Member Reviews

This was a good thrilling read and it now has me in the mood to ready more thrillers. This took me on a ride and even though at times I didn't know where it was going, I still enjoyed it and I was all for it.

Was this review helpful?

This was a great vacation read - and a story of sisterhood and found family. Well paced and attention grabbing. Can't wait for more from Ms. Heard!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Random House ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
An engaging thriller featuring pickpockets Summer and Leo, living in LA with troubled pasts. Leo's encounter with a billionaire tech genius leads to an exclusive island invitation. When Leo goes missing, Summer investigates, uncovering shocking events. The alternating perspectives, wild events, and dark twists keep you invested. Though some coincidences require suspension of disbelief, the plentiful thrills make it an entertaining, movie-worthy read. A fun summer thriller choice.

Was this review helpful?

First, this cover is stunning!

I went into “You Can Trust Me” by Wendy Heard without knowing much about the plot and was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the story and the main characters’ relationship. I would recommend “You Can Trust Me” as it was a quick thrilling beach read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for my digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book on a lot of levels. A couple of female, grifters working together and living out of their van, one seeking easy pickpocket cashgrab, and the other searching for the white whale. Friends, but basically sisters, they stumble into a world where the men they are targeting aren’t quite what they seem, and soon they are entangled in a deadly web where they can trust no one but each other.

So this was a fun read, I finished it in one at night plus an hour this morning. However, a couple of issues that I had with it were the fact that these women were super smart and savvy, and yet they entered into this entanglement with almost a naïveté that seemed unrealistic for women in their position. And for women who had proven themselves to not really make mistakes and be able to see around the corner, they both did some really dumb shit.

However, I did enjoy it, and would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fast paced thriller with female protagonist. Extra points if you like con women.

Was this review helpful?

You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard is a psychological thriller about two women, Summer and Leo, living a nomadic lifestyle and making ends meet by stealing, pickpocketing and conning. When Leo thinks that she has finally landed a billionaire, Michael, who will give lavish gifts and set her and Summer up financially for a while– it all seems to be too good to be true. When Leo leaves with Michael to his own private island and does not seem to return back to Summer, Summer must figure out where Leo is. When Summer figures out a way to get to the island– she doesn’t know who to trust, who to believe, or where Leo even is. Did she come to the island at all? Or is something more sinister going on here?

I really, REALLY enjoyed this book. I was hooked from very early on in the story and was suspicious of many of the characters in the beginning. I enjoyed the setting of the story and it was interesting to see the inner circle of the tech elite. I really liked Summer and Leo. I thought that they were both two women, trying to make it in a world that has been very hard on them. I liked how they lived their lives as nomads and loved the bond that the two had created.

I liked the dual perspectives and slightly different timelines that happened in this book. You had Summer’s present time chapters weaved together were Leo who was a few days behind and slowly closing the gap and letting the reader know what really happened to Leo during her night with Michael. Even though the chapters were labeled with the day it was taking place, I think that the time of day may have helped in the beginning when trying to understand the two different timelines.

This book has many twists and turns throughout and I loved it all in the end. I would definitely recommend this book. It was the first book that I have read by Wendy Heard and it definitely will not be my last.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Two beautiful young woman who travel up and down the California coast picking pockets, when one sets her sights on a rich powerful man. Definitely an intriguing start to this book that drew me right in...it got a bit farfetched as it went on but still there was enough there to keep me turning pages until the end.

Was this review helpful?

I couldn’t get into this book for some reason. I rarely DNF books but this was one of them unfortunately. I may try again in the future

Was this review helpful?

(Actual: 3.5) This book was such a pleasant surprise! I requested it for the cover mostly to be honest haha, and then I decided to go in mostly blind (which is somewhat rare for me to do). In the end I really enjoyed it and found it to be the perfect, "easily accessible" thriller read for my summer holiday!

Was this review helpful?

Oh goodness, this one started off with a bang but ended with a miss.

Slight spoilers ahead

In here we have Summer and Leo. Summer has no record of existing as her mother gave birth in the wild and did not believe that the govt needed to be involved. Leo ran away after losing her family member and was living on the streets.

They meet and live together while Summer teaches Leo how to steal, lie, and all that. After a bit of a dry spell money wise, Leo decides to hook up with a rich dude who takes her to an island. We all know what happens next, she does not get in touch with Summer and Summer launches into a devious plan to get on the island and see if Leo is ok.

I honestly like the way this story was unfolding until around the 80-90% mark. It went from just slightly letting certain things go because this is a work of fiction to what the actual heck??

Please go to goodreads to see the spoiler I have on here

Was this review helpful?

You Can Trust Me, by Wendy Heard, is an undeniably entertaining thriller. It’s fast-paced, filled with twists and turns, shocks and surprises.

We follow Summer and Leo who are wandering, nomadic pick-pockets who are content to live out of the car and travel the coast of California. Summer goes for quick volume of cash and IDs and Leo specializes in the long-con. When Leo engineers a meet-cute with billionaire, tech mogul, Michael Forrester, she finds herself being whisked away to his private island for a corporate retreat. When Leo doesn’t show up for her planned pick-up, Summer gets worried, does some investigating of her own, and manipulates a trip to the island herself. The island is lavish and the accommodations are opulent, but something dangerous is simmering below the surface.

