Wow! What a read!

Still suffering the trauma and anxiety from an even ten years ago, Natalie's already delicate life is thrown into turmoil when her husband, Ryan, is accused of the same crime that was committed against her. Narrated by Natalie and DI Stratton, who is a brilliant character, I was completely absorbed in this story and despite many, MANY theories spinning around in my head, I didn't guess the truth, so when it was revealed, I was genuinely stunned!

This book is so well written, with well developed characters, a multi-layered and well thought out plot, red herrings, twists and lies. I was surprised to discover this is a debut and I'm excited to see what S. M. Govett comes up with next, hopefully with some more DI Stratton on the case.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, S. M. Govett and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book.

Believe is a superb debut novel from S M Govett, and promises much for the career of this author. This is a gripping psychological thriller centred on Natalie, who was raped by her boss, a crime of which he was found not guilty. A decade on and natalie's husband is accused of the same crime, which sends her life into a downwaed spiral...

Ten years ago, Natalie Campbell was raped by her boss. When it went to court he was found not guilty. Natalie is haunted by the events and sometimes blacks out losing time and having no recollection of where she has been or what she has done. Natalie's husband Ryan gets accused of the same crime. Natalie doesn't know what to believe. Then the woman who made the accusation is found murdered in the woods near there house, Ryan becomes the prime suspect and Natalie doesn't know who or what to believe, herself included. Detective Helen Stratton is investigating the case. A woman with a troubled past, her sister Karen has been missing for many years and is the reason why she joined the force.

I liked the story being told from Natalie and Stratton's perspectives. Stratton is very headstrong, opinionated and someone I would want fighting my corner. I hope there is more books featuring her.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of this book. I had worked out who had done it but it didn't spoil anything. I was gripped right up until the end.

My only complaint about this book, was Natalie not liking Abba! How can you not like Abba. I did have to put the book down at that point and decide whether to continue but I knew the book was worth it.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

I absolutely loved this book ,a gripping twist laden debut that is nothing short of a masterclass in suspense. I liked the fact that the story was told through two POV Natalie and Stratton. If you are into thrillers that keep you guessing this one is a must read. The ending was unexpected and brilliant. I can't wait to read more from this Author .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Believe follows Natalie Campbell, who is suffering from PTSD after being sexually assaulted, which her attacker was acquitted. Ten years later, her husband Ryan faces an identical accusation. When the accuser is found murdered near their home, Natalie’s world and her sanity begins to unravel. The narrative POV alternates with DI Helen Stratton, a detective haunted by her sister’s disappearance when she was a teenager. The books keeps the pacing tight and unrelenting, weaving dual storylines into a charged police procedural with deeper emotional resonance and exploration of how past traumatic events shape us as individuals.

The writing is sharp and emotionally developed - we as the readers really feel the internal and physical struggle that Natalie experiences following the accusation levied against her husband. I also liked the fact that DI Stratton is humanised rather than portrayed as the non-believing police officer through her mother’s illness and sister’s disappearance.

For readers who are well-versed in thrillers I doubt the twist will be unpredictable but that doesn’t detract from the fact that this is a throughly enjoyable and unputdownable book that will really have you asking who do I believe did it?

Wow, I absolutely devoured this book. It's well written, gripping and jam packed full of twists. I hope we will be meeting DI Stratton again soon.

Believe, as it's called in the UK (Believe Me Now the title elsewhere), was the right book at the right time for me. I wanted something punchy and engaging. A novel that would pique my curiosity and keep me guessing. Believe was the ideal book for me.

Natalie went through a horrible patch when she was raped by her boss and he was found not guilty. Traumatised not only by that event, she received threatening notes with cut-out letters from magazines, and started blacking out from the stress of it all. Fast forward years and a house move later, with her supportive husband by her side, and all seems well...Until the notes are delivered again. Then Natalie's husband is accused of rape by a coworker. Her world quickly spirals out of control. Enter DI Helen Stratton, who has trauma in her past, too, here to investigate.

I have to be honest, Helen Stratton was my favourite character in this novel. What a great gal! Smart, brutally honest, capable, she is the full ticket. We can all rest easy knowing Helen will get to the bottom of things. She is what makes this a 5-star read, for me. Lots of twists and turns in Believe make the story a quick-paced one. I loved all the shocks and unexpected happenings. My favourite books are those where I cannot guess the baddie. Here, I did figure it out but it didn't dent my enthusiasm. If you are looking for a great beach read to while away airport travel or basking in the sun, Believe is a great place to start.

Brilliant debut thriller really hope this is the start of a new series.
This had me hooked from the beginning there are some really good plot twists I didn’t see coming, I definitely recommend reading this book you will not be disappointed.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Believe by S M Groves in return for my honest review.

As a debut novel, I started reading this with an open mind and very quickly discovered it’s a really intriguing storyline. The main character is complex and as a reader, you’re never quite sure if she’s guilty or innocent of the crime! I didn’t see the twist coming and thoroughly enjoyed the reading journey leading up to the big reveal! I definitely recommend this one and look forward to this author’s next book.

