This was so good. So fast paced and left me on the edge of my seat for most of the story. All the twists and turns left my head spinning is good way.

This is truly the thriller of the summer with the beach vibes. I loved the connection Leo and Summer have and how they persevere throughout. There is some unbelievable parts to the story but i loved it!

Summer and Leo have been spat out from their pasts, their homes, and their family. They find comfort in each other and survive the best way they know how- grifting, pick-pocketing, and thievery. All is great and big fun until Leo falls for the rich billionaire she’s supposed to be grifting, then honestly tells him her true background. And this particular billionaire doesn’t have a sense of humor. He has a few lies and tricks up his tuxedoed cuff-linked sleeve, too. Let the game begin.
The pace is quick, the characters colorful and the tension is high. How hard will Summer fight to locate and save her only friend in this mean and evil world? Is she even worth it?
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Bantam for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was June 13, 2023.

🔥 The Cover of the Summer 🔥
•
Y’all. Can you even?! It’s so good. The boat. The colors. The island. The fire. 🤌🤌🤌🤌
•
This book is perfect for an afternoon at the beach, pool day, travel day, etc. It’s so bingeable and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
•
Summer and Leo are con artists looking for their next big score, and they think they’ve found their man in rich guy Michael. Except who’s conning who because all of a sudden Leo is missing and Summer has to sneak onto a private island where she suspects things have gone horribly wrong for Leo. 😱😱
•
Y’all snatch this up and thank me later!! It’s out now! Thanks to Netgalley and Bantam for the e-arc!

Thank you Wendy Heard, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the ARC of this book.

Let’s start with the positives:

✔️Strong & badass female MCs
✔️Easy to read
✔️Dual POVs
✔️First 25% of the book kept me on the edge of my seat

Now the negatives:

❌Guessed the main plot twist halfway through
❌Less interesting 2nd half of the book
❌Not many twists

We follow the POVs from Summer and Leo who are living nomad lifestyles basically out of their van. Summer doesn’t have an identity because her mother never believed in them. Summer’s mother lived a nomad lifestyle as well and basically abandoned her before she was even 18. She finds Leo and essentially takes her under her wing.

Leo is in a hard spot because basically her life fell apart after her sister was murdered when they were younger. Our MCs are con women, pickpocket, and do small crimes for work. Summer can’t really get any other work even if she wanted because of not having an identity.

Leo decides she’s going to make things better for them and go out with a billionaire (Michael). Something is fishy though when she doesn’t return to Summer after her date with him. Summer gets cozy with one of Michael’s friends and to get invited to a private island where they’re doing a no cell service closed off weekend because she thinks this is the most likely place that Leo is.

Once Summer is on the island, she realizes Leo isn’t there. Now she is stuck on this island with no way off for the weekend.
The dual POVs follow Summer as she searches for Leo and then Leo’s POV as well.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this for the most part. It just wasn’t a thriller with a whole lot happening after the halfway mark that I was really interested in. I hate when I can guess the twist and this was one of those books. I would not recommend but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t entertaining or wouldn’t be for someone else!

This is my first book by this author and it was not what I expected. It took me a long time to try to get through. I kept finding myself bored. Would not recommend.

This book reminded of one of those choose your own adventure books that used to be popular. It was so formulaic it was almost laughable.

What a great thriller!

The two main characters of this book are such interesting people. Both have pasts that lead to questionable choices for their lives. Which leads them to make the penultimate choice that lands them trapped on an island hoping to find one another.

I wasn’t sure what was going to happen or how things were going to pan out. Some of the “twists” didn’t seem super twisty to me and it was more heart pounding, on the edge of your seat, how are they going to get out of this feelings through the whole book.

Overall, I enjoyed it immensely and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a hot thriller set on a tropical island and kick bum women.

It’s not going to win believability rewards, but it was unique and enjoyable.

I received and ARC from NetGalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review.

"You Can Trust Me" by Wendy Heard is a gripping rollercoaster of secrets, suspense, and surprises. The characters are relatable and the twists will keep you hooked. Prepare to be blown away by this mind-bending thriller.

I received a free copy from Netgalley. Perhaps it was the title, but I believed no one in this tale. The characters were interesting but I felt the story feel apart a little in its believability once they are on the island.


