I had many, many thoughts about The Blame Game. I thought the main character was horrible for the things she did “in the service of her patients.” I found myself getting angry over and over again, because when things would come to light that Naomi had lied about, she would admit the truth, but then come up with another lie to cover up why she had lied to begin with. I never really understood the whole “unreliable narrator” thing, and I still don’t, really, but I also couldn’t believe a word that came out of Naomi’s mouth. So maybe she fits with that description.

I wanted to smack Naomi around a couple of times. Her lack of boundaries regarding her patients was seriously disturbing. She was a therapist who dealt with domestic violence, and when her male patient was trying to leave the wife who was beating him, she moved him into a flat she and her husband owned together, against her husband’s advice. I may not have liked him much, but honestly? If I had a therapist who did that, it would feel like a huge breach of trust. Not to mention, a MASSIVE conflict of interest, since she wasn’t just letting him stay there, she was RENTING it to him. The many times she got too involved in her patients’ lives was part of the intrigue of the book, so I understood why she did it, but at the same time? I’ve worked in mental health for a long time, and there’s no way I’d ever do, even as an admin, what this woman did as a therapist. It was crazy.

We all know, characters are SUPER important to the story. Without them, you might as well be reading a text bo…. wait, even those have characters! So, yeah, super important. Naomi was irritating, but she did make for an intriguing pro/antagonist. I never quite figured out which one she was. She seemed professional with most of her clients, but there were two she dealt with most in the book, and I didn’t trust either of them. I never really trusted her, either. The one character I trusted at all ended up being my least favorite character. I’ll talk about him in a minute.

The Big Takeaway
DON’T GET TOO INVOLVED IN YOUR PATIENTS’ LIVES. Seriously. There’s a reason that America has HIPAA laws, and I’m sure other countries have laws that are similar. Getting involved in the personal lives of your patients is so frowned upon it’s not even funny. I know I’ve talked about working in mental health for a long time, and I may have talked about some personal things with clients, but one: I’m not a therapist, and two: I was still really careful not to share too much. There are certain things that keep a relationship professional. One is boundaries, and Naomi has terrible boundaries. So, the big takeaway? Create healthy boundaries, no matter who you are, and hold them dear.

My Least Favorite Character
My least favorite character ended up being the one I trusted the most. Remember earlier? Yeah, that guy. Naomi’s husband tried desperately to keep Naomi from getting too personal with her patients. The thing that made me dislike him was how he treated Naomi when she refused to stop. She was going behind his back, yeah, and did I approve of what she was doing? Absolutely not. But he also became borderline abusive in his quest to get Naomi to learn a lesson. For that reason, he became my least favorite character.

The Other POV?
I would have loved to see the other side of the story from Leon. He’s Naomi’s husband, and it would have been interesting to see his part of trying to get Naomi to learn better boundaries, and maybe even see some internal dialogue that showed his motivations behind why he was so horrible to her. I’m not condoning abuse in any form, but at the same time, those motivations would have interested me to read.

Do you like psychological thrillers? Do you like not really knowing what’s going on, with only getting a few answers at the end? If you like books or movies that focus on the journey, rather than the destination, you’ll love this book. I might have never found the book purely predictable, but nor did I find it purely surprising. I didn’t feel entirely satisfied, but I think that was the point. If you like books like that, The Blame Game is for you. I do hope you’ll check it out, because it’s worth at least one read. After that, unfortunately, you’ll know too much, and the surprises and twists won’t get ya as well as they would normally.

Naomi came to England with her husband when his American visa ran out. She is a psychologist and they are living on a large estate where Leon is managing events. Leon is Naomi's only family. Her father murdered her mother in one of his rages when she was a child and her sister was lost to her in a world of drugs. She was glad to leave the States and start anew.

Naomi specializes in domestic abuse cases. Leon says that she is overinvested in her patients but Naomi sees it as doing whatever she can. She currently has two such cases. Anna is deciding if she needs to leave her abusive husband. Jacob is a more uncommon case. He has been married and abused physically, emotionally and psychologically for years by his wife, Vanessa. Naomi offers Jacob the use of a cottage she and Leon own which is over the line. She also meets him one night at a local hotel to calm him down when he believes his abusive wife has found his new residence. When Jacob goes missing, the police focus in on Naomi and believe that she has been having an affair with Jacob and is responsible for his disappearance.

Sandie Jones is known for psychological suspense novels. This one features a main character who might have been as well off being treated for her issues instead of treating others. She crosses the professional line and as one might expect, it is a disaster for all concerned. There are lots of twists and turns and the reader won't be sure until the end who is lying and who is telling the truth. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

This book was so crazy! it took off like a shot and kept barreling at such a fast pace until the very end! The twists were great and I could not read it fast enough!! Sandie Jones is an auto-buy author for me from now on!

The Blame Game had a great premise but unfortunately, I found the execution a little lacking and confusing. Half the story I was lost between the characters, and the main character's backstory did not put me on her team the way I think I was supposed to be. Her relationship with her husband was confusing and their poor communication was infuriating. The twist at the end was kind of interesting, but it didn't make up for the rest of the book. Thank you to the publisher for sharing this with me in exchange for my honest review!

