Right away this book was such an intense read, it had me hooked all the way through with its building danger and twists,

I want to start by expressing my gratitude to @netgalley and @joffebooks for the opportunity to read “𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘏𝘦𝘳” by Adriane Leigh ahead of its publication on March 13th.

This is my first novel by Ms. Leigh and, truthfully, I selected it on a whim as it was marketed as a “gripping and unputdownable psychological thriller” on Goodreads - it’s literally in the book’s title on the platform. Unfortunately, for me, I found myself putting this one down 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 and not wanting to pick it back up again, viewing the task as somewhat of a chore at times.

This was due, in part, to the characters, all of whom I found very unlikable - with the exception of baby Laurent. While this may have been the point, and though I realized at the end that my view of Alexandre was warped by the main character’s view of him, it made it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the story and enjoy it.

While figuring out the big plot twist ahead of its unveiling doesn’t always impact my enjoyment of a book, in this case it did as I found myself disappointed. I guess I was waiting to be proven wrong and when that didn’t happen, I couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.

Overall, this one just didn’t work for me. If I had felt more connected to even one of the characters, maybe it would have been different.

I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. It was just 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺.

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Well I was not expecting that, it left me totally flabbergasted! Her husband is forever working so she hires a nanny to help but is she really there to help or hinder? A brilliant plotted and drawn drama that had me eagerly absorbing every word. I felt so much built up suspense building and it made me feel excited. The characters are well crafted and play their part well. The suprise twist at the end hit me hard and my jaw hit the ground!

When you are a mother with two young children and a husband working away the whole week, it can be very challenging. And then suddenly, out of the blue, the universe sends someone to help you out. Finally you will have some time for yourself whilst the au pair takes care of your little ones. 

You have to be careful who you let into your home though. Before you know it, your world is turned upside down.

This book gave me  sense of dread from the beginning. How is it possible you can almost conjure the right person at the right time. Smells fishy in my opinion.  Although this person seems perfect on the outside, they really have their own dark agenda. 

The dual perspective gives a voice to both mother and au pair, the first one growing more desperate and the second one more determined.

The intriguing story keeps you turning pages. Be ware, when you think you have seen the light, you haven't at all. The twist that is incorporated makes your head spin.

A gripping book that left me flabbergasted. 5 stars

Thank you

I usually love this author for the reason that the story is wild and crazy and the right side of too much. However, this one didn’t completely hit the mark for me. I really liked the idea of the plot, a split personality always hits. Maybe this is just because I am a mom but this was 80% someone saying they hate being a mom and all the horrible things that come with it and that was a little much. Indifferent about your kids while spilt into two different people, sure. Hating them the whole book then “realizing” you love them was not it. Anyways, still would read another by this author!

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Well, I did NOT see that coming... Unpredictable is putting it mildly.

Genevieve is living a dream, so it seems. She meets Adeline at the school drop off, and impulsively invites her to become her au pair, as she's overwhelmed and needs help - lots of it! She's in a super wealthy gated community in Palm Beach, living in a mansion with everything she could possibly desire including a handsome architect husband. Except her husband commutes to Miami for work, staying there during the week, and only home on the weekends. What Gen doesn't know is that Adeline and her husband, Alexandre, have a past.

Adeline observes such an odd dynamic immediately. And this develops into so much more than the same old storyline of the husband and au pair. While it did start slowly, stay with it. It's hard to say more without spoiling things!

Thanks to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Adriane Leigh for the eARC.

Pub Date Mar 13 2025 #DontTrustHer #NetGalley

Thank you Joffe and netgalley for the opportunity to read this for an honest review.
I found this book confusing at the second chapter. I think it was the French aspect throwing me off. The verbiage was hard to follow for me. I’ve really enjoyed Adriane Leigh’s books so far but this wasn’t for me. Won’t stop me from checking out the next book she has though.

My review is going to list this as a 3⭐ read, but my actual rating is more like a 2.5⭐. I am rounding up because the writing style is accessible and a good fit for a psychological thriller.

Genevieve is a wealthy overwhelmed Palm Beach mommy. When she bumps into Adeline at her daughter's school, she believes she's met the answer to alleviate the stressors in her life. Finding the perfect au pair just when you need her most; what are the odds?

Adeline is a woman with an agenda all her own. Her ultimate goal is to get closer to "the one that got away", how delicious is the idea of living right there in his pool house, caring for his children, biding time until she can push all the buttons to get a divorce in the works.

The character development is reasonably strong with the story being told through alternating POVs between these women. The tropes here have been done to death. I expect to have to suspend belief a little when I read a thriller to enjoy it, but here it was too big of an ask. There was a lot that didn't make much sense (I won't list to avoid spoilers). However, my main issue was the mental health rep came across as dated and verging on playing into stigma which is just not it. It gave me the ick several times.

