What an epic psychological thriller this this!!!! I finished it in one day, that's how much I loved it. Twists, turns, red herrings, it has it all. The ending ....... Just WOW.

S.M. Govett’s debut novel, Believe, is a masterclass in psychological suspense that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story follows Natalie, a deeply layered and complex protagonist trying to piece her life back together after being raped. But her journey is far from straightforward—she suffers from blackouts, losing chunks of time, while her unfaithful husband Ryan faces his dark accusations. When the victim of Ryan's alleged assault is found dead and Ryan himself becomes the next victim, the twists and turns escalate with breathtaking intensity.

The ability to create an atmosphere of doubt and tension is phenomenal. Just when I thought I had figured out who was behind the murders, another revelation would shatter my theories. The characters feel raw and real, and the way the author navigates themes of trauma, trust, and deception is gripping and deeply affecting.

If you love psychological thrillers that keep you guessing until the final page, Believe is a must-read. S.M. Govett has delivered a debut novel that is chilling, unpredictable, and utterly unforgettable. I can’t wait to see what they write next!

A gripping debut novel which had me hooked to a very amazing ending! Two strong female characters that tell their separate stories until a murder brings them together. Fantastic thriller. Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy

When Natalie's husband is accused of rape it triggers trauma from her past and starts off a brilliant storyline of who do you actually believe! A brilliant debut psychological thriller! I was hooked from the beginning to the end. Highly recommended.

Nothing prepared me for the excellence of this book.
Thrilling on an epic scale this chilling story weaves an intricate and terrifying journey that will leave you shocked to your core.
It is simply non-stop in delivering moments of jaw dropping storytelling with an ending so horrifyingly perfect it takes your breath away.
100% Highly recommended and without doubt worthy of 5 Stars.
Could this be the book of the year?
I believe it could be.
Perfect.

A fantastic debut novel. I thought the plot was really well written I couldn't put it down. I couldn't work out who's truth to believe.
Highly recommended.

I was lucky enough to receive this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was said to be a gripping psychological thriller, but it didn’t meet my expectations. This book follows Natalie Campbell who has had a traumatic past, her husband story becomes intertwined with a woman who has recently been found murdered, but who is the real killer? This story also follows a subplot going on for our detective. I found this storyline didn’t add much to the story and made it more confusing than anything. I wish it stuck solely to the main focus of the story without adding extra layers that weren’t needed. It was by no means a bad book, but it just didn’t grip me as much as I wanted it to. I wish the plot twists shocked me a bit more. Up until the 60/70% I was intrigued so that’s why I have rated it 3 stars!

A gripping read.
Well worth a five star review from me!
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Wow this book blew me away. A perfect mix between a main character POV and a detective POV where I actually wanted to know more about both each changing chapter. This book kept me guessing the whole way through with carefully placed clues and red herrings and then twists which kept me glued to the page. An amazing psychological thriller which keeps the reader in suspense the whole way along.

An excellent psychological thriller, gripping and engaging. It's packed with explosive moments and surprises. I liked the slow build up of suspense. It's written from two viewpoints, Natalie (haunted by a past event) and Stratton (a police detective whose sister has gone missing).
Highly recommended as it's extremely intriguing. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
,

Was "Believe" the "EDGE-OF-YOUR-SEAT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER" I was promised? Not really! But I do admit it was quite a page-turner. I read long into the night and even in the car (despite being somewhat carsick!).

Is this a good book with huge literary value? No, absolutely not. Quite lot of telling and not showing, quite a lot of unnecessary swearing, quite a lot of one-dimensional characters - actually none of the characters I cared about!.. And yet is this book a good entertainment? Yes, I will give it 4 out of 5 for entertainment and, despite the actual villain being not even near one of my own suspects, I still think the reveal was quite meh.

There are much better books and much better psychological thrillers out there, but, considering "Believe" was a debut novel, I will give it strong three stars.

One last thing... "Believe"? Could the marketing team/editors not come up with something more exciting?

