This book has a lot of potential! I have not read a book quite like this; it gave me a similar feel to Succession with more of a thriller edge. While I really enjoyed the read, there were some parts of the storyline, particularly towards the end, that I feel could have been fleshed out a bit more. There also were several times throughout the book where a sentence would repeat, or would lack proper grammar to where it became somewhat confusing. With some minor edits, this could easily be a 3.5-4 star book, but for me at this point, I have to give it a 3.

I have always loved books about missing spouses, and this one was no exception. I was engaged within the first few pages, and the story was not only intense but so emotional that I could feel it pouring through the pages. The music incorporated throughout, and the meaning behind each song was genius. What I loved most was that the wife was smart and cunning and didn't fold no matter what was thrown her way. This story was well crafted and delivered with an intricate hand, and it definitely left its mark. Four solid stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC.

Instantly this book pulls you in. I loved the suspense and intensity we got right off the bat. It held my attention and made me want more. I loved Marissa and loved how much she grew throughout the book!

There was a lot going on, and sometimes was hard to keep track of.

I will say, thriller isn’t typically my go to read, so it was a little out of my comfort zone, but I really enjoyed it!

A great twisty psychological thriller. I loved the concept of a playlist being used to communicate and the twists and turns were like nothing that I have ever read before. I really enjoyed it. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer for this ARC copy.

Tell me you trust me really hooked me from the beginning, I was so invested. Every time a chapter would end I'd have to keep reading to see what happened next even when it meant only getting 3 hours of sleep!

This was such a great debut thriller ! It kept me interested the whole way through and there were lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I really enjoyed the musical references used as clues, that was definitely a unique concept. I look forward to hopefully reading another thriller from this author in the future. Give this one a read !

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

"Tell Me You Trust Me" is a thriller involving a wife who is investigating the sudden disappearance of her husband. She's left to decipher clues left behind using songs as an interesting way to communicate. This book isn't one you'll want to put down.

fast paced, quick read!!!! really well done! i'd love to read more work from Elle Owens after reading this excellent piece of work.

Tell Me You Trust Me is a thriller with a lot of promise but a bit of a bumpy start. The book jumps straight into the plot before we get much time with the characters, which made it hard to feel connected or invested right away. It felt like the author had a killer premise (and honestly, I was hooked by the idea of communicating through song titles), but the character development didn’t quite hit the mark. For the first half, I found myself reading more out of curiosity about where the story would go rather than being drawn in by the characters.


But once I hit the halfway point? Things really picked up. The twists started rolling, and it became an adrenaline-fueled ride that I couldn’t put down. Even though the characters felt a little too black-and-white and some of the plot details seemed a bit hand-wavy or left with minor holes, it still worked well enough to keep me fully engaged until the end.


If you’re into thrillers with unique hooks and can be patient through the setup, you’ll probably enjoy this one. It’s not perfect, but it’s a wild ride that’s worth the trip.

3.5 rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC of Tell Me You Trust Me.

I have mixed feelings about this one! I loved how we jumped right in to the action from the first page as well as the idea of following clues that only your spouse could leave for you. The further the story progressed, though, the less interesting and more far-fetched it became. The ending wasn't really shocking or surprising so I'm not sure why this is listed as a thriller. Overall, a quick read but definitely fits more in the standard mystery category.

3 stars

This book was immediately captivating! This was my first crime fiction read and I will be recommending it over and over again.

Some books have a slow burn, but this book didn’t make you wade through the mud just to continue reading and HOPING it became interesting. The author did an AMAZING job at keeping you interested from the first page without delay. While the plot wasn’t necessarily original, how the author went about turning over each piece of information was intriguing and new.

Very faced paced, very chilling. What a great debut. The dialogue was weak in some areas but it was still entertaining.

Marissa’s husband Ethan goes missing shortly after telling her to trust him, leaving her and their toddler son Logan behind. Marissa realizes she cannot trust anybody, not even her overbearing family, and decides to search for Ethan and the motive behind his sudden disappearance through the clues he left behind.

The plot is intriguing, and it got me hooked from the beginning. I loved reading about Marissa’s growth, and with little to no help, she uncovered the truth behind Ethan’s disappearance. I loved how Ethan and Marissa communicated through the songs.

The plot is gripping, and it was a quick read. I loved the twists and turns and the cat-and-mouse chase.

