Thriller

Review: Unravel by Daya Winters

August 18, 2026

Synopsis:

THE DEEPER SHE DIGS FOR THE TRUTH,
THE DEADLIER THE DECEPTION GROWS.

Hannah Crawford built the kind of life other women dream about, and kill for. She knows because she’s done exactly that.

For twelve silent years, Hannah’s secrets have slept peacefully beneath the surface of her perfect existence: the grand house behind locked gates, the wealthy husband who provides everything but love, and two children raised on flawless lies.

But when a doll surfaces from the past, Hannah’s carefully curated life begins to fracture. Cracks spread, exposing the ruthless woman she thought she’d left behind.

As Ethan’s distance deepens into betrayal, and an unseen watcher draws dangerously close, what’s hidden in the dark will finally come to light.

Some wives bend under pressure.
Hannah shatters everyone who stands in her way.

Review:

The first book in the series gave me exactly what I wanted. My hopes for meeting the characters again were therefore very high, and after finishing this book, I was thoroughly entertained.

Meeting Ethan and Hannah again, 12 years after I left them, sounded like a promising start. Right off the bat, I got a glimpse into Hannah’s past, and I did not expect what I learned about her. It was clearly setting the stage for what was to come.
And then we dive into the main story. The couple have moved away and now have two children. From the outside, it looks like an ideal marriage, but a peek behind the curtain makes it clear that their relationship is struggling in various ways. When an old doll suddenly appears in the daughter’s room, it becomes clear that what happened in the past is slowly coming back, and bit by bit, everything begins to unravel. And what if the patterns and behaviours learned in their own childhood are inherited by their children?

I wanted Ethan and Hannah to be a happy couple, but that would not have made for a very entertaining story. Problems in their marriage, secrets being kept from each other, and someone watching closely who knows what happened in the past all create an atmosphere filled with tension. Bit by bit, the stakes continue to rise. I was so here for it, and Hannah was my favourite character. I’m not sure what that says about me. 🙂

Were some things a bit over the top and slightly unrealistic for me? Yes, but that did not take away from the fact that this was a very entertaining read, and I certainly did not expect that ending.

🌙 Recension: Unravel (Smother Series #2) by Daya Winters
📚 Genre: Thriller
📅 Release Date: August 18, 2026
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
📱 Read as: Kindle
💸 Bought
📆 Pages: 392
⭐️ 4/5