This novel begins in an airport where friends are meeting for their flight to Portugal for a destination wedding joining Will and Ali. Accordingly, the characters are pretty much all introduced to us at once.

Will's brother Jack is kind of a jerk. Jack and his wife, Rachel, and Rachel's ex Noah, and Noah's wife, Paige (who is also Rachel's bff), are the main characters. Sad because none of them are particularly likeable or well developed. They are all short of patience and judgmental towards Ali. I know she's depicted as somewhat ditzy but it's her wedding weekend; give her a break!

Then the drama. None of them could put their suspicions of infidelity and/or gossip away long enough for a weekend wedding?! The story revolves around domestic secrets, some from years ago and some more recent. The author did a great job with the secrets as you couldn't tell who was being honest and who was making things up.

I also enjoyed the description of the wedding location and would love to visit there myself.

Nnothing crazy happened until the last 20 or so pages and then it seems like everything was crammed hastily into the end.

I think I would have enjoyed this a touch more if it was categorized as Drama as opposed to Suspense; I'm a mood reader so having a better idea what I was reading would have helped.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the Advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Review to be shared on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

This was my first book by Sandie Jones, and I thought there was a lot to like about The Guilt Trip. Noah and Rachel were close friends before Rachel met and married Jack, Jack introduced his brother Will to Ali, as Ali and Jack used to work together, Noah’s wife Paige and Rachel are best friends. All the history between the couples made for a lot of potential drama.

The revelations came fast and furiously, and there was a major misdirection that I thought worked well. The plot moved quickly, which kept me reading.

On the less positive side, the book felt very dialogue-heavy, which for me meant that the setting (a seaside Portugese villa) and the characters ended up a bit underdeveloped. This was told in close-third POV, with insight into Rachel’s thoughts, and most of exposition happened by conversations between various characters, which made the feel a little thin at times.

I also felt there were a bunch of things that were left unexplained, which didn’t make me happy.

But all in all, if you are looking for a light and twisty beach read that will keep you glued to the page, The Guilt Trip had a beauty setting and a lot of drama.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio version of the latest suspense novel by Sandie Jones - 4 stars! I alternated between the audio and digital versions of this book. The audiobook narrator, Clare Corbett, did a great job with this cast of characters - I was easily able to differentiate between the characters speaking and her voice had a great quality with good pacing.

The story takes place with 3 couples headed to Portugal for one of their weddings. Rachel and Jack, married for 20 years; their good friends, Paige and Noah; and Jack's brother Will and fiancé Ali. There is history between the couples - Rachel and Noah have been best friends since university, even close to making it more than friends. Jack introduced Will and Ali, as Ali once worked at his company. Ali's addition to the couples' friendship is a bit grating - she's quite outgoing and everyone seems to be questioning her actions. Then those actions become too much for any of them to ignore any longer.

This was an enjoyable read and I was anxious to find out how it would all play out. Everyone was keeping secrets and motives to themselves and there were lots of questions along the way as to the truth. Since the prologue opened with one character in the hospital after an incident, you knew it wasn't going to end well for all of the characters. Another good read by this author!

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! Thanks to Minotaur Books and St. Martins for my gifted copy.

Six friends go to Portugal for a wedding. They are staying at villa with nothing but sun, waves, and fun planned. So what could go wrong?

Well, everything could go wrong and did. Most of the friends hate the bride. They don’t hide their disdain. Unfortunately, the bride has uncovered several of their secrets. Not only are they there for a wedding, but for a reckoning.

I could not put this book down. I had to know what what going to happen. There were several surprise twists. You must make sure to read every single line in the book or you will miss something. How she was put the ending together was perfect.

I will be buying a finished copy of this when it releases August 3! Go preorder it now!

I enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was going one way and it was all going to be a big confusion at the end…well, little did I know! Big turned of events and it was not how I expected it. This is a great summer book.

Thanks NetGalley, Sandie Jones, and Minoutar books for this ARC.

What could go wrong when 3 couples get together for a destination wedding? Rachel and Jack have been together for almost 20yrs. Noah is married to Paige and has know Rachel since university together. Will, is Jack’s younger brother, and his about to marry Ali. Rachel is leery of Ali and some of her actions makes her question her motives to marry Will. As the weekend progresses Rachel learns something she wishes she never knew.

I seriously trusted no one while reading this story. Everyone was acting suspicious in one way or another and no one seemed to be telling the truth. As the wedding weekend went out more and more doubt was sewn into every event that occurred.

This story is fast paced and will leave you turning the pages quickly to find out what disastrous event is going to happen next as the wedding weekend unfolds.

Thank you netgalley and st Martin press for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Rating 4.5 stars

Six friends head to a beach side town in Portugal for a destination wedding weekend. Rachel and Jack (brother of the groom), Paige and Noah (the best friends), and Ali and Will (bride and groom) start this trip off with drama and secrets to unfold.

There are many secrets to unpack here throughout the entire book. I did not find any characters to be very likable and each of their secrets just kept bouncing around. It's a LOT of drama to keep up with. I kept having to remind myself who knew what secret and who was connected to who. There are several good twists, but unfortunately, it's so much drama to keep up with, that I found I wasn't very invested in any of the characters or their backgrounds.

