Ugh.. this book really dragged for me and I just had a hard time getting into it. It was well written, but it felt so common-so many ( better) books and tv shows and movies have had a spouse trying to figure out what happened to their partner- and this book wasn’t innovative or anything special for me. I got a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.

I truly enjoyed "Under My Skin" by Lisa Unger. She has created a first class mystery with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the bitter end. Without going into too much detail, this book follows the life of a young widow named Poppy who can't accept the death of her husband even after a year has passed. Her husband Jack was killed in what seems to be a random street attack yet this does not ring true to Poppy's subconscious. I loved how Lisa Unger created an unreliable narrator in the form of Poppy. When we read the story, sometimes we realize that the entire section we have read is actually a dream. Are these dreams flashbacks or do they contain hints to what happened to Jack or to Poppy during a period where she "fell down a rabbit hole" (had a breakdown and lost several days of her life that she can't remember). The novel also makes you think about how we don't always get the goodbye we want and some relationships end without closure. If only we could re-write our last good-bye with someone we love. Lisa also delves into marital abuse and how sometimes it continues from generation to generation. A lot to explore in this book- a real gem!

I love Lisa Unger and I really love when I don’t read the same mystery, thriller, suspense, etc over and over again. I crave uniqueness and a story I can’t solve on my own. Something that keeps my eyes glued to the pages until I’m finished and thinking whoa!!! This is rare but Lisa Unger did it here! Under My Skin will stress you out and keep you on your toes! A must read!

I love Lisa Unger and this book did NOT disappoint. I am usually able to predict how things end and find it amazing when I can’t! This was one of those times. It was a little confusing but written in a way so that you also felt the main characters confusion as she struggles to find out what happened to her husband, and what’s going on around her right now. Between her blackouts you’re as lost as she is and seeking the same answers. I highly recommend this book as well as others from Lisa Unger!

I'm a huge fan of Lisa Unger and I was thrilled to have a chance to read this arc from netgalley. What a wonderful thrilling story that grabs the reader from the beginning. Poppy is struggling to keep her life together a year after the death of her husband. Poppy is desperate to find out what happened to Jack when he was murdered and she is holding on to guilt for not being with him. Her emotional struggles and her use of medication have caused her to lose moments in time which are slowly starting to come back to her as the story progresses. Searching for the man who is following her and trying to piece together the missing moments from the days she disappeared as well, this was a classic Unger novel and one of the best I have read by her.

This is a tough book to review. I thought the author had an original twist on a thriller/murder mystery. The main character, in her struggle with grief over the loss of her husband, is lost in a mixture of drugs (some prescribed and some not) and alcohol. She gets lost between the present, the past, and a blackout period she experienced shortly after her husband’s murder. Because of this, the reader often does not know which of these time lines is current and definitely cannot trust the main character’s account of what the heck is going on. This could have been done effectively, but it felt like the repetition and contradictions did not make a lot of sense sometimes. Whole loops in time and place were unnecessary to the story. Perhaps some serious editing would have helped. The author does do a good job of resolving the story, and the bad guy is a bit of a surprise, but perhaps because there were not very many indications that persons was bad from the beginning.

I thank NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

A roller coaster of a story full of twists and turns that kept me guessing. A much more complex story than it first appears. I can't wait to read more by this author!

Under My Skin by Lisa Unger will be the second novel I have read from this author, though she has a long body of work- no pun intended!

This one is called an “addictive psychological thriller” so what more do we really need to know?

Here’s the scoop:



It’s been a year since Poppy’s husband, Jack, was brutally murdered during his morning run through Manhattan’s Riverside Park. In the immediate aftermath, Poppy spiraled into an oblivion of grief, disappearing for several days only to turn up ragged and confused wearing a tight red dress she didn’t recognize. What happened to Poppy during those lost days? And more importantly, what happened to Jack?

The case was never solved, and Poppy has finally begun to move on. But those lost days have never stopped haunting her. Poppy starts having nightmares and blackouts–there are periods of time she can’t remember, and she’s unable to tell the difference between what is real and what she’s imagining. When she begins to sense that someone is following her, Poppy is plunged into a game of cat and mouse, determined to unravel the mystery around her husband’s death. But can she handle the truth about what really happened?



A good old fashioned murder mystery is always a fine idea. Perfect reading for a lazy fall weekend. October 2018.

I love Lisa Unger's thrillers, and this book is no exception. She really knows how to build up creepy suspense, and how to weave in calming, soothing characters to hold your hand throughout the way. Poppy is a sympathetic character, living a nightmarish, newly-widowed existence. She seeks mental solace in her best friend, Layla, and her shrink, Dr. Nash. She seeks physical solace in meds, some prescribed, some not. Unger does her usual amazing job of making the reader feel like he/she is suffering right along with Poppy.

The only aspect of the book that I found annoying was the use of dream/memory sequences. It was a little too much for me, but I'm someone who fast forwards through all the dream sequences in The Sopranos. It's my own preference, but I do understand that these literary devices serve a purpose.

