Another page turner by Sandie Jones!
The Trade Off by Sandie Jones was a really fun, twisty thriller.
The gripping and speedy pace, the vivid characters, the skillful narration, the unwavering tension. It all adds up to one fantastic story that will leave you in high anticipation of what Sandie Jones will come out with next.
I loved how the captivating story was written.
She has written another relentless page-turner that this reader found really hard to put down! The plot is fast-paced and draws the reader in from page one and keeps her there until the final The End!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Sandie Jones has written two domestic thrillers that are two of my favorite domestic thrillers. They were actually the first two books she wrote. This book is more along the suspense line, rather than a thriller, at least to my thinking.

The Trade Off is about two reporters who work for The Globe, a tabloid newspaper based in London. While I didn't exactly consider this to be a suspense, it was a story that kept my interest. The "tricks" that The Globe was using to snag their stories definitely kept me wanting to read more.

Jess is a reporter who recently joined The Globe, while Stella has been working there for awhile. When Jess becomes aware of the methods used to obtain their stories she is unsure of what to do and who to trust.

While I was disappointed that this story was not along the same lines as The Other Woman and The First Mistake, I guess it's not really fair to base a review on previous works. However, I gave The Trade Off 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars for that reason. I love a good thriller and Sandie Jones has written some good ones. I received an ARC of The Trade Off in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to read this book but it just didn't work for me. It was a slow start but that doesn't always turn me off. I was hoping for a slow burn. Unfortunately, this one never really picked up the pace.

This book focuses on the the tabloids, and how far a tabloid journalist will go to get a story and stay relevant. Most importantly, what do you do if the story is a lie.

It focuses on the questionable ethics used in journalism.

I wanted to really like this book, it just wasn't a hit for me. With that said, I will still read books by Jones as the writing is solid.

How far will one go to have a hot story? What tactics would one use to get the "story" before anyone else does? What if that story is a lie?

This book explores the ugly side of the tabloid press utilizing two journalists. Stella is a seasoned journalist who will do whatever she needs to do to come out on top. Jess is a new journalist who questions the ethics of reporting and believes in telling the truth.

When a celebrity pays the ultimate price after being hounded, Jess is determined to uncover the truth....

This book was slow, and I struggle with slower paced books. It does pick up but never fully won me over. I didn't care enough about any of the characters and found myself being bored at times.

I had both the book and the audiobook and mainly listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration. It is a shame that the narration could not win me over. Too slow for me, but I did appreciate how the author showed the ugly side of tabloid journalist and the tactics utilized to hound celebrities to break the news first.

I have enjoyed other books by Sandie Jones and was shocked that this one didn't work for me. We can't love them all. As I have enjoyed her previous books, I will happily read what she writes next. Others have enjoyed this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

Although this book did not work for me, It was well written and I enjoyed that she showed the perspective of both Jess and Stella.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book! In my mind Sandie Jones can do no wrong. This was an addicting book that I didn't want to stop reading.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you Minotaur books for the advanced reading copy!

Stella, deputy editor of The Globe, is willing to do anything to get a story, no matter how much she has to manipulate things. Jess, rookie reporter and new addition to The Globe, focuses more on the truth of the stories she's reporting. When their reporting directly affects a beloved celebrity and causes an upset they could have never intended, Jess's conscious forces her to explore what hand The Globe, and Stella, had in the process. Determined to expose The Globe for what it is, Jess goes undercover and finds herself knee-deep in a situation far more dangerous than she realized.

I was instantly drawn in by this one! From the beginning, the storyline was fascinating and mysterious, leaving me unable to put this book down! Stella and Jess both had their own motivations, but the ways that their characters interacted and related to each other was so enticing, making it difficult to choose who to root for. There were some clever twists throughout this story, and a love of events I was definitely not expecting. On the whole, this wasn't the most complex thriller and I thought the ending became a bit rushed, but I enjoyed it overall!

Jess was so excited to start her big career off at The Globe, a large tabloid. Would you do anything to get your story? Thats what question Jess faces as she works for the cut thraot Stella. I really enjoyed the snow balling , bad things and bad people just keep coming! Overall this was a fun read.

Thank you to , @Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for my #gifted copies.

Sandie Jones is a hit or miss for me. This one was more successful! I had a ton of fun reading about this protagonist and how Jones handled the #MeToo movement with social media. It was a quick read and was entertaining.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

I really enjoy Sandie’s writing, but something about this book didn’t do it for me. It felt less like a thriller and more like dramatic fiction (which is FINE) but I went into it expecting the thrill.
In that sense it reminded me a lot of Yellowface. (Not from a plot standpoint but just the stuck somewhere between drama and thriller.)
What I did like was the rawness to how tabloids can affect the #MeToo movement negatively.

