I really enjoyed this spicy domestic suspense - I haven’t read many with steamy scenes included. The plot has some great unexpected reveals and twists and turns. I was convinced I knew who the villain was but I was wrong. Such a great ending!

The pacing is generally even and the short chapters make it so easy to just keep turning the pages.

This would be a great beachside read.

Thanks Jennifer for the buddy read. I really enjoyed it!

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This is a fast-paced, suspenseful, twisty, & STEAMY thriller. I am usually not a fan of romance/steam in my thrillers, but I actually enjoyed this one. I really enjoyed the plot, the characters, and the twists throughout. This book is a definite page turner that hooked me in and kept me flipping the pages. The MC, Elizabeth, is a college professor and one of her virtual learning students turns in a writing assignment in which she knows a big dark secret of Elizabeth’s which she has kept hidden for 20 years. I loved how Keeland revealed bits of the writing assignment from the student in different chapters, and enjoyed diving deep into the dark secrets of Elizabeth’s past. There are so many twists throughout this book, and I did not see any of them coming. This book had me hooked, it was fun and enjoyable, and a unique thriller. Definitely pick this one up today!

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
✦Some steam/romance in your thrillers
✦Psychological thrillers
✦Plenty of twists and suspense throughout
✦An addictively unique read

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

I've read a lot of thrillers, and it definitely is not common for the killer to be revealed in the beginning of the book.
However, professor, Elizabeth Davis has more than one secret. One she has kept not only from those close to her, but from herself.

Years have passed since a murder was committed. Elizabeth believed that dark time was put to rest. But when a student in her class turns in a story that is too close to home, down to every detail, she realizes that the past may not be buried after all.
Who is the author of this story? (as Elizabeth is not familiar with the student's name)
Is it her friend Jocelyn, who Elizabeth was protecting years prior?
Is it her other friend, Ivy, who knows about the secret?
Or a more random person?
What I didn't get was how could anyone know all of the details about what led up to the crime. I think there's an obvious answer, but that answer also comes with a twist.

When Elizabeth returns home to check in on her ailing mother, she confronts a lot of old memories, and creates some unexpected new ones with a man named Noah. Let me be clear, I did not trust this guy at all. Elizabeth didn't either, it seems, but lust got in the way of her good judgement.

What I liked more about this story is the big reveal. It comes with a couple more twists. And I loved the ending. I kind of love an open ending for thrillers, it allows my mind to get creative. While this author is best known for her romance books, this second thriller shows she has a solid place in this genre. Can't wait for more!

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.
3.5*** rounded up. I really enjoyed the story overall although I did predict most of what was happening. The ending threw me off though! Overall, it was a really good story that had me hooked from the first chapter. I will be reading more from this author if they continue in the thriller department.

This gripping thriller keeps readers on edge from start to finish. The story delivers an unsettling reminder that no one is ever quite who they seem. Elizabeth, a professor in New York, has built a life far removed from her Louisiana roots and the past she’s worked hard to forget. But when her students begin submitting writing assignments that mirror deeply buried secrets, she realizes someone knows far more than they should. With nowhere else to turn, she returns to Louisiana in search of answers.

What follows is a relentless pursuit of truth, forcing Elizabeth to confront the ghosts of her past. The novel weaves together layers of mystery, complex characters, and unexpected twists, making it impossible to put down. Fast-paced and chilling, this book keeps you hooked right to the last page.

This was an ARC provided by the author, publisher via NetGalley.. I was honkers to get an ARC for this book so thanks to all. I really enjoyed this book, it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I loved that there was a romantic aspect in the book but hands down a great suspense read. This book kept me guessing and I enjoy that.

Thank you @atriabooks for the gifted copy!

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Someone Knows
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Vi Keeland
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: June 17, 2025
4⭐️

♦️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 ♦️
This was a very bingeable, fast paced thriller and it had me hooked to the very end! And that ending! I don’t even know if I have a complete answer at the end of the story to why things happened, but it left me saying “Ahhhh!”

Elizabeth is an English professor who is grading writing assignments when she receives some chapters of a story that sound very familiar to her… because they are a story she knows all too well! Only a few people know the story and she is concerned who this student is and why they are sending this to her.

Elizabeth travels back home and that’s where we start to learn about her haunted past that she’s been hoping to forget. She wants to make sure her life doesn’t come crashing down, and she needs to find out who might know what’s going on.

About halfway through the story we get a bonkers reveal, which turns the story upside down! The characters are kind of unlikable in this story, but the story is still addictive. And it’s twisted; a good look at trigger warnings is advised!

