I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones

Nicole has spent years leaving the past behind—until a writer shows up at her door asking about the biggest British boy band of the ’80s. When her daughter goes missing the same day, she’s forced to revisit secrets she thought were buried forever, connecting puzzle pieces across the decades in a shocking way.

Such a great read! I loved the dual timelines between past and present, and the boy band plot made this one so much fun to dive into. Some of the twists were a bit unbelievable, but that just added to the drama!

This book started out really promising and interesting- a woman fleeing from her past that comes back to haunt her. And not just any past- one with a famous British rock star. However, a large majority of this book relied on miscommunication, which isn't my favourite trope for a thriller. Taking it a step further, I had a really hard time believing that a mother wouldn't be honest about her past even when her child was at risk. Then there was even more miscommunication and assumptions about the past coming to light. While a lot of the book was gripping and there were many layers, overall I just couldn't get past all the lying and miscommunication that this thriller heavily depended on,

So for a while I was honestly super into this story. The back and forth between now and past was great and getting bits and pieces of the story at a time kept me turning the page. But eventually it just felt like it was dragging on too long (even though this wasn’t a long book) and on the end the secrets weren’t as crazy as I had hoped and the ending just fell flat for me - I wanted to love it but in the end just found myself wanting to be finished.

"I Would Die for You" by Sandie Jones details the quiet life of Nicole Forbes living in California with her husband and daughter. She does not expect for a writer to come knocking and beginning to open up her past into the downfall of one of the biggest british bands of the 80's. This dual timeline flashes between present day and 1986.
I am still unsure of my true thoughts of this book. The first couple chapters started off strong, but after I felt my concentration and willingness to continue slowly slipping away. Once I hit about 30% I felt the plot was decently progressing. By the end of the book I just felt frustrated. I enjoyed the plot and story of the 1986 better than present day. I didn't feel the present day contributed much to the story and I think the focus should have been more on the 1986 aspect and better developing Cassie into the awful character that she was. Overall this story was just okay, I made it through, but the plot felt very flawed and that there were many missing pieces that could have made this story stronger. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2011 California: Nicole Forbes is living a happy life in Coronado with husband Brad and young daughter Hannah. She is well known in her community for her efforts in protecting the local habitat of seals. Nicole's life is about to be turned upside down with a knock on her door that will bring up events of 25 years ago that she has managed to keep hidden; a life that Brad knows nothing about.

1986 London: Sisters Nicole and Cassie Alderton are about to become involved in different ways with members of Secret October, the hottest pop/rock band. The involvement with involve delusion, deception, paranoia, drugs and murder..

Wow! does this book move at a fast pace. If you are in need of a rainy day read, beach read, or whatever excuse does any bibliophile need for suspense--Look no further.

Thanks to Netgally/St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the eARC.

I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones left me feeling unsatisfied. The story follows multiple characters but the first you’re introduced to is Nicole, who dreams of becoming a singer and performer. However, when Ben approaches her, her hesitation feels out of character and inconsistent with her goals.

The plot jumps around frequently, making it hard to stay engaged. For example, Cassie’s arrest is introduced but never properly followed up (just mentioned later on) leaving loose ends that add to the book’s scattered and unfinished feel. The amount of times I was waiting for the mention of Cassie’s age as she’s running around with a band member and it was just never mentioned - a major miss on the writers side to make that narrative powerful. The writing lacks cohesion, and the numerous overlapping storylines create confusion rather than intrigue. Given the youthful tone and pacing, this novel might be better categorized as YA.

Although it was easy to read with short chapters, this wasn’t my favorite. If you’re interested in Sandie Jones’ work, I’d suggest The Other Woman, which is far more gripping and well-executed.

This book started out to be INCREDIBLE! The whole “aunt” story was fantastic and I couldn’t wait to see what happened.

But then it turned into a YA novel - which I don’t really like and didn’t expect from a Sandie Jones book. It was so disappointing and not at all thriller-like or suspenseful.

I’m sure that many people will love this, but I couldn’t finish it.

I will not publish a review anywhere since I didn’t finish the book.

Thank you Minotaur books for the ARC!

I really wanted to love this novel as the description is something that intrigued me a lot however the writing style of this novel was not for me. I was not getting the on the edge of my seat thrill feel that I wanted. I know that someone somewhere will absolutely love this novel, and I wish that person was me. However it was not. The characters were developed fairly nicely I thought though.

