Unfaithful

After hearing that one of her favorite students is dead, anna seeks solace from her husband, Alex. But when she arrives at her husband’s studio, she’s confronted by the proof that her husband is having an affair. Instead of confronting him, she goes home and acts as if nothing is wrong. In fact she redoubles her effort to be the perfect wife and mother, determined to prove to Alex, that she is the only woman for him. If she can’t the consequences will be deadly. Rankins rendition of this nail biter is spot on and only serves to increase the tension

What a page turner!!!!

This book grabs your attention immediately and holds it to the last page! You realize very quickly that something strange is happening. You wonder if it’s an unreliable narrator, a crazy person, gaslighting, or misunderstanding.... and even to the last chapter you’re just not sure! Then the end ties everything up nicely, but believable!!

Every time I had a free second, I immediately hit play and listened as long as I could. I highly recommend this book for fans of B.A Paris and other quick-read mysteries!

All of a sudden Anna's perfect life starts to crumble. The promotion she was in for is given to another, her student dies, and then she finds out her husband has a lover.
What she should do is confront her husband, take the children and leave. That's not Anna. Anna wants to fix herself and pretend it didn't happen. Her husband really does love her, he once told her he is obsessed with her. Who could walk away from that?

Unfaithful is a nonstop spiral of things going out of control. Bad things just keep getting piled on top of each other and you can feel Anna is going to break at any moment. I wanted her to break, to go absolutely mental on everyone!
Barelli pacts a lot of emotions into this book. As an audiobook, I got to hear the stress in Annas voice. The narrator, Emily Rankin, did a fabulous job sounding like she's losing her mind. At one point when Anna is eating, I think Rankin really was chewing! it was perfect! lol Rankin also has a knack for different voices. Her male voices are believable, which is sometimes hard to do with audiobooks.
I loved the twists and turns of the story. I had it figured out immediately and was proud of myself, but then was blown away that I was wrong! lol I did not see the big twist coming at all. The ending of the story was perfect.
I have read books by Natalie Barelli before, and have loved her work. I recommend her for a quick read with unexpected twists.

Thank you Netgally for such a delight. I listened to an audiobook in one sitting. Great narration and the story is interesting. Very enjoyable and twisty read.

I don’t know how to talk about this story without dropping spoilers, but I’m going to try.

This is an iceberg book: what you think you are getting based on the surface is just a fraction of what’s really there. The plot was complex, so many different things were going on and I couldn’t see how the author would tie it all up in the ending a then she threw me for a loop and everything clicked into place at the very end in a surprising and satisfying way.

Beautiful narration adds to the tension and immediacy of the story. I highly recommend this book!

Seductive, chilling domestic thriller full of cheating, deceit and one wife's deeply hidden secrets.

This novel is a first-person narrative of Anna, a young Math professor who accidentally catches his husband having an affair (by seeing two wine glasses no less - anything more typical and cringy?!). His affair came at the worst time possible when Anna's student, who was about to win a hefty sum of money for them in a Math competition, has died. Now, not only is Anna's promotion in jeopardy, but so is her marriage.

However, instead of making a scene, Anna decides to keep quiet about her discovery and act normal in front of her husband and children because keeping her family together is not just a matter of principles - it serves as a cover for some deeply hidden secrets Anna can't afford to come out... And while someone is threating her, Anna will do anything to keep her peace.

Honestly, I couldn't put it down. I listened to this audiobook in just one day! Anna's first-person narrative was my favorite thing about Unfaithful because I have really come to relate to her is some odd way. Most importantly, there were some crazy twists in this audiobook that I truly did not see coming, which is probably the most important thing in thrillers to me. Overall, the only thing I didn't like is the ending, which I found a bit flat despite a much bigger potential, given how great the rest of it was. However, it's still a really good psychological thriller.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Stop what you're doing and read this book.. I'm not kidding! This was a can't put down, read in one sitting, wonder what is going to happen next read! It was SOOOOO good!!! Definitely a 4.5⭐

I have no idea how to even summarize the plot.. Natalie Barelli, you wrote a great book!!! So, Anna Sanchez is a math professor with an idyllic life, the perfect husband and two perfect children, sighing with content.. well isn't that usually the harbinger of doom in a thriller? Well, after her PhD student, on the brink of a major math discovery, dies, our narrator Anna suddenly becomes deliciously unreliable. Anna unravels at an alarming rate, she grapples to keep control of her marriage, is her husband having an affair?.. her colleagues, are they talking behind her back?.. and oh so much else. She is becoming quickly unglued, and makes one shocking choice after another, and it was just literally a pleasure to go on this roller coaster ride with her.

At a few points, I thought I had this figured out and even then was going to give this a wildly great review but then BAM, nope, Barelli is rubbing her hands together throwing curve ball after curve ball and I finished this book in one sitting feeling so satiated and awake and shocked. This was SUCH a GOOD book :) Do yourself a favour and go in low on plot descriptions and stay spoiler free.

I listened to the audiobook (9 hr 45 min running time) and it was FANTASTIC! Emily Rankin was the narrator and she really breathed life into Anna and handled all of the other voices very well (which I sometimes find trying in a single narration audiobook) but here it made me feel like I knew Anna and she was truly telling me this crazy tale!

Crack open the wine (but be careful you don't drink too much like Anna🍷) and see who is being unfaithful, you won't regret it!🎢 I'll be over here adding Natalie Barelli's other books to my TBR📚

*This book publishes Nov 27th and I thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an Advanced Reader Copy*

I was pleasantly surprised by this dark, twisty psychological drama. I thought I could see the ending coming, but I was definitely wrong. Everyone in this book has secrets, and the story flew by as the reader uncovers them one by one.

