Repetitive and unnecessarily confusing. everyone read like a caricature and plot devices quickly felt overused. was anxiety inducing which was nice, but I found the fmc hard to root for as she made consistently poor choices.

Overflowing with suspense, mysteries, blackmail, and so much family drama!

From the very first page you get absolutely thrown into the action. The pacing was incredible and we were constantly being thrown a new clue or puzzle. I adored our main characters perseverance and hunger for the truth. We watched her grow as a person and realize she is so much stronger than she thought. The added level of having a young child and not knowing who we could trust made this that much more suspenseful!

The only thing I didn't love was the overall lack of knowledge we had of our main characters husband. With him being missing from page one it was hard to care whether he was safe or not just because I had no time to form a positive opinion about him. I well and truly didn't care whether he was found or not and only cared about our main character and her baby.

I highly recommend and will be buying physical copies (yes multiple, I plan on gifting this to friends and family) when possible!!

Thank you to the publisher for the arc through NetGalley! All opinions are my own honest opinions.

This book kept me hooked the entire time which is excellent.

The writing is really good and the plot twisty! However, the characters do need a better development and the dialogues need to be little more realistic when it comes to confrontations towards the end of the story.

Otherwise, this is a good fast paced thriller perfect for a chill evening!

Thank you for NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.

I had high hopes. Based on the description on NetGalley, I really thought I was going to enjoy this book. I did not. I was wrong. I am not going to rate this a one star as it was not the worst book I've read and does not deserve a one star. There was SOMETHING there but I'm not sure what it was. Probably the great songs in the book? I'm not sure.

The FMC drove me crazy the entire book. She was utterly oblivious to the evil that surrounded her and what type of people she was associating with. I could see it from a mile away. Imagine screaming at someone, "IT'S THEM" over and over butttt it doesn't matter because they do not listen.

A twisty, albeit implausible thriller that sees Marissa communicating with her missing husband Ethan over a playlist. Something is rotten, something that made him leave but what? Marissa's family is, to put it mildly, a little out there. Don't trust anyone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Hard to review without spoilers but a good page turner.

Wowza, this is a fantastic thriller debut! It was so unique with the use of Spotify songs to communicate with Marissa’s missing husband and I WAS HOOKED! This psychological thriller was so suspenseful and kept me on my toes. You don’t know what to think or who to believe!

You won’t want to miss this twisty thriller!

****Many thanks to Elle Owens, Amazon Publishing, and Brilliance Audio for my gifted copies in turn for an honest review.

Rating it 4.5 stars rounding down to 4 stars.

Elle Owens crafts a gripping and immersive suspense novel in Tell Me You Trust Me, pulling readers into a whirlwind of mystery, emotion, and intrigue. From the very first page, the story hooks you with a compelling opening that immediately raises questions, ensuring that putting the book down is nearly impossible.

At the heart of the novel is the mystery surrounding the protagonist’s missing husband, a storyline that keeps the tension high and the reader engaged. Owens masterfully paces the suspense, revealing just enough at a time to keep you second-guessing while eagerly flipping pages. The sense of urgency and desperation is palpable, making the reader feel deeply connected to the protagonist’s journey.

One of the novel’s standout elements is its use of music as a central theme. The emotional connection the protagonist has with music adds depth and relatability, making the story even more immersive. It’s a unique and personal touch that enhances the reading experience, drawing the audience into both the character’s inner world and the unfolding mystery.

Overall, Tell Me You Trust Me is a fast-paced, well-executed suspense novel that keeps readers hooked from beginning to end. With a captivating mystery, a strong emotional core, and an engaging writing style, Elle Owens delivers a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and domestic suspense. Highly recommended!

So I QUITE ENJOYED THIS BOOK! From the moment I saw the cover, this book had me. Everything about it was a YES. The writing, the plot, the characters. Absolutely thrilled to have read this.

I had a hard time getting into this book. It might be the mood I am currently experiencing. As I have written with other reviews, I am a major mood reader.. I may give this book another shot when I am in the mood for a good thriller.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Elle Owens' "Tell Me You Trust Me" is a captivating psychological thriller that will leave you breathless. This isn't your typical mystery; it's a dark, seductive descent into obsession that will keep you guessing.

Owens masterfully crafts a story that blurs the lines between love and control, trust and betrayal. The narrative unfolds at a breakneck pace, drawing the reader deeper and deeper into the twisted web of lies and deceit.

The characters, both captivating and deeply flawed, are expertly drawn, making it impossible not to become entangled in their dangerous game.
What sets "Tell Me You Trust Me" apart is its exploration of the darker aspects of human psychology.

Owens delves into the complexities of obsession, manipulation, and the seductive allure of the forbidden, leaving the reader questioning their own perceptions of reality.

This is not a book for the faint of heart. "Tell Me You Trust Me" is a thrilling, unsettling, and ultimately unforgettable reading experience.

Honestly, I know that this is a debut, but it was not enjoyable. I did not finish and would not recommend.

Well, this was an intense read. I was excited to get this ARC. This author writes under another name and I’ve read all those books. This was definitely a different genre. At times I did find the pacing to be a tad slow, the book was well written. The main character was difficult to get used to. Always talking about “weak” her family sees her. Her family is crazy. Her paranoia really ramps up in the book and I can’t say it’s not for good reason. I still have mixed feelings about her husband though. Not sure how I’d handle that but goodness. Well done Elle Owens.

