I liked the premise of this one but the timeline was a little too all over the place for my liking. But I would read more from this author in the future.

You Can Trust Me packs a punch, and is a must read this summer, particularly if you are interested in thrillers that feature the power of sisterhood. In this case, Summer and Leo are found family. Summer was raised by a hippie mom who abandoned her as a teen without even telling her basic things like her name. Living on the grift through her talent as a pick pocket, Summer picks up another lost soul, Leonelli (a/k/a Leo) who flees the implosion of her family in Fresno after her older sister dies. Grateful for Summer’s financial support, Leo decides to pay her back by landing a big tech fish named Michael Forrester. But Leo then disappears, while Michael suspiciously claims he dropped her off at a pier before heading to his work/home island with no cell service or any way off the island until the end of his investors’s weekend. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens next, but it is propulsive and terrifying—impossible to put down. The loyal friendship of Summer and Leo is a bonus, challenging the way male characters in the novel behave to win. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary advanced readers’ copy of this book.

Summer and Leo are best friends, practically sisters, who roam all over California. picking pockets and conning people. Lately, their funds have gotten a little low, so they are looking for a larger con. Leo sets her sights on s Michael Forrester, a self-made billionaire and philanthropist. When her charm wins him over, Leo is invited to his private island off the California coastline for a night. The plan is to come back with photos that can be sold to the paparazzi, jewelry that can be liquidated, and endless stories to share with Summer. Instead, Leo never returns. Summer finagles an invitation to the island with one of the investors during a weekend retreat, determined to find out what happened to her best friend. Only when she gets there, no one claims to have seen Leo, everyone on the staff is acting sketchy, and with no cell phone or internet reception and no way off of the island until the end of the retreat, Summer fears that she may have stumbled upon something more nefarious than she could have imagined.
This book started out as a slow burn, and I almost quit reading it, but I am SO glad I didn't. Once the book picked up speed, it was full force ahead. This thriller had a lot of twists and turns - some I guessed but some I didn't - that kept the book exciting, and made me want to keep reading and not put it down. If you are a fan of thrillers, then you definitely should add this one to your TBR pile.

I sit here thinking about what I just read and I'm in shock, complete and utter shock, my mind is still reeling, how, just how did it end that way? At no point did I think that would be how it ended.

Up until the last word I was waiting for someone to show up or something to happen to that plane I won't give anything away I'll just say be prepared to be floored.

Summer and Leo have been friends so long that they're more sisters than friends and once Leo goes missing Summer knows she's the only one that will be able to find her.

Everything Summer has gone through will lead her to this weekend where she will have to fight not only for her own life but others as well.

I have so many feelings about this one and I can't wait to have people read this book so we can talk about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This thriller from debut author Wendy Heard was my favorite kind! It was fast-paced, and grabs you from the beginning. YOU CAN TRUST ME focuses on Summer and Leo, two drifters that make a living by conning the rich. When Leo gets involved with a billionaire, something goes wrong leaning Leo missing, and Summer on a search to find out what happened to her friend. Both characters come from broken homes and are all the other has. This was a stunning debut thriller.

I really enjoyed this book! The story and characters were interesting and unique. I would reccomend this book.
10/10
*Special "Thank You!" to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for allowing to read this book before publication*

This is probably my favorite cover of the year; it is most definitely the best of the summer!! I mean, I am right?! Thank you to @ballantinebooks and @netgalley for my advance copy.

This is probably my favorite of Wendy’s books. She is an auto buy for me, but we all know we have favorites out of our favorites lol A major love letter to California and its atmosphere. I loved that many of it took place at the beach. I knew most of the locations and it made it very nostalgic for me.

Told in two POVs we get to know Summer and Leo. I identified with Summer more however, I loved both. Even though they were thieves they had such tragic storylines that truly broke my heart. I also loved their bond and relationship. It was a great show of sisterhood and the idea that home isn’t a location, but a person.

This book was quite twisty and suspenseful. I knew something was sus right off the bat and I could tell the girls were going down a dangerous path-I just didn’t see all of it. I was shocked at the end, and I really enjoyed the way it was wrapped up. I also thought it was fun that the use of 6/13 plays a part in the story and that is also the books birthday-touché Wendy.

