Member Reviews

Jillian Samuels is a struggling a self-published author, who is finally accepted by an agent with her new book. Her handsome husband and best friend are support her writing career and encourage her to continue despite her struggles.. But one day the crimes written in books begin to happen in real life causing Jillian and her books to gain much popularity and success overnight, However she also gathers the intrigue and questions from readers and the police . Is it a coincidence or is there more behind all this than it seems?

This book started quite slow and ,for me, only really picked up at the last third. The overall idea and plot is a good idea and I do believe it could be a very good read and interesting book but sadly the way this was written with the pacing, the layout and how Jillian come across and spoke just didn't draw me in and was very disjointed. I just couldn't feel for Jillian as a character and the story was too much of a slow burn for me - I almost dnf'd it which I never do. I wish I could of related to Jillian more in the beginning, she didn't give me the feeling that she was a real person and the reveals happened to slowly for more liking causing me to be bored for the majority of the book

*Note, I also dealt with issues with format/grammar and it appeared incredibly disjointed and hard to read. I assume this will be fixed in the proof will be addressed prior to publication.

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Jillian is a book author trying to get her first publisher.
Teddy is her husband, a culinary rising star.
Natalie is her bff in the NYC PR world.
Suddenly Jillian’s 1st thriller book is happening in real life.
This crime mystery has everyone thinking, reporter’s, the cops and most of all Jillian.
It sure looks good for Jillian’s career.

A great book, it fell a little bit flat about a third of the way in, but it picked back up again and I just couldn’t put it down.

Much thanks to Net Galley, the Author and Publisher for this ARC to read and review.

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My first McGarvey Black book but definitely won’t be my last! This was a slow burn thriller that was huge on the creep factor. Great layout and details kept this one sizzling and finished with a bang. Lots of good characters too. Really enjoyed it!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

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Quick, easy read that keeps you engaged. I enjoyed the storyline and plot twist. I will definitely consider reading another book by this author.

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Thank you to #NetGalley, Joffe Books and McGarvey Black for the opportunity to read an advance copy of TRUST ONLY ME, to be published 28 January 2023. My mind is spinning! I’m still trying to wrap my brain around who did what to whom and who the perpetrator actually was! This was an involved thriller that kept me guessing until the end and then I was shocked to learn the truth in the final chapter. McGarvey Black is definitely an author to follow. Her characters are real and believable. She spins a great yarn! #NetGalley #JoffeBooks . #McGarveyBlack. #TrustOnlyMe

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Unfortunately this was a DNF for me, I struggled to 10% and had to give up. Couldn't get into the storyline or engage with the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Joffre Books but this book wasn't for me.

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What a twist or should that be twists? Right to the last chapter, you think you know who did it! Definitely a new author I will be following. Really would have liked to have been told what happened to the restaurant/ or is another book pending?
Good description of characters, made you feel as if you were there with them at times.

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Trust only me by mcGarvey black published January 2023. Jillian sanders has self published three of her books. But it seems someone is copycat one of the books. By dropping bombs from a drone shaped like Superman. Now Jillian has a publisher for her next book and he wants to use any publicity to sell this book. He will use her chef husband or even Jillian’s stalker

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Trust Only Me by McGarvey Black is a psychological thriller set in Connecticut. Our main character is a struggling writer attempting to hit it big with her next thriller. Her life is thrown upside down when scenes from her self-published books start playing out in real life.

60% of the book is slow. It drags and drags, and the reader is left wondering when the main character will catch up with the rest of us. When she does, the book finally becomes a page-turner! As a reader, I was finally glad she found her voice.

I think this book is for people new to the genre. For fans of thrillers, this might be a pass.

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This book had me turning the pages so fast. I was always changing who I thought it was. I would guess one person the next couple chapters it was someone else. If your looking for a good wow book this is it. I guarantee you have no idea what the end will be. Thanks for the opportunity to read this before it comes out.

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This book started off really well but then nothing happened of note until halfway through this book. I am glad I persevered but for me this book was too busy the reader was given so many details that had nothing to do with the main story. I usually devour this authors work but this one was a disappointment.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

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Jillian writes strange thrillers from her rural home, her husband, Teddy, runs a 'hot' restaurant in New York (I think) and is working to open a string of his own restaurants, her best friend is just that., until someone starts to copy the stories in her books in real life - supermen drones blowing up factories, a stalker, a copy cat killer eventually. A lot is about her seemingly week-end marriage and her angst about becoming a real published author - her first three books were self-published. Her agent seems dodgy from the start, best friend odd; the whole thing dragged for quite a long time. The two good guy/bad guy police kept popping around to see her and that became repetitive to little effect for a long time. Eventually the plots heated up and the story became more gripping although some was predictable - the end was not. As a pre-publication versions I don't remove stars for poor formatting - there are sentences that stop mid-line then continue in the next paragraph, vast spare lines in middle of paragraphs and the font changed rather alarmingly at one page. This did not help the story and, I assume, will be sorted during final editing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

