You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard was a fabulous suspenseful novel! Great, loyal friendship mixed with dark experiences, mingling with a wealthy crowd, as well as uncovering a deviant murderer. Thrilling and engaging throughout! Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

I get really excited about thrillers that involve wealth and privilege, so I was drawn to this one quickly. And it did NOT disappoint. I was consistently genuinely surprised by the twists in the story. Both Leo and Summer are extremely well fleshed out character and are presented in a way where I truly buy into their motives. Additionally, the scenery described truly transports you to the California sun. The writing is beautiful and extremely exciting.

I am not ashamed to admit that I judge books by their covers. Wendy Heard's new novel You Can Trust Me has a gorgeously intoxicating one that immediately drew me in. The story did as well. This novel about two young, nomadic female grifters pickpocketing among strangers and conning wealthy men gives off delicious White Lotus vibes. I couldn't get enough. If you enjoy tense thrillers with intriguing, well-developed characters, set against a luxe backdrop, don't take your eyes off of You Can Trust Me.

Summer and Leo are best friends ... and con artists. Summer preys upon people's pockets, swiping money, credit cards, and IDs here and there; while Leo seduces affluent men, stealing what's in their hearts and their bank accounts. Leo currently has her eyes on a big fish - Michael Forrester, billionaire-extraordinaire. When he invites her to his private island for a mini getaway, Leo can't believe her luck. She seems to already have Michael eating out of the palm of her hand, and she knows she will soon be privy to the riches and sellable-secrets that come with dating a prominent man.

There's just one problem - Leo goes missing after her trip to the island. Overdue without so much as a text, Leo has Summer worried that something terrible has happened. Leo would never leave Summer in the lurch fretting over her safety. There's only one thing to do. Summer infiltrates this billionaires' playground on the hunt for Leo, and she won't relent until she finds her.

Wendy Heard's You Can Trust Me is a sweet escape mashed with heart-pounding thriller. Buckle up because life on the road with Summer and Leo is wild and so unlike anything that I have personally experienced, making this a highly entertaining, albeit sometimes predictable, read. There's so much scheming and foul play happening on these pages, it will make your head spin. Sure, "you can trust me" ... but at what cost?

You Can Trust Me is absolutely delightfully crafted summer thriller fun, and I loved it.

Give me a book about con artists ANY DAY, I am here for that plot point again and again. @wendydheard does a hell of a job writing con artist characters that you like, and that you spend the book rooting for, which I feel like is no easy feat. Morally gray and slightly questionable ethics in a main character just happen to be really fun to read in my opinion.

Sprinkle in a shady and questionable billionaire, a mysterious private island sprinkled with servants that are maybe not what they seem, one of the main characters going missing with said billionaire on said island and bingo bango, you have yourself a totally absorbing and addicting popcorn thriller that you can’t put down.

This is one that you want to go into a little blind, but ready for a mystery, a little action, a cold case murder and a twisty rollercoaster ride of entertainment. It really is the type of reading that you love to sink into on a hot summer day.

Definitely a must for those ultimate summer read piles, don’t let this one miss you!

Thank you @penguinrandomhouse for the copy!

A very interesting read. Some of the ending felt like it was too outlandish to me though. Very convenient how it all came together.

This book was suspenseful! It was very intense, and a little dark. Summer has her ways of making ends meet. She learned this over the years as she fought to survive. Her best friend Leo gets herself invited to wealthy Michael’s private island for the weekend. Once Summer realizes this, she gets herself included with an acquaintance of Michael’s. Once there, Summer begins to be suspicious of what’s really happening. She can’t find Leo and Michael says she’s not on the island.

What a perfect summer thriller! I was immediately gripped from the first few chapters and read this in a day. My husband kept asking if I could put the book down, but I had to keep turning the page and know what was happening! I really enjoyed how the story was told through Summer and Leo’s alternating POVs, as well as the chapters that gave glimpses back to their pasts. There were some twists I picked up on quickly, but others caught me by surprise.
Some dislikes- occasionally felt that the FMCs were acting much younger than their ages and had to remind myself that they were actually in their late 20s/early 30s. I also felt that a few of the twists in the last 20% of the book were slightly outrageous. However those things weren’t enough to stop me from loving it.

I got some major White Lotus vibes from this thriller, if you’re familiar with that series, and there were moments I was picturing several of the TV show characters as Summer, Leo, Julie, and Michael. I could see this novel being a show or movie of its own in the future.

Definitely recommend adding this to your TBR for a good summer suspense/thriller!

Brilliant story within a story of two women living on their own, conning others for survival and what happens when they meet a bigger con than they could dream of being.
Summer and Leo have been best friends, like sisters for the past several years working their cons and living life as free as they can imagine being. Leo sees an opportunity for a big payoff and arranges to meet Michael. Then, Leo disappears and Summer is the only one that knows she is missing.

An incredible story of survival and more importantly, of love.

