
Gotta tell y'all, the MC starts out strong. Hilarious AF. She's a manipulator and liar. She'd rather tell a lie than give the boring truth. One day, she's walking down the sidewalk and sees the name of a new book in the store's window. Curious, she's goes in and opens the book. She is horrified when she realizes the story is hers. Her words that were written in her diary 9 years before and kept on her laptop. Only, she lost the laptop. But as she's reading, she also remembers something else in her diary that must not get out...... She's also a murderer.
Now Rose is on a quest to retrieve the laptop and destroy it. But how is she going to do that? By getting to know the author, Emily. Oh boy, how Emily is a nerve grating character. Rose jokes about killing her many times.... and in the back of my mind, I'm like.... DO IT! Kill this bitch please lol.
I enjoyed this. What I didn't like was the ridiculous confession towards the end. THESE DRIVE ME INSANE. If I'm caught, okay yes I'm guilty. But NEVER will I ever give you ALL of the damn details. That's like just adding more and more felonies to your committed crimes. This is of course far fetched, but I think the layered sarcasm and suspense make it worth reading. 4 stars
Gotta tell y'all, the MC starts out strong. Hilarious AF. She's a manipulator and liar. She'd rather tell a lie than give the boring truth. One day, she's walking down the sidewalk and sees the name of a new book in the store's window. Curious, she's goes in and opens the book. She is horrified when she realizes the story is hers. Her words that were written in her diary 9 years before and kept on her laptop. Only, she lost the laptop. But as she's reading, she also remembers something else in her diary that must not get out...... She's also a murderer.
Now Rose is on a quest to retrieve the laptop and destroy it. But how is she going to do that? By getting to know the author, Emily. Oh boy, how Emily is a nerve grating character. Rose jokes about killing her many times.... and in the back of my mind, I'm like.... DO IT! Kill this bitch please lol.
I enjoyed this. What I didn't like was the ridiculous confession towards the end. THESE DRIVE ME INSANE. If I'm caught, okay yes I'm guilty. But NEVER will I ever give you ALL of the damn details. That's like just adding more and more felonies to your committed crimes. This is of course far fetched, but I think the layered sarcasm and suspense make it worth reading. 4 stars
September 25, 2023
I honestly don't know what all the hype is about this book. I listened to the audio version and the narration was SO very annoying! I had to spend some time contemplating if that skewed my impression of the book overall, but in the end, I have to say it didn't. The story did have some twists, but that was the only positive in my opinion. The characters were flat and irritating, the overuse of "sweetie" grated my nerves, there were several eye-roll moments, and the writing itself seemed pedestrian.
September 19, 2023
I listened to the audiobook and I loved the narrator. She did a great job bringing the narrator and other characters to life (even when I hated some of those characters). The main character was fascinating from the start - a self-proclaimed psychopath who lies constantly walks into a bookstore and discovers that the laptop with her childhood diary she lost was found and published. She’s determined to get her laptop back since she committed murder the year she kept that diary and she isn’t sure what made the published cut. This book was funny and twisty and I enjoyed it. It moved a little more slowly than I would have liked and there were a couple of characters that I know I was supposed to hate but I hated so much I got frustrated that the book wouldn’t move past them (it was important for the story, just characters so annoying I wanted to throw the book down, I promise this is a sign of a well done book). I will definitely be looking for more books by Natalie Barelli.
August 26, 2023
DING DING DING! We have a banger alert here! It’s been a while since a book took me on the crazy train and this one right here made my head spin and my jaw drop so many times, I lost track!
Rose, at the age of 13 becomes obsessed with her English teacher, Mr. B and begins writing out her fantasies in a diary. Fast forward 10 years, and Rose spots a book called Diary of an Octopus in a bookstore. This also happens to be the name of her diary that she had saved on a laptop and lost at La Guardia Airport two years prior. The person claiming to be the author happens to be a social media influencer named Emily Harper. Rose begins to panic because there are things in her diary that she does not want made public.
This book is filled with so many psychopaths you don’t know who is the craziest! Once I got to Part Two, I literally gasped. I could not put my Kindle down! If you like your thrillers filled with unlikeable psychotic characters you will devour this! And that ending! I did not see that coming at all!
I’m a huge fan of this author’s work and I feel like her books aren’t talked about enough! This is my 5th book by her, and she keeps getting better and better.
Rose, at the age of 13 becomes obsessed with her English teacher, Mr. B and begins writing out her fantasies in a diary. Fast forward 10 years, and Rose spots a book called Diary of an Octopus in a bookstore. This also happens to be the name of her diary that she had saved on a laptop and lost at La Guardia Airport two years prior. The person claiming to be the author happens to be a social media influencer named Emily Harper. Rose begins to panic because there are things in her diary that she does not want made public.