I didn’t like Anna, but I’m not sure I was supposed to. She constantly made terrible decisions, even ones having nothing to do with her husband’s affair. Many of her actions made me ask, “Really??” and many of her predicaments could have been easily avoided. It was entertaining to watch her dig a bigger and bigger hole for herself, though. She certainly was an unreliable narrator, even doubting herself at times.

Overall a very enjoyable, quick read. Fans of Natalie Barelli will not be disappointed.

This was such a fun and compulsory read! As the story progresses so too does the deterioration of Anna's mental state. The lies start out small, but soon snowball out of control. As the web of lies continues to grow, Anna's reliability as a narrator becomes suspect. I had to keep reading to find out how it would all play out, and I was not disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book 254 towards my goal of 280! 4/5 stars for this adult thriller read! This thriller is also packed with family drama, which we all know is a weakness of mine :-p this book is perfect for math needs too! (Said with lots of love i promise lol) The cover did throw me off a bit, I didn't expect the MC to be in her 40s for some reason. Such a good story, great twist! Narration was excellent! Definitely recommend if you like a good family drama thriller!

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli is a great domestic thriller that will have you questioning everyone.

Anna’s student dies unexpectedly. The police are investigating whether it is a suicide or not. Anna is very upset so decides to go visit her husband, Luis, at his studio since he isn’t answering the phone. This visit causes Anna to wonder Luis is cheating on her. They are happy, right? Who could Luis be having an affair with?

Anna starts to question everything and is suspicious of everything Luis does. She decides to try extra hard to make Luis happy. Anna is still worrying about Alex. What secrets are Anna keeping?

There are so many secrets and twists in Unfaithful. I really thought I knew where this book was heading and I was wrong. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. All of the characters are so complex. All the different aspects of Anna and Luis made this book very exciting.

Anna is a math professor that is always trying to make her family happy. I felt like I learned some about the mathematics community and being a professor from reading Unfaithful. Anna has a strained relationship with her parents and has very few friends. I questioned all of the characters during Unfaithful.

The plot of Unfaithful was crazy. I read a lot of thrillers, so I figure out a lot of them. There were some things I suspected. I quickly forgot about my theories because there were so many twists that I just couldn’t figure out what would happen next.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emily Rankin. I enjoyed her narration and really enjoyed hearing her tell this story.

I read the ebook and listened to the audiobook for Unfaithful. I liked both but preferred the ebook.

I highly recommend Unfaithful to domestic thriller fans.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for Unfaithful.

Loved the premise! Very original and the main character is easily liked. Made for a great listen. Impressed with the multiple story lines and the many twists to bring them all together

I really enjoyed this book mainly because of the narrator. She did an amazing job. The story was a little slow at first, but really picked up. The main character has a lot going on! Overall, it was a good read!

Anna must be the most unlucky person. She’s having trouble at work and at home. She’s passed over for a promotion, months ago she almost slept with her boss, the grad student she’s advising commits suicide just as he’s made a discovery that will put Anna on the map and someone is harassing her. And on the home front Anna suspects something is up with her husband. I love a good thriller and this book delivered. I was guessing up until the last chapter. More than once I was sure I had figured everything out, only to be wrong.

Kudos to Natalie Barelli. And great narration by Emily Rankin. The narrator makes or breaks an audiobook and Emily enhances the story. I highly recommend this audiobook.

I thought I would dislike this book and the ending about halfway through, but I stuck with it and was a little surprised by the ending. A little bit of a bland book. I wouldn't say that it is boring, at all, just nothing too astounding about it. The ending twist was quite good and I did not see that coming, I also really enjoyed the narrator.

This heart pounding domestic thriller had me second guessing every move made. Brilliant, beautiful, a good wife and a loving mother, she has it all. However, having it all also included a husband that’s a cheater.
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What does she do when she finds out her husband is cheating? She goes home she makes a health dinner for her family, loads the dishwasher and walks the dog. This woman interfering with her marriage is not going to win. She is going to save her marriage no matter the cost.
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She feels she has it all under control until her student died, the police show up at her door questioning her and she starts receiving threatening texts.
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There is way more to this story then just an unfaithful husband and the twists and turns had me holding on for dear life.
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Thank you to #Netgalley and #dreamscape for an #alc in exchange for an honest reveiw

Oh wow, I really thought I had the ending figured out early but boy was I wrong!

This was a magnificent twisty thriller that explores the dangerous waters of obsession and betrayal.

I'll admit this was a hard read for me at first because Anna was not a likeable character in my opinion. She's very selfish, judgmental, entitled (I could go on and on..) BUT somehow at the same time Natalie Barelli still had me feeling bad for her and the way her life was falling apart.

I listened to the audio book and really enjoyed the effort Emily Rankin put into conveying Anna's emotional distress as it amplified throughout the book.

Big thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMediaNatalieBarelli for granting me an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli definitely kept me in suspense until the very end! The narrator was incredible on this one. She just made listening better than actually reading this one, in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

This was an interesting book. I found the writing to be decent and engaging while reading, but I wasn't dying to get back to it when I put it down. I think this was mostly because of my disconnect with the main character.

I struggled to connect with our main character for the majority of the book. She was a brilliant mathematician, but kept panicking and making terrible decisions. I found it very frustrating and couldn't understand how someone that was supposed to be so intelligent could do such dumb things consistently.

The final third of the book was significantly better than the earlier part, with interesting, albeit convenient at times, twists. I did like the way the story played out and the conclusion of the book. It wrapped up a bit too quickly for my taste, but everything came together in a manner that was explained well and made sense in the overall story. I was really glad that there were no glaring inconsistencies in the conclusions. I think if this shift came earlier in the book and the conclusion played out a little longer, I would have enjoyed the overall story a lot more.

I listened to the audio, which was narrated expertly by Emily Rankin. I thought she was an excellent choice for our narrator.

