Another terrific book by this author. She knows how to play with readers' cultural expectations -- the interfering mother-in-law, the bridezilla--and use those to lead the reader in the wrong direction. While I figured out her intentions and spotted the real villain, that didn't keep me from completely enjoying the book.

Overall this book was an enjoyable, eas ready that had so much tension you could feel it, but the action didn't really kick off until the second half.

This book got off to a semi-slow start and ended with a BANG. It’s a domestic thriller that puts you in the head of Rachel who has her world flipped upside down. While she tries to keep her cool while her mind races with worst case scenarios, it’s a huge tension building book that had me flipping through the pages dying for answers. It does get a bit repetitive in the middle - Rachel is stuck in the cycle of disbelief to utter rage to fear that her own secrets will surface.

And secrets do seem to be bursting at the seams of this celebratory weekend. But she has no idea what is really going on and as the readers we know something is not quite right, but can you put a finger on it? I have to say I did guess pretty early on, but enjoyed the suspenseful way the story was rolled out.  The biggest downside for me was the slow pace and the repetitive middle, while the ending was almost too fast and chaotic and I had to read some parts multiple times to really sink in. But then it has you questioning everything you'd read previously, so a really good twisty feeling.
And can I just say that I can now fully appreciate how this moody cover matches the story inside.

If you’re in a thriller mood like me this summer and love unreliable characters and suspense in a beautiful but dangerous setting, this could be the one for you!

I really loved this book! I found the characters relatable and the storyline well written. I loved that I wasn’t able to guess anything in this book and the suspense just kept coming. Sandie Jones always writes a good story and this was no different.

I absolutely loved The Guilt Trip. I could not put it down! I am a fan of Sandie Jones's writing style and this was well done. I highly recommend it!

Let's just start with WOW! This was yet another page-turner from the fabulous Sandie Jones. 6 characters head to Portugal for a destination wedding. While Ali is set up to that annoying younger sister-type character, I LOVED her. I felt like almost every page had lies, betrayal, and kept me guessing what was going to happen. Overall, Jones rocked it with her newest psychological thriller. Thank you to everyone for this advanced copy! (NetGalley, the author, and the publisher!)

This is another example of "I was afraid to read it because of the hype." And while I wasn't totally pleased, I wasn't completely let down, either. I am all for unlikeable characters (if done well), but I feel like they weren't fleshed out enough here.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for granting me an ARC of The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones in exchange for my honest review.

This is my second Jones book (The First Mistake) and I enjoyed it. It was a domestic suspense novel about a group of 3 couples who are connected in several ways. They travel for a wedding of one of the couples and things start to unravel. We are taken though the journey of figuring out what happened and the truth explodes. It was pretty predictable but not in a bad way at all. I would compare Jones to authors such as BA Paris and Mary Kubica.

Very interesting story with a number of twists and turns so that it takes almost the whole book to figure out who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who is looking for a good mystery story that will definitely hold your atention.

While the plot isn't entirely unique (an overly extravagant wedding gone wrong) it is the type of story that still always piques my interest.
All of the characters have things to feel guilty over. All of their moral compasses are off and none of them are very nice to each other despite being "friends" who are SO entangled in each other's lives, At first I kept confusing who was who, and who was with who. Probably because they are all backstabbing each other, sleeping with each other, and lying to each other. At times their relationships felt a bit overcomplicated.
I enjoyed the red herrings that kept throwing me off the scent of what was going to happen. A lot of this book is emotional buildup and character focused (which is why I wish I liked the characters more). You slowly feel them all on the verge of an explosion. This leads to a very intense last 90% of the book.
While the twist was pretty good and fast paced, it wasn't entirely shocking. If you're into that friend drama/whodunnit mystery combo then this will be a quick read for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my review copy for my honest opinion.

I found this book completely lacking. The story line was bland for me. The characters were annoying and self absorbed. A lot of the issues could have been avoided if they would just have communicated. It felt like a high school drama.

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones has a bunch of surprising plot twists that make this a great read. The action jumps on the page and kept me interested. Highly recommend and thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

the first 20% of this book was ALL dialogue and drama - not interesting drama. this just didn't work for me as something marketed as a thriller.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

What happens when four friends take a trip that most would consider delightful, - and in this creepy and disturbingly-multi-layered case, find instead it exceeds their very worst fears.

Rachel Hunter, forty-two years old, is a compassionate and non-confrontational kind of woman - a good wife and a mother who has built her world around the life of her now college-bound son Josh. Used to putting her own needs on the back-burner, Rachel plays peace-keeper, particularly in case of the fireworks that tend to materialize between her high-powered lawyer friend Paige, and her ambitious and hard-edged husband Jack.

Rachel’s best friend, Noah, (married to Paige) is a laid-back and easy-going gentle-minded man - a perfect temperamental match for her, which is exactly the reason that Rachel and Noah have been inseparable since their University days.

Oil and water, chalk and cheese, - the camaraderie shared by the friends is suddenly and savagely disrupted when Jack’s long-traveling brother, Will, returns home and becomes engaged to Ali - a very young high-maintenance dramatic beauty who encroaches on the group and in no time at all seems to rub each and every one of the friends in exactly the wrong ways.

When the two couples are invited to spend four days together sharing a beautiful villa situated in a fishing village in Nazare, Portugal, - hosted by Will and Ali, and bound over to attend their gorgeous destination wedding- it’s perhaps not too surprising that not one of them has a good feeling about their upcoming adventure.

As we, the readers, come along for the ride, (provided by the POV of our perhaps-reliable main protagonist Rachel ), it’s clear that this group of long-time friends has a whole lot of secrets, that, now that they are staged with Will and Ali into this exotic and gorgeously closeted setting, are suddenly and malevolently being driven to the surface. And just like that - nothing and no-one is above suspicion, and we’re not really sure at all who, if anyone, we believe and feel close to.

The suspense in the story builds quickly and I found the plot and character development absorbing - up to a point. After a great start I found myself bogged down in the latter half with too many somewhat gratuitous twists, and a few dramatic character and plot shifts that were quite simply a strain on belief. I enjoyed this book although it did not quite live up to its promise for me, and I was not a huge fan of the overwrought multi-twist ending.

A great big thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

The plot twists and turns were there; however, the character development just did not quite happen for me. The characters felt very flat and extremely unlikeable. The book was very dialogue heavy and, at times, it felt like I was reading a recount of what happened instead of it actually feeling like it happened in real time. Fans of this author’s previous book, may like this book, the writing style just did not work for me.

Where do you begin to describe the perfect thriller. It never disappoints. Just as you unravel one twists another comes along to confound you. Friends lifelong and life weary have gathered to celebrate,a wedding. The group as all tight groups are conscious of the secrets the years have shielded until now. The momentum of this story keeps you tight in its grip, only to sigh a bit at your release as the truth comes to light and reflection is your only ally. Masterful.

The Guilt Trip is full of delicious and scandalous secrets that threaten to spoil the destination destination wedding in Portugal. So many plot twists and layers of spicy secrets between the couples you know something is about to be unraveled and soon!

The writing is good, with well thought out characters that have layers of insecurities and secrets. I enjoyed this book very much and was surprised several times, which always delights me! Definitely a worthy read!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and author Sandie Jones for this digital, free, temporary advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are mine and my reviews voluntar

This was very character driven. Once I got all the characters straight, I could follow the story.
Multiple relationship connections and one wedding. I almost gave up on this one, but stuck with it . It definitely picked up a little more than half way through. What a trip!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book! This book was slow at first and I debated about continuing. Around the 50% mark, this book started to make me interested in where it was going. I started to become invested in the characters and their individual stories. The dynamic between the three couples was interesting! It did take a while for me to keep the characters straight but after I understood who was who, I did enjoy the story! I also thought the ending was well done.

Friends go to Portugal for Ali and Wills destination wedding. As the wedding weekend unfolds secrets come to light and marriages threaten to to fall apart. Lots of twists and turns in usual Sandie Jones style

Okay so, there are three couples that travel to a villa in Portugal for a wedding.
At first, I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book. I wanted to love it so much after hearing a couple of friends rave about it.

For me, the build-up took a bit too long. I really don't even know how to explain this book. It wasn't as much of a thriller as I expected and there was a lot of weird drama, assumptions, and gossip. To be completely honest it just wasn't it for me. While it wasn't for me I can see why others have liked it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy!