Thanks for the review copy. This is the second book I have attempted to read by Jones. I know others love her books but I just struggle to read them.

Let's dive in - headfirst - into Sandie Jones' latest rollercoaster of a novel, "The Guilt Trip." A novel that intertwines friendship, secrets, and betrayal with an intensity that makes it difficult to put down.

Picture this: Three couples, all friends for years, jet off to a breathtaking cliff-top villa in Portugal for a destination wedding. Ali, the soon-to-be-bride, is the latest addition to this close-knit group. As the wedding festivities kick off, a shocking revelation about Ali turns the joyous occasion into a simmering pot of suspense.

Jones proves she is great at suspense. The way she crafts her characters and their relationships is impressive. There's a depth to her characters that makes them feel real, and the dialogue is often punchy, with each line echoing with hidden meanings.

The plot twists in "The Guilt Trip" are truly the heart and soul of this book. Jones skillfully keeps readers on edge, injecting elements of doubt and suspense that make you question every revelation. It's a slow burn of tension that builds up to a satisfyingly dramatic crescendo.

That said, "The Guilt Trip" does have its share of potholes. There were moments when the narrative pace slowed down a bit too much, causing the tension to dissipate. A few readers have mentioned - and I agree - that some plot points felt a bit too convenient, and that the conclusion, while dramatic, left a few loose ends.

Jones' ability to evoke a vivid sense of place is superb. The gorgeous yet isolating cliff-top villa becomes a character in itself, adding a layer of atmospheric tension.

All in all, "The Guilt Trip" is a captivating read. It's a suspenseful exploration of friendships and secrets, where nothing is as it seems. While it has its rough edges, the novel is a testament to Jones' storytelling prowess.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for the review.</i>

Within the haunting pages of Sandie Jones' latest psychological thriller, "The Guilt Trip," lies a labyrinthine tapestry of deceptions and duplicities that will leave readers breathless, questioning the very nature of guilt and innocence.

Jones masterfully spins a web of intrigue, where the lines between truth and lies blur and secrets slither beneath the surface. The story unravels against a backdrop of palpable tension, drawing me into a mesmerizing dance with the characters, where trust becomes a luxury and betrayal lurks around every corner.

In "The Guilt Trip," Jones ventures deep into the complex psyche of her protagonists, offering glimpses of their pasts, dark and twisted, hinting at the profound guilt that plagues their souls. The characters are skillfully crafted, each with their own motives and hidden agendas, weaving an intricate mosaic of suspicion and unease.

The narrative unfolds in a series of calculated moves and unexpected twists, leaving me teetering on the precipice of uncertainty. Jones’ meticulous attention to detail amplifies the sense of foreboding, as she peels back the layers of the story, revealing hidden motives and long-buried secrets that have the power to shatter lives.

Jones' prose possesses an alluring and seductive quality, capturing the essence of a psychological tug-of-war that ensnares both the characters and the readers. Each page is imbued with an atmosphere of palpable menace, as the weight of guilt hangs heavy in the air, tainting every interaction and driving the narrative forward with a relentless urgency.

"The Guilt Trip" is a labyrinth of surprises, its twists and turns leading readers down a path shrouded in shadows. Jones skillfully plays with perception, leading us astray one moment only to pull the rug from under our feet the next. The narrative is a delicate dance, where truth becomes an elusive partner, and suspicion takes center stage.

To fully unravel the secrets that lie within "The Guilt Trip" is a challenge best savored by the reader. This is a tale that demands your full attention, compelling you to question your own assumptions and reevaluate the nature of guilt and its lingering consequences.

Sandie Jones has woven a tapestry of intrigue and suspense in "The Guilt Trip," a mesmerizing tale that will haunt readers long after the final page is turned. Prepare yourself for a journey into the depths of darkness, where guilt becomes a menacing force, and nothing is as it seems.

Everyone expects drama and maybe some blood letting any time an extended family group gathers. But you'd expect the group to be on their best behavior when attending what is supposed to be a very romantic destination wedding. Well, not this group. Sandie Jones took a well used story line and added a whole lot of BAM to the telling. In this group of 6, each member is either related to another member, married to another member, or has a big secret they prefer not to share at this time. But not sharing would make for a boring book and boring, this one is not. The term soap opera comes to mind several times while reading, but if it's a soap opera, it's a very good one because the ending will make you say "oh, no". 5 easy stars.....

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for opportunity to read and review this arc honestly.

Less of a thriller and more of just a lot of drama. Was a little hard to follow at times but loved it anyway. Will definitely continue reading this author.

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy. Life got in the way of me reading this before the time expired :(
it seems really good, so will be checking it out from the library or purchasing it from my local bookstore
5 stars for the vibes it gives

Ok, so first off this took me way longer than I wanted to finish. I was so intrigued by the synopsis, and I was invested in the beginning. Once I got about 50 pages in, I was really considering just DNFing, but I pushed through till the end. I had such a difficult time keeping the characters and their stories straight. Once I reached the last 100 or so pages, it definitely picked up, and I enjoyed the ending. This was just an ok read for me.

*Thank you @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for the egalley in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon because less than 4 stars.*

A little difficult to follow the characters. That's okay. I loved the books I have read by this author but I am not particularly a fan of this one. I will say it is drama packed. Less of a thriller BUT so fun to read.

This was a quick read thriller, but the description led me to believe it was going to be a who done it type book. I guess it was but we didn't get to that point until the very end, which was the best part. The first 5/8 of the book felt like the repeated paranoia of a questioning wife. It was filler I didn't need. If the book was shorter, I think it would've gone better. I understand the character building was necessary, but the method just made me annoyed with each and every one of them.

