This book pulled me in right from the start. Leo and Summer are grifters who live out of Summer's truck and steal their way through life. When Leo goes after her latest mark she ends up on a on his private island fighting for her life. What starts out as a passionate idyllic affair turns into a situation which Leo is on unsure footing. Because of the tight bond between the girls Summer finds a way to the island to look for her friend. This book is fast paced, has a few twists and turns, though I figured out the end before it came, it was still a satisfying and fun read.

SUPER fun twisty thriller! Fast-paced - which enticed me to keep reading to see how it would all resolve. Love the characters of Summer and Leo.

"Summer and Leo would do anything for each other. Inspired by the way each has had to carve her place in a hostile and unforgiving world, and united by the call of the open road, they travel around sunny California in Summer's tricked-out Land Cruiser. It's not a glamorous life, but it gives them the freedom they crave from the painful pasts they've left behind. But even free spirits have bills to pay. Luckily, Summer is a skilled pickpocket, a small-time thief, and a con artist--and Leo, determined to pay her own way, has learned a trick or two.

Eager for a big score, Leo catches in her crosshairs Michael Forrester, a self-made billionaire and philanthropist. When her charm wins him over, Leo is rewarded with an invitation to his private island off the California coastline for a night of fabulous excess. She eagerly anticipates returning with photos that can be sold to the paparazzi, jewelry that can be liquidated, and endless stories to share with Summer.

Instead, Leo disappears.

On her own for the first time in years, Summer decides to infiltrate Michael's island and find out what really happened. But when she arrives, no one has seen Leo--she's not on the island as far as they know. Plus, there was only one way on the island--and no way off--for the coming days. Trapped in a scheme she helped initiate, could Summer have met her match?"

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the free ARC (even though I didn't finish it before publication) in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

3.5 Stars

Summer is a free spirit, born and raised on the streets, making a living by unscrupulous means. She meets Leo and finds the sister she never had. They become a team. But have they met their match when Leo focuses on a certain billionaire.

Such a different type of story and lead characters. Quick paced and full of action till 3/4 of the way thru, then it became a little stagnant and predictable for me. But, it was nice to see Summer evolve, her nurturing side come out and how Heard allowed her to grow. The bond between the two was well defined.

Thanks to Random House Publishing/Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Oh Boy! Heard smashes all expectations with her new adult book.

I was so impressed by this story that I'm super hesitant to mention anything that might ruin the experience for others.

Just go out and buy it already.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

You Can Trust Me is a high-stakes, hot-weather thriller with a lavishly described SoCal background and a pair of protagonists to fall in love with. Summer and Leo, two con women each adrift in their lives for different reasons, have found sisterhood in one another, and that close friendship drives both the dramatic plot and the emotional heart of the story. They go together like peanut butter and jelly, but are different and developed enough as characters to make switching between their POVs clear and distinct. I did think one of the more dramatic revelations was telegraphed too broadly, too early, so it felt more frustrating watching the characters fail to get a clue than exciting when they finally did. But the blend of LA glamor, isolated/trapped thriller vibes, eat-the-rich scams, life-or-death chases and, most of all, the deep, genuine friendship between Summer and Leo make this a delight to read, whether by the pool or on the beach of your own private island.

Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy.

This was a quick and fast read. The concept of Summer and Leo being con artists sounded like a fun premise. However, I felt the characters weren’t well-developed. Also some of the twists weren’t surprising.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

"You Can Trust Me", by Wendy Heard was such a great book! I can definitely see this book becoming a movie one day. Not only was it a great thriller, but it also have me second guessing myself about the outcome of the story. It was also a breath of fresh air to read something a little different and not the same thriller/crime book sequence that most books seem to follow now.

I actually really enjoyed this book! I went into this one blind and I am so glad I did! It was a quick, bingeable read and it kept me guessing and intrigued the whole way through.

