Set between a dual timeline of the 1980s and 2011, this story was one for the music lovers. In 2011, Nicole’s daughter goes missing after she was picked up by her “aunt” from school one day…. but she doesn’t have an aunt. Back in 1986, a story unfolds about 16-year-old Cassie and her obsessive crush on the lead singer of her favorite rock band. How do the two stories connect? You’ll have to read it to find out.

Trigger Warnings
Drug Use, Sexual Assault

Why Kirsten loves it
Sandie Jones’s stories can be hit-or-miss for me, but this one was so unique I couldn’t stop listening! The premise was fun, and it kept me guessing until the very end! #gifted by MacMillan Audio

Thank you, Net Galley! I was gifted a copy of this as an audiobook from Net Galley in return for an honest review. I was slightly confused at the beginning when it started switching between time periods, but as more and more of the mysteries started to come together I couldn’t get enough. The narration was really great. I love when a narrator can easily switch between voices and accents.

I’ve always loved dual timelines and enjoyed several of this author’s previous books, so I was looking forward to diving into this one!

"I Would Die for You" twists together the present day with the exciting rockstar scene of the 1980s, and I have to say, the 80s sections were my absolute favorite! They brought so much fun and upbeat energy to the story. In contrast, the current day focuses on Nicole, who has a lot on her plate—her daughter is missing, her mother is dying, and she’s trying hard to keep some old secrets hidden. It definitely adds a darker tone to the story. I enjoyed some of the characters and their development, but I found the pacing a bit slower than I enjoy.

I was lucky to get early copies of the audiobook and ebook from Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio. Following along with the ebook while listening to the audiobook is a great experience! The narrator brought the story to life in such an amazing way, making it a fantastic journey. If you’re considering how to enjoy this book, I’d highly suggest the audiobook; it kept me engaged.

The plot is good, but I wanted more excitement to hook me. It’s receiving many positive reviews, so feel free to take my opinion with a grain of salt!

All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

I received this audiobook early from MacMillian Audiobooks through NetGalley. I’m excited for opportunities to read and review new books in this reading era of my life I seem to be in lately.

First off, I’ve loved Sandie Jones in the past. I was disappointed by this new book of hers. The storyline seemed jumbled and I don’t feel like she landed the plane on some of the conflicts.

I thought the premise of the book (fan girls and 80s boy band) was fun and different but it ended up leading to a less than thrilling mystery/suspense novel. The characters were difficult to connect with and I had a hard time really buying into the story.

My opinion is only one of many! If you’ve loved Sandie Jones in the past, I encourage you to pick this one up and give it a try.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Pub Date: 3/25
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I Would Die for You is a gripping psychological thriller with a dual timeline set in the 1980's and the present. Right from the start I was gripped to this story.
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I thought the characters were well developed and I felt that the dual timeline really helped bring this story to a complete story. I loved the backstory into Cassie, Nicole and Secret Oktober. I really enjoyed both of the timelines; the 1980's timeline with the boyband obsessed teen really hit home. The pacing was steady to fast with perfectly placed twists throughout the book that had me flipping through the pages. The resolution of the story was just what I wanted for this one!
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I listened to this via audiobook while reading my eARC. Imogen Wilde was absolutely perfect for this. I was so enthralled by this audiobook that I couldn't put this book down. If you are going to pick this one up - without a doubt check out the audio!
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Overall, this was a huge win for me; I very much enjoyed this story! I think my psychological thriller fans will enjoy this one! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Sandie Jones, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nicole is living a quiet life in California, far from her past in England. One day her world is turned upside down when her daughter doesn’t get off the school bus like usual and she’s informed by the school that her daughter was picked up by her aunt. But she doesn’t have an aunt. This happens just hours after a journalist knocks on her door addling for her insight on the downfall of an 80s British rock group. Told in two storylines - present day and the 80s where Nicole is caught up with Secret October the aforementioned rock band. Overall most of the plot points were a little out there and I didn’t care for the flashback storyline too much. Not Sandie Jones’ best.

This was a propulsive listen and the narrator did a great job. While the author is talented with words, the main character, Nicole’s decisions were hard to believe and the plot was pretty wacky. I liked the premise of her sister and obsession over a band but there were just too many wtf moments for me to be on board with this one.