You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard is a well written, tightly woven story of two realistic main characters that are authentic and honest even when they are conning someone out of money. Definitely recommend! Flips back and forth between the past and the present, while building the tension so that the writer knows a confrontation is coming but isn't sure of the outcome!

Wendy is one of my top authors to read and this tale of toxic friendship and the lengths we go for those we care about will leave you stunned and ready for her next book.

I just realized I completely forgot to review this and it might be my favorite thriller I’ve read this year! This is an exceptionally done intense thriller about two women who have really been through it in similar but also completely different ways. This was such a fun summer thriller and I flew through this. I definitely think this will appeal to a lot of people, especially if you read from a lot of female thriller authors (think Ashley Winstead, Megan Goldin, etc). The girl power vibes are strong and I very much enjoyed this. I would go in blind and enjoy the ride.

I'm happy to say that You Can Trust Me is more than just a beautiful cover. In fact, it ends up being my favorite Wendy Heard novel to-date. Quick and addicting, though slightly predictable, I had a ton of fun reading it. IMO, it's a great Summer Thriller.

In this story we follow two perspectives, best friends, Summer and Leo. I call them best friends, but in truth, they're more like sisters. Both Summer and Leo are on their own and have been for years. They make their way through the cruel world the best ways they know how, usually by conning people, and for Summer, even some stealthy pick-pocketing.

Leo is more a long-game kind of girl, but she still gets enough dough to get by. The girls are free-spirited. Preferring the open road to being tied down in one place. They've been traveling around California in Summer's Land Cruiser and things have been good. They're happy with and supportive of one another. In truth, they're a great match.

Their constant hustle can get tiring though, but Leo has her eyes on a big payout, via a well known billionaire and philanthropist, Michael Forrester. Michael seems to be taken by Leo's charms and she receives an invite to his private island. She can hardly believe her luck. She's about to hit the mother-load.

Then Leo disappears. When she doesn't return back to the Land Cruiser when she should, and Summer hasn't heard from her, Summer panics. She needs to find her. Something must be wrong. Leo would never leave her without saying goodbye, would she?

Determined to find her friend, Summer sets out to infiltrate Michael's island. This could be her toughest and most dangerous con yet, but Leo is worth it. Leave no woman behind.

Going into this, I'll be honest, from the synopsis, I wasn't sure if it was going to be for me. However, I was very quickly wrapped up into the story. I loved learning about Leo and Summer and watching how they lived their lives. It wasn't a relatable lifestyle to me, by any means, but I do always love a devious long-game, so Leo was my jam. I had a lot of fun watching them plot and scheme.

I also thought the setting of Michael's private island was quite interesting. There was something very Jeffrey Epstein about it. I enjoyed having something real life to sort of compare this to. It made it feel more realistic to me. The way the girls could get swept away to this island and once there, they honestly could have vanished into the ether. They were just playthings for the powerful men visiting the island; mere arm candy, trotted around like little prizes.

Additionally, I enjoyed how Heard switched the perspectives back and forth. They're also not completely synced in time through most of it, so it was interesting watching the truth of what happened to Leo unfold.

While all the present drama is unfolding, you also get to learn quite a bit about both Leo and Summer's past; like before they met up and became friends. I enjoyed that background information quite a bit. I think it helped to explain a lot about their lifestyle, reliance on one another, as well as some of their decision-making and motivations. Again, this helped to make it feel more realistic to me. I could see how, considering what they had been through, they would end up in their current predicament.

Overall, I found this to be really enjoyable. Heard did a nice job with the character work and I liked the steady build-up of intensity over the course of the story. The conclusion was satisfying as well, which made it a nice, well-rounded story. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a quick, Summer-vibes Thriller, with devious characters and a wild plot. This would make a great weekend read.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm a little late to the party, but glad I finally made the time for this one!

Summer, a professional pickpocket, and Leo, a con artist, live and travel sunny California in Summer’s Land Cruiser. Both have painful pasts. Summer, because of a delusional hippy mother, doesn’t know her birthdate or last name and therefore has no legal ID.

Her mom dumped her at age fifteen. Leoni, or Leo as she’s called, lost her sister when she was a teen, and then lost her parents to grief. She suffers guilt over her sister’s death for lying to her parents. For five years, Summer and Leo have been best friends, their relationship filling the void of family.

But Leo, the romantic of the two, is getting bored with the daily “jobs” needed to fill the gas tank and buy food. She wants more. Summer is scared Leo may one day desert her. When Leo meets Michael, a handsome, sexy tech billionaire who invites her to a party, she falls for him. Summer sees what’s happening and is afraid this may end their friendship.

But when Leo accepts Michael’s invitation to his private island off Catalina, Summer stops receiving texts or calls from Leo. At first, Summer is angry that she’s been abandoned. But their friendship is stronger, and in her heart, Summer believes Leo would not leave without a word. Certain her friend is in danger, Summer cons her way onto the island. Little does she know how much danger and depravity Leo has endured and what awaits her as she searches for her friend.

Told in the alternating voices of Summer and Leo with a few chapters filling in their backstories, Wendy Heard has written a modern feminist thriller that tackles the dark side of wealth and privilege and the price of unlimited freedom. This is no “Thelma and Louise” when it comes to characters making choices. Both, however, show the strength of female friendships.

As for thrill rides, the action begins immediately and doesn’t let up. Even the backstories add to the pace. Summer and Leo feel fully realized, while, comparatively, the male characters fall short and are close to stereotypes. As for twists? Watch out. Wendy Heard throws grenades of twists throughout and gives a firebomb of an ending. If you don’t need the plot and story anchored in realism, make this your sexy, crazy, escapist must-read for summer.

Thank you to the author and Bantam Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! If you have a chance to pick up this exciting new thriller, do it! You Can Trust Me completely blew me away as much as the intriguing cover. I couldn't put it down! The two main characters, Summer and Leo, are best friends, skilled pickpocketers and con artists who live together and travel around California in a Land Cruiser. Leo who is eager to score the big bucks for the pair, meets Michael Forrester, a billionaire, who sweeps her of her feet. Excited for her BFF, Summer begins to worry when she doesn't hear from Leo after her she attends a party as the tech billionaire's date. Summer know this is unlike Leo and goes on a hunt, traveling to Michael's private island in search of her missing friend. I was at the edge of my seat the entire time I read this book! Loved it!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Bantam, Wendy Heard and NetGalley for the ARC and allowing me to leave an honest review! #YouCanTrustMe #NetGalley

This book was one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time. I loved the dual POV between Summer and Leo. The plot was brilliant! I found myself wanting to stop everything I was doing and just devour this book until it was finished. Can't wait to read her other books!

The suspense really kept me on my toes… Leo and Summer are making their way through the world but in an unconventional way. They are homeless and they do small cons to survive. Leo wants a big score and hopes to find it in billionaire Michael! Leo disappears after heading to a private island with Michael and Summer has to try and figure out what happened… I read this over two days and had such a hard time putting it down. I highly recommend this for book clubs who are into mystery and suspense! Great read! Can’t wait to see what Wendy Heard puts out next!

You Can Trust Me is definitely a slow burn, but not in a bad way. The beginning backstory is definitely relevant, though I'm not sure that all of the leisurely island time really needed to be explored for that long. The ending "thriller fight sequence" is everything you want it to be, but it did feel like we took a long time to get there. Unlike some books, I was fully invested in these characters though I almost knew for certainty what happened to them in the end, so it's not super twisty, if that's what you're looking for. It's just a good 4-star straightforward read. My one complaint is that the ending wrapped up a little too quickly which made it feel like a messy bow on top rather than one that neatly finished with an ending I'm satisfied with.

Unfortunately this book fell flat for me. I was really invested in the beginning but I had a really hard time as it progressed.

You can read any book on the beach, but I will say that this is a perfect one! When I read that this book was a thriller for fans that loved Mia & Lucia on White Lotus, I knew I had to read it. This is Heard's adult debut and it is a page-turner. I loved the characters and was hooked from the start. Highly recommend, especially for summer!

'You Can Trust Me' is definitely a wild ride. This book will have you rooting for the crooks. In the grand scheme of things, the bad girls aren't so bad after all.

Summer and Leo, two nomads who make a living scheming the Cali elite, have their sites set on the biggest fish yet. When a self-made billionaire and philanthropist named Michael Forrester likes one of Leos insta-posts, the girls concoct a plan to stage a meet-up.

It doesn't take long for Leo to con her way into Michael's life and shortly after onto his private island. If Leo is successful, this could yield the biggest payout they have ever seen!

Something seems to go amiss, and Leo never checks back in with Summer. In fact, it almost seems as if Leo has simply disappeared. Summers mood flits between worry and annoyance. Is something wrong, or is Leo simply blowing her off? Could Leo finally have tired of the nomadic life?

Summer decides that she will visit the island herself and confront Leo. But shortly after arriving, it appears that Leo is no longer on the island...or is she?

What's really going on? Who is Michael Forrester? And who if anyone can actually be trusted?

Honestly, I really enjoyed my time reading this novel. I loved the relationship between Leo and Summer, I was on their team from start to finish. This book had some really unexpected twists and turns. I'm scared to say much more because I don't want to give anything away!! You definitely need to grab your own copy today.

As always thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley & Ballantine Books for an eARC of You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads & NG.

This one follows Summer and Leo, best friends from different pasts. They live and travel around California in a Land Cruiser, one skilled at pickpocketing and the other a con artist. Leo disappears after involving herself with billionaire Michael Forrester. Summer infiltrates Michael's private island to find Leo - and it's nothing like they expected.

This was a great book to read in the summer. I enjoyed the friendship and loyalty between Summer and Leo, and I love that the author focuses a lot on the girls' backgrounds and how/why they got to where they are today. There ended up being a larger mystery and unveiling solved than the one in the synopsis, which was a welcomed surprise!