First I want to say thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I am giving this book 4 stars, because I did figure out a plot twist about half way through. However, that does not take away from the masterpiece that is this book. I absolutely love Summer and Leo's friendship, and wish that so many other females could experience the type of friendship they have together. I will be recommending this book to all my friends.

You can Trust Me - Wendy Heard

This novel is Wendy Heard's BEST YET (and one of my favorite novels of the past year).

In You Can Trust Me, Wendy Heard delivers a blockbuster novel that is the modern-day equivalent to Thelma and Louise!

A HUGE thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this wonderful adventure of a novel (I can readily envision the excellent movie that should be produced from this story).

Although this novel is about the rough and tumble lives of Leo and Summer, young women who begin the story living out of a van and providing "girlfriend experiences" to rich men as they lift whatever they can get their hands on (cash, credit cards, watches, jewelry, and the like) by the end of the story they are so much more.

Both of these wounded souls are so VERY likeable! I can't tell you how many books I have read lately where the author hasn't produced even ONE character you could give a darn about, which is definitely not the case with the two women in this novel.

If you enjoy books about women whose bond of friendship for each other strengthens and grows in a time of adversity, you MUST read this novel. Frankly, I am buying a copy for two of my sisters (but not for my Mom and my more conservative Southern Baptist sister, because I would rate it an "R" for light sexual content if I had to give it the equivalent of a movie rating) as I am sure they will LOVE it.

Note to Wendy and to the publisher:
Wendy, after this novel, you mentioned you would really miss Leo and Summer, and I think your fans would LOVE IT if you CONTINUED their story by serializing it. I would have gladly started reading book #2 of their story (in a different locale, perhaps a different country even, as they stumble into trouble over pictures they posted as influencers) immediately after finishing this one!

This is a rollicking FUN novel, I too will miss the two main characters.

Thank you both for this wonderful book. In these times of stress due to issues such as political upheaval and intolerance, mass shootings at schools, gay clubs, malls, and the pandemic, we have all lived in a hothouse of fear, stress, aggression, and anger.

During such times, the work an author does by transporting us temporarily to a new experience and environment is invaluable! Reading a captivating novel serves a similar function as the rocker on the top of a pressure cooker, it releases some of the built-up pressure so we can get up tomorrow, press "repeat" (Monday through Friday, anyway) and do it all over again without imploding and making a mess of our lives... thank you.

This book was WAY better than I thought it would be. The story is far more complex than you think at first. The extremes that these people go to are beyond. Just beyond!

One of the best psychological thrillers I've read in a long time. The dual narrators played so nicely off each other and really upped the tension and stakes. Claustrophobic setting with well-thought-out characters and themes. The twists stayed connected to the plot and felt organic to the story rather than coming out of nowhere. If you're looking for a page-turner to take to the beach this summer, I highly recommend this one!

Leoneli (Leo) and Summer have been ''sisters'' for years. Leo ran away from home after her sister Amanda was murdered. She couldn't live with the way her parents looked at her after they found her sister and it was too much for her to take on.

Summer was abandoned by her nomadic mother at a campground when she turned 16. She had to figure out how to do this thing called life all on her own. When she stumbled upon Leo on the streets, she saw herself and couldn't resist. She decided to take her under her wing. From there they became inseparable.

Their main trick to survive has been pickpocketing people at bars and clubs. This has sustained them for a while but their reserves are starting to run low and they need to score something big. When one of Leo's Instagram picture is liked by self-made billionaire Michael Forrester, Leo and Summer agree that this is the break that they need. Leo tracks down Michael and finds that he will be in town in the next few days. They make a plan in order to get Michael's attention. Michael seems to like Leo right away. Enough for him to invite her on a date to his private island where he runs his research facility. This is the perfect opportunity for Leo to find things to bring back to Summer.

When Leo doesn't come back from her date and doesn't contact summer, she decides to take matters into her own hands. They have always had this rule of contacting the other after a date, therefore Summer has a feeling that something is wrong. She finds a way to make it to the island herself to look for Leo but when she arrives, no one on the island seems to know who Leo is. It's like she was never there...

This was a really good thriller. It had suspense and twists. There was this one twist that I saw coming, but I still had to wait a few chapters to get it confirmed, so it kept me intrigued. It was also a book who showed the power of ''sisterhood'' and just how far someone will go to find the person they love.