This one is less murder mystery but more keeping up with who has had a past relationship with who and what secrets came out of those relationships. However, I did really enjoy when characters started to discover more about another person, their misconceptions were put to the side and they could appreciate the other person more.

The Guilt Trip is fast-paced and twisty, allowing readers to really experience the thrilling story line right along with the enigmatic characters. Add to that the very atmospheric cliff-side wedding locale on the coast in Portugal, and you won't be able to put this one down. I loved the suspenseful buildup and the way the author slowly released secrets between the main 6 characters.

Six "friends" head to a beach side town in Portugal for a destination wedding weekend, what could go wrong? Rachel and Jack (brother of the groom), Paige and Noah (the best friends), and Ali and Will (bride and groom) start this trip off with sparks and drama. This novel is packed with new and old lies, suspected affairs, and tears.

I would suggest mapping out all the lies this book offers. It's a lot of secrets and drama to follow throughout the entire novel. I was not a fan of any of the characters or their backgrounds/relationships. Although there is a ton of drama to keep you reading, it's hard to commit to any of their lives. The ending all crashes together and still has me wondering.

This book started out with such promise but just absolutely fell apart in the middle and the ending was just bizarre. I felt like the author just got tired of writing and decided to end it.

Six people are off to a destination wedding in Portugal, Rachel and Jack, Noah and Paige and the bride and groom Ali and Will. Except for the bride the others have all known each other for several years.
A plethora of lies and deceit ensue and long kept secrets are revealed in this twisting, brutal tale of betrayal and revenge.

Suffering the most guilt on this trip is Rachel who seems to live in her own head, re-hashing her suspicions about certain comments or observations as well as jumping to conclusions and blowing the most inane comment into a major event to brood over.

Her husband Jack is jealous of her years’ long friendship with Noah but could easily be the poster child for that old saying about “people who live in glass houses”. The fact is, each character in this twisted tale should be holding up a sign reading “I’ve got a secret”.

The plot of this wonderful, take-no-prisoners domestic thriller can best be described via the cynical message contained in the ominous advice proffered by a character in a recent movie - “Assume everyone will betray you, and you will never be disappointed”.

This was a fun domestic thriller made even more enjoyable by great narration of the audiobook by Claire Corbet. I read this partly in ARC form and also listened to the audiobook in my car and while doing chores and both forms of the book were great.

Marketed as a "domestic thriller," this book is less a murder mystery and more a "who slept with whom" kind of domestic story. I am usually not a fan of these, but this was very well executed with a sense of impending doom and enough clues and juicy tidbits to lead the reader in the right direction, even as some of the characters are clueless.

Our heroine Rachel is quite obviously in love with her male best friend Noah. For reasons of circumstance, Rachel has however ended up married to some other guy named Jack, and Noah has ended up married to Rachel's now-best friend, Paige. The two couples are headed to a destination wedding at a villa in Italy, where Jack's brother Will is going to marry the seemingly very annoying Ali.

Now, this book is not perfect. One thing that was frustrating was how totally clueless Rachel was to everything that was happening right under her nose. This was clearly by design, as from the beginning there are clear signs that Rachel's husband may or may not be a cad and up to no good (this theme is present almost from the first page, so not a spoiler). But Rachel is constantly making excuses for him! This can get frustrating, but if you've ever had a friend like this in real life or been like this yourself (guilty) you know that it's also realistic. There's no murder or mayhem in the beginning of the book - most of the intrigue comes from whether Rachel's husband is having an affair and whether she will actually wise up and/or catch him. If this isn't your thing, you may be bored, although I hasten to say, this is not usually my thing and I was riveted, partly due to Sandie Jones' writing (I enjoyed her previous book very much as well) and partly due to the great narration. You could get a sense that this was all coming to a head in a bad way, and ultimately it does, delivering on some crazy conflict and mayhem at least right at the wedding itself.

One thing I really liked about this book, without spoiling, is how one of the main characters turns out to be not at all like you thought. The story nicely shows how peoples' preconceived notions of others play a role in what they notice in their own lives. People who automatically hate someone for the wrong reasons might miss problems in their own lives that are right in front of their noses, and might also miss out on a good person underneath some superficial flaws. I won't say who, but I really liked the development of this particular character and think you will too.

I'd categorize this more as romantic suspense, definitely not a noir or thriller, so if you like a domestic intrigue book, this is a very fun one, especially on audiobook. I wouldn't come to this one looking for a murder mystery primarily. But I was very entertained and loved the audio narration. I'll definitely read Sandie Jones' next book ASAP, and even if I wanted to slap her main character once in awhile, I was happy with the resolution of the book and the story and enjoyed the characters, including Rachel. This book is a suspenseful page-turner for sure -- or a great audio binge you'll be sure to finish quickly!

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and the author for the advanced audio copy!

3.5 stars rounded up to a 4 for me.

