I enjoyed the first half of this book a lot. The second half was not as enjoyable but I think that might just come down to editing. Rachel was a pretty captivating narrator as I wasn’t sure if she was unreliable and just paranoid at first. I enjoyed some of her inner dialogue but in the second half of the book, some of the dialogue just seemed a bit repetitive. I also didn’t quite understand the need for the evidence at the end and it felt like it was thrown in and rushed. Overall a solid, good book.

Overall, I was quite dissatisfied with this book. I did have high hopes as I have read Sandie Jones books before and thoroughly enjoyed them. However, I felt that a majority of the book was just fluffer information rather than a well-developed plot. I kept waiting for the book to pick up so I kept reading. I would say that the last 50-100 pages were the most engaging and obtained the most thriller aspects. However, the ending came very abruptly, and then it was over. This book is about various affairs that are occurring and a classic case of jealously, too. The characters had very little development over time and I felt that this turned me a bit away from the book. I also felt it was very hard to follow as there was an excess of characters. I do feel like this book does have good qualities but overall it just was not a book I was re-read or recommend. However, I do look forward to more Jones books in the future because she is a great writer.

Great thriller by Sandie Jones. This is a story about friends at a wedding, but as the story goes on more and more layers of their relationships are revealed. And then the ending hits with a crash! I enjoyed this read although I did find it a bit slow moving at times. There was also a cryptic epilogue which I honestly found a bit confusing and which took some rereading. Would recommend for anyone looking for a compulsive thriller.

The six characters in "The Guilt Trip" by Sandie Jones, fly to Lisbon to attend a wedding nestled along the gorgeous coastline of Portugal. They are staying at an idyllic villa that is situated on the edge of a cliff overlooking a quaint fishing village. So what could possibly go wrong?

This is a book that grapples with the complexity of relationships and the illusion of things not being quite as they appear. The story is told through the eyes of Rachel who is happily married to Jack. The other couple on the trip is Paige and Noah. Paige is Rachel's best friend and Noah is a very close friend from 20 years ago. Rounding out this cadre of friends is Jack's brother Will and is overly enthusiastic fiancé Ali, who use to work for Jack.

Things start to unravel almost immediately. Tension is palpable between Jack and Ali from the beginning. Jack confides to his wife and friends that he dislikes Ali because she is supposedly cheating on his brother Will. Saddled with this knowledge, the friends are sworn to secrecy by Jack who doesn't want to spoil things for his brother.

Amid this revelation, Rachel starts to piece together incongruities with her husband Jack. She also starts to reevaluate her marriage comparing herself to the outgoing and voluptuous Ali. As tension mounts, Rachel's insecurities threaten to upend her marriage.

The wedding between Will and Ali sets up a cascade of unthinkable events resulting in a final violent tragedy. Not only is the book difficult to put down, it showcases Jones' talent at dancing around the edge of suspense.. I would highly recommend this book though there was a small section at the end that I found somewhat confusing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this book! I feel like I've read so many books of this type - family wedding, remote but beautiful location, some casual infidelity thrown in for good measure. And there is A LOT of infidelity in this book! It's well paced and builds to a satisfying (if slightly cloying) conclusion.

This is an engaging mystery and a very appropriate title! Most of the main characters are harboring guilty secrets! The author skillfully twists through the plot, to reveal the personalities of the characters and the secrets of each, and blends them into an ending I did not anticipate. I enjoyed the book! I did receive a complimentary copy from Netgalley, and I am glad I did.

I gave this book the good college try, but eventually abandoned it because the characters were so incredibly annoying. I read exactly half of the book to see if I would start to enjoy it, but unfortunately, the characters and their creepy relationships with one another became more than I could bear. Jones can write - decent set-up for the plot, good description, good dialogue, but with no one to cheer for, the book fell flat for me.

The Guilt Trip is SO good! It's full of twists and turns, lies and deceit! This book will hook you from the first page until the last. Literally couldn't put it down and keep being wrong on my guesses! Sandie Jones never disappoints and this one might be my favorite!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Guilt Trip will keep you on the edge of your seat with the many surprises found in this gem. The book is hard to put down as you will enjoy spectacular scenery vividly described by the author as well as a story that unfolds to reveal mysterious activities. Highly recommended! Thank you to NetGalley.

Oh, unholy wedding weekend. The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones is awash in secrets and it's not just one person... it's pretty much the entire cast of characters. Three couples who are either related by birth, marriage, former romances, or workmates and all trying to hide some very horrible secrets. If one secret comes out, the whole symbiotic relationship will fall like dominos and when the crap finally hits the fan, someone is dead. This all goes down during a wedding weekend where the three couples share a luxury home and too much liquor. My stomach was in knots but in a good way. What a delicious read and what a yummy plot. As the book implies, carrying around a ton of guilt makes it hard to live a good life. Well done Ms. Jones!

