This first 50% of this book has a really unique premise and is very enjoyable. I liked where I thought the story was going, enjoyed the level of suspense, and felt intrigued by each character. The dual perspective story held my attention nicely as well. However, the second half of the book felt completely disjointed and absurdly unrealistic. I really didn’t like the sharp turn the story took. I had predicted the basics of the ending (Michael and Amanda), but the way the author got us there was just so out of left field and could’ve been done in a much more developed way.

I think I read this one in two days or so, which is quick for me. It's a fast-paced read, with short chapters that keep you saying "just one more." I thought the two main characters, Summer and Leo, were really interesting. I loved their friendship and found them to be sympathetic characters even though they are flawed.

I did find the story to be fairly predictable, and some of the characters' motivations were odd, but I still enjoyed the story and think it's a great book to check out this summer.

Check this one out if you like:
▪️Multiple timelines
▪️A sister-like bond
▪️Morally gray females
▪️Locked room/isolation thrillers
▪️Binge reads

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to review this book. I am appreciative and leave my sincerity review voluntarily.

I thought I would dislike this book when I began reading it, because watching the gals scam people didn't sit well with my soul. However, there are some grifts that are worse than others, obviously, so I read on to see if those worse grifters would get their comeuppance and if so, how. I won't spoil how everything turns out, but as it turns out, I did enjoy the ride.

This was an exciting read! I loved the way the story was told through a timeline and switching POV of the main characters. Some parts were a little predictable, but I was actually pleasantly surprised at how all it all came together with a lot of twists! Definitely recommend this one!

Summer and Leo are chosen family. Two women who have found one another completely by accident but now would do almost anything for each other. They survive by running scams, stealing wallets, and so on. As con women and grifters, they are struggling to get by. When Leo finds a new billionaire target who seems to reciprocate her interest, it seems that their luck may be changing. But when Leo goes off with him, things definitely don't go as planned. Soon Summer is searching for her friend and is fearful something bad has happened to her.

This book was clever and twisty. I enjoyed the flow and the few surprises the author threw in. Unfortunately, for me, it didn't finish as strong as I hoped. The end of the book felt rushed and a little implausible. For the majority of the book up until that point, I was pretty hooked on the storyline so it was a shame that it felt a little short for me at the end. Overall, this was still a strong read and I'd recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I absolutely adored this book. Such a great summer read. Beachy vibes, but a little bit of mystery - my kinda beach read! Don’t miss out! Thanks Netgalley for the eARC!

Thelma and Louise for modern times; the story follows Leo and Summer as they survive by theft and their wits. They live a highly unconventional off the grid life and do what they must to make ends meet, usually by being pickpockets to unsuspecting and sometimes horrible men. But things are looking up with the prospect of bagging a billionaire, but things can be too good to be true and this one might cost them everything. Very good thriller.

You Can Trust Me is a story of two friends, Summer and Leo, who are used to doing whatever they have to do to get by and meet their needs — They both have rough pasts and now live a nomadic lifestyle, roaming California, pickpocketing wealthy men and conning their way to more.

When Leo meets Michael Forrester, a tech billionaire and philanthropist, she’s determined to make this her biggest success yet. Michael invites her to a private island for his company’s exclusive investor weekend and she gladly accepts. Summer finds her own way there too, but when she arrives, she can’t find Leo and begins to worry. The vibe is very secretive, there’s limited cell service, and Summer suspects things aren’t actually as they seem.

I did enjoy this story, especially the first half as the scene was set and the tension began to build, but I felt the story became too over-the-top and far-fetched as the ending got closer and plot details were revealed. I’m into fictional drama, but I have a threshold and this detracted from my total enjoyment. Still, You Can Trust Me was an easy book to spend a couple summer afternoons reading, especially with its CA and island settings — 3.5 stars

Book Summary:

What would you give up for the freedom you've always craved? What would you give up if it meant you could run away from your past? That is a question Summer, and Leo are all too happy to answer. They're traveling the open road, living out of nothing but a Land Cruiser. It's not perfect, but it's liberating.

Unfortunately, running from your past doesn't do all that much. Not if you can't change who you are. It isn't long before Leo finds himself in over his head. Then he goes missing. Now Summer has to find out what happened and why.

My Review:

If you're looking for a summer beach read with twisted threads and long cons, this book is for you! In truth, You Can Trust Me ended up not being the book I expected, but it worked out in my favor!

A good chunk of You Can Trust Me falls under the "slow burn" category. But like many thrillers, things fall into place once the ball gets rolling (or out of place, depending on how you want to look at it).

I wish more of the characters and their backstories were fleshed out. Not Summer and Leo – they had enough detail to feel real. But it made the rest of the world they interacted with feel just a touch shallow in comparison.

Highlights:
Mystery/Thriller
Slow Burn

I’m a fan of con artist tropes! This was great suspenseful thriller! Even though I guessed the twist halfway through I still enjoyed the writing, it kept me wanting to read more and hard to put down. I loved the short chapters and the character development was great. The two main characters Summer and Leo are some badass-independent-women. I enjoyed their learning about their journeys. Overall it was a great read and I would recommend!

