This book was all over the place and never really found its footing. There are two storylines. We are first introduced to Nicole, living in California with her husband and her daughter. She's keeping secreats and we don't know what they are. Or what they even relate to. Okay.

Then her daughter gets picked up from school from her "auntie" but she doesn't have an aunt, because her husband doesn't have siblings and her sister is dead. So who has her kid? (The kid is found and returned quickly so this isn't a child abduction story). But then in the present, Nicole has to figure out who would want to take her child and what they want from her. She also has to start being honest.

In the past, we get 16 year old Cassie fan-girling over a band. She acts stupid and this plot is even stupider. She meets some girl and they sneak around to party and do illegal drugs with the band. Then they are shocked when bad things happen and the band members don't believe that they are soulmates and want to go get married.

This does tie together but it's bizarre and unbelievable.

Nicole Forbes lives a pretty quiet life with her husband and daughter in California. But when a journalist shows up at her house on the same day her daughter goes missing, Nicole knows her past has caught up with her. Because in the 80s, she was involved in the downfall of the biggest British boy band of the time.

I really enjoyed this book. SO MANY SECRETS. The relationship between Nicole and her sister was interesting and watching everything unfold kept me reading. This is a super fast read and take it from me, don’t let your guard down for a second!

Sandie Jones hits it out of the park again.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available March 25, 2025.

Nicole Forbes is enjoying her life in California, far from England where she grew up, until her past comes knocking on the door. We learn that she left 25 years prior having been entangled in a murder trial. The narrative goes back and forth between the 1980's as Nicole and her sister Cassie get involved with members of a top pop band, and the present of 2010 when all the bills of Nicole's past come due. The writing is crisp and the plot moves quickly. I enjoyed the book, but the ending left me a bit wanting. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the book #IWouldDieForYou by #SandieJones. This book had me hooked from the beginning. It is set in dual timelines, 1986 and present day, 2011. Twenty-five years ago, Ben Edward’s is the lead singer of a band called Secret Oktober. One sister, Cassie is obsessed with him and will do anything to have him. The other sister, Nicole, is singing in a bar when Ben becomes smitten with her. The girls had no idea about the other. A terrible tragedy happens one night that devastates them all and changes everything. Present day, Nicole gets a knock on her door that upends her whole life. Can she keep her secret about that night?

I Would Die for You was told in a dual timeline format. I normally don't like that, but I thought it worked here. I especially enjoyed the "old days" in the 80's. It made me think of my love for a boy band back then, although I never went to the lengths Cassie and Amelia did.

There was sex, drugs, and rock and roll back in the 80's. We also get the timeline now from one of the sisters who moved to the US and doesn't tell her husband the truth about her past. I thought the story was a quick read and I enjoyed it....except for the ending. It left me wanting another chapter.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of this book. The review is my honest opinion.

I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones
My rating:
3/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my second book by the author and overall I enjoyed it, but it lost me at the ending. Beware…definitely a cliffhanger ending that will have you confused and frustrated!

This was a fun ride and it really started to get good in the second half of the story.

I enjoyed the narration and overall pace of the story. There were times that I had to pay close attention with the dual timelines and POVS, but it was a super fun one once all the pieces came together (besides one at the end)

Overall, I would recommend this story especially because I need to talk to someone about that ending! It was a 4 star from me right until the ending, as I have stated that I needed a little more closure.

Thank you netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the audio ARC! This will be published on March 25, so add it to your TBR now!

I WOULD DIE FOR YOU by Sandie Jones is a twisty thriller told in dual timelines and from multiple points of view. It is a story of sisters, secrets and an obsession that turns deadly. In 2011, Nicole Forbes is living a quiet life with her husband and young daughter on Coronado Island, California. Her world is turned upside down when a young woman appears at her door asking for an interview about what she knows about a famous British boy band from the 1980s and the shocking death of one of its members. Nicole is stunned. Who is this woman and how does she know anything about Nicole’s past when she has kept it a secret for decades. Not even her husband knows about the life she led before coming to the US from England so many years ago. Back in 1986, Nicole’s little sister, Cassie, is obsessed with super band, Secret Oktober and especially with its frontman, Ben Edwards. She is elated when a new friend gets her in the door at several band parties. When Ben actually talks to her, her fantasies seem to be coming true. But a tragic event threatens to destroy the band and everyone around them. Alternating between past and present, it is soon clear that both sisters have ties to the iconic band and we learn to what lengths they will go to protect themselves. This is a suspenseful story of secrets, lies and obsession that kept me guessing until the end. If you like a fast-paced read with lots of 1980s British band vibes, this is a read you might enjoy. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Sex, Drugs, Groupies, and Rock and Roll sum up this novel.