Nicole Forbes lives in California with her husband and daughter. She works hard to help the seals, who are struggling because of humans on the beaches. Not everyone is on board with restricting time on the beaches for the humans, so Nicole has been getting some pushback. But she’s ready to fight for the seals anyway. So when an unknown woman knocks on her door one day, she assumes that it’s a reporter wanting to talk about that. Instead, it’s a woman writing a book about Secret Oktober. Nicole throws her out immediately.

And then Nicole’s daughter goes missing. Hannah is just 8 years old, and she doesn’t make it home on the bus. When Nicole calls the school, they tell her that her aunt had picked her up. Nicole knows this is a lie, as Hannah has no aunt. Nicole calls her husband, and they look for Hannah everywhere they can think of. They finally find her, unharmed, but Nicole can’t figure out what had happened. When they found her, she was alone, but she talked about her aunt. Just, not enough for Nicole to know exactly who it was that Hannah was with. But she can’t fight the nagging feeling it had something to do with the woman who had showed up earlier and asked her about Ben Edwards.

Twenty-five years earlier, in the ‘80s, everyone knew who Ben Edwards was. He was the lead singer in the hottest band in England, maybe the world, Secret Oktober. There were 3 guys in the band, Ben, drummer Michael, and keyboardist Luke. And to 16-year-old Cassie Alderton, Ben is everything. The band puts on a weekday concert in London, jamming up traffic, and it’s in navigating to better spot to see the concert that Cassie meets Amelia. And Amelia knows the guys in the band.

While Cassie spends her time mooning over Ben, her older sister Nicole is working on her music. It’s at a dive bar one night where she plays a song she’s been working on, I Would Die for You, that she meets Ben. Nicole had written the song for her mother, who was dying from cancer, but Ben is captivated by it and wants to help Nicole record it, maybe even as a duet. Nicole refuses at first because of Cassie and her crush, but Ben wears her down with the offer of a private recording session.

As Nicole’s life becomes more complicated—her mother gets sicker, and Cassie stays out to much going to Ben’s concerts and occasionally an after party—she finds herself thinking more about the time she spends with Ben, both the music they make together and the feelings that are developing. But falling for a pop star is never easy, and Nicole is reluctant to hand over her whole heart.

Back in her present-day life, Nicole is trying hard to keep things together, but she is struggling. She is worried about her daughter’s safety. Someone is sabotaging her work with the seals. And she has to face the fact that she has been keeping her life in London a secret from her husband for 25 years. She never told him about her sister. She never told him about the band. She never told him about the song she recorded with Ben Edwards. And she never told him about the murder. And now all that’s coming back around, like a record on a turntable.

I Would Die for You is a twisty thriller about what happens when the past you’ve been running from knocks on your front door. It’s a mix of 2010s domestic thriller with 1980s pop music fangirl thriller, and it’s all fun to read. The puzzle pieces come together slowly, but when the last one falls into place, it’s a powerful moment.

I listened to I Would Die for You on audio, narrated beautifully by Imogen Wilde. As an American listener, I could see some moments where the American accent was off, but they passed. However, listening to her narrate the British characters were beautiful, and I could listen to her read books in her lovely British accent all day. Wilde did a lovely job with the twists in this one, and I look forward to more audio book from her.

I really enjoyed I Would Die for You. My main problem with it was when she talked about those ‘80s music days being 25 years ago, and then realizing that the “present-day” chapters were set in 2011, well, that added up to making me feel old. But the story itself was engrossing and page-turning. I loved remembering the fangirl days of my early teen years, and while I didn’t chase anyone down or end up at any good after parties, I still enjoyed remembering those innocent feelings, letting the music take you away. like a really good story does.

Egalleys for I Would Die for You were provided by Minotaur Books, and an early copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I Would Die for You was a great listen, and I enjoyed the past and present timelines and the character development. I particularly enjoyed the 1980's flashbacks with the groupie aspect of an up-and-coming boy band. I did think the pacing was somewhat uneven and found myself wanting more information on the past timeline. Overall, this was a fun read, and I will recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC!

