Blind Trust is a book I personally found quite hard going as a reader because I just didn't connect with the main character at all. But as reading is very subjective I understand that while it was something I didn't connect with, Blind Trust due to it's themes and original plot is a book that many other readers will enjoy.

"Blind Trust," by Michael W. Sherer, is a gripping young adult thriller, constituting the third installment in the Tess Barrett series. Tess, a young woman who lost her parents and sight in a tragic accident, finds herself targeted in multiple assassination attempts as the heiress to a multibillion-dollar corporation. Under the guardianship of her uncle Travis, who also leads the company, Tess navigates through perilous situations, including a thwarted attack at her school's homecoming dance. Determined to uncover the identity of her assailants, Tess teams up with Derek, a brilliant hacker, and her devoted assistant Oliver. Their investigation leads them to a powerful figure in Washington, Senator Latham, raising suspicions of his involvement.

The author adeptly crafts Tess Barrett as a relatable protagonist, avoiding the trap of idealizing her character. Instead, Tess emerges as a resilient young woman whose struggles resonate with readers. As the intricate web of conspiracy surrounding Tess and her family's company unravels, her courage and determination are put to the test.

"Blind Trust" captivates from start to finish, boasting a flawless narrative and compelling character dynamics. The adept storytelling keeps readers on the edge of their seats, seamlessly blending suspense and action. A must read for fans of mystery thrillers!

Many things to NetGalley, Baker Publishing Group and Michael Sherer for the Advanced Reader Copy!

The third in the Tess Barrett series of thrillers. Tess finally gets to attend a high school dance, only to have the night end in disaster when an assassin attempts to murder her.

As if that wasn't bad enough, a disgusting video begins circulating with Tess photo-shopped into it, which ruins her reputation. And she's still getting mysterious text messages, still fighting with her guardian, and still has no idea who's behind the attacks on her. But she better figure out quick, because whoever it is still wants her dead.

Well, that was a big waste. I was willing to go on some hope because Tess was not quite as bad in the second book as she was in the first, and I thought maybe she was maturing as a character and realizing she needs to change and be more considerate of those around her.

Then I read this book and all of that went out the window. The character seems to have taken a giant step backwards, going back to the person of the first book - spewing venom at people one moment, then wondering why people don't help her and protect her. She doesn't grow as a character, doesn't learn anything, she's still just as grinding on the nerves.

Poor Oliver still puts up with her with the patience of a saint, and even though he is recognizing that he might have feelings for her, their relationship doesn't go anywhere.

Another annoying thing is the sudden addition of frequent cursing. The last two books had minimal swearing, so why everyone had to suddenly start saying 'f***' and 'sh**' to get their point accross is beyond me. It didn't add anything, and didn't make me like the characters more.

This book finally gets one star and I will not be picking up a further book in this series, as I could care less what happens to the protagonist. Thank you to Netgalley and Cutter Press for the advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you!!
Tess finds herself immersed in the excitement of her high school prom, briefly entertaining the hope that her life might finally resemble something normal. However, the jubilant atmosphere is shattered by the sudden eruption of bombs within the school premises. Miraculously, Tess narrowly escapes harm when the assailant's aim goes awry. Reacting swiftly, she incapacitates the shooter, who in his dying breaths implicates someone named Sam in the orchestrated attack. This revelation leaves Tess grappling with questions about her own identity—could she be of royal descent?

As the chaos unfolds, Tess becomes the focal point of fear and suspicion among both peers and authority figures. The school principal, alarmed by the recurring threats against Tess's life, insists on her removal from the premises, citing concerns for the safety of students and parents alike. Determined to unravel the mystery surrounding the repeated attempts on her life, Tess is left questioning the identity and motives of those who wish her harm.

The author skillfully crafts a gripping and fast-paced thriller, marking the debut of the "Tess Barrett Thriler" series. Captivated by the suspenseful narrative, I eagerly anticipate delving into the previous installments and eagerly await the release of future volumes. However, amidst the intrigue, one aspect left me perplexed—the ambiguity surrounding Tess's royal lineage. Clarifying this detail would have enhanced my overall enjoyment of the story.

Tess is at her high school prom enjoying it and thinking that maybe her life can be normal. Suddenly bombs are going off in the high school. Then the shooter misses Tess. Tess takes him out so that he falls he is shot and tries to tell Tess that Sam had him do this. Who is Sam? Is Tess royalty? I’m confused about Tess—if she is royalty or not? The high school principal wants Tess out of school as parents and students are scared of going to school because Tess seems to have someone always trying to get her dead. Who is it? Why?

The author has written a page-turning and fast-paced thriller. It is the first “Tess Barrett Thriler” that I have read. Iam planning to read the previous two volumes and when it comes out the fourth volume. It is a good mystery. It only disappointed me because I was not sure if Tess was royalty or not. I wish that had been made clearer.

