Disclaimer: I've lived in the Catskills in Upstate New York for two decades, and this book is spot-on satire of what's happening around me. That being said, my reading of this will be colored by my daily experience with people moving north to live their best Insta-life. This wasn't fiction to me but still hysterical to read.

I just finished reading Trust and Safety by Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman, and I’m buzzing with excitement to share my thoughts!

This book is a captivating and thought-provoking read that dives deep into the intricacies of modern technology and the ethical dilemmas it brings. Blackett and Gleichman have crafted a narrative that’s as engaging as it is insightful.

One of the standout moments for me is when the protagonist, Ava, a tech company executive, faces a moral crisis after discovering a major breach in her company's trust and safety protocols. The tension in the scene where she confronts her boss in an intense boardroom meeting is palpable. The authors do an incredible job of portraying the emotional turmoil and ethical conflicts that Ava experiences, making you feel every bit of her struggle.

What I love most about Trust and Safety is its ability to blend a gripping story with real-world issues. The characters are richly developed, each with their own unique perspectives on the challenges of balancing innovation with ethical responsibility. The narrative is both timely and relevant, raising important questions about the impact of technology on our lives.

If you’re looking for a book that’s not only entertaining but also makes you think deeply about the world we live in, Trust and Safety is a must-read. Trust me, you’ll be hooked from the very first page!

It is this poignant verse from a Mary Oliver poem that propels Rosie, the protagonist of Trust and Safety to re-examine what it is exactly that she wants her life to be ---

“I thought that maybe if I moved somewhere else—maybe I could find a different way to feel. Like if I had two seconds to think, without noise, maybe I could figure out what I’m good at.

Maybe I could understand myself, and make friends, and just be a different person.”

Trust and Safety follows a newly married couple, Rosie and Jordan. When Rosie gets sick of living in New York City, the newlyweds move up to Hudson Valley to start a whole new life. After a competitive sale, they end up spending 3/4ths of their savings just on the down payment. Luck is not on their side because soon after Jordan gets laid off from his tech job so to compensate for the lack of funds they decide to rent out a smaller fixer-upper house on their property. What they don't know is a queer couple, Dylan and Lark has the life Rosie has been desiring.

I enjoyed this book when I wanted to stop, I kept going.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for this widget, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

What a riot. This book was so fun and so wacky all the way through, but at some point I found myself rooting for the opposite of what actually happened in the end. In that way, the ending was a bit of a let-down, but I think that's only due to my personal preferences and very much does not speak to the quality of the book or the author's intentions.

I think this will be a great fit for readers of Alexandra Chang, Katie Kitamura, or Sarah Rose Etter; people who are feeling a bit down on the corporate grind and could really use an 'escape'. It's also perfect for those whose Instagram ads are getting a little *too* curated, and for the queer girlies who feel a tad too seen listening to 'Good Luck Babe'.

What a treat—thank you to Dutton for the opportunity to read and review!!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Trust and Safety by Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman.

After reading reviews of this, I can't decide if the authors actually meant for this to be satire or not. Either way, it's silly, fun, and completely ridiculous.

Rosie has one wild and beautiful life to live, and she doesn't want to let it waste away in the rat way of NYC. She convinces her husband to buy a house well out of their price range in the Hudson Valley. Now she can have her Instagram worthy, homestead lifestyle.

But the house is a wreck, and it turns out that the life is a lot harder than she bargained for, as well as her marriage. But then she meets the polyamorous queer community in her neighborhood, and everything changes.

Okay, what bisexual white girl in her twenties hasn't had the fantasy that this book realizes so well. Who doesn't want to be a part of a lesbian compound as some point in their life? It was fun, but I also couldn't stand Rosie's choices, especially when it came to her husband Jordan, who really was just trying to give her what she wanted.

This was entertaining, but left a chalky taste in my mouth that I didn't care for.

This was such a fun and cerebral read! I wish I got to it sooner. Reminded me of far too many people I know.

Thank you Dutton and NetGalley for the eARC of Trust and Safety! All opinions in this review are my own.

I couldn't put this one down! I loved how the plot is pushed along based on what Rosie's Instagram is feeding her and Jordan's obsession with the next big tech project. Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman's writing is witty and clever. I immediately put their previous book on hold after reading Trust and Safety. I can't wait to read more from them!

Such a smart and funny read, tackling some big questions while also being sensitive and emotionally resonant.

This was a very smart satire of a couple moving out of the city to live the country/Fixer Upper/cottage core lifestyle, but having to take in lodgers after they find it is much more expensive than they realized. Even the names (Dyland, Lark) are slightly sarcastic, because I have no doubt that people are actually named that these days (especially in the fancy areas of upstate NY). More of a dark comedy than anything, this book offers a lot of valuable lessons, if the reader is smart enough to grasp them.

Thanks to Dutton and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

Trust and Safety was a bit of a mixed bag for me. At times I really enjoyed how the authors were using the characters to talk about our reliance on technology and especially the idea of like cottage core, but at other times it felt like the characters weren't really connecting with each other, let alone the premise. Rosie and Jordan are kinda absurd (which I think is the point) but at times it was painful to watch them fumble through their relationship and an attempt at adulting. Dyland, Lark, and the rest of the Upstate crew felt flat at times and I wish there had been less of Rosies "oh wow, queer poly life, huh" and more about them as more than just the odd Upstate people who were not quite as honest as we thought. Overall, I think the authors were effective at getting their point across and I look forward to more from them.

A story of newlyweds who move to a rural area with a fixer upper. It has lots of elements of satire of life but that didn’t always hit with me. I mostly found the characters hard to sympathize with.

