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Unfaithful
“Thank you,” I say sweetly when she tells me I’m lucky to have such a beautiful family. But I want to tell her it’s not just luck. A family is like a fortress you have to defend all the time. You can’t relax because there’s always someone looking for a breach, always someone trying to get in. Someone just like her…
When I arrive unannounced at my husband’s studio in need of a shoulder to cry on after hearing that my best student, Alex, has died, I see a pair of wineglasses drying by the sink and my deepest fear is confirmed: my husband is having an affair.
Most women would fall to their knees in tears and throw him out of the house—but I just can’t bring myself to do it.
Instead, I go home and cook a healthy dinner for our children, walk the dog and unload the dishwasher without complaint. I will make him see that I’m still the woman he married; attractive, successful, the glue that holds our perfect family together. I need this marriage to work to protect a terrible secret of my own, something that would destroy everything I’ve already sacrificed so much for.
But when the police arrive at my door asking questions about Alex’s death that I can’t answer, and threatening text messages start appearing on my phone, I know that someone close has been watching me very carefully.
The truth is, there are three people in my marriage, but only one of them is deadly…
When I arrive unannounced at my husband’s studio in need of a shoulder to cry on after hearing that my best student, Alex, has died, I see a pair of wineglasses drying by the sink and my deepest fear is confirmed: my husband is having an affair.
Most women would fall to their knees in tears and throw him out of the house—but I just can’t bring myself to do it.
Instead, I go home and cook a healthy dinner for our children, walk the dog and unload the dishwasher without complaint. I will make him see that I’m still the woman he married; attractive, successful, the glue that holds our perfect family together. I need this marriage to work to protect a terrible secret of my own, something that would destroy everything I’ve already sacrificed so much for.
But when the police arrive at my door asking questions about Alex’s death that I can’t answer, and threatening text messages start appearing on my phone, I know that someone close has been watching me very carefully.
The truth is, there are three people in my marriage, but only one of them is deadly…
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 24, 2020
4972 people are currently reading
9568 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Barelli
12 books2,395 followersYou will usually find Natalie Barelli reading a book, and that book will more likely than not be a psychological thriller. When not absorbed in the latest gripping page-turner, Natalie rides motorcycles, knits very badly and spends far too much time at the computer. She lives in Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,236 reviews
August 24, 2022
Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli
This book was fun, hooked me hard, and even though I tried to go to bed, I ended up staying up way too late to finish it. Anna is a humdinger of a character. She's an extremely unreliable narrator and will lie at the drop of a hat. She also drinks way too much and will verbally vomit embarrassing truths that she should never tell anyone...she'll start babbling to friend or stranger, alike. She also just might attempt to go for a roll in bed or on the floor, with some man or other, because she's drunk too much or because she's angry. She has anger issues and emotional damage from being raised by a cold mom and distant father. She makes spontaneous horrible decisions and some of those decisions had me laughing. Usually I can't stand characters like Anna but the author did a great job with her and the story and I could not put the book down.
When the story starts, you can almost hear the birds chirping in the background. Life is perfect, her family is perfect, her marriage is perfect (if only her husband would walk the dog and fix the leaky sink), she's pretty sure she's going to be made a tenured professor. And then Anna gets to work and things go wrong and then get worse and everything Anna does is the wrong thing but half the time she thinks she can ignore the problems and they'll just go away. Anna can't focus, talks and laughs way too much (often she'll stop laughing and talking to realize that everyone is staring at her). Really, Anna is a mess and for good reason. Oh, and Anna is extremely paranoid and that paranoia rubbed off on me, so much so that the only ones I trusted in this book was her 14 year old daughter, her 10 year old son, and her cute French bulldog. Overall, this story was good fun.
Pub November 27, 2020
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC.
This book was fun, hooked me hard, and even though I tried to go to bed, I ended up staying up way too late to finish it. Anna is a humdinger of a character. She's an extremely unreliable narrator and will lie at the drop of a hat. She also drinks way too much and will verbally vomit embarrassing truths that she should never tell anyone...she'll start babbling to friend or stranger, alike. She also just might attempt to go for a roll in bed or on the floor, with some man or other, because she's drunk too much or because she's angry. She has anger issues and emotional damage from being raised by a cold mom and distant father. She makes spontaneous horrible decisions and some of those decisions had me laughing. Usually I can't stand characters like Anna but the author did a great job with her and the story and I could not put the book down.
When the story starts, you can almost hear the birds chirping in the background. Life is perfect, her family is perfect, her marriage is perfect (if only her husband would walk the dog and fix the leaky sink), she's pretty sure she's going to be made a tenured professor. And then Anna gets to work and things go wrong and then get worse and everything Anna does is the wrong thing but half the time she thinks she can ignore the problems and they'll just go away. Anna can't focus, talks and laughs way too much (often she'll stop laughing and talking to realize that everyone is staring at her). Really, Anna is a mess and for good reason. Oh, and Anna is extremely paranoid and that paranoia rubbed off on me, so much so that the only ones I trusted in this book was her 14 year old daughter, her 10 year old son, and her cute French bulldog. Overall, this story was good fun.
Pub November 27, 2020
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC.
December 19, 2021
Holy-freaking hell! This started a little mediocre but as you get closer to the second half things just start getting more tense, sharp, dark, twisty and final revelation that I honestly did not expect it coming out of nowhere was a delicious sucker punch! It sealed the deal. I loved it! I can sing I’m a sucker for you after that well played twist!
Unreliable narrator/ heroine you feel sorry for and sometimes you truly want to punch in the face ( your husband acts like stinky cheater and you don’t want to face it! Come on girl! You’re brighter than that! Learn to respect yourself! Now i started singing “respect yourself na na na”, dammit, how many glasses of Pinot Noir I poured myself! Omg! I cannot count. I see double!)
Twenty minutes later (sobering break for reviewer)
Okay. I am so much better and I can see things clearer. I was so close to give this book five stars but some of heroine’s illogical manners and so much hateful characters ( I start loathing all kinds of academicians after this book) I cut some points and left it as 4.25 stars! But I’m telling you it’s surprisingly dazzling ride which made me add more piles of books belong to the author ASAP and feed my tbr monster who needs urgently dietician (or book trimming butcher)
This book is so special, smart, psychological roller coaster and you need to get your urgent ticket! Trust me, you’re gonna love your ride and send me thank you letters or Sprinkle cupcakes!
Short summary (as short as I could tell):
Anna is math professor, mother of two, married with charming artist, working on a mathematical proof with is student Alex. They’re so close to solve and publish their article which will earn them half million dollars. But at first her student tries to betray her and then he kills himself in front of her by jumping out from the window and at the same time she realizes her husband has an affair and let’s not forget she also loses a promotion to a 26 years old newbie. (Yes, it’s the worst day for her to buy a lottery ticket! But it’s better having a fly glued to your head throughout your live debate! )
Yes, her life couldn’t get more complicated but she has to set things right. She can publish the proof under her name and when she becomes successful she can also earn her husband’s respect and love again. Can she do that? But somebody stalks and threats her! Does somebody know she is lying about the proof? Or does somebody know she was so close to cheat her husband?
