Trust Me

May 4, 2015
Lorrimer’s (Obsession) romantic thriller is short on romance and weak on suspense. Toni, a magazine editor’s assistant, meets wealthy playboy Justin at a London party, and within a few weeks they decide to marry. Her parents ask them to wait until the end of the year, so they take a trip to Spain in lieu of their planned honeymoon. There Justin flirts with another woman, leading Toni to doubt their relationship. In turn, Toni makes eyes at Aaron, a temporarily paralyzed man who was injured in a skiing accident that killed his wife. When food poisoning lands Toni in the hospital, she gets to know Aaron while Justin flies home for a golfing expedition. Toni constantly mulls over her jealousy toward Justin and friendship with Aaron, which drastically slows the pace, but all this introspection makes her no less naive. Meanwhile, readers know what she doesn’t: Aaron killed his wife in that supposed accident. Endless complications pile up into an untidy heap of an ending.

July 1, 2015
Lorrimer's (Obsession, 2013) latest takes an intriguing risk: we know from the start that Aaron is a stone-cold killer guilty of premeditated murder, though that can't be proven once he is seriously injured in the accident that kills his wealthy wife. Readers will also quickly deduce that Jason, Toni's fiance, is an immature boy-man given to temper flare-ups and weaseling out of responsibility, and that their bond is physical rather than the sort of love that brings about time-tested compatibility. Since many agree that trust is a major, if not the major, underpinning of love, and Toni's choices are between an irresponsible boy in man's clothing and a murderer, albeit a seemingly charming, attentive, and sensitive one, what sort of love story is this? The great devotion between Toni's parents is sweet and admirable, but is Toni capable of such loyalty? It all grows curiouser and curiouser, and rapt readers will wonder if Lorrimer's clever ending will lead to a sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)