“The photographer is a thief, stealing time.” – Poppy, in Under my Skin by Lisa Unger

Start to finish, I absolutely loved Under My Skin by Lisa Unger. As Poppy seeks to find the truth about who murdered her husband Jack, she must also uncover the truth about what happened to her during the days after Jack’s funeral, days she cannot remember at all.

Poppy has trouble differentiating between what is real and what is imagine or dreamed, and the reader must also ride down this path, never sure what is true and what is a nightmare. The story is thrilling, but my favorite part of this book is the character development, which is superb. Poppy and her husband are photographers, so many references are made to light and shadow, capturing emotion through a camera lens, and the beauty of images. There is such attention to detail in creating each character, even down to Detective Grayson and his Pepsi.

“The eye, the memory – they’re the trickiest liars. Only the camera lens captures the truth, and just for a moment.”

Thank you to author Lisa Unger, publisher Harlequin (Park Row), and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book was a joy to read!

I love this Author's writing and have read all her books. I was totally immersed in this story from the beginning. Poppy suffers a breakdown after the funeral of her husband who was murdered while on his morning run. No one was arrested or charged. Poppy loses a few days of her life and is not sure if she is dreaming or remembering pieces of what happened. Her best friend was keeping a huge secret from her. To say the ending had me gasping out loud is an understatement. Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.

I have read Lisa Unger before and was excited to read her current book. Poppy Lang's world fall apart with the brutal murder of her husband Jack. Along with this, her concept of what is real and not is woven throughout. I was taken on this journey as at times it was disjointed, confusing me as to what was really going on. As the storyline continued, I realized that Unger wanted the reader to experience the disconnect and questioning of Poppy's mental faculties. I was hooked within the first 20 pages. Some readers may find this style a bit disconcerting. To me it added that dimension of insight as to how it must feel question the real and not so real world that could happen when trying to find the truth. Early on the reader knows about the mental breakdown and her slow recovery coming out of the fog from medication and mental distress as she tries to find her husband's killer.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC of #UnderMySkin

Another exciting and addictive book by Lisa Unger. This book takes us through the story about a woman suffering the ramifications of PTSD after the brutal murder of her husband. The reader experiences the blackouts, hallucinations, and flashbacks she faces all while the mystery of finding her husband’s killer unfolds.

Poppy and Jack were successful photojournalists, running their own business. They were madly in love and seemed to have it all, but when Jack gets brutally murdered on his morning run, Poppy’s world ceases to exist. A year later, Jack’s murder remains unsolved. Poppy continues to wade through her grief, barely partaking in her own life. Her friends and family tip-toe around her, afraid she may disappear again to suffer another break down as she did shortly after Jack’s funeral. Fueled by pills, alcohol, and grief, Poppy can no longer differentiate between reality and hallucinations. While her best friend, Layla, convinces her to start dating, thinking it may help in her recovery, Poppy begins having more frequent and intense nightmares, along with prolonged periods of blackouts. Her need to find out what happened to Jack continues to intensify as she begins to remember pieces of her past. When Poppy voices concern about someone following her, will those closest to her believe her? And when Jack’s case begins to unravel, will Poppy be able to face the truth about his death?

Unger did an excellent job at keeping the main character relatable and putting us right there in the throws of grief with her. As the plot develops, Unger has this unique way of teasing the reader with suspense by allowing truths to be gained by the characters but at the same time, not revealing too much to the reader . Great book. 5 stars.

I was so excited to read this book. It was enjoyable thriller! There were some crazy twists and turns. I would recommend this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Do you ever start a book by a favorite author when it’s quiet and no one is around so you can read quickly and uninterrupted? Then, it’s so good, you slow down to savor the ending… not wanting it to end? This is one of those books!

“Sometimes we invite darkness.” Yes, Poppy, whether inadvertently or intentionally, sometimes we do! This is the gist of this book, to me.

The book begins with the main character, Poppy, in a bar talking to a stranger. However, too much to drink and too many pills to dull the pain render her unable to fend off her date when he tries to force her. A hooded man saves her just as she falls unconscious.