I couldn't put this down! It was twisty and turny and although I kept feeling like I'd figured it out, I remained just a little behind a t all times, right up to the end. A very satisfying read.

Thank you for my review copy - all views my own.

This was a gripping story that I finished within 2 days and I didn’t want to put it down. I couldn’t help but try work out the truth behind the twisting tales as I read… I had a list of possible suspects but the story kept you guessing right until the end and constantly changing; what seemed certain was suddenly uncertain many times!

The style of writing was great, flipping between two female leads, both of whom were very different and had distinct characters brought to life through the writing. I was a little saddened by some of the events on behalf of the characters (I’m also a sucker for a happy ended deep down!) but that all added to the hard-hitting and emotive narrative.

Overall, a fantastic, gripping and twisty story.

A well- written psychological thriller which kept me guessing until the end. Bit slow-paced to start, but I was quickly engrossed. Highly recommended!

A great who done it thriller.
Bit slow to start with but i soon became engrossed.
Twists and turns galore.
Exciting and well worth reading.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

I was really surprised to discover this was debut novel after I’d finished reading , this is one of the best crime thrillers I’ve read in ages.

Nathalie has spent the last decade trying to get over two horrific events. After being subjected to a harrowing sexual assault in the law firm where she worked, her boss was then found not guilty for taping her. Nathalie has made efforts, with the support of her husband, to rebuild her life and has shrunk her life to make it more manageable as she is still haunted by flashbacks and severe psychological symptoms. However , she is managing until once again, her world is upended when her husband Ryan is accused of raping a co-worker.

This was a super read. Tightly plotted, well written and paced , that kept me turning pages late into the night and kept me guessing right up to the conclusion. So many layers, great characterisation and a well told story. There’s potential for further books featuring one of the main characters. I hope this is the case, I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
4-4.5

A bit of slow burner but glad I persevered, I struggled with Natalie's character the build up was dragged out, but when DI Stratton was introduced I loved her character and as the story is told from both of them I am glad I didn't give up.
Natalie has had trauma in the past and is like a bag of nerves blacking out and losing time whenever triggered, she was a victim 10 years previous but he was found not guilty. Now her husband has been accused of the same thing, does she stand by him or leave., Someone is sending her anonymous notes and she thinks she knows who!
Stratton has a Newby Fasttrack detective working with her to solve the murder of a young woman and it leads them to Natalie's door.
So many twists and turns and an ending I didn't see coming at all
I'd like to see more of Stratton in future books

WOW I really enjoyed Believe Me Now (kindle edition) a debut psychological Whodunit crime thriller by S.M. Govett title also known as Believe. S.M. Govett has also co-written T.I.M. on Netflix about an A1 humanoid. Release date for Believe is 19th June 2025.

Natalie survives the trauma of the verdict of a court trial which involved her boss assaulting her and getting of scott free which leaves her experiencing episodes of blackouts with no memory of what occured at the time.

Natalie's husband Ryan commits the same assault but this time the victim ends up dead and Ryan is accused of murder. DI Stratton and fast track Bradley are on the case.

DI Stratton's older sister's body has never been found and believed to have been murdered many years ago. Stratton's heart jumps a beat everytime a body of a dead young woman turns up with a tattoo.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️FIVE STAR BOOK REVIEW⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s only 8 days in but think I may have found my Book of the Year! 😳

Psychological Thriller at its best and to think this is an adult fiction debut for @sarahgovett

Not released until June and am very lucky that @netgalley allowed me to read and review.

Natalie and Ryan are happy with their marriage but haunted by Natalie’s past. But life takes a turn when Ryan is accused of the one thing that haunts them. Twists twists and more twists and I 💯 did NOT see that ending coming.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

If you do one thing this week or this month then please pre order this book!

This book had me gripped from the start! I loved both the main characters, despite being very different! The book is written from both their perspectives and chapters alternate between the 2, but they are super easy to follow, the timeline slightly overlapping.

I thought I had the plot figured out, but a few twists threw me off, it wasn’t until near the end I figured it out!

This was such a good book, I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.