I wish I could give this book 3.5 stars. It was a really good story that kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how things were going to work out. But, there were little things that annoyed me. I did read an ARC so perhaps they were edited out after the version I read? But, too many times the hairs on the back of Marissa's neck stood up or tingled or whatever. And too many times she was so upset she got sick. They felt overused as ways to express what was happening and lost all value. Those issues aside, it was hard to figure out who was telling the truth and who was lying to whom. That is always a good thing! I also really liked how music was interwoven throughout the story. I felt like it was a bit farfetched, but it was still something different. Overall I really enjoyed the story!

Thanks so much to Thomas & Mercer publishing for providing me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my review.

I loved this book. It was so good, so well written, and exciting. Initially when I read the synopsis I wondered if the music messages would be corny or annoying. However, it worked perfectly in the book. It was relevant to the plot and was an interesting way to tell the story. All the characters were well thought out and relatable. It was fast paced, easy to read, and super easy to follow. Some may say slightly predictable, which is fair. But the story played out so well that it didn't bother me. I also LOVED the way it ended, it gave me the ending I hoped for! Definitely recommend!!!

😵‍💫 T R A I T O R T U E S D A Y review 😵‍💫 featuring “Tell Me You Trust Me” by Elle Owens!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Marissa Creighton has had a weird morning. Her husband Ethan’s last words to her were TELL ME YOU TRUST ME before he left for the day. But he never took his keys, wallet or car with him and he doesn’t come after work. Or the next day …

Marissa can’t stop thinking about Ethan’s last words to her and then she starts noticing that their shared playlist has been updated by Ethan using song titles to try to warn Marissa about her family. Ethan keeps dropping cryptic bread crumbs for Marissa to follow and this adds a cat and mouse element to the storyline! But Marissa’s family is also desperate to find what Ethan has on them and will do anything to destroy their daughter’s marriage and villainize her husband! WHO can she really trust??

👏 BRAVO to Elle Owens on an outstanding debut thriller! My god I was SHOOK by this family dynasty! The playlist being used as a secret form of communication between Marissa and Ethan was unique and brilliant and had me downloading so many songs!

Thank you kindly to @elleowenswrites @amazonpublishing @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on February 11, 2025!

2.75 stars rounded up. I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. While Marissa was a sympathetic character, the rest of her family was absolutely horribly evil. Misogynistic and stuck in the 1950s gender roles. It made reading the book difficult. Maybe the timing of reading it this weekend didn't help.

Marissa's husband, Ethan, goes missing after saying, "Tell me that you trust me." He left bread crumbs for her to follow, but using song lyrics and very complicated clues with unanswered questions made me impatient to finish this book. While part of the book was fast-paced and hard to put down, Marissa's parents were so awful. Her mom popped up everywhere she goes-, constantly putting her down and demanding she fall in line. I could tell that they were gaslighting their own daughter to save their own hides. It was just do convoluted at times, with unresolved loose threads.

While I enjoyed some of the music selections, especially Glass Animals, they both had questionable taste in music and poor communication skills. Why didn't Ethan get a burner phone? Why did Marissa go along with her parents when they were so awful? She constantly tried to break free, even saying she was planning to cut them out of her life, but then she gave in, untol she finally sees them in a way that she never had before. The ending had put Marissa and her young son in danger. Something that Ethan or her brother should have prevented. I think she should have trusted her instincts and left with a new identity.

2.75 stars, release February 11, 2025.

Loved it. Read it in one day. At first, I wanted to take Marissa by the shoulders and shake her, but she really came around!
Ethan and Marissa have a great life. Until Ethan disappears. Marissa can’t understand what could have happened. Her family rally around her, slowly turning on Ethan. But Marissa knows better. And then she sees songs added to their playlist, songs that tell a story, if she can only figure out what those clues mean.

This one was fine, but not entirely for me.

One day Marissa's husband disappears, and the last thing he does is asks her to trust him. The book is then one big cat and mouse, corporate espionage thriller, involving Marissa's family.

The book is basically about Marissa's parents coming over and immediately trying to control the situation and discounting Marissa's concerns. You get immediate weird vibes from her family. Marria tries to solve her husband's disappearance while avoiding her family and quasi-working with the police.

I don't quite know what it was about the book, but it didn't hook me. I found the plot to be entirely obvious, and I was annoyed how long it took main girl Marissa to figure it out.

Overall, it wasn't bad, just not my cup of tea.

This thriller had me immediately hooked. "Tell me you trust me" was the last thing Marissa's husband said to her before leaving that morning. He didn't take his car, didn't go to work, is nowhere to be found. Her loving family is absolutely everywhere, determined to take care of her. They're in the security business, after all, and they want to help her. What they won't give her is a moment to herself, a moment she desperately needs to figure out the message her husband seems to have sent her through a song title that's just appeared on their shared playlist.

I read this through one one sitting. Marissa's desperation to figure things out kept me turning pages and the author tells the story of their marriages through the messages they're leaving one another. It's a suspenseful read that had me on the edge of my seat and trying to figure things out until the very end.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded interesting to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.