Honestly, this was just boring to me. I didn’t like any of the characters and I skimmed to the ending. The “thriller “ aspect was mid at best. 2/5 stars.

“I Would Die for You” is my first Sandie Jones novel but I was captivated by the title right away! Those fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and other Taylor Jenkins Reid books I think will really like this one!

Nicole lives a quiet life with her husband and daughter. They don’t have much family and keep to themselves, until one day her daughter goes missing. The school says she was picked up by her aunt, but Nicole and her husband know that’s not possible. Nicole finally has to come to terms with her past in England in order to figure out what’s going on.

I liked this! Definitely suspenseful and it doesn’t all come together til the last twenty or so pages. Just when I thought I knew where the book was going I was proven wrong. 4 ✨

Told in 2 timelines, we follow the perspectives of sisters Cassie and Nicole -- in 1986 Cassie is a teen girl obsessed with Secret Oktober, a boy band. In 2010, Nicole is living overseas trying to escape something that happened in '86.

Between the two timelines, I really didn't care for the more modern day one. Everyone acted so irrationally and the dialogue was frustrating. I really didn't care for how dramatic both Nicole and Brad were when talking to each other. No wonder Nicole didn't want to divulge her past to her husband when his reaction was to instantly blame her.

The storyline in 1986 was more interesting and we got to see it from the perspective of both sisters. I felt this should have been how the whole book took place and not had the flash forwards. The "mystery" and "twist" of this book was not necessary and actually stunted the pacing, in my opinion. I think it would have been stronger to not make it so obvious about how events and situations were actually playing out, whether or not things were actually happening a certain way, or if the character was delusional. It's hard to get into it without spoiling too much.

The reasoning for the events in 2010 didn't make that much sense to me. And how Nicole was able to hide her identity (even down to her ginger hair colour) from her husband required some suspension of disbelief. Several of the twists were very unnecessary and the abrupt ending just left me confused as to whether there was supposed to be more.

I felt like 60% of this book was intriguing, but the pacing and the ending really let this down.

I could not put this book down. I read it in the span of a couple of hours. It was fast paced. There was not a lot of filler. The storyline had me hooked I needed to know what happened. The story follows Nicole in two separate timelines one in 2010 and one back in 1986. In the events of 1986 that she has been trying to avoid and forget are coming back to haunt her in 2010. Very well done like I said a good thriller I think if you were in a reading slump, this would be a great book to pick up. There were a few little things that kept me from giving this book a five star nothing horrible just my own nitpicking. But I would definitely recommend for a quick east to binge thriller.

Well, that was incredibly bad. Worst Sandie Jones book I've ever read and I'm starting The Trade-Off tomorrow as my last Jones book to read. Though reading it did cause me to feel nostalgic and start listening to Backstreet Boys. 😂 But otherwise, this was just bad. I hate to say it because Jones did model after her groupie experiences with Duran Duran sans murder (but probably not sans drugs). The motivations of one character were just absurd, I don't care what their age. The relationships were awful. I just did not enjoy this book.

She’s done it again! Every time I pick up this authors newest novel I know I’m in for ride. Highly enjoyable, shocking twists and turns and just an overall great read.

I Would Die for You is a story of where the past meets the present in a very unlikely way.
Fast paced, dual timelines and characters that aren't always likable, Jones will take you on a ride with a story that pulls you in and won't let you go, even with all the craziness.

We begin the story in California in 2010. Nicole is married with a young daughter. When the daughter is unknowingly picked up by a stranger from her school, Nicole is afraid that her past has come to haunt her.
Told in dual timelines, we get to see a woman that is married with a daughter, with the seemingly "perfect life". But she is always scared of what the past may do to her and if it will ever find her.
The second timeline is set in 1986 in London with Nicole's young sister Cassie and her friend, Amelia. They are huge fans of a pop band, Secret Oktober, and end up following them and intertwining their lives with them more than the average fan.

I ate this story up! Being a lover of music and growing up in the 80's and 90's, I was totally consumed with Cassie and Amelia's toxic actions with the band and everything they went through to get a piece of them. It was dangerous, outlandish yet exciting and fun. Cassie and Amelia were teens, so I always thought that they were stretching the truth to fit their narrative. But things ran a bit deeper than expected. Then further connections were made, making the whole story more convoluted and dramatic.

