I have loved Sandie Jones’ previous books and was so excited to be approved for this one on Netgalley. I was fairly disappointed and at times had to push myself through this one….it felt more like a drama than it felt like a mystery or thriller and only the last 10 percent or so of the book kept my interest readily. I think it didn’t help that I didn’t like any of the cast of characters and their drama felt pretty predictable.

Rachel and her husband Jack are attending a destination wedding of Jack’s brother Will and fiancé Ali. Along in their beach villa is long time friends of theirs Paige and Noah. There’s a lot of past relationships and drama and spill out and it quickly becomes clear that secrets are being kept between the group. Rachel is particularly focused on figuring out what is going on as she is suspicious her husband is cheating on her.

The Guilt Trip was a breathless whirlwind of a read that I literally could not put down. Deliciously twisty coupled with a destination wedding in a stunning setting, what could go wrong? Everything, it turns out, in the very best way.
3 couples consisting of brothers and best friends come together for Will and Ali’s wedding in Portugal. Best man and brother of the groom Jack appears the most apprehensive about the weekend away, especially about bride Ali. Most everyone seems to be hiding something, leading to secrets being divulged and fast-paced drama.
This was a one-sitting, hate-to-reach-the-end kind of book.

I received an ARC of #TheGuiltTrip by #SandieJones courtesy of #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I will also be sharing my review on Instagram @aksbookbites on pub day

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I don't really know how I feel about this book. It doesn't really classify as a thriller or even a domestic thriller for me. Maybe a drama? I did read it quite fast, but it didn't do anything for me. I'm sad to say this really isn't anything special. Did I enjoy reading it? I guess, but it is just a forgettable book.

This book follows Jack and Rachel, Paige and Noah, and Ali and Will. Ali and Will are getting married and have invited Will's brother Jack and his wife Rachel and Rachel's best friend Noah and his wife Paige. Ali is a very outgoing, kind of crazy, and a big drunk of a person from the get go. No one can understand what Will sees in her and Jack is not happy that his brother is marrying this woman. Once they all arrive things start to get messy. It seems that many people in this group might be having an affair, and everything is not as it seems.

I truly didn't like any of the characters except for Noah. Rachel was always whining about what was happening, but would never do anything about it. Jack is a spineless piece of trash. Paige is like horrible. Ali is literally too much to deal with for 90% of the book. Maybe they were meant to be unlikable characters, but it seemed so far fetched to me how they're all friends in the first place.

I really wanted to like this, but for the first half it was just petty drama and then the big twist and reveal was over the top. I feel like for what the twist was which I guessed from the beginning, it didn't have to be so showy and unrealistic. I just felt like this could have been a great book, but it felt like PG rated and slow paced. I love a good drama, but only if it's actually good and makes sense. Not to mention I needed a much better wrap up in the end!

I do see this getting high praises, so remember this is 100% my opinion and I hope others love this book. It just wasn't for me.

The tag line for this reads, “They went away as friends. They came back as suspects.”
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A destination wedding meant for celebration and friendship turns into a dark weekend of secrets, murder and suspicions.
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A summer suspense thriller that would be perfect to take on vacation, but maybe not a destination wedding!
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Thank you #NetGalley and #Minotaur and #MacmillanAudio

This was my first book from Sandie Jones. I don't know that I would call it a thriller--maybe it is more of a drama. It was very dialogue heavy and "soap opera-esque" with all of the concern about who slept with whom.

Three couples travel together for a wedding and things start to spiral out of control. Accusations of infidelity, coupled with untold lies, leads to a whole lot of chaos.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, though it could have been whittled down some. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur books for an e-arc for an honest review.

The Guilt Trip is packed to the brim with drama reminiscent of a daytime soap, with three couples and their messy, interwoven infidelity.

Let me start off by saying I was over the moon when I was approved for this ARC because I absolutley LOVED Jones' debut novel, The Other Woman... but I found her latest novel was just too slow for my taste. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting a heart pounding, creepy thriller.. But I was expecting more than what was brought to the table.

I found the majority of the novel to be redundant and repetitive with the main storyline becoming just one big, terrible game of he said/she said.

Our MC, Rachel, naivety throughout the book was extremely frustrating, and quite frankly, infuriating. It wasn't just Rachel though, I had a very difficult time connecting to any of the characters in the book.

I was taken aback (in a good way) during the last 50 pages or so. The speed of the novel (no pun intended for those who have read this) picked up substantially, and I found myself enjoying the way Jones wrapped up the story.

Just because this book wasn't for me, doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a go! Pub day is Aug. 3

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for a digital reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review.

Six friends. Three couples. One fatal misunderstanding . . .

Couples Jack & Rachel and Noah & Paige travel to Portugal for the wedding of Jack’s brother Will to Ali. None of the foursome are happy about the wedding or trip for their own reasons.

Talk about soap opera drama! The set-up of the book drew me in:
Gorgeous setting- check
Tons of drama- check
Unlikable characters all hiding secrets- check

Though the book has a lot of my favourite elements, it ultimately didn't click for me.

The first thirds of the book are slower paced and focused mostly on backstory, relationship drama, alleged infidelities and some serious mean girl attitudes. The ending is fast- paced and throws a lot at you which given the earlier pace of the book makes it feel rushed .

One of my biggest challenges with the book is its use of one of my least favourite tropes about a woman's secret past (leaving out specifics because of spoilers). It's used as a defining plot moment and something that I think could have been left out without taking away from the character's arc.

That being said, it did engage me enough to keep turning the pages to find out what happened at the end and the story resolution was a stronger part of the book for me.

I'm a big fan of Sandie Jones in general (The Other Woman is a fave!) and look forward to reading her future books. If you like slow burn domestic dramas focused on relationships and unlikeable characters, this one might work for you.

Thank you to my friends Minotaur for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow did this one have drama. I found myself asking if the characters even liked each other at all in the novel because there was so much backstabbing and secrets. While the ending was a bit predictable for seasoned thriller readers I was engaged the entire novel and did find it very entertaining. Solid thriller.

Very sorry to say this was a let down. I greatly enjoyed other novels by this author, but The Guilt Trip ended up being a bit of a snooze. The setting was intriguing, however nothing exciting ever happened, and there was little to no tension or suspense driving the plot. Ultimately, this one missed the mark for me.

✨ The Title/Cover Draw:
I had enjoyed some previous Sandie Jones books, so I was interested in some more. Thank you to @Netgalley and Minotaur for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication.

💜 What I liked:
The thing I loved about this book is the description for the setting. It sounded like a beautiful beach and hotel.

😱 What I didn’t like:
As you know, I don’t like to be totally negative about a book. But this one confused me for a lot of reasons. First, it’s being marketed as a thriller but there is no element of danger except at the end. There is a mystery but it’s basically “is the bride sleeping with her soon to be sister-in-law’s husband”. The thriller part might be at the end, but it’s too much blink and you miss it. It’s clumsily revealed with the addition of an epilogue that was more confusing than wrapped up. The shallowness of the main character also annoyed me, as she lent herself more to gossip than just getting to know someone. Overall this book was a miss for me.


🚦 My face at the end: 🤦‍♀️

💭 2 Reasons to Read:
1. Exciting Setting
2. Mysterious personalities



🕧 Mini-Summary:
Rachel, Jack, Noah, and Paige are traveling to Portugal to attend the wedding of Jack’s brother Will and Ali. There are many secrets and lies.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

This story was definitely a case of: how well do you ever really know someone, and things are not always as they seem. Six friends head to Portugal to celebrate the wedding of Ali and Will, and while there, drama, secrets, twists and lies all unfold to make this a trip no one will soon forget.

The story kept me engaged, and I was really anxious to find out exactly what was going on between all parties involved. Was Ali really this over the top, drama queen that Rachel and Paige took her to be? What was going on with jack and why was he so ambivilant towards Ali? Was Will really as clueless about Ali as he seemed to be? And lastly, was Noah still in love with Rachel after 20 years?

Sandie Jones certainly takes her readers on a twisted trip of miscommunication, ulterior motives, and secrets long buried, that if they got out, lives would be ruined.

As much as I was engaged in the story itself, I found myself not really liking any of these characters at all. Rachel came across as weak with her head buried in the sand. Paige was just a total witch with a "b". Jack was just surly the whole time, Noah just wants answers, and poor Will just wants to marry the love of his life. Ali was truly a conundrum for me, as Ms. Jones paints her character as someone most women would automatically despise, but once Rachel truly got to know her, that all changed.

The first part of the story just kind of went along for me, most of it about Rachel wondering this or that, fretting a lot, needing to know things but not wanting to. It became a bit frustrating to constantly read about her stress and not really wanting to know anything, but at the same time obsessed with finding out what is really going on. The second half of the book, when they actually get to the wedding, that picked up pace and I was more engaged in what was going on.

I would have to say, having read the previous books written by Sandie Jones, this book didn't really feel quite up to par as her others, and that was a bit of a disapointment. I enjoyed the story, but I can't say it held my attention as well as The First Mistake, perhaps because I didn't form a connection to any of the characters so the story didn't affect me emotionally.

It was still an intriguing read and I commend Sandie Jones on her ability to throw me off the trail of what I thought was going on, but turned out to be all wrong about.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This was an excellent read. I've loved Sandie Jones' other work, so I was excited, but somewhat hesitant. Once I love an author its at times hard to keep the writing fresh and engaging. This book was not the case. This book was very readable. It had characters you liked and hated, beach scenes that made you feel like you were on vacation, while also having page turning drama and suspense. I blew through this book faster than any I've read in the last few months. Great read I'll be recommending to all that will listen.