Poppy’s husband, Jack, was brutally murdered a year ago. With no leads, the murder is still unsolved. Just after the funeral, Poppy disappears for several days and has no memory of where she was or who she was with before turning up on her best friend’s doorstep in a red party dress. She is in counseling, but continues to self-medicate with pills and alcohol and suffers from insomnia. She soon realizes she is suffering from hypnogogia… the transitional phase between sleep and wakefulness or vice versa. She has not idea what real and what is dream. She is being followed; she is seeing her dead husband. But, she is also seeing a strange woman that appears to her as being savagely beaten.

The Hollows is one of my favorite places and while “Under My Skin” is not set in this strange town, the main character does make a visit. While there, she also runs into one of my favorite characters, Jones Cooper. If you have ready a few of Lisa Unger’s other novels, you know where and who I am talking about. I won’t lie… I was giddy when I got to those parts.

Read it… you won’t be able to put this book down!

Publication Date: October 1, 2018
Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Murder, Mystery, Paranormal
Cover: OK
Rating: 5 stars
Source: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#UnderMySkin #NetGalley

After Poppy's husband Jack is beaten to death on his morning run, Poppy disappears. Several days later she stumbles into the lobby of her best friends building wearing a red dress, confused, and with no memory of where she was or what happened to her. Almost a year later her husband’s case is still unsolved with no leads on his murderer. Poppy, begins having vivid nightmares, blackouts, and is certain a hooded man has been following her. Is she losing her mind, are they dreams or memories, and who is the man following her? As Poppy begins to question the events surrounding Jacks death, she finds herself getting close to answers that might just get her killed.

I really enjoy Lisa Unger's writing and was so excited to get the chance to review her new book. I am really torn on what to rate this so I am going with 3.5 stars and rounding up. The first few chapters had me instantly hooked. I loved the idea of this novel in which a woman who falls into the "unreliable witness" trope is uncertain if what is happening to her is real or all in her head. It had that psychological thriller vibe involving a potential killer stalking her and no memory of past events. What I didn't care for was the main characters continual descent into grief stricken agony in which she repeatedly talks about her use of medication, alcohol, and sex to forget all of her pain. Also is everyone in this novel using the same online dating site? I personally prefer stronger female characters, even one's that are flawed (Ink and Bone), so Poppy's character was not that appealing to me. The novel does pick back up again after that short lag and finishes strong. This novel was entertaining and I finished it in a little over a day, so I would still recommend this to lovers of this style of mystery/thriller.

Under My Skin was an enjoyable read with an unreliable protagonist. Poppy Lang’s husband, Jack, was brutally murdered while jogging early one morning. Poppy falls apart soon after and there is a period in which she doesn’t remember anything that happened. Her best friend, Layla, finds her in a red dress and completely unaware of her surroundings. As the story progresses, we learn that Poppy is on medication from her therapist and is supplementing with other medication given to her by Layla to ease the pain she is feeling from Jack’s death. Poppy’s thought process is so scattered that it’s difficult to know if what she thinks is real is really there or not. This made the book even more interesting to read since the reader doesn’t know if the facts given are true or not. Although Poppy’s character was a bit annoying at times because of her instability, I found that her love for Jack helped to redeem her. She pushed and pushed to figure out what happened to him and with the help of the police officer and Layla, is able to put some of the pieces together gradually. Overall, I found this story to be entertaining and fun. The ending was also done well as it answered any question the reader might have about what happened and what lies ahead for the characters. This was my first Lisa Unger book and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Lisa Unger, Harlequin, Netgalley, and CityBookReview for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book, characters were well developed. The plot had many twist and turns. Great read., cannot wait for the next book..

This is the story of Poppy, who lost her husband Jack to a murder over a year ago. She goes between real life, dreams and flashbacks....what is real and what isn't real? It certainly doesn't help that she is taking medication and drinking.

Who is the masked man? Why does her BFF Layla never leave her alone and have a phone app that can trace her whereabouts? Is Noah a good guy or a stalker? Why is Detective Grayson telling her to remain low? So many questions and so much to figure out....

