I was really enjoying this one and flew through it until the end. It's like she had to wrap it up in 5 minutes and just wrote a random ending.

I Would Die For You by Sandy Jones, it’s 1980s London when we meet Cassie and Nicole. Nicole is 20 and an aspiring musician. Cassie is 16 lives at home with their dying mother and they’re overly protective dad and she is dangerously obsessed with the band called Secret October. after she meets another fan they start following the group around and even gets picked to party with the band. When she. mistakes passing interest for something more it will cause a chain of events whose consequences in trauma last a lifetime. And another POV we see Nicole again she is a wife and mother and fighting for animal rights in her area and was trying to pass a bill to protect the seals on the San Francisco Island. her husband Richard only knows that she is from London and thinks she had a normal upbringing when her daughter Hannah goes missing only to return a couple of hours later saying she was with her aunt, Nicole doesn’t know what to think because her little girl doesn’t have an aunt. When she left London she never looked back and hasn’t seen anyone in her family since but when they reporter shows up saying they want to write a book about the band secret October this is just the beginning of the odd things to fracture the beautiful life she has created for herself her husband and daughter Hannah. She doesn’t know if she should be honest with her husband but soon the choice is taken out of her hands and it seems her past has caught up to her present and will absolutely affect her future. there is so much more to this book than what I have put in this review. This was an OK read I think because I am big on personal responsibility there were a lot of things in this book that really got on my last nerve and had me rolling my eyes. not to mention the hyperbole and extreme emotion which IDK why authors overdo it and make every situation seem to affect people in the absolute most extreme way. Because of my mother‘s job when growing up I met a lot a famous people and have had a first row seat to how fans connect and trust me when I say even in front of children women will offer anything to hang out with a band but for the most part they just want an autograph and a few moments of their time but having said that I thought the author did a pretty good job setting up behind the scenes with the musicians and their fans just for some reason didn’t connect with this book. I like other books by this author and although this one did have some twist maybe it was the theme of the book again IDK I just found it OK I did like the ending but there were lots of things I found in the book that either were pointless or left without explanation. Read at your own risk I think anyone who likes thrillers has a good chance of enjoying this book I think I didn’t because of the subject matter. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #SandyJones, #IWouldDieForYou,h

I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones, is one of my favorite genres having said that I was not up to my expectations as far as this authors books. Dual timelines is not one of my favorite things, I found the characters in the story line unlikeable which is another one of my least favorite things. Having said that I would still recommend this to others, because I realize not everyone enjoys the same writing styles.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martins Press, I am leaving my review voluntarily.

“‘You can’t force someone to love you,’ barks Nicole. ‘Well, then she’s going to die trying,’ says Amelia, turning to walk away.”

Told in dual timelines, this one took a little while for me to get invested in. But once I did I just HAD to know what happened. Ugh. So stressful. I read the last 1/4 with lightening speed.

And omg I wanted to stick my hands inside this story and strangle Cassie. UGHHH. This book left me feeling angry and sooo annoyed but in a good way. I think haha. It is certainly one I won’t soon forget.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Nicole has a loving husband, a beautiful daughter and a past she is hiding. The tale is told in past (1986) and present (2011) format. One day a woman approaches Nicole looking for the tragic backstory on the biggest band of the 80s, Secret Oktober . The same day her daughter goes missing. Can these events be related? She’s unwilling to discuss her relationship with the band’s lead singer Ben Edwards or her sister’s involvement because her husband has no idea about her past. A quick, fast paced thriller as you unravel Nicole’s past and how it affects the present.

The past and present will collide in this story. It was like two trains on the same track heading for an impact that cannot be avoided, but will definitely be life changing.

Nicole Forbes is content to live her quiet existence with her husband and daughter. All of that peace is shattered one day when someone comes knocking on her door. Someone knows who she really is.