I enjoyed reading this fast-paced thriller suspense book.

Tell Me You Trust Me by Elle Owens is a fantastic thriller about a woman whose husband goes missing and can only communicate with her by adding songs with cryptically revealing titles to their shared playlist. Marissa is devastated when Ethan disappears... and even more devastated when her parents and her brother seem to be involved somehow. Marissa has to escape from whatever danger she and her infant son may be in, but every move she makes seems to bring her closer to an imminent threat.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this outstanding story that had my heart racing until the very end.

Marissa's husband heads out one average morning and makes a point to say, "Tell me you trust me." She agrees before he walks out the door, to what she assumes is him leaving for work. He instead leaves his car and house keys and disappears without a hint as to why. She discovers he changed the password to his computer, doesn't show up to work, or contact anyone. He's simply gone. 

She calls in her family for support, and we immediately see her parents overbearing presence as they control every action and movement, talk to her as if she's useless, and constantly ridicule her by coddling her inability to function.

In her grief, she turns to music and realizes her husband added a song to their joint Spotify account called "Trust Me." From there, they use song titles to communicate, and she begins hiding their communication from her parents and questioning if they are who they say they are. She digs through hints and clues as to why her husband has chosen to vanish without an explanation, slowly uncovering a mass of lies, secrets, and sabotage. We're left to see if she can escape their grasp while keeping herself and her child safe.

********

This book was unnecessarily complicated. Every little hint and redirect and clue stemmed from unrealistic expectations of a tired mom of a toddler being able to notice tiny, mundane things and remember inside jokes from over a decade together to solve a mystery he could have told her with a burner phone. He left her to the proverbial wolves, to be manipulated, stalked, threatened, lied to, and gaslit, all so she could finally stand up to her family. The entire book is a miscommunication/lack of communication trope. Endlessly. The breadcrumbing clues were odd and made no logical sense. What if she hadn't figured it out? What if she found things out of order? Was he just going to wait indefinitely? There were way too many clues that she conveniently stumbled across that didn't need to exist that I was baffled that the author chose they route. Also, him laying hints for months, maybe longer, without even trying to slowly show her how her parents really are, and instead destroying her mental health in one week was so unhinged. Not to mention, a lot of those loose ends were never tied up. Where was the extra money going and why? Why did her mom reference her secret pet name when asking to make drinks? Who kept continuously going after Marissa and escalating violence and why? Why was she constantly being stalked? Who broke into her home? Who burned it down? How did Ethan escape? Where did the support group women come in? Why did everyone in the restaurant seem to be watching her? What were they all trying to protect Marissa and her child from? Why didn't anyone actually devolve exactly what it was that the company did? It was eluded to but never outright said, including Ethan saying he wouldn't say the bad things he did. There were so many plot holes that sat vacant and unanswered in favour of trying to build tension, that it got to the point of being convoluted.

I also wouldn't say it had any twists. It was very obvious who was bad, who was reluctantly associated with them, and who was neutral or "good." It was more just a long book of hints and clues that were pointless when he could have just shown her the files he needed and gone from there. I'm unsure why she had to jump through hoops for information he already had in his possession. It was framed that it was "the only way", however, that was a convenient excuse when he had the opportunity to divulge the truth at any point after she started being concerned about her family. Instead, he left her mad, heartbroken, and assuming the worst.

Also communicating through playlists and song titles was exhausting and pointless after the first quarter of the book. It just kept getting more complex with his assistant having lines, the guest network messages, and her sister angrily texting her burner phone that I was left wondering why. No one actually told her anything, yet they all got mad at her for ruining everything and getting in the way when she had no idea what was going on. Again, if his sister could message Marissa with a burner phone, why can't he? That was a huge plot hole that didn't make any sense and continued to be annoying.

From there, the villains felt underdeveloped and wholly outside of realistic people or their actions. It was obvious that they were bad, and she only wanted them to be seen as bad, that there was no real development into them as a whole. They were just controlling, manipulative, and abusive people who started and stayed that way the entire book, and we were supposed to be surprised by the conclusion that they were, in fact, horrible humans? It was just a drawn-out eventuality that they would be exposed as awful, so the pacing of the book began to drag when it was just a wash and repeat of the same absurd and controlling behaviour. The whole duration of the book, the issues are blatantly slammed into you, to the point all of the clues and hints just seem absolutely pointless when you're aware the issues are staring you in the face.

