I have enjoyed Sandie’s writing and this book is no exception. The Trade Off is a fast paced novel that will keep you guessing and on your toes until the very end.

Jess is a young reporter who is out to find stories that matter and report them in an ethical and morally sound way. Being referred for a position at The Globe, she’s introduced to Max during her interview process. What she believes to be a predatory encounter is soon revealed to be a test. One she seemingly passes as she’s granted a position on Stella’s team (without Stella’s knowledge). Jess fights her moral compass and values hard during her tenure at The Globe. Wondering how the stories they’re reporting are even making the page much less their tactics, to get said story, legal. Max refers to her as a dog with a bone and he is absolutely right. She refuses to let the people made victims by The Globe stand alone and works hard to gain their trust and do what’s right.

Stella, who I first found myself hating, feels she should’ve been made editor eighteen months ago when Peter Kingsley, the owner of The Globe, handed that honor to Max. Working hard to prove her worth and value within the company, she leaves her moral compass at home to get the story - whatever it takes. We see her entrap and lie and plow through to make sure her by line appears in the paper. We see her shadiness and she raises us abhorrent behavior. Stella has learned to play the game and play it well. Garnering the favor of Kingsley, she soon realizes she’s done exactly as the men controlling her professional life have willed her to do masking it under the guise of her own choices.

These two women - both strong in their own right - will keep at nothing to get what they want. They will right wrongs and hold no prisoners.

With a strong #MeToo theme running throughout, the reader is faced with despicable acts by powerful men.

I got big The Morning Show vibes halfway through the novel and was not disappointed to find them there.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

I really enjoyed this suspenseful thriller and I was absorbed into this story. I thought that it was so good and it was very entertaining.
I just reviewed The Trade Off by Sandie Jones. #NetGalley
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How do you get the latest scoop on a story? Bribes? Manipulation? Cheating? Stella will do anything to get the next front page article for the Globe. Easy read that gives great insight into the publishing world. Manipulating news stories without any consequences. Jess finds a way to bring the house of cards tumbling down, in an unputdownable read! Thanks to NetGalley and st martins press for the arc of this book. Sandie Jones knocks another one out of the park.

I liked both Jess and Stella in their own respective ways. The storyline is light and enjoyable, a quick read. It made me think of all the ways our current media sources twist the truth and present outright lies. The ending was satisfying. Another sure fire hit for Sandie Jones.

Oooohhh this book was SO good, so well-written..... I had a hard time putting it down at night. It's extremely timely, and highly satisfying to see the bad guys taken down many notches. A very exciting, fun, well-done book. I'll definitely be recommending this book and looking dor future titles by Sandie Jones.

Love this author but had a really hard time getting into this book. I did not enjoy the media aspect of it and kind of thought it was long and drawn out. It didn’t have a lot of suspense for me and when I thought it started to move faster it didn’t wow me. I’d read this author again but not recommend this book.

I absolutely loved “The Other Woman”, but this novel fell flat for me, personally. I was waiting for suspenseful moments or twists but they just didn’t manifest as I hoped. Got through it, but not my favorite. Definitely try it for yourself though, because it may be more your style that mine!

This book was difficult to get through. Nothing really happens until the second half… and tbh I almost dnf’d. Ending was rushed. Could have been an interesting plot but it fell short. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Stella is the deputy editor at The Globe, a popular newspaper based out of London. She has a reputation for being fierce and always getting the story that she wants, no matter the cost. Jess is hired as a rookie reporter at The Globe and does not fit in from the start. Jess is horrified as she begins to see how The Globe comes by their stories. When The Globe publishes a damning story about a well-known celebrity, Jess gets a glimpse of how much harm these stories can cause and how little truth might actually be behind them. Jess decides that she must get to the truth no matter the cost.

I hate to say it, but this book was a miss for me. The story switches back and forth between the points of view of Jess and Stella but I didn’t find either point-of-view to be very compelling. The story moved along at a very slow pace and seemed to be overly focused on the job of being a journalist rather than the tension between the characters. Maybe this is because the author previously worked as a journalist and has a lot of experience in this field but to me, it got very redundant. Even the moments that should have felt tense, didn’t have that feeling for me. I will continue to read what Sandie Jones writes. This one just wasn’t for me :)

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled getting into this book. It was very slow, and nothing really happened until about the half way mark. The characters were pretty unlikeable, and I just didn’t care what happened to them. The last 20% or so of the book were interesting, but not enough to carry the whole book. I think maybe if I was more into back stabbing and politics I might have enjoyed this one. Or if I was a salacious tabloid reader. I just never felt invested in the story. I also think that this book is mislabeled as a thriller. Nothing exciting really happens so I would classify it more as contemporary fiction.

