Sandie Jones is an author I keep an eye out for, so I was excited to read her newest thriller, The Blame Game.

Therapist Naomi tends to get too invested and personally involved in her patients' lives, and this time, that may put her career, her marriage, and her life in danger.

I raced through this book which was filled with lies, layers of deceit, and questions. I wasn't sure who was telling the truth or which theories to dismiss. I won't say anything more about the plot because it's just so good and I don't want to spoil any of it, since you definitely should read this book!

The only reasons for 4 stars instead of 5 are that the big finale and epilogue felt a bit rushed, and I was left with a few unanswered questions. Sandie Jones keeps bringing books that keep me hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

COMING IN AUGUST! This is my second book by Sandie Jones, and like the first one I read, the ending is a shocker 😲

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Blame Game by @sandiejones_author

🚔 A psychotherapist goes above and beyond to help her clients, but two come with bigger issues that get her involved in a police investigation.

🔪 Mix in the fact that her dad is out of jail for murder and her long-lost sister is looking for her… to wonder who is behind weird things happening in her life.

📚 I prefer The Other Woman (a @reesesbookclub pick) to this book because the twist at the end of this one didn’t add up for me when I thought back to some details in the book.

🤦🏻‍♀️ I’m also not a fan of the main female characters being complete idiots. It’s annoying. I swear I was screaming at both in the two books I’ve read by this author.

🗓 If you like psychological thrillers, be sure to grab this one when it becomes available in August. Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy.

I have never read anything my Sandi Jones despite her other books being popular but wow I can’t believe I made it through. I had SUCH a hard time because I was literally so confused the whole time. There were some redeeming qualities but otherwise, not my favorite

I have a hard time rating thrillers at this point. I love them, I eat them up while I’m reading it. But then the end is make or break. And is that fair to hold against a book if you enjoyed it during? Not entirely.

The main character was frustrating. Her constant “oh I can’t tell the truth because it will make me look guilty” was infuriating. Because lying makes you look even more guilty…

I thought the big twist was so beyond obvious. I texted my friend reading at the same time and said “it’s so obvious it just can’t be right.” But, alas, it was right.

I did love the epilogue. I liked that it tied up most things and the last sentence was wonderful.

There was one thing about the ending that I don’t think we ever tied up, and I look forward to others reading it so I can see if it was left open ended or if I just missed something.

I keep returning to Sandies books because I love her writing!

The Blame Game, Sandie Jones
Sandie Jones is one of my favorite authors and I’m ALWAYS super excited when a new book of hers comes out! I was SO fortunate, thanks to NetGalley, for an early copy of her latest book, The Blame Game. Mark your calendars for August b/c this fast paced, thriller is one you’re going to want to read!!
Naomi is a psychotherapist who will do just about anything for her clients. She goes above and beyond when her clients need her, even at times crossing the therapist/client line.
Jacob is a client she’s been working with for a short time. When just about everything is going wrong in his marriage, Naomi offers him her rental apartment, without telling her husband. Soon after he moves in, Jacob goes missing and Naomi becomes the prime suspect in his disappearance. Naomi, innocently trying to help her patient, is in big trouble…but is she so innocent? What happened in her past that is leading the reader to believe she’s not who she appears to be to everyone around her?
While I figured out a lot of what was going on in the book, watching it unravel and seeing all the pieces come together was the very best part of the book!!!
I really loved this book. I hope you pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did!!

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A clever story of a psychotherapist Naomi who gets too close to two of her clients. Good back history on Naomi's life and what shapes her. The plot line has you all over the place, almost like the author has so many ideas and throws them all at you. Too many loose ends, an inconclusive ending with many unanswered questions.

Oh my. I really looked forward to this. Her earlier books aren’t great literature but they are fun and breezy. This one was not good. It truly didn’t make sense. The main character did not act like a therapist at any point and we had no sense of her character before the bizarre events of the book began. The twist didn’t make a ton of sense. The scene with the “kidnapping” didn’t make sense. What happened?

Psychological Thriller ✅
Betrayal & Lies ✅
Secrets ✅
Fast Paced ✅
Twisted Cat & Mouse Roller coaster ✅

This is my first book by author Sandie Jones and I enjoyed it. The story follows Naomi who is a psychologist that specializes in domestic abuse. Naomi becomes overly invested in the lives of her clients, always trying to help in any way she can. Leading her to believe she went too far in helping her client-a middle aged man named Jacob. Who decides to leave his abusive wife with the help of his psychologist who offer him a rental on her property.
Everything takes a turn. Jacob goes missing and so does his client/patient filled with all the important information. Her husband is not acting as he normally does and another client is in distress. Overwhelming with so much going on until the police come knocking. Looking for a man she never heard of; until she sees the picture of the person in question…its Jacob..but not Jacob…why is he going by another name?
Evidence found in her home? Why does she look guilty? Who is doing all this?

