Two con-artists find their next victim....except this time, one of the women doesn't come back.

This is a story of two women who do whatever they need to survive, but then find that one has to truly give it all up to save the other.

It's a bit like if the worst people in White Lotus were the perspective.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Whew, this book was a wild ride! I was completely engrossed in this one from the first chapter and flew through it in a couple of sittings. I'm a sucker for the subgenre of rich, hot people behaving badly and this one really fit the bill. Super fast paced, main characters that you really find yourself rooting for despite them being conwomen and a wild ending that tied up the loose ends despite being maaaaaaybe a bit far fetched. Loved this one and highly, highly recommend for a summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Wendy Heard for the ARC of You Can Trust Me. Honestly, this may be in my top 5 books of 2023. This started off like oh okay, pickpocket women just trying to survive life. But no, this goes deep into life and has some twists I couldn’t see coming. What wonderful character growth and story of friendships. Highly highly recommend!!

You can’t trust anyone in this fast-paced novel! You Can Trust Me was like Pretty Women with a deadly twist!

Summer and Leo are grifters. Summer grew up homeless, learning to pick pocket at the age of 8. Her mother left her on her own when she was 17. Leo is on the run from a past that left her devastated. The two form a sister-like bond, and “work” their way through California. Summer pick pockets to keep them fed, while Leo has her eyes on the prize: a billionaire.

Michael may be rich, but he genuinely seems interested in Leo, and she’s swept off her feet… but you’ll soon nothing is what it seems in this story of a long-con gone wrong.

If you’re a fan of Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins, then you’ll love this one. A solid summer read, that ends with a bang!

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 - One of the best thrillers I've read in a while!

This is the novel that broke my crappy thriller novel streak. You Can Trust Me was everything I needed it to be and that ending was wild. I completely did not expect how things played out and even if I had known more crucial pieces in the beginning.. I still think I would have missed it because the story was wild.

But wild... in a plausible way. Not wild in a 'thats not possible' so the story isn't fun to read way? Because as a thriller/suspense reader, I've definitely read those as well and it kind of ruins the ending?

My favorite part of You Can Trust Me is the first moment you realize one of the characters isn't psychologically *right*. You know that little feeling when something just sticks out? There's one scene in particular that the author did so well and I loved that moment! It's that eery, uncomfortable moment that reminds me that we don't really know anyone!!!

Book Released June 13th, 2023

****Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

⭐️: 4/5

Free spirits Summer and Leo travel the road in Summer’s Land Cruiser, conning rich people to pay the bills. When Leo sets her sights on billionaire Michael Forrester, she wins him over and scores an invitation to his private island. However, instead of coming back with a score, she disappears. Determined to find Leo, Summer infiltrates the island on the arm of one of Michael’s employees, but when she gets there, everyone insists they’ve never seen anyone fitting Leo’s description, but are they lying? And if so, what are they hiding?

I was so excited to get an eARC of You Can Trust Me, since I’m such a big fan of female con-woman stories and protagonists. I love a good feminist book, and this one did not disappoint. This was a wonderful story of friendship, family, and what it means to have a home. It definitely had some twists and turns, even if they were relatively predictable. The climax was appropriately dramatic, so no complaints there, and the ending left me with a good sense of closure, since all the loose strings were tied up adequately. I loved the way that the switch in POVs also played with switches in time, since it allowed the mystery to keep going for a little bit longer into the book, and also slowly revealed both Summer and Leo’s backstories, which really helped inform their current day character development. I truly enjoyed this read, and recommend for a fun, feminist, summer thriller.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard is a fast-paced thriller with a good balance of character development and plot. Summer and Leo are "found" sisters who make a living as grifters. Summer is the pickpocket, and Leo does the long haul assignments. Things go South when Leo tries a grift with billionaire Michael and suddenly disappears on an island Michael owns. Summer has to find Leo before it's too late.

