Naomi has a history of getting too close to her clients, but never to her detriment..... until she offers to let one of them move into her holiday cottage without telling her husband. As the situation quickly spirals out of control, Naomi finally realizes just how bad things look for her.

I love Sandie Jones, and the writing style is awesome. It's a compelling story with lots of twists and turns. I also love a good gaslighting/potential gaslighting story. However, this one was way, way too convoluted for me. The first half was pretty solid, but the back half just had way, way too much going on. I did enjoy the very last chapter and the big reveal... but over all this one was just a little chaotic for me.
.
Narrator was excellent though!

As a psychologist Naomi knows she has to keep a professional distance from her clients, she can’t allow herself to become attached to any of them. But that’s often easier said than done and Naomi begins to doubt herself after she convinces a client to leave his wife. Things get even stranger when the client disappears, as does all his paperwork from Naomi’s office. The police want answers, but Natalie is bound by client confidentiality ….and the worry that her own past may somehow be tied into Jacob’s disappearance. Another winner from Jones, who’s perfected the art of the domestic thriller

What an amazing whirlwind thriller! I read it all this afternoon. It was twisty and turn-y and kept me guessing the whole time!

Naomi is a psychotherapist specializing in abusive relationships who is a transplant from New York to England. She was the victim herself and was separated from her sister….who she desperately wishes to reconnect with.

She works out of an office attached to her home. I believe it’s on a large English estate with several homes within it.

She has a patient named Jacob whose wife has been abusing him….and just after things get a bit awkward between Jacob, Naomi, and Naomi’s husband, Jacob disappears.

All is not what it seems in this amazing new thriller. Enjoy!

The Blame Game by Sandie Jones
This story centers around Naomi, a psychiatrist who specializes in domestic abuse. We quickly learn that Naomi goes above and beyond for her clients. She steps over the boundary lines with them, no matter the cost. 

I spend most of this novel frustrated with Naomi's choices. She is so unprofessional and it is slowly ruining her life. Although I was entertained and intrigued for the entire novel, I left with more questions unanswered than answered. There is a lot going with Naomi and by the end I'm still not sure what it all had to do with each other. 
I was left wanting more- another 50 pages could have added so much to the story.

The narrator was quite good, with many characters, it was still easy to follow and understand who was speaking. That can sometimes be a challenge.

I didn’t know until today that a really good psychological thriller is one in which as soon as you finish you feel the need to start again at page one knowing then what you know now. Sandie Jones’ The Blame Game is a mind blower. I COMPLETELY did not ever guess ANY OF IT. Now, that may be my age and failing brain, or masterful writing. Let's go with masterful writing.

The premise is Naomi, a married psychologist, and her overstepping boundaries with a male patient. As a mental health patient myself, I was initially appalled at the relationship and had to suspend what I know to be true about therapy. Later, none of this mattered.

I will not go into anymore details because The Blame Game should be read without hints. Enjoy.

I was allowed to listen to the audio arc from Netgalley and Macmillan and was pleased with the narrator Karissa Vacker. My one tiny criticism was her choice of voices for both Leon, the husband, and Jacob, the patient. They were British and, if this audio book was your only experience with men from the UK, your head would explode. They were voiced with deeply pompous, 1800’s Bronte sister aristocracy. I hated them.

The Blame Game releases on August 16, 2022.

3.5 Stars. The title of the book really speaks to what the story will be about. There is a whole lot of blaming, deception and lies. Naomi is a psychologist whose past led her to specialize in domestic abuse. She cares deeply for her clients, which has made it difficult for her to draw the line between work and home. One of her patients, Jacob, is in an abusive relationship and afraid of his wife. When Naomi gets a call from the police that he is missing, all evidence points to her despite being innocent. 

What I enjoyed:
-This was a super fast bingeable read
-The big twist was unexpected 
-I enjoyed playing detective to figure out who was telling the truth 
-The English countryside setting 
-Great narration for audiobook

What I didn't love:
-I struggled with how unethical the therapist was, especially with the patient/ client boundaries
-The ending did not have the closure I was expecting 
-There was piece about Naomi's family was left unanswered 

Pub date: 8/16

THE BLAME GAME by Sandie Jones is a jaw-dropping, full of surprise mystery thriller with twists after twists. Wow! When you think you know what is going on, Ms. Jones surprises you with a new plot avenue. Impressive!! I truly enjoyed this engaging book and can honestly say that it does not disappoint. This is a fantastic and well-written read.

The narration was well done and appropriate for this mystery.

This was such an easily bingeable book about a domestic abuse therapist who gets overly invested in her patients only to have one go missing along with her files on him. Twisty with dual narrators. I loved the little peaks into the 'bad guy's' mind we get and man what a mic drop ending! Loved this book and it was great on audio too narrated by Karissa Vacker!! Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!!

As the title suggests, this is a book with a whole lot of blame. Naomi is a psychologist who specializes in victims of domestic abuse as a result of her past. She grave concern for her clients makes her violate a lot of professional boundaries, such as inviting her clients into her home and meeting with them outsider of sessions. When her client, Jacob, goes missing, Naomi become suspect #1. She tries to deflect blame by explaining that Jacob was her client due to his abusive wife, yet the evidence continues to point to Naomi.

This was definitely a fast read; however, it didn't really work for me as much as I had hoped. Naomi has literally NO professional boundaries, which was hard to get behind. Naomi's childhood story didn't really mesh well with the present story either, except for the obvious theme of domestic abuse, and there seemed to be some plot holes. The epilogue was somewhat of a redemption for the ending, though!

Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan for my ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.