This book is filled with so many psychopaths you don’t know who is the craziest! Once I got to Part Two, I literally gasped. I could not put my Kindle down! If you like your thrillers filled with unlikeable psychotic characters you will devour this! And that ending! I did not see that coming at all!
I’m a huge fan of this author’s work and I feel like her books aren’t talked about enough! This is my 5th book by her, and she keeps getting better and better.
November 29, 2023
I cannot believe I finished this.
July 19, 2026
This was one that you think you know.. but nope.. you don’t. Keep reading. This book was tense and disturbing and kept me completely engaged. The ending was truly unexpected. Dark, intense, and unforgettable. Oh, and better read than audio. I would not recommend the audio.
February 15, 2024
What a story!
I didn't read the synopsis before reading the book, which made it extra jaw-dropping. So I don't want to say too much about it and ruin it for you.
Somehow this managed to be both hilarious and scary. Barelli's conversational narration style kept this light even as the story bordered darker topics. I couldn't stop reading.
When you think you finally know what happened... you soon realize you really, really don't.
Thanks for the rec, Coco! Your review was on point as usual!
I didn't read the synopsis before reading the book, which made it extra jaw-dropping. So I don't want to say too much about it and ruin it for you.
Somehow this managed to be both hilarious and scary. Barelli's conversational narration style kept this light even as the story bordered darker topics. I couldn't stop reading.
When you think you finally know what happened... you soon realize you really, really don't.
Thanks for the rec, Coco! Your review was on point as usual!
November 6, 2023
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Publication date : August 26, 2023
Narrated by: Rachel Leblang
Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
I've read many books by Natalie Barelli. Some of them were enjoyable, some were just okay.
FINDERS KEEPERS is probably my least favorite Barelli’s book (perhaps partly due to the narrator).
At first FINDERS KEEPERS sounded interesting - imagine that you are keeping the journal where you share your most intimate thoughts from your teenager years. Then you accidentaly leave your laptop behind at the airport, someone finds it, reads your very personal journal and then publish it for everyone to read. You want revenge and get close to the person who did it. How far will you go?
I found Rose (22) kind of pathetic, weak and not very wise. I'm not much into journals but if I kept it, I'd protect the file with the password. Especially if you have "sensitive" material in it. Her falling for much older teacher...don't know what she saw in him. 20+ years older teacher must seem ancient for a 13-year-old, unless she had some sort of daddy issues. As I was told how she felt, then I had trouble believing in her feelings and that she would go that far as we were made to believe.
Sadly this was another story where author used blackouts as a way of making the protagonist doubt in her own actions. When you have no memory of killing someone, the most obvious explanation would be that you didn't do it. Isn't it? It was kinda frustrating to read how the protagonist feared that she had done something she had no memory of, or thought she was some sort of crazy psychopath who had killed twice, at the same time she was being so clumsy and insecure that it made me question how someone like her could have gotten away with the murder. The most obvious reason...she didn't do it? Someone had manipulated with her?
Also I didn't get the urgency to get the laptop back - when she got her hands on the computer, and deleted the files, there was a possibility that the files had multiple backup copies that were not stored in the laptop, so what's the point? Besides the book had been already published, the harm was already done. As the author stole the idea/story from Rose, it was unlikely she would go to the police with what she had found in that diary. Or if Emily had taken Rose's diary to the police, is that enough evidence to connect and charge Rose with the murder (she was 13 at the time, plus she didn't give any clear confession that she had really done something to the teacher's wife).
Towards the end things started to pick up and some action finally started to happen.
Publication date : August 26, 2023
Narrated by: Rachel Leblang
Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
I've read many books by Natalie Barelli. Some of them were enjoyable, some were just okay.
FINDERS KEEPERS is probably my least favorite Barelli’s book (perhaps partly due to the narrator).
At first FINDERS KEEPERS sounded interesting - imagine that you are keeping the journal where you share your most intimate thoughts from your teenager years. Then you accidentaly leave your laptop behind at the airport, someone finds it, reads your very personal journal and then publish it for everyone to read. You want revenge and get close to the person who did it. How far will you go?
I found Rose (22) kind of pathetic, weak and not very wise. I'm not much into journals but if I kept it, I'd protect the file with the password. Especially if you have "sensitive" material in it. Her falling for much older teacher...don't know what she saw in him. 20+ years older teacher must seem ancient for a 13-year-old, unless she had some sort of daddy issues. As I was told how she felt, then I had trouble believing in her feelings and that she would go that far as we were made to believe.