This was slow to get into. It was not until over 15% in that I started to get interested. From then on I did not want to put it down. I had to know what happened and if there would be a happy ending. I sort of liked Julie and thought of an alternate ending that would have been cool. Maybe if they make a movie they can call me.

Happy publication day 6/13/2023.
Thank you author Wendy Heard, Random House Publication Group and Netgalley for the ARC.
Such a page turning mystery action thriller this was ! I was at the edge of my seat throughout and couldn’t stop reading until the very end . Two con artist women who have different style of operating but have each others back , and one of them lands in trouble during one of her act , so the other ends up trailing and trying to figure out what actually happened and if she can be rescued makes up for the action packed portion of the story . The chapters are narrated from each of the women’s perspectives and even goes to flashback moments that she’s light on their pasts and incidents that transpired then that has impact on current events.
Does get a little OTT at the end - yes and I did have questions, but I shall club it creative liberty 😉
Absolute page turner and great summer quick read, don’t miss this one .
4.5/5 star read !

You Can Trust Me is the ultimate beach read!

It has the perfect plot. Two con women run into a rich and dangerous man, who has his own agenda. It includes a beautiful, but creepy, private island to up the atmosphere. The characters are rather one-dimensional, but that is common in beach reads. The book has the requisite twists.

So, why am I giving this book only 3 stars? I just never got into the story as much as I would like. If I left it at the beach, I probably would not buy a new copy to finish it. Overall, a miss for me, but not overtly bad, just blah.

Thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Wendy Heard takes readers on a sizzling ride when two grifters ultimate score goes terribly wrong in her latest thriller “You Can Trust Me.” With a breakneck plot pace throughout the first half of the book along with an engaging dual perspective and timeline, “You Can Trust Me” is the ultimate popcorn thriller.

Leo and Summer, though imperfect with questionable morals, are likable. With less than ideal childhoods it makes their life choices more forgivable and you’ll find yourself rooting for them despite their flaws. While there’s no denying the book is a fast and sexy read, the plot is fairly predictable. After the halfway point, I had a pretty good idea of the climax and outcome and it lessened the overall thrill for me in the long run. I was still engaged, wanting to see if I had guessed correctly (I had) and I still enjoyed the book, it just lost a bit of its flair in the second half. I always appreciate a tidy end and really, this book checks all the boxes for someone looking for a fast-paced and entertaining thriller. There is definitely an element of feminism to it that I appreciated, so it does go beyond the basic thriller that way in adding some depth with its social commentary.

“You Can Trust Me” is definitely a solid option from Heard and will be a favorite for summer pool reading, vacations, and anyone looking for a hot bingeable read.

Summer learned to pick pocket at a young age. She has honed her skill and has taken Leo under her wing. Leo has a painful past and welcomes the chance to learn from Summer and has a few tricks up her sleeve as well.

When Leo meets Michael Forrester, a billionaire and philanthropist, he invites her to his private island off California. Leo believes she has struck gold. She plans to sell photos and jewelry from her trip. That was the plan...

When Leo disappears, Summer knows she can get inside. She has perfected her skills over time and will use them to get answers. With only one way on and off the island, has Summer gotten in over her head?

This was a gripping and enjoyable book about two women who have met their match. This book explores what happens when their grift goes wrong. I found this book to be engaging from the beginning and was fully invested in the plot. Both Leo and Summer are interesting characters. They are breaking laws and stealing from people, yet both are likeable, and I couldn't help but root for them both. Each has a painful past and readers see how they became close and have each other’s backs. They have a close bond and strong friendship.

I found this book to be well written, well thought out, perfectly paced, and gripping. This is the perfect book for summer/vacation reading. It is a captivating thriller with characters readers will be rooting for.


Gripping, thrilling and tense!

This is book about super hot homeless women who date billionaires for money.
Essentially.
It is also funny, creepy, disturbing, and you fall in love with the protagonists. I understood them and I wanted the best for them.
I loved this. I want to listen to it as an audiobook as well. It would be perfect.

FINALLY, I am out of my thriller rut. I have not read a thriller that has captivated my attention in a very long time. This one, I could not put down. I had zero expectations going into this book and I am so glad I read it. The characters were amazing, dynamic and not what you always expected. The story line took me places I never imagined. The descriptions were well done, the story well thought out. Some parts were predictable, but it did not take away from the fun of this book. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fun summer thriller!

