I have read and loved every book by Jones. Unfortunately this was not for me. I wasn’t invested in the plot or the characters. It was a weak story to me and I had a hard time getting through this one. I appreciate the ARC and will definitely read more by this author.

This is the first book of Sandie Jones that I have read, and it was really just "ehhh" to me. It started out super slow, and while it did pick up eventually, I was just waiting for it to be done. There was also no wow moment, so it felt a bit boring. That being said, I would definitely try another book by this author.

I have read a couple of Sandie Jones books and loved them, so I was really excited to get an Advanced Reader Copy of The Trade Off. I liked this book but I didn’t love it. It had a slow start and I was about 50% in when I really felt liked I was hooked. There is a lot going on in the story and it almost felt like it could have been 3 separate story lines instead of all put into one. But the twist was good and I never would have guessed the ending. Once I got into it I couldn’t wait to see what happened, it just took a little longer to get to that point than I would have liked.

3.5 stars, rounded up as it picked up pace in the second half.

This was more of an action thriller than the suspense I typically go for. There weren’t any major twists, it was moreso a question of who to trust as the plot builds.

I thought the beginning was pretty slow and lacked the “grip” that my suspense favorites typically have. But it gets better if you hang on for a bit!

I enjoyed reading The Trade Off by Sandie Jones. The book is set at a tabloid news outlet called The Globe and it really makes you wonder about some of the news we hear about these days! I found the characters really interesting - Stella was the experienced journalist who does whatever it takes to get the story.,. Jess was the naive rookie journalist who is just starting out with expectations that aren't consistent with reality. I don't want to give anything away about the storyline so be sure to pick this one up when it comes out! I love this author's writing even though I wasn't a fan of her last book. This one definitely is. a good one. It starts off a bit slow but stick with it until the end! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this book!

Another masterpiece from Jones! I love how intense the book was and found myself up way past my bedtime reading. The characters were well developed and I loved it from beginning to end. Thank you Netgalley for an ARC.

I have read all of Sandie Jone’s books. This was the first book that was hard for me to get into. It was very slow starting. But it definitely picked up pace during the second half. Lots of twists and action towards the end. I really enjoyed the two main character, Jess and Stella’s development. They were very well written. It was interesting to read a book about corruption in the reporting world. Overall, I would recommend this book if the topic interests you and you do not mind a slower burn.

Thank you to Netgalley and St.Martin’s Press for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I just finishes "The Trade Off by Sandie Jones. Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
This book delves into the world of news and reporting and what reporters and news outlets would do for the big headline. It is kind of scary to think that this book in any way reflects the real life of news media outlets. The story follows two reporters, Stella and Jess, one veteren (Stella) and one rookie (Jess), who work for the same newspaper. They are both under fire to report the next big story. Stella is the one who seems to be willing to compromise her own ideals and integrity to get the big headline, but Jess the rookie is reluctant to go that far. When she is tricked into doing something unseemly to snag a story, she re-evaluates her interest in new reporting and vows to expose the news paper for what it is.
What she finds is that corruption goes all the way to the top, and the waters are very murkey indeed. Who is the real villain?...What is the real story?...Is it better to tell the truth or to keep it hidden?
I found this story to be full in intrigue and suspense. There were two female reporters each with interesting backstories which were revealed slowly and created a suspensful finale.
The ending was to be expected, the winner being the truth. It was a satisfying ending where the good people finish first, but not after great efforts and working together.
What I didn't like about this story is that there were alot of characters which created some confusion as I was reading. I didn't really understand how some of the plot points were so unrealistic while others seemed realistic indeed. The ending as well was a bit over the top...but it ended with the characters getting what they deserved.
What I liked was the relationship between the two femal leads and how it developed as the story went on. It was quite realistic and truthful.
I liked this book. It was a quick read with some surprises and it kept me guessing until almost the end. I do like Sandie Jones as an author. I find her books very entertaining and easy to read. Although this wasn't my favourite book by this author, it is good enough to recommend to the readind audience.
Happy Reading!

Sandie Jones is a go to author for me, but this one kinda let me down. It started off so slow and while it did pickup in the second half, a lot of things were not believable, super exaggerated and a little far fetched for my liking. A lot of twists and turns, just not the book for me.

This book is somewhat different from the usual Sandie Jones novel. The #MeToo movement in the middle of the story left me not wanting to move on with the story. However, I did hope that there was a remittance of Sandie Jones' style at the end, and true to her style, she did not disappoint. The characters are all over the place, though. Stella is an enigma, yet her character isn't believable at the end, her role as the protagonist isn't convincing. She did nothing to blow the #MeToo movement up. The pivot to make Stella a protagonist seems like an afterthought. Jess is weak, and her character does nothing to drive the story along. All the characters seem minor as opposed to having at least one commanding main character. The ending did somewhat made up for the slow pace.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for letting me read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For me, these types of books have to move at an extremely quick pace and this book delivered.