I already spilled so much. Don’t curse me because everything will change so fast and your mind will be blown! Keep on reading!
I can only admit, my favorite character is June this book! So I chant her name at several times! She was a fresh soul after reading about all those irritating characters!
Anyways I highly recommend it to fast pacing psychological thriller novel addicts!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this review copy of this exciting book with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Unreliable narrator/ heroine you feel sorry for and sometimes you truly want to punch in the face ( your husband acts like stinky cheater and you don’t want to face it! Come on girl! You’re brighter than that! Learn to respect yourself! Now i started singing “respect yourself na na na”, dammit, how many glasses of Pinot Noir I poured myself! Omg! I cannot count. I see double!)
Twenty minutes later (sobering break for reviewer)
Okay. I am so much better and I can see things clearer. I was so close to give this book five stars but some of heroine’s illogical manners and so much hateful characters ( I start loathing all kinds of academicians after this book) I cut some points and left it as 4.25 stars! But I’m telling you it’s surprisingly dazzling ride which made me add more piles of books belong to the author ASAP and feed my tbr monster who needs urgently dietician (or book trimming butcher)
This book is so special, smart, psychological roller coaster and you need to get your urgent ticket! Trust me, you’re gonna love your ride and send me thank you letters or Sprinkle cupcakes!
Short summary (as short as I could tell):
Anna is math professor, mother of two, married with charming artist, working on a mathematical proof with is student Alex. They’re so close to solve and publish their article which will earn them half million dollars. But at first her student tries to betray her and then he kills himself in front of her by jumping out from the window and at the same time she realizes her husband has an affair and let’s not forget she also loses a promotion to a 26 years old newbie. (Yes, it’s the worst day for her to buy a lottery ticket! But it’s better having a fly glued to your head throughout your live debate! )
Yes, her life couldn’t get more complicated but she has to set things right. She can publish the proof under her name and when she becomes successful she can also earn her husband’s respect and love again. Can she do that? But somebody stalks and threats her! Does somebody know she is lying about the proof? Or does somebody know she was so close to cheat her husband?
I already spilled so much. Don’t curse me because everything will change so fast and your mind will be blown! Keep on reading!
I can only admit, my favorite character is June this book! So I chant her name at several times! She was a fresh soul after reading about all those irritating characters!
Anyways I highly recommend it to fast pacing psychological thriller novel addicts!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this review copy of this exciting book with me in exchange my honest opinions.
November 27, 2020
3.5 stars
There’s a thin line between desperate and crazy!
Anna, a happily married mother of two, is about to have her semi-perfect life crumble. She loses a promotion, finds out her husband is having an affair, and her advisee kills himself. Sick of being a pushover, she fights back, but instead of winning, she creates even more chaos as her life is turned upside down.
Told through the eyes of Anna, the reader gets to experience first hand what desperation will lead one to do. I kept wondering if Anna was legit crazy or if there was something else going on?
This was fun to read, but if I really thought about the plot and timeline, I would have had some issues, so I decided it was best to turn off my brain for the most part. However, I couldn’t completely shut it down, so I have to share some complaints. My biggest gripes: Anna spends way too much of the book telling the reader what is happening. Towards the end, the reader finally gets to see the crazy, and I wish more of the book was like this. My second major gripe: This book is supposed to take palace in America, but it never feels like America, the characters don't sound American, and the author/editors got some things wrong about the higher ed system. But the craziness wins over my complaints!
I was plugging away and entertained, but not really loving it, but then, at the 80% mark, this book hits a new level of crazy. I loved it and bumped up my entire review because of this portion of the book--it was that good. Twists and surprises and complete chaos take over, all of which had me flipping the pages as fast as I could.
I love a good crazy read, and this book brought the crazies and a little more! Overall, an entertaining and fun thriller with some wackadoodle characters and an even whackier ending, but somehow it all works.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
There’s a thin line between desperate and crazy!
Anna, a happily married mother of two, is about to have her semi-perfect life crumble. She loses a promotion, finds out her husband is having an affair, and her advisee kills himself. Sick of being a pushover, she fights back, but instead of winning, she creates even more chaos as her life is turned upside down.
Told through the eyes of Anna, the reader gets to experience first hand what desperation will lead one to do. I kept wondering if Anna was legit crazy or if there was something else going on?
This was fun to read, but if I really thought about the plot and timeline, I would have had some issues, so I decided it was best to turn off my brain for the most part. However, I couldn’t completely shut it down, so I have to share some complaints. My biggest gripes: Anna spends way too much of the book telling the reader what is happening. Towards the end, the reader finally gets to see the crazy, and I wish more of the book was like this. My second major gripe: This book is supposed to take palace in America, but it never feels like America, the characters don't sound American, and the author/editors got some things wrong about the higher ed system. But the craziness wins over my complaints!
I was plugging away and entertained, but not really loving it, but then, at the 80% mark, this book hits a new level of crazy. I loved it and bumped up my entire review because of this portion of the book--it was that good. Twists and surprises and complete chaos take over, all of which had me flipping the pages as fast as I could.
I love a good crazy read, and this book brought the crazies and a little more! Overall, an entertaining and fun thriller with some wackadoodle characters and an even whackier ending, but somehow it all works.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 15, 2020
I'm giving this 5⭐ because I thought Anna was a really well developed character :)
She was a 𝘔𝘌𝘚𝘚 at times and made some terrible decisions but she was written in a way that made her feel like a real and relatable person.
When her character was sad or anxious or happy I felt those emotions right along with her so Natalie Barelli showed me she's a very talented author.
She was a 𝘔𝘌𝘚𝘚 at times and made some terrible decisions but she was written in a way that made her feel like a real and relatable person.
When her character was sad or anxious or happy I felt those emotions right along with her so Natalie Barelli showed me she's a very talented author.
February 1, 2021
4.5 *
Wow! I listened to the audio in 2 days. The narrator is excellent and really brings Anna to life so vividly! This story is very well written and developed!
I mostly went in blind for this one and I think that's the way to go. Anna Sanchez seems to lead a perfect life. She has a loving husband and two children. She is a Mathematician and Professor at a leading college. Life looks good! Then things quickly change. She is passed over for a promotion, one of her students commits suicide and she finds out her husband has been having an affair. This story is told through Anna's eyes. You quickly come to realize things are not what they seem. Her life is complex and chaotic. What is really going on?
There were so many twists and turns and I could not figure out what was really happening. Now that is the testament of a good psychological thriller! Loved the ending!
This was truly a very entertaining read/listen!
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media with granting me access to this Advanced Audio Recording.
Wow! I listened to the audio in 2 days. The narrator is excellent and really brings Anna to life so vividly! This story is very well written and developed!
I mostly went in blind for this one and I think that's the way to go. Anna Sanchez seems to lead a perfect life. She has a loving husband and two children. She is a Mathematician and Professor at a leading college. Life looks good! Then things quickly change. She is passed over for a promotion, one of her students commits suicide and she finds out her husband has been having an affair. This story is told through Anna's eyes. You quickly come to realize things are not what they seem. Her life is complex and chaotic. What is really going on?