Leo and Summer live a life of nomads in the back of a Land Cruiser, traveling up and down the California coastline. They’re both self-employed.😉
Summer is an expert pickpocket. While Leo goes after the big fish for a single huge score.

But their luck just ran out. This time things don’t exactly go as planned!

After Leo’s next billionaire mark sweeps her off to a private island, Summer starts to panic. Leo hasn’t checked in. Clearly something has gone wrong. Summer needs to find a way to get to the island and find Leo before it’s too late!

An extremely fast-paced thriller I finished in only a couple sittings. As with most recent thrillers the ending veered off in a bit of a strange direction. But overall it was a very well formulated thriller that kept me engaged throughout!

This was my first read by this author and I’ll definitely be looking at more of her books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.

I am all for stealing from the rich. But unfortunately, their luck started running out which led to a thriller piece of this tale. It kept me on my toes and I really enjoyed this one.

Summer and Leo are two women who are on living life in their car and traveling/adventuring around. They plot schemes to get friendly with rich men and also steal from the wealthy whenever they can to fund their lifestyle. Things take a wrong turn when one of the men they plan to swindle ends up being way more dangerous than they could have anticipated. I really enjoyed this one!

Summer is homeless, in the traditional sense. She lives in her Land Cruiser and moves throughout the state of California as she pleases. Several years ago she helped a younger girl and now they are partners. Summer is a pickpocket and her sidekick, Leo, has short-term relationships with older men for financial benefit. Summer was born into this type of life and Leo ran away from suburban life into drifting. On a whim, they decide to target a billionaire entrepreneur. Their con is going according to plan until Leo fails to return after a date with the entrepreneur, Michael. Summer can't report Leo missing, who would believe her? Summer must try to locate Leo on her own.

This thriller is unique. How can you actually empathize with criminals? Wendy Heard manages to create two con artists readers will sympathize with. Leo and Summer aren't evil, they just take advantage of situations to make money. They take advantage of the rich and careless in order to afford to live. They don't live extravagantly, and they have very few possessions. Their bond as friends is strong and they give each other emotional support. Once they are separated they will use their "street smarts" to look for each other. There are many unexpected twists and turns in what seems to be a simple story. This book begins as interesting and evolves into intriguing.

This is the perfect beach read for your summer. The author has created two fascinating women charcters that are friends traveling across beautiful Southern California. One is talented thief living off pick pocket proceeds and stealing credit cards. The other looking for her score in a wealthy man to seduce and trap . When one friend travels with her millionaire to Catalina island and disappears, her friend vows to find out what happend to her. Told by dual timelines adds excitment and intrique to this well plotted fun read.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

This is a classic summer beach read, especially because of its setting on SoCal's gorgeous coastline. While the twists and turns never quite seemed entirely earned, the two female narrators and their relationship was enough to keep me going.

Summer and Leo have known each other for five years. Both are trying to escape the past. They are wanderers who don't really have a place to call home. Summer is a skilled pickpocketer and con artist. Leo has learned a few tricks and is desperate to steal or find blackmail material from Michael Forester, a billionaire and philanthropist. When Michael invites Leo to his exclusive island she thinks it's the perfect opportunity. Then she goes missing and Summer won't stop until she finds out what happened.

What a wild ride this was! I couldn't put this debut novel down. Dual perspectives and timelines made this one a great read where I definitely found myself saying "just one more chapter" way past my bedtime. I love a story with smart, strong, independent, spirited and tough women and this one did not disappoint me. I absolutely loved Summer and Leo. This one kept me guessing the entire time and I couldn't wait to see how it would unfold. I will definitely be reading anything else this author puts out!

The description for this book really hooked me. I mean, con-women? Absolutely sign me up, thanks.
Overall, though, I didn't love this but I also didn't hate it. I really liked Summer and Leo and the way they talked/interacted with each other and the world around them. But, the way that some of the scenes were written was...strange? I found myself a bit off-put by some of the sex-scenes (not that there's anything wrong with sex, I just thought that the way the scenes were written came off a bit boorish at points). I also wasn't a huge fan of the torture tactics, so to speak, but I'm sure some people will take zero issue with that. I think maybe it's just a personal preference thing.
This story was pretty fun and twisty (though a bit predictable) with really compelling con-women characters. I have seen a few people say this would make a good movie and I totally agree--I could definitely see this playing out on the big screen and being a total hit.

