a bit dry in my opinion. I just don't think Sandie Jones is for me. Her thrillers are not thrilling in my opinion.

Jones’ thriller The Trade Off could almost work as an expose of the types of ways the media sets up celebrities and public figures to be taken down, and we all contribute to it by buying into it. Set in the world of journalism, the book sets its sights on the unscrupulous, aggressive, and even corrupt practices that some news outlets (particularly British tabloids) employ to get sales up, no matter who takes the brunt of the consequences.

In a piece Jones wrote for Crime Reads about what inspired the book, she talks about working in journalism for over two decades and seeing the types of journalists who will do anything for the byline and the media outlets who not only allow it, but actively encourage it. The full piece is worth the read (I’ve linked it), but one passage stands out:

“They quietly build celebrities up, setting them high on a pedestal, but don’t be fooled, because as they lurk in the shadows, they’re lining up for the kill. Waiting with baited breath for the chink in the armour to reveal itself – and just as soon it does….KAPOW! Out comes the hammer and chisel with which to systematically carve out their victim’s insides, leaving them devoid of integrity and honour.”

This very concept is central to the story Jones crafted in The Trade Off, set around the fictional newspaper The Globe and featuring two journalists who couldn’t be more at odds in the cutthroat world of the media.

My Review | The Trade Off

Told in one continuous timeline and dual perspectives, The Trade Off is narrated by two women who couldn’t seem more different. It opens with young journalist Jess in the office of editor Max Forsythe late one evening in the final stages of a job interview. Jess had worked at a small local paper, but now she’s up for a big spot at The Globe, a major news outlet that covers major stories. This is the type of place that can make the career for a young journalist.

The conversation between Max and Jess hooked me. Told from Jess’s perspective, Max is interviewing her late in the evening after everyone but his assistant has left, and some of the questions he asks makes Jess on edge. Is Max the guy she has heard rumors about? But Jess passes his test when she turns down a suggestive comment made by Max and he explains that he needs someone like her. Max wants to change how journalism is done and make it more of a force for good than destruction. But he needs someone like Jess to help.

Jess as a character is so pure. Her moral compass points due north. She’s not the most fleshed out character, but this seems intentional. Jess is a symbol for justice in a sea of journalists who will do anything for their careers to take off. This may mean looking the other way when something objectively wrong is happening, to flat out setting up people to get the stories they want. Jess isn’t someone I necessarily grew to care for as a person, but I did care about her perspective and her story. And that’s in part because Jess’s story—narrated in first person—is a window for the reader to put themselves into the story. Jess herself has very few defining characteristics, but this allows the reader to fill in those gaps themselves.

Meanwhile Stella is the deputy editor for The Globe. In every way that Jess lacks strong characteristics, Stella has an overabundance of them. She’s ambitious, tough, seemingly ruthless, beautiful, intimidating, and sharp. She presents as calculating and cold, but the reader can see that behind that she’s much more vulnerable and thoughtful than she appears. Stella’s story is narrated in the third person, a choice certainly used to set Stella up as a figure for the reader to be shocked by, to judge, and at times to root for. The reader only knows some of what Stella is thinking at any given time. We see her actions, but she only lets us into her thoughts and emotions in small glimpses through much of her story. We are left questioning if she’s better or worse than what she portrays. At times I considered that she might be both.

Stella is introduced to us in the middle of capturing a story, when an escort is being paid to intentionally bring one of her long-time clients (and a high profile political figure) to a hotel and allow The Globe to get footage of the affair. Stella is orchestrating everything down to the second, and coordinating with a whole group of people who are doing their part to capture the story. When the escort asks for more money or she will go to another outlet at the last minute, Stella’s boss Max prompts her to offer The Trade-Off.

“Of all the questionable practices that come with being deputy editor on a tabloid newspaper, ‘The Trade-Off,’ as Max always likes to refer to it, is the one thing that pricks the very small conscience Stella has left. Despite making it sound as if there’s an option, in reality it gives the paper what it wants or their lives could be ruined within a few column inches. It’s blackmail—pure and simple.”

This is the first glimpse we get into Stella potentially not being the cutthroat person we first thought. While we don’t know her motivation or thoughts right away, we see Stella try to divert Max away from a story they never ended up using that would tank an athlete’s career, or express a “tightness in her chest” when she is asked to employ The Trade-Off. These moments made me wonder if Stella might be less corrupted than she seemed. At the same time, other evidence suggests that while she may have a conscience, she engages and often leads some of the very practices that make journalism so unscrupulous.

