The Blame Game

[Vicki Willis]

Join us beginning JULY 20 for The Blame Game by Sandie Jones.

Everyone is welcome! Read at your own pace and use spoiler tags as needed.

Games can be dangerous. But blame can be deadly.

As a psychologist specializing in domestic abuse, Naomi has found it hard to avoid becoming overly invested in her clients’ lives. But after helping Jacob make the decision to leave his wife, Naomi worries that she’s taken things too far. Then Jacob goes missing, and her files on him vanish. . . .

But as the police start asking questions about Jacob, Naomi’s own dark past emerges. And as the truth comes to light, it seems that it’s not just her clients who are in danger.

[Vicki Willis]

Have you read this author before?
I have read three of hers and rated 2 of them 4 stars and one of them 3 stars.
Her books are always juicy for me.

For this one, I was a little hesitant though because it seems like there is a disproportionate amount of books right now that deal with a psychologist lady. So I am hoping there is something fresh about this one.

[Tasha]

That's a good point, I've noticed that as well.

[Elyse]

I've read all of her books! I rated one 5, one 4, and two 3's.

I completely agree, a recent theme in thrillers seems to be a female psychologist!

[Elyse]

I will be ready on the 20th!

[Vicki Willis]

Me too!

[Thereadingbell]

I asked for this one still waiting on approval

[Elyse]

Thereadingbell wrote: "I asked for this one still waiting on approval"

Good luck!

[Elyse]

I'll probably start reading this tonight but slowly and then I'll focus on it during Dewey's!

[Thereadingbell]

I still waiting for approval I am bummed that it is taking them this long to decide.

[Vicki Willis]

Elyse wrote: "I'll probably start reading this tonight but slowly and then I'll focus on it during Dewey's!"


Who is running Deweys now? I quit the group a while ago bc some people were so rude to the girl running it. She tried to do some themes and people literally threw accusations at her abt being insensitive. I think she resigned over it. So I left the group, but I miss the read a thons!

[Elyse]

Vicki Willis wrote: "Elyse wrote: "I'll probably start reading this tonight but slowly and then I'll focus on it during Dewey's!"


Who is running Deweys now? I quit the group a while ago bc some people were so rude to..."

It's a handful of newer people. Yeah, I was disappointed by the way people treated Kate and Gabby when they chose a HP readathon for the Reverse a couple of years ago. I 100% believe it was in ignorance and not any sort of malice. It was a very unfortunate thing. I don't love what some of the newer pre-readathon tasks are but I just don't participate in them! Kate had asked me if I wanted to mod the GR group prior to this debacle and I wish I had said yes and the whole mess could've been avoided. :/ Some people just aren't as up-to-date on controversial authors or turn a blind eye...you can't always separate the art from the artist.

[Vicki Willis]

Maybe I will rejoin and do the reverse this weekend.

[Vicki Willis]

So I am doing a Read a Thon this weekend and I have read 25% of the book.
I find the setting very interesting (view spoiler)[ They live on the estate of a rich old guy who is pretty much a recluse, but the husband is working on getting ready for a big concert. I wondered why or how this will advance the story. Will something happen at this big concert?
The MC is ANNOYing to me. I can't stand that she can't just be a professional woman. She has to be stupid and willing to risk her career and her husband to "help" a client. I typically don't like these. I am hoping there is some kind of twist. I am nervous for when Leon will find out she let the client live in their cottage. That won't go over well. He had already said, No, don't do it.
We just found out that the father is released from prison for killing the mother. I am not as worried about him as about her sister who seems to have a grudge for how the foster system and adoption separated her from her sister. If only she knew how her sister tried to find her. She seems like a wild card character in all this. (hide spoiler)]

How is this going for you?

[Elyse]

I'm 52% through.
RE your spoilers: (view spoiler)[It does seem to be focusing on the concert a lot so something must happen during the big event.
Yes, I find Naomi to be annoying as well. She's a bleeding heart and clearly doesn't know there's supposed to be a big bold line between her and her clients! (hide spoiler)]
52% spoiler: (view spoiler)[I think "Anna" is "Vanessa." I really hope Jones does not make Jacob/Michael out to be a liar because doing that in a book will just make it that much harder for men who really do get abused by their female partners to seek help. I really hope "Vanessa" is the villain OR it's all a ruse by her sister. Things are starting to unravel. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki Willis]

Response to your 52% Spoilers
(view spoiler)[ I was trying to figure out if Anna is Vanessa or if Vanessa is the sister. Something is not right here for sure.
I will be MAD if it turns on he is the liar. Surely, she can be more creative than that.
Or her husband. Could something be off there as well? Why wouldn't she just come clean with him and reveal the whole truth.
I also wonder what happened at her old job. There was some indication of unprofessionalism. So she has a history of this. But what kind exactly?
(hide spoiler)]

[Vicki Willis]

I finished.
I am very curious what you think about this one.
(view spoiler)[
It was a very quick read and though it was short, I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to keep reading.