You Can Trust Me is a wild, dark, secretive story. It’s intense, incredible and a lot of fun! This action-packed thriller is the perfect summer read.

Was this review helpful?

Just finished this one and I loved it. I read it in just a few sittings and it definitely kept me up late at night reading!

Was this review helpful?

Summer and Leo are best friends who have lived tough lives and found each other after thinking they were alone against the world. Summer has become a skilled pickpocket and while they live a free-spirited existence, they still need money to survive. Leo has picked up a number of things during her time with Summer and is ready to show just how valuable she is to have around. Leo is about to hook the big one: Michael Forrester, a self-made tech billionaire. Leo and Michael quickly connect, and Leo can’t believe her luck when he invites her to his private island off the California coast. It seems almost too easy, until Leo disappears. Summer can’t believe that Leo would leave her high and dry and plans to infiltrate Michael’s island to find Leo. Once she makes it there, she realizes she stuck with no way off and no way to connect with Leo. Testing all the skills she’s honed over the years, Summer has to escape from a scheme she helped to hatch.

I knew part of the twist of this book pretty early on, but still found it to be an enjoyable and quick read. I loved the strong friendship between Summer and Leo and was rooting hard for both of them. The book alternated between Summer and Leo’s points of view which was a very compelling way for this story to be told. Thank you to Random House – Ballantine and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I love everything I've read from Wendy Heard and this book was no different. I loved how real the characters felt and the story had me gripped the entire time.

Was this review helpful?

Big thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the widget to read You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard! My first from this author and I enjoyed this story. It gets 3.75 stars from me.

Would recommend if you like: Billionaire trope, stranded on an island, strong sisterly relationship, multi POV & timelines, all-around good mystery.

This takes place over several days and is told in alternating POV of Summer and Leo. Summer's timeline gets a bit ahead of Leo's so we are unsure while reading what parts of the story she is being told about Leo are true and what is made up. Meanwhile, Leo is trying to understand what is happening to her and a lot more. I thought the timing of this worked really well.

I thought both the main characters were well-developed enough that we understood what their motivations were in every situation they'd find themselves in. ALSO I adored their relationship and that when they both find themselves in dangerous situations they think "what would Summer/ Leo say or tell me to do, or what advice would she give." Their relationship was an absolute favorite part of this story for me.

The author gives enough of a backstory for Summer that you'd almost feel bad for her and understand why she lives the kind of life she does (she's a pickpocket, that isn't a spoiler). At first I struggled with feeling anything but annoyance for her but as we learn her story and how she came to this point in her life, I started to feel a little differently for her.

I took a guess around 55% of the "big" twist and was right; I imagine it would be super easy for most seasoned mystery readers to pick up on. There are other twists though and some I didn't expect. The ending wraps up nicely for both women which I loved.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Summer and Leo are nomads, living out of a van, each with their own secrets and deceptive skills that complement each other. When Leo opts to pull a scheme to catch a billionaire, there were no worries, she has conned money before, but this time is different. When she meets Michael, he whisks her away to his private island, leaving her BFF summer unsure of her whereabouts. But Summer trusted her gut and realized something was wrong, so she used her skills to catch an invite to the island to investigate. Once there, who to to trust? Each woman experiences interesting interactions, what is real, what is not, all eyes watching. The second portion goes by so quickly as if you are on the run with each woman.

Was this review helpful?

I love the con artist trope and the secluded island vibe. I loved the dual pov and I also liked how you didn’t know who you could trust. I will read more by this author.

Was this review helpful?

A wild ride of a book that was almost too over the top for me. Summer and Leo are friends and con artists that picked the wrong mark to mess with. The story is told in both Summer’s and Leo’s POV about both their pasts and present. Some instances were just too over the top to be coincidental and as the book neared the ending the tension from the first part dropped off.

But if you’re looking for an easy read of a summer thrill ride set in sunny California about two con artist friends, you’re going to like You Can Trust Me. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this eARC.

Was this review helpful?

3.75 rounded up. This was a good twisty popcorn thriller great for the beach type of read. Twisty good fun as the story follows two grifter friends where one meets a rich guy perfect for a mark and then disappears soon after. The other feeling this is unlike her friend attempts to find her by going to the private island of where said guy is currently residing to look for her. From there, buckle up for the fast pace bumpy ride of this summer thriller.

Was this review helpful?

Leo and Summer live the life of nomads, doing what they can to make money the illegal way while trying to live their lives on their own terms. Neither has had an easy life and because of this they come together like sisters, doing anything for each other.

But then their luck runs out. Things don't go the way they're supposed to, and according to Summer, Leo disappears. Summer knows something is very wrong and she decides to use every trick she's learned on the streets to get Leo back.

This is a fast paced thriller with twists around every single turn. I could not put it down, and the ending is just ridiculously incredible. It's a great read for lounging by the pool - just don't get sunburned when hours go by while you're sucked into Summer and Leo's world.

Was this review helpful?