Sadly this was another story where author used blackouts as a way of making the protagonist doubt in her own actions. When you have no memory of killing someone, the most obvious explanation would be that you didn't do it. Isn't it? It was kinda frustrating to read how the protagonist feared that she had done something she had no memory of, or thought she was some sort of crazy psychopath who had killed twice, at the same time she was being so clumsy and insecure that it made me question how someone like her could have gotten away with the murder. The most obvious reason...she didn't do it? Someone had manipulated with her?
Also I didn't get the urgency to get the laptop back - when she got her hands on the computer, and deleted the files, there was a possibility that the files had multiple backup copies that were not stored in the laptop, so what's the point? Besides the book had been already published, the harm was already done. As the author stole the idea/story from Rose, it was unlikely she would go to the police with what she had found in that diary. Or if Emily had taken Rose's diary to the police, is that enough evidence to connect and charge Rose with the murder (she was 13 at the time, plus she didn't give any clear confession that she had really done something to the teacher's wife).
Towards the end things started to pick up and some action finally started to happen.
September 10, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book was SO GOOD!! I loved it. This is my second Natalie Barelli book I’ve read and so far she is 2 for 2 with the five stars for me. I just love her writing style. She kinda reminds me of my girl Freida and that is only a positive for me. The twists in this book were crazy. 🤯 There were more than one and I never saw any of them coming. After the first one I was like oh so this is who did it, this is how it’ll end, but Natalie had a few more ideas and kept changing things up time and time again.
For those not familiar with this one because it’s not out yet, I’ll give a short description because I really don’t want to spoil anything. This story is about a girl named Rose. Years ago, when Rose was a teenager, she wrote in her diary all about a crush she had on one of her teachers. But then Rose lost that diary. Someone else, a girl named Emily, found it and ended up telling everyone it was her writing and actually published it as her own book. Rose recognized the story as her own and decides to go to one of Emily’s book signings, to find out all she can about this woman who stole her journal. And what unfolds after that is just a great, wild ride of twists and turns. I loved it so much. I ended up listening to it for 5 straight hours because I couldn’t stop. I HAD to know how it was going to end. This was a definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!!
I’d like to thank @netgalley and @dreamscape-media for this ALC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed every minute of it. 🙏🏻
Pub Date: September 19, 2023. Be sure to pick up your copy. You’re not going to want to miss this one.
For those not familiar with this one because it’s not out yet, I’ll give a short description because I really don’t want to spoil anything. This story is about a girl named Rose. Years ago, when Rose was a teenager, she wrote in her diary all about a crush she had on one of her teachers. But then Rose lost that diary. Someone else, a girl named Emily, found it and ended up telling everyone it was her writing and actually published it as her own book. Rose recognized the story as her own and decides to go to one of Emily’s book signings, to find out all she can about this woman who stole her journal. And what unfolds after that is just a great, wild ride of twists and turns. I loved it so much. I ended up listening to it for 5 straight hours because I couldn’t stop. I HAD to know how it was going to end. This was a definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!!
I’d like to thank @netgalley and @dreamscape-media for this ALC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed every minute of it. 🙏🏻
Pub Date: September 19, 2023. Be sure to pick up your copy. You’re not going to want to miss this one.
April 21, 2026
Finders Keepers by Natalie Barelli was originally published in 2023 and is a standalone psychological thriller, currently available Free on Kindle Unlimited.
Without wanting to give much away in my review I can say it's the story of a young woman called Rose who is absolutely convinced she's a recovering psychopath., When Rose loses her laptop containing her deepest darkest secrets at an Airport and years later her story seems to be the basis of a new best-selling novel she knows she needs to track down the author immediately.
The story then becomes slightly bonkers but in a funny and entertaining way. The characters are all strange and mostly unlikeable, the scenarios are over-the-top and highly amusing and the twists are pretty much undetectable until they are revealed.
Full of secrets, lies and cover-ups, Finders Keepers is one of those books that you can't put down.
Without wanting to give much away in my review I can say it's the story of a young woman called Rose who is absolutely convinced she's a recovering psychopath., When Rose loses her laptop containing her deepest darkest secrets at an Airport and years later her story seems to be the basis of a new best-selling novel she knows she needs to track down the author immediately.
The story then becomes slightly bonkers but in a funny and entertaining way. The characters are all strange and mostly unlikeable, the scenarios are over-the-top and highly amusing and the twists are pretty much undetectable until they are revealed.
Full of secrets, lies and cover-ups, Finders Keepers is one of those books that you can't put down.