Overall, the book was interesting but had too much thrown into it in an attempt to have tension, when more focus should have gone to character development and closing massive plot holes. I'd read from this author again if she took the time to settle into her stories without leaving open threads throughout.

What a wild ride! I absolutely loved this debut by Elle Owens! The premise is really great, and the pacing is quick and snappy. I would have finished this book in one day if I didn’t have other plans! If you’re looking for a gripping thriller that hits the ground running, definitely check this out!

Overview:
Marissa is a new mom with an overbearing family. When her husband disappears, she turns to their shared playlist for comfort, only to discover he’s recently added to it. They begin communicating through song titles as Marissa searches for clues on her husband’s whereabouts, unknowingly entangling herself in a web of lies and manipulation. Through it all, Marissa knows one thing: she’ll do whatever it takes to keep her son safe, even if the truth she uncovers could shatter her world.

Oh. My. Gosh.

I loved this book. I enjoyed how different it was compared to other domestic thrillers. It was a very cleverly written, with relatable characters, and had me hooked from the first page. I listen to books more often that I physically read them, but the open dyslexia font has changed my life, and this was a great way to start this chapter.

My favorite line from this book:
-I choked on my own saliva as I gasped.

How relatable is that? Idk why that line stuck with me, but in the midst of everything that is happening life still happens. We choke on our own spit, our shoelaces get untied, and we run out of shampoo. Sometimes it is nice when details like that are thrown in (for me anyway).

So, after all that, I would just also like to say, the plot is great, I loved the characters, and I couldn't stop reading. If that is what you want in a book, this one is for you. Go for it!

This is unnecessarily complicated.

While I liked the conceit of messaging through song titles at first, it got wearying. Then, the way they communicated got more and more complex and more and more unbelievable.

I did like Marissa. I mean…I didn’t at first. At first she seemed to be a mix of naïve, doormat, and practically work a kick me sign on her back. But…she gains a spine. I mean, it takes a long, long time. But eventually.

I don’t know that it’s super twisty. The bad people were clearly bad from the beginning. Only our MC couldn’t see it.

The ending was mostly satisfying, though I ended it feeling that Marissa’s short period of time actually having a spine was coming to an end.

Entertaining and an easy read. It just kind of makes your head spin.

• ARC via Publisher

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book early! I could not put down this debut thriller by Elle Owens! I fell in love with this book as soon as I read the synopsis… the plot/storyline was so interesting to me, and one I have never heard before- so I was automatically intrigued.
Could you imagine being a mother of a young child, and having a husband that mysteriously vanishes one morning after leaving for work? That’s what happens to Marissa Creighton… and the last words her husband Ethan says to her on the way out of the door are, “Tell me you trust me, Marissa.”. Marissa quickly learns she cannot trust anyone, and begins discovering clues Ethan has left behind for her in hopes that she can solve the mystery and reason behind his disappearance. After a little while, she realizes that she can communicate through music with him on their shared Spotify playlist.
The twists, turns and deceitfulness in this story had me hooked and engaged the whole time. I often found myself second guessing Marissa’s decisions on who she should be trusting, or what was going to happen next… which is an indication of a good thriller to me! One of the things I absolutely loved most about this book was Marissa’s sheer determination to figure out what was going on… even when she thought she couldn’t keep going, she never gave up on herself or her child, Logan. I also thoroughly enjoyed the aspect of technology that Owens included in this story. I highly recommend reading this debut novel, you won’t regret it!!

This book gave me so much anxiety! I couldn't stand how Marissa's parents belittled and gaslit her. I was so eager to get to the part where she finally stood up to them.

I loved the way the characters used Spotify to communicate. Such a clever means of passing messages and very unique to this book. I enjoyed following all the clues Ethan was leaving that only Marissa would understand. Clearly my husband and I need more inside jokes, because if he tried to leave a trail like this I definitely wouldn't follow.

Marissa's character arc is the best part of the story. I mentally cheered for her when she finally escaped her parents and went to a hotel, and was crushed when they found her again. How suffocating!

I will say we could have used some more misdirection and red herrings--I'll go into this more on my blog to avoid spoilers here!

Overall a strong debut and I'm looking forward to seeing what else this author publishes.