This dual timeline story was a lot. I am not going to lie. When I say at lot, I mean because there was so much necessary information (and some unnecessary). But it was necessary so you, as the reader, can fully understand the entire story. I kept plugging along because I knew disaster was coming, and I had to know where it was going to end up. I must confess that I was more than a little shocked when I learned what actually happened in Nicole's past because I was thinking something totally different was going to happen. This is why, even though there is a lot packed into these pages, I had no problem giving it five stars simply because I did not want to put it down. And because the author did a dynamic job of setting me up because I thought I knew what was going to happen.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the new novel by Sandie Jones, with the audio perfectly narrated by a favorite, Imogen Wilde. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4 stars!

California, 2011: Nicole Forbes lives a quiet life with her husband and daughter. She is not prepared for a writer to knock on her door asking for details into the downfall of the biggest British band of the 1980s. Then the same day, her daughter goes missing from school. Convinced that the two events are linked, Nicole must face her past to protect her family.

London, 1986: Sixteen-year-old Cassie is obsessed with Secret Oktober, the hottest band of the moment, and has an intense crush on the leading man, Ben Edwards. But when Ben discovers her older sister, Nicole, singing at a local bar, he is immediately drawn to her.

I’m a fan of Sandie Jones and enjoyed this book and its nostalgic look into the 80s music scene. Plus, there are lots of secrets that Nicole has kept from her husband, including why she doesn’t speak to her family. Told in these alternating timelines, I found myself wanting to just tell Nicole to be honest with her husband! I couldn’t gather a real connection to the characters, but I enjoyed the mystery of exactly what happened in the past.

Hitting shelves soon - I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones. A teenage groupie makes her dreams come true by meeting her idol and immersing herself in the groupie life with a toxic friend. Almost Famous vibes, but sinister. Her older sister somehow also has a relationship with this boyband member, and there's a lot of confusion around what happened to him and who was to blame. When the dust settles, the older sister runs away and starts a new life, leaving it all behind. The book toggles back and forth between London in 1986 and California in 2010. It's chaotic to read and then just...ends. I loathed every character and had a hard time reading this one to completion, which is rare for me. I've seen several positive reviews, so this may be a "me" problem.

Thanks to NetGalley for early access.

I would like to thank Minotaur Books (St Martin’s Press) for sending me an advanced copy of I Would Die for You in exchange for my honest review.

Nicole is living a normal life with her husband and her daughter in California, but she has secrets in her past that she has never been honest about and they will eventually catch up with her. Nicole’s daughter goes missing from school and rather than be honest about what could potentially be going on, Nicole doubles down on her secrets and picks a fight with her husband blaming his career instead.

The second timeline of the book is set in the 80’s in the UK. Cassie, Nicole’s younger sister, is a 16 year old girl who’s mother is dying of cancer while she’s busy chasing her favourite boy band around the country trying to win the heart of the lead singer, which obviously results in really poor decision making.

If you are a fan of reliving the music of the 80’s and having a twisty mystery full of unreliable narrators, then I suggest grabbing I Would Die for You on March 25 at your local bookseller or library.

I have to say that this book is not my favourite from Sandie Jones and I had to eventually DNF it. As a mom of young children I found Nicole extremely unlikeable and the flipping back and forth between the timelines was starting to give me a bit of whiplash, and none of the characters or the story were really that interesting to keep me coming back to it.

In the beginning of the book I was very interested and the book pulled me in very fast. So the first chapters I was really enjoying it. However, as the book progressed I felt the book could be cut short. The things that excited me in the beginning, such as having short chapters and jumping from past to present timelines turned quickly into not being fun, as in the chapters were too tiny to give any real information.

To be honest I hate miscommunication trope with a passion, in the beginning I understood that Nicole was afraid of telling the truth and she does explain in the end why she did that but the lying and hiding went on for too long and the book could have been shorter if she had decided to share the truth earlier.

I felt like the twists were a bit guessable, the last one was the most "shocking" one to me compared to everything else but I felt the ending of the book was a let down, as we did not get much closure with how it ended.