Strong on the suspense end of a thriller. I felt like the book spent too long in the waiting stage. The ending was also a little too perfect for me, I’d rather it not have been such a tightly wrapped bow.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Guilt Trip is about 4 friends, 2 couples, attending a wedding in Portugal. None of them are particularly a huge fan of the bride, Ali, but seeing as it's Jack's brother, Will, they must go. Laurie and Noah have been best friends for the longest and since then, she had become best friends with his wife Paige. Ali's a bit over the top in everything she does to put things mildly and tends to rub people the wrong way, especially Jack. The book is told from Laurie's point of view. Laurie just can't figure out why it is that Jack despises Ali so much when they used to work together. They even introduced Ali to Will. You spend a lot of time in Laurie's head while she tries to figure everything out and it gets tiring in there. This lady can really beat herself up. She spends so much time playing the comparison game and we know that never turns out well. So much of the book is spent analyzing Laurie's marriage to Jack and if she made a mistake not going with Noah all those years ago. Life is as it should be, right? Maybe not. It all starts to unravel. This page just wasn't a thriller in my eyes. It was a drama and then the second part just went sideways on me. I didn't see it coming and I think I'm still confused by the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones.

Ah, the travel novel, so decadent during a pandemic. The novel starts with a frantic airport scene and an engaged couple to build excitement and mystery. The novel has lots of beautiful scenery and travel which is perfect to read right now. This would be a great novel to take on a trip or to read at home if Gatwick Airport or European travel is on your mind but not in your plans.
This read easily and flowed smoothly. It's a great summer beach read for someone who doesn't read a lot. it will be engaging for sure!

After loving Sandie Jones’ THE OTHER WOMAN, I was so excited for the opportunity to read her newest work — THE GUILT TRIP, coming August 2021!

I started this book a week or so ago and found it a bit hard to get into — you get hit with 6 main characters at once, and I was having a bit of a hard time telling who’s who. Once I sat down and committed some time, I quickly became engrossed and finished the book in under 24 hours! There seem to be a lot of new releases centering around a wedding or honeymoon, and this one tops them all. A 5/5 for sure!

It’s Ali and Will’s wedding, which will be a special destination event! Will’s brother and his wife are attending along with another close friend couple. While the other two women are content to secretly make fun of the over enthusiastic, over exaggerated bride — two of the men seem to have some secrets brewing. Will the weekend away be a disaster? Will the wedding go on? Will everyone survive? You will want to find out!

One thing I especially loved is that it wasn’t told from differing perspectives. So many thrillers seem written that way, and I always find it so convoluted and confusing. This was fantastically written, and I feel like I was truly shocked when I learned all the secrets — and there is a “whodunnit” aspect, but the true shocker in this book lies in discovering the morals, history, and secrets of the six main characters. Never be too quick to judge someone…

This is one worth pre-ordering now so you don’t miss it this summer!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for my review ARC. All opinions are my own!

I should not have believed the hype about this book. The beginning pulls you in but after the first one third of the story I was begging for this over the top wedding to be over with already. Ughhhh. Just not my cup of tea... Besides being dumb, the lead character Rachel becomes more and more unlikeable as her story starts to unfold...her cold husband Jack and old boyfriend Noah and his wife Paige are the other characters who fill up this tale of infidelity and treachery.. We are supposed to believe they are four old "friends"all invited to celebrate Rachel's brother in law Will's wedding to the (perfect Goddess) Ali....I am sorry I just was not a fan of this one. I do think Sandie Jones is very easy to read but this plot just did not sit well with me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review..

This is my first novel by Sandie Jones, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Despite starting off a bit slow, I found that the story was written very well, with lots of twists and turns. It kept me guessing and I couldn’t put it down. I was definitely not expecting the ending! I’m still thinking about it!

I highly recommend this novel if you love twisty thrilers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sandie Jones and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the opportunity to review this ARC. This review and all opinions are my own.

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones is about several couples traveling to Portugal, for a destination wedding. Rachel, future sister-in-law to the bride-to-be, tells the story of a wedding weekend quickly unraveling with alleged affairs, strained friendships, and life-shattering secrets. The story will definitely keep you on your toes, guessing what is really going on.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this eARC for an honest review. #NetGalley, #TheGuiltTrip #SandieJones

Thank you NetGalley, Sandie Jones and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Guilt Trip. This is my personal review.
I had such high hopes for this book when I read the description. For me it just did not hit any of my expectations I had for it. It had a lot of drama but no real mystery. It was a book that for me will not stick with me. The writing was good, but the story was lacking. I was able to read it but never connected with anyone in the book.

A surprisingly involving and tense domestic drama that unfolds over three days at a destination wedding on a European island with couples whose long-time friendships and marriages are tested, frayed, and reexamined. Their back stories are nicely filled in without distracting from the main plot, as secrets are revealed and priorities reexamined, but the denouement is less satisfactory than the preceding pages. It's not exactly an enjoyable read, but it resonates even after the clumsy ending.