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Jillian is a self-published author, her latest book is accepted for representation with an agent. She needs to do a lot of self-promotion to improve her chances of success. Jillian seems a bit of a mousy person, so struggles with this.
Her husband Teddy, is a celebrity chef. The money from a successful launch would help him with his plans to open his own restaurant. Jillian's best friend is a top PR agent who gives her a lot of encouragement and support.
While the book deal is being negotiated, copycat crimes from her earlier books start to happen, so Jillian attracts the attention of the police. There are several suspects with various motives, with an exciting twist at the end.

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Ever since listening to “A Text Before Dying,” I have been a McGarvey Black fan. I love her writing, whit, & charm. “Trust Only Me” didn’t disappoint. Jillian Samuels writes thrillers for a living. When her manuscript gets accepted, she is convinced this will be the book that puts her on the map. As she finds her success, things begin to take a turn. The murders she writes about in her book are coming to life in the real world. Her life is becoming a nightmare. And social media is only adding more fuel. Those darn tweets!

This book grabbed my attention from the start – I think some readers may think the plot is a little slow, but I loved every second of it. There are some laugh-out-loud moments, a growing paranoia, and a few twists that keep you hooked to the story. I will definitely be buying the hardback version of this book when it’s released! A quick and fun read. I received an ARC version of this book for an honest review.

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I really liked this book! I felt like it was toooooo detailed but it turned out I actually NEEDED all the deets! I was able to guess ONE part, but the rest, I was clueless! I can't believe I was on this rollercoaster ride and enjoyed it! This book has many twists and turns but it's not bumpy! The ending definitely WOWED me. Definitely recommend!

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This book started off a little slow for me, but picked up a little bit around halfway through. I did guess one twist in the book, but never saw the main twist coming which increased my rating from a three to a four. Interesting premise and kept me reading to figure out the mystery.

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TRUST ONLY ME by McGarvey Black.
From her home office in rural Connecticut, self-published thriller author Jillian Samuels dreams of writing a bestseller. Her tall, dark and handsome chef husband Teddy, and her BFF, Natalie, a glamorous PR woman always in six-inch heels, cheer Jillian on when her new book, The Soul Collector, is accepted by a New York agent. By night, she writes about serial killers. But then her stories begin to come true. Not long afterwards, crimes from her old thrillers start to really happen — two bodies are found covered in silver paint — one unconscious, the other dead. Some people on Twitter notice the eerie similarities to Jillian’s previous books. Jillian’s book sales are rising — but the police are asking questions . . .
Really enjoyable read. Twisty. 5*.

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Thank you Netgalley, for the possibility to read the book. It was good entertainment. I liked the plot and how all the characters were portrayed.
The book was very descriptive in a pleasant, and sometimes humorous way. It kept me guessing who is the culprit, then changing my guess so many times during my one-sit reading. For sure I will recommend this book to other readers and follow the author.

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This was a fun book with some good twists. It centers on Jillian, who has self published a few books and is finally getting an agent for her next book. While all of this is happening, scenes from her previous books start getting played out in real life. Her agent loves it but the cops do not and she finds herself in the middle of an investigation.

The book is pretty fast paced, with short chapters that (at least on my kindle) start mid page- this kept me reading. There are some unnecessary and repetitive details throughout but I felt that the pacing of the book was still solid. I saw one twist coming from a mile away but I was torn on the other twist- it was one of many scenarios I had considered but I hadn’t landed on it for sure by the time it was revealed. I had mixed feelings on Jillian but she grew on me as the book continued.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and thought it was worth the read- I’d recommend to those who enjoy psychological thrillers and mysteries. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Get ready for the ride you have always wanted in a suspense/thriller. Loved this one. While I didn’t actually figure out who dun it. I was actually on a similar tract but the one decided with the cops was oh so much better, followed by the final twist. This was everything I have wanted to see in a thriller! The middle I found a little muddled but oh so necessary. First book I have read by McGarvey Black but it definitely won’t be my last, I will be looking for future novels. Yes, I will definitely be recommending to anyone who enjoys a great thriller. Might fly under your radar but I’m saying, do yourself a favor and find it to pick it up! Nice to end my year with this one. Here’s to more great thrillers in 2023!

Thanks to the following for allowing me to review early:

#NetGalley
#JoffeBooks
#McGarveyBlack
#TrustOnlyMe
Pub.Date: 28 Jan 2023

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