I usually really love Lisa Scottoline, but while I didn’t DISLIKE The Unravelling of Julia, I wouldn’t say it’s her best.
First of all, this one’s pretty different from her other books with a lot of paranormal/psychological aspects, which I’m not against in books general, but Scottoline certainly doesn’t have this uniqueness perfected yet.
Secondly, I didn’t love the audio. My husband & I started it while on a roadtrip and we both felt like the first quarter of the book DRAGGED. The audio narration somehow fed into how unrealistically unintelligent Julia felt. This is set in a modern time period and she acted like doing any research on genealogy &/or inheritance on the Internet was the most novel concept, which just felt so strange.
Lastly, after the slow start, this book went right off the rails with a love story on speed, super quick, easy resolutions to gigantic unbelievable storylines, and a lot of loose ends/red herrings ignored. I finished the audio on a flight and briefed my husband on the ending and it sounded even sillier when I tried to explain it.
It is a quick read, though. And I liked the astrological and haunting parts. I also loved all the Italian culture. It’s just a meh psychological “thriller” for me that’s slow to start then really wild.

I was intrigued by THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA because of its Tuscan setting - who *wouldn't* want to inherit a villa, even if it's rundown?

Unfortunately even a trip to Italy wasn't enough to make me want to spend another 300 pages following Julia around. I wish her the best but her journey was not up my alley.

I'd recommend this one to people who like their mystery novels infused with a good amount of family secrets, paranormal elements, and slow-burn pacing.

Narrator Maria Marquis was easy to follow. I think her casting was appropriate for this story. (I'd rate the narration 4 stars, the book 2, so averaging that out to 3.)

DNF at 12%.
(Because it is not glowing, review will be cross-posted to Goodreads at least a week following publication day.)

I loved the concept of this book and how Julia inherited a villa in a different country. As the book went on I hoped and hoped she would find her birth mother while going the events taking place, so when the possibility of her birth mother being there came up, I was super excited. The twists throughout the story kept things interesting and the characters were well developed.

This book was a disappointment. I was intrigued by the initial description and excited to listen to this book, but it did not live up to my expectations. It starts out well as you wonder about the murder, but it slows down quickly and then becomes quite unbelievable. I was initially willing to accept the astrological elements and Julia's connections to past lives, but the plot was overly drawn out and slow, and I found it particularly frustrating when the characters made assumptions about everything.

The main character was okay, but it was pretty unbelievable that a person who suffered from such anxiety and agoraphobia would just up and head to Italy when she inherited money from an unknown source. And then it kept being unrealistic when they would make consistent assumptions about who her mother might be and how she might be related to the previous owner of the villa. When she meets the librarian and the love story begins, that was also unrealistic - how could they develop such passion so quickly, and all of a sudden, he too was in fear of his life, and she was over her past? This did not

The two caretakers of the villa were never developed enough for the reader to suspect them of what they end up doing, and I could not stand the best friend, Courtney. She also was not believable; she was so worried about Julia and thought she was losing her mind, and then she come to stay with her and immediately decides that she has no reason to be worried anymore.

All in all, the plot dragged, and the characters were not believable. I thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the audio version of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked What Happened to the Bennetts, so I was really excited to read The Unraveling of Julia.
I wish wish wish this book didn’t lean so hard into astrology and mediums and ghosts. It just didn’t feel like her writing style, and I really didn’t care for Julia.
Wish I could have loved this, but it just wasn’t for me.
Thank you netgalley for this arc! 2.5⭐️

I really enjoyed this book! I decided to go into it blind and I was drawn in pretty much immediately. The narrator was great she really kept me interested. Sometimes I struggle with audiobooks when the narrator does multiple voices for characters but these were not over the top and really kept me engaged in the story and able to differentiate the characters. I’ll admit I wasn’t sure how everything was going to come together and I can honestly say that I did not see the ending coming at all! Very entertaining and would recommend. Thank you to NetGally and the publisher for this arc.

Whoa! This was a wild ride of a story! I wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next! There were a lot of ‘wow’ moments for me in this book. I really loved the story line and the characters and how the narrator voiced each and every one. I was able to tell who was who and I liked the accents as well. The Unraveling of Julia kinda made me want to visit Italy someday even though some not so good things happened in this story. I felt myself cheering Julia and the other characters on as they kept finding out more of what was really happening with everything going on surrounding Julia and the Tuscan villa she inherited. Definitely a lot of surprises along the way. I’m happy that it ended with lots of my questions being answered throughout this mystery. What a great read!

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Copy. #NetGalley #TheUnravelingofJulia #arcreview

'The Unravelling of Julia' accomplished exactly that, and then she is rebuilt stronger than before. Shortly after Julia's husband is murdered, she inherits a small fortune and villa in Tuscany. When she arrives, strange things occur, making her doubt her sanity. Scottoline creates an atmospheric thriller with many twists and turns. In the end, justice prevails over all. The narrator did a great job with all the voices.
4 stars.

3.5/5 Thank you NetGalley and Hachette audio for this advanced readers copy.

