Trust Me, I'm Trouble

Trust Me #2

by Mary Elizabeth Summer

Staying out of trouble isn’t possible for Julep Dupree. She has managed not to get kicked out of her private school, even though everyone knows she’s responsible for taking down a human-trafficking mob boss—and getting St. Agatha’s golden-boy Tyler killed in the process. Running cons holds her guilty conscience at bay, but unfortunately, someone wants Julep to pay for her mistakes…with her life.

Against her better judgment, Julep takes a shady case that requires her to infiltrate a secretive organization, one that may be connected to her long-gone mother and the enigmatic figure called the blue fairy. Her best friend, Sam, isn’t around to stop her, and Dani, her one true confidante, happens to be a nineteen-year-old mob enforcer whose moral compass is as questionable as Julep’s. But there’s not much time to worry about right and wrong—or to save your falling heart—when there’s a contract on your head.

Murders, heists, secrets and lies, hit men and hidden identities…If Julep doesn’t watch her back, it’s her funeral. No lie.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Thriller, LGBT, Crime, Romance

368 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 2015

About the author

Mary Elizabeth Summer is an instructional designer, a mom, a champion of the serial comma, and a pie junkie. Oh, and she sometimes writes books about teenage delinquents saving the day. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her daughter, her spouse, and her ever evolving menagerie. Her TRUST ME series is relaunching in 2023!

Reviews

[Elle (ellexamines) · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is really good if any of you are looking for a good middle-YA spy novel that happens to have a great morally grey main character and some sapphic girls!! unfortunately, I am not looking for Middle YA at this moment or possibly ever again and would prefer to finish something I feel super compelled to read.

[Dahlia]

NEW FAVE CANON F/F YA SHIP! NEW FAVE CANON F/F YA SHIP! THIS IS A VERY BIG DEAL.

For real, I am obsessed with Julep and Dani like whoa, and I raced through this book and need the next one like burning.

[Marianne (Boricuan Bookworms) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boricuan Bookworms- Book Reviews

Trust Me, I’m Trouble definitely surprised me. This book was ALL ABOUT THE CONS and I ate it all up.

I think what pulled me into this book (and kept me there) were the multitudes of red herrings placed almost everywhere in the story. It was a wild ride trying to decipher who was responsible, who did what, and if I should trust what X person said. I definitely loved feeling at the edge of my seat; it was so refreshing.

I liked Julep so much more in this book because she’s not as naive as she was in the previous book. Julep has finally come to realise that ignoring problems doesn’t make them go away, and just because you wish that someone is good doesn’t necessarily make it so. Julep here really went above and beyond to show off her grifter skills to me, and I really liked to see her in her natural setting. I think it was wonderful to see how she would trick/influence/manipulate/con people into saying or doing what she wanted. (I honestly love anything that has to do with cons, heists, crimes, etc etc).

There’s a romance in this book, but it’s not with who you would you think. The author here gave us the romance we didn’t know we needed! The romantic lead is absolutely perfect for Julep. She understands what Julep’s been through but doesn’t push her or try to take her out of her comfort zone until she’s ready. She’s also closed off (even more so than Julep) so it’s so entertaining to watch these two skirt around each other when everyone else in the room can see they’re totally into each other. (It’s a female-female romance… if you hadn’t realized that already)

I like how this book gives a big emphasis on family: both blood relatives, and the ones you choose yourself. Julep’s life is filled with people who genuinely care about her and would go above and beyond, and it was wonderful to see how everyone played a part in Julep’s life. I loved all the relationships that were getting stronger and stronger.

The ending… it honestly left me absolutely breathless. I couldn’t believe it ended the way it did, because I NEED ANSWERS!!! I can’t believe we have to wait so long for the next one!

Overall, this book definitely DID NOT suffer from middle book syndrome. This book started strong and ended even stronger. I cannot wait to see what else the author has in store for us! 

An advanced copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

My Amazon Review.

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

That is all. Thank you.

[Kelly (Diva Booknerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series, It's sassy, clever and incredibly entertaining. Our young heroine in sixteen year old Julep is a grifter, or con artist if you will. After her mother left her and her father behind, she followed in her father's footsteps, running schemes through her private school and fleecing wealthy teens of their spare change. In Trust Me, I'm Lying, Julep was involved in finding clues her father had left her, stumbling into a Ukrainian organised crime ring that was trafficking young girls. She's now known as the patron saint of lost girls, a title that doesn't sit well with the teen grifter. What makes this series so incredibly engaging is Julep. She's confronting, sassy and multi layered despite her calm and collected facade. What sets Julep apart from other lesser protagonists is that she isn't pretentious or vain, and certainly couldn't care less about how she's perceived by her peers.

