Sex, Drugs, Groupies, and Rock and Roll sum up this novel.

There are those fans who become obsessed with celebrities. Think back to Elvis and The Beatles, and you will have the same scenario with an up-and-coming band, Secret Oktober. The novel focuses on two of the band members, sisters Nicole and Cassie, and Cassie's new friend, Amelia, at least for the 1986 flashbacks. In 2010, it focused on Nicole and her family. However, the past rears its ugly head when Nicole's daughter, Hannah, goes missing after being picked up from school by an aunt. However, she doesn't have an aunt that we know of. You can tell that Nicole is hiding something from her husband, Brad, but what? It takes most of the book to unwind the facts and the truth. 

I enjoyed the dual timelines because they gave me insight into Nicole and how the events of 1986 impacted her life in 2010. Cassie's character is depicted as an extreme groupie. She skips school and work, lies to her father, and believes she has a relationship with Ben from the band. A string of events doesn't bode well for Cassie or her family, but the outcome is not disclosed until near the end of the book. 

I wasn't wild about the 2010 Nicole because she was still hiding her past, even from her husband. While events aren't something to be proud of, why cover them up? I found it interesting that what she thought was the truth wasn't quite correct. Perhaps that is why she hid the truth, avoiding the events and her role in them. 

The book does leave a bit of a cliffhanger. While we can surmise what happens, it isn't confirmed. 

I was engrossed in this novel, and when I couldn't sleep, I finished it in the wee hours.

We give this book 4 paws up.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Two sisters connected to one famous band leader of the time. Cassie, sixteen, is infatuated with him and fights for his attention, while Nicole, the older sister, tries to avoid him for her sister's sake. But Nicole loves music 🎶 and this connection brings her closer to music. What happens next will change the lives of both sisters. They will live with secrets and will be haunted by the past.

The present will reveal everything.

Nicole's life is good. She has a loving husband and a lovely eight-year-old daughter. No one knows her secrets that she has kept for twenty-five years. Until one day a strange woman shows up at her door, claiming to know her past. The next day her daughter is kidnapped. Her aunt took her from school. But she doesn't have an aunt.

The story goes back and forth, to the present and to twenty-five years ago.

I returned to London in 1986, where teenagers were fascinated by the famous band and chased them to concerts 🎸and events. Very often they risked their safety and sneaked out of their homes, lying to their parents and putting themselves in danger. The scenes were described vividly and I could imagine the moments of anger and frustration from both parents and children.

This is my first book by this author and I will be reading more of her books. The author kept me guessing throughout the book. 🥁I had many theories and guesses about the past and present. The dual timeline was nicely done and easy to follow.🎺

3⭐️

I was really excited about the drama in regarding the Beattle-Mania/One Direction style 0bsessive fans and the hints at a earth-shattering death throughout the present timeline. Unfortunately most of this book fell short for me. I did love how deranged Cassi was and her absolutely delusional beliefs made it hard to guess what was actually true or not. But it did feel that Cassi being so over the top in her convictions lead to red harrings that made the plot feel more convoluted than mysterious.

I think my biggest issue with this was over all the pacing of the story. I feel ike the backstory leading up to the big reveal was given at a very slow pace and then the actual reveal was very rush with a very abrupt, open ending. It felt like we didn't get the mindset of a few of the characters that would make the ending believable and are instead left with a conclusion that felt disproportionally vindictive compared to the history we got.

Thanks Netgalley and Minotaur Books for providing this ARC to me!

Nicole is living the perfect life with her family in California. The past comes back to haunt her.
We jump back to the year 1986. Cassie the usual teenager likes a certain band member. She tries anything to get the attention of Ben.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publisher Minotaur Books.

What a great dual timeline story, and the era of 80's music is my favorite! The way Jones flipped between timelines was flawless and easy to track. And the build of suspense was done so well!