This was a fun one. It took a minute to get going, and I can't say the twist was a surprise, but I was eager to keep reading all the way through. An underdog story, some rich folks gaslighting, and a Criminal Minds-esque plot make for a solid thriller in my book.

4 stars!

"You Can Trust Me" by Wendy Heard exceeded my expectations! I could not stop reading this book and refused to put it down until I was finished with it. From the very first chapter, I was transfixed with main characters. Best friends and brilliant con artists Summer and Leo have two dual stories slowly revealing what happens when Leo goes missing. Summer winds up on a secluded, private island owned by a billionaire looking for her. Their dual perspectives unravel two mysteries wrapped up in one story. There is obviously more going on than what is on the page, and that was enough to keep me guessing until the book finished. Author Wendy Heard lets the story simmer as a claustrophobic slow-burn until it all comes to a head in the last few chapters of the book. I found this to be a binge-worthy summer mystery you won't want to miss!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wendy Heard, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Bantam for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for my review.

You Can Trust Me tells the story of two con artist friends who have become sisters, due to their individual circumstances of family estrangement. Summer, who grew up pickpocketing with her vagabond mother, takes Leo under her wing to help get her a little money as she is living on the streets. The story alternates from the girls’ pasts to present day where they are scheming and trying to land a billionaire target. The author creates characters with rich backgrounds that the reader can connect to, thanks to the detailed backstory of each girl. When Leo hits it off with self-made billionaire and philanthropist Michael, he invites her to his private island off the coast. Envisioning the riches that can be stolen from the estate, Leo agrees and in turn, disappears. Summer is left to investigate what happened to her friend and infiltrate the island in her own way. When she makes it there, nothing is as it seemed. The story is fast-paced and left me wanting to find out what was happening on the island and if/how Summer would find Leo. There were a lot of twists and moments that the reader would not be able to see coming, and at the same time it was very much a case of needing to suspend reality while reading.
While the unbelievable moments in this story are plenty, it still left me immersed.l in the overall story and excited to get to the end.

I literally couldn’t put this book down from the moment I picked it up. Two best friends. Con women. Looking for their next mark. A rich billionaire. Except things do not turn out exactly as they thought it would and everything proves to be a challenge. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is what I call a summer thriller. Summer and Leo are both con artists but you can't help but root for them when they land on the island of an evil man of wealth. There were a few loose ends by the conclusion, but they are easy to overlook. I would be happy to see a sequel to this one. I am recommending to my readers who want a mild thriller for their pool/beach bag. This is my first book by Wendy Heard and it will not be my last.

As thrillers go, this one was ok for me. The plot was tight and suspenseful, but I figured out the twists early on and found myself a little distracted from the story.

I never turn down a con artist story, especially if they’re about women and this was so fun. I blew through this book but ultimately there was such a small detail that I couldn't get past (involving bread if you've read this lol). I don't know why but it enraged me so much so it knocked this down a bit for me. Either way, this had some excellent twists and kept me interested the whole time. The audiobook apparently has a full cast for those who enjoy that!

I requested this book on Netgalley since it reminded me of the tv show Leverage. Summer and Leo are best friends that travel around California in Summer's Land Cruiser. Unfortunately, even free spirits have bills to pay. Summer is a skilled pickpocket. Leo is a small-time thief. The two con artists are eager for a big score and Leo has marked Michael Forrester, a self-made billionaire and philanthropist as her prey. Michael succumbs to Leo's charms and invites her to his private island for the weekend. Summer doesn't hear from Leo the following day after her date with Michael: so she comes up with a way to get to Michael's island to find Leo. With no way on or off the island until after the weekend. Summer and Leo may have been outmatched by Michael. in their con to collect riches from his guest.

Hey there! Have you ever read a book and found yourself thinking that maybe if you read it at a different time, you might have a different opinion on it? That's exactly how I felt when reading this particular book. Although I struggled to get through it, I don't think it's necessarily a bad book - it just didn't resonate with me at the time. I would still recommend giving it a read and forming your own opinion on it. Let me know what you think!

Riveting mystery!

32yo Summer and 22yo Leo are con artists and thieves who prey on rich people and they’re very good at it. Summer comes from a hippie lifestyle and her mom never gave her a last name and she doesn’t have a clue who her father is or where her mom has been for the last fifteen years after she left so Summer could “spread her wings”. Leo left her desolate family after her sister died because everyone was so depressed and when her parents looked at her they became sad all over again because Leo looks so much like her deceased sister Amber. When Leo doesn’t keep in contact with Summer for a day, she assumes Leo is missing. She’s determined to find her and make sure she’s alright but when the guy Leo was with denies being with her still, Summer worries that the worst has happened. Riveting mystery! 5 stars!

Likes/dislikes: The story kept my attention and I didn’t want to put it down. I liked learning the backstory of Summer and Leo and the mystery was nicely intertwined. I don't appreciate the book being promoted as young adult because it is written for adults as the characters are full-fledged adults.
Language: R for 100 swears and 24 f-words.
Mature content: R for somewhat detailed sex and gaslighting.
Violence: PG-13 for strangulation and shooting.
Ethnicity: White and olive skin main characters and mixed races present in side characters.