3.5 stars rounding up after listening to the audio version.

Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Sandie Jones for the advanced copy of The Trade Off in exchange for my honest review!

This was a fun, twisty, fast-paced read. Perfect for a pool day! I liked that we got POV chapters from both our female main characters, Stella and Jess. I also was never quite sure who I should be trusting until the very end, and I liked being kept on my toes in that respect.

I think fans of Jones' previous books will definitely enjoy this one.

The Trade Off will be on US bookshelves next Tuesday August 15!

What a wild ride this book was! I absolutely loved following two different journalists. One who is seasoned and will do anything for a story (Stella). And a newer one who’s a little bit shy and still wants to do the right thing (Jess). It was so fascinating watching how the two women worked completely different. I definitely got a certain feeling about the two and was pleasantly surprised at the end to find out I was wrong. This book is full of twists and turns you won’t see coming!

Sandie Jones explores the exploits of tabloid journalism in her latest psychological thriller. This was a bit mediocre for me. There was a lot going on and a lot of characters to keep straight. The plot was ok but there was nothing that really wowed me. Still, I respect where the author was going with this and how she relayed a difficult topic.

The Trade Off was a suspenseful mystery. Sandie Jones depicted the dark side of media in a manner which makes us all question how much of what we read is the truth and how much is a fabricated tale to draw attention. She showcases the harm of half-truths and how those in the spotlight can be affected. While the start was slow, the book had lots of suspense for the final 3/4 of the book.

Rookie reporter Jess has just started working for The Globe, quickly learning the scandalous world of the tabloids and the lengths a reporter will go to for a story. When a false story gets reported and things turn deadly, Jess wants to expose The Globe for their fake news, but the tabloid will go to great lengths to ensure that doesn't happen.

The first half of this book was pretty much a media room drama with not a ton going on. Right at the 50% mark, the story picks up and things get a bit more interesting and faster paced. Unfortunately I think the slower start made me lose interest and wasn't really able to get back into it. Readers who like a slow burn take of revenge will likely enjoy this book.

I really struggled to get into this one. It started as a really interesting behind the scenes into a British tabloid and then it lost me in the later half. It felt rushed and too slow at the same time.

I liked the two women and the back and forth on their perspectives. If someone is into journalism, they will really like this read. I had a hard time sticking with it.

Jess is a brand new "journalist" at The Globe, which is nothing more than a tabloid using any means necessary to get a story that will sell papers. Stella, a deputy editor, is known to be ruthless and will do anything to become the future boss. When Max, their actual boss and the editor in chief, asks Jess to let him know of anything unsavory going on at The Globe she agrees, but it becomes hard to know who to trust.

The writing in this book was engaging and the story had potential - it definitely drew me in from the beginning and I liked the premise of it all. I love a book where you never know who to trust. Despite all of that, somehow I never felt drawn to this book and was kind of annoyed for a lot of it - perhaps because I didn't like any of the characters. How was Jess so dumb and naïve? Stop trusting these people who have done nothing but wave red flags in your face! She would honestly make a terrible journalist and I was so sick of her by the end. I do like how I initially thought Stella was the worst woman on the planet but her unravelling made her seem slightly more human. The men in this book though? Atrocious, all of them. It scares me that people like this exist in the world. I really wanted to love this one but sadly I think the unlikeable characters made that hard for me.

This book had so much potential but the execution just didn't do it for me. I would read future books from this author because I've liked previous books of hers, but sadly this one wasn't it.

DNF at 23%

Didn’t like any of the characters and I couldn’t get through a single chapter without almost falling asleep.

I had high hopes for this one. A former newspaper reporter myself, I was eager for a newsroom setting.

This didn’t work for me. I didn’t like any of the characters. The plot was dull at first, briefly got intriguing, and then took a turn into ridiculous territory.

I wouldn’t recommend this to others. Probably a 2.5 rounded to a 3.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book started off slow for me, but when I was invested, I could not put it down.

It highlights the negative impact journalism can have. And how far some will go to get the story. And definitely to NOT believe everything you see in the media.

I felt it showed a side of the media that needs to be show, and also the added MeToo movement storyline was a bonus. There were some strong women in this one!

I would say this is more suspense than thriller, but a good read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.