I gave this book 2.5 stars, rounded as there are no half stars here.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a huge fan of Sandie Jones for years now, but unfortunately I Would Die for You was my least favorite of Jones's works.

The multiple storylines seem a bit disjointed and slowed down my reading of this one. I usually struggle to put down Sandie's books, but this one was hard to pick up

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Goodreads for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

I Would Die For You By Sandie Jones is another wonderful mystery that will have you turning the pages as quickly as you can. The story alternates between 1986 and 2011. There are lots of 80s references to keep readers who remember that decade well happy. There’s a band that’s hitting it big and the groupies who are obsessed with them. Then there’s the more present day timeline of a mom trying to protect her family. Read and enjoy!

Nicole Forbes answers her door one day to find a writer, Zoe Mortimer, asking her questions about 1980s band Secret Oktober and her relationship with the members. If this weren't bad enough, her daughter, Hannah, is picked up from school by her aunt. Hannahh doesn't have an aunt. Nicole remembers what happened twenty-five years that forced the band to stop performing. Is Zoe's asking questions have anything to do with Hannah's disappearance?

The story unfolds in two timelines, the present in California, where Nicole now lives with her family having changed her identity, and 1986 London, where she is originally from.. In 1986, Cassie, Nicole's sister, is a groupie, in love with Ben Edwards, lead singer of the band. Nicole is a singer/songwriter performing at a club. Ben hears her sing and the two become collaborators and lovers. The band's rock and roll lifestyle includes drugs, partying and other unsavory choices which the news media reports. Nicole is heartbroken about it all, especially when she learns her sister is a part of that lifestyle. What happened all those years ago? Were Nicole and Cassie involved?

This book was a bit disappointing to me, based on the synopsis I was expecting something more from this author. I did not like either Nicole or Cassie. The author attempted to give us some twists and turns, but I was not engaged. I would have given this an extra star except the ending really disappointed me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for an ARC. The review is my own.

Events of her past rapidly catch up with Nicole when her daughter, Hannah, is picked up from school by her “aunt”. Also, a reporter shows up on Nicole’s doorstep inquiring about those events of many years ago. This is a quick paced mystery with complex characters. The two timelines, the events of Nicole’s sister’s obsessive fan crush on a member of the band Secret Oktober and Nicole’s actual relationship with the same band member take some twisty turns until both timelines come together in the present. A good, well written read. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

This is a dual-timeline book that alternates between 1986 in London, and 2011 in California. In the 1986 timeline, Sixteen-year-old Cassie is obsessed with the band Secret Oktober, harboring an intense crush on the leading man, Ben Edwards. She is willing to do anything to stand out, and capture his attention. But when Ben discovers Cassie's older sister Nicole singing at a local bar one night, he can’t help but feel drawn to her, setting in motion a collision course that could tear their family apart In the 2011 timeline, Nicole lives in the small seaside town of Coronado with her husband and daughter.. One day a writer knocks on her door asking for her personal insight into the downfall of the biggest British band of the 1980s—threatening to unravel the threads of a life she left behind years ago. That same day, her daughter goes missing and the school claims that her aunt picked her up.....but she doesn't have an aunt. Convinced of a link between the two, Nicole is forced to revisit long-abandoned memories from her past to protect everything she now holds dear.

I normally love this author's books, but this one was a miss for me. It was a bit of a slow burn for most of the book, Cassie was thoroughly unlikable, and to be honest, Nicole wasn't much better. The only difference between the two was that Nicole at least had sanity on her side. I needed someone to root for, and I didn't have that. I didn't really feel invested in their story either. I wanted to like this, but this one just wasnt the book for me.

Very “Girl with the dragon tattoo” vibes! It’s gripping, fast paced & a definite page turner! You’ll be reading until the wee hours if you start it too late!

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Sandie & Minotaur for the advanced copy of this book! It was an honor to be selected!