Let’s start with the good. The narrator is engaging, easy to listen to. She gave the book some life. I think she did a wonderful job with the Italian accents and terms for some of the characters. I have no problems with the narration. It was the plot/writing that I have criticisms. She was able to differentiate between characters by adjusting her voice accordingly.

This novel didn’t feel cohesive and it felt like the author didn’t know where to go with this story. There were times where it veered to mystery, supernatural, romance, or contemporary fiction. It would’ve worked better to be marketed as a contemporary fiction instead of mystery.

The book doesn’t live up to the title. Despite being called “the unraveling of Julia.” We don’t really understand why this happens as it moves from plot-to-plot quickly. Improving character development would’ve solved this. There were plot points that were unbelievable. This book had promise but the execution needs work.

another amazing book by Lisa!!! the audiobook was so well done. couldn't recommend this book more! 5/5 stars

Julia’s husband is murdered in front of her. Six months later, she is informed that she has inherited a Tuscan villa along with a significant amount of money. You wouldn’t think these events would be linked. But the rest of the book is like trying to figure out a puzzle by putting every piece into one spot to see what fits. It is a painful process and you are glad when it is over.
Overall, The Unraveling of Julia was entertaining. I didn’t mark it as DNF but was tempted a few times. The story was well thought out and I didn’t feel like it was totally preposterous. Although, while the puzzle was being put together, there were multiple sections where the main character is discussing the theories of what could really be going on. I felt like these sections were much longer than they needed to be. The theories kept getting more and more ridiculous, to the point where I was rolling my eyes and figuring out how long to fast forward. There are also little things that seem like they might be a big deal or a significant part of the story but gets pushed aside and forgotten about by the end. I can’t decide if that is good misdirection by the author so you don’t guess the ending, or if it is an inconsistency throughout the book.
Part of the issue was the narration (I received the audiobook version). I haven’t listened to anything else narrated by Maria Marquis so I have nothing to compare this reading too. While listening, I realized the tone and inflection of the main character’s “voice” rarely changed. The other characters in the book were read with a change in tone so you could tell how they felt (upset, hurried, concerned, happy, etc.). For Julia, I felt her “voice” was flat. There was not a lot of difference in how a section with emotion was read from a section with a car chase. This made it difficult to relate to Julia since there wasn’t a range of emotions.
To sum up, the story was good but not the best. It was worth the read but I wouldn’t recommend it over other books I’ve read lately.
I received a copy of the audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #TheUnravelingofJulia #NetGalley

Julia’s life is falling apart (including the murder of her husband), when suddenly she receives a phone call: a woman named Emilia Rossi has left her a villa in Tuscany. Julia, who is adopted, decides to travel across the world to uncover the mystery behind this unexpected inheritance.

The good: I finished the book genuinely eager to discover the answers — who murdered Julia’s husband, and why? Who is Emilia Rossi, and why would she leave Julia a villa? Also, the audiobook narration was fantastic — especially the Italian accents for the relevant characters.

What didn’t work so well for me:
The paranormal aspects felt a bit random, as if they appeared just to serve the plot. And sorry Julia, you don’t just fly across the world because someone says they left you a house.

Not a top read for me, but if you’re into dark, moody mysteries with a supernatural twist, give it a shot.

This book was not my style. The jumble of mystery, paranormal activity, astrology, and relationship dynamics was too much. The book was almost too fast paced, not really giving enough development to any of the characters.

It could be a case of it’s not you, it’s me, so judge for yourself when this releases on July 15th.

This one threw me for a loop at first, I couldn't figure out if it was going the thriller, horror route, murder mystery, main character finds herself, locked room, conspiracy theory, fantasy, magical realism... it was a bit all over the place to start, but about halfway through I really settled into it and ended up loving it.

It is a bit chaotic at first, but once you commit it gets better and better. I was also waiting for some really out there wild ending, but the twists were actually reasonable and not just thrown in there for shock value. It's almost hard to describe without getting into spoiler land but dig into it with an open mind and I think the domestic thriller; mystery crowd will like it with some grace and patience.

Big kudos to the narrator, she took on many accents with ease and really brought it to life, the narration was a big reason why I stuck with it, it was that good at the beginning.

The first half of The Unraveling of Julia really drew me in - it had strong psychological thriller vibes, and I was intrigued by where the story was going. But unfortunately, the second half unraveled a bit too much for me. The plot started to feel chaotic, with a lot of random elements thrown in that didn’t fully come together.

I also didn’t think the love interest added much to the story; it felt unnecessary and distracted from the main narrative. And while I know some readers may enjoy it, the inclusion of astrology and the whole medium/talking-to-the-dead aspect just wasn’t for me - it took me out of the suspenseful tone I was expecting from a psychological thriller.

Overall, it had potential and started strong, but it lost focus in the second half and didn’t quite stick the landing for me.

