Very rarely do I give 5 stars. An average to good book normally earns a 3 from me. I am giving this book a solid three stars. Sandie Jones does a wonderful job of bringing life to her characters. After reading all of them, I was especially looking forward to this new book. I really enjoyed how seamlessly the story wove together. If I explained what it was about it would seem a bit far-fetched, but she worked her magic and created a story that flowed well and kept the reader guessing. I would have liked a little more information in the ending, but can see the appeal in how she finished.

I will always be a Sandie Jones fan! However this was not my favorite of hers. While it was an interesting premise, it fell flat. The characters were not super likable and not in a good way. And while an un reliable narrator can be a good thing it was not here.

Also the audio could have been taken to the next level with multiple narrators. The narrator did their best, but I had to listen to the last chapter three times.

I Would Die for You, written by Sandie Jones and narrated by Imogen Wilde, is a fictional mystery taking place over time in London and California. Main character Nicole lives in California with her husband and daughter. She is an environmental advocate, caring for the seals and pups on the beaches, trying to allow them to have a safe place for themselves. But in the 1980's she lived in London, and became involved with the band Secret Oktober, along with her younger sister Cassie who was somewhat obsessed with the band. When Nicole's daughter goes missing one day, only later to be found telling her parents that her aunt picked her up at school, Nicole is first worried that her husband might be having an affair. But she begins to open her mind to other options, while reflecting on her past relationships, and how they might be affecting her current family.

I enjoyed this book, it really kept me guessing until the end! I was confused with some parts, had a little trouble following along or understanding where the author was taking us, but I still really enjoyed the story line, relationship development, and the ways the book went between the two time periods. I also like that the book leaves you with a cliffhanger, and possibly room for a sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the author, publisher, and narrator of this book for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t like saying bad things about a book. I had such a hard time with the story, the characters, the timeline. I was so confused for the whole thing and I couldn’t wait for it to finish. Sorry

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

Wow! I Would Die for You is a fast paced thriller that gets the adrenaline pumping from the very beginning. Told in duel timelines - present day 2011 in California and 1986 in London. The story shows the dark side of celebrity obsessions. Some parts of the book felt rushed and the ending was abrupt but overall what a heart pounding read.

I really enjoyed this story that kept me on my toes wondering what was going to happen next. I can’t wait to check out Sandie Jones other books. Imogen Wilde did an excellent job with the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for letting me read this ARC.

Sandie Jones's latest book, "I Would Die For You," kept my interest throughout. I found the 1980s timeline to be much more captivating than the California 2011 timeline, as the story of Nicole, Ben, and Cassie/ Secret Oktober was particularly intriguing and I wanted to know what happened,

Imogen Wilde's narration brought the characters to life, enhancing the overall experience. While I enjoyed the book, I must admit it wasn't my favorite by Sandie Jones. Having read every book she's written to date, I felt this one didn't quite reach the heights of her previous works. Nonetheless, I was eager to uncover the secrets surrounding the characters, especially in the 1980s setting.

A big thank you to Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for providing my advanced listening copy! I'm looking forward to what Sandie Jones has in store for us next!

I would give the audiobook version 3 1/2 stars rounded up.

I Would Die For You
By Sandie Jones
Pub Date:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for my advanced audio copy. All opinions are my own.

Domestic twisty thriller about buried secrets and a hidden past that doesn’t stay hidden.

For 25 years, Nicole thinks she has escaped the secrets in her past.

But suddenly her family is thrust in the middle of her unraveling secrets.

This book started off slow but quickly evolved into an I-need-to-know fast-paced saga filled mystery and flashbacks, and ending with an unbelievable cliffhanger.

2.5⭐️ I feel like this book started off very strong but fell off for me somewhere towards the middle. I felt like the beginning was super fast-paced and exciting. It kept me interested and was easy to read. Then somewhere towards the middle, I was a little lost with what was going on in the story and it just wasn’t very clear to me what revelations were being made. Also for me the characters weren’t very likable so I just wasn’t super invested overall. I don’t think I would recommend this book, BUT if you want something on the shorter side and like this kind of rock & roll feel, then give it a shot!

"I Would Die for You" by Sandie Jones had so much potential. I really enjoyed the premise, but some of the most compelling plotlines felt underdeveloped. With more depth, this could have been an outstanding read. The dual timeline and rapidly shifting points of view were occasionally confusing, making it difficult to stay fully immersed.

I also wish we had more insight into the father’s overprotectiveness and his strained relationship with his sister, as those aspects felt unresolved. Additionally, some of the band-related elements didn’t feel entirely believable. Despite these issues, I enjoyed Sandie Jones’ writing style and will definitely give another one of her books a try. Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing me with an ARC.

The good: I absolutely loved the narrator’s voice. I listened on 2.0 and it was perfect, she was so nice to listen to.

However, I didn’t love much else about this one. The story was mildly interesting but never gripped me. Timelines alternate between the present (2011) and 1986 - though, did they really say “hook up” back then? I feel like they didn’t. I never felt compelled to keep reading to find out what happens next. Most of the characters were unlikeable and Cassie, who started out seeming fine, ended up becoming a cartoon villain.