I look forward to reading more from this author, as she knows how to pull you in and not let you go until the end! That’s my favorite kind of suspenseful book to read!

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
♦️ Suspenseful Psychological Thrillers
♦️ Unexpected Twists & Turns
♦️ Fast Paced
♦️ Bingeable Stories

‼️ TW: child/sexual abuse, grooming ‼️

➡️ Will post Instagram review on June 17

Somebody Knows is the second thriller I have read by Vi. I am used to her other stories but dont get me wrong she does well at being versatile. The story is interesting and mysterious with the MFC read a paper that leaves her gobsmacked. She reads it knowing that it mirrors a real life scenario. So again it is a nice switch from the usual story from Vi.

Vi Keeland delivers a gripping psychological thriller with Someone Knows, a dark and layered tale that keeps readers on edge from start to finish. At the heart of the story is Elizabeth, a woman harboring a long-buried secret—one she thought would never resurface. But when mysterious messages begin appearing, it becomes chillingly clear: someone else knows, and they want her to know it too.

As Elizabeth is thrust into a tense game of cat and mouse, the narrative unravels with precision, peeling back layers of suspense and emotional depth. Keeland masterfully blends psychological tension with compelling character development, creating a story that is as emotionally resonant as it is thrilling. With every twist, the stakes rise, making Someone Knows an engaging and well-crafted read that fans of the genre will devour.

Writing professor Elizabeth gets a student manuscript that tells a harrowing tale of the abuse of a teenaged girl. Elizabeth not only gets disturbed by the tale but because the story is one that she knows already.

This was an interesting thriller. You have Keeland's classic mix of spicy romance and twisty thriller. The story is solid with Elizabeth trying to figure out who is telling the story that she has held so close to the chest her whole life. The story also goes into Elizabeth's strained relationship with her mother. This adds another layer to the story. I liked the twists even though a few were a little hard to track and swallow. I thing that pushed my rating down was the unlikableness of all of the characters. This is a trend in modern thrillers that I'm not always a fan of. I do think this will appeal to many thriller and romance lovers, especially those that are Keeland fans.

All in all, this was a pretty solid thriller.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

Elizabeth is an English Professor teaching creative writing at a college in New York. But when she receives one of her assignments back, it eerily details a part of her life she’s kept secret for over 20 years. The name attached is Hannah. Who is she? How does she know all the details of Elizabeth’s past?

Elizabeth needs to seek out Hannah before her entire past becomes exposed. Elizabeth’s tragic history is threatening her future and wreaking havoc on her mental stability.

This is a psychological thriller with steamy moments, and it’s full of unexpected twists. I had so many theories and guesses, but I was never fully sure of anything. Toward the end, I had no idea how things would wrap up. That final chapter? My jaw was on the floor.

The writing is sharp and tense in all the right ways.

Compelling, but pretty predictable. The audiobook kept me listening though! I think there are a lot of books with this s* abuse storyline and while I do think it brings up enough awareness, it is predictable and common in this genre. I liked The Unraveling a bit better and felt that had more originality than Someone Knows.

I’m in my dark romance era and this book dabbles in a few of the aspects of this but is definitely more of the thriller genre. I will say that my favorite thing about this book was that I felt like I was watching a movie. The imagery, the characters and the plot twist just enthralls you in the storyline and makes it so easy to picture the words you are reading. Psychological thrillers may not be for me but I will still give the writing in this book 5 stars and could see myself reading this again when the mood strikes.

I've been a fan of Vi Keeland's romance book for a while and now I'm a fan of her psychological thrillers as well. She does a great job of weaving some romantic suspense into a thriller that dives into deep emotional issues and trauma.

Elizabeth is an English professor that has always kept men at arm's length, never diving into a relationship. When she receives the start of a book from a student that resembles her life as a teenager with specific details no one would know, she immediately freaks out. As she starts looking into who this student is and why they know what happened to her, she ends up with more questions than answers. She heads home to Louisiana after being gone for 20 years and finds her mother dying from pancreatic cancer. All the memories start her down a path full of anxiety, fear, and sadness about what happened years ago.

This book has some predictable twists, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. Elizabeth is a complex character with a lot of baggage. A fun, fast-paced psychological thriller that was hard to put down!

The Book:

Elizabeth, an English professor in New York, receives a submission from a student in her online creative writing class - chapters of a story Elizabeth knows. A story about a girl with an alcoholic parent who has an affair with a teacher who ends up dead. All the details of this story are too familiar to Elizabeth - it's a story about her and her friends. Someone knows - But who?

