Wow, wow, wow, wow, WOW! I loved this book. Like, you have no idea how much I enjoyed this. It had everything going for it. I don't remember the last time I laughed uncontrollably while reading. Don't get me wrong, I've read my fair share of funny books but there was something about Edie that just made me cackle like some crazed hyena anytime she said something witty. She was so fierce yet had her own realistic insecurities and I just want to shout at the rooftops at how good this book was!

Things I loved in this book:

Edie was plus sized with a take no prisoners attitude and didn't let anyone put her down about her weight.
Kylie Scott's ability to make a realistic portrayal of PTSD in both John and Edie.
Side characters were amazing, Anders and Hang were my favorite.
Sex positivity
Great female relationships built on mutual trust and empowerment.
A well written mature YA Book that didn't downplay adult issues that teens face.
How easy it was to fall in love with all the characters.
A very diverse cast of characters (A++)
The fact that John knew he was a bad influence and actively tried to be a better person.
Slow burn romance that all but snuck up on me and I loved it.

I don't think Kylie Scott could write a bad book if she tried and this book was just amazing. This one left me at times, speechless.
A story that starts with death and violence and morphs into a relationship that was deep and powerful. The plot and dialogue especially was so much more on a level that hit above a YA book, or perhaps a typical YA book. It addressed serious issues, John and Edie bonded together over a tragedy, the pondering of mortality at a young age. John turning his life around. Edie taking more risks.
The book flowed in the best way, a bit of backstory, their friends, the depth of caring these two had, they both had so much to overcome. There aren't enough good things to say about this book, it's a beautiful story that blossomed out of a tragedy.
I'd give it 10 stars. Kylie you are nothing short of amazing.

**arc from Netgalley and publisher in exchange for a fair review**

3.5/5 The main characters John and Edie make this story worth reading. They bond over tragic circumstances, being the two survivors of a robbery gone wrong. Edie changes high schools after the robbery and ends up attending the same school as John. The connection starts as a friendship, confiding things only what the other might understand but develops into much more. I liked seeing how their relationship changed along the way.

Kylie Scott is one of my go-to authors for characters that are real. "My chair was wonky," I said, surprised to find myself smiling and genuinely enjoying myself. "I've broken chairs before. There's a lot of joy weighing me down." I loved this. Edie is not a perfect size six, heiress that keeps landing in luck. In fact, she has shit luck, and that is what kept me drawn to the story. A fabulous read that is highly recommended.

I have read and enjoyed Kylie Scott's Dive Bar novels. This is by far my favorite! I couldn't put this book down, I wanted to read more about Edie and John. I loved the friends she cultivated in her new school and the peer and family support system that she ended up having. Genuinely I will be book talking this to older teens and lovers of new adult. I would love if there were a novel about Hang and Anders in the future.

Loved this book! Love Kylie Scott. Great flow and great story.

One night, a night seventeen-year-old Edie ran into the Drop Stop in her pajamas to pick up snacks while her friend Georgia waited in the car, was all it took to change Edie's life. Held hostage in a convenience store by a meth-head Edie witnesses two people get shot in front of her and forms an unlikely bond with John Cole, the guy who saves her life.

Suddenly nothing that bothered her before matters anymore. Having enough of the bullying at her private school Edie transfers to the local high school where she once again crosses paths with John. But while Edie is taking risks and not caring about the consequences John, a former drug dealer, is trying to put his life in order and make something of himself.

As Edie and John become friends and for the first time in her life Edie starts becoming comfortable in her own skin, making friends who truly accept her, and not caring what other people think of her something unexpected begins to happen - Edie begins falling for John.

But is it possible that a guy like John could be interested in Edie? What will happen when John helps her lose her virginity? Will it bring them closer together? Or tear them apart? Can two people from two completely different worlds really make a go of it? Or will life tear them apart?

I love Kylie Scott's books and her indie YA debut was flipping amazing! The story blew me away and I absolutely could not put it down! The tone was a little more serious and a little darker than Kylie Scott's other books but that's what made it even more fantastic in my opinion. Where other authors sometimes falter when diverting from their usual genre/age group/writing style this book absolutely flourished.

I fell in love with Edie, and to be honest, how she was treated at her first school was like looking in a mirror to my junior high days. Being a plus size girl that was often picked on by cruel girls at school I almost feel like I lived that part of her story. I loved how after the situation at the convenience store Edie gets stronger, not allowing anyone to push her around anymore.