The romance was heart achingly beautiful and unexpected. Julep feels so deeply but in a rare moment of vulnerability is afraid to take a chance. It added such a likability to her character and also allowed her to bond with her new foster mother, Mike's wife Angela. As the story unravels, Julep goes undercover to infiltrate what seems to be a cult organisation, linked not only to the famed Blue Fairy, but also to her mother who had abandoned her. Unlike the first installment, I found Trust Me, I'm Trouble to be far less predictable and really enjoyed the strong focus on Julep's personal life. I feel readers can now begin to understand why she attempts to remain emotionally detached from those around her. Julep has faced abandonment, the death of Tyler, losing Sam, the incarceration of her father and all while her life had been in jeopardy, not once but twice. Fans of Ally Carter will adore this series.

Sassy, intense and wonderfully written, The Trust Me series is an engaging and entertaining blend of contemporary, mystery and adventure with a surprising and bittersweet romantic storyline. Readers will enjoy Julep's character development from ruthless grifter to a girl who now isn't afraid to let others past her emotional walls. With an ending that broke my heart, I can't wait to see what's in store for Julep... Hopefully the happy ending this sassy, snarky teen deserves.

[imts · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

No! No, no, no, no, no! I don't ship it; I don't, I don't!

I'm not saying it's a bad ship, I'm just saying I shipped something completely different to the outcome. The storyline, however, was as incredible as the last book, and now I am craving more of this series.

Oh, if only that ship hadn't sailed...

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julep Dupree is back for more mischief, no matter how many times she knows she should be going on the straight and narrow, she just can't. It's not in her DNA and it is all she knows. With her dad in prison and her mother missing, Julep finds herself in the custody of FBI agent Mike and his wife Angela. At the end of Book #1 Julep accidentally killed Tyler and she lost her best friend Sam, she saved a bunch of Ukrainian girls who were being human trafficked and made friends with Dani who is a well-known assassin and mob enforcer hitwoman. Julep has this time around a group of new helpers including Murphy, Brynn, and Lily. Lily though has her reasons for helping Julep which will become clear later on in the novel. This book is featured around the storyline of "the blue fairy" which was her mother's nickname and during the book - all clues seem to point to her mum and her mother's family which Julep is about to discover is a prominent crime family and Julep is heir to the family business. I also loved the discovery when we learned that her grandmother was closer to her life than she ever realized and hiding in plain sight. I loved all the hints in this book about Julep's mother and I hope that we may get answers one day about the whereabouts of Julep's mother as that would tie up the series nicely. Trust Me I'm Trouble is the perfect read for fans of books like Gallagher Girls / Heist Society by Ally Carter and Jennifer Lynn Barnes series The Fixer as it has adventure, mystery, and crime and of course a kick-arse teen cast.

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

*Received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*


Such a disappointing sequel, I was expecting something very different, and so sadly I had to DNF at 75%. But this cover is brilliant! It is so dark and mysterious.

After taking down a mob boss, Julep has had a nerve-wracking time ensuring she, and those around her are safe. But when she takes on a new case, Julep cannot help but become obsessed with 'the blue fairy'. But as Julep gets closer, the closer to danger she gets.

Julep. In this novel I still liked her character, which was why I stuck with it for so long. She was smart and witty, although caring and thoughtful too. However one of the key things I was hoping for in this sequel, after her boyfriend having died in the first novel, was that the team would be full of their friendship and trust development, and so therefore when the romance was thrown in, I just felt there was no need for it. The romance just completely took over the plot and so there was less of a focus on the mystery and danger.

Which leads me onto the plot, which felt was very overshadowed by the developing romance. The plot was rather slow, alongside not feeling like a novel about an teenage investigator. It was just not at all as addictive as the first novel for there was nothing that happened that made me surprised or wanting to read more. Not to mention some parts of the plot felt rather random.

Therefore sadly this sequel was certainly disappointing, for it just lacked any excitement and plot, whilst the romance took over too much.

[Colette · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book took me ages to get through. For some reason it just didn't catch me like the first book did. I hope the rest of the series gets better. Overall 1.5/5 stars; however, I would definitely recommend the first book in the series!

[kory. · Rating 1 out of 5]

#1 Trust Me, I'm Lying ★★★★★
#2 Trust Me, I'm Trouble ★☆☆☆☆

One) Veronica would never
Two) Everyone deserves better than Julep
Three) Ableism isn't cool

Okay, let's get into it.

I'm gonna start with this: if you're looking for a good f/f relationship *cough* because a popular YA author praised this book for having one *cough* you're going to be disappointed.

rep; julep (mc) is bisexual. dani (li) is a lesbian.