This was the first book I read by Natalie Barelli and I am definitely interested in reading more of her work. 3.5★

#NatalieBarelli #Unfaithful

Unfaithful by Natalie Batelli is a thriller that had me hooked from the beginning. Anna is a married math professor with two kids and a life she believes is great. Anna struggles with a few work issues but realizes her biggest issue could be her husband cheating on her. What will Anna do to save her marriage? The narrator of this book was excellent.

Anna has a picture perfect life, that is until it starts to unravel. One bad choice leads to another and she’s suddenly juggling to keep all the balls bouncing. In spite of those choices it’s hard not to want to step in and help her out. There was a moment where I reached what I thought was the aha moment...I was totally wrong! Bareli does a great job of leading the reader astray throughout right up to the surprise ending! With a great plot paired with a great narrator, this was one that I could not stop listening to.

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli
Narrated by Emily Rankin
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: November 27, 2020

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli is a psychological thriller that takes you on an incredible rollercoaster ride.

Every time I thought I had figured things out or that that couldn't get crazier or escalate any more I was wrong! This book is so intense and has you question your own humanity.

The narration is incredible. Emily Rankin did such an incredible job! Wow!

I don't read a lot of psychological thrillers (because they usually freak me out) and this one snuck up on me and wouldn't let go! I loved this book!

I'm so grateful to Natalie Barelli, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

yes yes yes I loved it! Natalie Barelli not going to lie whatever goes on in that imagination of yours scares me a little. Seriously Natalie has written some of the most unreliable unhinged characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Meet Anna. mathematician, loyal colleague, devoted wife, adoring mother, faithful friend... maybe? No need to mention any of the plot here you get more information than you need from the blurb and truly that is not the highlight of this book. This Book takes you on a fast paced addictive wild and crazy ride in Anna‘s brain through her inner dialogue. I kept thinking... Is she delusional? A master manipulator? does she have the worst luck ever or is this all by design? As The story progresses things spiral more and more out of control. Miss Anna does and says things that wil leave your jaw dropped open. #nofilter there were so many times I was thinking, oh no she didn’t, but yes yes, she did. The ending to this book was so twisted and brilliant all I can say is bravo Natalie Barelli! The audiobook was narrated by Emily Rankin Who did a stellar job. She gave the perfect voice and tone to off the chains narrator Anna. cannot wait to see what comes next from the imagination of this remarkable author.

This book in emojis 👩‍🏫 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 📓 📱 🍷

*** Big thank you to Bookouture & Dreamscape Nedia for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

What an amazing read! First off, let me just say that the description for this book is NOTHING compared to what happens through its entirety! The book does follow a wife's downward spiral after having found out her husband is having an affair (amongst other things), but it is so much more than that!

Anna, the wife and protagonist, is a complete mess! Although she is a teacher at a university, she is totally unreliable and drinks way too much. She loves her family but longs for a breakthrough in her professional life. When her favorite student dies, it sets off a series of events that she desperately struggles to get control of.

The book is filled with terrible people, which made it great because I was suspicious of everyone - including Anna! The ending was shocking, but then it made total sense! Like one of those moments where you realize you should've known all along but didn't put the pieces together until the last minute! The author did a great job at keeping me guessing throughout every single chapter! I couldn't and refused to stop listening until I knew exactly what happened!

To say I enjoyed this book is an understatement! I listened to it in ONE sitting - just couldn't stop. The ONLY thing I didn't like was how slow the narration was, but I just sped it up to x1.75 and all was well. Read/listen to this book TODAY, NOW, IMMEDIETELY! You will not be disappointed!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing novel!

She was on top of the world- amazing husband, wonderful children and on the road to a big promotion- but now she's caught in a downward spiral that's threatening the one thing she cares about the most... her family.

When Anna's student Alex solves a famous "impossible" equation, she is over the moon and can't wait to publish it with him as his thesis advisor. After an unfortunate accident, Anna takes advantage of the situation to better her family's life. She seeks comfort in her husband, Luis, but when she arrives at his art studio, he is nowhere to be found. However, it appears that Luis wasn't alone before he left the studio, as there are two freshly washed wine glasses on the counter. When she returns home, he arrives ahortly after her. When she asks him where he was, he says, "at the studio. Remember, babe? I was working late tonight." From here, her life quickly begins to fall apart, one piece at a time- her career, her marriage, maybe even her sanity...
I went way out of my comfort zone with this book, choosing the audiobook over the print/ ebook version. I have always been hesitant to try an audiobook out of fear that I would not be able to focus or that I would not like the narrator's voice. I was pleasantly surprised by this audiobook, and the combination of a lovely narrator, noise-cancelling headphones and an INCREDIBLE thriller has made me keen to explore more audiobooks in the future! As for this novel, the story can seem overwhelming with sub-plots at first, but this actually made me not want to put it down. I loved the twists and turns that led to a thrilling and shocking conclusion that chilled me to my core. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good psychological thriller that will keep you on your toes and the edge of your seat!

I received a free copy of this audiobook via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All reviews are my own personal and honest opinion.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing the audiobook of Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli in exchange for my honest review.

Um, WOW. This one started a little slow for me. In fact, at one point, I almost gave up, but I’m glad I kept going. Holy twists Batman! The narration was wonderful!

We start by meeting Anna, a happily married mother of two, who is a math professor at a small university. Her world is perfect. Her husband is an artist who supports her busy schedule, while she works with a needy student who is attempting to solve and publish a mathematical proof. When her student suddenly dies right before her eyes, her world quickly begins to unravel and it becomes very apparent that Anna is an unreliable narrator with a drinking problem. I can’t decide if you’re supposed to feel bad for Anna, but most of the time I wanted to punch her or walk away. She’s in denial about her life and it’s obvious she needs help.

