You Can Trust Me
2023 • 305 pages
Ratings8
Average rating3.6
15
Ratings8
Average rating3.6
“With its sizzling wit, flash-bang plot, and scorching social commentary, Wendy Heard’s You Can Trust Me is THE hot thriller of summer 2023.”—Layne Fargo, author of They Never Learn “A blazingly sharp, sexy, feminist thriller for those who wished The White Lotus season two was told from the POV of Mia and Lucia.”—Halley Sutton, author of The Hurricane Blonde In this “slick and stylish thriller” (Wanda M. Morris, All Her Little Secrets), two best friends grift their way through the California elite, until a scam goes awry. 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?
Reviews with the most likes.
I didn't like the writing, and the two perspectives were written too similarly and I couldn't tell who I was reading from. All of the characters were unlikeable, and I saw the twist(??) from a mile away. also I found it weird that being “best friends”, Summer never knew of Amanda.
Hunter and Hunted - But Who Is Who? This is one of those books that seems like it wants to take on Big Ideas, but in its brevity... eh, those Big Ideas are more sacrificed to telling a more compelling and less potentially divisive story, while still hitting some of the high points of the Big Ideas. Ultimately, this is a book whose main characters are very finely drawn and nuanced... and whose lesser players are almost cardboard caricatures. Still, Heard here uses the main characters, their varying histories, and the island setting (through at least half the book) quite well indeed to craft a suspenseful tale that will keep you on the edge of your beach or pool lounger just enough to keep your feet in the water... without giving you a heart attack before you can finish the book and dive in. A couple of bits in particular are more mind-bending than others, though those are quickly moved on from and the more cat and mouse nature of the book again reasserts itself. Overall a solid, mildly pulse pounding book that will be quite enjoyable as a vacation read and one that should be able to be devoured almost no matter how little reading time one may have on a summer break or vacation. Very much recommended.
Originally posted at bookanon.com.
4.5 this got me out of a slump and i literally read it in 2 sittings it was so so good and the characters were so loveable too