"I Would Die For You" begins with Nicole Feiney being questioned about her past interactions with a rock band in the 1980s. Soon after, she discovers that her daughter has been taken from school by a so-called aunt—who doesn’t actually exist. Although her daughter is quickly returned, the real mystery is just beginning, as echoes from Nicole’s past start to haunt her present.

The narrative shifts between Nicole’s present in California and her past in London, gradually revealing that something terrible happened—and that Nicole may be one of the few people who knows the truth.

As the mystery unfolds, the story takes some far-fetched turns, making certain plot points feel a bit eye-roll-inducing. Additionally, the pacing between the two timelines feels uneven, which disrupts the flow of the novel.

Overall, I’d call it a "fine" mystery—engaging enough but not one I’d rave about.

Book: I Would Die For You
Author: Sandie Jones
Genre: Mystery
Places Featured: California, United States and London, England
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading
DNF @ p116

Pre-Read notes

I was offered a widget of this ARC and don't have any expectations for it. The only thing I know about it is that it's a thriller about a girl who goes missing. Expecting a fun read!

Final Review

Review summary and recommendations

I really wanted to like this one, but it started out labored and it just got worse from there. Once the author added a far-fetched and sensationalized depiction of mental illness, I was out.

Thriller writers: please learn how to write about characters with all kinds of disabilities, including mental illness.

Reading Notes

Four things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. Sure, he always volunteers to lend a hand when there’s trouble or when there’s something practical that needs doing; he’s spent many a weekend taking our eight-year-old daughter, Hannah, down to the beach at dusk to tidy up after inconsiderate day-trippers and nosey tourists have left the life-threatening remnants of their picnics for the seals to navigate. p6 The author's syntax is needlessly complicated in many places. This sentence is 67 words long, but it only needs like ten of them.

2. I'm 30 pages in and I can't tell if this book is adult fiction or YA. Maybe NA?

3. The plot has so many problems. Plus, every character behaves in an unnatural way, so it's difficult to trust any of their perspectives.

4. And a not-great depiction of mental illness. Sorry, everyone, but it's a DNF for me!

Rating: DNF @ p116
Recommend? no
Finished: Mar 15 '25
Format: accessible digital arc, NetGalley

Thank you to the author Sandie Jones, publishers Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of I WOULD DIE FOR YOU. All views are mine.
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Secrets. Lies. A decades-old mystery that Nicole thought she left on another continent, in another century. Will her past come back to haunt her and threaten her current life, which she's carefully cultivated and kept separate?
The years of lies and delusions eventually unravel in a convoluted spiral of half-truths.

I was intrigued to find out that the idea for this book was inspired by the author's time as a *dedicated fan* (groupie?) of the real-life band Duran Duran.

I recommend this book for readers who enjoy twisty thrillers, complicated family dramas, and behind-the-scenes stories about bands.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Reader's Copy provided through #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

2.5🌟
Nicole is living a quiet life with her husband and daughter. Suddenly the peace she so desperately sought is about to come crashing down. A stranger appears at her door, questioning her about a breakup of one of Britain’s biggest bands from the 80’s. But what does that have to do with her? Hmmm… Nicole, I do believe you may be keeping secrets!🤔

But Nicole’s strange day isn’t over yet. Her daughter was picked up from school by her aunt. Odd… her daughter doesn't have an aunt!😱

Meanwhile, we have a completely separate storyline regarding this 80's rock group, and the fans that will stop at nothing to be part of that circle.

Sounds like a lot? It was! I enjoyed the present timeline with Nicole and wish more time was spent on that story line.
But the past was simply a bit too messy for me. And found myself less than enthusiastic to read those chapters.

I’ve been hit or miss with this author and sadly this fell into the latter category. But I’ve read all her books and will continue to do so!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins press

This was not my favorite from the author. I didn't find the characters that likable. I also found the pace to be inconsistent which made my interest level sway to much. Thank you, NetGalley.

A great page-turner, though the premise is REALLY hard to swallow. A pop star somehow gets involved with two sisters, one inadvertently but one on purpose, without anyone knowing...it defies the imagination. All that being said, you can tell the author had fun with this one, and it was fun to read.

