Unforgivable
by Natalie Barelli

HAPPY PUB DAY!!!

⭐⭐⭐⭐🌑

[Blurb]Your ex-wife didn't leave you because of me. She didn't abandon her little girl because of a couple of love notes in your jeans pocket. She left because she's twisted, and she wanted to punish you. And she's not finished yet. You have to believe me. If you don't, there's no knowing what she'll do next...

[Review] This book gave me such anxiety. This is an anxiety I think about. Not that my husband has an ex-wife. But what if he doesn't believe me. What if I'm not perfect all the time (he does, and I'm not) but still anxiety is a bitch. This book is back and forth. Is she a reliable narrator, or isn't she? Should we trust her or shouldn't we? Should we believe so-and-so, or shouldn't we?

My book notebook is so full of notes going back and forth. Also, I have a note about Charlie, that poor fictional child. “Afraid of getting a question wrong” that is a feeling I know all too well. Holy moly.

I took off half a star because I thought the ending was a bit lack luster. But I was on the edge of my seat the whole freaking book. It was worth only .5 of a deduction!

Thank you, Netgalley & Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this audiobook
Thank you, Natalie Barelli for this inredible book
Thank you, Jennifer Jill Araya for yet another incredible job bringing these characters to life!!

4.5⭐ rounded up for the audiobook.

There was so much going on my head was spinning. I went from having it all figured out, to being clueless, back and forth and all over the place with my thoughts. An abundance of twists and turns that kept the story flowing along at a delightfully engaging and quick pace.

Our main characters are:
Laura ~ engaged to Jack, already acts as a stepmom to Charlie
Jack ~ father to Charlie, engaged to Laura
Bronwyn ~ absentee mother to Charlie, ex-wife of Jack, childhood friend of Laura

Bronwyn is back in town after living in Italy and she wants back in Charlie's life. Jack has no choice but to allow it, but did he really think it would be a good idea to allow his ex-wife to stay in his home. Crazy talk! and why would Laura be okay with it? I mean it's her house too and she's the only one paying the bills right now as Jack takes an awfully long time looking for a new job while he drinks up a storm.
Side note ~ I was very frustrated with how much money they continued to spend when they were obviously getting their selves further and further into debt.

There were times I both loved and hated each character ~ except for the adorable, Charlie, she was always lovable. I did not like what Laura asked Summer to do ~ in what world was this a good idea? No world, that's where.

Jennifer Jill Araya did a wonderful job narrating for 9 hours and 38 minutes. She really gave proper emotion to each characters voice. To the frantic, at times, voice of Laura, to the condescending voice of Bronwyn and everyone in between ~ it was just perfect.

I believe I've read similar plots, but this was on a different level of thrillingness.

This is my second time reading Natalie's work (the first was Missing Molly, I tagged it as 4.5⭐, but wasn't writing reviews at that time). I will for sure put her on my list to read again and again.

This was my first book by Natalie Barelli.
(Publication date: 7/26/2022)

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love thriller and suspense novels so I was pumped to read Unforgivable. I would call it more of a suspenseful family drama.

Laura is soon to become Jack's wife and Charlie's stepmother. Laura could not be more excited. Things were going great for all three until Bronwyn, Jack's ex-wife and Charlie's mom, is back and moving in.

Bronwen is demanding and manipulative, but somehow only Laura sees it and will do anything to protect Charlie even if that means sacrificing her pending marriage.

I enjoyed reading this. I thought Barelli's writing was easy to follow and captivating. The characters were well rounded and easy to love or hate. The ending was intense even though you had a fair idea of what was coming.

I wish there was a little more thrill and that the suspense happened more and sooner than it did.

Thank you @netgalley and dreamscape media for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unforgivable
by Natalie Barelli
Narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya
Pub Date 26 Jul 2022 |
Dreamscape Media
Mystery & Thrillers


I am reviewing a copy of Unforgivable through Dreamscape Media and Netgalley:



Your ex wife is twisted, she didn’t leave you because of me. She didn’t abandon her little girl because of a couple of love notes in your jeans pocket. She left because she’s twisted, and she wanted to punish you. And she’s not finished yet. You have to believe me. If you don’t, there’s no knowing what she’ll do next.



The best thing that ever happened to me was becoming a stepmother. The favorite part of my day is picking Charlie up from school, watching her little rucksack bounce behind her as she skips over for a hug. I love the feel of those thin freckled arms around my waist. After a few rocky months of panic attacks when her mother deserted her, Charlie is flourishing. But the day Charlie’s mother Bronwyn returns without warning showering Charlie with gifts and making promises she can’t keep fear ripples through me.




No one wants to listen when I raise my concerns. no one wants to listen. I know I sound like the jealous new wife, but nothing is more important to me than Charlie’s safety. Bronwyn and I have history. We both have dark secrets in our past, and I know the dangerous lengths she will go to get what she wants.
But Bronwyn doesn’t know me as well as I know her.




She doesn’t know just how far I will go to protect that little girl.



