Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced ready copy of this book in exchange for a review. I have been reading and raving about this author since her debut novel back in 2018. I have loved every single thing that she has written and I have got to say this was the best one yet! The opening prologue sucks you in immediately and you can't stop until you know everything!! The combination of personalities between this group of "friends" is instantly intriguing and you just know there are so many secrets and lies hidden below the service. The pacing and little cookie crumbs of information is perfect as the story develops. I was so nervous the whole time waiting for the climax of the story. This was another 5 star read from Jones with amazing twists and an incredible ending.

This is the story of 3 couples. Five have a past connection to each other. They weren’t always the same “social media perfect” couples they were when they arrived to celebrate the wedding of Ali and Will.

At first it doesn’t seem strange that some guests arrived complaining about not wanting to being there. As the story unfolds, readers will learn quickly that past secrets begin to surface and threaten to change everything…in a bad way!

The question is… who is really to blame for things going south, lives being overturned, the “sh!$& hitting the fan”? Can someone in the original friend group prove to be as sinister as Sandie Jones wants you to believe? Or.. is Ali, the newcomer and Will’s fiancé, an awful person with ulterior motives?

In a very drama filled-Jersey Shore vibe… Sandie Jones creates a story that will leave readers shaking their heads at the utter craziness of these flawed characters

What could be more fun and romantic than attending a destination wedding in Portugal and staying in a beautiful seaside villa? For these six friends it ends up being the trip from you know where. This is a convoluted story full of secrets, lies, marital infidelity and betrayed friendships. From start to finish I had trouble keeping up with all the craziness and shenanigans of these three messed up couples. These people seriously support the case for premarital counseling.

This author has an intriguing plot that went south for me. I couldn’t connect with any of the six people, nor could I understand how any of them were ever friends. The only understandable relationship was that of brothers Jack and Will and even that one was on shaky ground. Even though this book wasn’t my cup of tea, I’m sure many readers will enjoy the soap operaesque (I think I made that up) feel of the story. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I was teetering on two and a half stars, but the explosive ending pushed it to three stars.

Sanford Jones is always a go to for me so I knew this was going to be good from the start! It was slower burn and took me a bit to get a handle on the characters but wow did it not disappoint! The twists and turns with this one were unexpected! I loved it to the very end!

Oh, the way The Guilt Trip starts tells you all you need to know. Something bad happened. Why? Was anyone angry with anyone? Yup. Everyone. And then we get to go back and find out why. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? What about when your friends may be your enemies? Do you get even closer? More characters are making that decision than you will at first realize. Everyone has secrets and they all come out. This was quite a fun read/listen (I did both back and forth between having time to do it and setting up my classroom). I liked the narrator and her ability to help me keep the characters straight in my mind. There were quite a few that she subtly and not as subtly made different. Her voice became my inner voice for the parts I read myself. Thanks to all involved for the ARC. I will be recommending this book.

Ok... first let's talk about that amazing cover!! GORGEOUS

I have read all of Sandie Jones previous works and unfortunately they were never a big hit for me. I was hoping to fall in love with her newest novel but sadly this was a huge miss for me.

Six friends.... three couples are traveling to Portugal for a couples wedding. They all have hidden and dark secrets that they're keeping from one another. Talk about predictable and BORING secrets. There was absolutely ZERO suspense and thought my eyes were going to roll off from boredom.

Then... randomly some weird crazy stuff happens towards the end which doesn't even make sense? I was completely lost, bored, and just not invested at all.

Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one.

Overall, 2/5 stars.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Minotaur/St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 8/3/21
Published to GR: 7/26/21

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have an e-galley and advanced listening copy of The Guilt Trip.

First off, I loved the narrator. Clare Corbett did a fantastic job and is a large part of why I enjoyed the book. I will definitely be checking our other books she narrates. I knew something was coming, but I had no idea that it would go the way that it did. I also really liked how the ending wrapped up.

