This is a mystery with twists and turns. It is difficult to stop reading as the next page might bring answers. This is a character driven book with no redeeming characters . One doesn’t fall in Love with the protagonist or her cohorts. However, they are mysterious and the reader wants to know more about their history and the present. This is a good read that goes quickly with a surprise ending. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review.

Nicky can annoy you since the beginning, but it won't make you put down the book... starts slow and gets a bit boring at times but the mystery is good. It's divided in three parts, two pov... the second part is better I'll admit haha because the first is like hmm this is weird 🤔... the second one is oohhh this is gettin good 😧 and then... the third part is like what????? How did that happen? Then is like nah no way and then by the very end is like noooooo 😵‍💫😳😱

I definitely recommend this one!!! Specially if you enjoy light thrillers and a good mystery!! I'll tell you I thought I knew what was happening and then the twists were like "haha nah you don't" 😂 and I really enjoyed that!!!! Is the kind of book that keeps you guessing and I like that. You think you know and then you're lost again and I really enjoy that. I'm not a big fan of light thrillers but this one is really good!!!! I don't know why I haven't seen it more around bookstagram so let's make it be more "booksta hyped" can we? It deserves it.

A girl in the public eye, Olivia is a successful social media influencer who had a tragedy occur and now her marriage hangs in the balance. The argue about how they are going to address this with her followers. Her husband wants to tell it like it is but she wants to continue the face of a life she has portrayed. As things unravel it is all to well predictable.

Loved :"Where The Missing GO' so it was a no brainer to pick up this book and it did not disappoint. I loved the action and I didnt feel like it lagged in anway, I hated to put this book down

Unfortunately this was a miss. I didn't enjoy this story or writing style at all.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Emma Rowley and Kensington Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I really wanted to like this book. But, the book just fell flat for me. It did not grab me or hold my interest at all. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

Hands down one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The start of the book drew me in but then the twists and turns had me locked in until the very end! It was well written, engaging, and full of surprises! I loved it. Five out five stars from me.

I was able to download an early copy to read via Net Galley.

The first half of this story is told in the voice of Nicky Wilson, a ghostwriter. She finally received the email she had been waiting for and off she went to spend a week with Olivia, an online lifestyle influencer. Olivia, her book’s subject, did not seem to be very forthcoming so Nicky went in search of the answers she was looking for.

The second half of this book is told in the voice of Olivia Hayes. Olivia was not very forthcoming about her life for Nicky which led Nicky to seek out answers on her own. Olivia knew she was going to be “found out” at some point and she didn’t want that to happen. The question is – what did she do about it?

What I liked about this book: I like the fact that Ms. Rowley took a seemingly “boring” subject, that of a ghostwriter, and turned it into something more. This is definitely a book that you cannot judge by its cover. There is a twist in the second half that is totally unexpected.

Who this book would appeal to: Anyone who likes a good page turner. I definitely would have finished this book sooner if I didn’t have to work.

What I didn’t like about this book: Nothing.

This book is told by several points of view. To be honest it is a bit of a slow burn. It did start to get fast sooner rather than later. This book makes you pay attention as some of the books relates to previous chapters. I really liked it.

2 unreliable narrators, a lifestyle influencer and the novel ghostwriter, a past and the new present, a facade and the real truth. Those were the core of this book by author Emma Rowley. The author made me doubt everyone while saying – You Can Trust Me. Could I?

Olivia hired a ghostwriter to write her memoir of sorts. Entered Nicky who was soon given a room at her house. As expected, strange things began to happen. Then Nicky disappeared, and I got to hear Olivia’s POV subtly saying one thing – You Can Trust Me. Could I?

The story had some suspenseful moments, where I was delighted in a perverse way about the things that happened to Nicky. The author made the characters unlikable all the while telling me – You Can Trust Me. Could I?

Then came my niggles. The plotlines were rough and staccato. What could have been unexpected became predictable. Twists could be seen a distance away. Yet I was told by the characters - You Can Trust Me. Could I?

Overall I did have fun reading it.

Social media stars are often not as polished and perfect as they appear and in this regard Olivia is no different. Nicky is her ghost writer and a guest in her house, where she starts to winkle out secrets.
Intriguing and well written, this was enjoyable and clever.

EXCERPT: So that was the official word on the incident: a tragic accident.

And that's it. Almost. There is just one more mention, easy to miss, had I not, out of habit, set the dates as wide as possible for my search, from before the fire to the present day. You never want to overlook any detail.

And that's how I found it, the final link chaining the dead past to this house's living present. It is not a news story but a marriage announcement, dated eight years ago.

Mr J.C. Hayes and Miss O.E. Vane
The engagement is announced between Joshua, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hayes of Richmond, London, and Olivia, daughter of the late Mr. Alexander Vane and Mrs. Vane of Annersley, Cheshire.

And that's why I am sitting here, flicking through the cuttings before the session ahead, my stomach twisting in anticipation of what I must address.

She is Olivia Hayes. But once she was Olivia Vane.

This is her house. Her family. Her story.

ABOUT YOU CAN TRUST ME BY EMMA ROWLEY: YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HER.
BUT SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU.
Olivia is the domestic goddess-turned-internet sensation who has won millions of followers by sharing her picture-perfect life online. And now she's releasing her tell-all autobiography.

Nicky is the ghostwriter tasked with coaxing out the full story - including details of the tragic accident that blighted Olivia's golden childhood.

But, as she delves into Olivia's life, Nicky discovers cracks appearing in the glamorous façade. From money worries to Olivia's strained relationship with her handsome husband, the truth belies her perfect image.

As Olivia becomes increasingly hostile to the woman she's let into her life, Nicky becomes ever more relentless in her hunt for the truth.