Sixteen year old Cassie (1986, London) becomes completely obsessed with the band Secret Oktober, with a massive crush on the lead singer: Ben Edwards. Like many teens of the era, she would do absolutely anything to meet him. She becomes friends with another groupie who knows the ropes, which only feeds her fire. Unbeknownst to Cassie, Ben happens upon her sister Nicole singing at a bar one night. This leads to more interaction between the two which drives a wedge between the sisters.

Meanwhile, Nicole Forbes is living in Coronado, near San Diego with her husband and daughter (2011). She never expected a journalist to appear on her doorstep asking for her perspective of the dramatic demise of this top band. And later that day, her daughter goes missing, and the school claims her Aunt picked her up. But there's one problem; there is no Aunt.

If you're a music lover of the 80's like me, read the note from the author as well.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Sandie Jones for the eARC.
Pub Date Mar 25 2025

I had a high hopes when I started this book, it sounded very intriguing like a Daisy Jones type book but with a big mystery thrown in. Sadly, the twists and turns in the plot soon made me realize that the only thing that this had in common with Daisy Jones was that it involved a band that had a lot of in fighting and issues. I found the switching back and forth between 2010 and 1986 to be a bit much, and I found all of the characters to be very unlikable.

I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones is about a woman named Nicole whose past is about to catch up with her whether she likes it or not. Back in England when Nicole was a young adult and her mom was dying. Her and her sister were figuring out life when the band The Secret October enters both of their lives. This will put both the band and this family on a crash course collision where someone will end up dead and multiple lives ruined.

This book is a 3.5 ⭐️ read that I rounded up to a 4 ⭐️.

This book has an interesting premise that was different than other thrillers that I have read before. It had a music/band, “behind the music” kind of atmosphere that was an enjoyable change from other books that I have read. It flashed back to the 90s with a rock band to then present day.

At first the switching perspectives through me off a little bit. It took me a second to figure out if it was Cassie or Nicole’s perspective. I found that I kept mixing them up in the beginning. When reading, I like when the chapters are clearly labeled with perspectives to take the guessing out of it.

The ending had a super abrupt ending which I wish was explained just slightly more. It left for a twist of an ending but I just wish it had a little more explanation. Even if it was just a sentence or two. I feel like so, so much happened in the last few sections. You found out what characters were dead and which were still alive, etc. It felt a little like you wanted more information after such big reveals.

Overall though, it was a fairly quick read that I enjoyed. I like the rockstar premise with 90s nostalgia that my millennial heart enjoyed!

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I WOULD DIE FOR YOU by Author Sandie Jones is a psychological thriller highlighting what can happen when deadly secrets buried in the past come knocking on your door. It's a story of a woman who's agonized for years with guilt and regrets over an impulsively, life-altering decision that changed the course of lives. It's a story of a woman with ugly secrets and ghosts, constantly looking over her shoulder . . . a woman whose time is up.

In the present, Nicole Forbes enjoys an ordinary life with her husband, Brad, and young daughter, Hannah, until the morning a writer, Zoe, knocks on her door asking questions about her connection to a 1980's British rock band and the tragic, mysterious death of lead singer, Ben Edwards. Unnerved, Nicole refuses to comment but her feeling of impending doom deepens when Hannah doesn't arrive home from school at her normal time. Contacting the school, Nicole's informed Hannah was picked up by her aunt as prearranged . . . except there is no aunt. A search ensues with questions from the police Nicole can't or won't answer, claiming to have no clue as to who would take Hannah. Secretly, her gut tells her it's connected to the mysterious writer who showed up on her doorstep. Who was she? Why show up all these years later? Nicole’s world is imploding . . . is it payback time?