John is probably my favorite book boyfriend this year and I loved how he and Edie interacted. The build up of John and Edie's relationship was paced well, and when they went back to John's uncle's house on the night Edie lost her virginity I was practically jumping up and down with anticipation.

I also love that Kylie Scott's books are always filled with just the right amount of humor and I loved Hang and Anders in this book. They were perfect secondary characters and Edie and Hang's drunken texting scene had me literally laughing out loud.

Overall, I am so in love with the book! I couldn't stop reading, not allowing myself to stop until I got to the end. I highly recommend this book to fans of New Adult and YA books because it's the best of both worlds. Trust is a book you won't want to miss!

❝Terror and angst and all their friends were just waiting to party hard in my head.❞

Where has this side of Kylie Scott been? I have read and enjoyed many of her other books, they were funny with a small side of angst. But 'Trust' is such a departure from the others I’ve read. This was angst with a small side of humor.

❝It’s a strange thing, though, coming face to face with your own mortality. If someone your own age could die, then what’s saving you?❞

Edie and John met when fate threw them in front of a drug addict’s gun. Both kick into survival mode. But it was John who ultimately saved Edie’s life. This kind of trauma never leaves anyone the same. Edie struggled to find meaning in life. Nothing seemed the same anymore, nothing seemed to matter. What had she missed by playing it safe and being the good girl? John struggled with guilt from that night. As well, he realized how he had been living was leading him down a dead end road. He stopped selling drugs, started studying and going to class. He wanted more. In each other, they found a common bond and healing. What started out as a friendship based on tragedy turns into a relationship filled with firsts and love.

I loved this story! I indulged in the despair, I reveled in the angst and relished in the happiness. A great change of pace from author Kylie Scott, 'Trust' is a must read!

A full on coming of age drama following a group of nearly 18 year old high school students as they try to navigate life, love, trust, friendship and all the pressures that go with being in high school. Edie is a grade A student who goes to a private all girls school with her best friend for life, she's a little bit on the chubby side and is bullied by the popular 'it' girl, it's been happening for a long time, she just accepts it. Then one fateful night, being a survivor during a convenience store robbery gone drastically wrong, her whole perspective on life changes. Her best friend sells her out and she decides that no one will push her around any more. Standing up for herself she changes schools and becomes fast friends with the one person who knows how it feels to have a brush with death and she makes some life changing decisions. He's the only person she trusts (for now). Following that fateful night, John Cole decides he's through with dealing drugs and he's going to change his future for the better. Between them John and Edie battle the forces against them, together they are stronger, even though so many people don't make it easy for them. Beautifully written with strong characters and all the angst that goes with being a teenager, some fun stories with their friends and family on the side and the chemistry between John and Edie is just perfect. Edie's little idiosyncrasies were so funny. I was hooked, literally from the beginning. The drama starts on the first page and it's pretty much full on for the entire book, I only stopped to eat and drink, oh, and to have the occasional obligatory conversation with the family. Another winner from Kylie Scott. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review will be in my blog, closer to release date.
If you have ever read Kylie Scott's Stage Dive series, you may be in for a little surprise. Trust is very different from the Stage Dive series, but in a very heartbreaking, wonderful way. The story starts with Edie, who goes out with a friend to a convenience store for a midnight snack. Little does she know that this action will alter her life for ever, because while leaving the store, she gets knocked down by a robber. And from there, it all goes downhill. The robber shoots the cashier and in an attempt to get out safely he uses Edie as a shield, forcing his gun down her throat.
And that's before we even reach page twenty... Next character to enter the story is John. Being held at the same convenience store, he tries to reason with the robber and get some of the hostages (including Edie) out of his grasp. When the opportunity occurs, John tackles the robber and saves Edie. But then the police barges in and Edie sees John being forced into a police car. Although Edie swears John was trying to save everyone, he is taken into the station, since he is a known drugsdealer.
After Edie is released from the hospital, she has a lot of difficulties to adjust to the 'normal' life again. Her spoiled little rich girl image is haunting her, while John is struggling to get out of the drugs scene, where his brother had pulled him in. Both are unable to talk about their issues, so an unlikely band forms between Bad Guy John and Spoiled Little Rich Girl Edie. But where John is trying to shrug of his bad past, Edie is trying all kinds of 'my firsts' on the bad side of the law. Can they both find a way to work it out?
Especially, when John helps Edie with her first time... with a boy. Oh boy, what now?
When John's past is catching up with him, he has more to lose than another of Edie's first times...

