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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. I haven’t read a whole lot by Lisa Scottoline but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I love a good mystery/haunting/psychic medium/ghost aspectic to a book. It had two main plots lots and some of it seemed a bit far fetched but it was overall good.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
⭐️: 3 / 5
Publication Date: July 15, 2025
I want to thank Grand Central Publishing and Net Galley for allowing me to get an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The first chapter was shocking! I was not expecting the book to start so hard and fast.
Some of the coolest aspects of this story, one was how vivid the imagery became once the story transitioned to Italy. I thought the best friend, Courtney, was a great addition to the book. There were a few moments that were riveting and had me at the edge of my seat to see what would come next.
As for my reservations, I was disappointed by the lack of imagery in the first quarter of the book. Along this line, it also felt very surface-level in terms of engagement with the story until after the first quarter. I’m also not a big astrology person, and that was a very popular theme throughout the book along with other spiritual elements that, while interesting, I just didn’t feel connected to.
Overall, this book had its highs and lows. I would recommend this for people to try it out even if it didn’t totally knock my socks off.
Would recommend for those who are fans of:
- (Mostly) Linear timeline
- Pennsylvania / Italy setting
- Haunted house stories
- Ghosts/mediums
- So many horoscopes
⚠️ violence, PTSD,
Characters: 5
Atmosphere/setting: 7
Writing style: 6
Plot: 6
Intrigue: 7
Logic: 4
Relationships: 7
Entertainment: 7
Total: 3.06
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Propulsive. Hollywood ending.
I had to suspend some of my beliefs in reality to enjoy this book, but enjoy it I did. There is romance, mystery, and a touch of the spirit world. She is an auto-read author for me, but this is not my favorite of hers. I loved the setting and some of the characters, but there were times I just felt it unrealistic and frustrating in that an area was not investigated that to me, would have been one of the 1st places I would have gone at the time (can’t say more to avoid spoilers). Overall, it was a good read and kept me very entertained, just not as believable as some of her other stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the complimentary copy of this book. As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Lisa Scottoline absolutely NEVER disappoints and this was just another example of how amazing of an author she truly is.
The Unraveling of Julia was a beautifully written psychological thriller with an intriguing plot line. The addition of how astrology can play a part in predictors for one’s life was a great ode to all of the astrology girlies everywhere! This had suspense, mystery, grief, budding romance, and a tid bit of the supernatural.
As my best friend would say “the ending was wrapped with a bow”
*I received a free ARC from NetGalley*
The Unraveling of Julia was a beautifully written psychological thriller with an intriguing plot line. The addition of how astrology can play a part in predictors for one’s life was a great ode to all of the astrology girlies everywhere! This had suspense, mystery, grief, budding romance, and a tid bit of the supernatural.
As my best friend would say “the ending was wrapped with a bow”
*I received a free ARC from NetGalley*
I listened to the audiobook of The Unravelling of Julia. The narration was excellent, capturing the emotional depth and building tension and suspense.
I loved the moody and atmospheric gothic Italian villa setting, it was the perfect setting for this borderline supernatural mystery. The story moved at a fast pace, with high stakes and kept me engaged the whole time. Some of the resolutions to the twist felt like they came a little too easily, but the momentum and suspense made up for it.
Julia’s choices didn’t always make the most sense - more “don’t go in the basement!” than strategic, but her gumption and emotional resilience made her easy to root for.
Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a generously twisty, emotionally charged thriller with a gothic flair. 3.5⭐️
Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for providing me with an ALC.
It was a nice fast-paced book. This is more of a paranormal/general fiction rather than a psychological thriller (I'm very picky about genre definitions). I liked the Tuscan villa setting but felt somewhat let down by the motive. Some of the plot twists were pretty good though, I didn't see them coming. The writing was comfortable and conveyed the setting well. The characters and the romance were a bit difficult to believe but I don't usually expect character attachment in thrillers. I just went in with different expectations for the book -- Julia didn't unravel as much as I expected.
The narrator was brilliant. I found all the accents, voice changes and intonations to be very well done. It really improved my reading experience. I would totally recommend picking up the audiobook for this novel. Overall, this book would be ideal for those who are looking for a thriller with some paranormal/astrology elements and a beautiful/gothic Tuscan villa setting.
It was a nice fast-paced book. This is more of a paranormal/general fiction rather than a psychological thriller (I'm very picky about genre definitions). I liked the Tuscan villa setting but felt somewhat let down by the motive. Some of the plot twists were pretty good though, I didn't see them coming. The writing was comfortable and conveyed the setting well. The characters and the romance were a bit difficult to believe but I don't usually expect character attachment in thrillers. I just went in with different expectations for the book -- Julia didn't unravel as much as I expected.
The narrator was brilliant. I found all the accents, voice changes and intonations to be very well done. It really improved my reading experience. I would totally recommend picking up the audiobook for this novel. Overall, this book would be ideal for those who are looking for a thriller with some paranormal/astrology elements and a beautiful/gothic Tuscan villa setting.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am usually such a fan of this author's books but this one just didn't live up to my expectations. Maybe a little could be that my life is a hot mess but it seemed like more than that.
What I did love was the setting. Italy is such a beautiful country and I could picture it all. I was also drawn in with Julia's loss and struggling. I was curious as to why a stranger would leave her an estate in another country.
I am not a fan of paranormal, so that piece didn't go over with me and I thought there was a little much on the astrology front.
Overall I was underwhelmed and usually having the opportunity to switch to listening instead of reading helps keep me focused, but it didn't for this one. Maria Marquis did a good job voicing Julia's insecurities and inquisitiveness and sounded right for Julia, but she couldn't make up for my lack of connection.
Maybe I've grown to expect too much, but I just didn't connect with this one.
What I did love was the setting. Italy is such a beautiful country and I could picture it all. I was also drawn in with Julia's loss and struggling. I was curious as to why a stranger would leave her an estate in another country.
I am not a fan of paranormal, so that piece didn't go over with me and I thought there was a little much on the astrology front.
Overall I was underwhelmed and usually having the opportunity to switch to listening instead of reading helps keep me focused, but it didn't for this one. Maria Marquis did a good job voicing Julia's insecurities and inquisitiveness and sounded right for Julia, but she couldn't make up for my lack of connection.
Maybe I've grown to expect too much, but I just didn't connect with this one.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was the most predictable, unbelievable, and ridiculous thing I have read in years. Purportedly a psychological thriller, it is just a poorly conceived gothic novel (and I love gothic novels. This is an insult to gothic novels). I knew how large parts of this would play out less than 1/4 of the way in and even the finer details were absurd. Don’t even get me started on the italicized Aws, Args, and Ouches scattered throughout. I want those hours of my life back.