Trust Me by Kelly Irvin Review

Hello Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

Our area has been going through an extreme cold spell the last couple of weeks, and as such, other than work, I haven't been leaving my house all that much.

I've really been enjoying curling up with great books in front of our little fireplace, and at the end of December, I had the chance to finish an upcoming release that I can't wait to share all about with you guys today.

Keep reading for my full review.

Trust Me by Kelly Irvin:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: February 8th, 2022

Genre: Christian Fiction/Christian Suspense

Synopsis:

When Delaney Broward finds her best friend stabbed to death a decade after her brother suffered the same fate, she must confront her painful past in order unmask a killer who isn’t done yet.

How can this be happening again?

Delaney Broward has spent the last ten years rebuilding her life after finding her brother brutally stabbed to death in his art studio, leaving her without a single living family member. His death even took away her boyfriend, Hunter Nash, who was convicted of the murder. Convinced it’s too dangerous to trust her heart to anyone again, Delaney lives alone. She pours herself into her frame shop in the historic art district in San Antonio. She doesn’t have the husband and children she once dreamed of, but her heart is safe.

Until she walks into her best friend Ellie’s shop and finds she has suffered the same fate. Once again Delaney’s life is shattered by violence, tragedy, and loss.

Hunter Nash leaves prison a free man that same day. He’s determined to prove his innocence, win Delaney back, and restore her faith in God.

Delaney’s mission is to bring Ellie’s murder to justice while protecting her heart. They forge an uneasy alliance, both certain the truth will win out. Both are willing to accept the outcome—if they survive. 

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

I've read a few of Kelly Irvin's Amish fiction over the last couple of years, but this was my first experience with one of her suspense titles. I picked it up only meaning the read the first couple of chapters before turning in for the night, but ended up so caught up in the story that I went through half the book before realizing what time it was.

Trust Me is a roller coaster of a ride from start to finish, and drags the reader in right from the beginning. Our main character Delaney finds her brother murdered in his art studio, and although she can't possibly imagine it at the moment, things are only going to get worse. Her boyfriend is charged with the murder, and sent to prison, and she's left trying to put the pieces of her life back together. Ten years later, she finds her best friend murdered in the same manner, on the exact same day that her ex-boyfriend has been released from prison. Hunter is still proclaiming his innocence, and wants to prove to Delaney that they got the wrong man all those years ago.

The plot twists, turns and weaves in ways the reader can never see coming, and I enjoyed trying to piece everything together right along with the characters. The set up to the mystery is very well done, and I also really enjoyed how this is a second chance romance with many obstacles for the main characters to overcome. I also really appreciated how the author doesn't sugarcoat the reality of substance abuse, and while this was a pretty grisly part of the story, it definitely reads authentically.

I loved my first experience with a suspense story by this author, and I will be definitely be reading more of hers in the future. The only complaint I had is that I personally figured out who the evil mastermind was pretty early on in the story, and I did take a star off my rating for that purpose. I was still scrambling to try and figure everything else out though. As even though I knew who had done it, I couldn't understand their motive or reasons, and I found that out right along with the characters.

Final Rating: 4/5.

I really enjoyed this one, and would definitely recommend it.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.