Thrilling, heartbreaking and wonderful written. What a treat! Thank you Netgalley for providing this arc in exchange of an honest review. Five out of five stars from me.

Trust by Kylie Scott was an absolutely amazing read! When I read that it was YA I wasn't quite sure what to think. Even though it is labeled as such, Scott definitely pushes the boundaries on the genre and doesn't hold back from the edge. Trust is a cliff I'd willingly jump from. It's angsty. It's nerve wracking. It is beautiful. It's sweet. It's swoony. Sigh. It really is just a great read.

The banter in this book is some of the best I've read in a long time. The relationships that Edie builds with some of the side characters feel so deep and strong even though they aren't the main plot. So well written. I absolutely ADORED Edie, the heroine. So glad this story is told in her POV. She was stronger than I could ever be. I loved that even though big things happen in this book, she's still a teenage girl. So many moments were placed throughout the story reminding the reader of that.

John, the hero, was EVERYTHING. Agh. So good. At times I was swooning for him. There were times I was scared of him. There were times I was angry at him. At times I was crying for him. Then, I was swooning again. I was laughing. I was swooning. I was crying. I was laughing some more. All of the feelings in this book pour out from the page and you honestly FEEL them!

Highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys an angsty MATURE YA romance. With intimate moments, funny and quick banter, and that relatable teenager becoming an adult time in your life. Even a bit of suspense. I was legit biting my nails at some points! That being said, this book is heavy at times and could be considered a trigger(violence) for some, but I definitely think reading this book is worth the risk.

I flew thru this book. It was quite interesting from beginning to end.

This book started off kind of slow for me and seemed to lack some cohesiveness at times. I felt like the robbery at the beginning was kind of choppy, which made it difficult to picture in my mind. I do think that John and Edie had good chemistry and enjoyed reading about how a traumatic event could help bring them together and that they had each other to lean on to help in moving forward. Edie was a spitfire who in the face of tragedy, used the experience to make herself stronger and less tolerant of people treating her poorly. I enjoyed reading about John's character and his desire to re-evaluate his life choices following the robbery. I liked the scenes featuring John and Edie's interaction with each other, and John's desire to protect Edie, but overall, this story lacked a certain something for me.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's been awhile since I had read a YA book....but I've been waiting for this book since I first heard about it. Hello, it's Kylie Scott!! I am a very proud Kylie Scott Groupie and all that implies. I was biting at the nails when I got the email I could do a cover reveal on my blog - so the second I got the email I was approved for an ARC, I was over the moon...and it did not disappoint!
The tragic scenes were intense, the young love scenes were innocent, the school bullying was very real (tragically)...and finding your way through all of it was fantastic. I want more. I've become so enthralled in these characters. My only disappointment is that I greedily want to know what else happens even if it's the simplest minute detail of these characters lives, this world, all of it.

Edie, is my spirit inner child, I never highlight my books (ebooks) and yet I did this part - It's not a spoiler just a fantastic truth in writing and life: "So my thighs were thick and my belly bulged. So what. I was alive and allowed to take up space. "Fuck being unhappy," I said." I love this character. How she thinks, her sarcasm, naivety, the changes she goes through are so spot on it's hard to remember at times that this fiction and not based on real events and people.

John, the good guy with a troubled past, so much love for this character! The guys that are bad boys who grow up to be good men are the best!

As a grown adult I loved it...and want more. Is that strange to want to read more YA fiction as an adult? Ha. Even so, as Kylie's first Indie published novel she knocked it out of the park...and if she ever visits this world again you bet I'll rush out and pick up a copy!