There were so many twists and turns and I could not figure out what was really happening. Now that is the testament of a good psychological thriller! Loved the ending!
This was truly a very entertaining read/listen!
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media with granting me access to this Advanced Audio Recording.
November 27, 2020
ALL of my Goodreads friends were reading and raving about this one and I caught the FOMO virus!
FEAR OF MISSING OUT!
Anna Sanchez is a Mathematics Professor at a Prestigious College.
She is happy, when other people are happy..born for the role of wife, homemaker and mother.
She rallies at work. No task is too small. She is a team player.
That is what she says...if you can believe her.
So why do bad things keep happening to the people around her?
The book description says MORE than it needs to.
And, yet there is SO MUCH MORE going on than what is said.
Entertaining from page one, and unputdownable!
Full of dark humor and snark, which I love!
And, the VERY last reveal...YES!!
I am so glad I did NOT miss out!
4.5 ⭐️
NOW AVAILABLE!!
I received a gifted copy from Bookouture!
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!!
FEAR OF MISSING OUT!
Anna Sanchez is a Mathematics Professor at a Prestigious College.
She is happy, when other people are happy..born for the role of wife, homemaker and mother.
She rallies at work. No task is too small. She is a team player.
That is what she says...if you can believe her.
So why do bad things keep happening to the people around her?
The book description says MORE than it needs to.
And, yet there is SO MUCH MORE going on than what is said.
Entertaining from page one, and unputdownable!
Full of dark humor and snark, which I love!
And, the VERY last reveal...YES!!
I am so glad I did NOT miss out!
4.5 ⭐️
NOW AVAILABLE!!
I received a gifted copy from Bookouture!
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!!
July 4, 2023
Anna's behavior is somewhat odd right from the beginning. The premise is intriguing, and the ending is cleverly wicked. I regret not getting my hands on this sooner!
"Alex's death has robbed me of my professional future, Luis's success has robbed me of my family."
"Alex's death has robbed me of my professional future, Luis's success has robbed me of my family."
November 27, 2020
HAPPY RELEASE DAY!
Wow just wow!! Nail-bitting and suspenseful in the best way possible!
What a ride! Thank you so much Natalie Barelli for writing this dark thriller.
I devoured this book in one sitting. From the first page, I knew it was going to be good. Then I started getting worried about how the author was going to end the tale. I was thinking there was no way I was going to be surprised by it.
BUT. I. WAS.
I could feel my adrenaline surging through my veins the closer I got to the end. I was having palpitations with every twist and new discovery. Where is a beta-blocker when you need one?
Sorry, I seem to be digressing.
Unfaithful....The name of the book fits perfectly.
There is a marriage. There is a betrayal but there is so much more happening around the life of Anna Sanchez.
Let’s meet her.
Anna Sanchez is a married woman. She has two kids she adores and a husband she is obsessed with. She's also a math professor and is helping Alex with his thesis. A thesis that can change her life and his. Then Alex dies and she also finds out her husband is cheating.
Does she give up or fight for her family?
Read it now to find out.
Cliffhanger: No
5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Bookouture via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Wow just wow!! Nail-bitting and suspenseful in the best way possible!
What a ride! Thank you so much Natalie Barelli for writing this dark thriller.
I devoured this book in one sitting. From the first page, I knew it was going to be good. Then I started getting worried about how the author was going to end the tale. I was thinking there was no way I was going to be surprised by it.
BUT. I. WAS.
I could feel my adrenaline surging through my veins the closer I got to the end. I was having palpitations with every twist and new discovery. Where is a beta-blocker when you need one?
Sorry, I seem to be digressing.
Unfaithful....The name of the book fits perfectly.
There is a marriage. There is a betrayal but there is so much more happening around the life of Anna Sanchez.
Let’s meet her.
Anna Sanchez is a married woman. She has two kids she adores and a husband she is obsessed with. She's also a math professor and is helping Alex with his thesis. A thesis that can change her life and his. Then Alex dies and she also finds out her husband is cheating.
Does she give up or fight for her family?
Read it now to find out.
Cliffhanger: No
5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Bookouture via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
November 27, 2020
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
Wow...props to the publisher for giving nothing away in the synopsis!
Anna is an associate math professor. She’s working with her student, Alex, on something that will change both of their lives...and that it does. Anna quickly finds her life turned upside down as the sh!t hits the fan...in many different ways.
There are secrets galore, and things I never saw coming. I think it’s best to go in blind.
This is a suspenseful and twisted read. There are many red herrings. I never expected the climax. Along with the suspense, there are some parts with dark humor (Barmbies!!).
I shouldn’t be surprised that I love this gem, as I love the author’s Emma Fern series (2 books). This is entertaining and anxiety-inducing.
4.5 stars. A fun and suspenseful read!
Thank you to Bookouture, Natalie Barelli, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Wow...props to the publisher for giving nothing away in the synopsis!
Anna is an associate math professor. She’s working with her student, Alex, on something that will change both of their lives...and that it does. Anna quickly finds her life turned upside down as the sh!t hits the fan...in many different ways.
There are secrets galore, and things I never saw coming. I think it’s best to go in blind.
This is a suspenseful and twisted read. There are many red herrings. I never expected the climax. Along with the suspense, there are some parts with dark humor (Barmbies!!).
I shouldn’t be surprised that I love this gem, as I love the author’s Emma Fern series (2 books). This is entertaining and anxiety-inducing.
4.5 stars. A fun and suspenseful read!
Thank you to Bookouture, Natalie Barelli, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 8, 2020
Stop what you're doing and read this book.. I'm not kidding! This was a can't put down, read in one sitting, wonder what is going to happen next read! It was SOOOOO good!!! Definitely a 4.5⭐
I have no idea how to even summarize the plot.. Natalie Barelli, you wrote a great book!!! So, Anna Sanchez is a math professor with an idyllic life, the perfect husband and two perfect children, sighing with content.. well isn't that usually the harbinger of doom in a thriller? Well, after her PhD student, on the brink of a major math discovery, dies, our narrator Anna suddenly becomes deliciously unreliable. Anna unravels at an alarming rate, she grapples to keep control of her marriage, is her husband having an affair?.. her colleagues, are they talking behind her back?.. and oh so much else. She is becoming quickly unglued, and makes one shocking choice after another, and it was just literally a pleasure to go on this roller coaster ride with her.
At a few points, I thought I had this figured out and even then was going to give this a wildly great review but then BAM, nope, Barelli is rubbing her hands together throwing curve ball after curve ball and I finished this book in one sitting feeling so satiated and awake and shocked. This was SUCH a GOOD book :) Do yourself a favour and go in low on plot descriptions and stay spoiler free.
I listened to the audiobook (9 hr 45 min running time) and it was FANTASTIC! Emily Rankin was the narrator and she really breathed life into Anna and handled all of the other voices very well (which I sometimes find trying in a single narration audiobook) but here it made me feel like I knew Anna and she was truly telling me this crazy tale!
