Wow. This book was a journey. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but it was a ride.

There are twists and turns. The people you trust you shouldn't and the ones you don't, you probably should. Looking back on it, the clues to what was going on were all there, but you dismiss them.

It's hard to review this book without spoilers and as I don't want to ruin it for anyone I'm not even going to try. I'm just going to say: read it.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

Someone Knows is Vi Keeland at her emotionally-charged, slow-burn best. This isn't just a second-chance romance—it’s a carefully layered story about timing, truth, and the what-ifs that haunt us.

When Julia first met Bennett on a crowded New York City subway, sparks flew in that once-in-a-lifetime kind of way. But fate only gave them a single night, a single conversation… and then he was gone. Fast forward years later, Julia’s a lawyer, and Bennett’s suddenly not only back in her life—but tied to a case with devastating personal stakes.

What unfolds is both a legal and emotional tangle. Julia is sharp and guarded, but with Bennett, her walls crack in the most compelling ways. Bennett is pure Vi Keeland hero material—charming, layered, and quietly tortured. Their chemistry simmers beneath courtroom tension, resurfaced heartbreak, and the threat of long-buried secrets.

The pacing is pitch-perfect, with poignant flashbacks and just enough twists to keep the story moving without losing its emotional grounding. The story isn’t just about love rekindled—it’s about truth, forgiveness, and the risks we take when we finally choose to stop running from the past.

Vi Keeland nails the blend of angst, humor, and heart. If you love smart heroines, swoony men with a secret, and romance wrapped in a mystery, Someone Knows is absolutely one to add to your TBR.

Whooo boy! This one is a doozy - I mean that as a compliment. If you are looking for a fast-paced summer thriller, this one is for you!

Go into this one blind - you will not see the ending coming!

Elizabeth is an English professor. She loves her job, and she loves her life in New York. During her summer sessions, she is working with a group of students who are writing "novels" one chapter at a time. They submit each chapter, and Elizabeth gives them feedback. However, one of her students is submitting a story right out of Elizabeth's past.

This book moves at a breakneck speed. I flew through it. The chapters are short and fast, but they pack a punch. Elizabeth goes back home to Louisiana to find out just what is going on. There are only a few people who know what happened, and one of them is dead. The twists and turns come fast and often - you will not be able to stop reading!

And I have to mention that ending - wow! I sat on my deck and just let it settle. But trust me, you will be thinking about it for days after.

Thank to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Emily Bestler Books for the opportunity to read this one early! It is absolutely perfect for a day by the pool - and you will not be able to put it down. It is out on June 17th - pick it up for an amazing summer reading experience!

Thank you to NetGalley, Vi Keeland, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review

I wasn't really sure what I was expecting going into this thriller, but this wasn't it. Maybe I'm just not cut out for thrillers anymore, but this read, while a fast read, was wholly predictable and forgettable.

Elizabeth is a college English professor in NYC. While reviewing and grading her students' assignments for her creative writing seminar, she comes across one of the submissions titled The Reckoning. Upon reading it, she discovers that the story is a major deja vu moment for her...because everything that the student wrote is something that she was there for 20 years ago in her hometown in Louisiana. Only 2 other people know about what happened, and they swore to never speak to each other after the events of that fateful night, so who is sending her these chapters, and how do they know what's going on?

First off, I wanted to say that the pacing was so slow for a book that didn't even scratch 300 pages. It felt like nothing exciting or groundbreaking was happening throughout the story. It was the same cycle of Elizabeth complaining about being in Louisiana, getting drunk, wanting to hook up with guys, hooking up with said guys, passing out after taking her sleep medication, waking up, and doing the same thing over and over again with a hint of stalking her friend Ivy in the parking lot of her workplace in the middle of the day. She was CONSTANTLY horny for a person who had bigger fish to fry, and considering why she was in Louisiana in the first place and the overall themes and topics that were discussed in the story, I felt like those serious topics were overshadowed and almost felt like they were shoved aside at times for Elizabeth to fulfill her sexual needs.

