
Member Reviews

This book had some very unlikeable characters, which made it hard to be invested in their story. I did enjoy the different perspective in time though.

This wasn’t a poorly written book, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. I appreciated the twists and turns. But, I wasn’t a fan of the switch in voice (1st person and 3rd person omniscient), and I am not a fan of VERY unlikeable characters. I disliked so many of the characters - honestly all of them were unlikeable. The delusional, unhinged teenagers obsessed with pop stars in the 1980s and ruining peoples’ lives….. UGH. The pop stars who flirt unabashedly and then expect a regular girl to assume the best of them?….. UGH. The supposedly solid married couple who can’t tell each other the truth AT ALL….. UGH. I was close to DNFing it, but I NEEDED to know the secrets. I was a little disappointed that nothing was jaw droppingly shocking. Everything was foreshadowed or hinted at pretty well so when the reveal came it was like, “Yup, that makes sense.”

Sandie Jones did it again! Set between the perspectives of the 80s and 2000s, a woman named Nicole is forced to confront her past and memories of her sister of what happened in that long ago time period. Obsessed with a band called Secret Oktober, Nicole’s sister Cassie is obsessed with the lead singer Ben. Mystery and suspense are plentiful in this book, and I would give it 4/5 stars and say that everyone should definitely read this one. It is so good, and really hard to put down!

This was my first book from Sandie Jones and I really enjoyed it.
It was fast paced and the built up suspense got my attention from the start. It was a guessing game!
The ending involved a cliffhanger, so I am wondering if it will lead to another book. 👀
Overall I really enjoyed this book and recommend.
Thank you so much Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Katie Layton for inviting me to read this ARC.

This is just the kind of book I love to read. I had some reservations with Nicole’s marriage - didn’t find it believable that it could collapse so spectacularly in one confrontation. He didn’t seem the kind of guy to not be willing to talk it through. The historical storyline was a bit slow for me but constructive feedback only as I enjoyed the ride. The premise was interesting and enjoyed the reference to Duran Duran at the end.

This was a really good read! I loved the past and present stories and how it intertwined. I’ve read several books by Sandie Jones and this one did not disappoint! It kept me on my toes and I couldn’t get enough of it! I would highly recommend it to others that love mystery/thriller books.

Sandie Jones was one of my fave writers after reading The Other Woman. The First Mistake was by also an excellent read. But it seems that everything after that didn’t really hook me like those 2. I was really hoping this would be another knock it out of the park, 5 star read. But it wasn’t. It had so much promise. This book happened over 2 timelines, which I always enjoy. It just seems there might have been TOO many things going on. It also seems like the story didn’t wrap up completely. I felt like I was just left hanging. Possibly for a sequel?
I give this book 3 stars because it was a good read, just not what I was expecting.

As someone who wishes she had been an 80s groupie (lol) I was really excited for this book with the setting of the 80s music scene. About halfway through the plot kind of lost me because I felt there was something missing. Nothing was holding my attention anymore. There was both a lot but not enough with a plot that kind of seemed to go nowhere. If this book were reworked I would definitely read it again.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC. I’m a big fan of Sandie Jones and enjoyed this book, but it wasn’t my favorite. I enjoyed the dual timeline of the 80’s to current day. I also really liked the 80’s rock band premis, but something was missing for me. Still an enjoyable read even though I thought the ending wrapped up too quickly. 3 1/2 stars rounded up for nostalgia!

This book has been on my wish list since the day it was able to be added to said list, so I was so excited and grateful to be approved for a copy of it. I was even more excited that it didn't disappoint!
First of all... wow. Sister relationships can very so unbelievably complicated! Especially if one sister is a comfortable liar, is manipulative, and is okay with hurting others if it means making her own situation better- Especially if the situation has anything to do with boy band member Ben Edwards.
Second of all.... parts of this book are a wee bit dark, and involve drug usage and overdose, rape, and overall adult situations. Although some readers might be "triggered" by reading these parts, I think they're all necessary for the advancement of the storyline, and aren't gratuitous in their usage. The entertainment industry can be a very dark place, especially to the uninitiated, and the price of fame can be astronomical. Sandie Jones does a wonderful job of making you have empathy for her characters, sometimes even the ones who aren't great people, because she gives them a reason or backstory to explain why they are the way they are.
Third of all.... I'm beginning to ramble. This book was well thought out, moving, and, at times, made my blood pressure skyrocket. The ending.... I didn't see the last little bit coming, and i don't know how I feel about it, truthfully. Yes, it was clever, but the nosy side of me wants to know what happens AFTER that last page! I kind of hope we find out- sometime, somehow, someway- in the future.
So.... will I be recommending this? Obviously. I'm quite likely to handsell it, as well, of course. And I'll also be looking forward to reading anything written by Sandie Jones in the future.

