The book centres on Natalie Campbell, who was abused and experiences PTSD-related blackouts, and her husband Ryan, who is charged with a crime. Detective Helen Stratton looks into the situation while Natalie finds it difficult to believe her husband is innocent. As they work through a terrifying and perplexing case, both ladies are plagued by memories of prior experiences in what turns into a genuine edge of the seat thriller.

Wow! His was world's away from anything I've come across before. It's told from multiple povs and the way the points of view bith build up this amazing, complex plot really was masterfully done. It is obviously dealing with a very sensitive topic and I think it's been done well. It had me guessing throughout and even when I started to think I had it sussed, by the next page then I'm 2nd guessing everything all over again. It's definitely quite complex but we'll written in a way that makes it all build into such a captivating story. The characters are all pretty loathsome but again, they're written to be that and they fulfil their role perfectly. A really good book that will make you think more than once

I have tried hard to get into this book but have not been able to engage with it unfortunately. The characters are difficult to get to know and like.

I may try again but for now I am not going to finish it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

Natalie’s reliving a nightmare.

10 years ago she was raped at work by a senior colleague. Ever since, she’s been a shadow of her former self - she can’t go for another job in an office, she barely leaves the house - oh and there’s the blackouts.

Luckily she has her gorgeous husband Ryan - he might leave his protein shakes on the side, he might think just a little too much about his career - but he loves her. Doesn’t he?

That is until she comes home to find him with a colleague. A young, beautiful colleague. And they look friendly - more than friendly.

This is when the new nightmare begins. Alice accuses Ryan of rape. History is repeating itself - but this time it’s worse, and less than a day later Alice’s body is found near Ryan and Natalie’s house. Neither have an alibi. Ryan went for a run, Natalie found herself outside after a black out. But who can we trust and who could be guilty?

If you love an unreliable narrator and plenty of twists and turns, this book’s thé one for you. Well written and gripping, it’s a great engaging read.

I went into his book blind, I couldn’t decide which NetGalley book to start and I decided to go with ‘Believe’, also referred to as ‘Believe Me Now’, based on its glowing Goodreads ratings. The world of Believe focuses on Natalie, Ryan and Helen, and how their lives become intrinsically linked because of a shared traumas, a rape allegation, a murder, and escalating mysteries.

I was gripped from the first page. We are introduced to Natalie’s fragile life. Things seem safe and unassuming at home, but the more the reader is immersed into her life, the more the cracks start to show. She’s afraid of working in an office again, why? Her husband and best friend don’t like each other, why? She receives a mysterious, threatening letter, from who? She can’t believe it’s happening again, but what happened the first time round?

As we are still trying to process Natalie’s revelations, we are introduced to Helen Stratton. Stratton is an inspector for the Murder Investigation Team, but like Natalie, she has cracks in her life that she’s just about holding together. Her sister has been missing for nearly 30 years and no one knows if she’s dead or alive, her mam is in a nursing home with dementia and her own traumas, and her relationship with her boss is questionable.

Govett weaves the tense storylines and with the emotional turmoil in these characters' lives, intertwining the chilling mystery of a body found in the woods with the ever-looming puzzle of Stratton’s missing sister. As Natalie’s life begins to spiral out of control, her anxiety grows, fueled by terrifying blackouts and a growing sense that the truth is slipping further from her grasp. With Stratton looming ever closer, a determined and intense presence, the lines between loyalty, fear, and obsession blur, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, Govett throws in her final twist.

I absolutely loved how every time I was sure I’d figured out this book it threw a curveball that showed I was completely wrong! It was super twisty and I honestly could not stop reading! The story is interesting and the characters are brilliantly written!

S M Govett has hit the track at full speed with this fast paced debut. A complex thriller, I’ve whipped through this gripped by the unexpected. One slight reservation; there is bad language and I felt it was pushed perhaps a little too far. Sometimes less is more, but I skipped over that usage having got the gist and it didn’t detract totally from the story.

Natalie’s life has been shaped by a misjustice. She was assaulted and the assailant was founded not guilty. Subsequently she suffers blackouts and was clearly badly affected by events. She marries then…in a horrible twist of fate ( or skilful author plotting) husband is accused of a similar crime and things really unravel. It’s clever and although slightly far fetched, it’s plausible and I was drawn into the conflicts with no idea how it would pan out. Immersive storytelling, well written, packed with tension and the unexpected. Really enjoyed it.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley fir an early review copy.

Unfortunately I won’t be reviewing this book. The story had potential but the use of bad language throughout the story was off putting to say the least! I expect swearing in some books but I felt it was used too much in ordinary conversations.

Believe is a thriller that follows Natalie, who has struggled with blackouts after being assaulted by her boss. Ten years later, her husband Ryan is now accused of a similar crime, and when the accuser is found dead, Natalie is left questioning everything.

The story is told from both Natalie’s and Detective Helen Stratton’s viewpoints and there were plenty of twists, that kept me guessing until the end.

This was a strong debut and I look forward to reading future works from this author.

Wow. So many twists and I really was guessing right until the very end. Every time I thought I.knew who the killer was, another layer of the story was revealed and I had to reassess.

Natalie was assaulted by her boss, who was later found not guilty, and she has been haunted by the incident ever since. Regularly blacking out when overly stressed, she doesn’t know what is happening to her and who she can trust.