Has Olivia really escaped the ghosts of her past - or will Nicky find there are more sinister reasons she wants to leave an old tragedy well alone?

MY THOUGHTS: There are two sides to every story, everyone knows that. But what matters in the end, is who gets to tell it.

The story is told from two perspectives: Nicky, the ghostwriter charged with telling Olivia's story, and from that of Olivia herself. Of the two, I greatly preferred Olivia's narrative. But, in reality, You Can Trust Me by Emma Rowley largely fell flat for me. In the places that should have been suspenseful, I felt nothing. Come on! A hidden cellar in the cellar, that ought to be supremely creepy; I should have been holding my breath in anticipation, but it wasn't, and I wasn't.

The story dragged in parts and, although there were places where the pace would pick up, they were brief and insubstantial. It felt disjointed and incomplete, even at the end. There are two major twists in the story, one of which I guessed when one particular facet of Olivia's background was being studiously ignored, and once that was exposed, the second was a given.

Overall, I was disappointed. I felt that the plot had far more potential than was explored.

⭐⭐.7

#YouCanTrustMe #NetGalley

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Emma Rowley is a writer, ghostwriter and editor with a background in journalism - formerly of the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph. A graduate in Classics and English at Oxford University, she trained as a journalist on the prestigious City University course. Emma has spent considerable time in the courts and covering major crime stories. She lives in London. (Amazon)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of You Can Trust Me by Emma Rowley for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exhange for an honest review.
"You Can Trust Me", is the 2nd book that I have read by Emma Rowley.
I preferred her 1st book, "Where The Missing Go" but, I still found this book interesting and addictive.
I thought the 2nd half of the book was much better than the 1st half of the book.
My only complaint was that I thought the author should have had the 2 main characters alternating their stories rather than have 1 character tell their story completely and then the 2nd character tell her story afterwards.
I would definitely read the next book by Emma Rowley.

The narrative is told from two different perspectives, that of Nicky Wilson and Olivia Hayes.

’Olivia is the domestic goddess-turned-internet sensation who has won millions of followers by sharing her picture-perfect life online. And now she's releasing her tell-all autobiography.’

’Nicky is the ghostwriter tasked with coaxing out the full story - including details of the tragic accident that blighted Olivia's golden childhood.’

When Nicky discovers cracks in the foundation of Olivia’s real-life compared to her picture-perfect-online-persona, Nicky determines to learn the truth at any cost.

My thoughts:

Olivia doesn’t come across as a very likable character, cold and heartless at times, Nicky a bit too nosy. However, it's the changing point-of-views that gives the reader varying perspectives, allowing them to decipher which part of the narrative is fact or fiction…

After all, there are two sides to every story.

That Ending-My Heart! Love it!

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing, for loaning me an ebook of the Psychological Thriller, YOU CAN TRUST ME, in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book. The premise of holding someone else's secrets sounded so intriguing. But, I just found it alittle boring and flat and found myself reading it just to get through it, not to enjoy it.
I wish the author much success.

The book is told from the perspectives of Olivia - a social media influencer and Nicky - a writer hired to write her autobiography. It's a story of push and pull around this event. And to be honest it is a push and pull of me being able to say how I feel about the book. I don't really connect with Nicky too much because her thoughts are all over the place and very unclear about her motives in general. I felt more on the side of Olivia, being an influencer myself. And while the story itself was very interesting, the characters weren't as likeable as to keep me reading.

Nicky Wilson is a ghostwriter that is tasked with writing the autobiography of lifestyle influencer, Olivia Hayes. Tensions rise when Nicky brings up Olivia’s tragic past in hopes of adding a more intimate element to Olivia’s story. Who is the real Olivia and what is she hiding? Secrets are revealed in this twisted tale of perception versus reality. Through multiple POVs, the battle between fact and fiction captivated me until the surprising conclusion. Who can be trusted in this duplicitous story of deception? This will definitely keep you guessing. “ Still There are two sides to every story, everyone knows that. But what matters, in the end, is who gets to tell it.” Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for my ARC.

Loved it!! There were so many twists and turns. The third part of the book I had no idea who to believe. Part one was Nicky, the ghostwriter's side of the story. Part two was Olivia, the very cold and controlled influencer's side of the story. The third part was a mixture of both. Let's just say Nicky and Olivia had completely different stories. I kept wondering who would want to read a book about Olivia with all her boring advice? If I was Nicky I would have left probably after the first day. Olivia didn't have much to say and wasn't very cooperative. Then everything changes when Nicky discovers Olivia's secret from the past. It was suppose to be a secret about Nicky writing a book for Olivia but Nicky told everyone that she met in the village about being a ghostwriter for Olivia. So it really wasn't much of a secret. The second part of the book made me wonder what was really going on. I suspected everyone. I never expected the ending. It was definitely a surprise. I enjoyed the characters, story and writing style. Definitely wasn't a fan of Olivia. I never warmed up to her. She didn't seem like a very loving person, although I'm sure her childhood had a lot to do with it.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a great mystery/thriller. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A fast paced read filled with twisty turns it'll engage you from the first page. How far will someone go to hide secrets? To preserve their outside facade Read the book and find out. Happy reading!

Meh.

You Can Trust Me never really came together for me in a way which anchored me to the story. I didn't find the premise particularly well plotted, and the layout felt clunky.

Told from two points of view, the first half the book encompassed Nicky's story, while the second half belonged to Olivia. Nicky's section was frustrating. Why was this girl, this ghostwriter, pushing so hard to get a story from an influencer who obviously wasn't willing to go there? Things became more clear during Olivia's section, but she was so cold and shut-off, her voice was constipated.

I was also incredibly disappointed by the anti-climatic ending. Years of secrets for that?

::sigh:: Meh.

2.5 stars
Available August 25th.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my review copy.