⭐️⭐️/5. I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this advanced reader copy. I had high hopes, alas, it was disappointing. Nicole is living in California with her husband and young daughter when a journalist knocks on her door. Suddenly, the past she tried to keep buried comes rushing to the surface. What does Nicole have to do with the biggest 1980s boy band (think Duran Duran)? Then her daughter is missing. In 1986, Cassie is sixteen and obsessed with Secret Oktober, and she is trying to do everything she can to snare the lead singer, Ben. Ben isn’t interested in young Cassie, but he sees her older sister singing in a bar & he’s smitten. There are lots of obstacles to Ben dating this sister, mainly his record label who dictates who he can be seen with in public. Love is thwarted & it sets in motion tragic events. Did I really care about Nicole and Cassie? No. It read like a bad YA novel. Thumbs down! #skipthisone #bookstagram #netgalley #whatiread #goodreads #bookgram #reading #books #bookworm #advancedreaderscopy #libbyapp #thumbsdown

I Would Die For You had some high points but I think overall the story is a bit disjointed. Lots of switching back and forth of timelines and POV so it quickly gets muddy. I couldn't really understand how the two storylines would connect as I was reading the book and with the ending being so abrupt, I didn't get complete satisfaction with the conclusion. I would still recommend that people who enjoy thrillers give it a try but it's not one I would regularly recommend or purchase for myself.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. I Would Die For You is available on March 25, 2025.

I have never read a bad Sandie Jones book. So yes, while it's true that this is totally a popcorn thriller, it is still REALLY GOOD. I finished this in one day, and didn't have it figured out until the very end!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Mar. 25, 2025
Sandie Jones’ newest novel, “I Would Die for You” is a dual-timeline, suspenseful page-turner about sisters, secrets and a deadly obsession.
2011: Nicole is leaving a quiet life in a small California town with her husband and daughter. So, when a young woman appears at her door, asking Nicole about her part in the downfall of the biggest band in the 1980s, Nicole is floored. Especially since no one knows about that part of Nicole’s past, not even her husband. So, who is this woman and what does she want?
1986: Cassie is obsessed with Ben Edwards, the front man of the biggest pop group of the moment, Secret Oktober. She can’t believe it when she manages to make it into the hotel where the band is staying and Ben actually singles her out to talk to her. Now, she is on her way to making all of her fantasies come true. But how far will she go to make it happen?
“Die” has some edgy, 1980s “Behind the Band” energy that reminded me a little bit of “Daisy Jones and the Six” with a domestic suspense vibe. Nicole is the 2010 protagonist, although she does feature in 1986 as well, but that era is mostly Cassie’s domain. Young and naïve, Cassie is your typical sixteen-year-old, knowing everything and nothing all at once, easily influenced by those she admires. Nicole is only a few years older, desperately trying to keep her family above water as her mother battles cancer. Although both women are very different, they both have recognizable, relatable components to their personalities that will connect with readers.
There are some sensitive and powerful themes in the novel, so readers should be prepared to read scenes featuring sexual assault, drug use and a young mother dying of terminal cancer. So, if you’re expecting a light read, you won’t find it, but you definitely will find drama, intrigue, plot twists and engaging characters.
There is non-stop action right through to the final pages of the novel and, in fact, the ending itself doesn’t provide the definitive conclusion I was expecting, but the cliffhanger ending did not take away from my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.
I am a long-time fan of Jones and have been with her since “The Other Woman”. Jones continues to craft delectable domestic suspense novels and, if “I Would Die for You” is any indication, then I will eagerly look forward to more powerful, addicting page-turners from Jones in the future.

This was just okay. I have mixed feelings on Sandie Jones' books, some I have loved others I hated. This was middle of the road. A popcorn thriller, slightly predictable, but an overall good time.

This story jumped between the past (1986) and present (2010) and tells the story of Nicole's life. This woman lead an interesting life when she was younger; complicated, tragic, mysterious/secretive. The story was a little slow, but entertaining enough to keep me engaged, and things really started picking up in the last quarter of the book. When there are so many secrets someone's trying to keep hidden, something's bound to surface, especially when the 'right' person gets even a little incentive. The last line of the book had my jaw hanging open! I went back and read the last few paragraphs again and it still had me saying WOW. This was only my second Sandie Jones book, but it was more enjoyable than the other one I read. Might not be a hit for everyone (based on GoodReads ratings and some reviews), but if you're intrigued by the overview, I say give it a try.
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Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which alternated between California 2010 and London 1986. I enjoyed the glimpse into boy band culture of the 80s - the sordid behind=the-scenes drama of drugs, groupies, and intra-band conflicts. I truly devoured this book - only putting it down to analyze what I'd just read and try to conclude what was going to happen next. My only issue was that the ending seemed abrupt. Some of my questions were unanswered.

I'm a newcomer to the mystery genre. This is exactly what I like - lots of twists and turns but no gory crime scenes. .
I will definitely look into other books by this author.

Thank you to St. Martins Press Minotaur and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave…” Nicole Alderton Forbes has a big secret. So big that she decided she had to leave England and move to the United States. She’s told no one, not even her husband, Brad.

Two things happen on the same day, early in the story. One, a stranger from England comes to ask her about her past life, and two, her eight-year-old daughter disappears. Thus begins “I Would Die for You” by Sandie Jones.