I like the synopsis of the book and I was really excited to read it, but it just dragged and I really pushed through it is a book that I wish I never finished but I needed to know what is happening, it was not it, if they make a sequel I won’t be reading it

I Would Die for You begins with Nicole and her husband and young daughter living the ideal life in Colorado until one day her daughter doesn't come home from school. The school says she was picked up by her aunt. The only problem is, she doesn't have an aunt. The story shifts between 2011 and 1986. Sadly, this book just did not work for me. I struggled to get through it, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

Wow! What a good book. The main characters are two sisters, Nicole and Cassie. At 16, Cassie has a major crush on the lead singer of Secret Oktober Ben Elliott. This crush turns into an obsession. Nicole, also a musician, meets Ben while performing at a bar. The attraction is real and instant. When Cassie accidentally finds out a series of events occur that ends up in murder. Nicole moves to restart her life. Move forward twenty-five years and a knock on Nicole’s door causes the past to come forward. So many secrets, lies and devious behavior follows. What’s the truth? Who is the murderer? I couldn’t put this book down.

Sandie Jones never disappoints me, and this was no exception. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen or who died, there was another turn and then yet another person who I thought was alive, was possibly not. The end was truly brilliant!

This was the first book in a long time that I read in 2 days- could not put it down! I enjoyed the structure switching from present to past, and enjoyed uncovering the truth of what happened. Thanks for a chance to read this galley- will be recommending to friends and coworkers!

I Would Die for You is a twisty tale that follows sisters Nicole and Cassie as they navigate the music scene of 1980s London. Cassie is 16 and completely obsessed with a new band called Secret Oktober and Nicole is in her early 20s, trying to make it as a singer. Cassie's obsession with the band and its front man, Ben Edwards, leads her down a dark path of sex, drugs and rock and roll and not in that particular order. Nicole, trying to be the big sister she knows that Cassie needs, finds herself also falling for Ben Edwards after a chance meeting following one of her gigs. For Ben, Nicole is it - and Cassie doesn't like it.
With Ben threatening to leave the band after one of its members begins bringing down everything they've worked for, it opens up a whole new can of worms that leads to a death, and Nicole and Cassie's lives, along with that of her family, to be changed forever.
All of this comes crashing down in California, when 25 years later, the past that Nicole has been running from this entire time comes flying back at her when a young woman appears on her doorstep claiming to be writing a book about the downfall of Secret Oktober. But, her appearance is just the first notch on an ever-growing crisis that is going to change Nicole's world.
Sandie Jones is the queen is a twist, but in my opinion, this story fell short. It was a quick read, as I finished it less than 24 hours after I started, but I think there was too much going on at one time. There is the story of Nicole and her daughter, Hannah's disappearance, which I know is related to the entire story, but felt out of place. There is Nicole's secrets she's kept from her husband all this time, which I understand but there was only a brief period where this is discussed before never being mentioned again. There is the reunion between her and Ben that left us without any sort of answers, and Nicole and Cassie's reunion, which was just confusing overall.
I think the premise of the story definitely could have gone somewhere, but the story just felt rushed while simultaneously taking forever to get anywhere. Overall, 3 stars. Thank you for Sandie Jones, Minotaur Books and Netgalley or an ARC of this novel. The opinions aforementioned are my own.

So this book was better than I thought. I do not like the ending. Nicole and Cassie are sisters. Nicole seems very normal. Cassie is an entitled psychopath. I have a hard time believing all of these events would really happen because Cassie wanted them to and without any consequences. But overall it did hold my attention enough to finish it. Not a bad topic. Different.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones in exchange for an honest review.
I started out really liking this book but the ending is WHAT???? I need more of what happened.

2.5 rounded up This intrigued me based on the setting of the 80’s music scene. The dual timelines worked at first, but soon this whodunnit became more twisty than a whole bag of pretzels…and not in a good way. It was purposely unclear not only who committed the crime, but who the victim was. Throw in a lot of overused tropes, unlikable characters and a completely unrealistic criminal mastermind…this was too much.

🎵Back in the 1980’s, Cassie and Nicole are experiencing such a terrible, emotional situation with their beloved mom slowly passing away. They are in their teens and trying to figure it all out. Cassie loves the band, Secret Oktober, and somehow lucks out and meets a girl who can get her backstage. After that, all of the chaos begins to take place.
🎼Fast forward to the present, Nicole has a suspicious stranger appear at her door asking for the story of what took down the band, back in the 1980’s. Nicole has knowledge that others don’t have. She has secrets she has not shared with her husband even. This has to go away, quick; but it doesn’t.
🎤The story has a dual timeline told by Nicole and Cassie. This book is totally different than Jones’ other ones. I like it. Totally liked the plot, but it didn’t have the eerie vibe I thought it might. However, Jones is one of my favorites and her writing is so good! I like the fact that the band, Secret Oktober, is based on Duran Duran. It brought me back to the 1980’s, which was so fun. This was an enjoyable read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book.