In the past, Nicole makes ends meet working at a bar and singing at open mic nights while caring for her terminally ill mother and trying to keep her rebellious sixteen-year-old sister, Cassie, on a straight path. The young teen is infatuated with a 1980's British band known as Secret Oktober and as she follows them from venue to venue, she becomes obsessed, convincing herself there's a relationship blossoming between her and lead singer Ben Edwards. A friend has an inside source feeding her information about parties and events where the group will be, and the two girls manage to slip in. Typical to the time and bands, loud music, alcohol, drugs and sex are openly indulged. Cassie is out of her league, but she'll do anything to grab Ben's attention. She doesn't yet know Ben has met Nicole and is falling fast for her. When Cassie discovers their secret affair, jealousy and an overwhelming sense of betrayal quickly morphs into uncontrollable rage and a burning need for revenge. When the dust settles, who will be left standing?

I WOULD DIE FOR YOU unfolds in past/present chapters through multiple points of view. The story highlights the complicated relationship of sisters and how they affect family dynamics. Readers also gain insight into the complex lives of boy bands in the 80's, including the jealousy and vindictive backstabbing that tore bands apart along with the measure’s young, besotted groupies would take to connect with their idols. At times, I found these characters hard to like, hard to find empathy for, leaving me with a need for more from them than I received. However, the mystery of what really happened in the past as well as who was behind the escalating events unfolding in the present kept me flipping pages in search of answers. I know some readers will find the ending a bit too open-ended, but I've come to anticipate and appreciate Jones' signature endings where she challenges readers to step onto the scene and "read between the lines" to form their own conclusions.

Jones flawlessly weaves the mystery of a tragic event that shocked the music world in the past with the present-day nightmare of a woman on the brink of having her world destroyed a second time in this riveting mystery. I WOULD DIE FOR YOU is a character-driven thriller with all the right elements for a highly entertaining read. A missing child, a woman whose past comes calling, rock idols, groupies, estranged sisters, obsession, lies, secrets - all entwined in an intriguing mystery that's hard to put down. Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers and fans of 80's bands.

I received an ARC copy of I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones from Netgalley!

In the beginning, I was really intrigued by the story and was really into the characters and the plot. However, it kind of fell flat for me towards the middle and began to be a little repetitive. The ending had a few twists, but it overall ended too abrupt after reading the whole story.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

I enjoyed I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones, and you do have to suspend a bit of belief with this one but if you can do so then it will be fine. The audio was enjoyable and easy to follow the two timelines without having the ebook handy. Once this got going I was vested in the story and it is a fairly quick read that I finished in a few hours.

A gripping, fast-paced thriller about the dark obsession fans can have on celebrities. Nicole felt she had left her past behind until a writer, Zoe, showed up at her house asking questions about the death of a band member in the 80's. She now lives with her husband Brad and daughter Hannah in a quiet seaside California town. After this, her daughter is missing from school. Supposedly, an aunt picked her up...she doesn't have an aunt.
In the 80's, Nicole worked at a bar and sang when she could. Her younger sister Cassie is obsessed with a band member Ben Edwards with the Secret Oktober in London. Cassie is only 16 years old and becomes involved with scandalous backstage parties. Her toxic friend, Amelia, joins the dark side and begins a relationship with a band member Michael, while Cassie's obsession for Ben grows.
The problem is Ben has eyes for Nicole. This upends and complicates things for the two. A murder occurs, as the past is revealed and pieces are in place... things are more disturbing than thought.
Great job by this author. Not one of my favorites, but still a mystery to solve as lives are upended.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

My favorite part of I Would Die for You is the dual timelines between 2010 and 1986. The 1986 portion focuses on Cassie’s obsession with a popular band from London and brought back my memories of my obsession in that same time frame with Duran Duran. As it turns out, the author used a lot of her own memories of her obsession with Duran Duran as a base for the book. So I enjoyed that connection. The 2010 timeline is more Nicole’s story (Cassie’s sister) and how the events of 1986 continue to shape her life.