OMG this book is AMAZING!!!
As a reader i'm still pretty new to reading YA/NA books, after a lifetime of passing them over and of thinking that I was too old to read them or that they just wouldn't live up to a modern contemporary, this book is enough proof of why I have been so very wrong to avoid reading them. Recently I decided I needed to broaden what I read as things were becoming a little "same old thing" and I realised that stories like this id have missed out on all this time.
Trust is a story about two people coming together in a time of need that wouldn't normally have happened without the circumstance that is thrust upon them, they find themselves being drawn together as they learn to cope with the aftermath of the tragedy and trauma that they lived through during a robbery at gunpoint at a convenience store.
John Cole is a great character, he is the handsome bad boy who used to be the school drug dealer and he just happens to be one of the popular guys that all the girls want to be with. He finds himself bonding with Edie after the robbery and becomes her protector as she is the only one that can help him deal with what they both went through.
Edie's character I really liked and could really connect to her. She is the overweight insecure girl that has been bullied all her life at school and so she decides that after her life threatening experience she doesn't care anymore and goes a little wild and starts getting into trouble. John and Edie through their friendship become one anothers saviour as they learn to trust in each other and help each other to heal the hidden scars that they both carry.
This story was both hard hitting and gritty and it felt like it could all have been real. It's full of teenage drama and life experiences that could only have happened in your worst nightmares. It's about forming friendships as well as ending one's that you thought were unbreakable and would never end, and it's also about learning to never judge someone for who the were not who they can become. This was a fast paced gripping read for me that gave me thrills and chills along the way, it truly deserves every one of it's 5 stars!

loved this book

I really like Kylie's writing style and she definitely didn't disappoint with Trust. Although this is a step away from her usual, I was highly impressed and hope that she decides to write more YA. I would definitely recommend Trust, it's got a great underlying lesson and I really enjoyed the characters in the story as well. This was a 4.5 for me!

John, such a simple name for a non simple character. It was perfect. I absolutely loved this character!!!! I wish his POV had been included at times. When did he begin to fall??? I guess we each get to decide on our own.

Anders was a great side character. So much fun!! With the serious personalities of John and Edie, Anders added the perfect amount of comedy.

Then we have Edie, I'm not sure what to say about her. I liked that she didn't cower. She never did the "whoa is me".

The epilogue. Talk about a weak ending!!!!! Redo needed!!!!! At least fast forward to after graduation.

An easy, gritty read that gave you a whirlwind of emotions. The ending was pretty abrupt but else wise I enjoyed the story.

From the very first time I read the teaser about Trust by Kylie Scott I couldn't wait to get my fingers on this novel. It sounded so UNIQUE and it started with such a BANG that I was already sitting on the edge of my seat by then.

Kylie Scott has been one of my trusted authors, but finding out that she was releasing a YA novel was something I didn't expect and it made me CURIOUS!!!

Getting my fingers on an ARC made my day. And clearly I couldn't wait another day before reading it. I'm writing this review almost TWO MONTH in advance. There was no way I had this puppy on my kindle and wouldn't read it. NO WAY!!!\

So let's get to the gist of it.......

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

It had everything I liked in a YA book and so much more.

It started with a BANG and from there on out it was a rollercoaster ride. Emotionally grabbing, poignant, and utterly unique. I was engrossed in Edie and John's journey. More than that, I was neck deep in feelings, battling butterflies, and rooting for a happy ending.

One of the thoughts that came up again and again, was how RIGHT this book felt.

There was no rush, no skipping or jumping along in the storytelling. The plot and pace was superbly done. Everything in this book felt authentic and realistic. From the attraction to the couple coming together. Both Edie and John had a solid understanding of who they were, what they wanted without the major drama, back and forth, and misunderstandings that ruin entire books.

And I honestly think Kylie Scott outdid herself by creating Edie and John. Edie was a girl I could relate to. She had insecurities, but was strong and walked to her own beat. Smart, strong, loyal and mature for her age. Her transformation after the shooting was understandable and thought provoking. That girl had me turning pages like a maniac. John on the other hand was my knight in shining armor with a few dents and bruises. I loved that guy!!!! He surprised me the most and that made me fall even harder for him.

TRUST was the opposite of what I thought it would be. And because of that it stood out from all the other YA novels and many of the contemporary romance novels as well. Not only was TRUST so much more than a regular YA novel. It was as close to realistic as any YA book has ever come to. It was heart-poundingly real!!

For me the characters were the driving force. They carried the book. Edie and John were uniquely different, authentic and incredibly easy to fall in love with. There was NOTHING I would have changed about this book. It's PERFECT the way it is.

And if you know me at all, you have realized that I don't give out 5 stars willy nilly. I have MAYBE a handful of 5 star reviews each year and TRUST wrestled one out of my hands without me realizing it. At the beginning of writing this review I thought it would be a 4.75 stars, but the more I got into the review I realized - NO this novel deserved the full 5 stars. It was that GOOD!!!



this review is going to be live on July 1st. I will update links at that point.