If you are looking for a glimpse into tabloid journalism them check this one out late summer, August 15th.

Thank you to the publisher St Martin’s Press, @stmartinspress, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Instagram link will be added once posted.

Not my favorite from Sandie Jones but I did enjoy the whole publication storyline, just not much of a mystery/thriller. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I was excited to read this book because I enjoyed Jones' last one. However, The Trade Off did not please me as much as I had hoped. Three stars.

I have enjoyed other books by Sandie Jones, but I had a hard time enjoying this one. It’s the story of Jessie, who starts working at a tabloid but seems to be anti-tabloid material. She’s working under Stella who is determined to get the story no matter what. I just didn’t love the characters and it made it hard to get into. The last quarter of the book was a lot better than the beginning, in my opinion.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley, but the thoughts are my own.

I loved "The Other Woman" so this book was a must-request, and I always love a plucky gal reporter story; Evil paparazzi,, glam celebs, a stalker and and evil boss with girl on girl crime - it's all here for a great pool read! Even though this book is released as a stand alone I would love another book about Jess!

Stella is an accomplished editor of The Globe in London. She has a reputation for getting the story at all costs. Jess is a rookie reporter at The Globe and sees things differently. She is troubled when the truth of a story starts to falter and is not interested in spreading lies. Jess is getting concerned that some of The Globe’s big stories are build on lies. When a celebrity is hounded by The Globe and then pays the ultimate price , Jess has to wonder if this story was even true. She has to get to the bottom of this one, and fast.

THE TRADE OFF was quite the story. It was a unique thriller and I really enjoyed it. It was filled with lies and deception and made me think about all the things I see on social media or elsewhere about famous people. I can't imagine having my life constantly viewed for others to judge, but sadly this story does end up with innocent people being portrayed in a false light. If you're a thriller fan and have enjoyed her other novels you'll like this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to pub day.

Enquiring minds wanna know and Jess he just been given her dream job of working for The Globe, a paper that is reporting tawdry celebrity items. As Jess digs into her job she realizes that things aren’t as cut and dry as they seem in the media. Her boss, Stella, wants her to do anything for the story and Jess isn’t sure she wants to give up her integrity to do so. A fast, quick read by Jones.

Journalistic integrity and the MeToo movement collide in The Trade Off, a gritty thriller by Sandy Jones that pits two tabloid writers against each other. Rookie Jess is a new hire, surprised she was recommended for an entry position at The Globe, a mega tabloid. Her editor is Stella, a veteran who manages to tie down the best stories. How she manages this is a problem that quickly becomes obvious to Jess. When she complains to Max, the managing editor, she’s pulled into a plot which she mistakenly believes will lead to improvement. Instead, it takes her deeper into a dangerous situation.

It’s difficult to review The Trade Off without spoilers. I can say that this mystery shows the dark side of tabloid journalism and the damage that is done to its victims. Jess’s investigation links the stories of MeToo victims to The Globe with devastating results. The Trade Off is a tough book to read because you know so much of it is true. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sandie Jones for this ARC.

I usually love Sandie Jones but this one was just okay. It is #MeToo focused but I didn’t think
It brought much originality to the topic.

I love some of Sandie Jones' previous books, so I was very excited to be approved for an advanced copy of The Trade Off. Unfortunately, this one was not a fit for me.

Yes, the premise is compelling and watching Stella create stories was interesting. However, at the 25% mark, I had to confirm that this was categorized under "Mystery & Thrillers" because The Trade Off was neither. It felt more like watching a narrative of a young journalist learning about the underbelly of the tabloid industry, which in this case was too close to reality for me to enjoy.

I was hoping for a thriller and some escapism, and if the The Trade Off eventually gets there, it takes far too long to do so.

This was a fast and action packed read, centered on 2 tabloid reporters: rookie Jess and hardened Stella. Stella will do whatever it takes to get to the top and Jess wants to breathe a little morality into the world of celebrity reporting.

The action starts pretty much right away and doesn’t let up. Jess’s naïveté is kind of endearing, though it helps create the mystery because literally everyone she works with might be taking advantage of her. Stella is somewhat likable for a character with that much ambition and doing what she does, though sometimes her actions didn’t necessarily match the type of person I was led to believe she was. The book does cause you to need to suspend your disbelief, as celebrities share things they shouldn’t share with strangers and multiple characters have dizzying changes of heart, but it’s fun overall, and the ending is thoroughly satisfying.

Overall, this was a light and enjoyable read- may not pack the punch of a standard thriller but I think it’s a perfect beach read. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.