She lives in a constant state of paranoia after seeing those chapters coming in from The Reckoning sent to her. It felt like every side character became someone she didn't like because she was spiraling and figuring out ways that they could be the person sending her those chapters of The Reckoning. I don't know about you, but I doubt that any of her suspects—all of whom were fully grown adults who had lives and jobs to pay the bills—would go out of their way to do something like that. Just imagine how much time and effort it would have to take for someone to pretend to be an online student taking a creative writing course—which means enrolling in a college and paying tuition to be in the class—and then finding out what happened to Elizabeth specifically 20 years ago down to the exact details to then turn those details into a full-blown story that could've been written by any thriller author. There was someone crazy enough to do all of that, considering that's the big mystery of the book to begin with, but she treated everyone like they were guilty until proven innocent.

That being said, though, I felt that the plot twists were entirely predictable. There was so much foreshadowing and what I thought were extremely obvious hints dropped throughout the story that I personally felt like it would've been insane if someone didn't catch onto them and put two and two together. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like I'm too analytical for thrillers because I try to pick up on clues and hints throughout the story to form a theory, and then I upset myself when it ends up being right lol. I know that some people may enjoy the plot twists, so I know this is a personal issue of mine. I'm sure plenty of other people may be thrown off or surprised, but I was not that person.

Overall, I don't think this was the thriller for me, but I can see how others may enjoy it. I know Vi Keeland is also a romance author, so I might give some of her romance books a shot in the future and see if I like those more than her thrillers!

P.S. Please check the trigger warnings before reading this book, as it deals with a lot of heavy, serious topics such as: grooming, inappropriate sexual relationship between a minor and an adult, homicide, drug use, alcoholism, death of a parent, miscarriage, mention of child death, and sexual content

Someone Knows:⁣
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Thank you so much @atriabooks and @simon.audio for my gifted copies! ⁣
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My first initial reaction of just the cover alone was giving 3 stars. I was wrong. I really enjoyed this one! It was extremely bingeable to see what exactly was going to happen. It’s predictable, yes. It wraps up a little bit too quickly, but when it’s less than 300 pages, what do you expect? ⁣
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Elizabeth was such an unreliable narrator in the best way. I wanted to know what was happening. The religious part for her mom was mini but it added true depth to her childhood. The writings from the student were chilling, predictable, but chilling.⁣
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Loved the audio. Leslie Howard had the tiredness, irritation, confusion down pat. She really encompassed Elizabeth and all her faults. Great pacing on audio.⁣
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Overall, I enjoyed it. There’s a little spice in there too so if you like both thrillers and romance, you get best of both worlds. Out Tuesday⁣
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QOTD: What did you do or read this weekend?

“Completely devoured” is an understatement. I 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 this book. From the very first chapter, this book had its claws in me and it did not let go.

This story delves into some dark, emotionally charged themes - think "My Dark Vanessa" levels of depth and discomfort, so make sure to check the trigger warnings before diving in. That said, it handles the subject matter with a compelling mix of authentic rawness and suspense.

And the plot twists?! OH. MY. GOD. One twist in particular had my jaw on the FLOOR!! I had to stop reading for a second just to absorb what had happened—then I was frantically flipping pages again because my heart was racing and I needed to know what was going on and who was really behind everything. The tension in the second half is no joke. I was speed reading like my life depended on it!

This was my first novel by Vi Keeland—and now? I’m officially hooked. Time to raid her entire backlist because if this is the standard, I want more.

Dark. Twisty. Unputdownable.
Add this one to your TBR immediately!!

Elizabeth Davis is a college professor. 20 years ago she killed the professor her friend was having an affair with.
Someone has discovered her secret and is taunting her with it. She goes to great lengths to discover who it is.
This was a great thriller with surprising twists I never saw coming.
Thanks NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC that will be released June 17, 2025!

This is the best mystery/thriller I’ve read all year so far. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Elizabeth is so compelling as a main character, and she’s written incredibly well. She’s a creative writing professor that reads a chapter of a story by one of her students that, to her horror, is down to the detail what happened to her best friend Jocelyn 20 years prior. As she receives more and more chapters, she races to find out who is actually sending them to her, to find out who knows her biggest secret, as it’s also unraveling to the reader.

Her search leads her back to Louisiana, where she grew up, where she meets Noah, who has a connection to that secret that she never saw coming.

It’s fast paced and a very quick read and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. I could not put it down and finished it in one sitting!

I’ve read enough of these by now that sometimes the twists are easy to see coming, but there were a couple here that genuinely took me by surprise, and I LOVED the ending. So good! Read this one- you won’t regret it! (Also this should absolutely get made into a movie one day.)