I was immediately pulled in by the beginning of this story. Julia’s husband is murdered in front of her and she becomes a hermit afraid to leave her house. When a stranger leaves their villa and millions to Julia, both adopted parents having passed and never having learned about her biological parents, decides to find out if this mystery person is a long lost relative. She travels to Italy where things take twisty turns. What’s real and what’s only in her head?

Sometimes Julia seemed level headed and other times she went a little off the rails, so I feel that the title really delivers on that! I had to remind myself that is the point when I was getting a little frustrated with some of her decisions and the way her thoughts drove her to expect the worst of everyone. I loved how she had her best friend Courtney to talk her down when she was jumping to conclusions in the worst way or relying too much on her horoscope. Breathe, girl! Although, I can see from her past, amongst other things, why she would be ready to expect the worst. There were some trippy parts to this book which I liked that encompassed the “unraveling” of Julia as well. I couldn’t trust any new character introduced which is exactly how I want my thrillers. Like Julia, I also jump to conclusions (though probably not as unhinged) and I’m almost disappointed when they end up being model citizens even though I want a relatively happy ending for the main character. I thoroughly enjoyed the audio of this and the narrator did a great job!

Thank you to Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ALC!

This book had a slow start for me, but around the halfway mark, I found myself fully drawn in. Julia is a well-developed protagonist, and I really appreciated how her character evolved over the course of the story. One of the most interesting aspects was the way astrology and horoscopes were woven into the narrative—it added a unique and thoughtful layer to the book. Overall, a rewarding read once it found its rhythm.

Mixed feelings about this book so review is mixed. I think the situation in which someone inherits a fortune, a mansion, a villa, etc. out of the blue is unrealistic and overused - does this really happen? So, immediately, I was skeptical about the book. But this happens to Julia, the protagonist and she gets a chance to “start over” after her husband is murdered. The historical aspect of the connection between the villa and a renaissance duchess is interesting and I also liked the supernatural component to the story. Julia is determined to discover her birth parents and her connection to the elderly woman who left the villa to her and some of her discoveries are interesting and the added romance makes the book more diverse and genre-bending.
While some aspects of this book are creative and interesting, there are more far-fetched and “eye-rolling” elements than anything. Too many cliches such as hidden tunnels in the villa and the reasons behind Julia’s attempted “unraveling” are just too unrealistic. It felt like the author was just throwing in dramatic ideas that messed up the flow of the story. So, I appreciated some of the creativity but overall, couldn’t get past some of the ridiculousness.
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator was good for the most part. Some of the accents seemed “off” but I’m sure this is a difficult aspect of narrating a novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Hachette Audio for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

The Unraveling of Julia starts out feeling like it’s going to be a psychological thriller—Julia’s husband is murdered, she heads to Italy, and the setup feels like it’s building toward something tense. But instead, it shifts into something else entirely. The story ends up focusing more on her digging through family secrets and figuring out her ancestry than any kind of real suspense.

There was just too much going on. Astrology, hallucinations, trauma, romance, grief—it all started to blur together. It felt like the plot couldn’t decide what it wanted to be, and it lost that tightness you expect from a thriller. The romance didn’t work for me at all. It felt completely out of place and didn’t add to the story. If anything, it just pulled focus away from what should’ve been the emotional core.

The setting was beautiful and there were moments I liked, but overall it didn’t hit the mark. Not bad, just not what I expected.

So.... once again, Lisa Scottoline has blown this one right out of the water!!

We OPEN up with a young couple out on the town, when her husband is brutally murdered right in front of her. ** No, this is not a spoiler** it is clearly noted in the books description on Goodreads!! But wow!!! What an opener!
Distraught, the wife is literally falling apart. She has NO family. She was adopted as a baby, and her Mom died when she was very young... and her Dad... well, he was a whole other story.
So, she returns to work (from home), but is having a very hard time. She has one good friend, Courtney, who she keeps in touch with religiously... and she reaches out to her often. And, she seems to keep her on track too.

So, when she gets a call that says it's from ITALY, well, she figures it's a spam call trying to sell her something. When she finds out that she is inheriting something big, well, she just doesn't believe it! So, she does some investigating, and finds out it's for real. And then she starts to wonder... could this be related to her Birth Parents??

And so, off she goes to Florence, Italy to investigate further... (funny thing, we just came back from there a few weeks ago!!) =0
And what a ride it is!!! The place is huge, but in total disrepair... but the more she explores, the more uneasy she begins to feel...

And then, it all just goes OFF THE RAILS!!!

Lots of hidden agendas... Lots of things that should NOT be happening... Feeling like she's being followed... And just when she thinks she might have met a really nice guy.... well, the sh*t hits the fan.... again!

All the 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✨✨✨✨✨💫💫💫💫💫 for me!!! This one just had it all!!!
And, gave me all the feels!!! And, added just a dusting of supernatural to the mix!!!

#TheUnravelingOfJulia by @LisaScottoline and narrated beautifully by @MariaMarquis.

*** THIS ONE HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET!! PLEASE LOOK 👀 FOR IT ON JULY 15, 2025!!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HachetteAudio and #GrandCentralPublishing for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️