I really liked the friendship between Summer and Leo and the flashbacks in the book that provided a glimpse into their pasts. I definitely recommend this as a quick, summer thriller!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Thank you so much Netgalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#YouCanTrustMe:⁣
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Thank you @randomhouse and @prhaudio for my gifted copy! [partner]⁣
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“He’s completely charmed by her, and I get it. I’m charmed by her, too. I don’t know how I lived without her. She’s walking sunshine, a fire I can warm my hands in front of.”⁣
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You Can Trust Me was a miss for me, and that’s ok. I know so many people loved it, and it’s definitely a great poolside read. ⁣
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What I Liked: I really enjoyed the dual POV. We got to know each girl individually, and then as a friendship unit. I really liked their friendship aspect and the way they would do anything for their friend. The audio flowed really well, and if you do end up with audio, you won’t be disappointed.⁣
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What I Didn’t Like: Here’s the thing. If you are a lifelong grifter or someone that consistently runs cons on people you know red flags because you ARE the red flag. When a situation throws red flags, you run like hell in the other direction because you know there will always be another score to win. For them to just hiphop to a remote island with no cell service and didn’t even blink twice made me question how they survived the past years as a con. ⁣
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Overall, this was a miss for me, but I know many of you will have this in your beach bag for the next few months! Out now.

This was. a quick, fast-paced read with great characters, and I loved it. I was so engaged, I read it straight through in one setting. It being a little predictable did not deter the enjoyment I got from the extraordinary characters. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books for an advanced reader copy.

This book was great! It started amazing and had me hooked the entire time! It reminded me of a Robyn Harding book (YAY!).

I really found both summer and Leo very like-able. And trustworthy!

Thank you for the advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

Summer and Leo are two grifters, who form a close bond - with Summer looking out for and feeling responsible for Leo. Surviving on the proceeds from crimes of pick pocketing and conning older wealthy men, they live out of Summer's vehicle, a stolen Land Cruiser, endlessly traveling up and down the California coastline.

When Leo hatches a plan to snag a billionaire for the weekend, she anticipates being able to bilk him out of gifts she can later sell and secrets.. yes, you guessed it, that can also be sold. What she doesn't bank on is that he wealthy older billionaire has dark secrets he won't reveal at any price...

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It would make the perfect vacation read. I do feel however that the first half of the book was more enjoyable than the second. I really enjoyed mysteries and psychological suspense, so the initial slow burn drew me in but the second half felt like too much action. There was a lot going on and I felt it challenging at times to picture the scene as I was reading it.

This book revolves around two grifters, Summer and Leo. They have dark pasts. Their favorite pastime is stealing from the ultra-wealthy. Leo targets a billionaire, and he invites her to visit his private island. They have finally met their match. I found this book to be intriguing and at times, farfetched. All in all, the writing was good and I found it to be entertaining.

This was a fun, quick read, especially if you're into thrillers, con artists, eat the rich mentality, and free-spirited characters. Summer and Leo are a refreshing duo to read about, as it's been a while since I've read anything that had a sisterly/found family dynamic between two women with a bit of an age gap (rather than just turning it into a romance novel). So high marks for being entertaining and being quite easy to get through - amazing pacing and enough twists and turns that made me want to keep reading.

However, it's definitely a very average book in the sense of plot. Leo and Summer are both characters that I feel I could have liked more had they been a little bit more developed (which is hard to do in a standalone book). Summer is an easier character to like, which makes sense seeing as she is more of a "main character" in comparison to Leo, but also because Leo is kind of an idiot. Going off with a billionaire you JUST MET to his private island?? That's just ASKING to be kidnapped.

The "plot twist" surrounding Leo seemed a little far-fetched, but did make for an interesting if a little bit hilarious read. It's worth your time to read if just for a nice palette cleanser.