Summer and Leo are like sisters. Living in a tricked out Land Cruiser and pickpocketing and conning to earn a living. Leo is looking for a big win and finds herself wooing Michael Forrester, a self made billionaire. She finds herself on his private island and she can't wait to return with dirty details. But instead, she disappears. Summer decides he needs to find out what really happened - but when no one on the island has seen Leo, she finds herself on a wild goose chase.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

This book was really fun! While it definitely seemed slightly outlandish at parts and required some suspension of disbelief, I had no problem doing that because the fast-paced, exciting plot more than made up for it.

Plus the characters helped ground the crazier parts of the story because they were so well-developed and felt real. I loved both POVs, and thought the switches between them were done very cleanly. I also liked the flashback chapters and thought the story unfolded nicely by being non-sequential, which can be tricky to do.

The claustrophobic island vibes were prevalent, and the stakes felt appropriately high. While the twists were pretty easy to figure out, I appreciated them for what they were and didn’t feel like guessing the plot took away from my enjoyment of reading the story at all.

Overall, a solid, fun thriller! This would make a perfect beach read if you’re in the market for one!

Many thanks to Random House - Ballantine and Netgalley for the ARC

Thank you, Wendy Heard, Bantam, and Netgalley, for the gifted eARC.

Summer and Leo are the type of friends who would do anything for each other. They spend their days driving around California living out of Summer's Land Cruiser. They make money from Summer's pickpocketing skills and Leo's talent for long conning. Currently, Leo has her sights set on billionaire Michael Forrester. Michael invites Leo to his private island, and she sees the opportunity to come back with enough goods to keep her and Summer set for months. But Leo goes missing. Summer goes to the island to find Leo, but when she arrives, no one on the island has ever seen Leo before. Once on the island, Summer is trapped for the weekend.

You Can Trust Me is one twisty psychological thriller. From the minute you pick this up novel, you're drawn into the lush life of the rich who have the money and means to do whatever they want to whomever they want. The two girls think they are going to get rich quick, but instead get their own game twisted back on them. This book is fast-paced and full of non-stop action. When you think you have things figured out, you get thrown for another loop. This is the second book I've read by Wendy Heard, and they were both 5 stars. I will definitely be keeping her future books on my radar.

I really enjoyed this book! I haven’t read a thriller in a while and this was just what I needed! I loved that it had me guessing what would happen next, my anxiety at an all time high! I also loved that Summer and Leo were so close after what had happened to them, and that their experience at the island only brought them closer. There were so many surprises and twists that I wasn’t expecting, but as a mainly romance reader the “HEA” so to speak was great 😅💗 Thank you for allowing me to read and review!

Completely obsessed with this book. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I was captivated from the start and loved the ride this story took me on. I thought the dual POVs were brilliant. I also loved how we went back and forth from the past to the present. I haven’t read a thriller like this in a long time. Absolutely 5 stars.

Thank you netgalley and Bantam books for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Pub Day to You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard! Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books for advanced copy for honest review. No spoilers.

Two girls, Summer and Leo, both left to their own devices. To survive in the cruel world, they get through by being very good con artists. Summer learned at an early age with eccentric adult figures around. Summer and Leo live the life of getting by and they will stick together. It's them against the world. One club party, they get in with Michael Forrester -billionaire tech start up guy, their mark. Things are going well until they aren't. Leo is invited to Michael's island off California's Coast but she doesn't return. No one has seen her or knows of her whereabouts. Summer decides to go to the island but when she gets there nothing is as it seems. 5 stars, recommend reading!

Summer and Leo are scamming their way through life on the California coast. Leo connects with Michael, a powerful man with excess wealth, and he promises her a trip she will never forget. She can't wait to shares all of her stories with Summer when she returns but then...she doesn't. Summer has to find out what happened to Leo on an exclusive island retreat while keeping herself safe from whatever happened there. This story is fast and exciting but ultimately felt a little hard for me to connect to. I just didn't feel for the characters at all. It will be a fun summer read for many though and I certainly read all the way to the end to find out the conclusion. Thanks to Wendy Heard, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.