3.75/5

After reading The Unraveling by Vi Keeland last year (one of my fave thrillers of the year), I was so excited to read the ARC of Someone Knows. The premise of this book is great—Elizbabeth Davis teaches a creative writing class and starts receiving chapters of a novel from one of her students that is word for word a novel about a traumatic experience from her past. Things start to unravel for Elizabeth as she tries to figure out who this student is and how someone knows of her dark past.

Someone Knows was a very propulsive, fast read. It goes back and forth between present day and in the past (via a chapters of a student’s novel). The past story line is very dark and is definitely tough to read (make sure to read trigger warnings, I would say the primary one in this book is abuse). There are a lot of characters in this book that are introduced to throw you off, but I thought the author did a great job of making the reader not know who to trust. I also didn’t expect the final couple twists in this book—that’s something that’s hard to do for me in a thriller! Aside from the dark past storyline, one other thing that bothered me slightly in this book was just all the comments about religion. That’s one thing I could have lived without in this one. Overall though I thought it was a fast-paced thriller that kept me on my toes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Someone Knows" is a fast read with rapid big reveals shoehorned at the end. I like the "back in my small town" trope, and the religious mother was a realistic portrayal of how insufferable people like that can be. I want fully immersed in the plot, and at one point I can't back to book not remembering or even caring where I'd left off. It's mostly a triggering drama until the big reveals at the end.

4.25 stars

This was my first Vi Keeland read, and I think I’ll be adding more of her work to my TBR.

The story centers on Elizabeth, a creative writing professor whose student submits a short story that hits a little too close to home. Like… disturbingly close. It mirrors a real event from her past involving her best friend, a teacher, and a secret that was supposed to stay buried.

Tension builds as Elizabeth is forced to return to her hometown, and confront her convoluted past and present. The small-town setting, unreliable narration, and slow unraveling of truth gave it a dark, claustrophobic vibe that caused me the anxiety I expect from a thriller.

It’s a bingeable, fast-paced read. It does touch on heavy subjects, so know that going in. Elizabeth clearly has some things to work through, and I’m unsure if she was supposed to be likable or not, but I personally did like her I was impressed with Keeland’s writing, not just the plot but her technique as well. And that ending was NOT was I was convinced it was going to be. It was messed up and I hated it in a good way. IYKYK.

Fast paced thriller! I first read this authors romance books and loved them and was given the opportunity to read this book. I didn’t even read what it was about before requesting it.

There’s some romance so it’s not a strict thriller and has more of a romantic suspense feel which isn’t bad and doesn’t take away from the story itself.

Fast paced, somewhat predictable, complex characters, and a book you can sit down and read in a single day.

This book was so good it gave me chills. Elizabeth was so brave. I felt so bad for Jocelyn. The plot twist was fascinating. No spoilers. I kind of want Noah to have his own book. I was given a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

I enjoyed this venture by the author from romance into mystery. I have not read the romance by Keeland but this has a good dose of it. Elizabeth is the narrator and she has a big twenty year old secret. When she receives chapters featuring her story she goes home to Louisiana to find the truth. Along the way there are some peripheral characters who aren't quite developed. I love Noah and found myself rooting for him. A somewhat predictable but enjoyable read, I am onboard for Keeland's next mystery.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

Unfortunately I didn’t love it. It was a quick read but the main character isn’t very likable. Elizabeth uses sex and alcohol as a crutch and her choices were very confusing. It kept me engaged and guessing and I wanted to see how it ended but over all just meh.
Thank you Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC.

First thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Elizabeth is a professor in New York but originally from a small town in Louisiana. She escaped from there right after high school and never goes back or have long term commitments. Now one of her students is sending her chapters that relate to her past. She needs to figure out what this person knows before it is too late.

What I liked: I love her thrillers. They are the perfect size to binge quickly and have the right combination of action and suspense to keep you turning pages. Plus she throws a little spice in there too. I also love how she keeps you enthralled until the very last sentence.

Thank you, Netgalley and Atria Books, for the early copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

This was a solid thriller that, from the outset, dropped one heck of a bomb that made me spend the entire rest of the book sifting through the wreckage of. And boy was there wreckage. Both emotionally and physically. On the surface this was a different kind of whodonit where you were trying to get to the bottom of quite a few things and as the main character went down the rabbit hole of trying to figure everything out, I thought the author did a great job placing us right there alongside her. I thought one of the more unique aspects of this book was the addition of the "chapters" which turned the plot on its head and having someone out there who knows the main characters secret added another level of suspense that I wasn't expecting. There were several twists throughout that left me guessing as I made my way through the book, and by the end, I can say I was satisfied with how things played out. I'd definitely recommend this to those who want something a bit different from their thrillers.

So I didn’t love this one. It wasn’t all bad. I liked the concept of it quite a bit. I always love the story-within-a-story device, so I was happy to see that here and thought it was done well. The writing wasn’t great, but the stylistic choices made coupled with the short chapters worked perfect for this type of book, and kept me invested in the mystery.

My issue is that it heavily relied on a trope I just don’t care for. Trying to keep this spoiler free, so I won’t elaborate too much, beyond saying that the twist in the middle of the book is what ruined this story for me. It’s just rarely done in a way that is believable to me and it always feels like a cop out.

Additionally, the ending felt rushed, and I just didn’t think everything wrapped up in a way that made sense or was fully explained. I think if the author had slowed down to really hash out all the details it may have been more effective.

Overall, this was fine and I probably would have liked it a lot more if it wasn’t for that trope.

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Netgalley for this ARC. Someone Knows is our 6/17

2.5/5 stars

Someone Knows is yet another incredible mystery-thriller by the talented Vi Keeland. I love that she's continued in this genre giving us the story of Elizabeth Davis and the 20-year-old crime that can't seem to stay in the past. The story gets right to it as we get a brief summary of what occurred to befall a supposed well-regarded high school teacher. Keeland doesn't waste any time in jumping right in which I appreciated immensely and soon I was hooked on why Elizabeth's closely guarded and somewhat regimented life was suddenly upended. Thus starting one wild journey to finding out more than just the truth.

The book is really well-paced as Elizabeth is not only thrown right back into her difficult past but soon has to face more than just the presumed guilt she has carried. Her time in her former hometown in sweltering Louisiana is filled with doubt, unease and hesitant regret. With her devout mother close to death, she tries to use her time wisely while visiting, desperate to find out why an assumed Pace University student of hers, is currently writing the story she'd rather forget. How Hannah Greer seems to know way too much about what transpired with the late teacher, Mr. Sawyer, writing a chapter at a time and stirring up painful memories for Elizabeth.

Keeland tries to throw us off the track quite brilliantly, with old school friends and new acquaintances all possible suspects for the real Hannah Greer. My own theory was shaky at best and I couldn't wait to find out just who was trying to gaslight the well-established college professor with each new chapter submitted.

But what makes this book more than just a whodunit, are the revelations and long-buried secrets that Elizabeth has to come to grips with, almost losing her mind in the process. I was exhausted for her as sleep evades her almost nightly while also being beyond intrigued as to all she endured in her horrible childhood. Her shock at who she was in this whole tangled web was quite the revelation and only fueled my curiosity that much more to get to the eventual truth of why someone was seemingly out to get her. Someone who wanted her to remember, to regret and to suffer once again.

The big reveal is written in a subtle way, with less surprise than I was expecting but still quite perfect. In fact, the clever extras as Elizabeth is back in NYC, moving on and trying to have a real connection for the first time in her life had me wishing that there would have been 50 more pages or so to see how she'd fare once the guilty party messed with her carefully-crafted life once more.

Someone Knows kept me riveted from beginning to end and I was glad I took my time dissecting every passage wearing my novice detective hat again. It's well-written and well thought out and I am thrilled to have been able to read it. Vi Keeland has clearly found yet another clever way to entertain her readers and I happily give this great book a huge 5 stars!

Someone Knows grabbed ahold of me from the jump and did not let go. Riddled with secrets and deception, I loved watching the narrator’s spiral into paranoia. But is it really paranoia if everyone actually is out to get you?

The pacing of this one was incredible and I could not stop listening. I started this on my commute and ended up sneaky listening to it all day. The narrators, Leslie Howard and Aiden Snow, absolutely killed this one and I highly recommend checking this out on audio.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC of this title!!**

Check this one out if you love thrillers, small town drama, suspense, and twists!