I listened to most of this one on audiobook but did switch for the last 20% or so because I wanted to finish and see if my hunches were right on how everything came together. The narrator did a great job with the story. The story is told in two timelines and I enjoyed the 1986 timeline much more than the 2010 timeline. The characters didn’t feel fully developed and nothing really made sense to me in the 2010 storyline. (For instance if a child is kidnapped there is more follow up by all of the professionals that this book depicted). Even in the more interesting timeline there was a lot of leaps of faith the reader had to take, but overall it was an entertaining book. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars which I rounded up because it did grip me enough to finish in one day.

Drawn in by its partial setting in the picturesque Coronado, California—a truly stunning coastal locale—I anticipated a compelling thriller in Sandie Jones' I Would Die For You. While the premise of teenage obsession and musical rivalry initially intrigued me, the novel ultimately failed to live up to its potential. The implausible plot, underdeveloped characters, and fragmented narrative structure diminished its impact. The central storyline, focusing on Cassie’s fixation with singer Ben Edwards and the ensuing love triangle with her sister Nicole, read more like a simplistic young adult drama than a suspenseful thriller. The emotional depth essential for driving the plot was absent, and the characters often lacked the complexity required to fully engage me. I found the characters so unsympathetic that their fates held little emotional weight. The dual timeline, a common thriller trope, failed to add intrigue and instead created confusion, disrupting the narrative flow and further distancing me from both the characters and the plot.
In the 2011 timeline, an older Nicole Forbes, now living in Coronado, encounters Zoey Mortimer, a woman researching a 1986 boy band tragedy, which sets the supposed mystery in motion. However, this subplot failed to generate genuine suspense, and the mystery quickly lost its allure. As Nicole grapples with resurfacing memories and her eight year old daughter Hannah's disappearance, the plot falters further, and the early reveal of the key twist undermines any remaining tension.
Ultimately, the characters across both timelines felt one-dimensional, making it difficult to invest in their struggles or the story as a whole. The sluggish pacing and absence of promised suspense led to a finale that descended into melodrama, leaving me frustrated and deeply unsatisfied. The abrupt cliffhanger ending only compounded this disappointment. In conclusion, I Would Die For You lacked the key ingredients of a compelling thriller: relatable characters, a cohesive plot, and authentic suspense. While the setting initially drew me in, the execution ultimately fell short. With stronger emotional stakes and tighter pacing, the underlying ideas might have coalesced into a more engaging read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing a digital review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was so fast-paced with plenty of twists and turns along the way. I was immediately invested in this story from the start.

I really liked the author’s writing style as a whole though - the switch between timelines felt very smooth and never felt like there was an abrupt switch.

My only complaint is that as everything started to come together at the end it felt rushed. It did quite feel finished / open ended so I was left unsatisfied.

Overall, I had a fun time with this book and plan on checking out the author’s backlist as this was the first book of hers I’ve read.

Colleen Chi-Girl on GR
3-1/2 stars

I enjoyed this book on audio, partially because Imogen Wilde is such a pro narrator with a good accent. This novel is my first by the author Sandie Jones and the storyline swings back and forth with 2 timelines. It first features Nicole, a happily married young mother, her handsome and intelligent husband, along with their daughter on beautiful Coronado Island in Southern California. Nicole goes to pick up her daughter from school and finds out "an aunt" picked up her daughter. Problem is....neither she nor her husband have a sister who would have picked up their child.

In the 2nd timeline, we meet Cassie living in England in the mid 1980's - I sure loved the music back then but this is focused on one band only. Cassie is still in High School and an obsessed groupie for the hit rock band Secret Oktober when she meets a fellow obsessed groupie that she teams up with. This was the least interesting part of the novel for me and is why I didn't give it a 4* rating. It reads too much like a Young Adult book and I've read my share of those. I just don't enjoy listening to the insane things teenagers do. I had my teenage life - lol. These sections were overly detailed and were dragged out too often.

Now, back to current day when a search for their daughter brings up the hot topic of why Nicole withheld so much information from her husband about her past. This is not a spoiler....but Nicole has a sister as we already know, named Cassie. How and why would someone deceive their husband about her past that really isn't that outrageous? And she knows she's the guilty party, but blames husband anyway and becomes somewhat psychotic in her dealings with him. Again, why wreck a good marriage with someone you love? I couldn't suspend my disbelief here.