There are those fans who become obsessed with celebrities. Think back to Elvis and The Beatles, and you will have the same scenario with an up-and-coming band, Secret Oktober. The novel focuses on two of the band members, sisters Nicole and Cassie, and Cassie's new friend, Amelia, at least for the 1986 flashbacks. In 2010, it focused on Nicole and her family. However, the past rears its ugly head when Nicole's daughter, Hannah, goes missing after being picked up from school by an aunt. However, she doesn't have an aunt that we know of. You can tell that Nicole is hiding something from her husband, Brad, but what? It takes most of the book to unwind the facts and the truth. 

I enjoyed the dual timelines because they gave me insight into Nicole and how the events of 1986 impacted her life in 2010. Cassie's character is depicted as an extreme groupie. She skips school and work, lies to her father, and believes she has a relationship with Ben from the band. A string of events doesn't bode well for Cassie or her family, but the outcome is not disclosed until near the end of the book. 

I wasn't wild about the 2010 Nicole because she was still hiding her past, even from her husband. While events aren't something to be proud of, why cover them up? I found it interesting that what she thought was the truth wasn't quite correct. Perhaps that is why she hid the truth, avoiding the events and her role in them. 

The book does leave a bit of a cliffhanger. While we can surmise what happens, it isn't confirmed. 

I was engrossed in this novel, and when I couldn't sleep, I finished it in the wee hours.

We give this book 4 paws up.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Two sisters connected to one famous band leader of the time. Cassie, sixteen, is infatuated with him and fights for his attention, while Nicole, the older sister, tries to avoid him for her sister's sake. But Nicole loves music 🎶 and this connection brings her closer to music. What happens next will change the lives of both sisters. They will live with secrets and will be haunted by the past.

The present will reveal everything.

Nicole's life is good. She has a loving husband and a lovely eight-year-old daughter. No one knows her secrets that she has kept for twenty-five years. Until one day a strange woman shows up at her door, claiming to know her past. The next day her daughter is kidnapped. Her aunt took her from school. But she doesn't have an aunt.

The story goes back and forth, to the present and to twenty-five years ago.

I returned to London in 1986, where teenagers were fascinated by the famous band and chased them to concerts 🎸and events. Very often they risked their safety and sneaked out of their homes, lying to their parents and putting themselves in danger. The scenes were described vividly and I could imagine the moments of anger and frustration from both parents and children.

This is my first book by this author and I will be reading more of her books. The author kept me guessing throughout the book. 🥁I had many theories and guesses about the past and present. The dual timeline was nicely done and easy to follow.🎺

3⭐️

I was really excited about the drama in regarding the Beattle-Mania/One Direction style 0bsessive fans and the hints at a earth-shattering death throughout the present timeline. Unfortunately most of this book fell short for me. I did love how deranged Cassi was and her absolutely delusional beliefs made it hard to guess what was actually true or not. But it did feel that Cassi being so over the top in her convictions lead to red harrings that made the plot feel more convoluted than mysterious.

I think my biggest issue with this was over all the pacing of the story. I feel ike the backstory leading up to the big reveal was given at a very slow pace and then the actual reveal was very rush with a very abrupt, open ending. It felt like we didn't get the mindset of a few of the characters that would make the ending believable and are instead left with a conclusion that felt disproportionally vindictive compared to the history we got.

Thanks Netgalley and Minotaur Books for providing this ARC to me!

Nicole is living the perfect life with her family in California. The past comes back to haunt her.
We jump back to the year 1986. Cassie the usual teenager likes a certain band member. She tries anything to get the attention of Ben.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publisher Minotaur Books.

What a great dual timeline story, and the era of 80's music is my favorite! The way Jones flipped between timelines was flawless and easy to track. And the build of suspense was done so well!

