This is my first book by Frimmer. It was a solid read and I really enjoy reading medical perspectives. This is one of those books to relax you as it has such strong inspiring emotions weaved throughout.

The characters were so realistic and easy to relate with. Dr. Heather Frimmer was able to create a realistic and relatable plot in Better to Trust based on surgery procedures, rehabilitation, medical ethics, recovery from a complicated and risky surgery, addiction and its impact upon the user, its family and job performance and the repercussions and rifts that could result. Better to Trust was insightful and so well written.

4.5 stars. It was a slow start for me with the first couple chapters but then the story really takes off - a real page-turner! I loved the references to Boston and the neighboring towns. Being from the area, it helped me connect more with the story,
The writing and story from three different points of view was great. I highly recommend it.

I absolutely loved this book!! The character development of everyone was so well written. The book dealt with heavy topics, specifically addiction. Though the book was mostly focused on the recovery of the traumatic brain injury, I thought the storyline with her doctor/brother-in-law was so good. I also liked how their was exploration of sexuality at an older age. This isn't something that is talked about a lot. I found some chapters to be slower than others, but overall this was such a good read!

A good family drama with intrigue that was exciting to read.. The primary topic is dramatic enough that perhaps it would have even been a better story with less added drama - some of it felt a bit manufactured. Having said that, I still enjoyed this book from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The first time Alison knows that something is wrong is when she wakes up in an ambulance. She later learns that she passed out while teaching….and is facing some pretty significant medical challenges. She’s comforted by the fact that her brother-in-law, Grant, is one of the star neurologists in Boston, where she lives. Alison’s family circle is small - limited to her husband (Michael), sister (Cynthia), and niece (Sadie), along with Grant, and they all have key roles in the book (although Michael seemed to end up as a minor character).
This is the author’s second book and she tackles a number of significant subjects: family drama, medical crises, addiction, teenage angst, exploration of sexuality, and infidelity/divorce. Some are handled more successfully than others.
The story is told from the perspectives of Alison, Grant and Sadie and with a dual timeline. This structure enabled the reader to develop an in-depth understanding of these characters and their challenges. I appreciated the strong writing of the medical sections, especially about Alison and Grant’s conditions. Dr. Frimmer’s training and experience was put to good use! One of the areas I found most interesting in the book were the interactions/relationships between the medical staff in addressing and managing Grant and his situation.
Thanks to Netgalley and Wyatt-MacKenzie for the advance read of this interesting book in exchange for an honest review.

Not a bad book, but it didn't hit the sweet spot for me.

While I'm glad that Alison chose to forge forward on her own rather than turn into an illogical "divorced husband, now blissfully happy and gay AF" story. It makes more sense that a forbidden romance like Becca and Alison's would not have been perfect because they didn't have the space for healthy growth. I wish that Becca's attempt to pigeonhole Alison into an identity was addressed a little bit more. Knowing stuff like how to advocate for the authenticity of your personal journey through queerness is something LGBTQ newbies should know, as well as the fact that people are allowed to come out (or not) on their own terms.

It's an interesting story. One that I haven't read before.

Entertaining read. The subject was well researched and well done by the author. Toward the last 25% of the book my eyes started to glaze over a bit and the story started to feel much more average... I suspect because it tried to wrap everything up nicely in a bow.

Better to Trust is a compelling family drama centered around a medical crisis and the aftermath from complications that follow. Told from the point of view of three characters, and in dual timelines, this is an emotional novel that tackles a lot of tough topics and whether trust can ever be regained once it’s been violated. This is a fast paced, thought provoking novel that engrossed me from start to finish. If you enjoy family dramas or medical fiction, you should definitely check this one out.

I love medical dramas on TV but find there aren't enough of them in books! BETTER TO TRUST is a family drama with a medical twist.

Alison needs brain surgery and she trusts her brother in law Grant, a world renowned neurosurgeon in treating her condition. But Grant is hiding an addiction to pain pills... when Alison's struggling to recover months later she's also questioning her life as she knows it and what she wants in her future.

I liked seeing the story told by Alison & Grant and occasionally Sadie (Alison's niece) over the course of the year. I found the medical ethics questions this book posed fascinating.

If you're a fan of Grey's Anatomy or other medical dramas then you'll enjoy Better To Trust.

Being in the medical field I love watching medical drama tv (huge grey’s fan), but until Better to Trust, I haven't read much of them.

Told through a dual timeline and three POV’s, you really get to know the characters and watch them grow as they try to piece their lives back together. You know from the beginning what happened but learn the why and how throughout the book. The change in POV and timeline left mini cliffhangers that kept me reading and I couldn’t put it down. While I didn't agree with some of their choices I was hoping for the best for everyone. I usually prefer a little more closure at the end, but recovery and self discovery can be a long road and I think the ending reflected their journey perfectly.

Frimmer did a fantastic job addressing how topics of addiction, medical ethics, and self discovery can change a family's dynamic in a real and emotional way.

Better to Trust is a novel that forces us to ask in this game of musical chairs we call life, how will we be found when the music stops? Each of the story's primary characters has secrets, which become revealed due to one of those characters, Alison Jacobs, suffering a traumatic brain injury. Better to Trust's storyline, told well in alternating timelines, exposes how those secrets came to be and the reckoning each character confronts as the truth becomes known.

Heather Frimmer's Better to Trust is a compelling novel grounded in reality. There are no fantastical elements, only recognizable human choices, situations, and emotions. Readers who like to see themselves, their lives in books will enjoy reading this title.