This was a quick read but at times I found it to be confusing however eventually all was revealed. I think readers of a certain age will enjoy this book and maybe dig up some memories of their own related to that time.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

This was a decent thriller. With that being said, I don't think it will make my list of best thrillers of 2025, though I still enjoyed it. I also have to say that I thought the first half of the book was better than the second half of the book. I enjoyed the audiobook narrator, Imogen Wilde as well and I thought her voice was pleasant. I can't quite put my finger on what I did not enjoy about the book, but I guess I might have to say some parts of the story were kind of too slow-moving for me. With that being said, I would still be open to reading more books by Sandie Jones in the future.

3.5 stars

Tomorrow is the release day Sandie Jones‘s new thriller, I Would Die for You. Bouncing between 1986 and 2011, it follows two sisters and their involvement with a wildly popular band… and the repercussions haunting one of them 25 years later.

Why I Chose This Book:
I first heard about this book in the Minotaur Sampler that came out a few months ago. A recurring theme for me is how much I love music in books, and that was, of course, what first drew me to I Would Die for You. (The title reminding me of “#1 Crush” by Garbage helps, too!) Here, the music in question comes from a 1986 band—Secret Oktober—who all the teens love, their groupies and collaborators, and their shocking end. I also liked the element of sister relationships in this book, problematic as their dynamic is.

What I Liked:
- Rock band, songwriting, and celebrity scene. While I love reading about artists writing and performing music, in this book, we see more of the drama and toxicity of celebrity. Fame and addiction, groupies and scandals, a band that’s rather dysfunctional behind the scenes… The only parts really about the music itself are when Nicole and Ben work on a song together. The rest is worthy of gossip magazines and is, in fact, the fuel behind all that goes wrong with the band.
- Lies, manipulation, and evil doings! From the beginning, you know there are some secrets and some bad endings for certain characters. But how it all goes down… wow! Horrible people doing horrible things!
- Unlikable characters! Speaking of horrible goings-on, some of these characters only get worse with each passing chapter. Some are downright awful people. I’m glad I don’t know anyone like this in real life.
- Dual timeline (1986 and 2011). Nicole has a husband, a young daughter, and a successful career, but her past is starting to catch up with her. Half of the book takes place in 1986, when she and her sister Cassie were grappling with their mother’s rapid health decline. Somehow, the lead singer from Secret Oktober got mixed up in all of this, and Nicole is still paying the consequences. But what really happened? And is Nicole (not to mention her daughter) in danger?

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- The ending was so abrupt! I liked the ending overall, but it left me wanting more time to wrap it up further.

If you like the dark scandals of celebrity life and potentially unlikable characters, I Would Die for You is a fun and thrilling read. You may want to check content warnings before reading, and it certainly won’t be for everyone. But I enjoyed this novel! It was my first time reading Sandie Jones and I look forward to checking out more of her books.

I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones
Thriller. Dual time line past (late 1980’s) present (2011).
2011 - Nicole Forbes lives an unassuming life in Coronado, CA with her daughter and husband. Unexpectedly a woman knocks on the door and asks Nicole for an interview about her knowledge of the famous boy band and the death of one of the members in 1986. Nicole is shocked. She doesn’t talk to anyone about her past and refuses to answer any questions. Later that day, her daughter doesn’t get off the bus as usual. An “aunt” has picked up her up and there is a record at the school that it was prearranged a week prior. There isn’t such a relative.
1986 - Secret Oktober has exploded onto the music scene and fans are obsessed with the band and trying to get access to the outrageous backstage parties filled with liquor, drugs and sex. Thousands of young women are obsessed with the band, following them everywhere. Sixteen year old Cassie hooks up with another girl that seems to know where the band will be next and get them in the doors.

From each time jump, there is a little more revealed of the famous men, the fans, and consequences of obsession.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook which is narrated by Imogene Wilde. The performance is chilling and will keep you on the edge. The tempo is smooth as the twists keep coming and the emotions of sorrow, and horror can’t be denied.
I always try to read and listen at the same time. It allows me to catch the nuisances I may have otherwise missed. Both formats here are equally explosive.
I listened between 1.5 and 1.75 with 1.5 being the preferred to match my reading and conversation speed.