I liked the pace of the novel, and I really enjoyed the relationship the two women had. Leo's backstory However, the last fifty pages or so became very unbelievable. I enjoyed the epilogue, but I don't know that it was enough for me to ultimately categorize this book as great.

If you are looking for an interesting thriller, I do suggest this one (IF you read a lot of books). I enjoyed it, but I do read a lot of books :)!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending me an ARC of You Can Trust Me in exchange for an honest review.

Summer and Leo each have a tragic past: Summer was abandoned by her mother when she was 17, and Leo’s sister was murdered ten years ago. But since they met five years ago, they’ve been each others’ found family. They live together in Summer’s Land Cruiser, traveling around California, picking pockets and running other cons to get enough money to live. But Leo thinks she’s found her big break, an opportunity to meet and swindle Michael Forrester, the “billionaire tech start-up guy, entrepreneur, UN climate ambassador, global philanthropist, blah, blah, blah.” Summer plays the good wingwoman, but gets worried when Leo seemingly disappeared after her night with Michael. Desperate to find her missing friend, Summer wheedles an invitation to Michael’s private island where she hopes to find Michael.

The marketing for You Can Trust Me compares Summer and Leo to Lucia and Mia from Season 2 of The White Lotus. That’s high praise … and completely justified. Summer and Leo are fascinating, richly developed characters with believable backstories. They are the kind of criminals you’re rooting for: not looking to physically hurt anyone, but more than happy to pick your pocket or trade on their sexuality if that will lead to the promise of wealth. I did figure out what had happened pretty much the first time a clue was given, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the story. The plot moves at a good pace throughout, picking up even more steam in the final pages. And the structure of the story works well, not only using dual narrators in Summer and Leo but staggering Leo’s to usually be a day behind Summer so that the reader is often as unaware as Summer about what’s happening to Leo.

You Can Trust Me is a solid mystery/thriller. It’s a fun, fast read that I believe it’s going to be a breakthrough hit for the author. Recommended.

"I couldn't put it down" and "It's a little too contrived" typically don't co-exist in the same book review, but I have to be honest: Both descriptors are appropriate based on my experience. The couldn't put it down part was almost hypnotic (although not totally accurate - I did take time off to cook dinner and go to bed). But the story, and out-of-the-ordinary characters, did grab me from the start and didn't let go.

Even the main characters' names avoid run-of-the-mill: Summer and Leo (both female), an unlikely pair of friends who have bonded together while trying to escape growing-up years that were unsettling at best. They live off the grid, technically homeless and nonexistent to the "normal" world, in mostly sunny California - living on their wits and expertise with a variety of activities generally frowned upon by society, like picking pockets. Summer, the older of the two, pretty much dominates their money-making activities, but Leo is eager to even the score. It'll happen, she claims, after she hooks up with a technology billionaire and he showers her with gifts she and Summer can offload for a boatload of cash to share. Early on, she's off to a great start, using her many charms to finagle an invitation to his private island for the weekend.

Except that it doesn't quite turn out that way. In fact, Leo - who typically would be in almost constant touch with Summer - fails to check in. Worried that something's seriously amiss, Summer finds a way to do some finagling of her own - an invitation to visit the island as the guest of one of the billionaire's technology buddies. Problem is, everyone on the island - including the billionaire - deny ever knowing or seeing Leo. So what's a best friend to do?

Find her, of course - but that brings all sorts of problems since security on the island, which includes a top-secret research laboratory, may be even higher tech than what's being developed there. Cell phones are verboten, drones and human watchdogs are over and around every tree and every single person on the island has pledged undying loyalty (in some cases, dying loyalty) to the billionaire host.

Needless to say, there's more going on here than meets the eye - and if prying eyes should happen to see too much, well, there are consequences. Is Leo even still alive? If she is, can Summer find her before that's no longer true? It's a thrilling chase to the end, with a question every step of the way as to which characters, if any, will cross the finish line alive. Even with a few "you've gotta be kidding me's" along the way, I certainly enjoyed the trip, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝑴𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝑾𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒚 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The synopsis for YCTM snagged my attention immediately! Summer is a well practiced pickpocket, a thief essentially, and Leo is determined to learn her ways. She sets out to con a billionaire, and is invited to his island for a night of fun in luxury. Sounds good, right?

Summer thought so too, until Leo never came back from the island off the coast of LA. Brushed off by the police, Summer is determined to infiltrate the island herself and find out what happened to her friend. As she digs for answers, Summer uncovers secrets worth killing for.

Our POV alternates between Summer and Leo, present day. Which I loved! I am not a huge fan of flashbacks though, but in this case it gives the reader a lot of insight as to how these characters came to be who they are as we know them. Overall it wasn’t too much or often, thankfully! It didn’t feel like filler at all.

I’ve read a lot of thrillers, it’s one of my favorite genres. Due to that, it’s not often that I can’t at least somewhat unravel the plot, or figure out what’s going on to a degree. You Can Trust Me had me questioning everyone, everything, constantly. I genuinely didn’t know what to expect as the plot came to a close and it was a fantastic ride, start to finish.

This was my first book from Wendy Heard, but I can’t wait to dive into her backlist!



*Review will be posted to Goodreads, Amazon and my social media on pub day!

Summer has been pick pocketing and conning people for as long as she can remember. Along the way she picks up Leo, a run away trying to survive. As they start conning the wealthy Leo sets her sights on a billionaire Michael. However after a night together Leo goes missing and summer is DEAD set on finding her.

This book had me hooked from the very first chapter and I could not put it down. When I was forced to go about real life it was truthfully all I could think about. All I wanted was to get to the end and hope for a happy ending.

I’ve been in a bit of a thriller slump lately finding that the endings never satisfy. However, this was not the case for You Can Trust Me.

SYNOPSIS: Summer and Leo are basically sisters, with difficult pasts and now have shared lives together. They’re young, gorgeous and use these assets to survive in the world. Once they’ve set their eyes on a new billionaire, and Leo goes to his private island, trouble brews..

🏖REVIEW: Ooooo this is my first novel by Heard but it certainly won’t be my last! Don’t you just LOVE a thriller that captures you from the beginning and you find yourself FLYING through the pages, just NEEDING to know what happens next?! Well, that’s what we have here.

Everything in this thriller stayed 100% true to the plot. It stayed on time, it made sense, it flowed perfectly. I love a good con artist scheme, and this one was pulled off to perfection. I also adore a good GIRL POWER 💪🌸 situation, and the bond between Summer and Leo was FANTASTIC. They truly loved each other SO much, and would never leave the other one behind.

Despite their background, despite their lack of education, these girls were SMART and I loved it. I really enjoyed how the author used their complex, unfortunate backstories to play into the present storylines, and how the MCs also used what they learned from those situations to their advantage.

This was a REMARKABLY well done thriller, and when it comes out June 13, you’re going to want to read it!!

Thank you to @randomhouse , @ballantinecorp , @bantampub @kathleeneq for a copy of this one!

🏖VERDICT: 4:5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

"In this "slick and stylish thriller" (Wanda M. Morris, All Her Little Secrets), two best friends grift their way through the California elite, until a scam goes awry.

Summer and Leo would do anything for each other. Inspired by the way each has had to carve her place in a hostile and unforgiving world, and united by the call of the open road, they travel around sunny California in Summer's tricked-out Land Cruiser. It's not a glamorous life, but it gives them the freedom they crave from the painful pasts they've left behind. But even free spirits have bills to pay. Luckily, Summer is a skilled pickpocket, a small-time thief, and a con artist - and Leo, determined to pay her own way, has learned a trick or two.

