Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of How Can I Trust You? by AJ Campbell.

This book took me a few tries to really sink my teeth into, but I did manage to.

When Ashley finds her husband standing next to his murdered friend holding a hammer, she has no idea what to think. She can't possibly be married to a murderer, but all signs point to guilty. Who actually did Ashley marry, and who in her life might want to frame her husband this way?

It did have me guessing to the end, but I admit that i wish the ending had been stronger. I did enjoy the journey though.

Unfortunately, for some reason I was never able to connect with or become invested in the outcome of these characters.

I did enjoy the many interactions throughout, and the ongoing tension created a feeling a excitement.

There were not many other redeeming qualities about this one despite my best efforts to find them. I think the time in which it took me to finish is further evidence to support this.

The mounting evidence against the antagonist did not pair well with the POV's inner dialogue.

I feel guilty for not being able to find much positive here, but I may be the odd person out as the reviews seem to trend higher!

Huge thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ARC

"How Can I Trust You?" By A J Campbell delves deep into the complexities of trust, betrayal, and forgiveness. I listened to it on a journey of suspense and intrigue that kept me hooked from start to finish.

At the heart of the story is Sarah, a woman whose life is turned upside down when she discovers that her husband has been keeping a devastating secret from her for years. As Sarah grapples with feelings of anger, betrayal, and confusion, she must confront difficult truths about herself and those she loves. The narration is superb, bringing the characters and their emotions to life.

The plot is a bit predictable at times, and certain twists felt familiar but those minor flaws are overshadowed by the audiobook's overall impact.

Wow, twists and turns for miles and miles that I never saw coming! This one will keep you up all night!

This was a wild ride and I loved it. I couldn't put this one down once I started it! The bottom line is that she couldn't trust barely anyone in this book! This was my 1st book by A.J. Campbell but will not be my last, I am adding all of their books to my TBR!

#HowCanITrustYou
#NetGalley

This book started off with a bang. It went on very well keeping my interest. As I listened to the audiobook, the narrator was easy to listen to.

When at a children’s birthday party her husband staggers in covered in blood holding a hammer, Ashley no longer knows if she can trust what he says.

I really enjoyed my first outing with A.J. Campbell!
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Eilidh Beaton, and absolutely loved her narration. I couldn't stop listening, she is definitely a narrator I would happily listen to again!
The book starts with immediate tension and this fast pace continues through. There is plenty of drama to keep you reading, as Ashley finds out more about her husband and the suspicion around him escalates.
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, I listened in 2 days.

How Can I Trust You is set in the south of England. Ashley and husband Danny, move to Danny's home town with their son, Elliot. Using their own design business, they begin to blend themselves into the community with the help of Danny's childhood connections..
Ashley is invited and attends a garden party hosted by Lucy and Lee, where Lucy is bludgeoned to death, where Danny is found holding the murder weapon! Of course he insists it is not what it appears. This proves to be a test to the marriage. Ya think?


The audio grabs the listener right off, but after that, the plot begins to deflate. There was too much script focusing on what, main character, Ashley was thinking and feeling. The other characters seemed quite nondescript. 

An okay read if you are a psychological thriller fan

How Can I Trust You (AKA The Perfect Marriage) by AJ Campbell is a thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end. Ashley’s life is changed in one moment when her friend, Lucy, if found dead and her husband holding the weapon. Now Ashley is trying to find answers, but will she like what she learns? We learn not everything is like it seems and get even more questions. Additionally, how does the prologue fit in? All the while we question all the characters and what secrets they carried. I was engaged from start to end and look forward to read more from this author.

The first thing I have to say about this is why is the blurb so misleading? It says "her best friend" but in reality it's her husbands best friend and it's been bothering me since I read the book (ha!).

I had high hopes for this. So many things could have happened and instead it was a miss-mash of secrets and lies that didn't fully add up to misdirection to an ending that...frankly, I'm still not sure I got?

I think this just didn't hit me right - I'm sure others who enjoy domestic suspense will like it but I think it just didn't do it for me. Nothing agains the writer or the writing, I think I'd expected one thing from the plot and got something else.

My rating: 2.5*
___
Thanks to NetGalley for this gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a very listenable psychological thriller from AJ Campbell.

The novel is set in the south of England, Ashley and husband Danny, move to Danny's home town with their son, Elliot. Ashley and Danny have their own design business and are integrating themselves into the community with the help of Danny's childhood connections.