A sixteen year old con artist and a nineteen year old mob enforcer who don't even get together, who spend the whole book dancing around their feelings. There's a love confession and then the mob enforcer rejects the con artist because ~she deserves better. The mob enforcer spends the whole book bossing the con artist around, but it's cool because she's protecting her. I guess. They finally kiss at 93%, and then quickly fall out at 94%. The mob enforcer made a deal with the mob boss who wanted the con artist dead, so she has to leave the con artist to work for the mob boss again. The end. If you didn't know going in that there would be a "romance" between these two, then it'd probably feel out of nowhere when the love confession happens, to be honest. There's a "I've loved you my whole life. I just didn't know it" line that is fucking awful, gag me. There's a moment where the con artist says she can't be mad at the mob enforcer for something when she treats her best friend like shit and refuses to trust for less. The age difference makes their "romance" questionable, especially when you take into account how the mob enforcer notes that she's only three years older in age, but she's a lot older in experience. Meaning she basically was never a kid and seen some shit and is a murderer at nineteen years old. So, yeah, I don't know what the fuck about this "romance" deserved the praise I saw it getting.

There's a lot of reasons why I hate this book, but a big one is the ableism.

Obviously, there's the ever present ableist slurs, but this book kind of just goes well beyond that. Julep's first case is proving that someone is faking a disability for insurance. Because of course it is. And the idea that the person is actually disabled is literally the last possibility to enter her mind. Because of course it is. Julep thinks to herself that she shouldn't be making herself late to her internship over something "stupid like anxiety", because anxiety is so trivial and small that no one should just let it interfere with important things. Because that's how it works. Bryn pretends to be deaf during a con to get out of being caught. She pretends to be signing by just...doing random waggling or whatever of her hands. Because sign language is so nonsensical that just flailing your hands around will convince anyone you're actually using sign language. Julep jokes about how having contract out to kill her is a disability and Dani having to always be with her for protection is a side effect of her disability. When Julep is zoned out, she compared to a "vegetable". Julep calls a murderer "sick", because someone who is evil through and through MUST be mentally ill. Julep jokes about having agoraphobia. The book just isn't very disability friendly. As you can see, disabilities are either demonized, used for jokes, or tried on for cons. And that overall ableist vibe really affected my reading.

Now let's get into my list of other reasons why I hate this book.

• It became increasingly less believable for Julep to do everything she does. Renting an office and setting up her own P.I. firm? All her documents or licenses or whatever are fake, and I have a hard believing she's THAT good at forgery that none of the people she scammed questioned her. Usually I like these kinds of young characters, who have a skill and pretty much do what actual cops are supposed to, but it just became too far fetched in this book for me to enjoy it. Her age is also very apparent when she throws a tantrum whenever someone tries to protect her, especially her foster parents, and claims they're "ruining her life".
• Julep's insistence that she is the reason Tyler is dead is frustrating. Her thinking he died a hero is laughable. He takes up so much of her thoughts in this book, and I made myself clear about how much I hate his existence in my review of the first book.
• Julep takes credit for "taking down a mob boss" and "saving a hundred girls" as if it wasn't very much a team effort that would not have gone the way it did without the other players. The only time she acknowledges that it was a team effort is when those hundred girls show gratitude and think of her as a savior, because she's uncomfortable with that because she fancies herself an irredeemable criminal blah blah blah. But that doesn't stop her from again taking complete credit in her thoughts.
• Julep is just super annoying in this. She's a hypocrite for spouting "coincidences don't exist" bullshit, when she didn't think anything of two people suddenly entering her life and taking interest in her investigations. And for expecting people to keep her in the loop, while keeping others in the dark, and for hating the thought of being sent to a safe house, but ordering Angela and Mike to go to one. She's also just a joke. She again underestimates the people around her, dismissing them as threats, and trusting people after a sob story. She refuses to let herself fully trust those who actually are on her side, but she'll trust a stranger who she has no reason to and almost get herself killed because of it.
• Julep is also very cringeworthy in this book. For example, her thinking, "Caring too much is a one-way ticket to graveyards and good-byes." like, how jaded can you be? As if trusting the wrong people isn't what lead to Tyler dying and Sam leaving, but her caring about them.
• Julep gets mad whenever someone makes their own choices in the investigations and it's just...shitty. They can only risk their lives and freedom for her when she asks or manipulates them?
• About the night the hundred girls were saved, she says "I lost so much more than I saved that day. Tyler. Sam. My dad. Ralph." and??? She really thinks the death and disappearance of two people she cares about and the distance between her and two other people she cares about outweighs the life of one hundred innocent girls??? Just because those four people mean something to her personally, they're more valuable, their lives mean more, than one hundred innocent girls who were being forced into slavery? Really?
• When Julep finds out that Lily is Tyler's sister, she gets mad at Murphy for not telling her, when she never fucking bothered to ask Lily what her last name is before bringing her into the fold. She shows no interest in the personal lives of the people who risk their lives and freedom for her. Like, damn, Veronica could be a self centered sometimes, but not to this degree and she definitely did not blame others for not telling her things about those around her that she didn't care enough to ask about.
• Julep continues to treat Sam like complete garbage in this book. Like, Tyler literally handed her over to the mob and she forgave him instantly and now thinks of him as a hero, but Sam leaves because his father sends him away and to fucking find himself and promised to come back, which he follows through on, and she shuts him out? And when he's more guarded when he comes back, she gets mad and thinks she doesn't know him, because her Sam is a puppy, not a wall. Like, she can be a wall, but no one else can be? UGH. THEN. He's relieved that his best friend won't be getting involved with a murderer and her response is, "Don't get too comfy in your moral superiority, there, Sam. At least she stayed.” (not for long lolol) Because being an actual murderer is comparable to...leaving. Even Veronica, queen of trust issues, never held Wallace's leaving against him, nor did she hold his lying about why he came back against him. ALSO, ONE MORE TIME, LEAVING YOUR BEST FRIEND'S SIDE TO FIND YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE WITHOUT THEM AND YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH THEM AND THEY DON'T LOVE YOU IS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR COMPARABLE TO FUCKING MURDERER.
• When Sam dresses up like an up-to-no-good kid for a con, the words "gangster" and "thug" are used to describe him, and it made me wonder if it had been a white character if those words would have still been used. But then again, the whole point was to use the racist black-kid-in-a-hoodie-obviously-is-a-criminal stereotype to their advantage, so.
• Julep blames Dani being in a coma on Lily because she hadn't told Julep that the person who wanted her killed was her mother, but...Lily had been trying to contact Julep and guess what Julep did! She ignored her! Deemed her and whatever Lily had to say so unimportant that she not only ignored her, but then also just completely forgot that she was trying to get in touch with her. But sure, it's Lily's fault for not telling Julep.
• The cliffhanger. I'm not really mad there isn't a third book, honestly, because I wouldn't read it. This one pissed me off too much for me to even think about sticking around for more. But I was waiting for them to realize that the numbers Julep got were the encryption key, so for the book to end with them entering the password without revealing what's on the drive is so fucking infuriating and cheap.