Eager for a big score, Leo catches in her crosshairs Michael Forrester, a self-made billionaire and philanthropist. When her charm wins him over, Leo is rewarded with an invitation to his private island off the California coastline for a night of fabulous excess. She eagerly anticipates returning with photos that can be sold to the paparazzi, jewelry that can be liquidated, and endless stories to share with Summer. Instead, Leo disappears.

On her own for the first time in years, Summer decides to infiltrate Michael's island and find out what really happened. But when she arrives, no one has seen Leo - she's not on the island as far as they know. Plus, there was only one way on the island - and no way off - for the coming days. Trapped in a scheme she helped initiate, could Summer have met her match?"

Rule one, if you're looking to pull a fast one make sure you can actually get out on your own.

A fast paced, twisty thriller that definitely kept me guessing. I fell in love with the two main characters almost instantly. I could have used a teeny bit more revenge at the end, but that's my only issue. Overall a great read!

I love psychological thrillers and so badly wanted to enjoy You Can Trust Me, but something was missing. About 1/3 of the way in to the book, I sadly lost interest. I kept reading and enjoyed a few more parts, but it wasn't the book for me. I felt a disconnect with the characters and just didn't love the storyline/twists.

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for a free copy of this book for my honest review.

Summer and Leo travel around California together, one is a pickpocket, one a con artist. Leo has billionaire Michael Forrester in her sights. She is invited to his private island after a "chance" meeting at his hotel. She willingly accepts and is rewarded with a boat ride, clothes, and a lavish dinner.

But then, she disappears. Summer infiltrates their close-knit, tech group and is on the hunt for her friend.

This book was a quick read for me. It is written in dual timelines from Leo and Summer's perspectives. While I did figure out the twist, it was still an entertaining read. I would suggest this book for a beach read or an airplane trip.

A fun thriller that quickly turns sinister.
Wendy Heard is the author of suspense and thrillers for adults and teens, including You Can Trust Me, The Kill Club, She’s Too Pretty to Burn, and Dead End Girls. Heard has spent most of her life in Los Angeles, which is on fire more than she would prefer, and she can often be found haunting local hiking trails and bookstores. She loves all things vintage and has a collection of thrillers and adventure books from the ’80s.

There are so many things I enjoyed about this book! The two main characters, Summer and Leo, were a lot of fun and gave off serious Thelma & Louise vibes as they drove around California on an endless adventure. The characters were well fleshed out and complex, and their unbreakable friendship was one of my favorite things about this book. Summer’s character was intriguing, and I enjoyed learning about her childhood including the tricks her mother taught her while living on the street. Leo’s character was also dark and interesting, and I was immediately pulled in by the disappearance and murder of her sister all those years prior. The eventual reveal of the killer was clever and terrifying. And after the scene in the remote cabin between Leo and Micheal I tore through to the end, determined to find out if the two women would be reunited.

The chapters were on the longer side but it didn’t slow the pace at all. I loved the alternating POVs, and the descriptions of California were so immersive it was easy to slip into the story. It definitely caught me off-guard (in a good way) when the tone shifted from light-hearted adventure thriller to sinister serial killer vibes, only making all the more addictive to read.

4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For readers who enjoy compelling female protagonists, dual POVs, and stories about adventure.

3.5 Stars.

I really enjoyed Leo and Summer's friendship and growth throughout the book. I found this to be a quick and entertaining read that thriller fans looking for something a little more fresh and new will enjoy.

LOVED! What a fun, twisty read. Definitely kept me on my toes throughout the entire novel. I loved Leo and Summer's character development throughout - and Julie! Wow a fun character. Everything about this book was so great.

"You Can Trust Me" is a fast paced, quick read that sucks you in from the start. It reveals the underlying plot while keeping you turning the page with what is currently going. I enjoyed the characters and their development throughout the book. Ang while I did see the "twist" coming pretty early on that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. If you are looking for book that will keep you attention without giving you a lot of intricacies to follow this is a great read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.