I give Unforgivable five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I am a big fan of Natalie Barelli's. Unforgivable was good but not her best. The thing that bothered me the most about this domestic thriller was how clueless and somewhat stupid the character of Laura was. Who is stupid enough to let the wicked stepmother stay in their house for weeks? Then one incident after another made Laura seem so dim-witted. I did enjoy the relationship that laura had with Charlie.

I wasn’t a fan of this one. I’ve read other work by this author and enjoyed it, but this was so far fetched I just couldn’t get into it.

Unrealistic and predictable.

Engaged to be married, Laura’s life was almost perfect, until Bronwyn, the ex-wife of her fiancé returned. No one sees Bronwyn for who she is, except Laura, that is.

Part mystery, part domestic suspense, this novel played on Laura looking unreliable and Bronwyn looking purely perfect. Who is who?

All I can say is that Natalie Barelli left me a little underwhelmed. I found the storyline to be both extremely predictable, and quite outlandish at the same time though, I'm sure a lot of readers will find this story to be wholly entertaining. In the end, I chalk this up to my being the wrong reader for this author's novels.

A buddy listen with Kaceey.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the alc.

Unforgivable by Natalie Barelli is another great read by this author. The plot is interesting and unique. The characters were not lovable, nor did I root for any of them except the child. Each one of them embraced their flaws – which is the point of the story. It started a bit slowed, but then picked up the pace and just kept going. I am not sure how twisty the book is, I knew what was happening early on, but still enjoyed where the author took the reader. I highly recommend this thriller.

The narrator, Jennifer Jill Araya, was amazing. Here tone and flow were perfect.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

3.5 ⭐️
Laura is engaged to Jack…Who happens to still be married to his estranged wife Bronwyn.
Laura considers herself stepmom to Jack’s daughter Charlie.
Plenty of drama ensues when Bronwyn comes to stay at their house.
Alls fair in love & war.
I was anxious reading this but liked the ending.
I will definitely be reading more of this authors books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Say hello to one of the most addictive and gripping psychological thrillers you will read this year!

If you’re looking for a book that will keep you up all night, this is it! You’ll be surprised by the twists and turns this story takes. Jennifer Jill Araya did a great job narrating the audiobook. I was hooked from the first chapter.

Unforgivable is a tale so engrossing you’ll be fully invested in each twist and turn!

First off, I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a fantastic job!

This book was entertaining and read like a nighttime soap. It is equally entertaining and dramatic. There is a lot going on in this book. In short, Laura is engaged and living with Jack and his daughter, Charlie. She is happy and working in an art gallery. Jack's soon to be ex-wife, Bronwyn, is coming back to town and will be staying with them. What!?! Are you serious????? From this alone, I knew that things were going to get messy. Especially, now that Bronwyn wants to be a part of her daughter's life - a daughter she left behind. She also is chummy, chummy with Jack taking all kinds of special pics during the outings......Laura is nervous and worried, who wouldn't be? Jack's soon to be ex-wife is living in their home with them. UGH!

Plus, things are getting crazy at work for Laura who appears to have impulse control issues and acts without thinking....

Just when I thought I knew what was going on in the book, the author turned the tables and threw in a twist. Dramatic!

This was an enjoyable, fast read/listen which I enjoyed. I believe the narrator made the book even more enjoyable.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one missed the mark for me a little bit. I found that I didn’t like any of the characters. Laura made decisions that I found to be so immature and unrealistic of what a grown adult would make. Maybe it’s an overdone trope with all the gaslighting and jealousy, or maybe I just need to take a break from domestic thrillers. Either way, this one just didn’t quite do it for me. I listened to this as an audio book and enjoyed the performance of the narrator, Jennifer Jill Araya. 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounding up to 4 on goodreads.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Natalie Barelli for providing me with this gifted audio in exchange for my honest review.

This is one book full of crazy characters that you think you have figured out, but do you? They're irritating in the best way because you want to keep reading, hoping you're right and they will get their comeuppance! There are several deliciously twisty moments which made me want to finish this whole book in a day. It flows really well, in part because it all comes from Laura's perspective, but also because the narrator does a great job reading this.

Really enjoyed this audiobook, finished quickly and definitely recommend for the psychological thriller fans.

Thanks very much to #NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC!

😐 Natalie Barelli’s books have been a treasure find for me on hoopla. I’ve read them all and rated at 4-stars, which is pretty uncommon for me.

I was so excited to receive this book and waited patiently until I had a day off so I could binge read.

By far my least favorite book by this author. The first 50% was PAINFUL. Laura is such a dumb, doormat, wet blanket I wanted to strangle her. I couldn’t even feel bad for how she was being walked on. Her boyfriend is a turd (also spineless and seems to have no respect for Laura or “balls”) and his ex wife is truly deplorable.

I was also pulling my hair out over the stalker (an ex who was spreading rumors preventing the BF from getting a job) and hearing lawyers can’t help. Umm excuse me? YES THEY CAN. It’s called tortious interference with a contract! Also any decent lawyer could send a strongly worded letter to the culprit trying to get them to stop. MULTIPLE lawyers would not be like woah can’t help you friend 😵‍💫🤬

I kept reading ONLY because of my past history with NB’s books.. an interesting reveal happened around 50% which spurred me on. I was also so worried about the little girl in the story, that most of my continued listening was because I wanted to know she’d be okay.