Not even the queer main character and love interest can save this from a one star.

[Dory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trust Me, I'm trouble is Mary Elizabeth Summers second book in her thrilling series. Each one getting better than the last. This review will sound critical, but you don’t know that I would hand deliver these books right to your doorstep so you would have a chance to read these great works! TRUST ME, IM TROUBLE was a book that was hard to get into due to having almost a year between reading TRUST ME, IM LYING and TRUST ME, IM TROUBLE. Yet, as soon as you remember who the characters and exactly how the plot when down in the previous book, then you will have no problem hopping into this great YA thriller.



A lot of time Mary Summers makes it feel as if there was too much going on in the plot. It’s not a terribly complex plot, but for the 300 pages it goes by far too fast. It wasn't uncommon for me to have to reread paragraphs to fully comprehend what’s going on, and it doesn't help that occasionally doesn't elaborate on significant events and facts. It happens too quick, making it so much harder for this fan girl brain to process. I also found this a problem in book one, though it improved through TRUST ME, IM TROUBLE.



MES writing styles is not one of my favorites to read, she tends to tell than show. It was common enough that I felt that a sentence, or even an entire paragraph needed to be edited drastically or just cut out completely. The voice Summer used in this book did suit Juleps character very well, as it was told in her perspective. I’ll give you credit for that, the voice was done well.



The characters Mary Elizabeth Summer creates have always been fascinating, I really wish some of them (Sam) had more page time. She develops her characters with such talent, there wasn’t a single character that didn’t have a back story, a single character that wasn’t paper thin with the depth of their personality. I wanted to read much more about the, I hope book three is much longer to allow for more character development with all these characters. Duke, her dad, her mum, Sister Rasmussen, Lily, Julep, Sam, Murphy, Bryn, Dani, Angela, Mike Ramirez, Victoria Febbi and so much more! Each on plays an important role in it all, it’s amazing how Mary manages all of this.



Lesbihonest, it surprised me a bit. It wasn’t very Julep of her. Especially with Dani, who was more of a parental or sisterly figure until this unnecessary romance was thrown in. It felt like the author wanted to add romance that was related to her (MES has a wife, it’s hard not to know when you read the acknowledgements and the authors about me, especially after wanting to just read more!). The romance didn’t suit Julep, let alone the plot. The romance created a distraction from the thrilling story. I'd say go for it, but it’s clear that the romance would ruin their amazing friendship.



Julep has lost most of her edgy, emotion free criminal behavior, yet she still acts as if she has it. It’s not who Julep has developed to be. She kept playing the part instead of being the part. In general, Julep has became a tad annoying at moments in TRUST ME, IM TROUBLE. She really needs to sit down and think about who she is and how she should behave to match.