A fun read. Good writing, witty dialog, and an interesting premise for a story. This story is about so many things. Rosie wants one thing, her husband, another, but in the end, it seems to work out. I particularly liked the small turns this story took towards the end. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

this was an unbelievably stressful satire that was also very readable, although mostly because i wanted to be done with it because it was making me so anxious. but also because it was funny.

I put down this book about halfway through and didn't find myself wanting to make my way back to it, which probably says it all, but I was so far in that I had to force myself to finish it. Still, there were moments about 75% in where I had to go back and start over because the plot wasn't captivating enough to keep me engaged.

It's a shame because I know so many readers loved this book, and I'm all for flawed characters, but I guess it's just not for me!

Loved the premise of this book, but just hated the characters. I know, satire, you're not really meant to fall in love, but I feel like there needs to be some glimmer of hope that they have *some* redeeming qualities somewhere, and that just never showed up here. I mostly found myself glaringly irritated and wondering why anyone would care about any of these people. I think the writing itself was good, and the descriptions of places were well done, but for me, this just wasn't a story that ever captivated me or gave me enjoyment.

My thanks to Penguin Group/Dutton, the authors, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Trust and Safety was a weird combination of a really interesting plot, but really subpar characters. I don’t think I really enjoyed or could empathize with a single character in this book. Honestly, the plot is what kept my investing. And with that, I still didn’t truly like the ending. It felt like an ending where the characters didn’t learn a single thing and we could end up at the start of the book again and the entire book was negated.

The setting was interesting and the beginning I was definitely easily invested in. I mean, the storyline itself is really relatable, though it did feel like it was written by an instagram ex-employee. And part of the ending I truly did not see coming at all. So I’m not going to write-off anything else written by this author, because the book was actually written really well! The characters, as unlikeable as they were, felt fully fleshed out and well-rounded. And the town itself felt like a town I’ve driven through many times. Those aspects of the book were really strong. The first half felt like indulging in my deepest off-the-grid daydreams. The only major drawback was that the characters were so unlikeable and refused to grow with the book.

I started having a good time with this book from page 1, but it really got intense at 79%!

Rosie and Jordan move from Brooklyn to Upstate NY, so that Rosie can live out the dream life she envisioned. Things do not go as planned, and they have to take up tenants to help alleviate the cost of the house and their life after Jordan loses his job.

Enter Dylan and Lark, their new tenants. Rosie becomes obsessed with them and their lifestyle and starts feeling a sense of belonging once they bring her into the fold, which includes other people around town.

I really enjoyed this. The writers did a really good job in developing the characters and keeping you on your toes, because you never really know what everyone is thinking (except for Rosie). I loved the whole book and did not expect that ending.

This book is the perfect example of "Be careful what you wish for because you might get it"...But do you really want it?

TRUST AND SAFETY
Laura Blackett

She wants a big house in the country where she can walk barefoot through the tulips and live the life she's always dreamed of.

He wants a baby. And the country is a better place to raise a family than the city. So he agrees to do anything to make her dreams come true even if that means sinking them with a ton of debt to do it.

She finds the perfect house. They quickly find themselves in a bidder war. They overbid to win, and their offer is accepted. When they look at the house he sees work and she sees their future.

After doing a few quick calculations they conclude that for them to afford the mortgage they'll have to bring on renters.

Little did they know choosing the right tenants would be of the utmost importance. Instead of using traditional methods to find qualified renters they opt for a more laid-back, and intuitive approach.

And whom they choose will determine how the next few months go. We get to be Alexa spying on them and their tenants, listening in on private conversations. What she (Alexa) hears will surprise and enlighten you.

Did they make the right choice? Will this house be the answer to all their questions?

This was a lot of fun. And it was quick. Most times there isn’t a better combination. This is my first time reading Blackett and I didn’t know what to expect. I was impressed.

There is a fine line to walk when you’re writing about unlikeable characters. Sometimes it can make you feel like you dislike the material, but Blackett does a great job showing you who is bad and who is worse.

It’s a funny, well-written gem.

Thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for the advanced copy! It was a pleasure to provide feedback!

TRUST AND SAFETY…⭐⭐⭐⭐

Starts with a strong beginning, then unravels into a complete mess. Honestly, didn't like a single characters in this story.

Thank you, Dutton

sorry I read this on time but was on vacation and forgot to send my review (but posted on ig on 5/21)

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Pls this book is so funny!!!

Eve Gleichman and Laura Blackett have done it AGAIN. The Very Nice Box is one of my favorite book experiences. While their sophomore novel Trust & Safety is tonally different from their debut, there’s still a strong, silly, clever authorial voice and a commitment to a twisty, well-plotted resolution. No one is doing it like them - there is an entire scene that reads like a modern-day Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Range!

Between Trust & Safety’s himbo tech bro Jordan and Very Nice Box’s Mat, Gleichman and Blackett excel at drawing bone-chillingly accurate cartoons of systemic misogyny. Trust & Safety doubles down on Very Nice Box’s message that cishet men are the worst while also elegantly rejecting performative allyship. Every character - even and especially each queer member of our polycule - is low-key messy, manipulative, and mercurial. And zero of these chaotic people deserve to be put on a pedestal.

Somewhere inside this masterclass of satire hide timely questions. Is wokeness a spectrum, and where - from ignorance to queerbaiting to an inappropriate-but-unsaid inside thought - is the line between harm and good intentions? Do you have ennui or do you just live in New York City? Are you bi or does your husband suck a lot? If a person posts a hike for the views, are they outdoorsy or an asshole? What makes someone a good parent, or a parent at all?

Honestly this review is too cerebral and maybe makes this book sound more serious and navel-gazing than it actually is. So - simply - are you a funny, anxious weirdo or not? If yes, pick this shit up!

TV show mood comps: The Good Place for the vanilla characters + Upload