Elizabeth and her friends vowed never to talk about what happened or to stay in touch, but Elizabeth has to find out who is sending her these chapters. She returns to her hometown in Louisiana to talk to one of the friends, but cannot find the other one anywhere. Upon returning to her childhood home, she discovers that her mom is sick and she starts up a fling with a stranger she meets in a bar - Both of which keep her coming back to Louisiana.

My Thoughts:
This psychological thriller was a fast-paced page turner with an unreliable narrator (which I love) and so many possible characters that could be sending Elizabeth the chapters. Elizabeth and her mom have a very complicated relationship, which I thought was done really well, along with Elizabeth's other messy relationships. There were great twists I didn't see coming.

Vi Keeland has been on my radar since I read "The Unraveling" where she turned toward the thriller direction in her still very spicey stories!
This is the story of a college English professor, Elizabeth, who finds disturbing parallels with her own life when reading through one of her student's assignments. But for such a long time she has been trying to hide her past!
This book is just tense, well paced (not too much) and spicey for sure!!
I personally enjoy the way Vi's writing is developing and look forward to reading more of her work!
Thank you #NetGalley #Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this ARC

Is it just a creative writing assignment from a random student, or has someone uncovered the truth about Elizabeth’s past? This book follows our main character, Elizabeth, who is a professor as a college in New York. When one of her students submits a writing assignment that is a little too similar to the life Elizabeth has been trying to keep hidden for the last 20 years, she sets out to revisit some demons from her past to determine if it’s a coincidence or if someone knows the truth she’s tried to keep buried. This book is fast-paced, easy to read, and keeps you guessing with every twist and turn. The characters are all likable, relatable, and easy to keep track of. Throw in a little bit of spice, and this is sure to keep you hooked. You might even finish this book in one setting! I’ve never read this author before, but now I’m dying (no pun intended…) to get my hands on her other work.

Okay, don’t get me wrong—I did enjoy this book. The writing? Super engaging. The pacing? Quick and addictive, with those short chapters that make you say, “Just one more,” until suddenly it’s 2 a.m. Vi Keeland definitely has a writing style I’d love to read more of. This book specifically gave me major Freida vibes, but dialed up with some extra spice.

The premise? Chef’s kiss. A college English professor, Elizabeth, reading a creative writing submission that eerily mirrors a deadly secret from her past? I was hooked from the first chapter. The inclusion of chapters from “The Reckoning” was a nice touch.

Now, that said… the characters? Mostly insufferable. I get it—trauma, secrets, baggage—but dang, it was rough. Only a few were bearable, and even then, barely. Still, I pushed through because I was dying to know how it all tied together.

The twist—well, the first part? Kind of predictable. A little anticlimactic. But the writing made up for it. I was still invested. And then we got to the big reveal about who’s behind the mysterious story submission and… I’m sorry, what? That choice just didn’t land for me. There were so many stronger, more satisfying options. This one felt random—like a curveball that didn’t quite make it over the plate.

And after that point? The story kind of lost its footing. Something felt off. Things stopped making sense. The momentum fizzled. And then that ending… the final chapter felt like it belonged to a different book. Shock factor? Maybe. Resolution? Not really. If anything, it left me with more questions than closure, and not in a “ooooh intriguing” way—more like, “wait, huh?”

I honestly think this story needed a bit more room to breathe. More time with the characters. More emotional depth. A few more layers to help everything click into place. A longer page count could’ve helped flesh it all out.

Still, I can’t deny that I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t stop reading. The premise alone was so clever, and I love the way Keeland built suspense through the interwoven chapters. Even if the ending didn’t work for me, the journey there was a compelling ride.

- 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 | 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.💐ᡣ𐭩

I am still coming back into focus after finishing this book. Wow! It is incredibly well written and kept me guessing until the very last page. A definite thriller with so many twists and turns and will question everyone and still not know who is harassing Elizabeth and how do they know what she did twenty years ago. I don’t normally read thrillers but I’m so glad I did this one. No spoilers. Just know it’s very well written and everything is thought out with so many details. I loved it and highly recommend it.

Someone Knows is one of those thrillers you pick up, and suddenly it’s 2 a.m. and you can't put it down. It’s fast-paced, twisty, and just the right amount of unhinged. It follows Elizabeth, a creative writing professor whose life starts spiraling when a student submits an assignment that somehow knows way too much about her past

It leans a bit more into romantic suspense than straight-up thriller, and while some twists were predictable, there’s one mid-way that had me gasping out loud. The final reveal was clever, even if it didn’t completely shock me. Still, it was such a bingeable read that I’m rounding my 3.5 stars up to 4. If you like thrillers with some spice and chaos, this one’s a good choice!