Sam was such a cutie. It was clear that he still loves Julep, but how he cares for Julep is so adorable. Through TRUST ME, IM TROUBLE, each one of Sam’s moves are sweet as sugar. HE shows his love again and again for Julep and it hurts that he didn’t have a chance with Tyler and Dani around. I wish I could have a friend just like Sam, especially with that scene on the L, which was it for me. I was beyond the stars with Sam.



Plot twists. The 'great' reveal behind Mr. Antolinis numbers was not a surprise as soon as sheAadila indicated she couldn’t beat a code out of brain dead guy in prison. I hate repeating myself, but this is another case where I wished TRUST ME, IM TROUBLE was longer, this is one of the many scenes which were key but only lasted a page or two. There were plenty of plot twists and great reveals, and this one was the only one I could foresee. Mary Summer knew how to surprise and to keep her readers engaged with her mystery.



This amazing sequel had me in once I understood what was going on, if you read on soon after another, then you definitely would’ve enjoyed this to the MAX! With the two mysteries going on, there is never a page which you aren’t reading with extreme addiction. Where there is action, Mary Elizabeth Summers holds nothing back. She is the one at the cliff side where you grip onto the edge with your fingers. Summers doesn’t pull you up to safety and comfort with TRUST ME, IM TROUBLE, she pries each finger off one by one until you fall. Sometimes you’ll live, sometimes you’ll end with another wound in your heart. If you read TRUST ME, IM LYING, then wait no more for TRUST ME, IM TROUBLE.



I forgot my review notes in my locker, so y'all are stuck with looking at THESE FIVE STARS!

[Kozmomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book sequels can be spotty—either really good, eh okay or completely horrible, but they’re never usually better than the first book. Trust me, I’m Trouble, the sequel to Trust Me, I’m Lying, completely blew me away. It had me like:



This book completely dominated the first one! The first book was good, but it wasn’t my favorite. I liked it enough to buy the second book, and I’m SO glad that I did! The second book made me fall in LOVE with the series, and has me rooting for a third.

Heroine: Julep Dupree is this witty, yet guarded grifter aka con artist with a heart of gold. She’s determined, clever and kick-as* in her own way. Even with her world falling down around her feet, she’s mentally strong and determined to make it through and do whatever needs to be done. I found her very relatable, and just plain awesome!

My favorite thing about her is her love and dedication to the people around, even though she tries her best to hide her true feelings. Julep tries to be callous, thinking it’s better to push people away and not let anyone get to close since she’s a criminal, and has made so many bad mistakes. But as the novel progresses, she realizes that her friends and family love her for who she is and always will.

Julep shows a lot of character growth in this book. At the beginning, she’s juggling with the madness from the events in the first book, and carrying massive guilt. We definitely see a major change in her from beginning to end, which I REALLY enjoyed because Julep didn’t show much growth at the end of the first book.

Overall, I love Julep! She makes being a con artist look so much fun and I got a definite girl crush on her!




Read the rest of my review here: http://bookstacked.com/reviews/book-r...

[Cassandra (Thebookishcrypt) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
"If I could give fledling con artists one piece of advice, it would be this: tacos."
SOLD! (Tacos are my ultimate food weakness) I am now a fledling con artist, right?
Anyway, that is just a sneak peek of how amazing Mary's writing is. I am obsessed with her story telling skills. Her characters are incredibly realistic and her plots are mind racking.
This book was hilarious, suspenseful, action-packed and heart-breaking.
I am still in mourning over one of my favorite characters from book 1. Every time Mary mentioned their name, I felt it like a blow to my chest. Just like it felt for Jupep, I am sure. I cried so much over it, it wasn't pretty. I felt the weight on her shoulders on mine as well.
I loved the diverse romance in this story. It was beautiful and heart-warming.
I got a little mad at Mary while reading this. Only because I kept promising myself I would go to sleep after I finished a chapter, and if you know how she ends her chapters, it was impossible. So, I had to resort to going to sleep in the middle of a chapter.
I guessed who was behind the contract on Julep immediately and the other shady characters. I think I guessed the other characters because Mary succeeded in making me double-guess everybody. And I mean EVERYBODY.
Also, that cliffhanger is killing me. I need the next book in my hands soon!
"Ghosts don't haunt people. Guilt does."

[The Book Jar Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read more of our reviews at: www.thebookjarblog.wordpress.com

This book is a fun mystery-action with a really strong YA protagonist. Do you ever find a character who you wish could be your best friend? Julep is that one for me! She's spunky, feisty and she honest (well as honest as a con-artist can be). This book takes off right where the first one ends with Julep getting into sticky situations that she probably shouldn't be in. The writing is fresh and quick with a lot of great scenes that are laugh out loud. I really enjoyed Julep's friend Dani who was introduced at the end of the last book. This book is a great mystery read that keeps you on your toes and wishing you knew more.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book jeez. It started off terribly and I mean terrible. But as soon as we git o the part of the blurb the book turned around. I love Julep as a bisexual character and it was written so well. So many grifters too anazing. I love all the plot twists and new characters. I love that Julep's enemy in the first book (Sister Rasmussen) is her grandma is so cool. Love addition of Sam and her mother's relationship too.first confrontation with Spade was stupid. I miss Dani now too. The Blue Fairy needs answers. This was just amazing.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more! Head onto it right now for a giveaway of this marvellous story!