I loved this story. It gave me tv-drama vibes. I love reading family dramas. I thought the characters personalities and reactions to the problems that arises seemed so realistic. I will be recommending this book to other readers!

I love watching medical dramas so I was interested in reading one. Better to Trust was intense and emotional. I found this to be an inspiring read but I do wish that the ending was a little different. But if you're looking for a medical and family drama, check this out.

An intense story that takes you on an emotional journey. A lot of drama and definitely an interesting read.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Better to Trust is a novel that packs a lot, from complex family relationships, issues about mortality, drug addiction, and sexual identity that will keep you engrossed in this dual time line novel told in multiple voices.

This nurse is very happy reading this medical fiction drama that address tough topics in the most tender and heartwarming immersive read.

This book hit incredibly close to home for me as I found myself reliving my caregiving days for my dad after his stroke. Right side affected, aphasia, the extensive rehab and therapy sessions. It's all there along with the family issues, medical decisions, the uncertainty of what life will look like in the future, and living with the complications of misplaced trust. This story takes the reader on the arduous journey of recovery for the patient and the emotional impact on everyone involved. It's a scary yet amazing process and I thought the author did a fabulous job of portraying the humanity and reality of life after a major medical event.

Do you enjoy a good medical drama?⁣
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I've always loved books with medical plotlines and dramatic hospital shows like ER and Grey’s - they're always equally fascinating and entertaining!⁣
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And once again Heather Frimmer takes you on another thought-provoking medical-centered ride of a story. It’s written impeccably and flows like the perfect breeze - and has everything a reader could ask for.⁣
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There’s drug addiction and brain surgery, to teenage angst, sisterly bonds, and divorce. You’ve got questions of sexuality and self-worth, malpractice lawsuits and medical struggles, and yes - a whole lot of trust issues. ⁣
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… did I miss anything?!⁣
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Better to Trust is a cleverly structured multiple POV account of a year in the life of a family who goes through so, so much - all centered around Alison’s brain surgery. At times I was SO frustrated by some of the characters choices, but at the end of the day, I always rooted for Alison. And by the end of this year-long roller coaster of secrets and lies, you’ll definitely want to hug your family a little tighter.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: September 21, 2021
After Alison Jacobs collapses while at work and is rushed to the hospital she receives grave news- she has a complicated clot in her brain and she needs extensive and risky brain surgery in order to remove it. With this on their minds Alison and her husband must decide if they want to risk the surgery, or risk the effects of Alison’s clot bursting unexpectedly. Luckily for Alison, her brother-in-law, Grant, is a renowned neurosurgeon and, reluctantly going against medical protocol, Grant decides to take on Alison’s case. After a mistake during surgery leaves Alison in grave condition, and an accident with Grant’s daughter leaves a friend injured, Grant is soon in front of his colleagues and friends being questioned on more than his ethics in treating Alison. Alison is now changed forever and it seems that Grant is at fault- can Alison ever recover? And if so, will she be able to forgive Grant?
Radiologist and writer Heather Frimmer’s new novel, “Better to Trust” is a compelling and emotional journey through brain injury and recovery, addiction, responsibility, and forgiveness. “Trust” is only Frimmer’s second novel (her first being “Bedside Manners”) but in my opinion, Frimmer has found her niche!
The novel is told over the timespan of approximately one year, from the time before Alison’s injury to the time after. It is told in reverse order, and narrated from the perspectives of Alison and Grant (with some sections taken over by Grant’s daughter, Sadie). As complicated as this sounds, Frimmer’s plot flows beautifully and is easy to follow, introducing the tension of the novel in a slow simmer.
Frimmer’s portrayals of recovery (both in Alison’s and Grant’s case) are poignant and truthful. So honest and frank, both characters generate every level of emotional connection with the reader, through all of the ups and downs. Right from the beginning, I rooted for Alison and although it took a little longer for me to warm up to Grant, I was able to empathize with him by the end of the novel.
The heartwarming ending will leave an indelible mark, combined with Frimmer’s realistic characters and well-researched (and experienced) medical knowledge, “Better to Trust” is a story that has me excited for Frimmer’s next work.

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Better to Trust” by Heather Frimmer, Wyatt-Mackenzie Publishing, 2021, On Tour with Suzy Approved Book Tours Heather Frimmer, Author of “Better to Trust” has written an intriguing, captivating, intense, and thought-provoking novel. The author has written a contemporary novel with many controversial issues. I appreciate the research and the way that the author uses several characters to vividly describe the situations. The Genres for this Book are Medical Fiction, Domestic Family Fiction, and Fiction. The timeline for this story is in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters and events. The author describes her characters as complex, complicated, and flawed. There are betrayals, and secrets. This is a story about trust, family dynamics, forgiveness, second chances, and self-growth. When there are serious problems, would most people turn to their families for help and advice? What if there is a life-threatening situation, and a family member is a well-known and distinguished surgeon? Alison Jacobs requires brain surgery and her brother-in-law, Grant is an esteemed neurosurgeon. Alison and her husband put their trust in Grant. Grant, himself is possibly not aware that he is addicted to drugs. To keep on task, Grant takes a specific medication that is prescribed for him, but he tweaks the treatment to feel less nervous. Alison, herself has a big secret and is doubting her relationships. Alison is not sure of herself and is certainly not in a position to decide anything. when she has a life-threatening situation. Grant’s daughter Sadie brings a new friend to their house, which causes a major problem. The friend is not from her usual group of friends, and Sadie seems to trust her. Heather Frimmer has written a heartfelt, memorable, and thought-provoking story that I highly recommend for all readers.