Back to Cassie and Nicole, and the BAND in the past. Some interesting points and historical background enfold, which much of it was interesting, except for the overly detailed drama about Cassie, friend, groupies, and the band. Then back to Nicole and her past, which again was illuminating from her viewpoint, yet it felt too contrived to be believable. The pluses for the writing is that Ms. Jones knows how to do suspense and intrigue, and the title is fabulous (Prince's famous song).

I would like to thank both NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy and opportunity it provides.

🎧Audiobook Review🎧

I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones
Narrator- Imogen Wilde
Publisher- @macmillan.audio
@minotaur_books
Out Now

Nicole, her husband Brad and their daughter Hannah live a quiet life in California. One day, someone shows up at her door asking questions about a popular band in the 80’s. What does this have to do with Nicole?

The same day, her daughter has been picked up by a mysterious aunt. Only, there is no aunt.

Told in dual timelines in 1986 and 2011. There is so much going on in the past that you have to pay close attention. I found myself rewinding it on several occasions. I was still lost at times.

Absolutely no likable characters. The story of the band was just silly to me. Lots of drama, drugs and the groupie life. What I did like, was the fact that a murder is thrown in! Plus, Imogen Wilde’s voice is like butta👌
3.5 ⭐️
Thanks to @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @minotaur_books for arcs.

3.5 stars. I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Imogene Wilde. The narration was good.

I'm not sure what to say about this book. Listening to it, I think I got confused as to which girl the chapters were about. I feel like I missed something. The story centered around a family. There was the mother and father and two girls. The youngest girl is totally obsessed with a band and thinks that she and one of the band members are meant to be together. Her older sister enters the picture and things go sideways. I think this would have been a better book if there had been less time spent on the early part of the story and more spent on the latter part of it. That's where all the action was.

As you would expect with a rock band in the center stage of the book, the book contains drugs, casual sex and even rape and murder. If those things bother you, skip this one.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

Every book that Sandie Jones writes is my new favorite, and I Would Die for You is no exception. I loved everything about it, from the dual-timelines to the sister love/rivalry between Nicole and Cassie. It's thoroughly entertaining from the first sentence to the last, and this is one that I will be recommending to all my thriller-loving friends.

Loved the second half of this book, however I really struggled with the first half. It felt like I kept getting bored with it. Cassie and Nicole characters were both well written, but the narrator used such similar voices, I had trouble remembering who was talking. I did enjoy the dual narrative. The last hour of the audiobook just seemed to unravel too many things, too many moving plot lines. I also did not like the cliffhanger ending.

Thanks to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for early access to I Would Die for You in exchange for my honest opinion. I switched back and forth between ebook and audiobook formats, mostly listening. This dual timeline “thriller” jumps between Nicole’s life as an adult in current day LA and her young adulthood in the 1980s in England, and I use those quotes because I think it’s more of a family drama with some withheld secrets, rather than a twist-filled thriller. The book was fine, but I thought it had a bit too much going on, and I wish the story had been fleshed out a bit. The characters are all awful with maybe one exception, and I wasn’t really invested in what was happening and/or why.
I’m glad I could read the acknowledgements to see that it was based on the author’s own experience following Duran Duran, and I wish the audiobook had included that info. Overall, I liked the audio format because it felt like I was listening to a soap opera, and I don’t know if I would have gotten as enthralled if I had been reading instead of listening. That being said, I feel like this book is a departure form the author’s typical thriller, and I think women’s fiction would be a better classification for this book.

Wow...what a gripping, fast-paced read It’s the kind of story you devour in one sitting.

Sandie Jones delivers a compelling dual-timeline mystery, intertwining the past and present in a tale of obsession, betrayal, and the dark side of fandom. Infused with the sounds and atmosphere of the ‘80s, The Trade Off explores the chaotic frenzy of celebrity worship and the dangerous lengths some will go to for their idols.

Coronado, California – 2011: Nicole Forbes has built a quiet life with her husband, Brad, and their nine-year-old daughter, Hannah. But her past comes crashing back when a young writer, Zoe, shows up at her door, digging into Nicole’s connection to the infamous ‘80s British band Secret Oktober—a band whose downfall is shrouded in mystery. Nicole wants nothing to do with it, but the same day, her daughter goes missing. The school claims her “aunt” picked her up, but Nicole doesn’t have a sister. Convinced the two events are connected, she must confront long-buried memories to protect the life she’s fought to build.