I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones was a book that felt like it could have been so much more but it mostly read a bit uncomfortably and disorganized. The overall premise of a woman running from a past where she was involved in a murder investigation, and that past is now coming to haunt her in her present day is an exciting one for me to read, but it the plotline itself fell apart fairly quick, and it felt disorganized from an early point in the novel. From there, it felt as though it tried to tie up loose strings to make up for lacking coherence, but mostly, the novel was overall rather messy in how it moved back and forth between both dual perspectives of the two sisters, as well as the dual timeline.

It was not a book that I hated, but I anticipated so much more from the overall plotline. It became hard to follow, and quite frankly muddled in trying to reach a point in the narrative. At the risk of spoilers, I think the idea of an unhinged, obsessed sibling character who haunts the narrative before an ultimate reveal is an exciting premise, and was excellent as a driving force for this novel. That said, and this is from the perspective of having to suspend my disbeliefs, that too felt muddled, and it felt as though the full idea of the reveal wasn't wholly realized before the novel's end.

As well, at times, the perspectives of the novel came across as preachy, and as if the characters were speaking for something other than themselves. I like flawed characters, and I also like hypocritical characters, but something about these characters felt fairly one dimensional, and it was hard to sympathize with anybody, or relate to anybody, and most of it came across as feverish, unstrung scenarios rather than a fully realized and cohesive plot.

That said, I would read more by Sandie Jones based on reviews of this book comparing it to her other works: this one feels like a hit or miss novel, whereas her other works are far more cohesive.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Sandie Jones, and Netgalley for this early reader copy!

My favorite book by this Author is still "The First Mistake." With that said, I get excited to always read a new one by Sandie Jones. The acknowledgement at the end of this book is great, She was inspired by Duran Duran.

Nicole is the main character in this story, living a quiet live in California. She flashes back to her past life in London. Told in dual timelines, it was past and present, 1986 to now, 2010. Her younger sister Cassie, who is a mess, chases a rock band around town. Does this band change the course of the sister's lives? During the different timelines, it plays a bit of the guessing game to figure out what is going on. At the end, all the dramatic moments come tumbling down.

Mystery Thriller, Interesting Timeline, and Fan Obsession! 3 stars!

Thanks so NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 3/25/25.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy. This was my first book by Sandie Jones, and probably not my last. This dual timeline mystery/thriller which follows two sisters was entertaining for me. In addition to the family drama, there was a music theme which also interested me. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys twisty characters and story lines.

Nicole Forbes is living a quiet life in 2011 when two things happen in the same day: a journalist shows up at her door asking about the downfall of a famous British band, and her daughter vanishes — allegedly picked up by an aunt who doesn’t exist. The mystery seems to point back to Nicole’s own sister, Cassie, whose obsessive crush on the band’s frontman, Ben Edwards, once altered the course of their lives forever.

The dual timeline structure works well, with the 1986 storyline offering a compelling look at the frenzied world of fandom and a sister’s single-minded fixation on a pop star. Cassie’s unpredictable behavior keeps things interesting, and the eventual reveal of what went down between her, Ben, and Nicole is satisfying — though not without some confusion-inducing plot holes.

The present-day mystery, on the other hand, leans too heavily on withheld information and convoluted twists. As a first-person narrator, Nicole keeps too much from the reader, making the mystery feel more like an artificial puzzle than an organic unraveling. Add in a frustratingly distrustful marriage, some repetitive writing, and a resolution bogged down by shuffled identities, and the modern-day storyline feels like a missed opportunity. Frankly, the 1986 plot could have stood on its own.

Readers drawn to the nostalgia of a fictionalized 80s pop band will likely enjoy I Would Die for You, but overall, this one falls into "airport book" territory — fine for passing the time, but not particularly memorable.

I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones attempts to blend suspense, family drama, and the feverish fandom of the 1980s, but unfortunately, the execution falls short. The premise—of Nicole being thrust back into her past after her daughter’s mysterious disappearance—is intriguing, but the disjointed narrative and abrupt pacing make it difficult to fully engage with the story.

The novel follows alternating timelines between Nicole’s present-day life and the 1986 world of a rock band and teenage obsession. However, the transitions between these timelines often feel jarring and the characters, particularly Nicole, lack depth, making it hard to connect with their motivations. Furthermore, the ending feels rushed and unclear.

I was not impressed with this read at all. I felt like the author just put a bunch of words on paper. That hurts me to say because I love this author.