I have read Lisa Unger before and I enjoy her stories. I did find myself taking my time through the first part of the book because I would get a little lost myself. I did find the second part easier to follow. It did all come together at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I like Lisa Unger's books and was excited to read this advance copy, thanks to NetGalley.


Poppy's husband Jack, has been murdered in Central Park. A year later, she still doesn't know what really happened and/or why. She has vivid, sometimes violent dreams where she doesn't really know if they are dreams or memories.


Poppy just can't move past all the unanswered questions surrounding her beloved husband's death and the more dreams/memories that flash before her, the more frightened she becomes. There are secrets in Poppy's life that she has been kept safe from and ones she may not want to know the truth about.
I enjoyed this book. I thought it was fast paced and interesting. I really wanted to see what happened! The only part I thought kind of was odd was Poppy's relationship with Noah. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the tie in to The Hollows, the fictional neighborhood seen in other books of Lisa Unger.
This book releases on or around October 1, 2018. I really do recommend it! Lisa Unger never fails to disappoint!


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Will review on Amazon and other sites upon book's release.

3/5 ⭐️
The beginning was a bit slow, but it wasn’t boring. Then things slowly started to happen and I was questioning the MC and her take on reality with everything that happens to her. As the book went on, the plot fell flat to me. The ending was alright, I see how everything came together, but I thought it would be this big revelation somehow.

"I wonder if anyone notices that I am a ghost in my life."

Poppy's husband, Jack, was murdered one year ago during his morning run in the park. After his funeral, Poppy disappeared. Her best friend and Mother were concerned and even more worried when Poppy showed up wearing a red dress, confused and with no memory as to where she was during those missing three days. Hospitalized with a "nervous breakdown", Poppy recovers but still does not have any memory of those lost days.

"What is read and what isn't real?"

This book was all over the place. It has a dizzying effect. When I first began reading, I was confused and had a hard time keeping track of what was happening. I scratched my head, wondering how this book got positive reviews. Initially this book is a mess. Timelines jumped around, things I thought happened, didn't happen....and then I got it. Poppy is having a hard time with her reality. She doesn’t know what is real, what as a dream, a past memory. She is confused and having trouble making sense of what is happening in her life. How many of us know what it feels like to question your reality? Is what just happed real? Was it a hallucination? A False memory, a dream? Did I have that conversation last night, or six months ago? Did I have that conversation at all? Lisa Unger did an amazingly brilliant job of having the reader feel what the female protagonist is feeling - confusion.

Wow! Is all I can say! What I initially thought was a mess turned into something brilliant. AS Poppy searches for the truth, Unger will have the reader (and Poppy) questioning what is real and what isn’t. This isn’t a straight murder mystery/thriller but a wild ride in search of the truth through one woman’s reality.

Very well done and thought out. Unger pulled this one off so smoothly. I was just as lost and confused as Poppy. I wasn’t clear as to what was happening and questioned my theories the entire book. Very well played, Unger! Although I wasn’t quite sure what was real and what wasn’t, I could not put this book down. I was eager to learn the truth about Jack’s murder and Poppy’s missing days.

Thank you to Harlequin -Hanover Square Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

First, let me say I really love Lisa Unger. Her Hallows books are beyond compare. And this one, while good, does not compare.

I enjoyed the writing, which was fast paced and stellar as always, but I hated Poppy and her inability to help herself. I spent much of the first half of the book angry at her vacillation between what she should be doing and what she is doing. Her paranoia seemed at times warranted and other times wildly manufactured.

That said, I did enjoy the satisfying ending, and I enjoyed the book overall.

If you are new to Ms. Unger, try the Hallows books first.

To say that I'm a fan of Lisa Unger would be an understatement; I've read everything she's written and loved all of it. To say I consumed this book would be a lie; IT literally consumed ME! I was breathless the entire time I was reading. Who knows which are nightmares and which are memories? Certainly not Poppy whose husband, Jack was murdered a year ago and there have been no leads. Poppy is devastated and can't move on with her life, even "losing" some days immediately following his death. Friends and family are there to help as well as a therapist and police detective, but Poppy is sleep-deprived and attempts to self-medicate with pills and alcohol. But there are way more secrets and lies to uncover and we are thrown into a whirlwind of questions with no answers...until Poppy can "awaken" and take control of her own life. Like all of Unger's books, this one has many beautiful and dark layers that must be peeled away before the truth can emerge. Plan on staying up all night for this one!