Mary Elizabeth Summer has once again done it. AGH. Trust Me, I'm Trouble, is one of those books that you'll adore even if there are some boring parts, which there had been. It's enjoyable, fresh and takes place right after the bat after the first book, which I really enjoyed. What could you expect from this glorious novel? Action, pleasure and a full-on mystery, from the perspective of your most favourite protagonist in the world, Julep Dupree. She has begun it again, and all went well as I began to get to know her more and more to the point where she turned out to be more kick-ass than the first novel. I loved her personality more than ever.



This sequel continues from where the first novel left readers off at, and it's basically the aftermath of the whole Tyler situation and everything that was put in between. Julep is taking risks after everyone basically discovered the whole truth about her and her life, and things are kind of getting worse as the situation expands into something not-so-good. At the same time, she's not dealing with any kind of romance whatsoever throughout this whole sequel, except for the fact that her friendship with her best friend is getting strange.

"Your concept of good and evil is so skewed as to be almost worthless. Your hands are clean, and whether you believe it or not, you are a good person." (64%)

My most favourite thing is that Julep is your ordinary teenager. Yes, Summer has the characters dealing with crime and mobs and con artists, but nothing is taken too far that the book seems like it's going to fall apart. No. Our female protagonist is an ordinary sixteen year old at the same time—she's basically living life with a few issues that are quite different than any ordinary teenagers may have in modern society today. But then again, we all have different issues that contemplate different perspectives and things. The whole story is pretty interesting as a majority.



I'm a huge fan of this writing. It's witty, smart and unique, but there were some flaws as every book has. I got bored here and there and found it as a more slower way to continue the series, leaving me to really wonder if it was right for this to become a series. That's my only concern, but it did effect my view on the whole book by the end because I found it dragging. I'm not sure if there's going to be any kind of sequel in the future, another third book or whatever, because I'm sure it's not a great idea at all. But I obviously did enjoy it after all.

This most definitely was a strong, booming story. It leaves an impact on us readers and we're pulled to research more, think more and love more of the story than we initially expected that we would. There's tons of wit and unique themes focused on throughout the whole story, but to me, the most important thing is that I could somewhat connect and relate to it, even if I hadn't been stuck in the main character's life at first. All in all, it was very well done and I recommend it to all, lovers of the first or not. This is your chance to see a magnificent Julep.

[Stephanie Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

'Trust Me, I'm Trouble' is the riveting second book in a young adult suspense series. The story continues to follow our main character, Julep, as she goes about her normal teenage life - along with her side business of taking cases for those who need her services and continuing to con people. She's still attending St. Agatha's, which is a miracle in her eyes - seeing how she recently took down a mob boss and accidentally getting the school's golden boy killed. A new case presents itself to Julep - one where she has to infiltrate a secret organization, and finds out that her mother and the mysterious blue fairy might be connected to it. On top of the case, there are new dangers facing Julep - including a hit contract someone has put out on her. She's still missing Sam and has only Dani to turn to - which probably leads her into more trouble than she needs. Julep has to solve this case fast and figure out the connection between her mother, the blue fairy, and this secret organization before someone takes her out - for good.

I'm a huge fan of mysteries and thrillers, and I loved the first book - so I was incredibly excited to read this second novel in the series. This book was fantastic and far better than I ever imagined for a second installment. Julep is still an intriguing main character - she's still an anti-hero; on the one hand being a con artist and criminal and on the other she's trying to help solve important cases. The novel is told from Julep's point of view - which was the perfect way to tell the story. Since it's first person, the narrative is conversational in tone - which makes it incredibly easy to slip into the story and feel like you know the character on a personal level. I absolutely loved Julep's snarky attitude. Her inner dialogue, thoughts, and conversations with others throughout the book are a perfect fit with what I imagined for her. She's a smart, talented and determined girl who knows how to get results.

The book was incredibly well written with a really quick pace and lots of twists and turns that you don't see coming. I always love trying to figure out the mystery before the characters do, but this one had me stumped for quite a long time - which doesn't normally happen. There was so much going on at the same time and at a fast pace - it definitely kept me on my toes and reading as fast as I could to see what was going to happen next. With the addition of this second installment, this is by far one of the best YA thriller/mysteries that I've read this year - and possibly ever - and I very highly recommend it to fans of the genre. disappointed. This is definitely an author to keep an eye on, and I can't wait to see what she will come out with next!

