Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC. I enjoyed Sandies book The Other Woman, but this one wasn’t for me. I found this hard to follow in audio and I think I would have enjoyed better reading it. I did enjoy the narrators though!

I just didn’t love this one and wanted a bit more plot wise. I will still continue to read Sandie’s books!

The different narrators helped to follow the story. It took me awhile to figure out the premise of the story, but it was a good one.
It did feel like an abrupt end.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just never got into the characters or the plot. I almost DNF. I paused and came back to it, but just never was a great book for me.

We open the book with a novice reporter interviewing for the notorious British Press…..she has scruples and appears to impress her future boss.

When things start to go sideways at the publication, she begins to see how she would like to take down the “kingpins” responsible for creating sensational news.

But who exactly are the kingpins and what forces are really at play?

Great story full of twists and turns. This will have you unsure if you’re rooting for heroes or villains and plotting the downfall of many….

Always enjoy a Sandi Jones story. This was a great tale of the push/pull in moral issues and the world of journalism/tabloids. It also hit on some serious topics that helped give different perspectives of main characters.

**My review as posted to my IG on Friday**

𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗬: 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪

Thank you #partners @minotaur_books & @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳
𝗕𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀
𝗣𝘂𝗯: 𝟴/𝟭𝟱/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📖 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: When Jess gets hired on at The Globe, she thinks her dreams have finally come true. Little does she know, the nightmare is only beginning. Jess is about to find out the lengths reporters go to get a story, and the dangerous repercussions it can have on everyone involved.

💭 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: What a book!! The Trade Off is a clever, addictive, unputdownable #metoo-ish thriller. It's suspenseful, twisty, and so absorbing, I found myself thinking about these characters and this story when I wasn't reading it.

And though this isn't something you'll often hear me say about books in this genre, The Trade off is also incredibly relevant, as it's based in part on the author's own experiences and observations from her time in journalism. I really appreciate the way Jones uses this heart-pounding thriller to shed a light on an important issue.

As for the audiobook, Nathalie Buscombe and Sofia Engstrand impeccably co-narrate, and were perfectly cast into their respective character roles; they *became* Jess and Stella! Very well done! 👏🏻
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How far would you go to publish the next big story? Apparently, far. Very, very far. Just ask Yasmine's family. Ask Tilly. Ask Sasha. Ask Jess. Heck, ask Stella.

The Trade Off by Sandy Jones is told by two tabloid reporters, veteran Stella and newbie Jess. Stella's views are tainted, She has been in the business for far too long without being promoted. Wide-eyed Jess is out to report the truth and is stunned by the corruption at The Globe. Jess watches as celebrities are bullied and stories are manipulated, noting that the media has too much power. Jess sees relationships being destroyed as well as the deadly consequences of exploited celebrities.

The book delved into the #metoo movement, which is I think is appropriate, considering the book involved a big time male-run business (The Globe), and unfortunately, a lot of male-dominated/male-run companies are guilty of either holding back or manipulating women based on their gender.

Although the book is fiction, it showed that the media should not be underestimated. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and it's scary.

I am torn with how I feel about the book, and once again, I wish I could give half points, making this a 3.5. I like that Stella and Jess right the wrongs and are empowered, so I guess I will round up to a 4.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advance audio version of The Trade off by Sandie Jones in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5760394087

I loved Sandie Jones' novel The Other Woman, so I immediately requested The Trade Off when I seen it on NG. Unfortunately, I found it dull and difficult to follow. I will read more from her in the future, this one just wasn't for me.

I honestly didn’t care for this one too much, which was odd because I love this author’s work! It was just a bit too slow

I flew through this one! It isn't exactly a tell-all of the British (and other) tabloids, but it has a lot of similarities. Celebrities are treated as gossip-fodder, and it's so sad the power that tabloids have over our lives. I liked the small twists throughout, and was pleased with the ending.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

A quick listen, with great narration. The story is about the news...making it and reporting it, which are 2 sides of the same knife. Men in power, and the women who take them down, is also a theme. While these have been looked at in the past, and the plot was kind of predictable, I still enjoyed this listen.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

If you ever had doubted the idea of “fake news”, this book will make you question every headline you read.  The manipulation of words, photoshopping, insider payoffs, backstabbing…..there just aren’t enough adjectives to describe the seedy side of journalism depicted here.
   Guaranteed, in the real world there are newspeople who are working daily to get the truth out to the public at great costs but that wasn’t the object of this book.  The real story was to provide thrilling mystery which the author did.
   The naive ingenue with high hopes to become an outstanding journalist under the tutelage of the editor with years of experience quickly becomes caught up in the not so honest side of news coverage. She tries to maintain her principles but it ends with tragic results. From there the story gets more twisted as one expose leads yet to another biased headline. Then the characters you hated finally show some admirable traits.
   It’s a real eye opener……..not that we all didn’t know this scenario happened…..but the reader was right there involved in the big news that sell papers…….. especially those above the fold.

