This was so great! I couldn’t put it down. Bravo to the author for showing over telling.

Normally I do not enjoy groupie/rocker troupes but didn’t mind it here (though I think removing that so the story was more realistic would have been super).

Was very much interested in every character and had no clue what happened. I figured out nothing! A rare treat. Love this author.

Sandie Jones’s I Would Die for You is a well-written thriller that was a fun look into 80s music culture. The plot, which intertwines the past and present of Nicole Forbes, a woman whose quiet life is shattered by a mysterious writer and her missing daughter, kept me engaged for the most part. The story weaves between the chaotic world of 1986 London and present-day California, a time split set up that works for the story really well.

The narrative is well-paced, and the writing itself is sharp, as I expected of Jones. The 80s nostalgia that permeates the story is my favorite part of the book. The audio narration was also great. The narrator did a fantastic job. However, despite the strong writing and solid narration, I struggled to connect with the characters, particularly Nicole. Her relationship with her past and her family seemed a little underdeveloped, which made it hard to fully invest in her. Similarly, I found it challenging to sympathize with the other characters, especially Cassie, whose obsession with the band was a bit over the top for me.

In the end, I Would Die for You is a decent thriller that was an enjoyable listen.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. It was really good and I'll definitely be recommending it to friends.
The narrator was excellent!

I Would Die for You is a story about sisters Cassie and Nicole set in dual timelines, 1986 and 2011. I thought the 1986 timeline seemed a little YA for me, so I did enjoy the 2011 timeline a little more. The story overall, was fast paced and there were plenty of twists and turns that kept me engaged, but I didn't feel like I was really able to connect to anything in the story that made it an over the top read for me. I would still say it's worth the read.
The audio of the book was great! The narrator did an amazing job.

Thank you to Macmillan for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The present, the past, a British band, and siblings all take center stage in I Would Die for You. Sometimes taking a walk down memory lane isn't as enjoyable as one might think. In the beginning of the book, Nicole Forbes has been asked about a British Band she had ties to in her past. Adding to that shocker, she learns that her daughter has been picked up at school by her aunt - an aunt she doesn't have!

The synopsis sucked me in, and I thought I would love this book. It had all the right elements - a missing child, a blast from the past, secrets, obsession, lies, and sisters. While enjoyable, this one failed to completely wow me. I did enjoy the look at groupies, obsession, the two timelines, and how actions have long lasting consequences. This book has drama galore mixed with nice amounts of twists, turns and tension. My big issue is with the characters and my lack of connection from them.

I had both the book and the audiobook. I thought the audiobook was very well done.

This story was very slow for me. It started to pick up around the 40% point, where the two timelines really converge. Although a really good story, that's a bit too much work for me as a reader/listener. I listened on audio and the narrator has a British accent (some love this, some find that distracting, just FYI before you pick it up on audio). I was expecting a fast-paced thriller, and it was not. Pick this up if you want a slow burn novel. *I received a complimentary audio copy from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Bouncing back and forth between the past and present, we learn how the smallest wrong decision can affect you for the rest of your life …

We follow the stories of Cassie, Amelia, and Nicole throughout the rise and fall of the new “it” band: Secret Oktober.

Lies, fame, deceit, drugs, sex, delusions, obsessions … these are only a few things you can expect from this story, but there is so much more to it.

——————————

Unfortunately, in my opinion, this book was a bit of a disappointment. There was a lot of buildup, for what would be expected to be an exciting/jaw dropping grand reveal … but ended up being more of a flop.
The story kept me invested for the majority of the book, but the ending just fell a bit flat and didn’t give me any sort of satisfactory feelings. I also hate how the book ended. Then again, I’m still fuming over the last episode of “The Sopranos,” so it makes sense that I wouldn’t enjoy a cliffhanger like Jones leaves us on.

This is my fifth Sandie Jones and as soon as I saw her on Netgalley, I swooped to request the audio. I Would Die for You was ok. Set in dual timelines, the then was 1986 London while flipping forward with 2011 California. The premise involves siblings Cassie and Nicole, an 80s boy band, a mystery. A very slow burn involving, unfortunately, really one dimensional boring characters who could not keep my interest. Finished it, would not read again, and will probably not remember it next week.