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Abooktopia · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://abooktopia.weebly.com


Trust Me, I’m Trouble is an incredibly engaging, sassy, intense and wonderfully written entertaining mystery filled with adventure and the perfect blend of bittersweet romance. – Abooktopia

This book was a riveting sequel that I loved with its sassy and incredibly entertaining characters. Trust Me, I’m Trouble, is a beautiful young adult suspense series that continues to follow our main protagonist, Julep, as she continues to go about her seemingly ‘normal’ life whilst being a grifter, or better known, con artist. After following her father’s footsteps in running schemes after her mother had abandoned her and her father, Julep has a new case to solve where she must infiltrate a secret cult organisation that may be connected to her mother and the famed Blue Fairy. However, there are new dangers lurking in the shadows, including the fact that her head is now a target on a hit contract.

One of the many great things I love about Julep’s character is how she is an anti-hero for she is not only a con artist and a criminal, but she solves important worthwhile cases. The story is told through her perspective throughout the entire book, which is a perfect way to introduce the story as I quite enjoy the conversational tone of a first person perspective as it allows one to easily slip straight into the story. This book kept me on my toes with its fast pace and twists as you watch Julep grow and learn from her mistakes as she came to realise that ignoring your problems doesn’t make them go away, and that just because you wish to believe that someone still has good within them, does not always mean that they will change who they are.

The bittersweet romance was of the perfect blend in this sequel as the author gave us something we didn’t know that we needed. I adored how Julep has a potential romance with Dani, where her bisexuality is bought to the surface, as Dani understands some of the things Julep has been through. I love how she won’t dare push Julep into opening up until she is ready to leave her comfort zone, willingly. It was also incredibly entertaining to watch the two characters skirt around each other and to see that Dani was just as closed off as Julep. I enjoyed how the book ended with the strong ending with each chapter getting better than the last.

***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***

[Kylara Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am absolutely horrible at reading sequels, especially YA sequels. Even books I super love, not to mention books I like or books that are ok. It's just, I read so many books and months go by before the sequel comes out and by then I'm just not really interested anymore.

I love books about con artists and thieves etc. and I liked Trust Me, I'm Lying. Unfortunately I don't remember it super well, but I remembered enough to start this book. Which feels very different than the first book, but like I said, I don't remember Book 1 very well. The good news is, this book does a good job of recapping everything that happened.

Julep is an amazing main character. She has grown and changed so much. I love how she is so strong and competent, but still vulnerable and learning. In this book she acknowledges that there is so much she doesn't know/can't do. She is coming to terms with having friends and family and that she can open her heart to love. And she is defining herself as more than just a grifter. It's really sweet actually. Just an awesome character journey.

That's not to say the plot of this book isn't super exciting, because it is. I wavered between trusting no one and trusting everyone. I was surprised by the ending, but I probably should have seen it coming.

The one thing though, is for a book about a con artist there wasn't a lot of grifting in this book. Thieving and spying yes, grifting no. I love how she is a criminal turned Private Investigator and her detective skills aren't really honed yet. It's real, how she doesn't quite know what she's doing and how she's super affected by her emotions because she basically has had her whole life turned upside down and I wouldn't be surprised if she has PTSD.

Anyway, despite the lack of grifting and poor detective skills, I enjoyed the plot. And I love Julep's team. I'm always a fan of ensembles.

Let me just take a moment to say I really liked the developing relationship between Julep and Dani. F/f ftw, lol. I really liked that she isn't suddenly defining herself as a lesbian. While she didn't label herself at all, she could be bi or pansexual and it's really good that we see more labels than straight and gay.

[Bea (Beatrice Learns To Read) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Random House Children’s via NetGalley for my participation in the blog tour. By no means have my review been affected and/or influenced.

OMG!!!!! WORDS MY CAN’T FIND I— Trust Me, I’m Trouble just put the series to a whole new level and I’m still hyped after reading it! More plot twists, more romance, more everything!

Months after the events from Trust Me, I’m Lying, we’re taken back to Julep’s world of grifting. With Sam gone to military school, Julep sets up a PI firm with Murphy as her minion. When a client walks in and asks her to investigate an organization called New World Initiatives, she is asked to be a find the “blue fairy”. Julep thinks coincidence doesn’t exist but the blue fairy seems to be related to her mother.

I have to say, this book is seriously unputdownable. Everything is interesting from the first page down to the last. Especially the last! But before I talk about that, let me talk about the plot first. Trust Me, I’m Trouble is a book with a thick layer of plot twists. A lot of surprises that I didn’t see coming, a lot of mystery that unravels itself in a way you wouldn’t expect and how everything seem connected is just wow. I really commend the author’s way of plotting how the whole story would go.

Then we have the characters, we’ve seen them in the first book but in TMIT, you get to see more. You can see Julep’s development from who she was in TMIL and who she is now. You can see her struggles and guilt which makes her more of a strong character. I also have to mention that the racially diverse characters are evident and I love that they have major roles in the story.

