REVIEW: Trust Me, I’m Trouble by Mary Elizabeth Summer

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.

The Blurb:

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 that her long-gone mother and the enigmatic blue fairy may be connected to. 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.

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!

Hero: It’s probably best if I leave her love interest a secret, but it’s someone really sweet. Someone who can handle Julep’s lifestyle, and always there when Julep needs them to be.

Baddie(s): The bad guys sort of took me by surprise or at least one did. That rarely ever happens! *Applause to the author* Very well-developed villains, but a predictable motive, yet still didn’t see it coming.

Highs:

Diversity: Diversity is a big thing in YA books right now, and this book does a good job at representing it. Multiple POCs and LGBT characters.

Supporting Cast: I love the secondary characters in the book! Julep’s BFF, Sam, is strong and cute. He’s always saying these funny lines that have me laughing out loud. Also, I love the banter that goes on between him and Julep. You can definitely tell that they love each other a lot, and have a tight bond.

Julep’s foster parents, Mike and Angela, are great parental figures for Julep. There’s tension between Julep and her foster parents at times, which adds a great humor element to the story.

Julep’s other friends/posse: Lily, Murphy and Brynn all have funny dialogue and just really bring out the best in Julep.

Romance: Very sweet romance arc. The romance doesn’t dominate the book, but it does add to the plot, and the reader gets to see another side of Julep that we didn’t really see in the first book.

Voice: For Julep, the author did an amazing job developing her voice. When I was reading, I could picture Julep speaking to me. It was amazing! I can say the same for the rest of the characters. All very well-developed and all had their own unique voices.

Favorite Quote:

“What are you doing here?” Lily hisses.

“Ow,” he says. I smile at the mental image of Lily throwing her shoe at him. “Same as you, obviously. Thought I’d take a look around Sister Rasmussen’s office while Bryn’s at Val’s party. Holy Crap! Did you see the letter from the bank?

“Hit him again, Lily,” I say.

“Ow!” he says as she complies.

Lows:

None that I could think of, except the book ends on a MAJOR cliffhanger and there’s no info on whether there will be a third book 🙁

There NEEDS to be another book!

Crying Scale: 1/10: If you’re invested in the romance arc of the book, the ending might make you cry.

Overall, A+ novel! You can definitely read this book without reading the first book, Trust Me, I’m Lying. The author does a great job of filling the reader in on the events from the first book. I can’t tell you how much I loved this book. It’s definitely one of my favorite reads of 2015!