What to expect:
⭐️Dual timelines (past & present)
⭐️Dual POVs
⭐️Long held secrets
⭐️Complicated relationships
⭐️British boyband and fandom
⭐️Psychological thriller


TW: discussions of a child being kidnapped, drug use, sexual relations while using drugs, unwanted sexual advances, rape, murder, cancer illness of a parent and mental illness.


Thoughts:
Gripping… you won’t want to put it down. I can’t attest to this authors previous work or how others felt about this story but I actually really enjoyed it. Once I started it I couldn’t put it down. It is told in two perspectives of voice which are two sisters. The combination of the stories and how they twist is pretty crazy. The overarching story of the band, their crazed fans and how these sisters fit in is pretty spot on for many people I know in the industry who over time grew in popularity. The ending and last few chapters coming together were pretty insane. The last page will have you going WHAT!?! Or NO WAY!!?? There are some deep conversations with heavy trigger warnings I highly recommend being aware of before dipping in to the story as they are center focus for much of the implosion and events of the whole story.

There were a few areas that At first I will say I struggled with as a non YA aged reader. this past/present story telling spends a bit of time building the past storyline. At times it felt almost too naive & young for me. Something that would be more YA. Once you get beyond the early building of it and see how the present storyline fits in, you loose that I’m too old for this feeling. It is a bit slow to get off and understand the whole story coming together BUT once you do it is a FAST rolling ball. One you will be chasing to the end!

Synopsis:

California, 2011: Nicole Forbes lives a quiet life in the small seaside town of Coronado with her husband and daughter. She is not expecting a writer to knock on her door asking for her personal insight into the downfall of the biggest British band of the 1980s—unveiling the threads of a life she left behind years ago. The same day, her daughter goes missing and the school claims her aunt picked her up . . . but she doesn’t have an aunt. Convinced of a link between the two, Nicole is forced to revisit long-abandoned memories from her past to protect everything she now holds dear.

London, 1986: Sixteen-year-old Cassie is obsessed with Secret Oktober, the hottest band of the moment. Harboring an intense crush on the leading man, Ben Edwards, she will do anything she can to capture his attention among the throngs of groupies at the band’s scandalous backstage parties. But when Ben discovers her older sister Nicole singing at a local bar one night, he can’t help but feel drawn to her, setting in motion a collision course that could tear their family apart.

Infused with the sounds of the 80s, this thrilling novel from the inimitable Sandie Jones explores the chaos that the frenzy of fandom can provoke.

Thank you Netgalley & Minotaur books for an eARC ♥️♥️

The doorbell rings, and everything changes. For Nicole Forbes, a quiet life in small-town California is shattered when a writer arrives, asking about her connection to the iconic British band, Secret Oktober.
As the past begins to unravel, Nicole's daughter goes missing, and the school's explanation raises more questions than answers. The search for truth becomes an all-consuming force, driving Nicole to confront the secrets she's kept hidden for decades.
The story is a masterful blend of 80s nostalgia and heart-pumping suspense, with the dark side of fandom and the intoxicating power of celebrity taking center stage. Sandie Jones weaves a complex web of characters and events that will keep you guessing until the very end.

This book started off slow for me but then caught my attention about halfway and left me with a cliffhanger. This was a dual timeline (1986 & 2010) that revolved around a past rock band murder and a present day kidnapping.
I hope there is a sequel because I need to know what happened.
Thank you St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books for sending me this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

This is the second eARC by Sandie Jones I have had the plesaure of reviewing. This book featured one of my favorite things, a dual timeline. There was drama at every corner. I wish we had more time to live with the aftermath of the twist, but overall this was good and fun.

This is my first read by this author and I will probably read more from her in the future. Told in dual POV as well as dual timelines, the story of a rock star (pop star maybe lol) and the women who changed his life forever but perhaps not in a way we all expect. Throughout the story, you are pretty sure what happened but as any story of this time, not all is as it seems. There were some twists that I didn't foresee but it still felt a bit disjointed in the telling (and I am assuming it was to throw us off kilter a bit). And that ending? Still reeling a bit on that one. 3.5 stars for me.