This dual timeline novel travels back-and-forth between the 1980s and 2011 and centers around the disappearance and suspected murder of a member of a popular 80s rock band. I really enjoyed the references to the 80s and enjoyed the book overall, I just don’t know that I’d call it a thriller. This is more of a mystery but still an entertaining read

I think I need to stop trying to give this author a shot. Her debut was great, but then after that they just weren't good and this one was so boring. I did not get into it at all, the characters are horrible. Just not for me. I had to DNF.

Sometimes I just want to zone out and let an engaging mystery audiobook distract me from the world. Thankfully, the latest book from Sandie Jones accomplished just this, and I raced through this whole recording in about a day and a half.

I Would Die for You focuses on the role the protagonist, Nicole, may have played in the mysterious demise of an 80s British boy band and how she has tried to outrun her past by hiding out in California for over 20 years. Overall, this was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed how it explored how dangerous parasocial relationships can be between fans and the famous people they idolize. Jumping between the past and the present kept the plot moving and allowed for numerous small reveals along the way. The audio narration and audiobook production was excellent.

Unfortunately, this was probably my least favorite book by Jones, and I am honestly still unsure if I fully understood the ending. In the end, this still was a pleasant diversion and the highly quality of the narration let me overlook some of the cliche and/or strange writing.

Although I usually love books by Sandie Jones, this book fell a little flat for me. Told in two time lines, part of the book read like a YA book, with a lot of petty sister drama and following a band around England. This was the part that fell a little flat for me. The flash forward part (2011, I believe) was a lot more relatable (as I am an adult, currently) and I enjoyed this part of the book much more. Trying to connect the dots as to how the past related to the present often felt like some dots were missing for me. This made for some confusion and wondering how we got from point A to point C, and how I could have missed point B (Although I don't always think that I did miss it.)

Generally, it was an entertaining book which I enjoyed. I just have liked some of Sandie Jones's previous books much better.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This dual timeline follows Nicole in the 1980’s and 2011. She ran away from something tragic and has dedicated the following decades to building a new life. But her worlds collide after a stranger appears at her door and then her daughter goes missing. There’s no more running from her old life as the truth will find a way out no matter what.

This is a suspenseful read full of obsession, family dynamics, passion, and regret. While slow building at times, the stage is impeccably set to bring everything together at the end. The ending leaves the reader wondering what may happen next.

I enjoyed the narrator and thought she did a great job with so many different characters.

I was very excited for this book having loved The Other Woman. But it fell short for me. I wasn't a fan of the time line jumps it felt disjointed and confusing at times with unanswered questions.

I was so caught off guard by how this book took you for so many unknown twists and turns! The characters were done wonderfully and I could not wait to see how it ended. Great book!

I have previously loved a book by this author so I was really excited for this! I was denied the ebook so I tried for the audio and I’m a little bummed because I’m not into the narration. I decided to dnf based off that and also because of reviews that weren’t so good.

3.5⭐️ admittedly I wanted to enjoy this book way more than I did. I even sat on the review as I wanted to see how I felt a few days later and my opinion remained the same.. the book was mediocre at best.

Why? Well it was really disjointed. I actually like books that are from multiple or non linear but this one just didn’t work. It made it confusing , especially in audiobook format. It was hard to connect to and therefore care about the characters.

This is a case where if you read it I’m going to suggest you NOT do the audiobook. But not because the narrator Imogen Wilde did anything wrong. She did a good job with the recitation. It’s a shame as it’s because you need the physical book so you can have an easy reference to go back in order to follow everything. Also the “twists” were predictable and tired. Lastly, the ending? It’s one thing to bring a shock or a cliffhanger etc.. but this one was just maddening.

As always, I am so thankful to have gotten the ALC for free from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I hate to admit this, but after finishing this novel, I'm left feeling SO underwhelmed. I think it might be time for to evaluate my "relationship" with Sandie Jones's books. Honestly, this is probably more of a me problem. My favorite thing about this book was Imogen Wilde's narration. She did an excellent job bringing these characters to life, as usual. Other than that, the story felt very disjointed, the character development wasn't my favorite and I rolled my eyes more times than I could count. A huge thank you to the author, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy the audiobook. The narrator was very good. I enjoyed how Imogen Wilde read the book and her pacing was good.

The story itself was enjoyable. The story was told in two timelines and went back and forth. I would definitely listed to this again and would recommend it to others.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It was a little slow to start but picked up in the middle. If you're a fan of Sandi Jones, you'll likely enjoy this thriller.

Many thanks for my gifted copy!