Helen Stratton is a detective, with a traumatic past but can she get to the bottom of the incidents relating to Natalie and her husband?

I sped through this book as I really wanted to know the ending. I will certainly be on the lookout for more books by this author.

Wow! This book will keep you guessing until the last minute, second guessing everyone and everything.

Natalie has spent ten years trying to get over the event which changed her life forever. Her boss assaulted her and was declared innocent by a jury.

The memories continue to haunt Natalie, and in her attempts to block out the past, she often wakes up with no memory of where she’s been – or what she’s done.

10 years later her husband, Ryan, gets accused of the same crime. Natalie wants to believe him. But when the body of the young woman who made the accusation is found in the woods near their house, Ryan becomes a prime suspect, and Natalie realises she can't trust anyone - herself included...

I love the dual narrative of Natalie and the detective in this story, and it is a very fast paced novel full of twist, turns and red herrings! I would never have guessed the big reveal at the end - it was so unexpected!

Highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Michael Joseph, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review - I can honestly say I love it! The book is being published in June 25 in UK and the title will be ‘Believe’, as I understand it.

I read so many of this type of novel so have a lot to compare it with, I so enjoyed this one that I was even thinking about it when I was out and looked forward to getting back to it! I read it over just two days, and find it hard to believe it’s a debut novel. I hope there will be more from this author.

The main characters are well developed and the storyline is gripping, at times very sad, anger making and frustrating from Natalie’s point of view. The other perspective of the police investigators provides some balance, and is also upsetting at times when misogyny is evident. There are times when I thought “surely it’s not going to be so predictable”, and it’s not. If you enjoy psychological thrillers then I highly recommend it to you, if you don’t generally go for them then this might just be one to change your mind.

This story, narrated by Natalie and Stratton, alternately is full of twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing right to the end. I did not find the characters particularly likeable, but this did not detect from my enjoyment of the book. I will be looking out for future books by this author.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Interwoven with points of view from two main characters, this was a good read.
Natalie is a lawyer who works from home after previous trauma, and seemingly happily married to Ryan who looks after her. There’s also a history of hate letters being sent to them. .
Detective Stratton works for the Murder Investigation Team, and has not had anything to get her teeth into for a while - possibly due to previous cases, whilst also trying to see her mum in the care home as much as she can. She is teamed up with a new boy - a fastrack detective Bradley,
Their lives become intertwined after a girl is found murdered. Ryan is arrested - he worked with her and is the prime suspect.
But Natalie is not sure what is happening. Can she trust Ryan? He’s lied before, is he lying again? Blackouts continue where she doesn’t know what’s going on, and Stratton is not convinced that Ryan is the one.
A page turner although a little slow at times.
Thanks to #netgalley for the advance copy.

An interesting plot from the get-go, told in two POVs - that of the main character, Natalie, and of the lead investigator, Stratton. Both sides weaving the story together and really immerse you in what's happening.

Whilst the book covers some sensitive topics (TW: r*pe) I felt it gave a unique spin on a crime plot, with everything revolving around Natalie's past trauma and how it's affected her and her loved ones.

All in all, a fantastic twisty crime thriller with psychological elements in a debut novel that is well worth a read!

📚 Book Review 📚

This story follows Natalie Campbell, a woman who suffers from PTSD anxiety and blackouts ten years after she is assaulted by her boss at work. Even though this horrific event is with her every day, Natalie is happily married to Ryan and together, they manage to have a good life until Ryan is accused of a crime which rocks everything. Reeling from the crime that Ryan has been accused of, the body of a young woman is found in the local woods and suddenly, things go from bad to worse for the Campbells.

Detective Helen Stratton is the lead investigator on the murder case, and like Natalie, Stratton is haunted by past events in her life. Events which she desperately needs answers to. Nothing is as simple as it seems.

This story is told through the dual pov of both women and is full of secrets, lies, red herrings and absolute shockers! It is fast paced, gripping and I was questioning the reliability of the narrators throughout, wondering who was telling the truth and who wasn’t. I just couldn’t put it down and that ending, I honestly didn’t see THAT coming!! 94% in and baamm!!

This is a fantastic debut, a real page turner and I absolutely loved it, what a brilliant read.

I’d like to thank Penguin Michael Joseph, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

Book released on 10th June 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I liked this book but I think I read it at the wrong time as this didn’t quite hit the spot for me. I think I just wasn’t in the mood for it. I’m going to reread when I’m more in the mood for it :).

This book really kept me gripped, I had my suspicions on the twist, a few of them and one was right, this isn’t a negative, the book flowed well. I liked the snippets of humour from Stratton all in all a good read

A great plot idea that was slightly let down for me by how thoroughly dislikeable the main characters were! I like to have a character I want to get behind but in this case both Natalie and Helen have no redeeming qualities that make you want to root for them.
That said the plot runs well, the blackouts Natalie has are a clever way of moving the story along without having to labour the point and the twists and red herrings are plentiful and clever.

Believe was a great read about a difficult subject. It was a suspenseful ‘who done it’ with many twists and turns which left me trying to guess what the ending would be.
The story was well written and I found it difficult to put down and I became invested in the main characters journey.