I enjoyed the web of secrets and lies. The mind games that keep you guessing. I felt there wasn’t so much going in at the beginning and a lot towards the end. It could be a bit confusing for some readers. But I like to pick apart books, events and theories so I enjoyed. Its a quick read less than 300 pages. It ends pretty quickly but with a big reveal that doesn’t make it feel like you had no closure. Wish to had read more about certain topics but overall it was good.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley/ St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from St. Martins Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I very much enjoyed Sandie Jones' previous novel The Mother-in-Law, so I was excited to see another book by this author on offer. Unfortunately this one really fell flat for me.

Up through the first twist regarding Naomi's patient Jacob, I was enjoying the book. This first twist took me by surprise. But then from there, I felt Naomi was constantly making dumb decisions which was irritating. During conflict between Naomi & her husband Leon, as well as when Naomi thinks about things she has kept from Leon, the vibe is honestly - why are these two even married? You are not rooting for the relationship but rather just scratching your head.

The ending actually left me totally confused as if I missed something important. I can't even tell if it has to do with Naomi's backstory or not. In the epilogue, the one final twist made me smile, but that was not enough to salvage this book for me.

3.5. This book was crazy. Half the time I had no idea what was actually going on. While the book was a wild ride that kept me guessing, there were some moments of eye rolling (could a therapist be that clueless?). This was fun…but a bit of a mess.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57698572

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Naomi Chandler is an American psychotherapist living in the UK who becomes way, way too enmeshed in her clients' personal lives in order to try and save them from domestic violence situations. When Jacob, one of her clients, disappears, all clues seem to point to her as being responsible. It doesn't help that Naomi does not tell the truth to her husband, the police, pretty much anybody. This book was a roller coaster ride. It's really suspenseful and kept me guessing till the end. But I also wanted to shake some sense into Naomi because I found her so frustrating.

All in all, it's a worthwhile read and I would definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a very difficult read. The twists were hard to imagine but the book ended well. Jacob and Anna...listen carefully to what they say. Watch carefully what they do. Not everything is what you expect.

Quick easy beach read. Good plot, kept me guessing. Even when I had it figured out, there was still a little twist. I didn't see coming. I like books by Sandie Jones and would recommend this one to a friend.

-I was given an ARC of the novel in exchange for an honest review._
4.5⭐️
0/5🌶

I want to start by saying I think it's important that the book touches on how domestic abuse isn't just males against females.
This story is full of lies and lots of secrets, that all layer together to form a wonderfully thrilling story. I will say that I did have a lot of the end of story connections figured out pretty early on in the story.

Overall the book is very enjoyable and is sure to be a hit with anyone who enjoys a nice thriller/mystery.

A psychologist specializing in domestic crisis, Naomi is supportive of her client Jacob when he announces his decision to leave his wife. But on the morning of their next session, she finds her door unlocked and his file missing. Is she being paranoid, or is she being targeted for trouble herself?

Thank You NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur books for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Naomi is a therapist living in England treating a patient named Jacob who has been disclosing to Naomi about the abuse he’s been suffering from his wife, Vanessa and his fear of her. Naomi is also treating another patient named Anna with her own marital problems all while Naomi’s is still dealing with trauma from her own childhood that caused her to leave New York for England with her husband Leon.

Jacob then goes missing and the police show up at Naomi’s home and stranger things just keep happening from there.

There were some good twists and turns in the meat of this book that kept me hooked and needing to know what happened in the end.

The ending felt rushed with way too many things happening at the same time and it felt like some things (particularly those involving Naomi’s family) were just left unresolved.

Overall, I’m giving this one 3.5 stars.

Sandie Jones has another winner. Her newest book being released in August is a psychological domestic thriller . Naomi is a psychologist who works out of a cottage office and cares a little too much about her patients. Naomi comes from a troubled past and gets herself tangled in a web of lies and deceit with one of her patients. When her patient Jacob goes missing, Naomi is the main suspect.
This book kept me up late into the night, and you will definitely enjoy Sandie Jones' newest hit.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc of this novel, set for publication Aug 16, 2022.

This is a domestic type thriller about a psychologist and some of her clients. It was interesting, but I kept getting a little lost as to what exactly was going on. I think there could have been a little more character development in the beginning. The detectives, kind of take a very small part and were not likeable at all. I wish I could rate it higher as I was really looking forward to it, but it was just an alright read for me.

Sandie Jones has been one of my favorite authors lately and this book does not disappoint. It was very suspenseful and I had to stay up at night to read "just one more chapter." I read the whole book in one sitting - lol. I rated it down, though, because I figured out the big twist very early on (at 33% read). I knew what was coming and I was just biding my time until it was revealed. Also, at the end of the book, there were still a few questions that were wholly left unanswered. 3.5 solid stars for this one!

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC.

While I was initially drawn to this book as a thriller, I wasn't able to get invested in the story or the characters. The "twists and turns" were convenient and predictable. Uneven pacing (the first 75% seemed to drag and the last quarter packed in too much action) created an unsatisfying reading experience.

Other reviews for this book are positive so please give it a chance if you are interested! I wanted to enjoy it but just couldn't connect. 2.5 Stars.