London – 1986: Sixteen-year-old Cassie is obsessed with Secret Oktober, particularly its lead singer, Ben Edwards. She will do anything to capture his attention, but her plans take a turn when Ben sets his sights on her older sister, Nicole, instead. Nicole, recently moved out of their strict, abusive home, is trying to carve out a life for herself, unaware that stepping into the band’s orbit will set off a chain of events with devastating consequences.

As the past and present collide, Nicole must uncover the truth: What really happened in 1986? Who was responsible for Secret Oktober’s implosion? And who has come back to exact revenge?

What Worked for Me
✅ Fast-Paced and Addictive: The book’s pacing is relentless, making it an easy binge-read with twists and turns that keep you hooked. The tension builds steadily, and just when you think you have it figured out—boom! Another twist.

✅ Intriguing Premise: The dark side of celebrity obsession is a fascinating topic, and the book does a great job highlighting the extreme lengths fans (and groupies) will go to for proximity to fame. The toxic relationships, manipulations, and dangerous power imbalances within the music industry add depth to the mystery.

✅ Dual Timelines Done Well: The transitions between 1986 and 2011 are seamless, with each chapter revealing more pieces of the puzzle. The slow unraveling of the past kept me engaged.

✅ Emotional Depth (at Times): While I had issues with the characters (more on that below), I appreciated the exploration of sisterhood, guilt, and trauma. Nicole’s conflicting emotions toward Cassie felt authentic, and her past trauma shaped her present fears in a believable way.

What Didn’t Work for Me
❌ Rushed Pacing and Surface-Level Emotion: The story moves at breakneck speed, but this comes at the cost of character depth. Nicole’s relationships—both with Ben in the past and Brad in the present—felt underdeveloped. There wasn’t enough emotional weight behind them, making it difficult to fully invest in her connections.

❌ One-Dimensional Characters: While Nicole and Cassie had some depth, many of the other characters felt like placeholders. Ben, in particular, lacked the charisma needed to make his role in the story feel impactful. The villains were a bit cartoonish at times, and Cassie’s descent into obsession felt predictable rather than layered.

❌ Over-the-Top Plot Points: Some twists were jaw-dropping, but a few felt absurd or forced. I had to suspend disbelief in certain moments, and a couple of big reveals earned an eye-roll rather than shock.

❌ An Abrupt Ending: After such a thrilling buildup, the resolution felt rushed and a bit unsatisfying. I wanted more closure, especially regarding certain characters and their fates.

While The Trade Off had its flaws, it was undeniably entertaining. The dual timelines, dark themes of obsession and betrayal, and rapid-fire twists made it an addictive read. If you love fast-paced psychological thrillers with a touch of nostalgia, this one is worth picking up—just be prepared for a few moments that stretch believability.

THANK YOU to my besties at Macmillan Audio for the approval to read new Sandie Jones! Excited to get my hands on this one basically just based on the author, lol. I went in to this one blind.

The narrator for this story was fantastic! I liked the emotions brought out in the audiobook, the pacing was good and there was some differentiation between characters voices, most notably with the American vs British characters.

This was, admittedly, not my favorite story ever. I did like the storyline but the characters were mostly SO unlikable, especially Cassie, There was no one I could find to root for or really care about. Sometimes unlikable characters are fine, I can still get into the story, maybe it's wanting them to get what they deserve or wanting to see how situations play out but there was nothing here I really cared enough about in the characters lives that really made this still an enjoyable read. I hate to say it because I have loved what I've read from this author!

It wasn't until about 78% that this really started to pick up. It wasn't until that point that I really cared but then I couldn't get enough and couldn't read this fast enough! The mystery gets a little convoluted until everything begins to unravel as answers are revealed. I still couldn't really care about the outcome FOR the characters per say but like I wanted to know how this would end. But the ending..... Some readers will love this ending!

I think this story will work really well for a lot of readers. I did love some aspects and would recommend this if you love:
-dual timeline
-80s band
-slow burn mystery, it takes a while to get to some answers