'Three couples, and one fatal misunderstanding' - Rachel and Noah have been friends since they met at university. While they once thought they would be something more, they are happily married to other people - Jack and Paige. Jack's brother is getting married to his dazzling but impulsive fiancé, Ali. The group of six all travel to Portugal for their destination weekend. Six people in a gorgeous Country, what could go wrong...

As someone who has been a big fan of the author Sandie Jones and all of her books (including The Other Woman, The First Mistake, and The Half Sister). Although this book is categorized as thriller/mystery, I felt that a more suitable category would have been romance or drama. I found that maybe the book felt a little lost. In terms of the genre, as well the character development, I had a hard time connecting to each of the characters. As I read books, I like to imagine each of the characters as part of my own life, and how would they fit in. Would the person be my friend, my enemy, my lover, my sister etc. This book unfortunately didn't provide me with enough character development for me to be able to ultimately connect with anyone. For me, it fell flat. The couples are in one of the most romantic places in the world, and yet they were missing the deep love connection to not only each other, but also the reader.

Although the narrative and story line of the book moved along quickly, it felt repetitious and long. This book was lacking the 'thriller' element that I had expected. For myself, the book focused too much on the secrets and affairs amongst the couples, rather than the thriller element I was hoping for.

Despite this not being a success for me, I still look forward to other books my Sandie Jones.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advanced read copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

#bookreview

👰🏼 The Guilt Trip
✏️ Sandie Jones

5 friends travel to Portugal for a destination wedding for one of their own, Will and his fiancée Ali. The weekend takes place at a gorgeous cliff top venue with plenty of chances for rest and relaxation with friends! When one of the friends discovers a shocking secret about Ali, everything changes! Who can be trusted? Are the friendships and marriages even real?

👍🏼: I love a good exotic destination thriller setting …. add a wedding into it and 👏🏼 I do have to say, I really didn’t see the last quarter of the book happening! This made the book for me!

👎🏼: Honestly, I disliked every single character up until the very end! This book did turn around the last quarter but I found the problems and issues the adults were fighting about and how they were acting juvenile for most of it! They should be ashamed! 😂

This book would be great for fans of The Hunting Party and The Guest List!

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The Guilt Trip see's three connected couples spending a beach getaway together. Naturally, as time passes, tensions rise and the novel quickly becomes a tale of secrets and threats.

Sandie Jones' newest novel is one part soap opera and one part domestic thriller. Interesting and unreliable characters paired with Jones' laid back writing make for an engaging read. Although at times the book felt long winded and a bit tedious, it was never boring. With a gorgeous setting and an ending that will have you guessing until the bitter end, The Guilt Trip is a fun and fast paced thriller.

Who can you trust? Your husband, your best friend, the girl your brother-in-law is marrying? Will a destination wedding change everything for Rachel?

A wedding is the main focus of the book, but there are so many side plots that the connection one might feel for the characters is lost. Rachel is so suspicious that something is going on behind her back that the entire book is dragged down. Pages upon pages are filled with her paranoid musings, as well as the author's not so subtle and thinly veiled hints at the truth. The climatic scene in the book reminds me of a made for television movie, whereas the camera angle is focused on the out of control actor with an ax to grind.

I am a big fan of mystery thrillers normally, but The Guilt Trip did not live up to its promises. It is not "explosive" or "gripping", so I would not recommend it to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Guilt Trip by NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

This book was ok for me. It wasn't bad per se, it just wasn't my type of thriller/suspense. I felt like I saw the story coming from page one and didn't really like any of the characters. I think maybe it was too drama-filled for me? Don't get me wrong, I love a good drama, but this seemed a little too cliche with the storyline and characters. They were annoyed with each other from the very beginning; it's like the story had already begun when I started the book.

Easy read, easy thriller. It won't knock your socks off, but it will keep you entertained.

Having greatly enjoyed the author’s previous novels, I had such high hopes for The Guilt Trip. The description sounded so promising. Three couples, five of whom have been friends for years, travel to Portugal for a destination wedding. The groom is Will. His wife-to-be, Ali, is the newcomer to the group. The setting is a luxurious villa located on a clifftop. Soon, one of the women, Rachel, stumbles upon a shocking - is there ever any other kind? - secret about Ali, which as things unravel, leads to disastrous consequences for all three couples. This could have been an excellent book if only it had had different characters. Paige and Rachel are stereotypical mean girls of the type straight out of novels targeted at junior high school girls. All six of the characters are so narcissistic, vicious, and unsympathetic that it’s impossible to enjoy reading the book. This is the first time I’ve ever given a book a one-star review. Had the author only populated it with different characters, it could have been a much better book.