Crack open the wine (but be careful you don't drink too much like Anna🍷) and see who is being unfaithful, you won't regret it!🎢 I'll be over here adding Natalie Barelli's other books to my TBR📚
*This book publishes Nov 27th and I thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an Advanced Reader Copy*
I have no idea how to even summarize the plot.. Natalie Barelli, you wrote a great book!!! So, Anna Sanchez is a math professor with an idyllic life, the perfect husband and two perfect children, sighing with content.. well isn't that usually the harbinger of doom in a thriller? Well, after her PhD student, on the brink of a major math discovery, dies, our narrator Anna suddenly becomes deliciously unreliable. Anna unravels at an alarming rate, she grapples to keep control of her marriage, is her husband having an affair?.. her colleagues, are they talking behind her back?.. and oh so much else. She is becoming quickly unglued, and makes one shocking choice after another, and it was just literally a pleasure to go on this roller coaster ride with her.
At a few points, I thought I had this figured out and even then was going to give this a wildly great review but then BAM, nope, Barelli is rubbing her hands together throwing curve ball after curve ball and I finished this book in one sitting feeling so satiated and awake and shocked. This was SUCH a GOOD book :) Do yourself a favour and go in low on plot descriptions and stay spoiler free.
I listened to the audiobook (9 hr 45 min running time) and it was FANTASTIC! Emily Rankin was the narrator and she really breathed life into Anna and handled all of the other voices very well (which I sometimes find trying in a single narration audiobook) but here it made me feel like I knew Anna and she was truly telling me this crazy tale!
Crack open the wine (but be careful you don't drink too much like Anna🍷) and see who is being unfaithful, you won't regret it!🎢 I'll be over here adding Natalie Barelli's other books to my TBR📚
*This book publishes Nov 27th and I thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an Advanced Reader Copy*
March 8, 2021
Who here has ever had a really bad day. Hands please!🙋🏻♀️. Maybe you had a flat tire and ended up late for work. Maybe your significant other forgot about the dinner plans that have been on the calendar for weeks. Perhaps your child just sprung a huge class project on you that is due in the morning and hasn’t even started.
But poor Anna has seen her life crumble to pieces before her very eyes! Anna is happily (so she thinks) married with 2 children. She works as a math professor at a nearby University. When her student suddenly dies as they are closing in on a mathematical discovery that will make them famous…at least in the math world. When she runs to her husband for support she quickly realizes that there is a very good chance he is having an affair. Oh, wait! Did I mention that Anna was also passed over for the promotion she thought she had in the bag!
Yup! A bad day all around!
This was a fun twisty read that kept me guessing all the way through. Anna was the proverbial hot mess. She is the type of character you find yourself screaming at and want to shake some sense into.
This is my third read by Natalie Barelli. And I’ve enjoyed them all. Luckily I have a few more of her books sitting on my shelf waiting for me. Once again she delivers a thrilling read that will keep you engaged and leave you white-knuckling your kindle as you reach the end.
I listened to the audio version and the narrator Emily Rankin did an amazing job bringing Anna to life.
A buddy 🎧 with Susanne
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an 🎧 to listen to.
But poor Anna has seen her life crumble to pieces before her very eyes! Anna is happily (so she thinks) married with 2 children. She works as a math professor at a nearby University. When her student suddenly dies as they are closing in on a mathematical discovery that will make them famous…at least in the math world. When she runs to her husband for support she quickly realizes that there is a very good chance he is having an affair. Oh, wait! Did I mention that Anna was also passed over for the promotion she thought she had in the bag!
Yup! A bad day all around!
This was a fun twisty read that kept me guessing all the way through. Anna was the proverbial hot mess. She is the type of character you find yourself screaming at and want to shake some sense into.
This is my third read by Natalie Barelli. And I’ve enjoyed them all. Luckily I have a few more of her books sitting on my shelf waiting for me. Once again she delivers a thrilling read that will keep you engaged and leave you white-knuckling your kindle as you reach the end.
I listened to the audio version and the narrator Emily Rankin did an amazing job bringing Anna to life.
A buddy 🎧 with Susanne
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an 🎧 to listen to.
November 29, 2020
3.5-4 stars! This book stressed me out, and for most of it I wanted to slap Anna or shake her, but that last 20% woah!
A twisty, thriller full of unlikeable characters, Unfaithful didn't really grip me until about half way, and the main character, Anna gave me a headache with her constant bad decisions! But then boy did it kick off in dramatic style! I didn't see any of it coming and gasped out loud a couple of times! By the end, my heart was racing, and I definitely sympathised with Anna a lot more, but gosh she drank too much, and she was a mess!
The ending was crazy and over the top but satisfying after the slow build up!
🍷🍷🍷🍷
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC, in exchange for an honest review!
A twisty, thriller full of unlikeable characters, Unfaithful didn't really grip me until about half way, and the main character, Anna gave me a headache with her constant bad decisions! But then boy did it kick off in dramatic style! I didn't see any of it coming and gasped out loud a couple of times! By the end, my heart was racing, and I definitely sympathised with Anna a lot more, but gosh she drank too much, and she was a mess!
The ending was crazy and over the top but satisfying after the slow build up!
🍷🍷🍷🍷
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC, in exchange for an honest review!
September 22, 2021
*Spoiler*
Too crazy. I could understand the Alex angle, but to make Luis the bad guy isn't consistent with how his character was initially portrayed. Also, holy flinking hell, there were too many frayed threads.
Why would Luis keep the EpiPen or the house deed or any of the many incriminating pieces of evidence he'd stored in the artwork? I'm sorry I thought the entire plot twist was juvenile and underdeveloped. Psychopaths aren't that considerate and normal (as Luis was initially portrayed).
September 12, 2024
There was so much going wrong for the main character, and that just resulted in too many situations that had to be fixed. It was stressful but not in a good way. Also the main character’s choices were terrible and I didn’t feel any sympathy towards her. The ending was original though, although very unlikely.
December 2, 2020
Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli is a great domestic thriller that will have you questioning everyone.
There are so many secrets and twists in Unfaithful. I really thought I knew where this book was heading and I was wrong. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. All of the characters are so complex. All the different aspects of Anna and Luis made this book very exciting.
Anna is a math professor that is always trying to make her family happy. I felt like I learned some about the mathematics community and being a professor from reading Unfaithful. Anna has a strained relationship with her parents and has very few friends. I questioned all of the characters during Unfaithful.
I highly recommend Unfaithful to domestic thriller fans.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for Unfaithful.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
There are so many secrets and twists in Unfaithful. I really thought I knew where this book was heading and I was wrong. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. All of the characters are so complex. All the different aspects of Anna and Luis made this book very exciting.
Anna is a math professor that is always trying to make her family happy. I felt like I learned some about the mathematics community and being a professor from reading Unfaithful. Anna has a strained relationship with her parents and has very few friends. I questioned all of the characters during Unfaithful.