Date reflects review date, not read date.

Good summer read. Mysterious, tense and fast-paced adventure. A wonderful mix of characters with flaws and a mixture of plot-driven and character-driven story to keep things moving.

Interesting thriller that follows two con artist as they meet their match. I found this a bit predicable but still an enjoyable read!

This was a well done, fast paced and engaging thriller, I really liked how the two main characters were written, how the story was filled with well placed twists and turns, and the themes on loyalty, obsession, and con artists. This was my kind of perfect summer thriller and I think it's perfect for anyone looking for a thriller for their vacation, pool reading time, or just for the moments you want to escape!

I also think this is a good one for summer book clubs, a good thriller with talking points and interesting characters to examine, it would be a good one for discussion!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher Random house!

I really liked this thriller. Leo and Summer make their way in the world living in a Land Cruiser as small-time criminals. Then they meet Michael and the story takes a crazy ride. Instead of them being the huntresses they are now the hunted. Secrets and lies and past events all come together to make a very good end.

A feminist thriller that isn't actually feminist at all...

I was super excited to dig into this after all the glowing reviews and I can certainly see where they are coming from. This was a juicy read that gets right into it and I flew through it in 2 days. There was hardly a dull moment and so much suspense that kept me turning the pages.

Plus, I am obsessed with feminist con artist stories with morally grey protagonists, men who get their comeuppance and witty commentary.

But well, that's just what this book pretends to be because it doesn't actually care about other female characters beyond the two main leads. One woman from a lower social class, who has been bullied and intimidated her whole life, is further bullied and intimidated by our dear protagonists. Another woman is dumbed down. Both are gotten rid of after they are no longer of use to the plot despite their character arcs having so much potential and them deserving so much better.

Turns out all that the book preaches is just performative.

The story also lost steam for me around halfway through. Some things weren't hard to figure out and the novel suddenly turned into some weird action thriller with wholly different vibes. The final chapter felt contrived and I ain't buying it.

Overall, a fun binge that soured. It went downhill from 4 stars to 3.5 stars and finally to 3 stars.

Summer and Leo would do anything to keep the other safe. As best friends, they live their life sharing a Land Cruiser that's been turned into a camping vehicle.  With money stored in different places up and down the coast, the two work to escape their awful childhoods and terrible pasts. Summer is a skilled pickpocket and a small-time con artist. Leo tends to pick up attractive self-made men, living off their generosity for a short time before turning to Summer.  Leo thinks she's found the big time with Michael Forrester, a billionaire tech bro and philanthropist. Usually extremely cautious, Leo finds herself swept up by the confidence and charm of Michael.  Ignoring her own safety precautions, Leo takes off to his private island off the California coast, expecting to return to Los Angeles with items to sell, info to sell to the paparazzi, and things to tell Summer. When she doesn't return Summer's call, its clear Leo is in trouble.  Summer relies on her skills to get an invite to the island, but no one will admit to having ever seen Leo.   Trusting her gut, Summer digs deeper and finds out that Michael Forrester is full of dangerous secrets. 

Author Wendy Heard draws you into this thriller page by page until you're fully engulfed in a tale of bad billionaires, con artists, and unsolved smalltown murders.  Once you get past the initial introductions this book grabs onto you and keeps you turning pages until you get to the thrilling end. You Can Trust Me is fast, smart, and enjoyable; the perfect Summer thriller.

engaging thriller, with a fun and fresh plotline

thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this review copy.

Thank you for the ARC NetGalley! This book started so strong, I couldn't put it down for the 1st 200 pages... and then it kinda turned. I feel like the author just kinda ended it.

A taut thriller with vivid characters.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really loved this thriller! It hooked me right from the beginning, went in a bunch of directions I wasn’t expecting, since I went in mostly blind, and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time!

There was a red herring that I didn’t feel was necessary, but there was plenty of mystery and twists to keep me entertained. I read it in just over a day because I couldn’t stop. I really loved the MCs Summer and Leo, and enjoyed their varying POVs and timelines. I would’ve liked some things to be different with the ending, but who knows, maybe there will be a sequel.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard!