3.5 stars

Sandie Jones’s thriller The Trade Off centers around the ugly and cutthroat nature of the tabloid industry, and those whose lives are upended by it. Set in London, the narrative alternates between Jess, the newly hired journalist hoping to make her mark at The Globe, a successful UK tabloid, and Stella, the veteran assistant editor known for doing whatever it takes to get a story to sell.

As Jess begins her job at The Globe, her hopes of delivering stories by authentic measures is dashed after seeing the subterfuge that Stella employs to capture a sensational story. Max, the editor of The Globe, decides to bring Jess into a side project: investigate Stella’s methods and inform him when unethical tactics are used, in an effort to “clean up” the paper. As Jess begins to dig into Stella’s methods, she realizes that there is more at stake and that Stella may not know the extent of it. People’s lives are being destroyed with the telling of false tales, but there is a deliberate reason as to why. Both Jess and Stella have to team up and rely on each other to right the wrongs that The Globe has committed, even when it endangers both of their lives.

This was a fast-paced thriller that digs into just how vicious the tabloid industry can be, and the tactics that are employed to deliver a story that sells, regardless of how it will affect others’ lives and how much is fabricated in the process. When it comes to tabloid journalism, I’m not sure how much of this is fiction and how much is true. But if this is rooted in truth, it’s scary. I liked the dynamic between Stella and Jess and how their characters played off of each other throughout the story. I do feel like some sections of action were a bit confusing with their descriptions; I had to reread to understand what was really going on more than once throughout the novel. In addition, the ending and epilogue felt a little rushed and left me with some unanswered questions. Overall, readers who enjoy thrillers and tabloids will enjoy this book.

Content/Trigger Warnings: suicide, sexual assault

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Trade Off by Sandie Jones is a suspenseful novel that I really enjoyed reading.

The setting of tabloid journalism. Definitely a murder mystery here with a feminist twist.

I enjoyed the well written, complex characters and the story was compelling.

There are twists and turns that will keep you guessing.

Fun and juicy inside look at the world of tabloid journalism, with a Me Too twist. Though the beginning had a little too little murder and mayhem for my liking, it brought the drama and character intrigue which kept me invested and guessing until the end. Sandie Jones is a reliable, friendly, juicy, twisty author, and this book is a solid entry into her canon. Looking forward to the next one! Audiobook was well-narrated and an easy and smooth listen.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Sandie Jones is becoming a go to author for me, so I was excited to get this one. I didn't care for this one as much as her others. I disliked the characters. They were either horrific people or idiots. The story also wasn't compelling to me and I was not excited to pick up the book and keep reading. Even though it was a short book, it took a long time to read and I was happy to get to the end. I will definitely be watching for the next book from this author though.

When local reporter, Jess, gets a break and starts working at The Globe she is excited to reach a larger audience & report on more important news. She quickly realizes there is a level of journalism politics she must understand & learn to navigate. In particular, there are Trade Offs. Often there is a price to pay. Deaths occur and Jess gets in over her head. Can Jess uncover the secrets at The Globe and figure out who she can trust before it’s too late? Thanks to Minotaur Press at St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I loved this book! It was so unique and different learning about the insides of media and how far they will go for a story. This one kept me on my toes until the very end. Thanks to the publishers for the gifted copy!

Where is the line that you won’t cross? Is there something that could move that line? Is there something that is worth giving up your integrity? A young journalist must answer these questions as she strives to make her paper better than it has been. Although the people at the top remain… so how can that change happen? And, at what cost? Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read the excerpt on this book, but I like Sandie Jones, so I gave it a try. It was different than the thriller I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it. I studied communications in college, so it was interesting seeing the behind the scenes of a tabloid. I know it was fiction, but I’m sure those tricks really happen. I thought the book was a little long and started to drag in the middle, but it was still a fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sandie Jones and St Martin’s Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a pretty solid thriller. I enjoyed the last 25% the most because that’s where all the action was, but it was a unique idea. So much corruption and back and forth in this one and I didn’t see those twists coming.

Do you love a workplace thriller set in the world of journalism? How about books with dynamic, but morally gray female leads? If you answered yes to these questions, pick up THE TRADE OFF. I am not usually a thriller reader, however I do love stories set in the world of journalism. This one really dove into the ethics at play in modern reporting. It considers big questions like the negative impact of tabloid style journalism.