I am writing this several days after finishing it. The ending I'll admit had be flying through the book, but I cannot get over how it dragged leading up to it. So it was a good read, but had it faults for me.

Thank you to @minotaurbooks for the #gifted copy of the book.

What a wild ride right up to the end! If you are a fan of soap operas or relationship dramas you will enjoy this book.

Rachel and Jack, Noah and Paige are heading to Portugal for a destination wedding. Jack’s brother, Will, is marrying Ali who seems to get on everyone’s nerves. Ali used to work for Jack. Noah and Rachel used to have a thing. It gets a little complex and let’s just say twisty at the end. Overall, it was good. Lots of drama, but a little hard to keep up.

Six people travel to Portugal for a destination wedding. We have Rachel and Noah who are friends that once upon a time thought that just maybe they could be more, but now it is 20 years later and they are both happily married to other people. These two people are Jack and Paige. Then, the groom is Will who is Jack's brother and Will's bride is Ali who is impulsive. When these 6 end up in Portugal, they stay at a gorgeous villa that sits on a cliffs edge that overlooks a beautiful beach called Nazaré. They are all looking forward to having some fun before the wedding. However, a fatal misunderstanding occurs, which triggers secrets to spill as well as threatens friendships and marriages to break.

I have been meaning to reading the Guilt Trip for many years now.

Back in late 2018, I read the other woman and really enjoyed it to the point I rated it 5 stars. Then in the summer of 2021, I read The First Mistake and I rated it 3 stars and in that review I admit to my mind wandering off because the story was not engaging and that the ending was very predictable.

Now, let's talk about the Guilt Trip and why I rated it 2.5 stars.

I found the Guilt Trip to be very boring and hard to get into it. I kept thinking when will this audiobook end?

When it comes to the characters, they were one dimensional and shallow. Since I read this book as an audiobook, I found it hard to remember who was who and who was friends with who and who was married to who as well.

Honestly, I found this book to be forgettable and I think Sandie Jones is not for me.

Sandie Jones received some well-deserved buzz when Reese Witherspoon chose THE OTHER WOMAN for her Book Club. I enjoyed that book and all the other Jones novels I’ve read since. She doesn’t try to fool you into thinking you’ll get a thriller and then give you women’s fiction instead (looking at you, Sally Hepworth).
In this one, six friends head to Portugal for a destination wedding, where long-held secrets are revealed and a few of the married couples are in for a rocky road. If that summary sounds generic, that’s really my only quibble: the plot is not the most innovative. But the pacing is good and the end reveal includes a nice twist. I also love the clever title, an apt allusion to an actual vacation along with some guilty consciences.
Read this if you love “death at a wedding” domestic suspense like Lucy Foley’s THE GUEST LIST or “friends vacation together and someone dies” thrillers like Lisa Unger’s SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX.

So not my favorite but still a good read. I just did not enjoy any characters in this one. It was super frustrating. I finally figured out who was doing bad stuff but it was pretty late in the book, so that certainly bumped to a 3.5 star read.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book. The Guilt Trip is a mystery, thriller that is similar to The Other Woman. I haven't read that book, but it was in Reese's Book Club, so you know it's going to be good.

This story had an interesting storyline and good characters. There's Rachel and Jack. Paige and Noah. And Will. These are five friends that have known each other for a long time. They all go to Portugal for Will and his fiancée Ali's destination wedding. Everything seems to be happy and good with the couple, for a time. As time goes by though, Rachel discovers a secret about Ali. Secrets start coming out and friendships will start to unravel.

The author has a good writing style and writes intriguing characters. Some of the characters I didn't like and I saw the ending coming, but that is okay. I still enjoyed the story.

I could not get into this book, sorry. Trying to clean up my netgalley. Didn’t realize that I was forgetting to leave reviews on netgalley itself, My apologies.

This was not my favorite book by Sadie Jones. The imagery was fantastic, but I felt like it kept cycling through the same story line of "what ifs". This made it pretty predictable. I did love the aspect of redemption of long lost love.

Sandie Jones usually packs a punch, but I found like one to randomly be super confusing. There were a lot of characters I was trying to keep straight while also just feeling like I was missing something the entire time which threw me off even more. Plus, I love a crazy ending but this one just seemed a bit too far fetched for me, although it did definitely answer a lot of my questions.

This one was better than I thought it would be, though it did rely on some pretty common thriller cliches. Luckily, the setting and some of the twists towards the end kept me coming back for more. There was plenty of misdirection throughout and if you try not to think too hard about where it’s going, you can overall have a good time reading it.

A great read by this author. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m not really sure how I feel about this one. I was expecting a murder mystery set in a beautiful location (villa on the Portugal coast) over a wedding weekend in which everyone is a suspect. But that’s not really what I read…

Two couples (Rachel and Jack; Paige and Noah) travel together for their friend Will’s wedding to Ali in Portugal. But you find out right away that all is not as it seems between the couples. Rachel and Noah have a complicated history; Jack inexplicably hates his future sister-in-law Ali (whom he had introduced to his brother Will); and there’s a ton of suspicion, accusation, lies and misdirection throughout.

It just felt all so silly to me; so much back and forth with little to no actual action happening. Plus, Rachel the narrator was just soooo naive that I wanted to shout at her many times. Soooo many things could be avoided if everyone just stopped jumping to conclusions. It felt like one of those old 80s soap operas.

Finally, the ending was very confusing and felt a bit rushed. Like what actually happened? And at the end of the day, do I even care?