Fast moving thriller that is kind of a ''beach read', meaning a fun book for a quick read but lacking depth in the characters. Summer and Leo are two women who make their money by grifting and pick-pocketing. The women are as close as sisters and live out of the back of a van. Summer was raised by a hippie woman who never gave her a last name or a birth certificate and abandoned her when she was a teen. Leo had a good life until the death of her sister when her family fell apart. I know we are supposed to find these women charming but I don't like people who steal and lie to everyone they meet. When Leo's Instagram photo is liked by billionaire tech guru Michael Forrester, the women see an opportunity for a big pay-off.

Leo goes out to dinner with Michael after arranging a meeting at his hotel but when she fails to return to the van, Summer fears for her life. It turns out Leo has been whisked away to Michael's private island, a place that holds his top secret research as well as an exclusive hill top building with a glass elevator. Summer manages to link up with another tech guy Allan who happens to be going to the island and is determined to find her friend.

i enjoyed some of the cat and mouse games as Summer and Leo were both figuring out what was going on and searching for a way out. I did think some of the twists were kind of obvious but at the same time unbelievable. I did like this one and it was a fun, quick read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.


'

Getting more than you anticipated can be a double-edged sword!

This is a great thriller about two best friends who grift their way through California until their scam hits a snag.

I loved that we get two perspectives, both Leo's and Summer’s. Although I was pulled in with Summer’s story, it was good to get Leo’s take on the scheme and see what paths led them to where they find themselves at present. Despite how different they are, they are united in their friendship and their desire to con Michael Forrester, a billionaire philanthropist in California.

Survival takes skill, but so does maintaining a friendship and con-scheme. When one of them doesn’t report in as planned, you would think that the scam is paused until the duo is reunited. But, no. More scam is needed. The balance is tipped and friendship and survival become foremost. I was feverishly turning pages hoping that all would turn out well. I was uncomfortable, excited, hopeful, and anxious while reading this great unique thriller that will stand out as memorable for quite some time.

I was gifted this copy by Random House Publishing Group, Ballentine, Bantam and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Summer and Leo are conwomen who are always on the move. When Leo sets her sights on billionaire Michael Forrester, she thinks she’ll finally be able to pay Summer back for everything she’s done for her. However, when Summer isn’t able to get in contact with Leo after her date with Michael, she takes matters into her own hands to find her friend and cons her way onto Michael’s private island where not everything is as it seems.

YOU CAN TRUST ME by Wendy Heard was a fast-paced ridiculous ride and I was immediately sucked into the plot!

This book was ultimately about the friendship between Summer and Leo, which was so beautiful, and the stakes one is willing to take for the one they love. Summer and Leo were such strong characters and their backstories helped shape them in a nice way.

The twist hit me right before it was revealed, and it was shocking and heartbreaking at the same time.

This is going to make for the perfect beach read this summer!

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Ballantine, and Bantam for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: June 13

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. Wow! I absolutely loved this story! I wanted to read it as fast as possible to find out what devious things could occur. The twists are shocking and all the characters are loaded with flaws. I totally recommend this psychological thriller to readers who enjoy a fast-paced story that grabs you by the throat and never lets go.

I want to thank @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of You Can Trust Me by #wendyheard. Summer and Leo are grifters. Summer is skilled in the are of pickpocketing while Leo is focused on seducing wealthy men. If Leo has her way billionaire Michael Forrester will be her next score! Leo and Michael hit it off and he whisks her away to his private island. When Summer is unable to find Leo she goes to Michael’s island in search of answers. I’d give this 3.5 stars. This was a quick read with some good twists if not a little predictable.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Mystery Thriller

You Can Trust Me is about the bond of friendship between two different ladies and how they pull through a difficult time together. Both Summer and Leo are con artists who are constantly looking for opportunities to take advantage of. When the beautiful Leo meets the well-known millionaire Michael Forrester, she manages to wow him with her attractiveness, and he subsequently extends an invitation to visit his private island. At that point, she vanishes, and Summer is forced to take charge of the hunt for her friend who went missing. She makes up her mind that she will locate her friend regardless of the circumstances.

The narrative is told in the first person from the perspectives of both of the main characters. In addition, there are two different timeframes. In the beginning, I felt that this book would not work for me because I am not a huge fan of multiple perspectives and different timeframes, but I am delighted to say that I did not experience any difficulties or confusion while reading this intriguing thriller. I found it to be really engaging. The reader was given a look into these ladies' pasts and why they are the way they are by learning their backstories, which were both entertaining and vital.