ᴛʜɪs ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙʀᴇᴀᴋᴇʀs, ʙᴜᴛ sᴛᴀʀʀɪɴɢ ᴛᴡᴏ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ. ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴍɪxᴇᴅ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ. ғɪɴᴅɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄʜᴏsᴇɴ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ ɪs ᴀ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴅᴇᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ’s ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴅᴏɴᴇ. ɪ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ʙᴏᴛʜ ʟᴇᴏ ᴀɴᴅ sᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ’s ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴛʜs ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɢᴏ ғᴏʀ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ. ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴀɪᴅ, ɪ ғᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴀs ᴀɴ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴅɪʙʟʏ sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ. ɪ ғᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ᴘʀᴇᴅɪᴄᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ 𝟸𝟶% ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ɪᴛ ᴀʟsᴏ ғᴇʟᴛ ᴜɴғɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ. ɪғ sʜᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇɴᴅs ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴀ sᴇǫᴜᴇʟ ᴛʜᴇɴ ɪᴛ ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴊᴜsᴛ ғɪɴᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪғ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴀ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ - ɪ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀs ɪ ᴡᴀs ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ.

I really enjoyed this story of two young women trying to charm and grift their way through life. It had similar themes to The Guest by Emma Kline.

While The Guest is Hamptons-set, You Can Trust Me as a lazy, hazy L.A. vibe. In You Can Trust Me, the girls' friendship was a wonderful added element. The fact that one of them goes missing gave the book a needed focus and suspense.

I'm a fan of Wendy Heard's YA books and was excited to try this. She does such a good job writing about the perspective of young women, and I look forward to her next book!

You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard
Published: June 13, 2023
Bantam
Pages: 292
Genre: Women’s Psychological Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Wendy Heard is the author of acclaimed suspense and thrillers for adults and teens. Wendy has spent most of her life in Los Angeles, California, which is on fire more than she would honestly prefer, and can often be found haunting local hiking trails and bookstores. She loves all things vintage and has a collection of thrillers and adventure books from the 80s.

“And that is how it’s done.”

Summer has lived her life not knowing where her roots are from. Her mother believed they were nomads, and they traveled around. Leo ran away because she felt responsible for something terrible. She was searching for something, anything, that would make her feel connected.

This was an interesting book. I found the bond between Summer and Leo was well represented, and their connection was realistic.

Summer was a tough character. She had been through so much, and living her life as a shadow was starting to wear on her. Leo was eager to learn and please. She wanted to have fun and do exciting things.

The way this was told was clever. The alternating narrators and timelines helped move the plot along, and how things came together was very well done.

This was an intense, fast-paced thriller with a twist that will shock you.

This is definitely the perfect summer read! Read it on a plane, read it at the beach, read it past your bedtime because you just have to know what happens. I am a big fan of Wendy and I knew I would love her latest book. As soon as I got to the part where you realize that Summer is totally off the grid, doesn't even know her last name or have a social security number or anything, my mind exploded with the possibilities of where this story should go. My mind also exploded when you realize how parts of the story tie together. I was also very surprised at the ending! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bantam for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Summer and Leo are grifters living in LA. Summer is a pickpocket, while Leo tends to go for the long con. She has identified a new mark in billionaire Michael Forrester. After charming him into inviting her to his private island, Leo disappears. Afraid that something is wrong, Summer goes looking for her.

This book was fun! Summer and Leo are sisters from other misters. Their lives are unconventional, but they care for and protect each other fiercely. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

Summer and Leo are best friends and skilled con women who have figured out how to make it on their own and rely on no one but each other. They also have rules they use to be sure they are safe. So when Leo spends the night with her new mark - a billionaire named Michael - and doesn’t text or come home the next day, Summer is worried.

Summer learns they may have gone to Michael’s private island and manages to get her own invitation there for the weekend with one of his coworkers. Once there, Summer is determined to find out what happened to Leo.

This was a quick read but I also think it’s one I will quickly forget. There weren’t really any twists or surprises so I don’t think it will stick with me but it could work for an afternoon on the beach or by the pool when you want something that doesn’t take a lot of attention. Thank you to Bantam Books, Netgalley and PRH Audio for the free copies to review.