I highly recommend Unfaithful to domestic thriller fans.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for Unfaithful.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
November 3, 2020
That was a crazy ride! Anna Sanchez is an associate maths Professor, married with two young children. She and her husband adore each other. Life is great - until it isn’t! She is working with a graduate student, Alex, to solve a long-standing maths conjecture which will have life changing implications for the solvers. But then suddenly, and strangely, Alex kills himself and Anna’s world starts to crumble.
She begins to suspect her husband, Luis (an artist), is having an affair with Stephanie - the curator of the gallery he recently exhibited works in. But Anna makes some pretty dubious decisions herself and soon she is facing harassment at work, a sexual harassment complaint against her and her professionalism is called into question when she can’t produce notes showing the derivation of the maths conjecture solution. To top it all off she is afraid she may be arrested for murder!
The blows keep coming for Anna and the twists keep coming for the reader. None of the characters are very likeable and you have no idea how this insanity will end. It was totally far-fetched and over-the-top but an entertaining read nonetheless. This book will appeal to readers who like a bit of crazy in their day and anyone who enjoys escapist fiction. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Natalie Barelli for providing a copy. My opinions are my own.
She begins to suspect her husband, Luis (an artist), is having an affair with Stephanie - the curator of the gallery he recently exhibited works in. But Anna makes some pretty dubious decisions herself and soon she is facing harassment at work, a sexual harassment complaint against her and her professionalism is called into question when she can’t produce notes showing the derivation of the maths conjecture solution. To top it all off she is afraid she may be arrested for murder!
The blows keep coming for Anna and the twists keep coming for the reader. None of the characters are very likeable and you have no idea how this insanity will end. It was totally far-fetched and over-the-top but an entertaining read nonetheless. This book will appeal to readers who like a bit of crazy in their day and anyone who enjoys escapist fiction. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Natalie Barelli for providing a copy. My opinions are my own.
November 27, 2020
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY to this super fun read, now available everywhere!
Unfaithful is undeniably a scandalous and juicy fall read! Once again, Natalie Barelli kept me on the edge of my seat as she has so many times before. This book is chock full of over-the-top gaslighting, slightly to very crazy characters, scandal and intrigue, and fights over infidelity AND intellectual property. Oh, and by the way, the narrator might be going totally mad. The perfect ingredients for a stew of crazy thriller fun.
The book is narrated by Anna, a mathematics professor on the brink of two discoveries: one, a groundbreaking mathematics theory, and two (and less fun), the fact that her husband is having an affair. Of course, as always with Natalie Barelli, these things are just the beginning of a more twisted web of intrigue until everything goes high octane bananas and you are on a wild thrill ride.
The book is a little slow at the beginning but things pick up quickly with the first death and from then on, the suspense never lets up. The second half of the book is wild and action packed with many creative twists I never guessed. Though I had an idea who did it, I never would have guessed why, and the reveal is rewarding and creeptastic. Reading this book is like watching a slow trainwreck as the protagonist keeps on making her situation worse, in the most entertaining way possible in a thriller.
I had such fun with this book and my buddy read with Sheyla, Javier and Susan made it even more enjoyable! Be sure to check out their reviews too. We all enjoyed it. This book solidified my decision to always grab up ever Natalie Barelli book without even knowing the plot. She’s never disappointed me yet.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, Natalie Barelli and my fellow Goodreads friends Sheyla, Javier & Susan for such a fun read! 4+ stars!
Unfaithful is undeniably a scandalous and juicy fall read! Once again, Natalie Barelli kept me on the edge of my seat as she has so many times before. This book is chock full of over-the-top gaslighting, slightly to very crazy characters, scandal and intrigue, and fights over infidelity AND intellectual property. Oh, and by the way, the narrator might be going totally mad. The perfect ingredients for a stew of crazy thriller fun.
The book is narrated by Anna, a mathematics professor on the brink of two discoveries: one, a groundbreaking mathematics theory, and two (and less fun), the fact that her husband is having an affair. Of course, as always with Natalie Barelli, these things are just the beginning of a more twisted web of intrigue until everything goes high octane bananas and you are on a wild thrill ride.
The book is a little slow at the beginning but things pick up quickly with the first death and from then on, the suspense never lets up. The second half of the book is wild and action packed with many creative twists I never guessed. Though I had an idea who did it, I never would have guessed why, and the reveal is rewarding and creeptastic. Reading this book is like watching a slow trainwreck as the protagonist keeps on making her situation worse, in the most entertaining way possible in a thriller.
I had such fun with this book and my buddy read with Sheyla, Javier and Susan made it even more enjoyable! Be sure to check out their reviews too. We all enjoyed it. This book solidified my decision to always grab up ever Natalie Barelli book without even knowing the plot. She’s never disappointed me yet.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, Natalie Barelli and my fellow Goodreads friends Sheyla, Javier & Susan for such a fun read! 4+ stars!
December 7, 2020
yes yes yes loved it! Natalie Barelli not going to lie whatever goes on in that imagination of yours scares me a little. Seriously Natalie has written some of the most unreliable unhinged characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Meet Anna. mathematician, loyal colleague, devoted wife, adoring mother, faithful friend... maybe? No need to mention any of the plot here you get more information than you need from the blurb and truly that is not the highlight of this book. This Book takes you on a fast paced addictive wild and crazy ride in Anna‘s brain through her inner dialogue. I kept thinking... Is she delusional? A master manipulator? does she have the worst luck ever or is this all by design? As The story progresses things spiral more and more out of control. Miss Anna does and says things that wil leave your jaw dropped open. #nofilter there were so many times I was thinking, oh no she didn’t, but yes yes, she did. The ending to this book was so twisted and brilliant all I can say is bravo Natalie Barelli! The audiobook was narrated by Emily Rankin Who did a stellar job. She gave the perfect voice and tone to off the chains narrator Anna. cannot wait to see what comes next from the imagination of this remarkable author.
This book in emojis 👩🏫 👨👩👧👦 📓 📱 🍷
*** Big thank you to Bookouture & Dreamscape Nedia for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
This book in emojis 👩🏫 👨👩👧👦 📓 📱 🍷
*** Big thank you to Bookouture & Dreamscape Nedia for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
November 27, 2020
HOLY SH*T!! If Ms. Barelli's intention was to misdirect me in my suspicions and leave me completely speechless she managed it!
Anna Sanchez seems to have it all. A perfect husband, two kids and a good job as an associate math professor where she's supervising a grad student thesis. They are on the verge of solving a math conjecture that could change their lives, but after her student's death everything in her life starts to unravel. As the plot progresses, her mental health takes a turn for the worse, taking her on a spiral of lies that could destroy everything she has.
I was completely hooked from the beginning. Anna is not a likeable character. She's self-absorbed, irritanting and takes one questionable decision after another (what a fun lady, right?) and I gotta say that all those things made reading this even more enjoyable. She was a train wreck. Her life was the accident you find on the road, know you shouldn't look at, but can't take your eyes off.
With so many open fronts in her work and personal life, the story doesn't stop for a minute with a series of twists and red-herrings that made me center my suspicions in the wrong person till the very last couple of chapters.