More reveals happen around 85% which I was surprised by, but then the book really ranked with a maniacal crazy person, who makes a huge “confession” and the whole thing becomes preposterous and ridiculous. That same truly terrible “bad guy” ending we all shouldn’t have to endure anymore. 👎

This was a very entertaining book! So many twists and turns mixed in with deception and narcissistic behavior… I did not know who to believe throughout the whole book.

I found myself getting annoyed with Laura because she refused to stand up for herself, and she just kept putting up with unnecessary craziness. And Jack, I just wanted to jerk a knot in his head! I rallied for Charlie all the way until the end. I don’t even want to talk about nutcase Bronwyn, as I don’t like to give off too much info in my reviews. All in all, I give it 5 stars. It was my first book by Natalie Barelli and I look forward to reading more of her work. I chose it on audiobook and the narration was perfection.

***This was a ARC copy that was gifted to me in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Natalie Barelli.

Rating: 3.75

Hmmm…I’m having a hard time rating & reviewing this one. I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narration. I really felt like the narrator did a great job with all of the characters. Part of me enjoyed the plot but the other part of me didn’t.

If characters driving you crazy or mad is not your thing then definitely skip this one. I cannot even explain to you how upset the majority of the side characters made me. Keep in mind, the point is for the reader to be upset and to side with the main character. So I guess since I was so mad that means the author did a great job writing hateable characters. However, even though I knew that it was still hard to look past it especially for the husband. I did not like him the whole entire book. I obviously can't say due to spoilers but he was just UGH. The main character is definitely not a saint and she makes a lot of questionable decisions. I really liked her character because I like characters that fall into being morally gray. It also helped make the story more interesting because the reader had to keep deciding who to believe and which side to be on.

I will say, I absolutely loved the bond between the main character and her step daughter. I love seeing a story about a stepmom where she is not being cruel to the kids. Overall, I would definitely recommend this one. It was a fast read that will keep you guessing and engaged until the very last page.

Thank you so much @dreamscapemedia for the gifted copy on #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to @dreamscapemedia and @netgalley for the opportunity to listen to Unforgiveable by Natalie Barelli in exchange for an honest review!

I tend to really struggle with domestic thrillers. Most of the time I feel like they're very overdone and the "twists" all seem the same after a while. But this book definitely superseded all of those preconceived notions. From the very beginning, I was intrigued by the concept of the man being out of work, and the woman being in charge of holding it all together. Laura's character was well-developed which helped make her story feel relatable. I also loved the relationship she had with her stepdaughter Charlie. I think the author did an excellent job conveying that while the love Laura had for her fiancé was wonderful, she loved his daughter just as much.

The almost-ex Bronwyn is one of those characters that you just LOVE to hate. She is nasty and manipulative and makes you want to have your friend hold your purse so you can have a go at her. While I didn't love how oblivious Jack seemed to his ex's actions and intentions, I felt like it was important to the character growth we see in him later on in the book. I highly recommend this book to reluctant domestic-thriller readers, and the die-hard fans as well!

The wildest book I've read or listened to EVER!
This book was a non-stop rollercoaster ride! It had my brain spinning. It was constant! You think it's solved then something new pops up. That happens over and over. I was worn out by the end!
The narrator was PERFECT!
Highly recommended!

I rate Unforgivable 4.5 stars rounded down - I just don't feel like it was at 5-star book. I was deeply intrigued by the summary and wanted to see how it all played out. I sometimes liked Laura and at other times thought she wasn't making the best decisions, but that's part of her journey.

I really liked Jennifer Jill Araya's voice and appreciated what she brought to the characters. It was easy to differentiate who everyone was.

My main issue, and part of what I agree with Bronwyn about, is Laura not knowing her place. She is just Charlie's father's girlfriend/fiance, but Charlie called her Mama. I understand Bronwyn wasn't around and wasn't the best mother when she was there, but that doesn't make Laura Charlie's mother (especially when they're not even married), let alone allow her to be so possessive and controlling that her biological mother was undermined in front of the child.

(I personally wear the hats of being both a mother and a stepmother, and they are very different. I wouldn't dare treat my stepkids like that and try to override what their birth mother said, nor would I allow another person to do that to my children if my husband were to remarry. Boundaries people!)

I hated Jack. He was verbally abusive but also had no back bone. He was always forgiven even though he never apologized. I honestly didn't see why Laura wanted to stay with him so badly. I get that it was supposed to be for Charlie's sake, but no. Move on and find a partner that treats you how you deserve.

The paranoia and questioning who to trust was written quite well. I really liked the pace and appreciated that all the loose ends were clearly tied up without needing to guess or assume. I will definitely read more from Natalie Barelli.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ARC.

Really enjoyed this thriller. This book has you wondering who the delusional one is while you watch that pedulum swing back & forth. Surprise ending which I enjoy! Well written & kept my rapt attention from the beginning!