I feel the fast pace of the story contributed a lot to making it quite entertaining as well as having an effective impact. To be honest, it is really hard nowadays to find a good mystery thriller, as most of them disappoint. I’m glad I decided to read this one. If you are looking for something interesting, entertaining, and fast-paced, then this would be a good choice.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

This book starts out by introducing us to the main characters, best friends named Summer and Leo. Summer is the daughter of a free-spirited bohemian nomad who taught her invaluable skills, like picking pockets and conning, before she abandoned her. Leo had a good family, but after tragedy struck, she fled and never looked back. The universe brings them together, the proverbial partners in crime- living out of a truck, taking what they need.

Leo is supposed to be working a mark, but she when she doesn't meet up with Summer the next morning, Summer is confused and worried. She comes up with a plan to find her friend, but runs into some...difficulties along the way.

The chapters switched back and forth between Summer and Leo's POVs and also included memories of both girls' pasts. I really liked the girls and envied parts of their lifestyle. The chapters were short which kept the pace moving quickly.
Also, Summer has a good sense of humor which made me laugh out loud a few times and I can't express how much I appreciate that.

The only issue I had was that the twist was revealed too quickly.
This part contains spoilers and will be omitted from my review: The chapter where Leo has a panic attack in the woods thinking about her sister being found strangled was almost immediately followed by Michael trying to strangle her and demanding to know how she found him. It was just over 50% of the way in and I already knew that Michael killed Leo's sister, so all the clues provided after that seemed moot. I would have liked to be left in suspense longer.

I'd give this one 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Review will be posted to Bookstagram, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads closer to publication.

This is one of those sit down, buckle up and enjoy the ride type of books. It’s about a fierce friendship between Summer & Leo, they support themselves through pickpocketing and coning men. Leo has her eyes set on a big score, which leads her to a private island where she’s never been happier… but Micheal has other plans.

Summer is one person you don’t want to mess with. I loved how smart, cunning and quick thinking she is. She’s the type of friend you’d want in your corner.

This is a fast paced, fun, action packed binge worthy read you won’t be able to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an advance copy of this book. Summer and Leo are two con artists who live in Summer's Land Cruiser and travel around in California making a living by pick pocketing and small time thief. Until one big time billionaire Michael might be there downfall.

Heard’s thriller about two grifters started out so strong for me, but it lost me a bit when it started moving into romantic suspense territory…thankfully we move on from this about halfway through but i personally just wasn’t a huge fan of where the story went and i might have dnf’ed if Summer wasn’t such a compelling character to follow and i did want to find out how it would end. and then what happens to the girls is something i’ve seen done SO much in thrillers lately (can’t really say it without minor spoilers)

there are some clever reveals here in terms of how it all comes together in the end, and i think a lot of people will enjoy this one! it just didn’t end up being anything super memorable for me personally

Living off the grid in a van in California, friends Leo + Summer scam unsuspecting people to support their lifestyle. Leo meets billionaire Michael Forrester with his own private island. The ladies plan to con him, and seeing a big pay-off Leo goes off with Michael to his party on this island.. with rich investors also invited (possible marks too). This is the last time Summer sees her. Unfortunately for Leo + Summer.. Michael is far from what he seems! Told in two timelines by both characters, I enjoyed how this follows the girls backstories giving their characters the depth needed to understand them now. Let me just say this book was one WILD ride. So good! 4.5 stars — Pub. 6/13/23

This is a super bingeable and unpredictable thriller. We follow Summer and Leo, small time con artists, who are trying to scale up their marks for an even bigger take. But things start going sideways when the pair get separated and don't know who they can trust. A fast and fun read that's surprising at every turn.

4.5 stars

Recently, I feel like my reaction to most of the thrillers I have consumed has been something like, "This is a great listen while you're doing household chores. You'll stay engaged, not have to think, and be able to follow even if you are stepping in and out of the room here and there." Thankfully, this mystery/thriller is not like that at all. It had me fully engaged, invested in the characters, and interested in the outcomes from cover to cover. And, while there are definitely some dark elements, this is a good one for folks who can't handle ULTRA gritty material and still enjoy the read. There are creeps all over this one, but the content is relatively tame otherwise.

Summer and Leo, two characters who share perspectives in this compelling read, are sisters via chosen family. Summer's ill-equipped mother raised her to be street smart and be otherwise disconnected from all formalized institutions, and Leo grew up in a relatively typical environment, which ultimately gets destroyed when tragedy strikes her family. When the two women find each other, they match values, personalities, and a sense of stability that both have lacked and desperately wanted.