The ending never crossed my mind and, although pretty wild, some things required too much suspension of disbelief.
Overall, a super entertaining and twisty read that made the perfect buddy read with Sheyla, Christina and Susan. So much to discuss!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review
Anna Sanchez seems to have it all. A perfect husband, two kids and a good job as an associate math professor where she's supervising a grad student thesis. They are on the verge of solving a math conjecture that could change their lives, but after her student's death everything in her life starts to unravel. As the plot progresses, her mental health takes a turn for the worse, taking her on a spiral of lies that could destroy everything she has.
I was completely hooked from the beginning. Anna is not a likeable character. She's self-absorbed, irritanting and takes one questionable decision after another (what a fun lady, right?) and I gotta say that all those things made reading this even more enjoyable. She was a train wreck. Her life was the accident you find on the road, know you shouldn't look at, but can't take your eyes off.
With so many open fronts in her work and personal life, the story doesn't stop for a minute with a series of twists and red-herrings that made me center my suspicions in the wrong person till the very last couple of chapters.
The ending never crossed my mind and, although pretty wild, some things required too much suspension of disbelief.
Overall, a super entertaining and twisty read that made the perfect buddy read with Sheyla, Christina and Susan. So much to discuss!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review
March 6, 2021
Review also published on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Outlier Alert!
Just call me disappointed. I'm sorry to say that the wholly convoluted premise of “Unfaithful” was also extremely far-fetched, which, unfortunately, doesn’t work well for me. Furthermore, Anna, the main character may have made the worst decisions of almost any fictional character in the history of fictional characters. (Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a tad, however, all I can say is WOWZA.). Every single decision she made in this book made me want to shake and/or slap her. (Sorry, I try not to judge but REALLY?!? I mean REALLY?! Thinking about the ramifications of your actions before taking them, might have helped you out a great deal here Anna!).
So what, pray tell is the book about?
Anna Sanchez is a Math Professor at a University. Everything is going fairly well, Anna is happily married, working on a proof with her Ph.D., student Alex, that will earn them both kudos, when he completes suicide in front of her. Head spinning from what has happened, Anna seeks refuge in her husband only to later discover that he is having an affair and that it has been going on for months. Yet she does not confront him. Instead, she does everything she can to win him back and after all of her efforts, is almost sure that she has. Almost. Then she finds that the promotion she was up for was given to a much younger version of herself.
Spiraling out of control, Anna takes action that no sane person would. Time and again, Anna does things that boggle the mind and therefore made me want to slap her.
I am hardly ever able to suspend disbelief unless I love the characters and the writing is brilliantly captivating and unfortunately that simply wasn’t the case here for me. I disliked everything about Anna and had no sympathy for her because she got herself into every mess she found herself in.
That said, was this book salacious? Yes! Was it entertaining? Yes! Were my armchair detective skills on point? I’m afraid not! I thought I guessed right in the end and I was so, so wrong and for that, I must give the author, Natalie Barelli, kudos. You got me! Well done!
While this book wasn’t for me, simply because I felt like there was too much going on and I’m not a fan of far-fetched plots, I think that readers who can suspend disbelief will love this.
A Buddy Listen with Ms. Kaceey!
Thank you to Dreamscape Media, NetGalley, and Natalie Barelli for the alc.
Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.
Outlier Alert!
Just call me disappointed. I'm sorry to say that the wholly convoluted premise of “Unfaithful” was also extremely far-fetched, which, unfortunately, doesn’t work well for me. Furthermore, Anna, the main character may have made the worst decisions of almost any fictional character in the history of fictional characters. (Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a tad, however, all I can say is WOWZA.). Every single decision she made in this book made me want to shake and/or slap her. (Sorry, I try not to judge but REALLY?!? I mean REALLY?! Thinking about the ramifications of your actions before taking them, might have helped you out a great deal here Anna!).
So what, pray tell is the book about?
Anna Sanchez is a Math Professor at a University. Everything is going fairly well, Anna is happily married, working on a proof with her Ph.D., student Alex, that will earn them both kudos, when he completes suicide in front of her. Head spinning from what has happened, Anna seeks refuge in her husband only to later discover that he is having an affair and that it has been going on for months. Yet she does not confront him. Instead, she does everything she can to win him back and after all of her efforts, is almost sure that she has. Almost. Then she finds that the promotion she was up for was given to a much younger version of herself.
Spiraling out of control, Anna takes action that no sane person would. Time and again, Anna does things that boggle the mind and therefore made me want to slap her.
I am hardly ever able to suspend disbelief unless I love the characters and the writing is brilliantly captivating and unfortunately that simply wasn’t the case here for me. I disliked everything about Anna and had no sympathy for her because she got herself into every mess she found herself in.
That said, was this book salacious? Yes! Was it entertaining? Yes! Were my armchair detective skills on point? I’m afraid not! I thought I guessed right in the end and I was so, so wrong and for that, I must give the author, Natalie Barelli, kudos. You got me! Well done!
While this book wasn’t for me, simply because I felt like there was too much going on and I’m not a fan of far-fetched plots, I think that readers who can suspend disbelief will love this.
A Buddy Listen with Ms. Kaceey!
Thank you to Dreamscape Media, NetGalley, and Natalie Barelli for the alc.
Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.
December 19, 2020
Unfaithful is a very different psychological thriller novel with very interesting characters – all complex with shades of grey.
Anna is very particular about her family – she is married to Luis and they have two lovely kids Carla and Matti. Anna is a math professor and is at a critical juncture of her career – her research student Alex and she are close to solving the Pentti-Stone conjecture which has been unsolved since years. She has had a fascination for it since long and spent considerable time in her growing years trying to solve it. Alex unexpectedly commits suicide and Anna holds back from telling people all she knew about him and his work. Luis is an artist and Anna suspects that he is having an affair with Stephanie whom he works with. Anna also has a lecherous boss to deal with at work. Her colleague at work June is her only support during these times.
The layers of complexity to the story and characters which the author adds chapter after chapter is excellent and among the best I have read in recent times. Anna is the central character in the story and I loved how the author developed her character. You may not like the way she behaves many times but that adds to the strength of the story. The pace of the story is excellent as well. The ending surprised me, though there are some loose ends which do not entirely tie up.
A book I definitely recommend!
My rating: 4.5 / 5.
Thanks to Bookouture, Netgalley and the author for a free electronic review copy.
Anna is very particular about her family – she is married to Luis and they have two lovely kids Carla and Matti. Anna is a math professor and is at a critical juncture of her career – her research student Alex and she are close to solving the Pentti-Stone conjecture which has been unsolved since years. She has had a fascination for it since long and spent considerable time in her growing years trying to solve it. Alex unexpectedly commits suicide and Anna holds back from telling people all she knew about him and his work. Luis is an artist and Anna suspects that he is having an affair with Stephanie whom he works with. Anna also has a lecherous boss to deal with at work. Her colleague at work June is her only support during these times.
The layers of complexity to the story and characters which the author adds chapter after chapter is excellent and among the best I have read in recent times. Anna is the central character in the story and I loved how the author developed her character. You may not like the way she behaves many times but that adds to the strength of the story. The pace of the story is excellent as well. The ending surprised me, though there are some loose ends which do not entirely tie up.