Utterly absorbing as the twists keeps me reassessing both what actually happened and what that means in the current timeline. The overindulgence of the 80’s? Fame? Innocence and manipulation mixed with delusion?

Incredible suspense and thrills.
Not sure I loved the ending.

I was gifted a copy from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio

A dual timeline domestic suspense novel about a former band member with dark secrets. This was okay on audio and had some moving moments but overall it was just an okay read for me. I wasn't pulled into this story like I wanted to be and found the ending a bit of a let down. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

💭: I enjoyed this one right up until the last page.🤣 It abruptly ended. I kept thinking I skipped some pages by accident on my kindle, swiping back and forth. Low and behold, I did not. I can get down with a cliffhanger, but this was not it for me.

Now for the things I did like:
✔️ alternating timelines (1980’s and 2010’s)
✔️boy band fanatic (took me back in the day😍)
✔️family secrets and suspense
✔️unstable character

I’m going to be completely honest. I just could not get through this book. I got to about 122 pages before I just couldn’t continue reading. There was zero development by this point which was about halfway through the entirety. I was incredibly bored and it took me more than eight days just to get this far. I can’t say that I’d ever recommend this one.

This is my first book from Sandie Jones and for me, I enjoyed it.

This story is told in a dual timeline, from 1986 in London to 2010 in California. In the past, we see the story told from both Nicole and her younger sister, Cassie's POV. In 2010, the story is told only from Nicole's perspective. The past is told in the third-person, while the 2010 POV is in the first-person viewpoint. This didn't impact me but I know other readers may prefer a specific POV.

In the 80's, Cassie is obsessed with the band Secret Oktober, and especially with front man, Ben Edwards. She starts attending pop-up shows and events and meets Amelia, who claims to know the band. From an adult perspective, we can easily see that Amelia is a groupie but Cassie is clearly more naive and doesn't really understand what's happening. Ben continues to blow her off. Her older sister, Nicole, is a singer-songwriter, and Ben happens to meet her in a bar where she's performing. They have a connection and he pursues her, meanwhile having no idea she's related to Cassie. Is this totally realistic? No. I kept wondering if Ben wouldn't have seen some appearance resemblance, but also, this is the 80s. There weren't cell phones, the internet, or all of the connections we have today.

In 2010, Nicole is married with a daughter and a life she enjoys. Until one day, a writer shows up, wanting to write a story about the demise of Secret Oktober. And then her daughter goes missing, only to pop up later, after having had a day out with her "auntie". But Nicole's husband doesn't have a sister.

This story doesn't have a massive amount of character development, and I think this is because there are a lot of twists, and more and more of the story is constantly being unearthed. As a reader, you're really starting to put the pieces together as you go along, but not in a way that made me guess the ending.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I think if you're someone who loved boy bands an rock bands as a teen, and you love a good, twisty story, then you'll enjoy this one.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own

Summary:

2010

Nicole lives a quiet life with her husband and daughter. Until one day someone appears on her doorstep saying she’s writing a book and wants to ask Nicole some questions. The topic? The downfall of the biggest British band of the 1980s.

1989

Cassie is Secret Oktobers biggest fan. Well the leading man Ben’s biggest fan. She will do anything to get him to notice her. But when Ben notices her sister at a local bar one night because of her singing, a plan is set in motion that will destroy Cassie’s family and millions of Secret Oktober fans.

My thoughts:

I really liked the concept of the story and it could have been amazing. It was not executed well for me. I HATED all the characters. Not one thing about them was good. Nicole has built her entire marriage on lies that she’s too scared to admit to. When she inevitably is faced with the choice of telling the truth or continuing to lie, she tells half truths and ends up getting someone killed for it. Overall, not worth the read.