What a great read! Poppy’s husband Jack was murdered a year ago and the murder has never been solved. Poppy had a breakdown shortly after Jacks death and has no memory of where she was or what happened for several days. Poppy has been taking pills to help her sleep. She is having dreams that she isn’t sure are dreams. Are they memories returning or is she going crazy. What is real and what is a dream. Poppy finally decides in order to move on she needs to know what happened to a Jack. She is obsessed with finding the answer.

This book had so many twists! You were never sure if Poppy as dreaming or what happens is real. I was just as confused as Poppy! It was hard to put this book down. The ending was a surprise. I would give this book 4 1/2 stars. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A typical plot, but there were still some surprises I didn't expect. There were some moments that seemed like magical realism and I'm still not sure if they were only delusions or actual magical realism, if that makes sense. The main character and her best friend were well developed. Her husband and surrounding characters were more outlines than anything else. Also, the time lapses were never fully explained. Not completely. Nothing new or astounding in the novel, but entertaining and a quick read.

How do we know the difference between dreams and memories?

Ms. Unger is back with another spot on psychological thriller.

It has now been almost a year since Poppy's husband Jack was murdered while on an early morning run. His killer has never been found.

Poppy has become a ghost in her own life. Not sure if she is dreaming or remembering what happened in the days after the murder. She's seeing a therapist but she isn't telling her everything. She's popping pills with alcohol to try to sleep but even then she isn't sure if she is sleeping or dreaming. Did she have a break from reality? Will she ever remember what happened?

Looking at her through my own experience with losing a husband in a second, I can relate to Poppy. And I can tell you this hit very close to home for me. Thinking you see your husband sitting on the sofa or lounging in doorway only to find none of its real.


When strange men start texting her and following her she isn't quite sure if they are real or if she is really losing her mind. But the one thing you can count on in this story is that nothing is what it looks like and no one is what they say they are. 

I love that the author keeps you on your toes with a fast pace and a main character you just want to hold on to and reassure her that it will be okay.

Well Done!

Netgalley/Harlequin Park Row October 2, 2018

No, this book isn't doing anything for me. .I know it is supposed to be a thriller, but so far I don't care enough about the characters to want to read more. 12% into the book and I'm done.
After losing her husband the previous year, Poppy is starting to get out again, but dating is not working. She isn't ready, but a friend sets her up on a dating site. Her mind isn't into it, partly because she thinks she is being followed by a strange man. The not knowing if he is real or not drives her crazy and annoyed me so I stopped. I'm sure it gets better, but I am done.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Interesting premise, based in how trauma can wreck your memory, and in this case, your life.
The utter horror of what happened to her husband, I could so imagine her reaction. In trying to make sense of some of her reactions to her loss and then trying to find a path forward, strange things start to happen. Flashes of previous events that don't seem to make sense start and become more frequent.

As the layers of the story unfold, the betrayal is revealed. It is a sad story, abuse, violence and all the horrifying feelings and issues that come along with it. The hidden abuse, the beatings and threats, those things will always be carried.

Not a sweet little book to pick up at night, but worth reading.

Rounded up. This was a bit confusing at times but I think it’s meant to be written this way. The main character, Polly, is stumbling around, desperate for answers, while fueled by grief, alcohol, and drugs. At times, it is not clear if Polly is awake or dreaming, hallucinating or actually seeing.

The setting and characters are interesting. The bits about photography were enjoyable as well. We are introduced to a good amount of people but not much happens for a large portion of the story. The ending was satisfying and twisty.

I would recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and HARLEQUIN - Trade Publishing for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was given advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I usually like Lisa Unger’s books, but this one not so much. It involved dream sequences and an underground club named after “Morphius” from The Matrix. Yeah. So not my thing. But you might like it.

Under My Skin is a very suspenseful and interesting novel that explores so many topics. The author successfully touches upon subjects such as mental illness , grief , secrets, abuse , dysfunctional relationships and murder. The reader is kept searching for answers and the author has cleverly written the novel in such a way that you cannot really figure out the mystery until the very end. The only complaint I would have about this novel, and it is a minor complaint, is that the novel seemed to drag a bit in the middle but the ending more than makes up for this!

3.5/5 This was a good psychological thriller, but not one of my favorites. For me, there were too many sections of the book that the author would then turn around and say, haha, none of that was really happening; it was all just a dream. I understand having realistic dreams, but having a existence where you're never sure when you're awake and when you're dreaming sounds a bit much to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the book publisher for a free copy in exchange for this unbiased review. This is the first book by Lisa Unger I have read and I thought it was pretty good. The pace was great and I think it would be easy to create a helpless, weak main character in the midst of all that trauma, but I liked Poppy and her life and wanted her to find her way. I thought Unger did a good job of casting doubt on all of the characters in subtle ways. Though several people have criticized the ambiguity about what was real and what was a dream, I thought it added to the story and helped create an overall hazy and mysterious effect to the plot.

Full review on Goodreads. I liked the characters and the mystery and the suspense. I did not love the ending. Overall, the book kept me sucked in for 95% of it, so I would call this one a fun beach read.