And the ending was so abrupt I thought there must have been a mistake in my audio. But no, it’s just the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sandie jones, and Macmillan audio for an advance copy of I Would Die for You in exchange for an honest review. This story drew me in quickly, especially since the narrator did such a good job of making me feel like I was there. I loved visiting the past and present with these characters and I truly thought I knew what was happening next, lo and behold- I didn’t. This was more of a suspenseful book then your page turning thriller but I still think mystery lovers would love it!
I will also say this had a lot of nostalgic themes (can you say we loved boy bands) throughout the book.

This one is out on 3/25/25 and should definitely be on your radar!

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and MacMillian Audio for an ARC audiobook!

I have been super lucky in thrillers lately but the last two (including the one) were a miss for me.

I did not feel the edge of my seat feeling at all during the reading of this. I also did not feel any connection(good or bad) with the characters.

This book started off with a great premise and I was interested till about the 50% mark, but unfortunately, the ending was pretty anticlimactic and I've read the authors other works and know she can write a better story. None of the characters were particularly likeable. I do find that sometimes I can enjoy a mystery thriller more in audiobook form if the narrator really brings it to life, so I'll give that a try before delivering my final review on goodreads. trating Overall, it just didn't deliver the payoff I was hoping for. That said, I would recommend "The Other Woman" instead.

I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones is an entertaining thriller. I enjoyed the dual timelines of California in 2011 and London in the 1980s. The whole teenage girl obsessed with a boy band aspect and the dynamics between a famous person and someone who’s infatuated was very interesting. The audiobook narrated by Imogen Wilde was well done. I was intrigued the whole way through to find out exactly what happened between Nicole, Ben and Cassie. The beginning was very enticing to find out what the secrets are. This is my third book by this author and I’m curious to read her next book too!

This was an interesting one. I liked the alternating perspectives, especially that of the boy obsessed teenage girl. Made me recall of my youth when I was obsessed with boy bands like The Jonas Brothers and One Direction, always hoping in my bedroom that I’d be that normal nobody that they’d notice. Oh boy, to be so clouded as a hormone crazed teenage girl, I simply could never again 😂.
Overall this was decently paced but I felt like the ending started to slip apart. Something about it all felt kinda “huh?” by the end of it. But not in the exciting way. Just kind of scratching my head.

The audio was pretty good. I thought the narrator did a good job

I think this is my favorite of Sandie's books. 80s rock n roll, groupies, dual timelines; it has it all. This was great for me, because I grew up in the 80s and it took me back. When her daughter goes missing, Nicole will have to relive a past she has long buried, even from her husband. Why did she leave the UK and why has a writer come to her door asking questions? This kept me glued to the story and I didn't want to let go. Imogen Wilde was a fantastic narrator!

This story goes back and forth between two time frames, London in the 1980’s and California in 2011. It is the story of Nicole and Cassie, two sisters who grow up during the rise of the band Secret Oktoberfest. Present day, Nicole is living in a seaside town in California with her husband Brad and daughter Hannah, having left behind the past and her family that she ran away from. One day, she hears a knock at the door and is confronted by a writer who is looking into the band she was involved with in the 80’s. That same day, her daughter goes missing and is later found after spending time with a woman who called herself Hannah’s “aunt”. Nicole is forced to revisit the past, trying to piece together who she is being pursued by and why they want to uncover her long hidden secrets about Secret Oktober. Flashing back to the 80’s, she relives her experiences with the band, her relationship with Ben (the lead singer) and the tragedy that occurred involving her sister and herself. This was an entertaining story with some great twists in the final chapters.

I enjoyed the dual timeline format of this story, which alternates between a small seaside town in California, and the protagonists’s earlier life in 1986 London. How Nicole’s past and present are connected is the main question that drives the narrative. I did feel that the story dragged a bit too long and could have wrapped up more effectively. There were a few points that were not completely resolved, but overall I found it an intriguing story. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

I enjoyed this narrator more than I've enjoyed any audiobook narrator so far. Her voice was very soothing. The two timelines is always thrilling to me to see where the timelines converge. I could tell where the story was going, but didn't realize how far. The ending!! What happens next?

Audiobook Review 📖🎧

thank you so much macmillan audio for the gifted audiobook!

I Would Die for You
by Sandie Jones
Narrated by Imogen Wilde

About the book 👇🏽

California, 2011: Nicole Forbes lives a quiet life in the small seaside town of Coronado with her husband and daughter. She is not expecting a writer to knock on her door asking for her personal insight into the downfall of the biggest British band of the 1980s—unveiling the threads of a life she left behind years ago. The same day, her daughter goes missing and the school claims her aunt picked her up . . . but she doesn’t have an aunt. Convinced of a link between the two, Nicole is forced to revisit long-abandoned memories from her past to protect everything she now holds dear.

London, 1986: Sixteen-year-old Cassie is obsessed with Secret Oktober, the hottest band of the moment. Harboring an intense crush on the leading man, Ben Edwards, she will do anything she can to capture his attention among the throngs of groupies at the band’s scandalous backstage parties. But when Ben discovers her older sister Nicole singing at a local bar one night, he can’t help but feel drawn to her, setting in motion a collision course that could tear their family apart.

🎧 My thoughts:

I really had trouble getting into this story. I thought the narration was fine but overall the story did not hold my attention. I preferred the 1986 timeline but even still, I wasn’t in love with it all. I didn’t find the characters to be likable and I wasn’t invested in the story, which really bums me out. I really wanted to love this book but it fell flat. I am so happy to see there are other good reviews for this book though!

Happy reading 📖 🎧