Three couples on a trip to Portugal for a destination wedding, how amazing is that?! It sounds like such fun. Not! Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive! So many twists and turns in this one it always had me second guessing my thoughts. Though I did have it figured out and wasn't wowed at the end it was still a very good story overall.

This is another interesting story dreamed up by the author and it is certainly creative with a very unique ending, Not sure I agree with the description from Goodreads, "... will have readers gripped to the very last page" as there were many pages that I wondered why I needed to read them. There are lots of characters and lots of back stories and as the title (which is perfect) implies lots of things to feel guilty about. I do find it difficult to offer a complete review for these types of books because it would give away too much of the plot which is really what holds this together. Suffice it to say Rachel made such a stupid decision that is was hard to understand why she chose the path she did and since the entire book is based on her POV at some point I just stopped caring what happened to any of these people. And the ending while very creative was just a wee bit over the top. So I would encourage others to read this since it is a quick read and the author is very talented, but also explore her other books, and although I seem to be in the minority, this one was not my favorite. I received an ARC from the publisher St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books through NetGalley and I appreciate the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced ecopy and audiobook of The Guilt Trip. I switched back and forth between the two formats, which is my favorite way to read.

Sandie Jones has become synonymous with "fun, soapy, summer thrillers". I have now read all of her last 4 books and have enjoyed each one as much as the last. The Guilt Trip definitely had the best title, though! This was a story that seemed realistic considering modern relationships. Noah and Rachel were college best friends and now they are 20 years later still very close, but added to the mix is Noah's wife, Paige, and Rachel's husband, Jack. Rachel and Paige are now best friends. All four are on their way to the wedding of Jack's brother to a woman who used to work for Jack and none of the four of the marrieds like the bride, Ali very much. She is 13 years younger than Rachel and apparently quite gorgeous and likes to dress provocatively. The women think she is after their husbands or at least trying to tempt their husbands.

During the course of this wedding weekend, paranoia about Ali leads to marital secrets being revealed and histories being re-examined. But when the foundations that these people have built their lives on are threatened, those who uncover and reveal secrets are in danger, too. Through the course of the story, readers are frantically turning pages to learn whether, not just the marriages survive, but the wedding attendees, too.

I tore through this book. While it is not one that will have me thinking about it for long, it certainly fit the bill as a great summer fun read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an UNBELIEVABLE book!!!! Wow it was Awesome, what a Great read!!!!! I LOVED it!!! Felt like I was there with the characters right from the beginning and throughout the whole weekend. I did figure out the who and what But there were sooooo many twists and turns that it made my head turn. Soooo sad it’s over. Love Sandie Jones books.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an UNBELIEVABLE book!!!! Wow it was Awesome, what a Great read!!!!! I LOVED it!!! Felt like I was there with the characters right from the beginning and throughout the whole weekend. I did figure out the who and what But there were sooooo many twists and turns that it made my head turn. Soooo sad it’s over. Love Sandie Jones books.

The book had me hooked! What a great read. Thoroughly enjoyable! A nice easy summer read with a lot of plots twists! Know who your friends are could be the theme of the book! I have to say I usually like a book when I like the characters, but this book I didn't really like any of the characters, but I was still engaged in finding out about them and what was happening. They are all narcissi tic in their own way and I think that is why the book works so well.

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones

The Guilt Trip has a whopper of a soap opera packed into a destination wedding weekend. As the story starts, we meet Ali, a walking, talking, mess of unreliableness, acting wild and crazy when drunk (or pretending to be drunk), mega liar, blushing bride to be. She is marrying Will, brother of Jack. We see the story through Rachel, Jack's wife and staunch defender (for now) of all the ditzy-ness that makes up Ali. The story starts at the airport and I'm worn out even before the trio gets to the check in counter.

Once at the beautiful Portuguese villa I realize I don't want to hang around any of these people. Ali, Jack, and Rachel meet up with Will, and longtime friends, Noah and Paige. Rachel and Noah have a history back to their college days, Jack and Ali have history from work, and once the rumor mill gets going between the group, tensions and suspicions run wild and rampant. Infidelity is a main topic, with lots of almost evidence, lots of lies and misdirection, and nobody saying what needs to be said.

There is a bang up ending that left me pondering what really happened. I'm not up for these fancy smancy affairs (of any kind) so I mostly wanted for the party to be over. I'm glad these unlikeable people have each other (until they don't). Just who is lying and who is telling the truth?

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

The Guilt Trip is a quick and addictive read as all of Sandie Jones' books are.

A few days in a beautiful, beachside home with your best friends for a wedding - what could go wrong? Haha.. quite a lot as it happens. 3 couples - Jack and Rachel, Noah and Paige, and Will and Ali. Friends forever, Ali being the newcomer and the bride-to-be. These friends have a long and complicated history with each other, and not all of it is public knowledge. Secrets are dangerous and by the end of this trip one of them will be dead, the rest of them will be changed forever.

These characters are in their 40's and acted like they were silly teenagers. A lot of what happens could have been avoided if they only spoke to each other. Communication is the key people!! But no, they all make assumptions and talk behind each other's backs. Which of course leads to trouble. Who do you believe?

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.