If you can get past the frustrating beginning of the book, I promise the payoff is great. AND the reason I bumped my 3 rating to 4. I thought I had this one figured out until all hell broke loose. I couldn’t put the last 20-25% of the book down. I was reading so fast, that I had to go back and check that I was reading things correctly.

This one is full of horrible characters, just BAD people, except for the kids, the adorable dog, and June! Thank you Barelli for JUNE. June brings light into this dark, messed-up world. I don’t know if I’d like this as much without June. That said, if you enjoy tense, dark, twisty, and chaotic stories, give Unfaithful a go. The sucker punch twist is worth the mediocre start.

What an emotional ride!!! I absolutely loved this book. I did not want to put this down. The author had me invested in the story and there were lots of twists and turns. There was one part in the book that made my heart jump! I am now a fan of Natalie Barelli.
Thank you #NetGalley #DreamscapeMedia for allowing me to get an advanced audiobook copy of #unfaithful by #NatalieBarelli

This book was so exciting it never got dull for me at all! Anna’s character really surprised me. And that ending was not expected. Loved all the twist and turns it took!

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I love Natalie Barelli. The book was great. The narrator did a wonderful job. This book had a lot of secrets with a lot of twists I didn't see coming. Just when you think you know who the bad guy is, something else is revealed and you realize you are not on the right track! another great book!

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli was such a great book. The storyline was engaging and kept me guessing. The characters were well developed. The protagonist was likeable, then not, and finally…read the book to find out. The narrator, Emily Rankin, has a great voice. I will look for other books narrated by her. All in all, this is a must read for all psychological thriller junkies.

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

Another great one from Natalie Barelli. I have always been a fan and this one did not disappoint. Twists and turns galore, crazy characters, and loads of suspense. A true psychological thriller. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

This book was filled with craziness! It was so fast-paced because there were multiple pieces of the story. I feel like Anna, the main character, just keeps having bad day after bad day. I don't want to spoil too much because I want each reader to get the experience of finding all the fun stuff out on their own. So, I will say that a LOT happens in this book, and it is full of one crazy character after another and surprises to go along with each of them.

This is perfect for readers that enjoy a psychological and domestic thriller!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntariily.

Anna Sanchez is a respected married math professor and a doting mother to her two kids. She and her husband (Luis) are very inlove and life is full of hearts and roses... but roses have thorns and so are the things that are about to happen. She is working a thesis with a student (Alex) who killed himself and she found out that her husband is having an affair.
All the good things in her life are about to crumble because investigations are about to happen and she is afraid of the truth she might tell.

This was the second Natalie Berelli novel I have read and just like before, this is a light domestic thriller that any reader can finish in 3 days tops.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Emily Rankin did an amazing job portraying Anna.
The adult characters in the novel (even the minor ones) were too unreliable. Some characters are "too kind" which made me think "oohhh what is he/she up to?".

Though I enjoyed it, it kind of felt a bit "boring" in between because the character just talks a lot about unnecessary events that I find irrelevant.

Thank you NetGalley and DreamScape Media for the audiobook in exchange of an honest review.

Rating: 5 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Unfaithful
AVAILABLE NOW!!!! November 27, 2020
Author: Natalie Barelli
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Sipping Synopsis: Could you find out, or assume, that your husband was cheating and just keep quiet? Well, that is exactly what Anna does. But this is not her only problem. A cheating husband, a close student who dies suspiciously, threats, is just a little of what Anna goes through. But she is determined to keep it classy and be the perfect housewife…or is that just an illusion in her head?

What in the BLANK did I just read??!! Just wow! This book was nothing like I thought it was going to be. I went into this book with the typical woman scorned story in mind. I got some of that but SO, SO much more. As I was reading Unfaithful, I felt there were so many good storylines that I was reading 3-4 books put into one. You would think too many storylines would muddle the main synopsis but not in this book.

Final sipping thoughts: I was able to have the ebook and audio book. The narrator Emily Rankin was phenomenal. This is my first Natalie Barelli book but trust and believe it will not be my last. I did not even realize how good this book was until listening to the last 15-20%. It kept me interested and surprised but when the main twist was revealed, I was absolutely floored. I pride myself on figuring out twist, but I think Barelli was so clever it literally comes out of nowhere. I can see many of my fellow psych thriller lovers will say that they hate it because of that-not me! This is what I loved about it and I think you will too!

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @Bookouture and @DreamscapeMedia for an advanced copy of @Unfatithful

#Unfaithful #Bookouture #DreamscapeMedia #NatalieBarelli #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #AmazonReads #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #bookreviewer

My first encounter with Natalie Barelli was when I read The Housekeeper over the summer. I couldn't get enough of the diabolical narrator in that one, so I snatched this November release up as soon as I saw it was from the same author. Unfaithful is definitely as "unputdownable" as the cover claims.

Anna is an associate professor in mathematics at a decent university. She seemingly has a perfect life that includes a satisfying career, a husband she adores, and two adorable children. From the outside, Anna appears to have it all, but it doesn't take long for her world to start tearing at the seams. A grad student Anna worked with to crack a previously unsolvable math concept suddenly kills himself in front of her. While this is bad enough, his death could also take away her hard-earned chance at a prestigious professional prize. She makes the shady decision to claim his work as her own, which leads to a whole slew of stress and anxiety as she waits for someone to find out what she's done.

I thought this was going to be the major problem in this novel, but it turns out Anna's life is a veritable s**t-show. Her husband's cheating on her and his mistress rubs it in her face every chance she gets; Anna has zero friends and a toxic relationship with her mother; she's somehow become the target of a dangerous stalker; and to top it all off, she finds herself the prime suspect in a murder case. Oh yeah, she lies and drinks every chance she gets. I'll be honest, I don't really blame her for imbibing excessively because this book filled me with anxiety. I'm still not sure if this a good or a bad thing, though.