The MC made me mad a lot of the time. The lying to her husband. The unprofessionalism. The trying to outsmart the police. Just dumb moves.

It was a good move that Anna was Vanessa and not that the husband was lying. I was relieved about that.
I don't know how both of them had fabricated identities and Naomi didn't pick up on anything amiss.

I thought the whole sister/father part was left undone. So she shows up and she isn't the bad person, but ok... and then what? Just a smile and a wave and that is all we get? I felt that was unresolved.
And the revelation about the father too. That the mom actually did stab the father and the girl took the blame so he would go to jail. And then he does and he gets out.... then nothing left there.

I am not a fan of when an author has to use an epilogue to explain the whole book. Interesting that it was written from a different character perspective. That threw me off for a minute.

Overall I did like the book though. Deciding on the stars now...
(hide spoiler)]

[Thereadingbell]

I just got approved for this one literally just now. Oh well better late then never.

[Vicki Willis]

That is great! You will be able to read it quickly. It isn't that long at all.

[Elyse]

Whew sorry it's been quite the week! I did read the book all in one day for Dewey's. It sure flew by! And yet, a week later, I'm finding it hard to remember -anything- about it. lol. Like honestly, without scrolling up, I can't remember a thing about any of it. Character names, plot, nothing. Lol. Let me go refresh...

Ok it's all coming back now. I haven't rated the book yet and I'm still not sure. It certainly was nowhere near the level of her first couple of books.

Ending spoilers: (view spoiler)[RE: "I also wonder what happened at her old job. There was some indication of unprofessionalism. So she has a history of this. But what kind exactly?"
If I remember correctly, I believe she helped an abused client flee her home in the middle of the night. That is far outside the jurisdiction of a therapist.

Definitely why even bring up this convoluted situation with her father and sister when nothing comes to fruition? We'll never know if she gives her father another chance. We'll never know if she owns up to her lies in court. I want that info, not the info we got. lol.

I'm also not a fan of explanation epilogues! If you can't explain it throughout the book, you're doing it wrong.

In reading other people's reviews, they had a hard time with Anna/Vanessa being knocked down and Naomi thinking she was dead to Jacob/Michael actually being the one dead. I didn't really have a problem with that. People look dead when they're knocked out and can be unconscious for any length of time so it's not unreasonable that Jacob/Michael and Naomi both thought Anna/Vanessa was dead when she wasn't. But also, the villain won? And we get no resolution to that? Ugh. (hide spoiler)]

My review

[Elyse]

Thereadingbell wrote: "I just got approved for this one literally just now. Oh well better late then never."

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

[Vicki Willis]

Elyse wrote: "Whew sorry it's been quite the week! I did read the book all in one day for Dewey's. It sure flew by! And yet, a week later, I'm finding it hard to remember -anything- about it. lol. Like honestly,..."

Super funny because as I am reading your comments, I can't really remember it either... I had to refresh as well.
Ah Well!
On to the next!

[Thereadingbell]

Vicki Willis wrote: "So I am doing a Read a Thon this weekend and I have read 25% of the book.

(view spoiler)[The main character is pissing me off. She is breaking every rule dealing with clients in your care. I am sitting here screaming at her trying to be a rescuer. She crossed the line and should not be any type of therapist. I am like omg stop already. (hide spoiler)]

[Elyse]

Thereadingbell wrote: "Vicki Willis wrote: "So I am doing a Read a Thon this weekend and I have read 25% of the book.

[spoilers removed]"

Agreed! That's how we all felt! lol

[Thereadingbell]

52%
(view spoiler)[ I also think that Vanessa is Anna something in my gut is telling me this. I think they are playing her to either get revenge from her father or sister. Like this book is irritating me to no end. She is not only unethical she is a liar. So this makes her not trust worthy at all. I am pissed because this makes therapist look bad and like they have a code of conduct. She should lose her license she is dangerous period. (hide spoiler)]

[Thereadingbell]

100%
(view spoiler)[ Well I agree with Vicki it was a quick read and yes the pages turned. I found myself so angry at this book so I don't know I think I finished it cause it made me so angry. I honestly at one point with the craziness in the book put it down and contemplated DNF'ing it. Why I continued is because at this point the book was just about done. Anyways I am struggling with this book it pisses me off that the story played out in the way her life did when she was a little girl. Her perception was off. Anyways it was stupid to bring her father and sister in the book to leave them literally hanging out there. Like there relevance was minor do to what happened when they where younger. I hate that the author did this like it would of made sense and better book if Ann was her sister getting revenge but no some random women who used her to absolve her guilt. I also agree that using the Epilogue to tell the story to piece it together is so wrong. It is better to tie up some lose ends not finish the book. Like the Epilogue could of showed the two sisters getting together and becoming close again and putting the past behind them. So I need to sit on this book for a rating. I am sitting on a 2 right now. (hide spoiler)]