I Would Die For You by Sandie Jones Book Review

About the Book:

California, 2011: Nicole Forbes lives a quiet life in the small seaside town of Coronado with her husband and daughter. She is not expecting a writer to knock on her door asking for her personal insight into the downfall of the biggest British band of the 1980s—unveiling the threads of a life she left behind years ago. The same day, her daughter goes missing and the school claims her aunt picked her up . . . but she doesn’t have an aunt. Convinced of a link between the two, Nicole is forced to revisit long-abandoned memories from her past to protect everything she now holds dear.

London, 1986: Sixteen-year-old Cassie is obsessed with Secret Oktober, the hottest band of the moment. Harboring an intense crush on the leading man, Ben Edwards, she will do anything she can to capture his attention among the throngs of groupies at the band’s scandalous backstage parties. But when Ben discovers her older sister Nicole singing at a local bar one night, he can’t help but feel drawn to her, setting in motion a collision course that could tear their family apart.

Infused with the sounds of the 80s, this thrilling novel from the inimitable Sandie Jones explores the chaos that the frenzy of fandom can provoke.

My Review:

This may be a novel for those who liked the music of the 1980s and the groupies of that time. It was not a book I felt was a compelling read. It felt more like a family drama than an engaging mystery or thriller. It took a long time for me to connect the dual time periods. The characters were done rather well but I did not feel any were really likable. I was never captivated by music as a teen so had a hard time understanding the earlier actions. The mystery aspect is good, keeping me wondering until the very end. But the end left things hanging.

This is the first novel I have read by this author. Her writing style is good but this topic just did not work for me.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

About the Author:

SANDIE JONES (she/her) has worked as a freelance journalist for more than twenty years and has written for publications including the Sunday Times, Woman’s Weekly, and Hello magazine. She lives in London with her husband and three children. The Other Woman was her debut novel and a Reese’s Book Club pick.

Minotaur Books, 316 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. Mine is an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)