When you think you know your enemy, your friend, your spouse, your past love....well think again. It's not your fault that the wedding trip for your brother in law started the way it did, nor your fault it ended with everything flip flopped. Who is lying or telling the truth? The author makes you believe you know who did what, then changes your mind. Great read.

This was such a binge worthy read for me! 3 couples, so many secrets. It was definitely a slow burn and had me constantly wondering when everything was going to fall apart. The ending was wild and I’m still not quite sure what actually happened, but I loved it 😅

Thank you for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review

This was my first book by both this author and this narrator and while I did enjoy the narration, the book itself was just kinda meh. Completely predictable and I kept waiting for a major twist but it never came. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because of the narrator. It reminds me of a soap opera, with everything thrown in and trying to see what will stick.
Rachel and Noah have been friends since uni, despite a one time hook up that they’ve vowed to never repeat or tell anyone about. They are both now married to other people and are headed to Rachel’s brother’s wedding to Ali, a girl who none of them seem to keep in high regard based on rumors and gossip. Rachel considers herself a model human, and looks down at Ali when she acts like a teenager even as they’re loading the plan to the destination of the wedding. Noah is married to Paige, who has become Rachel’s best friend, despite Rachel still having feelings for Noah.
The story is told through several POV, and you can’t quite make out which of them is the actual truth. Most of the characters are quite unlikeable and then you realize that they are all intertwined in more ways than they are each willing to admit to, and you think that things will really take off, but it just doesn’t happen.
Who’s lying and who's got what to gain by it? The first half of the book was quite well executed, but it started going off the rails after that.
Thanks to Minotaur books and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my review.

The story of The Guilt Trip takes place at a wedding in Portugal. We meet our three couples around which the story centers at the London airport, on their way to Portugal. Already there is tension. Rachel, who is our main window through which we view the group, is married happily to Jack. Rachel's old college friend Noah is married to Paige, and the four are one of those tight couples friends unit. The gorgeous and flaky Ali is going to marry Jack's brother, Will, and it is around her that all the drama swirls.

Once they arrive at the villa they're all sharing in Portugal, Rachel begins to suspect that there might be something going on between Ali and her husband Jack. Ali once worked for Jack, and now he seems very antagonistic towards her. Does he really dislike her or is this just a cover? It doesn't help that Rachel's best friend Paige encourages her doubts about Jack and Ali.

This is the jumping off point for all the drama. I did want to keep coming back to the story to see what happened, even though the characters irritated me. Rachel, our most likeable character, seemed very ready to jump to conclusions about her husband and Ali, and there is so much drama between these two couples one wonders how they were supposedly best friends for the last twenty years. One aspect of the story I enjoyed was how our opinions of the various characters gradually but dramatically changed, as we looked at them through Rachel's eyes. I thought this was well done and interesting, with a life lesson of don't judge a book by its cover! The story kept me involved until a rather shocking scene right at the end. This scene seemed to come from nowhere and seemed rather extreme and didn't fit the rest of the book's trajectory, for me anyway. Also, on the last page there is a confession that made the ending seem a bit ambiguous, at least to me, so I was left slightly confused.

While this book was entertaining enough to keep me reading, at the end I felt like it just didn't work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Sandie Jones, and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of the book was interesting and I found it difficult to put it down. It was interesting learning about the relationships between the characters and seeing who was being truthful about what. I found Racheal to be a bit of an unreliable narrator when it came to Ali. She acted like she barely knew her in her narrative but Ali was doing all of the things she was doing to help and protect Racheal because they were such good friends. The second half of the book seemed more clunky and less believable. The climactic scene was a bit of a let down after all the tension building in the beginning of the book. The climactic scene and the rest of the book were a little confusing as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 💫 3.5/5 stars

The Guilt Trip is a thriller about a group of friends who head off to a destination wedding that ends in murder. Rachel and Jack appear to have the perfect marriage. When they go to the wedding of Jack’s brother and Jack’s former employee, Ali, Rachel begins to question whether her marriage is as solid as she believed. Her close friend, Noah, and his wife, Paige, are also in attendance, and as more secrets are revealed, the question of who died and why gets more and more complicated.

This was an easy, quick read for a hot summer day. It isn’t my favorite by Jones and I did not find the characters to be very likable, but I was still interested in the mystery and the twists and turns of the story. I wanted a little more from the big climax of the story, but Jones did not hold back on the dramatics and juiciness, so kudos.

Overall, this was a quick thriller with some fun twists.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three couples and a destination wedding in Portugal- what could go wrong? Well, for one thing, the two married couples aren't actually that happily married, the two older women are jealous of the young bride (because she's young) and long held secrets will eventually tumble out. This isn't a suspense novel- or even domestic suspense- but more of a domestic drama. I had a bit of trouble keeping everyone straight at first but once I settled in, well all was fine. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Not a lot of surprises - it will make a good beach read.

I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t want to stop reading once I got started. There were a few twists I didn’t see coming. I would definitely recommend this book!