A book I definitely recommend!
My rating: 4.5 / 5.
Thanks to Bookouture, Netgalley and the author for a free electronic review copy.
October 26, 2020
Dependable, team player Associate Maths Professor Anna has a good life, she’s happily married to Luis and has two lovely children. One night she gets a call from her PHD student Alex which leads to her comfortable life imploding. Secrets and lies pile on top of each other until she doesn’t know which way is up, so there’s more cover up lies but someone is adding accelerant and torching her life .... ooohhh the intrigue!
This is really good! Anna should be a reliable narrator but she’s not, which is not entirely her fault as she’s being masterfully played which adds to the ‘entertainment’! I like the way this is written, the style is lively and engaging right from the start, with a soupçon of dark humour. It’s fast paced, sometimes so speedy my brain has trouble keeping up with the plot twists, which are really clever. It’s gripping, easy to read and though I wouldn’t do what Anna does (no, I really wouldn’t!!) some of it is really understandable and at times you want to egg her on! Yes, it’s gloriously over the top in places but strap yourself in and just go with the pacy flow.
Overall, this is a good read, full of suspense and changes in direction that keeps you on your toes. I can’t wait to read more from Natalie Barelli.
With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc for an honest review.
This is really good! Anna should be a reliable narrator but she’s not, which is not entirely her fault as she’s being masterfully played which adds to the ‘entertainment’! I like the way this is written, the style is lively and engaging right from the start, with a soupçon of dark humour. It’s fast paced, sometimes so speedy my brain has trouble keeping up with the plot twists, which are really clever. It’s gripping, easy to read and though I wouldn’t do what Anna does (no, I really wouldn’t!!) some of it is really understandable and at times you want to egg her on! Yes, it’s gloriously over the top in places but strap yourself in and just go with the pacy flow.
Overall, this is a good read, full of suspense and changes in direction that keeps you on your toes. I can’t wait to read more from Natalie Barelli.
With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc for an honest review.
October 9, 2020
Math professor Anna Sanchez has it all: a great job, a loving husband, and two beautiful children. But when one of her students dies and she becomes convinced that her husband is having an affair, her life quickly spirals out of control. But Anna is not about to sit in a corner and cry about it. She is determined to do whatever it takes to protect what's hers.
A dark and suspenseful read, with plenty of twists and turns and an unreliable narrator to keep you on the edge of your seat anxiously anticipating what's going to happen next. I still have mixed feelings about the culprit's identity but overall I really enjoyed this book and loved how things ended for Anna. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers, then this one definitely delivers. I recommend going into this book knowing as little as possible.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A dark and suspenseful read, with plenty of twists and turns and an unreliable narrator to keep you on the edge of your seat anxiously anticipating what's going to happen next. I still have mixed feelings about the culprit's identity but overall I really enjoyed this book and loved how things ended for Anna. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers, then this one definitely delivers. I recommend going into this book knowing as little as possible.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2021
3.75 Stars
Anna lost her promotion to the professorship (the one that was meant for her), her marriage is at risk and one of her students takes his own life infront of her eyes. And with all these happenings, she feels she never reaches her potential, and she is a disappointment to everyone. With her husband’s success in his career, she fears of being left behind and what tops all of them is the thretening notes she’s getting!
Unfaithful is my first read by this author and I quite enjoyed it. I didn’t see that ending but I wasn’t surprised either. What I liked the most here was Anna as an unreliable character. Told in single POV, 1st person, it’s a standalone novel. It’s fast paced with a satisfying ending. Overall, I liked it and hope you enjoy it as well!
Anna lost her promotion to the professorship (the one that was meant for her), her marriage is at risk and one of her students takes his own life infront of her eyes. And with all these happenings, she feels she never reaches her potential, and she is a disappointment to everyone. With her husband’s success in his career, she fears of being left behind and what tops all of them is the thretening notes she’s getting!
Unfaithful is my first read by this author and I quite enjoyed it. I didn’t see that ending but I wasn’t surprised either. What I liked the most here was Anna as an unreliable character. Told in single POV, 1st person, it’s a standalone novel. It’s fast paced with a satisfying ending. Overall, I liked it and hope you enjoy it as well!
November 27, 2020
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a roller coaster ride from the beginning. What would you do if you worst nightmare comes true? Your husband is having an affair and your life is falling apart. Do you soldier on, or do you try to right the wrong? Anna is living a double life and time isn’t on her side. Is she a villain or an unwilling victim? The shocking conclusion had me feverishly reading until the end! A total thrill ride! This is an anecdote for any reading slump.
Merged review:
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a roller coaster ride from the beginning. What would you do if you worst nightmare comes true? Your husband is having an affair and your life is falling apart. Do you soldier on, or do you try to right the wrong? Anna is living a double life and time isn’t on her side. Is she a villain or an unwilling victim? The shocking conclusion had me feverishly reading until the end! A total thrill ride! This is an antidote for any reading slump.
Merged review:
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a roller coaster ride from the beginning. What would you do if you worst nightmare comes true? Your husband is having an affair and your life is falling apart. Do you soldier on, or do you try to right the wrong? Anna is living a double life and time isn’t on her side. Is she a villain or an unwilling victim? The shocking conclusion had me feverishly reading until the end! A total thrill ride! This is an antidote for any reading slump.
October 27, 2020
I am a big fan of Natalie Barelli books, the lady sure can write a twisty psychological thriller! Unfaithful is a fantastic page turner full of unlikeable characters. It was a fun read that will take you on a crazy ride.
Anna is a well respected math lecturer with the seemingly perfect family. She has a talented artist for a husband who is on the brink of his big break and 2 adorable kids. But all of that is about to come crashing down. Her life is falling apart bit by bit.. first she suspects her husband of cheating and then there’s is the death of one of her students. And that is just the start. A string of events turns her perfect world upside down very quickly.
This is a thrilling ride and I loved it.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.
Anna is a well respected math lecturer with the seemingly perfect family. She has a talented artist for a husband who is on the brink of his big break and 2 adorable kids. But all of that is about to come crashing down. Her life is falling apart bit by bit.. first she suspects her husband of cheating and then there’s is the death of one of her students. And that is just the start. A string of events turns her perfect world upside down very quickly.
This is a thrilling ride and I loved it.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.
May 11, 2021
“Some days it's hard not to feel used and spat out in this world.”
― Natalie Barelli, Unfaithful
My review:
Thank you to all my GR friends who read this spectacular novel! I finished last night.
I was wowed and did NOT expect to be. It's always like this, it seems. The ones you think you will love are stinkers and the ones you are kind of not expecting to be good are....wonderful.
So. I really have to compliment the writer here. The characters lived and breathed for me. I got into Anna, the main character's head and it was a sad place to be but I connected to her so deeply. I cannot believe how much I connected to her. I was going to read ten pages. I wound up finishing the whole book.
This is way more then a woman who finds her husband is having an affair. And it shows why psychological thrillers cannot just be all lumped together. Some really stick out. This is one of them.
Have you ever felt lonely? Devalued? Under appreciated? Drained? Disappointed? Powerless? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you will be able to relate to Anna, the protagonist. I adored her and almost felt like I was reading about a friend. I was also outraged on her behalf.
It is not just Hubs. All the issues she had at work, the snarky people and such. The endless waiting to be promoted. Life in Academics. One really feels the claustrophobia of the corporate world and the unfairness. I liked Anna and wanted to shout out at her to stop putting herself down. Barelli really has written an excellent story here.
June was great too. Now:
SPOILERS:
I was SO glad Anna was innocent. I hoped she'd be. I did not want to connect that deeply to a murderer. LOL. But I felt her goodness. And the way she gets back at her boss? Awesome!
The twist came from left field and shocked me. It never even entered my mind! I have to say it again....Natalie Barelli is a really good writer. I have become so picky about my thrillers and really did not expect much. This was wonderful.
The ending was just..so awesome.
I did want to see Anna get hers in regards to Mila. Mila irritated the heck out of me even though she wasn't in the book that much. I've known to many Milas.
Thanks for no animal abuse, author! They all seem to have that lately and that is an automatic low rating from me.
The book was so good, I was a bit down when it ended. It is a bit out there and one must suspend disbelief a bit but if you can do that, and you like thrillers where you really get to know your characters, you will like this.
― Natalie Barelli, Unfaithful
My review:
Thank you to all my GR friends who read this spectacular novel! I finished last night.
I was wowed and did NOT expect to be. It's always like this, it seems. The ones you think you will love are stinkers and the ones you are kind of not expecting to be good are....wonderful.
So. I really have to compliment the writer here. The characters lived and breathed for me. I got into Anna, the main character's head and it was a sad place to be but I connected to her so deeply. I cannot believe how much I connected to her. I was going to read ten pages. I wound up finishing the whole book.
This is way more then a woman who finds her husband is having an affair. And it shows why psychological thrillers cannot just be all lumped together. Some really stick out. This is one of them.
Have you ever felt lonely? Devalued? Under appreciated? Drained? Disappointed? Powerless? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you will be able to relate to Anna, the protagonist. I adored her and almost felt like I was reading about a friend. I was also outraged on her behalf.
It is not just Hubs. All the issues she had at work, the snarky people and such. The endless waiting to be promoted. Life in Academics. One really feels the claustrophobia of the corporate world and the unfairness. I liked Anna and wanted to shout out at her to stop putting herself down. Barelli really has written an excellent story here.
June was great too. Now:
SPOILERS:
I was SO glad Anna was innocent. I hoped she'd be. I did not want to connect that deeply to a murderer. LOL. But I felt her goodness. And the way she gets back at her boss? Awesome!
The twist came from left field and shocked me. It never even entered my mind! I have to say it again....Natalie Barelli is a really good writer. I have become so picky about my thrillers and really did not expect much. This was wonderful.
The ending was just..so awesome.
I did want to see Anna get hers in regards to Mila. Mila irritated the heck out of me even though she wasn't in the book that much. I've known to many Milas.
Thanks for no animal abuse, author! They all seem to have that lately and that is an automatic low rating from me.
The book was so good, I was a bit down when it ended. It is a bit out there and one must suspend disbelief a bit but if you can do that, and you like thrillers where you really get to know your characters, you will like this.
Read
December 7, 2020DNF @ 42%. Not connecting to the characters. Storyline is too far-fetched.
November 23, 2020
Anna Sanchez was senior lecturer of Mathematics at Locke Weidman University, who’d worked hard on campus to support her husband Luis as his career took hold. Luis was an artist – a good one – and Anna didn’t regret the hours and days where she missed the children growing up while she supported the family. One of Anna’s top students, Alex, was working on a paper which she was co-authoring, and they weren’t far from publication when Alex suddenly died. Her shock saw her start to fall to pieces. Heading to Luis’ studio after work, hoping to receive comfort and commiserations, Anna was shattered to see evidence that Luis was being unfaithful…
Anna’s life turned upside down; her work was chaotic – but June was there for her. The drinking was out of control and she constantly lied. Her two children, Carla and Matti, were adorable; she loved them dearly – but what was going to happen in this roller coaster ride that was her marriage?
Unfaithful by Aussie author Natalie Barelli is a twisty psychological thriller with an ending I didn’t see coming! Anna wasn’t a nice person. In fact, June was the only person who touched me; the rest, including Anna as a very unreliable and wobbly narrator, didn’t do anything for me. Unfaithful was slow to get started; probably the pace didn’t begin to pick up until at least halfway through the novel. I found myself turning the pages faster as I got nearer the ending. Recommended to fans of the genre.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Anna’s life turned upside down; her work was chaotic – but June was there for her. The drinking was out of control and she constantly lied. Her two children, Carla and Matti, were adorable; she loved them dearly – but what was going to happen in this roller coaster ride that was her marriage?
Unfaithful by Aussie author Natalie Barelli is a twisty psychological thriller with an ending I didn’t see coming! Anna wasn’t a nice person. In fact, June was the only person who touched me; the rest, including Anna as a very unreliable and wobbly narrator, didn’t do anything for me. Unfaithful was slow to get started; probably the pace didn’t begin to pick up until at least halfway through the novel. I found myself turning the pages faster as I got nearer the ending. Recommended to fans of the genre.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2020
Zig zagged with ( look away if get offended 😁 ) twists, turns and clever red herrings
I think the one word, Unfaithful, probably conjures up what the reader will expect from this book but it offers a lot more than just an errant partner
Anna, the main character, narrates the book and leads us through what is happening in her ‘getting worse by the day’ life, she is a Uni Maths lecturer and with a student is on course to solve one of the worlds hardest mathematical problems, this is stressful enough but then she gets hit left, right and centre by an ever growing set of serious life problems that would make anyone question their sanity, the book then follows these as they get more and more dangerous for her
The first part of the book is slower as we have a build up to the events but once ‘it’s all systems go’ it really is tense and full on and I did think a few times ‘how is she coping with this?’, which I guess shows how believable the whole sorry sad tale was
Enjoyable, fraught, well written and with a 2tiered ending, both of which I was happy with!
9/10
5 Stars
I think the one word, Unfaithful, probably conjures up what the reader will expect from this book but it offers a lot more than just an errant partner
Anna, the main character, narrates the book and leads us through what is happening in her ‘getting worse by the day’ life, she is a Uni Maths lecturer and with a student is on course to solve one of the worlds hardest mathematical problems, this is stressful enough but then she gets hit left, right and centre by an ever growing set of serious life problems that would make anyone question their sanity, the book then follows these as they get more and more dangerous for her
The first part of the book is slower as we have a build up to the events but once ‘it’s all systems go’ it really is tense and full on and I did think a few times ‘how is she coping with this?’, which I guess shows how believable the whole sorry sad tale was
Enjoyable, fraught, well written and with a 2tiered ending, both of which I was happy with!
9/10
5 Stars
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