I have enjoyed a few of Sandie Jones books, and read them in book clubs and they have made for fun discussions! I was interested in the storyline of this one and honestly the cover was really pretty and caught my eye. This one did not keep me hooked like The Other Woman, but was still a good read overall. I didn't ever quite connect with the main character and found everything she was doing to be very questionable even if she had good intentions. I will continue to read this authors work and look forward to the next one!

Loved this read! Sandie is an auto read for me. This kept me guessing until the very end! I equally care for and disliked all the characters.

What the hail did I just read? There was a ton of sleight of hand by putting a ton of information to distract you. I wasn’t sure where to look, who was good or bad. Honestly there were some issues I had with the book. Like with so many characters I still have no clue where one of the guys at end came from.

That being said it kept me wanting more so I’m rounding up to 4 stars.

I am disappointed that I didn't like this book. It didn't capture my interest and I honestly lost interest. I hate it because I usually enjoy Ms Jones' books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

A psychologist who specializes in domestic violence becomes overly invested in the lives of her clients. Her need to help victims of abuse clouds her judgement. This time, a client is missing, and she is suspected of being involved with his disappearance.

The characters were intriguing and the plot was interesting. With the lying, blaming, and deceit, this one kept me guessing.

The Blame Game is an over-the-top psychological thriller. An engaging and entertaining read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, The Blame Game did not work for me, at all. I’m sad to say this since I’ve enjoyed many of Sandie Jones’ books prior to this one. I could not tolerate Naomi whatsoever. She’s a psychologist but oversteps all boundaries whenever it suits her? And the lying to everyone and their brother was a huge no go for me. So much of this story was just so unbelievable! And her poor husband, I question his sanity for sticking with her, I’m still not quite sure what he saw in Naomi in the first place.

So sadly, this story was a non-finish for me, I just couldn’t keep going. Even the mystery of it all couldn’t keep me intrigued enough to keep reading.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Any time I want a bingeable domestic thriller, I turn to Sandie Jones 🙌 The Blame Game sucked me in from the first page with it's twisty web of secrets I wasn't sure I wanted to untangle before it was revealed. I was along the ride and distrustful of many the characters, even our MC.

I loved how well Sandie crafted Naomi's character. Even if I didn't agree with many of her actions, her reasonings made sense, making the entire situation better. She also kept certain characters or plot points separate enough that I never thought to connect them.

I wasn't totally sold on the villain's reasoning for their actions. It seemed a little too far to go to hide a secret you've been keeping for os long. But then again, desperate people to desperate things that don't make sense to many of us.

Nothing was more satisfying than that last chapter! After the ride we had gone on, it was the perfect way to end the book

Naomi is a psychologist who works from her home seeing her clients. One client is Jacob who is being abused by his wife, physically and emotionally. Naomi cares so much for her clients. So much that she offers Jacob her and her husband's empty flat to live in, unbeknownst to her husband. But, then Jacob is missing and Naomi is the main suspect. What follows is a great suspenseful novel.

"The Blame Game" initially captured my interest with its intriguing premise. However, as I delved deeper into the story, it quickly lost its momentum and fell flat. One of the main disappointments was the lack of character development. The protagonist seemed stuck in a repetitive cycle of lying without showing any signs of growth. This absence of character evolution hindered my investment in the story.

Upon reflecting on the book after completing it, I realized that I couldn't recall the ending. I found myself indifferent towards the outcome of the story, as nothing surprised me along the way. The story lacked the unexpected twists and turns (it was somewhat predictable) that could have injected a sense of excitement and engagement into the narrative.

If you want a quick mystery/thriller with an interesting premise, this might be a book for you.

I receive an ARC from NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.

wow this one definitely kept me on the edge until I finished it. If you are looking for a taut crazy ride, this one is for you,

Fast paced, well fleshed out characters. This was a good thriller overall, mostly of the suspense /psychological type. Naomi was a good protagonist who I enjoyed.

Naomi is a psychologist that specializes in domestic abuse. She gets heavily invested in her patients due to her past. Jacob is a client whose wife is abusing him and he wants to leave, but is scared to do so. When Jacob does leave things start falling apart for Naomi.

This was a twisted story as far as everything intertwining together. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t a favorite.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Sandi Jones for this ARC…one thing I know for sure is that Sandi Jones will take you for a thriller of a joyride. Never sure about the characters, but I wavered between knowing who they were and who I thought they were… not sure if this is my favorite book by this author, but none the less, I suggest her to everyone I talk books with…4 stars

3.5 This was such a fast entertaining domestic thriller that I could not put down . The Blame Game follows Naomi a psychologist who tends to get to involved in her patients lives. One day when a client she recently started seeing says he needs a place to stay to escape his abusive wife Naomi’s life will be changed forever. This domestic thriller is filled with tons of twist and turns and at times can feel a little over the top but it kept me turning those pages! This is the first book I’ve read by this author but definitely look forward to reading more. I would like to thank Net-galley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

This was a cliche from beginning to end. I wasn’t a fan. I think maybe this author just isn’t for me. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

A very interesting thriller about a psychiatrist getting too involved in her clients lives. Naomi just wants to help her clients, but gets entwined in a missing person case. It kept my interest throughout, but I thought it was just a typical thriller.

*Thank you @minotaurbooks and @macmillanaudio for the egalley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*