I loved this book which was a beautifully plotted and well written psychological thriller that teased and challenged the reader all the way through.

I’m not going to provide any spoilers bar saying that by the denouement of the book there were five viable candidates as the murderer!

The characters were interesting, credible and well developed and the short snappy chapters told from different viewpoints grabbed your attention.

All in all a classy book that deserves success.

This is an excellent book with chapters automating between Natalie, a rape victim who was not believed and Stratton, a police detective who joined the force to try to find out what happened to her sister many decades earlier. When Natalie‘s husband is accused of rape, she doesn’t know whether to believe him or the victim. With her absences, which can last for several hours she is an unreliable witness and narrator. Meanwhile, Stratton is trying to be taken seriously after having had a fling with her boss and has the pressures of guiding a fast-track officer in his new role.
Once the two storylines meet up, the story becomes very fast paced with shock after shock after shock.
I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Amazing plot. All the way through I really did not have any suspicions about the outcome. It kept me reading at pace. Really a thought provoking read for many reasons. Who to believe! A compulsive thriller. A must read.

I found this pretty slow to start, but I enjoyed the way it was written with the dual POV and short chapters.
I was expecting more of a thriller, but it's actually quite police procedural-y with half the chapters being from the POV of DI Helen Stratton. I loved her chapters and would happily pick up more books with her as a character in the future 👀. The twisty thriller elements of the story came from the POV of Natalie, and they were woven together seamlessly.
I was never quite sure who to trust or who to believe - laughing to myself writing that as that's literally the title. This was a very addictive read with a couple of WHAT!? moments that I wasn't expecting.
I thought I'd had this one cracked, but no! I definitely swore out loud when it was revealed
I loved the writing and the way the story came together. This is a really well written debut that I'd absolutely recommend.
4⭐️

Really enjoyed this, short snappy chapters which totally had me hooked and the twists had me gasping out loud! Would definitely read more by this author, totally recommend

Believe sets an excellent premise. A woman, Natalie was assaulted by her boss but a trial found him not guilty and she is branded a liar. Fast forward ten years and her husband, who has stood by her, is accused of the same crime. Her dilemma is clear and emotions run high. Should she believe her husband or this woman? Of course, as with every thriller, the young woman who made the accusation is found dead and the everything is at stake. Lots of tension as well as red herrings and a fantastic twist. A great debut!

ou know those books that sit on your TBR pile for far too long, and when you finally pick them up, you wonder what on earth took you so long? That was Believe by S.M. Govett for me.

This psychological thriller is a masterclass in tension and emotional complexity. It follows Natalie, a woman still haunted by the trauma of accusing her boss of sexual assault ten years ago—only to be disbelieved by the courts and branded a liar. Now, just as she’s trying to rebuild her life, her husband Ryan is accused of the same crime. And when the accuser is found dead in the woods near their home, Natalie is forced to confront the terrifying possibility that history might be repeating itself—or worse, that she never really knew the man she married 1.

Govett’s writing is sharp and immersive, and the plot twists are genuinely gasp-worthy. The story explores the fragility of trust, the long shadows cast by trauma, and the terrifying uncertainty of not knowing who—or what—to believe. It’s a slow burn in the best way, simmering with dread and emotional weight.

So why did I leave it unread for so long? Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe I thought it would be too heavy, or maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace. But once I started, I couldn’t put it down. If you enjoy thrillers like The Girl on the Train or The Silent Patient, this one deserves a spot on your list.

Lesson learned: trust your instincts—and don’t let great books gather dust.

This is a great debut novel. With short chapters ending in cliffhangers, this book is the perfect one to binge. I was drawn to the story immediately and was gripped till the end, when I was hit by a mind blowing twist I really didn't see coming... which made me very happy because I thought I had it all figured out quite early in the book.
The characters were not very likeable, especially Stratton. However, I found her development very interesting and I wouldn't mind meeting her again in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Micheal Joseph for a digital ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A pacy thriller that I thought I had worked out early on but I was wrong.
DI Stratton is assigned a murder case which leads her to Natalie who is dealing with issues from her past and some unpleasant mail that is being sent to her. These two main characters are polar opposites in their demeanour and pace as we get to see what they think of each other.

Stratton is assigned a new partner which makes things awkward for her at the start.

Govett has written an excellent thriller with plenty of material for a second or third follow-up.

I thoroughly enjoyed Believe and would like to read more from this excellent author.

As a debut novel this wasn't too bad but I did get bored quite early on and did jump to the end just to see what happened, DI Stratton could become a good character in future stories but I think the author needs to round out the characters more so it makes us care a bit more about them so as we want to find out their story and carry on to the conclusion.

I have given up on this book, having read 1/3rd of it, as I found it boring and stuffed with totally unnecessary expletives; 128 words starting with the 6th letter of the alphabet. I do wonder when authors will realise that such words are, almost without exception, unnecessary and when overused dumb down the style and content of all their hard work?