The Trade Off by Sandie Jones is a slow burn novel full of journalistic intrigue. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Nathalie Buscombe and Sofia Engstrand and I liked how there was dual narrators. This novel is told in dual perspectives of Stella and Jess who work for a tabloid newspaper, The Globe. It was interesting to see some of the characters going to extremes for a good headline. There’s lying, blackmail, sting operations and even murder. Then the story turns to include # me too. It seemed pretty straightforward as to who’s good and who’s not. I found I enjoyed the first half more than the last half. I wasn’t invested in these characters and storyline enough. I’d still be curious to read another book by this author if it’s more of a thriller.

A newbie journalist gets a peek into the sinister side of journalism when she gets a job at a national tabloid with plenty of secrets of its own.

I love, love, love this author... but this story just fell flat for me. I didn't love any of the characters, the story dragged and didn't really go anywhere. I had a very difficult time getting into it and keeping the backbiting straight. It just wasn't a huge hit for me. Still, I could see people who love that sub-genre- the Hollywood gossip/magazine setting and the backstabbing involved- loving it. It's definitely got that underhanded, knife-in-the-back, trust-no one vibe that a number of my friends favor so I think they would really get into it.

The Trade Off is my first book by Sandie Jones & I really enjoyed it!

I found the cutthroat, deceptive world of tabloid journalism intriguing and disgusting all at the same time. I enjoyed the back & forth between the two main characters, Jess, who is new to the journalism world & is looking for a job where she can report honestly and Stella who has been in the game for so long she has been jaded by the world of tabloids.

I read this book almost immediately after reading a memoir based on how tragic and ugly fake news can be, so it really hit home for me.

I thought it was a really good story with a great plot and really good character development. You felt like you knew the characters & both loved & hated them! Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars!
This was an enjoyable listen that really illustrated the corruption within the media.

When it started I wasn’t really sure where we were going to end up and I definitely couldn’t have predicated the journey.

I would say that it had a slower start and the story didn’t really kick off for me until around 50-70% through.

Once it did though, I wanted to know who was the mastermind behind the corruption. And I really didn’t see some of the twists coming!

The Trade Off highlights the lengths some people will go through in order to get a journalism story. The characters were hard to connect with and I felt the story was a little slow. It is categorized under Mystery & Thrillers but I would consider it more in the category of Women's Fiction. I did not find much thrill or suspense. It still was a decent read, I just prefer faster paced. Not my favorite from the author.

I listened to the audio version and the narrators did a good job, but I still felt the middle of the story dragged a little.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio copy.

Enjoyed this story. I liked the point of view of Stella and Jess. The back and forth and difference makes a compelling read.

The Trade Off is an engrossing, ominous tale that transports you into the lives of two main characters, Stella, the deputy editor of The Globe who will do whatever it takes to get the story, and Jess, the new rookie reporter who believes that the only story that should be printed is the truth, especially when that story can lead to devastating consequences.

The prose is tight and tense. The characters are secretive, ruthless, and driven. And the plot unravels quickly into a gripping tale full of twists, turns, lies, deception, power, abuse, corruption, greed, indulgence, revelations, ambition, and violence.The narrator of "The Trade Off" enhances the story's enjoyment, skillfully drawing readers into the web of intrigue and moral ambiguity. Their voice maintains a perfect balance, keeping us engaged with suspense and conveying character depth. They become a compelling guide, adding to the immersive experience of this intense thriller.

Overall, The Trade Off is a sinister, entertaining, intense thriller by Jones that explores the ethical and moral fine line between right and wrong. And even though it isn’t my favourite novel by this author, it does do a wonderful job of combining the morally questionable, somewhat sleazy atmosphere of tabloid journalism with unsavoury characters, poor choices, and eerie motivations.

I didn’t really enjoy this book. I felt that it was just too slow paced for me. I enjoyed different narrators and they did a great job, the story just fell flat. I loved The Other Woman and I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately it just didn’t do it for me. I can see how people would enjoy it though so I would still recommend to my followers.

I literally couldn’t put this book down from the moment I picked it up. A newbie in the journalist world - torn between integrity and a good story when something happens that makes her really question to choose between what is right and what her bosses expect of her. Is it worth potentially losing her job? I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved the premise of how a journalist copes with the morality of their job. But the story felt very all over the place though nothing was really happening. I just couldn’t get into it.

