I really enjoyed this satirical look at a straight couple from Brooklyn who enter a bidding war for an old farmhouse in the Hudson Valley. They win with some help from family money, but once there, it’s not the dream they anticipated. They get tenants to help with costs, and these tenants are part of a queer polycule with seemingly no way to make the money they’re paying for rent, but a ton of homemaking and renovation skills.

This ends up being a clever look at compulsory heterosexuality and the limits we put on ourselves, as well as a jab at city dwellers who think they can do anything just because they have a little bit of money. Since Covid and the rising costs of living in many rural areas, this has only become more relevant. I couldn’t look away from this one, and if any of these themes appeal, I highly recommend.

This was a uniquely crafted story with some hard to like characters that grounds itself in facing sexual identity, capitalism and personal relationships. I really enjoyed the sense of humor and well thought out characters, as well as the authors' sharp wit. I think fans of friend dramas with social commentary will enjoy this one!

2.5 stars

I...truly loathed these characters, and while I realize this is satire and that - to some degree - requires characters with terrible habits, personalities, etc., this was just too much for me. The humor I was promised in all of the blurbs? Well, it ended up being more cringe than LOL, unfortunately.

Readers meet Rosie and Jordan at their wedding, and they are already infuriating. Their meet cute is creepy, and their families are terrible. It could go up from here, but as readers get to know these two better, they get worse. After Jordan loses his job for good reason (and if I have to hear another reference to that word from another person who does not use it as an identifier, I will actually scream), these two end up in relative financial trouble (but not really) and are forced to have...renters! Now, it's time for Jordan and Rosie to inflict their performative allyship all over this tiny queer bastion. And just wait until you discover what else Jordan wants to inflict all over this community and others...

I appreciate the underlying messaging and the attempts to realize it, but so much about this novel rubbed me the wrong way and not in the "I'm uncomfortable because this is satirical" fashion I was hoping for or expecting. I'd give these authors another try, but I can't imagine the kind of reader I'd recommend this to out of concern that they'd also find it frustrating and at times bordering on offensive. Adding insult to injury, I don't need to visualize or hear about murdering chickens either. Yep. Not for me, unfortunately.

I felt really bad for Jordan. Rosie is selfish and immature and he often bears the brunt of it. However, I identified with her feelings of inadequacy and always trying to find happiness. I realize this was satire, but as a Poly person it was a little bit odd.

I had to sit on this for a while because when I finished it on Friday I could not figure out my opinion. This was fun and interesting and soooo creative and surprising and a little bit ridiculous (some of the characters are so over the top that it surpasses satire) but rosie and her journey actually grounded it and made it more realistic, especially with the ending. it definitely grew on me a lot with reflection! also the very nice box has been on my list for forever and this has finally given me motivation to pick it up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC!

Laugh out loud funny, Trust and Safety made me look at this imaginary world and think how the mess was exactly what I needed. The drama of it all kept me totally invested and I am on board with an book that can wield such a razor-sharp insight to people.

Goodreads review:

This book was such a painfully funny indictment of straight people and consumerist delusion that I had to stop and read full paragraphs out loud to my husband in order to feel like I was in on the joke. What kind of book makes you do that? The best kind!

Trust & Safety made me want to live in the woods in an artisan polycule, but it also made me want to treasure my normie life in the city. Blackett and Gleichman are so good at this and I can't wait for everyone I know to read this book.

This is a really funny and creative novel. I enjoyed Blackett and Gleichman's debut novel, "The Very Nice Box" and I was excited to read their upcoming release. Even though I prefer their debut novel, I still thought "Trust and Safety" was a solid and unique read. Their writing style is so brilliant and charismatic. This might be one of the most well written novels I've read in quite some time. The main problem I had this book was the wacky shift in tone around the 80% mark. It was a little unnecessary and felt bat shit crazy to me. The ending really saved this book for me. Some of the decisions that Rosie made were baffling and head-scratching. She was a really confusing and flighty character, which made it hard for me to like her completely. I really liked Jordan. He made me laugh and I liked his sense of humor. I couldn't stand Dylan. She was creepy and unremarkable. I couldn't understand Rosie's attraction to her. I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read this book before it hits bookshelves. Blackett and Gleichman were born to write. I'm a huge fan of their storytelling.

Thank you, Netgalley and Dutton for the digital ARC.

Thank you to Net Galley & the authors for this ARC!

Was this book what I expected from the synopsis or what I heard? Not at all. It was very messy but that’s almost what made me like it more. I was living for the drama… It’s as if White Lotus was queer and set in upstate New York.

DNF'd at 11%. I really tried to get into it, had to move on after mc uses the d-slur. Writing was excellent though.

It's been one day since I finished this and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. I liked it, and I think the premise was funny/interesting. I just am not entirely sure how much I liked it? It felt a little absurd at times, and it does all come together at the end but at certain points I was confused what was real and if it was just supposed to be kind of sarcastic in a way. I think it's kind of a niche read, for people who live in Brooklyn or upstate New York. All in all, a good and entertaining read. I've already recommended it to friends who moved from Brooklyn to upstate New York. Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for this ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I thought the authors did a wonderful job portraying authentic queer characters and relationships. The premise of this book was both relatable and wild, it was fun to see the protagonist get so obsessive about this dream of a rural life while simultaneously being overwhelmed by it. The ending gave nice closure to the story.