At the start of the novel, readers learn that while Summer's skills are best displayed through her ability to work a crowd - picking pockets, lifting IDs, and so on - Leo likes the long game. So, when Leo's first scene has her casually running into a wealthy dude with the intention of living the high life with him for a bit, it seems like both women are setup for a lucrative event during which their talents will serve them well. Everything changes, though, when Leo spends the night with Michael and never makes contact with Summer. This sends Summer on the course to figure out where Leo is and to make sure she's okay.

There's a lot to like about this novel. It's well paced, and it features two women leads who make disgusting people look like fools often. The commentary about who is worthy of attention and care and who is not is pretty clear throughout, not only in terms of class and sex but in terms of ultimate outcomes (staying vague intentionally here).

This is an ideal summer thriller that infuses heart pounding moments with a lot of surf and sand and features a meaningful friendship between two women who do their very best to capitalize on their respective privileges and scrappiness and to succeed despite the numerous challenges they face. Need a book to keep you entertained at the beach or the pool? This may very well be the one.

I devoured this book! About two women who drift around california who get sucked into a tech billionaire's orbit, the story had a few familiar tropes and twists that didn't totally catch me by surprise but I didn't mind at all because I absolutely loved the suspense and the resoluteness of the two leads--and that gave the story a really fresh feel. The author did an amazing job of keeping the tension and suspense high in each scene and I loved the slowly converging timelines (they really also kept me guessing!) I really enjoy a scathing take down of the ultra rich and this book definitely satisfied while still feeling realistic and not wrapping everything up in a pretty bow. Leo and Summer are a great pair with skills and strength that really compliment each other as they get caught up on a private island with lots of secrets. Highly, highly recommend for edge of your seat suspense and a cat and mouse game that will keep you up late at night.

What stood out most about this thriller was the steady pacing and the way I found myself rooting for both protagonists from start to finish. It gripped me from the start and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end – I couldn’t put it down because I was eager to know what was coming next.

The dual points of view and slight variations in the timeline from both perspectives were a unique way to add another layer to the mystery, keeping me on my toes. The flashbacks weren’t too convoluted and were nicely sprinkled in the story to supplement the premise.

I’m eager to read more by this author and will definitely be hyping up this book on Bookstagram and Goodreads leading up to its release on pub day!

This was an excellent thriller!! Summer and Leo were both such interesting characters with fascinating backstories. I read this book in a day, because there was no way I could sleep without knowing what happened. Wow!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for access to this arc.

Found this a strange and good read. Unusual and one that makes you keep reading as you have to know what happens.

I love Wendy Heard’s books! This book grabbed on to me and didn’t let go! I loved the whirlwind feeling I had after reading this thrilling story. I couldn’t put this down until I was finished. Wendy Heard knows how to grab my attention and hold onto it till the end. In the beginning I didn’t really like the women, but as the story went on, they grew on me. Thank you NetGalley, Random House and Wendy Heard for this awesome thrilling adventure!

(I got this as an ARC through NetGalley, it will be released on June 13, 2023.) This is a thriller that follows Summer and Leo, two friends who live together in a van, never staying in one place too long. They get by by conning wealthy men out a little bit of their fortunes, or smaller things like stealing credit card numbers. But when Leo’s target whisks her away on a fancy date night and then doesn’t come home the next morning, Summer starts to get nervous. She does some digging which leads her to a private island and a lot of secrets that Leo seems to be stuck right in the middle of. This wasn’t my favorite – the characters’ choices didn’t always feel believable to me – but if you’re more of a thriller person you might be into it!

rarely read genre fiction, but this book somehow called to me from the morass of NetGalley options, and it was the perfect palate cleanser from the literary fiction I normally prefer. It's what I want from a thriller - - easy to engage, page turning, and suspenseful. I haven't read a book this fast in awhile. The protagonists, Summer and Leo, are beautiful young women who use a combination of beauty, street smarts, and seduction to make their way in the world. They don't seem like people you would root for, but Heard does a nice job of showing you why you should. When Leo lands a date with a billionaire, Michael, it seems like their financial troubles might be at bay at last. Alas, the book would be merely a romance if Leo simply found her man, and he was rich. Instead, she finds herself in a serious predicament, and Summer has no idea of her fate. A worthwhile fast-paced whirlwind of a read . . .