I wasn't a fan of how all of the women in the book were pitted against each other. I understand Rachel's anxieties about Jack cheating on her, but so much of what he was telling her wasn't even remotely believable. Rachel and Paige seemed so determined to hate and distrust Allie. I was really surprised Allie worked so hard to protect Rachel. Allie was a much bigger and better person than the other women in the story.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars

If you like reality shows, soap operas, and chick lit, you will love this book. Meet 6 friends in Portugal for a wedding, but everything is not as it appears. Who is sleeping with whom? Who is cheating on each other? Who is capable of possibly ruining a wedding?

I enjoyed the first part of the book as we got to know the characters. It was easy to follow and easy to picture the characters. However, the middle of the book dragged on for me, and the ending wasn't surprising at all. It did make me want to read until the end to see if I was right, though.

I gave this book three stars. It was given to me for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review as well as access to the audio book.

First off, I loved the narrator for the audio. She did a fantastic job on what I felt what not a great story. I honestly didn't like many of the characters and the fact that Rachel and Noah were obsessing over something from 20 years ago was cringeworthy. Had the story taken place five years after 'the incident' it would have been more believable. I also feel like the characters all had a huge dinking problem - maybe its a UK thing, but the alcohol consumption seemed excessive. I'm sorry to say I didn't really like this one.

I absolutely loved this book! It was a thriller that felt like a soap opera at times. All six of the main characters have something to hide. "The Guilt Trip" kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. There are a lot of cliffhangers that kept things interesting throughout the book. Thanks for the advance review copy.

Sandie Jones does it again with another outstanding psychological thriller! Six friends in Portugal, for a destination wedding what could possibly go wrong. This is an action-packed, heart racing can't put it down roller coaster of a book. A must read for your summer tbr list. A huge thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Guilt Trip is full of lies, secrets, and deception between friends all set against a beautiful villa in Portugal. It was a quick and intriguing read, but overall it ended up being a little disappointing. Thank you so much to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for my gifted copies!

The story basically follows three couples that are all friends as they get together at an expansive villa on the coast of Portugal for one couple’s nuptials. Most of the characters seem normal at the beginning, but the story soon becomes toxic as the blurred lines between relationships and friendships are brought to light.

This was my first book by Sandie Jones and I definitely think I will more of her books, but I went in expecting a thriller. It ended up being more of suspense/drama with a little bit of “thriller” right at the end so be prepared.
The first half of the story was very slow for me, but since I was reading and listening I was able to get through it quickly. The second half did become more interesting, but it was difficult to keep up with all of the directions of the story. There also seemed to be some plot holes and an ending that was a tad confusing. I’m still not 100% sure what really played out which is where I ended up being a little disappointed.

I know it may sound like I didn’t enjoy The Guilt Trip, but I have to say it was an entertaining and twisty story that I did enjoy despite the few issues I had with it. It does seem that I may be in minority with my overall thoughts for this one so please do not let me deter you. It is definitely a good summer read!

The Guilt Trip isn’t your typical whodunnit thriller. It’s more of a character study of 3 separate couples. First, we have Rachel and Jack. They have been together for years and share an 18 year old son, Josh. Next you have Paige and Noah. Paige and Noah are best friends with Rachel and Jack. Rachel and Noah have actually been friends since college. Then we have Alli and Will. Alli and Will are about to get married at an idyllic beach wedding in Portugal. Will is Jack’s brother. Alli has a tendency to embellish the truth.

Think you understand each couple’s dynamic? Well, not quite. Over the course of several days in Portugal, each person has explosive secrets come to light. Will each couple make it out the same? Or will their secrets break them all?

The Guilt Trip
By Sandie Jones

A tense domestic drama Full of insecurity, jealousy, and suspicion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Six friends. A destination wedding. A villa on the ocean in Portugal. The perfect wedding setting. The bride, Ali, is full of energy and beautiful, but she is also exhausting, stretches the truth, and is a little ditzy.

Rachel and Jack, who is the groom's brother, and their friends Noah and Paige are all flying with Ali to Portugal to meet up with Will, the groom. Rachel and Noah have known each other well for over 20 years, but now they both have children and are married to other people. Rachel and Page are even the best of friends.

Jack rues the day he ever introduced his brother to Ali and doesn't get what Will sees in Ali. Jacks worked with Ali and has no patience for her ditziness. When the wedding weekend gets underway, secrets are revealed that raise tensions and have many members of this wedding party suspicious.