I will say that this is definitely one of those books that you won't be able to put down for long. I was so engrossed with Anna's crazy life that I couldn't wait until I could begin reading again. It was suspenseful and the ending was both unpredictable and satisfying. At first, the number of major obstacles the narrator had to face seemed excessive, but I'm honestly impressed with how smoothly Barelli was able to pull it all off. Besides the stress this story added to my life, my only real complaint about Unfaithful was all the unlikable characters. I never did end up liking Anna, primarily because of how she handled her cheating husband, but she also lied and whined way too much. In the entire book, there was only one character I even kind of enjoyed, but she got annoying at times too.

Overall, this is a fantastic, suspenseful thriller that will keep you listening/reading way past bedtime. I listened to the audiobook and thought the reader, Emily Rankin, did a wonderful job. If you can get past Anna's objectionable personality, I think most mystery fans will enjoy the ride!

My Rating: ★★★★ out of 5

*Thanks to the author, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I’m not really sure why I keep reviewing thrillers/mystery books. It isn’t because I don’t like them because I do. I absolutely LIVE for that head canon that comes when the entire script is flipped and, as a reader, you feel exhilarated and betrayed and thrilled and… a zillion other things. No, my issues don’t stem from reading these amazing books, my issue is the review. There are so many little nuanced details that I don’t want to giveaway and ruin the experience, but I also desperately need to gush over the brilliance.

That said, let’s see what I can do to adequately gush enough to appease my readerly soul and also keep the mystery alive for those who read.

And let me tell you… read you should.

Full disclosure: This is told in first person present tense which is NOT my cup of tea and, at times, I did find annoying.

In some ways, Unfaithful is… a slightly misleading title. Is adultery a pretty important plot point? Yes. However… that is far from being the only one and there are several major points that actually vie for top billing.

Anna’s life is… a picture perfect disaster. She is an assistant professor at a small Ohio university. Everything in her life that seems so idyllic from the outside is slowly (and sometimes rapidly) crumbling.

Her career: Alex, the student that was going to write a thesis with her name attached that would give her major notoriety died. After informing her that he was removing her from the paper. Anna was then passed over for a full professorship and also works under a department chair that redefines misogynistic and employs countless abusive tactics to bully and manipulate her.

Her coworkers/friends: I’m going to be honest… I had reservations about June. I thought she was just a bit too sweet, a little too much of a perfect best friend, and just a touch too there for Anna in all respects. I was waiting for June to pull off the proverbial mask and prove that she was secretly behind all the disasters happening in Anna’s life.

Her parents: Her dad is dead and her mom is an abusive and manipulative woman who set her 12 year old daughter out to solve an impossible math problem as a means of earning her the privilege of… having friends.

And, finally, her family: Her husband is, as the title and blurb say, having an affair. Who the other woman is is revealed fairly early on in the story and not a huge shock. It makes complete sense. How this “problem” is resolved is… definitely not an ending I saw coming.

All in all, I loved my read of Unfaithful (or listen since I had the audiobook version). It kept me guessing and wondering exactly as a good psychological thriller should. So if I loved it so much it should be an easy 5 star for me, right? Unfortunately… no.

Most of the ending was wrapped up perfectly and believably and I was more than satisfied with it. But (you knew there had to be a but right?) the entire story line revolving around Alex was ended in… an unbelievable way. If his motives were what was stated in the book for choosing to end his life… why call Anna over to announce he was taking her name off the paper? And even my suspension of disbelief is tested by the explanation of the conjecture solution. Just… no. That was far, far, far too convenient for me to believe and after the excellent thrill ride that was the entire story leading up to that point? I was very disappointed in how that particular plot was wrapped up.

The only other thing that is keeping me from giving a full five stars is… language. This is going to sound incredibly nitpicky of me, and perhaps this stood out more because I was listening to the audio version rather than reading the written story, but the author is not an American writing an American story, which is cool. However when there is language and verbiage used that is clearly not American, it takes me a bit out of the story and confuses me, wondering if I missed something along the way. For example a Band-Aid is called a plaster in the story and several characters say, “Search me” when asked about something they don’t know rather than “Beats me” which would be a more typical American saying. I know that sounds like SUCH a ridiculous complaint to have, but it did affect my read and my ability to stay immersed in the story.

Since this is an audio book, I want to comment on the narrator as well and that will be a simple review. She is excellent and I love her. Honestly her inflections, her voice changes for different characters, and her cadence were all just so exceptionally perfect. I was impressed and a huge fan of her read.

Thank you Net Galley for this review copy audiobook of Unfaithful by Natalie Bareli. I loved the twists the author wrote. I did not see the ending coming, which was so well done. Emily Rankin was wonderful performing the book. She added to my enjoyment. Her inner musings of Anna Sanchez were fantastic. I will definitely listen to more books by this author and narrator.