December 14, 2023
So twisty, Finders Keepers by Natalie Barelli kept me up all night.
March 22, 2026
3.5 stars. It's hard to say much about this book without spoilers because there's a lot going on, but it required a suspension of disbelief to get through the first half. The second part had enough twists and turns to keep me reading and guessing until the very end. Filled with despicable characters, dark humor, obsession and gaslighting, this was an implausible but entertaining read.
September 6, 2023
A story mostly about two young women. Rose who accidentally leaves her laptop with her diary on it and Emily who snatches the laptop and manages to have it published as her own. After meeting Emily at a book signing, Rose makes friends with her in order to get her diary back and protect herself from an incriminating secret.
I’ve read some slower moving books lately, so I needed an entertaining thriller. I enjoyed this author’s book Missing Molly so I was happy to get an early audiobook copy of Finders Keepers thanks to @netgalley @dreamscape_media
This was a very entertaining read with lots of twists and darkly funny moments. Just what I needed and I truly enjoyed it and finished it in an afternoon. I liked the first half, but the second half was even better and had me laughing out loud at the outrageous twists. Everyone here is delightfully despicable and loads. The narration by @rachelleblang was great.
3.5/5 rounded up
I’ve read some slower moving books lately, so I needed an entertaining thriller. I enjoyed this author’s book Missing Molly so I was happy to get an early audiobook copy of Finders Keepers thanks to @netgalley @dreamscape_media
This was a very entertaining read with lots of twists and darkly funny moments. Just what I needed and I truly enjoyed it and finished it in an afternoon. I liked the first half, but the second half was even better and had me laughing out loud at the outrageous twists. Everyone here is delightfully despicable and loads. The narration by @rachelleblang was great.
3.5/5 rounded up
September 4, 2023
This was an annoying book. The way it was written and the obvious “twists” seemed like something a high schooler might write. Sorry.
April 8, 2026
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the gifted advanced readers copy of Finders Keepers. All opinions are my own.
I recently discovered Natalie Barelli and I’m such a fan of her thrillers! I love how she writes an unhinged female main character.
Imagine you pick up a book at the bookstore and begin to read it realizing it’s your diary from when you’re a teenager and it holds a bunch of your most unhinged secrets and obsessions. Now your diary is a best selling book and everyone knows your deepest and darkest secrets that you have spent years trying to keep buried. What would you do to protect your secrets ?
I recently discovered Natalie Barelli and I’m such a fan of her thrillers! I love how she writes an unhinged female main character.
Imagine you pick up a book at the bookstore and begin to read it realizing it’s your diary from when you’re a teenager and it holds a bunch of your most unhinged secrets and obsessions. Now your diary is a best selling book and everyone knows your deepest and darkest secrets that you have spent years trying to keep buried. What would you do to protect your secrets ?
April 26, 2024
Another book I finished just because it is what I do.
The premise was intriguing to me, the delivery was comical, but I don't think it was supposed to be!
Rose is 22 years old, and she thinks she is a psychopath, she thinks she did bad things 9 years ago when she was a child and has decided she needs to punish herself for getting away with it.
She finds her lost diary has been published and is worried this will lead to her capture.
This is where the book goes off the rails. She stalks and befriends the author to find her lost laptop containing her diary to try to continue to hide her crimes.
The author (Emily) who stole the book is just as crazy as she is, if not more.
All of the things that occur are just so over the top its too hard to suspend belief to believe anyone is truly this stupid.
We trudge through until the end when Rose decides she never committed the crime and is going to figure out how she was set up to take the fall, even though that never happened. Magically she solves the case in less than 1 day! Again, comical, but I don't think it was the intention.
Awful people doing awful things with poor writing and a comical storyline to back it all up. Not worth the read in my opinion.
The premise was intriguing to me, the delivery was comical, but I don't think it was supposed to be!
Rose is 22 years old, and she thinks she is a psychopath, she thinks she did bad things 9 years ago when she was a child and has decided she needs to punish herself for getting away with it.
She finds her lost diary has been published and is worried this will lead to her capture.
This is where the book goes off the rails. She stalks and befriends the author to find her lost laptop containing her diary to try to continue to hide her crimes.
The author (Emily) who stole the book is just as crazy as she is, if not more.
All of the things that occur are just so over the top its too hard to suspend belief to believe anyone is truly this stupid.
We trudge through until the end when Rose decides she never committed the crime and is going to figure out how she was set up to take the fall, even though that never happened. Magically she solves the case in less than 1 day! Again, comical, but I don't think it was the intention.
Awful people doing awful things with poor writing and a comical storyline to back it all up. Not worth the read in my opinion.
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