Sixteen year old Cassie (1986, London) becomes completely obsessed with the band Secret Oktober, with a massive crush on the lead singer: Ben Edwards. Like many teens of the era, she would do absolutely anything to meet him. She becomes friends with another groupie who knows the ropes, which only feeds her fire. Unbeknownst to Cassie, Ben happens upon her sister Nicole singing at a bar one night. This leads to more interaction between the two which drives a wedge between the sisters.

Meanwhile, Nicole Forbes is living in Coronado, near San Diego with her husband and daughter (2011). She never expected a journalist to appear on her doorstep asking for her perspective of the dramatic demise of this top band. And later that day, her daughter goes missing, and the school claims her Aunt picked her up. But there's one problem; there is no Aunt.

If you're a music lover of the 80's like me, read the note from the author as well.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Sandie Jones for the eARC.
Pub Date Mar 25 2025

I had a high hopes when I started this book, it sounded very intriguing like a Daisy Jones type book but with a big mystery thrown in. Sadly, the twists and turns in the plot soon made me realize that the only thing that this had in common with Daisy Jones was that it involved a band that had a lot of in fighting and issues. I found the switching back and forth between 2010 and 1986 to be a bit much, and I found all of the characters to be very unlikable.

I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones is about a woman named Nicole whose past is about to catch up with her whether she likes it or not. Back in England when Nicole was a young adult and her mom was dying. Her and her sister were figuring out life when the band The Secret October enters both of their lives. This will put both the band and this family on a crash course collision where someone will end up dead and multiple lives ruined.

This book is a 3.5 ⭐️ read that I rounded up to a 4 ⭐️.

This book has an interesting premise that was different than other thrillers that I have read before. It had a music/band, “behind the music” kind of atmosphere that was an enjoyable change from other books that I have read. It flashed back to the 90s with a rock band to then present day.

At first the switching perspectives through me off a little bit. It took me a second to figure out if it was Cassie or Nicole’s perspective. I found that I kept mixing them up in the beginning. When reading, I like when the chapters are clearly labeled with perspectives to take the guessing out of it.

The ending had a super abrupt ending which I wish was explained just slightly more. It left for a twist of an ending but I just wish it had a little more explanation. Even if it was just a sentence or two. I feel like so, so much happened in the last few sections. You found out what characters were dead and which were still alive, etc. It felt a little like you wanted more information after such big reveals.

Overall though, it was a fairly quick read that I enjoyed. I like the rockstar premise with 90s nostalgia that my millennial heart enjoyed!

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I WOULD DIE FOR YOU by Author Sandie Jones is a psychological thriller highlighting what can happen when deadly secrets buried in the past come knocking on your door. It's a story of a woman who's agonized for years with guilt and regrets over an impulsively, life-altering decision that changed the course of lives. It's a story of a woman with ugly secrets and ghosts, constantly looking over her shoulder . . . a woman whose time is up.

In the present, Nicole Forbes enjoys an ordinary life with her husband, Brad, and young daughter, Hannah, until the morning a writer, Zoe, knocks on her door asking questions about her connection to a 1980's British rock band and the tragic, mysterious death of lead singer, Ben Edwards. Unnerved, Nicole refuses to comment but her feeling of impending doom deepens when Hannah doesn't arrive home from school at her normal time. Contacting the school, Nicole's informed Hannah was picked up by her aunt as prearranged . . . except there is no aunt. A search ensues with questions from the police Nicole can't or won't answer, claiming to have no clue as to who would take Hannah. Secretly, her gut tells her it's connected to the mysterious writer who showed up on her doorstep. Who was she? Why show up all these years later? Nicole’s world is imploding . . . is it payback time?

In the past, Nicole makes ends meet working at a bar and singing at open mic nights while caring for her terminally ill mother and trying to keep her rebellious sixteen-year-old sister, Cassie, on a straight path. The young teen is infatuated with a 1980's British band known as Secret Oktober and as she follows them from venue to venue, she becomes obsessed, convincing herself there's a relationship blossoming between her and lead singer Ben Edwards. A friend has an inside source feeding her information about parties and events where the group will be, and the two girls manage to slip in. Typical to the time and bands, loud music, alcohol, drugs and sex are openly indulged. Cassie is out of her league, but she'll do anything to grab Ben's attention. She doesn't yet know Ben has met Nicole and is falling fast for her. When Cassie discovers their secret affair, jealousy and an overwhelming sense of betrayal quickly morphs into uncontrollable rage and a burning need for revenge. When the dust settles, who will be left standing?