Summer and Leo are two young women who rely on each other as they travel across California, escaping their troubled pasts. Summer is a skilled pickpocket and Leo is determined to make her own way. When Leo targets a wealthy billionaire for a con job, things quickly spiral out of control and Leo disappears. Summer, left on her own, decides to uncover the truth by infiltrating the billionaire's private island. The character development in this novel is well done, as the reader gets to know Summer and Leo intimately and understands their motivations. The writing is enthralling, keeping readers hooked with its fast pace and vivid descriptions of California. The plot is twisty, with unexpected turns that keep readers guessing until the end. However, there is one plot twist that may be hard to believe and which kept me from giving this a full five stars. Overall, You Can Trust Me is a thrilling read with excellent character development, enthralling writing, and a twisty plot that will keep readers captivated. Four stars!

What a fresh and fast-paced book! This was really fun to read, and the characters were great. We have two women who live a nomadic existence, stealing from the rich to fund their lifestyles.

Summer was born to hippie parents and was raised off-grid by her mother - until she was a teenager, and her mom sent her out into the wild on her own. She has no identification, has no clue when her birthday is, and nothing that ties her to the world - except Leo.

Leo was raised much more conventionally, but when her older sister died, she left her parents and ended up living in Summer’s van, where she got a lot of lessons in running scams, pickpocketing and bring street savvy.

One night while running a scam, Leo meets Michael, a tech billionaire who has his own island. She ends up leaving with him and going to the island, but when she doesn’t return the next day, Summer gets worried and finagles her way onto the island as well.

Once there, Summer realizes that there is no way off the island until the weekend is over, and that guests must surrender their phones. How can she find out if her friend is still there…and if she’s still alive?

This was a quick and refreshing read that I liked a lot. The characters were engaging and I liked learning both women’s backstories. The atmosphere was beautiful but creepy, and the ending was great. Four stars!

(Thank you to Random House - Ballantine, Wendy Heard, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be published on June 13, 2023.)

A story of two women who are doing what they can to survive. When one sets their sights on a billionaire, they thought this would be routine.

Naturally, the story cannot be routine, but I had no idea where this one would go. The author creates wonderfully flawed characters. I was never fully sure who to root for while the story was unfolding.

Parts were predictable, but not in a way that made me feel like the story had been told before.

As with most thrillers, the ending felt a bit too wrapped up, but all in all the story is engaging and kept me wanting to see what would happen next.

Firstly, let’s discuss how intriguing the story of con women ALWAYS are. From movies like Heartbreakers (iconic) to tv shows like Imposters, I truly cannot get enough. When I saw the premise for You Can Trust Me I immediately requested it on Netgalley.

Summer and Leo are epic con women who hit their marks from all angles. Summer has quick fingers and will quickly relieve the douchiest of douches from their wallets while Leo is a bit of a gold digger and always makes sure they are financially secure. This story takes some wild twists when their latest Billionaire mark ends up with more closet skeletons that expected and Summer and Leo literally end up in a fight for their lives.

While I did see the initial “twist” coming I wasn’t quite sure how the novel would end. I enjoyed these two women and their love for each other as well as heir tenacity and refusal to give up on themselves or each other. I really hope this one makes it to the big screen or a streaming service as I would LOVE to see more Summer and Leo hijinks.

This was a 3 Star read for me, thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

The book alternate between two friends prospectives, Summer and Leo. I enjoyed this rich people behaving badly story. Some parts I was able to predict, others surprised me. Overall good read.

Thanks Bantam Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Summer and Leo are con artists and Leo has found the next target. But then she disappears with a guy named Michael. Summer travels to an island to find her and she may be in over her head. I enjoy Wendy Heard’s mysteries and this one was fantastic! Suspenseful and twisty! Fast paced and will keep you hooked! I loved the friendship between the two and their drive to protest one another! Can’t wait to read it again!

Once the main portion of the plot gets going, the tension and suspense do not relent. The first couple of chapters were kind of slow, but the rest of the book more than makes up for it. The pacing is smart, giving enough of a break in the action to make the reader feel gently teased, while working in solid backstory that fills in the gaps. Summer and Leo are both survivors who do a great job carrying the story. This is a successfully written thriller that I would recommend to anyone looking for a fast, engrossing read.