Another thing is the romance. It took a shift in a way I wasn’t expecting. At first when I noticed Julep acting “weird” I kind of sensed where it was headed and when it was confirmed that it took that direction, my heart broke a little *spoiler: highlight with cursor to view* for Sam but, I still found myself grinning whenever Julep can’t control her feels LOL.

And before I forget… that ending. Please, tell me there’s a third book. Is there? I NEED MORE!!!

I would honestly put this on my “Books I recommend” list and you should add it on your TBR, pronto.

[Tiffani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trust Me, I'm Trouble is the second book in a series by Mary Elizabeth Summer about a young grifter who goes by the name Julep Dupree. It picks up not long after the events of the first book, Trust Me, I'm Lying, with Julep now living with a foster family and grieving over the loss of a friend. She's still taking on cases only now her client base extends beyond the halls of her private Catholic high school. When a woman asks for her help in finding out how her husband became an embezzler, Julep knows she should walk away. She doesn't of course, not even when it requires her to infiltrate a shady "leadership" organization. When her new case appears to be connected to her long lost mother, Julep is even more drawn in. Pretty soon it isn't clear who's the con and who's the mark.

Between vacation and National Novel Writing Month in November (my fourth year participating) I inadvertently took some time off from reading books. Trust Me, I'm Trouble was what I picked up when I started reading again and it was exactly what I needed. It's a smart, young adult mystery with some unexpected romance thrown in. It has a great main character in Julep (though I did get a little tired of her self-recrimination over the events from the first book). Julep straddles the line between criminal and hero well, helping others, helping herself and always trying to protect the people around her. The plot was well executed. It had more twists and turns than a roller coaster. Overall it was a very good read and exactly what I was looking for when I started reading again. I don't know what the plans are for this series, but I'm hoping there is more to come.

[Jim Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julep is back in a book that, like her first appearance, is a fun read which kept me entertained. I have to admit I think overall I preferred the first - this one was too implausible even for me at times - but on the plus side the romance here, as she falls for another girl, is wonderful and I loved seeing them together. As in book 1, the main story is tied up but there's a huge twist for J at the end. If there's a 3rd, I'll definitely read.

[Julie Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this sequel to Trust Me, I'm Lying, Julep Depree is still running cons and getting closer to figuring out what happened with her mother. The mystery and the cons are the stars of the book. I love Julep when she is planning and executing a con. I had no idea the real culprit and did not guess that twist at the end of the book. The only (and I do mean only) problem with the book was the relationship between Dani and Julep. My difficulty is not with the fact that it is a same-sex relationship. The problem is that the relationship seems forced - like the author is trying to be cutting edge. However, it just doesn't fit with Julep's personality as established in the first book. I felt it made Julep a weaker character and love should make a person stronger. I'm glad Sam was back in this book, and I enjoyed the addition of Lily. I hope to read more and find out the mystery of Julep's mother.

[Kayla Sharee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will admit, I could have had a better attitude about this. I remember really liking Trust Me, I'm Lying the first time I read it. But the second time I felt more meh, and since I was feeling meh about the first one, I wasn't really looking forward to reading this one right afterwards. I think now, that if I had read the back flap about the author first, I would have been able to predict Julep's new love interest for this novel. Unfortunately I didn't, and felt a little blind-sided/confused. Julep was pretty into Tyler, so I have no idea how this really happened. Anyway. It was a fine book, but it's unlikely that I'll continue with the series. I think what I wanted from this book was Heist Society, and what I got was definitely not that.

[Jannia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an okay book however it had way to much unnecessary detail. I feel like the character was missing that one special feature that connects with the reader. I really wish she would have felt more feelings for Sam like I get it he left you but he came back and you have know him forever. Also not enough Dani background like if she is suppose to be like making the reader fall in love like Julep she is doing a terrible job at it because she is really cold. I really wish Tyler hadn't died in the first book because romance went out the window. BTB
Bring
Tyler
Back

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up until way after 4am to finish this book because I kept telling myself I'd just read one more chapter. I love Julep and her Minions, I love the humor and the romance, and I'm still reeling from that ending. I honestly did not see that coming... This book was both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time, and I can't wait to see where this is all going to lead.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those rare, but beautiful times where a sequel is better than the original. The original was great, but this took it up a few notches. The characters were more comfortable, I think, and while Julep retains that youthful voice, she's more sure of herself, too.

Loved it!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this sequel as much. I didn't care for the romance twist and I got a bit lost with the plot probably because it didn't hold my interest enough to read it in a day like I usually do with most books. If it's easy for me to put down and forget about it....

[Fayrouz]

OCTOBER?????? OCTOBER WHAT????? I WANT THIS NOW I DON’T EVEN CARE

[Rohan Kinraid]

I NEED THIS BOOK NOW!!!!!