What I didn't like about this novel is how it's marketed as a thriller. It's more of a contemporary fiction. It's like the narrative of a young journalist understanding the tabloid industry. It took me till the 45 percent mark to really know what was happening in this story, and by that time I was really disengaged. I felt like the ending was clever and wrapped everything up nicely, but it takes too much to get to this point. I have loved Sandie Jones previous novels but I found this one incredibly slow and could not connect with or appreciate any of the characters. It felt forced.

Book Title: The Trade Off
Author: Sandie Jones
Publisher: Saint Martin’s Press- Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: August 15, 2023
My Rating: 3.6 Rounded up

This is author, Sadie Jones sixth novel and my sixth as well! I am a fan.
My favorite was "The First Mistakes".
I went into this story knowing nothing about it~ other than ~ Ms. Jones does not disappoint!

Alex is a deputy editor and does whatever it takes to make a story scintillating which sells more issues.
Jess is a new reporter starts to work there and she can’t believe the way that Stella manipulates people to sell a story.
Alex doesn’t hesitate when offered salacious information about a beloved TV personality and splash it across the front pages.
However, when the woman—devastated by the shame —kills herself, Alex for the first time questions what she did to sell a story is Stella at blame as well?

Story got my interest but then it slowed down. Glad I hang in there as it does pick up.
I was actually glad for the slow down as it gave my eyes and brain a bit of a rest early as my eyes were soon racing as fast as I could focus to read all that was going on.
I loved the twist and the ending is great!

Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 15, 2023.

To tell the truth, I am not sure what I think about this book. I love Sandie Jones books, but this one was by far not my favorite. The plot was interesting, but it I just could not get into it. The story did get better, but I had to force myself to read it. I did not feel interested in or even like the characters. All in all, the best I can say is, even though the plot was a good idea, I did not enjoy the book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an honest review.

The story’s pacing starts out slow. It picks up at the halfway point and never stops.

The second half is the better/stronger part of the story.

Far more mystery and secrets, backstabbing, etc.

Overall, a pretty good read.

This is a slow paced book. Nothing was really happening for a long while in the book. Not one of my faves. I really loved The Other Woman by this author.

I have mixed feelings about this one. My students would probably enjoy it and it would open up discussions about the media and what is being presented as reality and what are the ethics of exposure. As an adult, it seemed overly melodramatic, characters weren't very deep or developed, though there was some growth with some of them. So it wasn't for me but for my students, yes

#TheTradeOff #SandieJones #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc copy of this novel.

I did not read The Trade Off by Sandie Jones through an educator lens.

Sandie Jones' books always draw me in. The Trade Off was no exception to this. The book drew me into the world of gossip/tabloid publishing. While the ending was predictable, the story still drew me in and I wanted to continue to read. The character development of Stella and Jess was well done. I would recommend this one to others to read.

Stella is a seasoned reporter at The Globe who will do about anything to get the story. Jess is a rookie reporter who wants quickly realizes the dirty tricks of this publication are more than unethical when something terrible happens because of Stella’s antics of getting the story. Jess will do anything to stop Stella and The Globe from ruining more lives, even when it puts her in danger.

This is a slow burn book that picks up in the second half. Overall an easy, quick read.

Stella is set on the top job at The Globe…no matter what it takes to get there. Jess is determined to take on the world of tabloid journalism to challenge the status quo of low ethics. What they both uncover along the way is a ripped-from-the-headlines disturbing tale. Who will make it out alive and will wrongs be brought to light?

A much deeper topic for this author and I found the book more enjoyable for it.

This one took me a looooonnngggg time to finish because I couldn’t get invested. The first half of the book is very uneventful and spends way too much time establishing the characters, who aren’t very likable. I don’t consider this to be a “thriller” it’s definitely more of a dramatic fiction story. A very superficial, exaggerated world that doesn’t really hook you. The last bit of the book was more interesting, but by that point I just wanted to be done reading it.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.

Jones takes on the cutthroat, dishonest and manipulative world of the tabloids in England. The reader has the opportunity to see how the search for sensational stories leads the main character, .Jess, to almost lose her life.

The reader is also shown how the relentless digging and pressure cost the life of a subject. It is a very timely novel now, considering the lawsuit brought by Prince Harry and the involvement of the tabloids in the scandals of Donald Trump.

I enjoyed reading about the inner workings of this group of shark’s masquerading as journalists. I certainly think this is an interesting book, well worth reading, discussing and remembering how stories are created.

Thank you Netgalley for this interesting and unusual book.

I enjoyed this book, but it definitely wasn’t as good as Jones’ previous books. The story alternated between two journalist’s POV. When I was reading, I tended to get a few of the characters mixed up. The premise of the newspaper owner/sexual predator using his position as a lure. However, the story was very Harvey Weinstein/Roger Ailes-esque. Another story was worked in, but it made the book feel somewhat disjointed instead of enhancing the story.

Thank you for and advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Not my favorite of Sandie Jones’ books. While the premise was interesting, the storytelling itself felt very choppy. I also felt like the character development was lacking- you never really know who is worth sympathizing with or who is morally in the wrong (all of them?). I think there was a lot of potential with this plot line if it was a bit more streamlined and character-focused.

Fast paced and with enough moving pieces to capture my interest, but...at a certain point, a bit silly, frankly.

The Trade Off by Sandie Jones takes us to the world of tabloid journalism. Stella the deputy editor of The Globe and what she will do to get a story. Jess the rookie reporter with ideals. Each chapter alternates between the two. A very realistic view of journalism. Storyline, deadlines, interviews, CEO and murder are all covered in this book. The characters are very real. Stella a seasoned reporter and Jess a naïve reporter will take you on a journey. I recommend this story. Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this book.

I am definitely a fan of Sandie Jones and highly anticipated her newest novel, The Trade Off. She definitely came through with another twisty unpredictable thriller.

Jess, an innocent journalist, is thrust into a corrupt world of journalism at her new job at The Globe in London. The drama never ends and the characters are richly developed. Some characters I loved and some I couldn't figure out if I loved or hated.

I highly recommend this novel for anyone who loves a fast paced action packed thriller that will have you glued until the end.

This book has some great current event themes. Whereas you will be slightly confused with some things at the beginning, and you very well might think you know what is going on, in the end you will not! This story is well written and has just enough suspense to keep the reader guessing!

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I typically really like books by Sandi Jones but this book just didn't work for me. I don't know if it was the plot of a "dirty rag magazine,", but I just didn't feel anything for the characters at all. Pick up one of her other books, they are much better! Thank you @netgalley for this opportunity to read this ARC