An adrenaline pumper! Truly a masterpiece! This audio book, UNFAITHFUL, took off with a suspenseful, intriguing plot that rushed me through a revolving door so fast to another place, and another time, I barely had enough time to catch my breath. With every event, right before something was about to happen, I could hear and feel the tension in the narrator's voice as she made the character, Anna, seem to leap into action with each thought process Anna had. Anna was great in this story. So were Louis and Jean. I waited with anticipation as the story developed and the plot thickened chapter by fast-paced chapter. An impressive scene! Each foot-step echoed, then faded in the hall as Anna gasped, then held her breath. This scene seemed to move in a slow motion action, then sped up. I felt the tension rise as she stepped into the hall and practically ran. Then suddenly she felt a little fear when she met someone in the stairwell, spoke in a whisper, then walked on with her head down until she got outside, then nearly sprinted to her car. Excitement bloomed right there. I felt her nervous apprehension. In my opinion, what could possibly have helped that scene a little more, maybe, and caused more nail-biting experience, perhaps some music to show anticipation or excitement right before the echoing of the foot-steps in the hallway. I loved that scene! It made my heart beat a little faster as I listened intently.
Anna's fear kept mounting as the days went by. Could that fear cause her to imagine and react differently to what was actually happening? Or, in other words, could her imagination be running wild?
Then there was another scene toward the end of the book that made my eyes go wide as I listened, and made me gasp suddenly. That scene was shocking because it surprised me so much when I found out who did what! I love it when they take me right to the very end that way. Throughout this audio book things kept happening to certain people. Why? That is the real question. Were these accidents? Suicides? Or murder? Suspense right up until the very end! The characters played their parts very well. If you listen to one audio book this year, I recommend, UNFAITHFUL. Natalie Barelli really out did herself with this one. I loved this audio book! It was more than great, it was impressive!

This book is a race to the finish line from page 1. Anna receives a frantic phone call at 6am from one of her most brilliant students. Hearing how stressed out he is she agrees to see him. From that fateful phone call till the end of the book there is non-stop action while we watch Anna twist and turn trying to figure out what is happening to what she thought was a perfect life. There is a ton of emotion in this book and since its an audio book we really get to hear the stress. Emily Rankin does a great job of really making us believe that Anna is losing her mind as one thing after another unravels in Anna's perfect world.

Once you think you have everything figured out there is another twist and wow the ending is one I did not see coming. This is an edge of your seat thrill ride from start to finish, I felt myself getting anxiety right along with Anna. I don't want to reveal too much or there would be spoilers so I will leave you with this, if thrillers are your style and you can handle the stressful ride this is a must read. Without a doubt one of the best I've read this year. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for supplying me an audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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After Anna receives a devastating blow in her professional life, she goes to her husband’s studio for comfort. He is not there, but she finds clear evidence of an affair.
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She decides to act as though nothing is wrong, puts on her best self and is determined to make her husband fall back in love with her.
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Anna has secrets of her own .....
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I loved this book! It definitely fooled me. I thought I had it figured out, but nope! It is a tangled mess of secrets and lies. You won’t know who to trust.
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The narratation is great on this one! Thank you @dreamscape_media @netgalley for allowing me to review this audiobook

While this book is amazingly narrated by Emily Rankin. You are able to distinguish the difference when each person is talking within the story line.  I just had a hard time believing that this amazingly smart woman made all this horrible decision. As always there are plenty of twists and turns to the story. The ending was completely not what I expected. This is for sure one I was not able to see coming. Slow moving but don't give up on it.

Thank you  #DreamscapeMedia #NetGalley for allowing me to review Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ingrid is a journalist and on the 25th anniversary of the death of a local girl whom she went to school with, she decides to write a piece about the girl. This stirs up trouble with the twin boys, now men, that found the body and the man that was convicted of the murder.

I thank the publisher for sending me a widget for the book but unfortunately this book was just ok for me. On the positive side, it was a quick read but ultimately I had trouble connecting with the characters and when the reveal of the girl's killer came, it was not the interesting because somehow I just wasn't engaged enough to get excited about the mystery being solved. Still, I have enjoyed other novels from this author more and will read more from her.

At first, I wasn’t sure what I thought of this book. At about 75% I considered not finishing it because there were a lot of pieces that I felt were so confusing. I am really glad that I did finish it because the ending blew me away. I was 100% not expecting that one. Also, the ending cleared up so much throughout the book. It answered all of my questions. The twist that the end of this book takes is something I love but I still wish there was some clarity throughout the book. But overall, I am glad all my questions were answered in the end. I can’t even give an overview of what this book is about without spoilers.

Synopsis copied:
When I arrive unannounced at my husband’s studio in need of a shoulder to cry on after hearing that my best student, Alex, has died, I see a pair of wine glasses drying by the sink, and my deepest fear is confirmed: my husband is having an affair. Most women would fall to their knees in tears and throw him out of the house–but I just can’t bring myself to do it. Instead, I go home and cook a healthy dinner for our children, walk the dog, and unload the dishwasher without complaint. I will make him see that I’m still the woman he married; attractive, successful, the glue that holds our perfect family together. I need this marriage to work to protect a terrible secret of my own, something that would destroy everything I’ve already sacrificed so much for. But when the police arrive at my door asking questions about Alex’s death that I can’t answer, and threatening text messages start appearing on my phone, I know that someone close has been watching me very carefully. The truth is, there are three people in my marriage, but only one of them is deadly…

Thank you to @netgalley and @dreamscapemedia for allowing me to review this audio copy for my honest review.

This book was a very fun read! The narrator does a great job of keeping you in the dark, lying, and making you love her all at once! This book makes you question everything you know and I couldn’t stop guessing only to find out I was wrong! This never happens! I had a hard time not devouring every page and in less than 24 hours I knew all the answers. Read it today!

Well I could not stop reading this. I couldn’t tell if I liked the protagonist or not but I needed to know what would happen. The actual plot was pretty different her familiar to other thriller type novels I’ve read. Anyway I will now be seeking out all of the authors’ other books.

The main character, Anna, in this book is involved a mysterious problem with her husband's affair. Anna tries to keep everything together for the sake of her children and her marriage to Lewis. Not only, does she have turmoil in her own home but at work as well. As a mentor, she teams up with her graduate student, Alex, to solve and present a solution to a mathematical problem. Alex soons dies and Anna has to pretend that she knows nothing about his death.
Meanwhile, her husband's lover dies and she is a suspect. Lewis and Anna are tangled in a big mess that you can't figure out until the very end of the book. Anna and Lewis have so many secrets that come out at the end of the story. Who is really the unfaithful one?

