I Do Not Trust You by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Memphis "M" Engle is stubborn to a fault, graced with an almost absurd knowledge of long lost languages and cultures, and a heck of an opponent in a fight. In short: she's awesome.

Ashwin Sood is a little too posh for her tastes, a member of an ancient cult (which she’s pretty sure counts for more than one strike against him), and has just informed Memphis that her father who she thought was dead isn’t and needs her help. 

From the catacombs of Paris to lost temples in the sacred forests, together they crisscross the globe, searching for the pieces of the one thing that might save her father. But the closer they come to saving him—and the more they fall for one another—the closer they get to destroying the world.

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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

How did I feel about this book? Short answer: it's complicated. There were aspects that I really enjoyed, like the mythology and archeological sites, but I needed to suspend a lot of belief for this book to work. I also felt like the story progressed with very little conflict, despite the direness of their situation. Everything had a simple solution, and I would have preferred more risk and excitement. I love it when characters overcome challenges and obstacles!

I could tell the authors did a lot of research regarding the temples and various other sites Memphis and Ash travel to, but I was a little iffy on the language of Horus. I wish there has been more details surrounding this hidden language that only three people knew how to read. Was this a language the authors made up themselves, or was is based on fact and history? The language itself was never elaborated on, so I'm not sure about the specifics. Also, why were there only three people that could decipher the language, and how did her father learn? Maybe I missed something.

I wasn't fond of referring to Memphis as "M," but that was her preferred nickname for the majority of the book. It was just a weird thing to think as I read, and I actually like the name Memphis. She says only her friends and family call her M, but she never explains why.

Whenever Ash and M found themselves in a difficult situation, it was too easy for them to find a solution. They needed to search for an artifact that was underwater, and M happened to know a lady with a boat full of the equipment they would need. This lady also happened to be living in exactly the right place, and M was able to phone a friend. Speaking of the boat, Ash mentioned it belonged to a university and not the woman herself, but they never addressed what happened when they returned with a damaged boat. They were obviously able to get back to land, but how did they explain what happened?

When they were at another location, they thought the airports were being monitored and were afraid to buy plane tickets. Unsurprisingly, M knew a guy who knew a guy, and they were able to score seats on a private plane. It was too easy. Her phone seemed to full of endless contacts that could solve their every problem. Why weren't any of these people mentioned before? Why did she only think about them when Ash couldn't just throw money at it?

It also bugged me how quickly M and Ash were able to solve the riddles left in the hieroglyphs. They sped through the ancient map with relative ease, even though she's been working with Mike (this really random person she only ever texts for information) for nearly a year after her father's death. Additionally, this map is something her father worked on for years prior to his death, but they're able to solve it in a matter of days.

Ash's personal story had too many holes, and I'm surprised M wasn't able to see through them. The title is also misleading, because it's clear from the start that these two trust each other, even if they won't admit it out loud. They may have had two different motivations, but they were a team. Ash also has a unique quality that allows him to save M from two Nile crocodiles (very unrealistic part of the story), yet he doesn't use this same quality on the enemies they face. Why wouldn't that have been his first thought?

My feelings for I Do Not Trust You are complicated. It's probably not a book I will read again, but it was mildly entertaining while it lasted. (Side note: I think this book is listed as YA, but she's 18 and he's older, so I'm going to go with NA on this one.) Oh, and everyone uses Google a lot.