I am absolutely obsessed with this book! Such a unique story with great writing that really hooks you in.

I went back and forth on this one. I finished it a couple of days ago, and while I usually write down my thoughts pretty quickly, I felt I needed to think a little for this book. I enjoyed the premise of the story, couple moving upstate to unplug and simplify, but I felt the tale didn't really conclude satisfactorily. I couldn't identify with any of the characters, although their backstories were pretty clear and interesting. I laughed out loud numerous times during the book, and I also felt several scenes were almost slapstick comedy. It is certainly not uncommon for adults to question their sexuality and their lifestyles, and it felt pretty realistic for the main character.

Overall I enjoyed the tale and I'm glad I read it. It wasn't perfect, but few things are.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being given freely.

3.5 ⭐️ thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was riveting, like a train wreck - I couldn’t look away. I’m not sure if I liked or hated all of the characters. The pacing and story telling made me want to pick this up and read it all in one sitting. The end (really the last chapter) was a little lackluster and could’ve used a little more umph to get to that 4 ⭐️ rating. I thought the way the characters foiled one another added to the way the story was told. It had cozy vibes but also left me unsettled. I have a feeling I will keep thinking about this one for a bit.

I was thrilled to read the new book by Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman because I adored their debut novel THE VERY NICE BOX. Their newest, TRUST AND SAFETY, is very different from their surreal first book. This one begins as straightforward contemporary fiction and, by the end (for me at least) veers completely into the horror genre.

Newlyweds Rosie and Jordan decide to uproot their Brooklyn lives and start again upstate in a dilapidated house, spending all their savings and due to an unexpected layoff, end up having Jordan's mother buy the house for them. This is just the start of the stickiness they find themselves in. Without much of an income, they both have to find ways to make this new life work, especially after the decide to take in renters and end up in the drama of a queer polycule.

The crazy turns of events for Rosie are so unexpected, and with Blackett and Gleichman killing it with their amazing writing, this book had me enthralled. I was so transported to this stressful world of cunning real estate, rural upstate life, and terrible housing. Mix in a few bad decisions, and an ending that left me cold, it was everything I had hoped for when I dove in. A must read this summer.

This is a well written book. It has some fine lines, a few well-conceived set pieces, a fair share of perceptive and insightful observations, and some lean dialogue. That said, try as I might I found neither the characters, nor their situations, nor the overall narrative engaging enough to arouse or hold my curiosity and attention. As a consequence, it doesn't seem fair to write much more of a review, apart from encouraging inquisitive readers to give the book a try.

I enjoyed their last book but felt like it had a slightly forced twist and was glad that wasn't present in this one. In this book, no one was a great person but it was interesting to read them muddle though. I think a lot of people in cities have thought of escape in the last few years of this never-ending pandemic and this couple takes the plunge with no skills or idea what they are doing. Is upstate NY as exciting as it sounds? Yes, but not in the way I think they would anticipate.

I liked the book a lot! I would not want to be friends with or even know any of these people but I think we have all encountered them at some point.

This book has incredible reviews and is rated extremely high on Goodreads. With that being said this one is not for me. It’s well written but I could not connect with a single character. It seems as if I’m in the minority with this one though!

Huge thank you to Dutton and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Reading this book made me feel SO UNCOMFORTABLE. None of the characters were likable. And they unfortunately reminded me of exaggerated versions of myself or people I know! But I kept on reading for those reasons too.

Summary

This book is about a newly married couple, Rosie and Jordan, who live in New York City. Rosie feels unsatisfied by her life in the city and escapes by scrolling through Instagram. She falls in love with the idea of moving to upstate New York and living a simpler more authentic life. The pair pay too much for an old house that needs major renovations. Rosie and Jordan both lose their jobs the week they close on the house.

To make ends meet, they rent a small, old building on their property to a queer couple Dylan and Lark. As Rosie does her best to embrace her new location, she gets increasingly involved in her tenants' lives.

Our anxious narrator

At the core of this book are Rosie's competing desires for safety and excitement, leaving her constantly dissatisfied. She desperately wants to be liked and accepts the unkind ways she is treated by others without complaint. She is also incredibly socially anxious. The way she dissects every interaction and puts herself down is immediately recognizable by anyone who has ever suffered from anxiety.

Throughout the novel Rosie always thinks there is a more perfect life out there for her. She just needs to buy the right thing (or house) to get there. This coupled with her Instagram obsession is an interesting critique of how young people are managing a declining quality of life alongside rising expectations of what their lives should look on social media.

The queer polycule

This book so accurately captures the mess and beauty of what it can be be part of a small circle of queer friends, where everyone has dated or is ethically, openly dating each other.

Even though Dylan and Lark's circle of friends does some not particularly nice things, they have many more moments of generosity and emotional maturity. Most of them are polyamorous. This makes Jordan confused and Rosie curious. But their relationships have the solid communication, trust and lack of jealousy that are at the core of polyamory.

This book also has almost no homophobia or transphobia. The story is about other things. This I so appreciate!

Recommendation

I struggled with giving this book a star rating as I think the characters (especially Rosie) were very well-written.

There is a plot twist later on in the book that I thought took the book in an unrealistic direction. It kept turning even more towards absurdity as I finished the final chapters. This pulled me out of identifying strongly with the characters into seeing it more as a parable than something that might have actually happened.

It's a quick read, so I think it is worth picking up ... especially if you've ever fantasized about moving from the city to a small town somewhere!