The story builds towards a moment where Jess and Stella are confronted in their complicity towards a shocking event. A story about a celebrity chef ends with her taking her own life. In the aftermath, Stella and Jess will both be forced to decide if this career is worth it and how they will each respond. The book pits Jess and Stella against one another, and following the celebrity’s death it seems as though they are on a crash course where only one will survive. But Sandie Jones isn’t done with the story yet.

I won’t spoil where it goes, but suffice it to say Jones went into this with the intent to play out what might happen if someone were to really try to take down a media outlet like The Globe and expose their practices. Twists and turns along the way add the fun and the themes and messages add depth. The ending was exactly right, in my opinion.

A bold and timely thriller!

I liked that the plot of this book was different, being that it was about two tabloid journalists and that it explored what lengths the press will go to in order to get a great story. However, it was slow paced and didn't really hold my interest. It picked up near the end, but I never connected with any of the characters to really care. I did like the dual POVs and some of the twists.

I did the audiobook for this and thought that the narration was well done.

If you like books with strong women and that show the competitive, cutthroat side of tabloid journalism, I think you will enjoy this one!

Thank you @Netgalley, @stmartinspress and @minotaur_books for the #gifted e-ARC of this book!

The Trade Off takes a look at the world of journalism and what you’d trade for the ultimate stories. Stella has built her journalism career on doing anything it takes. She’s focused and aggressively working to further her career at the Globe. Jess is a new reporter, seemingly sink-or-swimming when she discovers the reality behind the journalism at the Globe. When Jess discovers an awful truth about the Globe, how far will she go to expose everything?
I enjoyed the journalism elements and not knowing who you could trust. I personally found some of the twists a bit far fetched and felt Stella’s change was a bit abrupt but overall I enjoyed this slow burn, psychological novel.
Thank you St Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one but it fell a bit short for me. You’ve got the dark side of journalism presented but it was a sloooow boogie. It kind of felt like a checklist was made and it had all the little check marks checked off and it made them happy to use so many checks to make this. Lies and deception - Check! Drama and more lies - Check! A little twist in the end - check!!

Thank you netgalley and st. Martins press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

The moral question any tabloid reporter has to ask themselves how far am I willing to go to break a story first?
Told in dual perspectives from Jess the 25 yr old newbie reporter & Stella the 40 yr old deputy editor who thrives in publishing scandalous stories.
This one started off a bit slow but once it picked up I was glad to have stuck through reading this one.
Quite a realistic fictional story of how tabloid journalism works and what a dirty ruthless business it is.

⭐⭐/5

DNF at 30%. Unfortunately, I struggled with the characters and the pace of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

I love Sandie Jones' work. She is so good at a fast paced quick page turner that is full of twists that make her work enjoyable for me. This one was a bit different and a bit slower, but I still really enjoyed the book and look forward to anything she puts out.

Aim all honesty, this wasn’t my favourite book by Jones, it was just OK. Although the writing was good, the storyline was solid, there was just something missing (in my opinion) to make it “great”. I do always look forward to this author’s books, I hope her next release is more of a thriller like I’ve enjoyed from her previously.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!
2.5/5 rounded up

What I liked about this book:
1. Sandie Jones is a repeat author for me and she does a great job in pacing the plot twists and turns so that even with some of the "flaws" in the book - you are compelled to keep reading!
2. The journalistic story was interesting and if half it is true - it really makes me sad!
3. I thought the author did a good job of weaving in contemporary themes that happen in the workplace and showing that they are not all easily approached or solved.

What I wished was a little different:
1. Pacing: It started really slow and picks up 1/2 way through the story.
2. It is a book that unambiguously starts off as a thriller, but by the second half, that becomes debatable as the plot veers off into something that more resembles drama and workplace suspense which has a lot of complexity involved.
3. I wasn't a fan of the characters....Jess seemed too naive to be real!

Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately this was a DNF at 15% for me. I struggled to get into the story and didn't feel like the pace was going to pick up enough to compel me to continue.

This book is definitely a slow burn. I mean a really slow burn. I really enjoyed The Other Woman by this author, so I thought I would like this one more. It just needed to pick up the pace. I felt like parts were repetitive and I just wanted to yell "Get to the point!"

This was my first book by Sandie Jones. Oof, I wish I enjoyed this more than I did.

This was a slow burn, and not much of a thriller, in my opinion. If you are into fictional dramas, this one might work for you.

I never felt connected to the characters, unfortunately, and had a hard time being invested in the story. By the time things started to transpire, I was already checked out.