Thank you MacMillian Audio, Sandie Jones, and Netgalley for this audio in exchange for an honest review. This book starts and ends strong. Keeps you intrigued throughout the whole book. Loved the different POV. Loved the narration, they both did a great job narrating. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 solid stars for this baby! Definite must read/listen!

Wow! Ambition set loose, the harsh reality of sexual harassment, celebrity culture, and a work/personal environment in which trust is a moving target -- it’s all here, in this tightly written novel. I was completely engrossed by this twisty, compelling story of the amoral excesses of tabloid journalism. The flashes of satirical humor can be as sharp and dry as a firecracker. Jones gives her characters emotional depth that sometimes feels rare in the thriller genre. As a Librarian, I’d recommend this to both longtime mystery and thriller readers and those new to the genre, as well as readers seeking intellectual challenge mixed with empathy. Fantastic!

3.5/5 Stars - Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook. I struggled a bit to get into the story, but once it took off, I did end up enjoying it.

The Trade Off is the story of Stella, deputy editor at the Globe, and Jess, a rookie reporter. We see both characters struggle with the cost of getting the perfect story, the concept of truth in reporting, and the (male-driven) power dynamics in a newsroom.

The reading experience was uneven - at times I was very invested, and at other points I found myself hoping for a twist soon because it was a little tedious. The character development was good, although without revealing too much about where the story ends up, I wished for a bit more depth from Stella - I ended up caring a lot more about Jess than about her. Narration on the audiobook was excellent.

I am on the fence about whether I would recommend this book. I think if you are OK with a slower-paced, suspenseful book, you may really enjoy this. But if you are expecting a twisty/turny fast-paced thriller, this is not going to do it for you.

The Trade Off by Sandie Jones is a look behind the scenes of the tawdry industry of celebrity reporting and how far some reporters will go for a story.

"Stella is the deputy editor for The Globe and she will do what ever she has to do to land a story. Jess is The Globe's rookie reporter and is only interested in the truth but realizes the dirty tricks of the tabloids are hard to avoid, When a celebrity hounded by the globe is found dead, Jess wonders just how much The Globe is responsible. Jess is determined to uncover the truth but some are willing to kill to keep it hidden."

This story is told through dual POVs. It switches between Stella and Jess which is an interesting contrast because the characters are so different - not quite opposites but close. Stella is the reporter hardened by experience and willing to bend the rules for her career aspirations. Jess just wants to move on from her local gazette and write for a big paper. At times both characters veer close to over-the-top stereotypes but Jones seems to keep a balance.

This is more drama than a thriller. There is a little twist but you'll see it coming. There is a pivot near the end that made the story more interesting. Personally, I don't follow celebrity news but since Jones focuses more on the ethics it was okay. Listen to her comments in the acknowledgements.

Both narrators, Nathalie Buscombe and Sofia Engstrand, do a nice job with the audio performance.

Fans of contemporary drama should enjoy this read from Sandie Jones.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher. I listened and read this one. It is full of action and twists. I loved the 2 main characters and seeing them battle what's right and wrong and how far to go to get a story. Definitely recommend!

The tabloid setting of this new release from Sandie Jones made me want to take shower. Why four stars? Here are four reasons:
🌟 Jess, the new hire, and her boss, Stella, show the two sides if a slippery slope. Is it too late for Stella?
🌟 There is quite a cat and mouse game going on in many ways. But the identities of our players flip and change.
🌟 Girl power
🌟 The examination of what makes a story news. How many stories we see in real life have been engineered by "journalists" to get the eyes and the clicks and ultimately the $$$?
This one definitely made me think about how I as a consumer could be contributing to the problem. Very well done on audio.

Happy pub week! Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book was written really well and the subject matter was unique. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would reccomend it to those who enjoy thrillers. Special Thank You to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a copy of the audiobook prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

Would you tell a story, if you knew it was a lie? Or tell the truth and sleep at night?

This was an interesting take on the newspaper industry and the me too movement. The dual POVs worked really well for this story, and I liked how Stella and Jess’s characters played against each other at first, but built a relationship on a mutual need to make things right in print media. Both of these women were strong in their own way, and I could appreciate both of their characters drive and determination.

There were definitely some twists in this story. Some were predictable while others I didn’t see coming. There weren’t necessarily any big wow moments, but I enjoyed the surprises along the way. I did find some parts of the book took away from the overall story as they were just filler rather than plot points. The short chapters were great, and the timing really worked for this story. This is definitely my new favorite book by Jones.

I listened along to the audiobook and really enjoyed both narrators, Nathalie Buscombe and Sofia Engstrand. Their voices worked perfectly for Stella and Jess, and they brought these women to life in such different ways. I highly recommend the audiobook for this one.

Thank you Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.