SYNOPSIS:
- The Globe is a top-selling tabloid newspaper in the UK.
- Stella is the deputy editor at the Globe, and she is seasoned, hardened professional. She has made a reputation for herself in using ruthless methods to always get the story. Max is the editor in chief, but Stella has her eyes set on his job.
- Jess is a naive, newly minted reporter at The Globe. She is astonished to find the tactics used to get a story. She believes in truth in journalism & she is the moral compass of the story

MY THOUGHTS
- A newsroom or media suspense /contemporary fiction
- Loved the juxtaposition of Jess & Stella
- UK setting
- Multiple POVs; alternating chapters between Stella and Jess. Stella’s chapters are 3rd person, and Jess tells in first person
- Excellent character development
- Unique premise; haven’t read this plot before
- Examines dark side of media, the devious & duplicitous means used to get a story, & the existence of gross, powerful men even in a post-Me Too world
- Superb pacing & skillfully plotted
- Kept me guessing
- Finished in a day. Engaging read, well-written, and satisfying ending.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Newsroom suspense/contemporary fiction. Unique premise. Finished in a day. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on August 15, 2023.

Really disappointed in this one. I like Jones’ other books so this felt like a let down. It was just meh. Felt way too drawn out with nothing buzzy or new about it. Skimmed the last few chapters. I would skip.

The Trade Off is about Stella and Jess who work together at The Globe. They will do anything to get a story….whatever it takes legally or illegally.
With a slow start, the book does pick up about half way into the story.
A mystery with lots of intrigue and twists.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Trade Off is a timely read focused on the media, corruption and the Me Too movement. It took me a bit to get into the story as I didn’t initially like any of the characters. After the first meeting with Max I thought I understood him but was really just fooled by his act. It quickly became apparent that the prospect of Jess going to work for The Globe or them wanting her as a journalist seemed unlikely given her morals, values, and lack of experience.

As the story progressed, I found myself more invested. Overall, it was a solid read.

The Trade Off is a slow burn, workplace thriller set in a tabloid office. Told via multiple POV, I couldn’t put it down until I finished the book, it was addicting. The drama, backstabbing, conniving and shadiness made this such a page turner. I enjoyed the focus on #metoo, it was handled well.

Thank you netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Book is set to be released on 8/15/2023.

I was very excited about this book but I found it slow and the characters unlikeable. I super do not like to finish a book but I had to put this one down and move on.

Jess has made it, she will be working at The Globe, a tabloid paper. She can’t wait to bring her investigative reporting as well as her integrity to this paper that plays all the tricks to get the scoop. Stella, the deputy editor is one of those reporters that gets down and dirty to get the story that will sell papers. When a celebrity pays the ultimate price for one of the paper’s sleazy stories, Jess knows she has got to do something even if that means going against Stella and bringing down The Globe. Jess must watch her back though as some will kill to bury a story.

Sandie Jones is one of those authors for me that is an automatic read. I have read all her books and enjoyed them all. This book is told from dual POVs from Jess and Stella. I loved the behind the curtain look into tabloid journalism and the play of #metoo into the story. A great end of summer vacation read that keeps you entertained throughout.

I have enjoyed previous books by this author, but I am sad to say that this one just didn't keep my attention. I found the characters to be unlikable and uninteresting and the slow pacing of the plot did not do anything to make me want to read it.

A great drama! The story is told mostly from the point of view of the two female characters. Jess is a young new character at the Globe. Tessa is a hardened and seasoned reporter willing to do almost anything to get the story. The plot has a lot going on that the readers will have to figure out. As things are revealed the reader will have to consider who they can trust. This will make a great summer read that will be fun to discuss with friends.

The Trade Off by Sandie Jones shows the dog-eat-dog world of journalism and asks the question: “How far would you go to get the story?” She ties it all together by adding a touch of the relevant #metoo movement. The Trade Off was full of great writing but I didn’t enjoy it as much as her other books that I have previously read. I feel like this book was less thriller and more fiction with suspense. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I wouldn’t have gone into it expecting a thriller.

The beginning really took off and it got me but then it got repetitive and while I liked the dual POV I'm not sure if it was needed. Overall, it was an okay read!

Eh....it was fine. A little too on the nose with dirty journalism and doing whatever it takes to get a story. The tie in with the #MeToo movement was current and added some intrigue to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity.

Jones takes on tabloid journalism in this twisty novel of ambition, secrets, lies, and revenge. Stella will do pretty much anything to get a story for the Globe but she's lost perspective, Jess, a young reporter, is initially thrilled to get a job there but is horrified when someone who has been hounded by the paper commits suicide, There's something neither one of them knows- and I'm not going to spoil the twist, This starts slowly but then picks up so keep with it. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read,

I love this authors previous books but this one fell short for me. It just wasn't her usual and in my opinion it was a slow burn that never picked up. It was very informative about journalism and scandalous behavior that journalists go to in order to get the story.