I really enjoyed this thriller about how far tabloids will go to get a story, and I don’t even want to think about how much this is true in real life. I'm guessing it probably is not far from reality, especially given Jones' background in journalism. This one captivated me from the start and I read it in one setting, I am a sucker for topics like these and this one did not let me down. I loved the two female protagonists and their two POV’s. I listened to this one via audio and thought the narrators did a fantastic job with the story, and I would absolutely recommend listening if you can. This was overall well done and one I would recommend.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

I have to thank Minotaur Book specially, because if it wasn't for taking a chance on me I wouldn't know a lot about Sandie Jones. It's safe to say Jones is now one of my autobuy, must own a physical copy of authors. I devour everything and anything she writes.
The Trade Off was a little different for Jones, and I did enjoy this one, but I struggled with it just a little. While it took me a little bit to get through, I did find that I really enjoyed the book, and would recommend it!
Journalism as we all know is a nasty, deceptive world. You must be first, or you're last. How far would you go to ensure the truth was revealed? Ethics, truths, lies, scandals and the stress of deciding to do what's right is front and center in this domestic thriller.
Showing the ugliness of journalism, the reality of this novel is SCARY. You're either the hunter, or the huntee.
While the first half is a bit slow in the building of the story, part two really takes off, and at that point I couldn't put it down.
Thank you for netgalley and Minotaur books for the copy in exchange for review

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy.

I loved the author’s previous work. This one was just okay for me. I felt the first half was very slow as it was introducing us to all the characters. I just was not fully invested into this book like the author’s past books. I am definitely looking forward to her future books!

This was a pacy and adrenaline-pumping read, anchored by the dynamic duo of tabloid reporters: the seasoned and ruthless Stella, and the rookie, Jess. Stella’s relentless pursuit of success knows no bounds, while Jess strives to infuse a touch of morality into the cutthroat realm of celebrity reporting.

The story propels itself into action from the get-go and maintains an unrelenting pace throughout. I had to suspend disbelief many times. While this might require some suspension of disbelief, it undeniably is an entertaining read.

3.5 stars rounded upto 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel by Sandie Jones. I have read a couple of her other books, this was probably my least favorite. The story is told in alternating voices between a new reporter and her boss. I found the premise interesting, but it was a little slow for me to start. Once the book got going I did move through it pretty quickly. At times I felt that some of the plot points did not quite add up and I was a little frustrated as the reader. If you are looking for a novel of suspense featuring the world of journalism you will probably enjoy this one.

The Trade Off
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Sandie Jones

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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.

And when a celebrity is hounded by The Globe and pays the ultimate price, Jess wonders just how much Stella and the paper are responsible. Determined to show the world what the tabloid is capable of, Jess will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth, but she needs to watch her back, because someone else is prepared to kill to bury it.

My Thoughts: This story opens with a bang. It is a slow burn thriller. Stella, who is a deputy editor with the Globe, will do anything to get the story, even if it means crossing a line or six. Jess, just starting at the Globe, wants to be the type of journalist that reports only the truth. The Globe is a tabloid journal, not a respectable news source. We all know journalists can be overbearing, reaching, and obnoxious, but every once in a while, there will be a journalist that cares about the truth. When Jess stumbles across of what crossing the line can do, she will do everything she can to bring light to the questionable tactics of the Globe. However, in doing so, will it cost her the job or her life? How far will the Globe go to protect themselves? In this dangerous cat and mouse game, we see questionable ethics, lines being crossed, threatens celebrities for the story, fabricated stories, and pieces of the truth displayed in alternate theories. This is more of a workplace thriller that could be seen as authentic and realistic.

The story is narrated primarily by Stella and Jess, in their respective perspectives. Stella has been in the journalism business for 15 years, has developed thick skin, still ambitious, and will do anything for the story. Jess is only 25 and this is her first national journalism assignment, while she is green, she believes that the truth can be reported and stories do not need to be fabricated to sell. After a short time at the Globe, Jess soon realizes that they use questionable ethics and she is not sure if this is the job for her. The characters were built well with depth, mystery, questionable ethics, backstabbing, and creative. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, twisty, and engaging. The plot was delivered in twisty layers, especially in the second half with an ending that I did not expect.

The first half of the book is slow but the second half really picks up and has you on the edge of seat as all of the plot lines start to blend together and explode. While the character build up is necessary to get to the second half, if you stick with it, you will not be sorry. I really felt like this story was a very realistic approach to tabloid journalism in today’s world. It is a rough industry and very cutthroat. I highly recommend picking this book up.

I have enjoyed previous books written by this author, so looked forward to another one. Exactly how far would you go, and what would you do to get the big story? Jess must make that decision when she begins a new job. Although for me this book was not up to what I have come to expect from this author, but I would still recommend it because I realize not everyone enjoys the same storyline.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.