REVIEW
This tense wedding weekend is not relaxing for anyone. The story is told from Rachel’s perspective. She juggles a husband who says he doesn’t like the bride and her secret feelings for her old boyfriend, Noah. Her insecurity and jealousy propel the story.

Ali’s behavior adds to the suspicions arising in the story. Paige thinks she is just seeking attention, but Ali is all drama. The story starts with her losing her passport on the way to the airport for the wedding. You can’t help but think much of Ali’s drama is intentionally created. She is an interesting character causing you to shift your thoughts and feelings about her frequently.

While Author Sandie Jones’ story is a good one, it’s a little drawn out at the end. You can’t wait to get to the bottom of what is going on with these three couples, and it doesn’t come soon enough. While the characters are frustrating at times, it’s worth the read.

Jones is also the author of The Other Woman (2018), The First Mistake (2019), and The Half Sister (2020).

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book.

Publisher St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books
Published August 3, 2021
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

I read this book pretty quickly, but I'm struggling on how to characterize it. It's not "exactly" a thriller. A domestic mystery? It's a slow burn for sure. The book centers around three couples. Rachel and Jack. Jack's brother will is marrying Paige. Rachel's best friend from college is married to her now best-friend Paige. There are secrets. There are lies. There's truth in there somewhere. But who is lying and about what and why?

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the electronic advanced copy.

If you are a fan of Sandie Jones’s other works, you will love this one. It is definitely her fun unique style! I’d almost categorize it as a slow burn thriller, with the ending making it all worth it. If you liked The Other Woman, read this one!

I really enjoyed this book until the very end. The character development and dynamic was really fun to read. There were a lot of different personalities and relationships, but I found most of them to be well thought out and developed. Although I spent part of the book questioning how it would end, I found the actual ending to not surprise me, but to also be very unrealistic.

3 couples, 6 friends travel to Portugal for a destination wedding (of one of the couples) 20 years after meeting. During their time at a gorgeous villa that they share, the dynamics, drama and interactions are uncovered. There are very different personalities and secrets that are being kept. When Rachel discovers a secret about her soon to be sister-in-law Ali, the way she views her husband, soon to be sister and law and friends changes. Who in the group can Rachel trust and believe? As things start to unravel, assumptions can turn deadly.

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones captured my attention in the first few pages. It kept me invested in the story until about halfway when Rachel’s paranoia (the narrator of this wild and wicked tale), born of her overwhelming guilt, just became too much for me to handle. I loved the twists and turns the story took, and there are many.
I also loved certain characters and loved to hate others. Still, I felt that all were developed enough to understand motivations and choices. I didn’t, however, love the third-person focused POV through Rachel and would have enjoyed a third-person omniscient narration to get a break from the paranoia. This way, it would never get to be so much that it impeded my enjoyment of the story.
The setting, however, never got to be too much, and I could just envision this unique cliffside seascape with its enormous waves and treacherous paths. I absolutely adored the setting, and the descriptions of it were sublime and immersive. As I mentioned earlier, this is a wicked and wild tale with secrets and lies on top of secrets and lies ripe with thrills and psychological mischief. I mostly enjoyed this novel and would not hesitate to pick up another story by Sandie Jones.

A couples trip + wedding gone ALL wrong and ends in tragedy. This group of friends shared so many secrets and lies, it made me appreciate my friend circle! I enjoyed the atmosphere and imagery of Portugal; it was also cool being able to understand some of the Portuguese dialogue in the audio. The pacing of the plot was just right and had my attention from the very beginning.

There were twists at almost every turn and just when you think things are coming to a resolution at the end, she weaves even MORE surprises into the loop. The ending is packed entertainment and I think the story tied together perfectly. I alternated between the physical book + audiobook; the narration is done very well, even when communicating different characters and their emotions.

I haven’t read a Sandie Jones novel that I didn’t like and Guilt Trip is definitely worth the read!

Thank you @netgalley for the gifted alc and eARC!

I think this premise has been done way too often lately. It's a revenge story tied in with Agatha Christie.