Loved this book and would 100% recommend to all. Style of writing and theme very much my 'go to' so there wasn't much to go wrong! The storyline had purpose and every chapter, character and detail really guided the reader into the development. I was fully invested in this book, looking forward to purchasing a paper copy!
All views and opinions are my own, thank you to NG, the publisher an author for allowing me to read this book early.

I picked out this book on a whim based on the interesting description of the book. The beginning of the story really sucked me in. Interesting characters, action packed, and a well developed world. While I haven’t read any other Tess Barrett books, I felt like I had a good understanding of the character and their backstory.

Where the book dragged for me was the middle. The heart-pounding action was replaced by high school drama. After watching the main character fight for her life in the beginning of the book, I just wasn’t interested in the bullying, the nasty teachers, etc. while we waited to solve the mystery of what was going on.

However the book did pick back up to another page turning, action packed ending. I will be definitely be checking out more Tess Barrett books in the future!

"Blind Trust" by Michael W. Sherer disappoints as it attempts to intertwine suspense and teenage drama. Tess Barrett, a former royal, grapples with trust issues and a web of unconvincing characters. The narrative falls short in providing the depth needed to make the characters engaging or their dilemmas compelling.

The story introduces characters like Tess's suspicious personal assistant, Oliver, and the mysterious martial arts teacher, Yoshi, but these elements feel clichéd and fail to add the anticipated intrigue. The family dynamics, including the return of Robyn and Tess's uncle, lack the depth necessary for emotional resonance.

The attempt to blend a high-stakes plot with Tess's senior year struggles feels forced and disjointed. The subplot involving an attempted assassination during homecoming adds unnecessary melodrama, and the introduction of a porno video as a plot device comes off as distasteful and sensationalized.

As Tess, Oliver, and Derek investigate, the plot becomes convoluted, and the revelation of a conspiracy involving powerful figures lacks the necessary build-up. "Blind Trust" struggles to balance teenage drama with suspense, resulting in a narrative that feels disconnected and lacks the cohesion needed for a satisfying read. Sherer's attempt at a gripping mystery falls short, leaving readers more confused than intrigued.

Thank you to Cutter Press for the advanced reader copy to review via NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

It wasn't exactly what I was expecting ! But that really wasn't a bad thing either ! I had wondered how intense this could be. As you read it, you will find it is way off the charts. The world building was also off the charts good. The people had depth to them as well and coming from such different backgrounds and personalities. You want emotions? This story will reel you in on that too.
I will point out that for me when it switched to a different person "speaking" the transition was a little bit rough. It usually took me a few sentences to realize, "Oh this is ___ speaking." That kind of threw me off at first but I did adjust. Just saying that wasn't as comfortable for me to get into another P.O.V. That said the story was well worth it.
Tess is probably the most conflicted person, who is also struggling with who can she trust.. But look of the stuff she had to go through and sometimes she was selfish and kind of snarky. But she's maturing by the end of the book. Oh, wait that was only the end of this book. I didn't realize when I chose it that it was a series. Enjoyable, edge of seat story ended up covering a lot of questions being answered after twisting and turning. The next book will be looking at least a few major questions left undone for now.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Tess Barrett is a senior in high school it should goes to one of the most elite private schools and lives with her uncle. Her uncle Trevor took her in when her parents died in an accident that she was the only survivor of. With only a scar to her face physically she was fine but it also caused her to go blind. Life is hard enough without her site but having people hunting her down and wanting her dead it’s so inconvenient especially when you’re trying to attend the prom. It doesn’t help that she don’t know if she can trust her uncle know what does she know why these people are trying to kill her. Let me just say I couldn’t decide whether I loved this book or hated it because for one thing why would people who send hits out what to kill the daughter of their enemy especially after they’ve already taken the enemy out? I do want to say I love the independent he gave Tess but being blind I did find some of her abilities worth supernatural but for the most part I think he did a great job representing blind people having said that I do want to say this is a fast paced interesting read its action packed but sometimes it could be quite fanciful I did enjoy it and if you love action pack stories that deal in conspiracy theories and high-tech intrigue you’d definitely like the story. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Book Review 📚
Blind Trust by Michael Sherer - 4/5 ⭐

The 3rd book from the series *Tess Barrett*. I went in completely blind, not even knowing there was 2 books prior! So of course doing what an sane person should, I went and order the first 2 books and read them before getting to this book. I was intrigued by the cover. There's absolutely nothing to give the story away which I loved.

Blind Trust is a wonderfully written thriller following the story of Tess Barrett. Firstly, I so feel for Tess! Honestly, it's like the girl can't catch a break and everything is happening at once. She's stressed, she's "alone" and she can't trust anyone! Someone help the poor girl.

The story is phenomenal, honestly had me hooked. There's nothing "boring" about any of it. The description was incredible and the detail that went in to it was fantastic. I was blown away. I wasn't let down by the first 2 books and I wasn't by the 3rd. I'm now going to have to preorder this book to go with the other 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cutter Press for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.