I WOULD DIE FOR YOU unfolds in past/present chapters through multiple points of view. The story highlights the complicated relationship of sisters and how they affect family dynamics. Readers also gain insight into the complex lives of boy bands in the 80's, including the jealousy and vindictive backstabbing that tore bands apart along with the measure’s young, besotted groupies would take to connect with their idols. At times, I found these characters hard to like, hard to find empathy for, leaving me with a need for more from them than I received. However, the mystery of what really happened in the past as well as who was behind the escalating events unfolding in the present kept me flipping pages in search of answers. I know some readers will find the ending a bit too open-ended, but I've come to anticipate and appreciate Jones' signature endings where she challenges readers to step onto the scene and "read between the lines" to form their own conclusions.

Jones flawlessly weaves the mystery of a tragic event that shocked the music world in the past with the present-day nightmare of a woman on the brink of having her world destroyed a second time in this riveting mystery. I WOULD DIE FOR YOU is a character-driven thriller with all the right elements for a highly entertaining read. A missing child, a woman whose past comes calling, rock idols, groupies, estranged sisters, obsession, lies, secrets - all entwined in an intriguing mystery that's hard to put down. Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers and fans of 80's bands.

I received an ARC copy of I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones from Netgalley!

In the beginning, I was really intrigued by the story and was really into the characters and the plot. However, it kind of fell flat for me towards the middle and began to be a little repetitive. The ending had a few twists, but it overall ended too abrupt after reading the whole story.

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

I enjoyed I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones, and you do have to suspend a bit of belief with this one but if you can do so then it will be fine. The audio was enjoyable and easy to follow the two timelines without having the ebook handy. Once this got going I was vested in the story and it is a fairly quick read that I finished in a few hours.

A gripping, fast-paced thriller about the dark obsession fans can have on celebrities. Nicole felt she had left her past behind until a writer, Zoe, showed up at her house asking questions about the death of a band member in the 80's. She now lives with her husband Brad and daughter Hannah in a quiet seaside California town. After this, her daughter is missing from school. Supposedly, an aunt picked her up...she doesn't have an aunt.
In the 80's, Nicole worked at a bar and sang when she could. Her younger sister Cassie is obsessed with a band member Ben Edwards with the Secret Oktober in London. Cassie is only 16 years old and becomes involved with scandalous backstage parties. Her toxic friend, Amelia, joins the dark side and begins a relationship with a band member Michael, while Cassie's obsession for Ben grows.
The problem is Ben has eyes for Nicole. This upends and complicates things for the two. A murder occurs, as the past is revealed and pieces are in place... things are more disturbing than thought.
Great job by this author. Not one of my favorites, but still a mystery to solve as lives are upended.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

My favorite part of I Would Die for You is the dual timelines between 2010 and 1986. The 1986 portion focuses on Cassie’s obsession with a popular band from London and brought back my memories of my obsession in that same time frame with Duran Duran. As it turns out, the author used a lot of her own memories of her obsession with Duran Duran as a base for the book. So I enjoyed that connection. The 2010 timeline is more Nicole’s story (Cassie’s sister) and how the events of 1986 continue to shape her life.

This was a quick read but at times I found it to be confusing however eventually all was revealed. I think readers of a certain age will enjoy this book and maybe dig up some memories of their own related to that time.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

This was a decent thriller. With that being said, I don't think it will make my list of best thrillers of 2025, though I still enjoyed it. I also have to say that I thought the first half of the book was better than the second half of the book. I enjoyed the audiobook narrator, Imogen Wilde as well and I thought her voice was pleasant. I can't quite put my finger on what I did not enjoy about the book, but I guess I might have to say some parts of the story were kind of too slow-moving for me. With that being said, I would still be open to reading more books by Sandie Jones in the future.

3.5 stars