The current rating on this ARC is 4.20 as I write this so perhaps, I'm an early outlier. I do think this will fit the bill for those who are major fans of the genre or those who haven't read many psychological thrillers. I found the reveals to be predictable, but I've read stacks of thrillers and can feel those movie of the week vibes rolling in from a distance. Despite the easy-to-read writing, there was nothing that reinvented the wheel here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the Advance Reading Copy for review. These are my unbiased opinions.

I really enjoyed this one it was full of suspense ans tension and I was kept guessing all the way through.

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. I absolutely loved this one! If you want suspense, this is it! I was on the edge of my seat and shocked at the twists and turns!

Don’t Trust Her is the first book I’ve read by Adriane Leigh. I will definitely be reading more of her books! I couldn’t stop reading this book! My jaw hit the floor when I realized the huge plot twist! There are some emotional parts in this book that were a little alarming. Please take notice of the trigger warnings if you are sensitive to certain topics! This was a really good book!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was amazing! I don’t recall reading anything else from this author, but I will definitely be checking out more of her books. I love the theme of a mom hiring an au pair and the au pair taking over her life. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

It took me some time to find the right words to describe how this book made me feel.
I was at about 60% when I texted a friend who I knew was reading this book also. I was saying I hope the big twist does not turn out to be XY. Because XY as the only real twist it is not fun. XY does not make it a thrilling read. XY makes it a DSM-5. Or maybe even DSM-6, whenever book 6 in the series is coming.
Oh, well, but I was right at my 60% mark. I wish I hadn’t been right.
It was a twisty and stellar 5-star read until my predictions of XY came true. From then on, it turned out to be a very, very depressing story – not a depression-inducing, but a depression-filled. It turned into a tale of pain, trauma, more pain, more trauma. It was not a tale of an unreliable narrator. It was a tale of a person who was hurt and broken beyond repair. There is no revenge. No bad guys get what’s coming for them. Only more pain is unearthed. More trauma.
I know Adriane Leigh can write wicked good revenge stories (think her Influencer trio). I know she can turn trauma and pain into a wicked FAFO story. This one is a story of FA, more FA, and then some extra FA, and the FO part never happens. This is still a solid 4-star read though. And I will still be reading anything and everything Adriane Leigh ever writes next. This was… not what I was expecting.
Mental illness as the only plot twist is not it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Don’t Trust Her starts with Genevieve, a wealthy mom of two who is harried and hires an au pair, Adeline, to help. It feels given this is a thriller that this will be the first mistake Genevieve will reflect on in seeing her marriage break down, but it becomes so much more. Sprinkled within the book are a mystery someone’s perspective as an escort and the mystery deepened as to how this plays into a story between Gen and Adeline. I did not see any of the twists and revelations coming across this subplot and the main, and I still don’t know if that has me feeling this is a great thriller or a bit cheated.

I’ll echo another reviewer that the mental health development has been done before and in a more sensitive and modern way, and while I really appreciate Adriane Leigh’s acknowledgements and recognition of mental health support, I can’t tell if it was a believable element of the book here or a cheap one. I’ll say one thing - I am deeply invested in Albertine’s (Gen’s daughter) future, which makes that ending much more dramatic than I expected.

Adriane Leigh’s Don’t Trust Her is a fast-paced and addictive thriller with a gripping plot full of twists. This novel masterfully blurs the line between truth and deception, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed the read!

That said, I would encourage readers to check the trigger warnings, as the book explores sensitive topics. I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s worth noting for those who may be affected.

Overall, I highly recommend Don’t Trust Her.

Another fantastic read, this book has your attention from the first chapter and keeps it until the end, even at that point you dont want it to finish. Loved it!!!

This was definitely more of a family drama than thriller which I usually prefer but I did really enjoy this. I think it was very well written and with such a sensitive subject (mental health) it was handled with care. I loved how I didn’t know who to believe or how it was going to end. Overall I really enjoyed this and will definitely be recommending this. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

Jesus. What did I just read. My mind is splitting in half. I'm in shock and awe of this whole story. So good. So perfect. I'm so obsessed. I hated the mom and the nanny and then it all made sense. Five million stars.

ARC review- 03/13/2025 pub date

This was a slow burn for about 75% of the book. I knew some sort of twist had to be coming but I absolutely did not see the ending coming. I feel like the first portion of the book could have been more engaging to hold my attention, but overall a solid read with a great twist at the end.

3.5🌟 rounded up

Thanks so much to NetGalley & Joffe Books for this advanced copy to review.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

This was my first Adriane Leigh book and I loved it! The premise caught me immediately and the story hooked me ASAP. The wealthy and all their "problems" will always be something I go for.

The two storylines were interesting and Gen was extremely unlikeable. The twist really shocked me - some readers don't like this trope but I thought it was executed perfectly and I haven't seen it too much so I was all for it. There were no obvious clues for me except one thinking back (the trip to Miami just didn't quite make sense to me, but now it does).

LOTS of triggers here so please check ahead of time.