As an avid reader of thrillers, I will have to say this book was not one of my favorites. I feel it lacked the suspense that a thriller should contain in order to keep the reader interested through the whole book. I found the beginning and the end captivating. However, the middle was slow to me.

This one really takes you on a wild ride! Anna is a math professor and suspects her husband is having an affair. So many bad things happen to her you begin to think it's really bad luck, although she's no angel. I enjoyed this one so much! Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio version.

This book was full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed listening to this story as I never knew what to expect next. Natalie Barelli writes wonderful psycological thrillers. This is the second I've read of hers, and it definitely won't be the last!

R E V I E W 
Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli - 5 / 5 stars

 S U M M A R Y 
Anna Sanchez has an apparently perfect life, if you're on the outside looking in. A good job as a math professor, on track for a promotion, a loving husband and to wonderful children. But then her doctoral student, a seeming genius with major emotional problems, dies, it begins a spiral of events that set that perfection tumbling end upon end.

 O V E R A L L 
Okay, so I HAVE to skip to this section first and go out of order. Because WOW. I had no idea going into this that it was going to be such an amazing ride. I got serious anxiety from this book (at least, pretty sure it was the book!). It took me on SUCH a ride. Normally I'm pretty good at guessing things and all, but this had me not quite getting it until pretty much until the very last paragrah, to be honest. And not in a way that made me mad, coming out of the blue. NO, it was there, but I just didn't see it like that! Barelli did a freaking FANTASTIC job and had me on tenterhooks throughout. Excellent book, recommend to any lovers of thrillers, especially domestic thrillers.

 C H A R A C T E R S 
I have to say, Barelli is really, really good at handling characters. Like, I definitely didn't LIKE Anna all the time, and sometimes even wanted to shake her, but you were definitely all in her head and her point of view and working through her rather unreliable lens. The supporting cast seemed pretty fleshed out and real as well. 

 P L O T 
Honestly can't say too much without spoiling so many things, but let's just say it was fast, twisty, and quite a well-plotted whirlwind. I'm thinking more of riding a bull at a rodeo than a flat out race.

 N A R R A T I O N 
I don't think I've ever listened to Emily Rankin as a narrator before, but she also knocked my socks off. Excellent at putting emotion into voices and tension into the story.

This is the second book that I've read in the last week from this author. And, I'm going to say again that I HATE when authors make unreliable female narrators! Please STOP making women stupid! Please STOP making women unreliable! Please STOP making women weak! Please STOP using alcohol to justify why women are acting stupid. Women are not stupid or weak or unreliable!

There were a lot of things going on in this book. Explaining them would spoil the whole book. Suffice it to say, there were a bit too many things going on here, but at least they were tied up in a bow and presented nicely in the end.

The key to audiobooks is the narrator. The narrator here was not as engaging as I had hoped. In fact, something about her voice made Anna, the main character, even more pathetic than perhaps she would have been on the written page.

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

Drama infused story that is somewhat captivating. I didn't care of the characters and that made it a littl emore difficult to get into the story and enjoy as much as I'd have liked.

Narration in the audio is good and compelling.

Though I’ll have to admit that this book had me very interested in the beginning, I found the middle to just lay there. I honestly lost interest and had to force myself to continue. However, I am so very glad I stayed with it, because the end was just WOW!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC for an honest review. #DreamscapeMedia #NetGalley

I voluntarily listened to an advanced copy of this audiobook. It is well written and the characters are described well. This audiobook will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out who did it from the first minute. The pacing is phenomenal. The characters are enjoyable. It has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing what happened. I highly highly enjoyed this audiobook. I would definitely recommend listening to this book to anyone and everyone. It is in stores now for $24.99 (USD).

Let me just say WOW! This was over the top. I never guessed what would happen at the end. All throughout, the book keeps you guessing. Then at the end I was blown away! Anna has so much going on in her life. She’s worked so hard on solving some big scientific mathematical problem with her student. One she had to work on as a kid to appease her mother. She is also up for a possible professorship. Things fall apart very quickly. As in one day pretty much. She doesn’t get the professorship and she finds out her husband may be cheating. But she isn’t sure. Meanwhile, her boss is a womanizing jerk. Instead of confronting her husband, she tries harder to be the wife she feels she should be. The book kept me guessing and there was never a dull moment. Something is always happening, even when you think it can’t get any worse. The very last few paragraphs about blew me mind. I felt so bad for all she had endured. Everyone was awful to her. Her mom was so horrible then she grows up to have such a bad boss.

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was so amazing. She really brought the story to life. There were times I would get to work and actually be late because I would keep sitting there listening.

Wow! Thank you Net Galley for this thrill ride of an audio!

Anna Sanchez is a math teacher at a university, happily married to her husband Louis, and mother to her children Carla and Mateo. However, Anna s world begins to crumble. Her PhD student Alex is found dead, Anna goes to seek comfort from her husband , only to discover he is having an affair. Add to that, a sexual harassment suit, a stalker, threatening texts, a theft, being passed over a job, a missing co worker, and a pregnant mistress, you're in for a very addictive story!

The story had me interested in the beginning then somewhere in the middle I began to lose interest but I kept going anyway. All in all i thought the story was ok. The ending had a twist I didn't see coming. That sort of made up for the less interesting parts.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. Overall, I enjoyed this one! The characters were developed nicely. Well done!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* There was a lot going on in this book and though there was things i didn't care for in this book, at least it didn't end like i thought it was going to for a second there lmao

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Ooh! This was a well written twisty, topsy turvy thriller of a mystery! I found a little bit of a slow start but once I realized there was more to the story than a simple murder I couldn't stop listening. It is a fantastic story about a woman fearful of her husband having an affair when really there may be more to worry about than just an affair. Follow along as the MC , Dr Anna Sanchez starts to make connections among the people in her life to find a terrifying truth!
Definitely recommended for all those fans of psychological thrillers! You haven't read one like this before !