As the story continues to play out switching from the past to the present, we gather pieces to this big piece in history and what really happened "that day". I originally had no real strong feelings for any of the characters. Cassie seemed to be an OTT teenager that was a die hard fan that got caught up in the moment. And Nicole just seemed like a "ho hum" character and I didn't understand how she fit into the past at all. But the way the story flowed and the way Jones connected the past to the present and to the 'big reveal', I appreciated how it was done in a very cohesive manner with a flair from the drama added in.

Overall, I liked the characters alright but didn't love any of them. And the ending? I felt like I was kind of done dirty. It is almost a cliffhanger, or just didn't feel complete after everything we went through to understand what happened in the past and how it was all going to come together. I still had a great time reading the story and being transported back to a time with the 80's music. Which brings me to the authors note at the end. That was the perfect way to bring in her own piece and honestly made me relate to the whole story on another level.

"Because I guess, sometimes, what you thought you wanted doesn't make you quite as happy as what you once had."

Nicole is living a peaceful life with her loving husband and adorable daughter. But one day, her past comes back to haunt her.

This was a pretty cool thriller! Here's what I liked:

The format: The book jumps back and forth between past and present. This worked really well for the story. You find out about a traumatic time in Nicole's life when she was younger while also following her current day life. Both weave together perfectly to give you a full picture of the mystery.

Nicole: I felt so bad for Nicole most of the time. She has such good intentions, especially in the past, but kept getting the short end of the stick. But still, she's strong and keeps going.

The settings: Both are well-drawn and really help with the fullness of the story. I especially liked the music scene in the 86 timeline.

All in all, this was a great thriller!
Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

I Would Die for You was not my favorite. There were too many storylines and it took too long to bring them together. Characters were not very believable. Or like able. But I read it to the end in case I was missing something. Sad, because I have live Sandie Jones other books.

I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones is a recommended domestic mystery that follows two sisters in dual timelines.

In 2011 Nicole Forbes lives with her husband Brad and eight-year-old daughter Hannah in Coronado, California. When a writer, Zoe, comes to her home asking about her involvement with the scandal surrounding the 80's band Secret Oktober. Nicole left Great Britain and never looked back in order to distant herself from the downfall of the band. She also never told Brad about that part of her past. Later that day her daughter Hannah is picked up from school by her aunt - but she doesn’t have an aunt. Nicole is frantic that there is a link between Zoe's appearance and Hannah's brief disappearance. Now she may have to tell Brad her secret.

In London in 1986 sixteen-year-old Cassie is obsessed with Secret Oktober and lead singer Ben Edwards. She closely follows the movements of the band, trying to get Ben's attention and get into the backstage parties with her new friend and fellow groupie Amelia. What she doesn't know is that Ben heard her older sister Nicole singing an original song she wrote at a local bar one night and he can’t help but feel drawn to her.

The start of I Would Die for You was compelling and grabbed my complete attention. I was anxiously waiting for the big secret(s) and what happened in the past The switch in the narrative between time periods and points-of-view worked well. It was looking like a winner but as the novel continued, my enjoyment lessened. You will have to set disbelief aside several times and the ending was a complete disappointment.

The present day story became bothersome. It is uncertain why Nicole never shared more information about her past with Brad. Yeah, it's newsworthy and maybe scandalous, but she should have at least told him an edited version. For two people that are described as having a good relationship readers will be left wondering what exactly that is based on because the facts seem to belie their devotion to each other.

Following the band in the past and the obsession with them was entertaining but also had some disturbing elements to it. The characters were better developed in this time period and the infatuation beyond reason with the band members is clearly depicted.

This is a 3.5 rounded down based on the ending. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Oof, this was a difficult one to get through. probably should have DNF'd it, but I kept thinking it would get better. It did not. I don't think I am a big fan of this author. I have tried other books by her and they really just are not for me.