For Stella, deputy editor of The Globe, the choice has always been clear. It doesn’t matter how low she has to stoop—getting the best story is what she’s built her reputation on. For Jess, The Globe’s rookie reporter, the story stops when the truth does. But she knows that the dirty tricks of the tabloids will be hard to overturn. When a celebrity is literally hounded to death, Jess wants to prove to the world how terrible the tabloid press is. But can she stay alive because someone is willing to kill to keep the truth hidden.

🌟🌟🌟💫
How low will you go? That’s the question we all ask of tabloid journalists!

Let’s meet Stella. The star editor for The Globe who’s motto is “do whatever it takes to make the story.” A motto she takes quite literally.

Then there’s Jess. The newest reporter for The Globe, she’s quickly wondering what she signed up for. Specifically, being required to check her ethics and moral compass at the door each morning in order to succeed in this business.

But Jess can make a change. Maybe she can make the newspaper respectable! Oh, poor naïve Jess. Good luck with that.

I think if you enjoy tabloid “news” and want to get the latest dirty laundry on celebrities, this will be a fun and exciting read!

Since I have no desire whatsoever to follow Hollywood's elite (or the fictional stars portrayed in this book) it was impossible for me to connect with the storyline.

While this wasn’t a good fit for me, I’ve enjoyed this author’s works in the past. So I’ll just chalk it up to it’s me…not the book!🙋🏻‍♀️

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press

The Trade Off is a newsroom thriller. It is apparent that the author, Sandie Jones, was a journalist and is familiar with the ins and outs of a newspaper. So it was fun to dive in to that world.

There were two perspectives: Jess the rookie reporter and Stella the seasoned pro, perhaps soon-to-be editor. Jess is altruistic and optimistic if not a little naive and Stella is tough, no-nonsense, and will do whatever she has to to get the story and get the job done. Both perspectives were interesting - not sure what it says about me that I liked Stella better. Anyways, shady journalistic practices end up with serious consequences and ultimately uncover something even more sinister.

This was a fast-paced read, the details felt authentic since the author was a journalist herself, and I also loved the heart of the story.

Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books / St. Martin's Press, and Sandie Jones for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Overall I enjoyed this one and found the behind the scenes look at journalism/the newsroom very interesting. I think the message Sandie Jones portrayed is very important, but I do feel like it overshadowed the suspense aspect just a touch..the book wasn't as suspenseful as I had hoped, but it still had me hooked and I needed to find out what happened with Jess and her story.

3.5 stars for me but rounding up to 4.

Thank you to publisher Minotaur Books-St. Martin’s Press, the author, and Netgalley for access to this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Trade-Off by Sandie Jones follows Jess, a young reporter who is starting a new job at The Globe. This big break in her career is not all it seemed cracked up to be. Her new boss, Stella, demands that Jess doggedly pursue scoops and do whatever it takes to succeed in tabloid journalism. Jess must decide how far she will go to stay in this cutthroat world. Then, a headline goes wrong, and Jess becomes determined to make things right. The only problem is that some people don’t want Jess to get her way.

At least initially, I loved how Jones’ contrasted Jess, the green cub reporter, with her hardened vet of a boss, Stella. Stella embodies the morally compromised workaholic who has paid a high personal price to keep getting the scoops and keep climbing up the career ladder. She initially comes off as a villain versus bright-eyed Jess but we gradually see that she too has human frailties, disappointments, and struggles.

The book did well enough with keeping a good pacing. I read the book quickly and easily, but I do think that you have to be interested in the topic as a character study and a commentary on the press’s dark side. The first half of the story is theme-heavy. In the latter half of the book, Jones attempts to kick the plot into high thriller gear. Do NOT expect a journalist-centered thriller book like, say, Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy or Michael Connelly’s Jack McEvoy series. I thought the execution of climax and reveals was rather sloppy. The handling of the heavy themes like #MeToo seemed awkwardly done, especially as the book jumped from social commentary mode to thriller mode. Sad to say, this is not a thriller I would recommend.

I received a gifted eARC of THE TRADE OFF by Sandie Jones from St. Martin’s Press.

Publication Date: 8/15/2023
Rating: 3.5 / 5

THE TRADE OFF follows women involved in the world of reporting. Stella is a deputy editor for The Globe and she has made her way in media believing that getting the story and breaking news is worth anything. Jess is a rookie on staff and she’s much more idealistic, believing in the importance of truth and integrity. When Jess believes that the press is responsible for a tragedy that befalls a celebrity who has been at the center of a media storm, she is determined to bring the truth to light.

I found this to be a good and quick read. I think we’ve all seen situations where the media coverage of something takes on a life of its own. It was interesting to see this world through the very different different perspectives of a possibly jaded and definitely ambitious and cutthroat senior staff and the fresh take of a rookie who went into the business for different reasons.

This is one of those books that does have a real world message to convey and at times I thought that overshadowed some of the thriller aspects I wanted from the story. There is a danger to Jess as she tries to get to the truth that does come through as well and kept me wanting to know what would happen.