A fast paced mystery/thriller with #metoo themes and topics of how the press can impact EVERYTHING. I loved the dual POVs. This was quick and had some twists I wasn’t expecting. 3 ⭐️

The Trade Off delves into the world of publishing and how far reporters go to get a story. Sandie Jones did a get job highlighting the morally grey this industry is, whether it be manufacturing evidence, entrapment, surveillance, stalking, or manipulation. These are all tactics used by some to get the best story for the readers. The Trade Off also explores the ripple effects of what it can do to the reporters and the victims. In the end, I am left with a few questions after finishing this book. I still wonder what should be the line you can't cross to get a story. The continuous new cycle is part of the problem, but how do you fix it? How many people are set up weekly by the media? How much of what we read and see is real? 4 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Trade Off by Sandie Jones is a brilliant read! The story revolves around the lines of journalist who work focuses on tabloids. The story consists of Jess who is a do-gooder new hire at The Post and Stella who is a senior journalist who will do anything to get a good story. Upon Jess starting this position she is constantly being bombarded with what is right and wrong in the tabloid world and does her best to right the wrong of those around her. The story gives you twist and turns where you least expect them offering a compelling story that you don't want to put down. The audio is superb, a huge factor being their is two narrators which in my opinion really allows for separation of characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was my first by Sandie Jones. I have listed to hundreds of audiobooks but this is the only one that I can recall the author giving a personal heartfelt thank you at the end. This is next level appreciate and for that I will forever tell people about this author. Thank you to Netgalley, Sandie Jones, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for allowing me the privilege.

I want to thank the publisher and author for the digital and audio copy of this thriller. I enjoy her books, and this one was no exception. It’s set in the fast paced, cutthroat world of tabloid publishing, which I thought was a very fun aspect of the book. Although it is a thriller, and that becomes apparent at the end, it read mostly like a drama. It had a few slow spots, but overall I enjoyed it. I liked the two main female protagonists quite a bit and liked how their personalities and relationship to each other progressed. I would recommend the audio.

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.

I really enjoyed The Other Woman by Sandy Jones, but unfortunately The Trade Off was just not for me. Focused on the London tabloid world and how far the writers will go to get a story. Jointly told by Stella and Jess, I just didn't care for or about either women, and therefore didn't have much stock in the story.

This one probably isn't my favorite Jones book, there was just something that I didn't connect with in this book. It was okay but not great. After a book that was slow and easy to put down the ending felt rushed.

Narrated by Nathalie Buscombe & Sofia Engstrand, the narration was very good and brought emotions and you always knew who was speaking.

3 stars

I received this audiobook from the publisher Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

I was hooked from the first page! Tons of twists and turns, but who can Jess trust?

Jess joins the team at The Globe, a tabloid that prides itself on revealing everything that celebrities try to hide from the media. But after starting working under Stella and Max she quickly begins to second guess if she was in the right job for someone with a conscience.

When Jess begins to uncover some things that were never meant to see the light of day she may just be putting her own life in danger.

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The Tradeoff tells the story from the viewpoints of two journalists working at one of London's largest tabloids. When Jess starts at The Globe, she quickly comes to realize that that her editor, Stella, will do anything to get the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It took me a little while to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked.

It’s yet another story where I thought I had the plot twist figured out, but I was surprised again!
Definitely a great read for anyone who enjoys twists and turns alongside an air of mystery.

This will be a story that I recommend to my friends and family for sure.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always really, really want to like Sandie Jones' books. The premise always sounds great! But somehow, the execution just doesn't work for me and the endings seem to be very convoluted and difficult to believe (The Blame Game was another like this).

This story gives us two alternating narrators: Stella and Jess. Stella is a hard-as-nails tabloid deputy editor for The Globe, owned by a media titan, and she is very much the stereotype of the seasoned reporter in the Big Smoke: fancy, expensive clothes, high heels, bright red lipstick, blonde hair, cut-glass attitude. Then we have Jess, who has for some reason been plucked from the obscurity of her hometown newspaper and given a job as a reporter for the Globe. Jess is not seas0ned, but instead of spending the first 6 months of her work life being a tea girl and editing copy for the big boys and girls, she's almost immediately sent out to interview D List celebrities.

This dichotomy needs to exist so these two can be polar opposites who unite against a common enemy. Neither character is particularly well-developed, and neither one is likeable. Jess has strong moral opinions and seems not to understand the purpose of tabloid journalism, so apparently we are meant to root for her. Stella has a near-miss with a Me-Too moment and this completely alters her viewpoint despite 15 years of grasping for an editorship and having no personal life outside of a) the lost love who ditched her for a story she researched and he then stole and b) the current confidential informant/f*ck buddy police officer who she inexplicably has feelings for. Together they aim to change their broadsheet for the better from within.

My (major) beefs:
After a pretty slow pace throughout the book, suddenly we are in a race to finish and there's a "big twist" (not really), a hostage situation, a car chase and a car wreck
We never found out why the TV chef was decimated by the Globe
Jess speaks in 1st person present tense and Stella in 3rd person
Why would Stella suddenly give two shits about anyone but herself
What kind of idiot stitches up a violent gang leader and expects there not to be violent retribution

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 MacMillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.