This Book Was Meh For Me
I Wasnt A Fan Of This Book At All
Yeah I Didn't Like It
It Was Bad I Hated It Every Second Of It

Three couples arrive at a waterfront villa in Portugal, but one little misunderstanding could prove fatal… “The Guilt Trip” by Sandie Jones is a story of lies, betrayal, and miscommunication that you won’t be able to put down.

I think the thing that made this book such a quick read is how jumbled all the relationships are in the story. There are three couples, but the tangled web they create is wild. Mainly- when everyone is suspected of cheating on their significant other things are bound to get interesting.

In the end, I gave this book 4 stars! It was a quick mystery read, perfect for a vacation or a weekend spent with a book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This title was a perfect nail-biter and my lovers of psychological fiction will love it. It's fascinating to see the interplay between couples and friends and how quickly things can change. A great read!

Such drama!!

I enjoy reading these drama filled books where you cannot trust the narrator or some of the characters. This book kept me guessing who to believe and who to suspect.

The ending was unexpected for sure!

Da die Jones didn’t let me down! This book is amazing and such a read that kept me a little tense and anxious the whole way through. I will read every book by her for sure. The ending was a little rushed to me personally but this didn’t take away from the story line!!

Fast paced, engaging and twisty-turny, this was a great read! Sandie Jones creates compelling characters with believable drama. This book has it all - romance, deception, murder and more.

I thought the book was fast paced and easy to read, but the characters annoyed me overall. I liked the writing and the premise and the twists were good but a little predictable. Jones did a good job with character development and really put the reader in Rachel's shoes as an unreliable narrator, but I wish there was more depth to the characters.

This novel and the DRAMA within its pages is one of the reasons I do not go to weddings anymore. Let alone the about of money that is tossed away. IN this case three couples "shake up" for the weekend in Portugal for a destination wedding. Old friends talk and things spill out. The Novel unfolds fast, then slow, then fast again, it takes days in the lives of the characters JUST for it to all go BOOM! for us the readers, You think I read all of that, and then that is the answer I get....that is the conclusion the characters get????
That is why I hinged on 4 stars instead of 5. All the drama of a Showtime Movie is there BUT a little more could make it a thrilling blockbuster.

I was so bummed that I didn't love this one. I had a hard time following the characters (so many of them) and the plot was a bit confusing for me. I hate to say anything negative about an authors work as I could not do what they do but this one did not hit the mark for me. I do look forward to more from the author in the future as I have enjoyed her other books. (2.5 stars- rounded to 3).

I started this one and struggled to get into it. Could be the timing, I'm going to try and pick it up at a later date and see if that helps.

LOVED this one so much. Really enjoyed the setting, trope, and the who dun it vibes. If you enjoy domestic thrillers, this one is perfect for you. I was hoping the ending would have more of a punch, but it is still a book I will be recommending! Thank you so much for a copy of The Guilt Trip!

I felt slightly disappointed with this one. This was my first Sandie Jones and I had higher expectations for the novel as a thriller. Really the entire novel is circling this massive event which we know impacts a group of friends on a vacation before a wedding. Do we know what happened? Not yet. The buildup was too slow and frankly overdramatic, and then the event is unbelievable! And usually I never think that! I did not like the ending at all. Thought it was over the top and ridiculous with little explanation as to character actions. Not an enjoyable thriller for me. I did give it two stars because something inside of it kept me reading vs just DNF so that's something.

This book was not for me. I don't think the author is for me as I have not enjoyed any of the books she has written. The story leading up to the big bang seemed to take forever to get there and the finished product was not worth it. It happened in a second and the lead up was long so the pacing of this book was off to me. The drama between the characters almost didn't seem believable at times either.. Overall, would not suggest this thriller to readers as there are other ones out there that are better.

I liked this one but I expected it to more of a thriller. I found it to be more of a drama. It was an easy read and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I have always enjoyed Sandie Jones’ books!