The characters were painfully unlikeable, there was no actual character development, and no one that was relatable. Underwhelming, predictable, and a very rushed ending. Do not waste your time with this one!

I listened to most of this one on audiobook but did switch for the last 20% or so because I wanted to finish and see if my hunches were right on how everything came together. The narrator did a great job with the story. The story is told in two timelines and I enjoyed the 1986 timeline much more than the 2010 timeline. The characters didn’t feel fully developed and nothing really made sense to me in the 2010 storyline. (For instance if a child is kidnapped there is more follow up by all of the professionals that this book depicted). Even in the more interesting timeline there was a lot of leaps of faith the reader had to take, but overall it was an entertaining book. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars which I rounded up because it did grip me enough to finish in one day.

I liked it! The short, well written chapters read fast and easily. I had the good fortune to receive an advance copy of both the ebook and the audiobook; I read and listened alternately, depending on what I was doing, as I struggled to put it down. I was anxious to find out how things went down in 1986 and how they were going to be possibly revealed or explained in 2010. The momentum built right up to the end. As always, I’m looking forward to the next Sandi Jones book.
Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the invitation/widget to read and enjoy this ARC.

what the heck even happened in this? cassie was a major psychopath and I didn’t even know what was going on for half of this because it was so out there.

not a fan and would not recommend. thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc - out 3/25/25

A fantastic psychological thriller with lots of twists and mystery! Sometimes the pacing was a little too fast for me, but I was intrigued and on the edge of my seat the whole time. I do wish there was a little more build up to the ending, but overall I really liked this book. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy.

This was a very enjoyable thriller. A super quick read/listen. I binged it in one day and would definitely recommend. It kept me guessing till the last few chapters since it was written very cryptically which I love in a thriller. I did guess a part of the ending but there were many things thrown in that I never could have seen coming.

I really liked Sandie Jones’ The Other Woman, so I was excited to get approved to read I Would Die for You.

In the present day, Nicole Forbes lives in a seaside town with her husband and daughter. She isn’t expecting someone to knock at her door one day with questions about the downfall of one of the biggest bands of the 1980s, a story she’s concealed from her current life, eager to escape the events that occurred. In her past, 1986, Nicole’s younger sister is obsessed with Secret Oktober, one of the hottest bands in London. Cassie harbors a crush on the band’s frontman Ben, and she’ll do whatever she can. Cassie doesn’t catch his eye though, Nicole does, and her beautiful song. This sets them on a course that will tear their family apart.

I think the concept of this book was fantastic. I loved the dual POV of the 80s and the 2010s. I liked Nicole and Ben and thought their story was really nice. I do think the execution was lacking though. I felt like the pacing was a bit uneven and at times, I didn’t fully understand what was going on. I thought the stuff that took place in the 80s was more intriguing and almost wish we’d stayed fully in that story. There were plenty of twists and turns towards the end, but I found the middle dragged for me, I also hated the ending. It didn’t feel fully resolved and too abrupt.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minatour books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones. This book was not my favorite. It was told in two timelines, following Nicole in 2010 California and 1986 London. Nicole had hopes to be a singer in 1986, and she falls in with a band who might help her achieve her dreams. But something dark happens. As 2010 Nicole comes to grips with what happened in her past, she’s racing against the clock to make sure her family is safe from her past decisions.

I felt like this book was all over the place, kind of scattered. I felt like I was missing details, but at the same time, felt like it dragged on forever? I’m not sure how that’s possible. Were it not an ARC, I think I might have DNFed it. Ultimately, this one is probably ok to miss.

I Would Die for You had all the makings of a great suspense. However, this one fell a little flat for me. I enjoyed the dual timeline. 80s boy band music, the groupies following them around. What was really true or made up between Cassie and Ben. To now with Nicole's daughter being taken. I was pulled right into this book but the pacing was off for me. I started to get bored towards the middle. The end pulled everything together nicely. This is definitely more suspense than thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an ARC of I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones for an honest review.

I usually enjoy Sandie Jones' books, but I had a really hard time with this one. I had trouble investing in any of the characters, and it very much read like a YA novel. This one would be good for someone who is looking for a light read without a lot of substance.