I really struggled with reading this book as Poppy is an unreliable narrator. When I read the description of the book, I was intrigued by the plot, however, there were many issues between Poppy's real world and dream world that left me confused and irritated as a reader.

A year has passed since Poppy’s husband Jack was brutally murdered. No progress has been made in resolving the case, and Poppy remains rooted in a determination to learn more, while resorting to drugs and liquor to get through each day. Those determined roots immobilize Poppy. Layla, her best friend encourages Poppy to accept the circumstances, and begin dating. But dating only opens new, more confusing doors in the never-ending maze that is Poppy’s life. From page one, readers are drawn into a world where reality might, in fact, be a dream – where perceived safety is likely dangerous – and where the present might really be the past. Under My Skin is a riveting read from beginning to end, and readers will be compelled to burn the midnight oil to find their own rest and resolution.

The books is written in 2 parts. Part one is slow, confusing and repetitive. It’s confusing and hard to figure out what is real and what is a dream. Part 2 is better and the who and the why of the murder is revealed almost at the end. It’s guessable but I still didn’t guess it right. Poppy is an unreliable narrator. She’s the epitome of being unreliable actually! I don’t understand her character well. It’s hard to imagine that she continues to consume pills and alcohol despite knowing that the only way she can solve her husband’s murder is by keeping a clear head. The actual story is extremely interesting but it’s not been treated well. The writing ends up confusing the reader and there were many places where I had to stop and re-read! Given the stark difference in the plot between part 1 and 2, I think a rating of 3 is a good indicator of the book overall.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for providing me with a advance reader copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.**

Poppy thinks that she is being followed. She was married to a fellow travel photographer, Jack. Jack and Poppy began a business dedicated to protecting the rights of people who make a living with their camera. However, after 5 years together, Jack is brutally beaten and left for dead. Newly widowed, Poppy is in charge of the business, has a hot desire to find out who Jack's killer was, and is mired in drugs and alcohol. At her best friend, (Layla's) advice, she goes on three internet dates a year after Jack's demise. She ghosts all three - not wanting more than a one night stand. Eventually, Poppy finds it difficult to discern among reality, memories and dreams.

Having suffered a breakdown a few days after Jack's death, Poppy has absolutely no memories of that time. Detective Grayson, on the case (and has been for a year) still has the need from time to time to question the once suspected Poppy. Layla (Poppy's best friend) is married to Mac with 2 great teenagers. Layla & Mac are also filthy rich. Izzy (their daughter) tells Poppy that all Mac & Layla do is fight.

Although Poppy's therapist is trying to wean Poppy off her meds, Poppy gets pills from Layla and drinks, as well. She just knows that she is being followed by a man in a hooded jacket and tries to confront him!

Poppy accepts a 2nd date with Noah - she wants to go to Club Morpheus. She had found a matchbook from there in Jack's possession. Also, the name "Elena" is written inside the matchbook. Noah (a date Poppy has once) goes with Poppy and allows her to react to the club. Poppy finds out that she was at the club before and the bartender has a picture of them (Poppy & Noah) together at Morpheus. Poppy crashes to sleep as Noah drops her off, yet he stays overnight on the couch to make sure Poppy is OK.

Tarot decks, therapist visits, token work performances and nights spent at Mac & Layla's all begin to lead to Poppy's undoing. She needs to give up the drugs and booze in order to sort her life out. One day Mac, Layla, Poppy's mom and Tom (the security man of Mac's) catch Poppy in an ambush to get her to seek help from their PI.

Not so good. Poppy runs out and begins to unravel the entire truth - which has surprising twists and turns most of us do not see coming...

Many thanks to Harlequin - Hanover Square Press and Netgalley for a thrill of a ride!

I am a fan of Lisa Unger and have read all of her books and always look forward to escape in a new one. All I can say is I am sorry its finished and I don't have one of her books to read.