Cover Image: The Blame Game

The Blame Game

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Member Reviews

I have enjoyed a couple of books by Sandie Jones. However, I think I’m done. I was appalled at the psychiatrist’s conduct. And as for the primary character, Naomi, I just did not connect with her. I think there were too many aspects of the book that were unbelievable. The positive side is that it was fast paced so it was a quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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I am a huge fan of Sandie Jones’ books and I was very excited to read “The Blame Game.” It took me awhile to get into the story and to be honest it was not one of my favorites. My opinion is completely personal and not a reflection of the writing as the story did not appeal to me. I will continue to read Sandie Jones books and look forward to the next one

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

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I found this to be a very twisty story, to the point that at times I got very confused as to what was actually going on. That is to say, it was a very good and I enjoyed it. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

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Filled with twists and turns, I had a hard time putting this book down once I started reading. I got lucky with a couple of my guesses, but still really enjoyed this story. It was a gripping read that held my interest from start to finish.

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Sandie Jones can do no wrong in my book! This story was no exception. LOVED it! Naomi specializes in abuse victims as a psychologist. Naomi also has a dark past of her own. She begins getting too personally involved with a few and mayhem ensues. I highly recommend this book and the author! She hasn't let me down yet. Eager for the next one!

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

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I found the Blame Game very disappointing. It was hard to follow and the characters were hard to like.

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I’m glad I didn’t read the reviews to this book beforehand because I honestly really liked this book!! I’d been in a reading rut until I received this book and I flew threw it wondering who’s who and what’s what? Naomi is a therapist who is dealing with past family trauma. She is always willing to go the extra mile for her clients which is a source of contention for her husband, Leon. When one of her clients disappears and it seems Naomi was the last to see him alive, she suddenly becomes the prime suspect. What I loved about this book was that it was a quick read and didn’t drag AT ALL. The twists and action kept a steady pace throughout. What I didn’t like? The ending felt unfinished to me. I would have loved another chapter to more clearly wrap things up. But, it was still a really enjoyable book and I always love Ms Jones’ books! She’s an automatic read for me and will continue to be.

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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for a review
I have enjoyed a Sandie Jones, and DNF'ed a Sandie Jones, so this was my "third time is the charm" expirement. Overall, this felt like a popcorn thriller that would be good for readers that are new to thrillers, or like formulaic domestic thrillers.
In this book you follow a psychiatrist who gets much too involved in the personal lives of her clients, and starts helping them against the warnings from her husband. When she gets in over her head with a client who ended up lying to her, she starts unraveling secrets from her past and seeing that her actions have bigger consequences than she thought,
I am not a fan of the trope where the villain has a long monologue at the end that explains why they did what they did. I feel like that is a quick, unsatisfying way to tie up loose ends. I much prefer letting the chips fall where they may as the story unravels organically.
That being said, I liked the character development and it was a quick read.

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Such a great audio narration! This one was an enjoyable and an entertaining thriller. thanks for my copy!

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This was a great read. It drove me nuts trying to determine what was really going on and who was responsible. The last paragraph is the best I have ever read. The ending was a bang!

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I devoured this book in a day and a half! I just couldn’t wait to find out who was who and who did what! Sandee Jones always manages to ensnare me in her tangled web with her twisted stories!

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This was an interesting read. I felt like the plot was predictable at a point but still a book that kept my interest the whole time. I love her books and can’t wait for her next one. Even with how I felt about the plot, I still gobbled this up within 2 days. Fantastic writer and another great story.

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The Blame Game turned out to be a bit of a letdown. I’ve read and liked previous Sandie Jones books, but with this one, there wasn’t anything special that stood out and made me enjoy it. The police investigation felt very unprofessional and amateur and it really bugged me. Some parts of the story I don’t feel like added up correctly and it felt so far fetched, that I found it hard to connect to. The characters were basic and very unlikable. Even though this one didn’t work for me, i will continue reading Sadie Jones books

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I was a bit undecided on how I felt after I read this book. The twists were fascinating, but I guessed the ending way too early. I liked the writing but thought the characters were a little annoying.

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Naomi is a psychologist working out of a discrete office located in her backyard. She has a helpless desire to reach out and assist her clients far beyond the scope of her role, often to the point that it affects her personal home life. As I read this, I could just imagine a licensed psychologist cringing.
This aspect of Naomi is the central crux of the story. She is trusting and gullible to the point that her family’s safety is threatened. This is a good plot, but the characters become muddled as the story unfolds. I was confused at the end, but it was still a fun book with cringe-worthy episodes of Naomi’s bad judgment.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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I'm going to give this one 3.5 stars. I liked this domestic suspense novel quite a bit and was entertained while reading. It was a super quick read for me and at less than 300 pages it was easily bingeable. I quite liked the plot of the story and was pretty intrigued by it. Naomi, a psychologist who specialized in domestic abuse would do anything to help her clients. After helping a man named Jacob leave his wife, she began to worry when he suddenly went missing and all of her files on him Vanished. As the police got involved and started to dig into things, more and more questions arise and this is where things start to get twisted.

I wish I could give this book a higher rating because I've loved the author's previous books. But this one got a little too tangled up for my liking. The twists were not epic, but seemed almost confusing. Everything came together very quickly, in a slightly rushed fashion and sometimes it was hard to keep characters straight. Like I said, the idea of the story was really cool and there was a lot of potential here. But while I enjoyed the book, it will not be a standout for me.

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This book ended up being a DNF. Rating is based solely on the content I did read. I ultimately found the pacing and development of the story and/or characters not engaging enough to continue on and finish the complete book.

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Psychological thrillers are my jam but I think this book missed the mark for me. I wanted to love it but it dragged and I just wasn't invested in any of the characters or the story. Therapists in thrillers seem to be a trend lately but it felt overdone in this book. I'm glad I read the book but it wasn't my favorite.

Thanks, NetGalley and Minotaur Books, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

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I am not sure where this one went wrong for me. It was a great idea on paper. It is believable. There are many, many secrets. Maybe the narrator is unreliable or maybe is isn’t. It kept me guessing for a lot of the book, but it was just OK for me.

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Thank you Netgalley for this ARC

While I am a sucker for a good thriller (psychological or otherwise) this one missed the mark for me. The writing was good but the story dragged on and I found myself bored. I didn't feel compelled to find out what happened , or really care about the end. For that reason I chose to DNF this book.

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