At some point, I wasn't believing anyone in this book. None of the characters were great all the time - which I appreciate. I hate it when a story has a heroine who is absolutely not realistic.

Fast paced and I thoroughly appreciated reading this.

"The Trade Off" by Sandie Jones is a gripping and thought-provoking journalism story. This novel, courtesy of St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books, delves into the delicate balance between morals and life's limits, prompting readers to consider the price they are willing to pay for the truth. Jones skillfully weaves a compelling narrative that raises questions about ethical choices and leaves a lasting impact. While some plot developments may be predictable, the engrossing exploration of moral dilemmas makes "The Trade Off" an intriguing read. I'm grateful to the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this captivating novel. It deserves a resounding 5-star rating.

The Trade Off is a interesting read that takes on The Globe and the way the stories are reported or made so that they can maintain readers. You have the old ways of Stella that are challenged by Jess as she joins the staff and brings the fresh perspective of a young reporter. The book is pretty good. You definitely have the Harvey Weinstein / Me Too movement in it. The parallels do tend to take away from the originality of the story. However, overall it was a decent read.

Started off slow, but really picked up in the last ⅓-¼. I wouldn't say there was any big twist that wasn't sort of expected, but it was fun not knowing who to trust and who was actually going to help Jess. This definitely revealed a darker side to celebrity journalism and at times it seemed unrealistic that Jess, being so young and unexperienced, would be a part of this world at all.

Overall, a lighter and enjoyable read with not as much suspense as other thrillers (so probably more of a just a fiction read?). Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Review live now on GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5178037762 - and StoryGraph.

I received a copy of the book from NetGalley and my honest review is blah, blah, blah. I didn't find anything "thrilling" about the book. Very hard to get invested in it. One word to describe it, disappointing.

Sandie Jones has done it again! In her latest novel The Trade Off centers around the fast-paced, merciless world of tabloid journalism. Knowing that Sandie Jones never disappoints, I went into this novel completely blind. Initially, I was a little confused as to where the story was going to take me, but then there was a twist that changed the entire trajectory and I was absolutely hooked. The character development was on point and I enjoyed figured out who was a “good guy” and who wasn’t! The entire book played out like a movie in my mind—love that. After I was finished this novel and storyline stayed on my mind, I adore a novel that makes you think. As per usual, I am already looking forward to Sandie Jones next novel!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Sandie Jones, and NetGalley for the eARC of The Trade Off!

How far would you go to get a story published? Jess lands a job at her dream newspaper, The Globe. She is thrilled to start, but she isn’t expecting the lengths the staff will go to in order to tell a story. On her first assignment, Jess quickly realizes that she may not be cut out for this job due to her own personal morals.

Stella Thorne is the head honcho in the office, right under Max Forsythe, the editor in chief. Stella is known for her cutthroat ways of getting stories published in The Globe.

Max wants Jess to expose the terrible journalism that is being brought on by Stella, but what Jess doesn’t know is that everything is not what it seems.

I really enjoyed this book! It was fast-paced, interesting, and held my attention from the very beginning. Highly recommend!

Sandie Jones's new novel focuses upon a infamous gossip paper in England. Newly hired Jess wants to be a "real" reporter and may not fit in to the office with her focus on scruples and fairness. Stella, the power driven deputy editor doesn't have interest or time for Jess and wants her out fired or at least out of the way. When Stella is given an opportunity to go for broke and potentially become the editor in chief, she doesn't want to think twice.
However when an interview goes very wrong with a semi-know chef, Jess decides she has to take a stand. The problem is that she doesn't know how insidious the power structure really is beneath the Globe.

I liked this novel but I did not love it. I did not love it as I never truly bonded with Jess nor Stella. I think there were some interesting issues that were unexplored like Stella's past relationship. Basically, the story was sound and the twists were interesting but more meat in the characters and their relationships would have made this a home run.

So excited for a new release from Sandie Jones! I loved The Guilt Trip and new I wanted to read her latest release, The Trade Off. This one was a super fast-paced read and had all of the juicy stuff you want from an action-paced thriller. Highly recommend picking this one up!

Sadly, this was a miss for me. Based on the blurb alone, I thought I would be very into this book, but as I was reading, I suspected the big twist had come and gone, and it was underwhelming. While this story fits very well in the world we live in, I'm typically reading to step away from the world and looking for something a bit more escapist. It wasn't a bad book, and there were little moments throughout that were appropriately twisty, but the tone overall just wasn't what I expected, so I was disappointed.