Jones tells her riveting story using dual timelines. Nicole and her younger sister, Cassie, are teenagers. Cassie cuts classes and calls in sick to her job just to get a glimpse of her favorite rock group, Secret Oktober. Her crush becomes her obsession. Over time, Cassie unfortunately gains access to the group’s members and has a physical relationship with one of them. She doesn’t realize the young man has no feelings for her and will not even remember her.

The situation escalates and ends in death. An innocent person goes to jail. Nicole leaves her country.

“I Would Die for You” is hard to put down. Just when you think you might learn something who killed whom, for example, you’re zipped back to the current timeline. This creates a lot of tension.

I recommend “I Would Die for You.” Not only do the readers not know who killed the victim, they also don’t know who the victim is!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader’s copy. This is my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones. This gripping novel blends passion with suspense, drawing you into a world where love and danger intertwine. Jones’ writing is raw and evocative, capturing the high stakes of a story where every heartbeat could be your last. The narrative pulses with intensity, although there were moments when the pacing felt a bit rushed, leaving some twists less developed than I’d hoped. Still, the well-drawn characters and palpable tension make the risk and romance feel all the more real. Overall, I Would Die For You is a thrilling, emotionally charged read for anyone who loves high-stakes romance with a dark edge.

I Would Die for You is the first Sandie Jones novel I've read, but it won't be the last. I enjoyed the story and the characters, and in the end, it had a super balanced tone between memories and live action. Multiple POVs give the reader cause to question who is really speaking, and you get to play the guessing game of which sibling is the focal point. As the true history of what happened all those years ago come together, you're left with an open-ended choice of which characters to love and which to hate. Readers will easily fall into some traps, which writers love.... thru the trickery of words, changing POV, and playing a bit of a guessing game, you think you understand but then you learn about some of the other situations in the background and it all feels like a house of cards that eventually, like all dramatic moments, come tumbling down. Intrigued by the writing style enough to see if the author recreates that magic in other novels.

I hate to say it, but this book just didn’t do it for me. Jones has written some great stories over the years, but this one felt completely different—in the worst way. It was slow, predictable, and just didn’t have that spark I usually expect.

The only redeeming quality was the dynamic between the sisters. Their relationship felt real and well-developed, but even that couldn’t save the overall storytelling, which dragged the entire way through. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but it never did.

Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. If you’re a longtime fan of Jones, you might still want to give it a shot, but don’t expect the same level of excitement as their previous books.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had mixed feelings about this book, but there were definitely aspects I enjoyed. The overall theme was engaging, and Cassie reminded me a bit of myself and Future Islands, which made her character even more relatable. I was more drawn to the present-day storyline, while the past felt a bit busy with all the different events. The cliffhanger was intense and definitely left me eager to see what happens next! Zoe’s connection to Ben adds an intriguing twist. The sibling dynamic was complex, and I’m curious to see how their relationship evolves, especially with their dad’s support for Cassie and the lingering tension with Nicole.

This was a compelling read, that I found I did not want to put down! Great, multi-faceted characters. Very interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Suspenseful and thrilling. I felt every emotion. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

I struggled big time with this book. What should have been a fast read for me, dragged out into days. I felt there was nothing exciting to keep me pulled in to the storyline and invested. I wish this wasn't my first introduction to this author, but seeing she has several other books I won't let it deter me.

🍷 F R E A K Y F R I D A Y review 🍷 featuring “I Would Die for You” by Sandie Jones!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Nicole Forbes is happily married, a mom and lives in a quiet coastal town in California. Formerly from Britain, there is a reason she fled to the United States and has bottled up secrets from her past life for 25 years.

All her walls come crashing down when her past comes (literally) knocking on her door. A young writer is writing a book on the downfall of a popular British rock band from the 1980s called Secret Oktober. The writer wants to hear about Nicole’s relationship with the lead singer Ben Edwards. After the shock settles in, Nicole starts to spiral out of control. She has finally been found …

What is Nicole’s dark secret and connection to the band you ask?? Well, you will just have to follow the trail of bread crumbs that the author sprinkles throughout dual timelines. You get a true glimpse of the old Nicole AND the new … and the race is on to fit all the puzzle pieces of the last 25 years together! This book is WILD and fast paced and a sucker punch of twists and turns! You can easily binge this one no problem!

Thank you kindly to @sandiejones_author @minotaur_books @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on March 25, 2025!

I finished this book about three weeks ago (forgot to review) and I'm not sure what to say about it! I suppose that means it was an underwhelming story that didn't stick with me very long!

I'm a sucker for dual timelines, and secrets from the past rising up to haunt you. But this book, although relatively well-paced, just never took off for me. The characters were never fully fleshed out, and the story just never came together.

I would categorize this one as a domestic drama mixed with boy band fan fiction more than a mystery/thriller. Sandie tends to be hit and miss for me. This was a middle of the road in my opinion. I liked some twists and some drama but overall, it fell a little flat for me. I would recommend to the right audience but not everyone. 3 stars.

Full of twists and turns, a young groupie is over her head with the boy band of her dreams. This book takes place in two timelines and is part groupie fiction and part family drama. I was hooked and wanted to read the conclusion.

Nicole's explosive past catches up to her in I Would Die For You and she's going to have to deal with the fallout of all the lies she's told and has been telling. It had me guessing the entire time and blew my mind at every twist. I like a story where I love to hate all the characters and this one was added to that list. Just couldn't get on board to anyone's side. And I love me a cliffhanger ending! This was a wild ride and I loved every minute of it.