Ashley's world is shocked to its core when they attend a garden party hosted by close friend's Lucy and Lee. Lucy is bludgeoned to death and found holding the murder weapon is none other than Danny! Danny insists it is not what it appears but the events that follow test Ashleys devotion to her husband.

A good listen but maybe just a little on the slow burn side for my tastes. That said all the components I usually look for in this genre are there - plot twists, deception and some pretty dark characters!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for an advance copy.

A psychological thriller with the plot set at a suspenseful pace full of deadly secrets, drama, and twist after twists.

How Can I Trust You?, by AJ Campbell, was my first read by the author. The plot did grab my interest at first however, it was more of a slow paced psychological thriller with a somewhat predictable storyline. The beginning started off strong but the pacing was a bit slow for me and I felt that the ending fell a little flat.

Narrator Eilidh Beaton did a wonderful job voicing the characters, especially the men, and kept pace along with the story. She helped keep my interest even when the storyline slowed.

Although How Can I Trust You wasn’t a book I connected with, it did have its moments and I do think others would find it rather enjoyable.

Thank you Bookouture Audio, author AJ Campbell, and NetGalley for this Advanced Listening Copy.

AJ Campbell has done it again! How Can I Trust You is the story of a woman who attends her best friend's daughter's birthday party. At the end of the party, she finds her husband covered in blood and her best friend dead on the floor. Lots of twists and turns! The narration was well done!! I can't wait for AJ Cambell's next page-turner!

Whilst I enjoyed listening to this audiobook, as I sit a couple of days later to write the review I'm struggling to remember parts of the book.
Ashley is at a friends party. She walks into the garage to discover her husband standing over her dead friends body. He says he just found her but with the murder weapon to hand he looks as guilty as hell.
Whilst Dan is taken off by the police, Ashley feels her life crashing down. She discovers secrets her spouse has been keeping from her. As she delves further she discovers more. Who can she trust?

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an advance copy of “How Can I Trust You?” by AJ Campbell.

I enjoyed the story and thought it had well-developed characters. However, I found the author's tendency to stretch a single idea across multiple pages could have easily been condensed into more succinct paragraphs, which would have enhanced the pacing of the narrative. Despite this, I still enjoyed the read.

This is a psychological thriller that, to be honest, left me slightly deflated.
I was looking forward to listening to this as it gave off the 'did he/didn't he' vibes and the potential twists and turns it could take, but to be honest that never really materialised.

The book jumps straight in, but after that, nothing much really happens or keeps you guessing too much. There are big chunks of script focused on what the main character, Ashley was thinking/feeling and other characters in the book are there but I didn't feel like they had any role or actual input in their own right- they were almost there just to back up bits of the storyline.

This book is a one storyline, slow paced read, and for readers that maybe are new to the genre, or prefer books they don't have to be heavily invested in then this will be great as a simple time filler.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book

#NetGalley

I found the narration and the overall story of this book to be quite enjoyable. The mystery and family drama elements were intricately woven, creating an engaging narrative. However, I did feel that the pacing was a bit slow for my taste. Despite this, the story never became boring, and it offered all the necessary elements for a compelling thriller.

Listening to the book as an audiobook enhanced the experience for me. The narration added depth to the characters and helped immerse me further into the story. While it may not have been the most fast-paced thriller I've encountered, it still managed to hold my attention and keep me intrigued throughout. Overall, it was a satisfying read that offered a nice balance of suspense and drama.

In this psychological thriller, the description of the book was misleading, as it mentioned the murder of the narrator's best friend by her husband, when in fact the victim was her husband's best friend. The character development was weak, with underdeveloped and unlikeable characters. The slow pace of the story was off-putting, and the narrator's portrayal of a nine-year-old's whining was too realistic and disturbing. However, the author did capture the terror of Ashley and some of the other characters quite well. Personally, I found the book unappealing, which surprised me as I usually enjoy psychological thrillers.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing me with an e-audio copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

The story is fast-paced and the action draws you in from the opening scene. I suspected everyone- the husband, the husband's brother, the victim's husband, the wife's sister. As a reader, you discover new information at the same time the wife finds it, and the action all takes place within a few days. What keeps me from giving this book 5 stars is the husband's erratic behavior, which does not seem to jive with past behavior and, therefore is inadequately justified. One minute the husband is loving, supportive, and present even when overworked, and the next he is dismissive, mean, and cruel, which is unexplainable even for a murder suspect. Nonetheless, this is the sort of thriller that keeps your attention until the last page!