The book has two POV characters, Jess and Stella. Jess is young and feels uncomfortable with the dirty tricks at play by tabloids. Stella is older, well-established and ambitious. The more scandalous the story the better.

The story starts slow, but begins to pick up when Jess decides to intervene on behalf of celebrities who have been rocked by the stories that are published.

I've really enjoyed Sandy Jones's writing in the past, so I was excited to read this one as well. It took me a little bit to get into this one despite how intrigued I was by the description. I can't really pinpoint why it was so hard to connect to this in the beginning though. It was just a bit of a slow start and slightly confusing until I understood exactly what was going on. This is quite dramatic and exciting towards the end, but I did think it had quite a few lulls as well. What saved it for me was the ending. It felt so justified and relatable as a woman. It was nice to see the female characters stand strong together and go against toxic masculine culture. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first quarter of this book had promise, but it just wasn't it. Following two POVs: Jess and Stella, as they navigate their jobs working for The Globe, a British newspaper infamously known for it's scathing tabloids. Jess is the new girl, aka still in possession of her moral compass; Stella is the seasoned journalist who will do anything to get a good story.

WHAT I LIKED:
- the office drama, the tabloids, the (fake) celebrity of it all
- the POV from two very different women in two very different stages in life

WHAT I DIDN'T:
- there were so many side stories going on, but they all felt unfinished? Nothing ever came to a conclusion so I am left with more questions than answers
- how this book tried so hard to focus on the #MeToo movement, but it just didn't land for me
- you mean to tell me that Stella, the woman with like 20 years experience, had NO IDEA that her superiors were skeevy pervs? I'm gonna need more convincing than that

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my advanced copy of THE TRADE OFF in exchange for an honest review.

The Trade-Off is a high stakes drama with a side of suspense about tabloid journalism and the media. It’s a slow-burn plot that builds gradually over the pages, and despite how it appears, it’s apparently a realistic view of modern journalism.

This story has two main female characters: the ruthless, highly ambitious Stella, deputy editor of The Globe, and her unwanted, guileless apprentice/rookie journalist, Jess. The thrust of this book is the unimaginatively disturbing lengths some reporters will go to in order to get, or invent a story, and to boost numbers. It’s primarily a fictional documentary on tabloid journalism for much of the story, and towards the latter portion, a suspense element is added that ratchets up the tension.

This story wasn’t what I expected (a thriller), so for that reason, it threw me. Also, the main character in this novel was so supremely naive and for much of the novel she didn’t seem all that bright. It’s incredibly hard to believe that she made it to the point of being a reporter and is that clueless. Later in the story she’s on a moral crusade and yet she uses immoral means to pursue it. Despite my frustration with her for most of the novel, she does eventually learn and grow from her experiences, while keeping who she fundamentally is…a crusader of sorts.

The Trade-Off is a drama-filled expose in fictional form. It regales the reader with the merciless, immoral tactics of some factions of the media and adds the resultant consequences. It also leaves you questioning who you can trust until the very end. Despite not being my favorite from this author, or quite what I expected, this story has a satisfying conclusion and a potent and important message.

I didn't like this one. It surprised me because I usually love Sandie Jones novels. But this one just didn't do it for me. It was slow and I didn't like any of the characters.

This book started a bit slower than I expected for a Sandie Jones thriller. Much of the story line centered around the cut throat atmosphere of high profile celebrity media coverage and how far people will go to make big money and break the big "news" about high profile celebrities...even if the "news" is not true or made up entirely. The main character, Stella, has quite the reputation for being ruthless to get her way and get the story first. Then comes Jess, a rookie reporter, and she sees right away that there is something off about what is happening at The Globe. There are many twists and turns as Jess tries to expose Stella, and ends up putting herself in more danger than she can imagine.

I love Sandie Jones’s books, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I found myself getting distracted and it just didn’t captivate me the way her others have.

The Trade Off is the newest thriller by Sandie Jones. This one takes place in the fast-paced world of newspaper publishing and reporting. Stella is a long-standing member of the staff at The Globe. Jess has just begun her career there. Jess is concerned by what she sees going on behind the scenes of her dream job and begins to question if she's where she really thought she wanted to be. Read and enjoy!

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Great fast paced story involved in the publishing world of how I exactly I envision they go after and get stories, only this was a thrilling story in itself. I enjoyed this book. My sixth read by this Author, always a good read.
Thank you to Netgalley, St Martins press and the Author Sandie Jones for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.