Thank you #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for giving me a copy to listen to. I loved the narrator of this book and I loved the premise of the book. However I would give it 3/5 stars. Positives - good twists, interesting relationships, and some good storytelling, and it does pull you in. There were times I just wanted to be in my car to finish the book. Negatives - disjointed plots that sometimes have nothing to do with each other and no real explanation of why the narrator is unreliable. When first listening to the book I almost gave up on it until I spoiled the end and was pulled back into the story. If you like unreliable narrators and domestic thrillers this book is for you. Just be warned that some of the story doesn't quite flow or make sense at times.

Wow! This was a fun book. The ending actually caught me off guard. The main character is a insecure mother, wife and professor who tried her best, has good intentions but continually makes bad decisions, personally and professionally. If you like a good domestic thriller with a main character who makes horrible decisions but you still root for, this is a great one!

This book was such a pleasant surprise for me! I wasn't sure what to expect having never read or listened to any of Natalie's books before and this one started out a bit slow but once it got going it never stopped. It was a dark and twisty thriller and sucked me right in. I alternately felt sorry for the main character and wanted to smack her for being an idiot. The narrator for this audiobook is fantastic and really did a wonderful job capturing the spirit of the story with her voice. Overall I give the book 4 stars. One knocked off for the fact that I really didn't even like any of the characters bit still loved the story.

If you had a suspicion your husband was cheating, would you keep it to yourself and wait for more proof? All you have is some text messages and he told you he was at his studio when he actually wasn’t.

Unfaithful starts off with a teacher and an artist living very normal lives with their two children. The teacher, Anna, has a student who is trying to solve a math equation that has not been solved for decades while the artist, Luis, is working on a huge exhibit that is set to open soon. With the day to day of their lives, it seems like such a happy, loving family until Anna finds out her best student has passed away. Since then, Anna is hiding a secret of her own that constantly makes her on edge. Is Anna’s secret the reason she doesn’t want to out her husband of his adultery? Will they be one big happy family in the end?

After the opening of the book, there are so many twist and turns that you are not expecting. I could not put this book down. I finished it in a little over 24 hours. At the end of each chapter, you just need to know what happens next.

Full disclosure: I am drawn to books with an ex-wife or affair of some sort. Plus, I am always rooting for the betrayed. So, the title alone - UNFAITHFUL - gave me the feeling this was going to be good. Side note: I immediately thought of Diane Lane and her lover in the movie but the same title.
Back to the book.

Wow! This book demanded my attention right out of the gate. Narrators are important to me and this one does not disappoint!
The story makes you think what you would do if you thought your spouse was having an affair. I'm not sure I could contain myself and cook a nice dinner!
Poor Anna, a married mother of two, discovers her favorite student died and then finds evidence of her husband's affair! What a miserable day! And then there is so much more. (No spoilers here). As Anna's life crumbles, I found myself wanting to shake her to stand up for herself. She tries and yet me is a mess; my heart went to her. I wanted to know what happened. I took the dogs for extra walks somI could hear more chapters! If "unputdownable' was a word this book would be it!
This book has an addictive plot, good characters, and plenty of suspense, My heart was thumping! I appreciated the chance to read a book by Natalie Barelli. I'll definitely be reading her next ones.

Did I Mention the cover? Fantastic! It's what drew me to request the book from Net Galley.
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Thank you Net Galley!

Anna, how do I describe Anna..she drinks-a lot, she lies-a lot, she is kind of a mess. Her husband is having an affair, but she doesn't confront him, she just makes a great dinner for him and pretends is nothing is wrong. She does this a lot, acts like all is well, drove me crazy really. Confront him already!
Anna is also working on a mathematical problem with one of her students. A math problem that no one has been able to solve. Bit guess what? They solve it! And then the student decides he is. It going to share the glory with Anna. Anna confronts him, and he jumps out the window, killing himself! Oh my!
From there the story gets more complicated. Anna gets herself in bind after bind.
Its can get your anxiety going, when she just keeps getting herself deeper into her lies and you cant wait til it's over so you can breathe either a sigh of relief or shake your head at what's happened.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfaithful is the latest book by suspense master Natalie Barelli. As events unfold and Anna’s life unravels - a lost professorship, a dead student, her husbands affair.... she becomes more and more desperate to hold her family together. As she becomes allies with her secretary June, Anna finds herself in further damage control. I love the suspense and twists and turns of this story and the narrator did a great job with it. I received an ARC audiobook, all opinions are my own.

This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read recently! Just when I thought I knew where it was going, there is a plot twist to prove me wrong. I like that this novel kept my interest from start to finish.

This book was a great listen! I loved the narration, and thought the story was just twisty enough. Maybe some parts were a little cliche, but overall I really enjoyed this one.

This book is full of edge of your seat, twisty, turny, oh my gosh moments that you will not see coming. Just when you think you have it all figured out, BAM you find out you are wrong as something else is thrown into the mix. I loved how fast paced this novel was and I flew through the audiobook, listening every chance that I got. I loved the main character Anna. She was smart and ambitious, but she was scattered, unreliable and all over the place, which made for a great book. Her student Alex has jumped out the window in front of her, she just found out her husband has been cheating on her. She has a lot going on right? Then she is questioned about Alex’s death. What is she going to do?

I loved how the story evolved and there was so much going on in this storyline that it will keep you interested and hooked right to the very end. You definitely want to add this book to your TBR, you will not be disappointed!

This is the first book I have read or listened to by Natalie Barelli and I was impressed. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of Natalie’s novels in future.