Thanks to NetGalley for an audiobook copy of The Guilt Trip. This is an easy read, I was able to listen to the entire novel in one setting. The narrator did a great job voicing the characters and bringing the dialogue to life.
I have enjoyed Sandie Jones’s previous novels, but I felt that this book fell short for me. One character was set up to be a fall guy from the beginning, so I knew immediately that the storyline about that was a misdirection attempt. It was too blatant. Then the crash scene-quite a bit out there. But, the last chapter, as in all her books, leaves you with a jaw dropping reaction.

I’m kinda shocked at the low and mediocre ratings for this one. As I look at what people
didn’t like about it, many aren’t fans of a cheating/infidelity genre, so I guess that makes sense because much of this is riddled with liars and cheats. While none of the characters were likable, I did find myself siding with, or rooting for particular characters at different points of the story. I wasn’t shocked with what truly was going (who was zooming who so to speak),but my mouth was agape with the ending as I didn’t expect that twist. I listened to the audio that was FANTASTICALLY done by Clare Corbett (thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, and to NetGalley for the chance to listen to this advance copy). I myself couldn’t put it down. This is the third book I’ve read from Sandie Jones, all have been 4🌟 reads for me, so if you’ve enjoyed her other books, take a chance as I suspect you will enjoy this as well!

Get ready, title to be published August 3, 2021!
@sandiejones @macmillanaudio @clarecorbett

Three couples at a destination wedding set in a gorgeous location overlooking the ocean in Portugal. Sounds perfect right? Unfortunately right from the start tensions run high and the lies and deception begin. Appearances can be deceiving as the story unfolds and seemingly perfect relationships begin to crumble. The characters question everything from their fidelity to their motivations in this slow building tale by Sandie Jones. Jones does a great job developing the characters and shows how guilt can cloud your judgement. I was not sure whose story to believe up until the ending when the story races toward an unexpected climax.

I enjoyed this story but was a little disappointed with the ending. I would have liked more exploration of the ending instead of just in the epilogue. It felt a little bit rushed. I was entertained by the book but it was not more that a 3 star read for me. I did enjoy the narration and felt it was very good.

Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the audio version in exchange for an honest review.

"The Guilt Trip" by Sandie Jones is more Domestic Suspense than Domestic Thriller.

Six friends travel to a destination wedding in Portugal at a gorgeous cliff-side villa overlooking the powerful waves of the sea below. What a beautiful setting for Will and Ali's upcoming nuptials!

Six friends. Will's brother, Jack is married to Rachel who is best friends with Paige. Paige is married to Noah who has been friends with Rachel since university. Ali recently worked with Jack who was also her boss! Phew!

Friends and family. Husbands and wives. Speculation and secrets. Truth and lies. Six friends. But, is anyone really who they seem to be?

These six characters are an interesting mixture but as the story progresses, I find there are few I truly like. The story felt long and repetitious getting to the heart of the story. Once there, I felt a bit letdown.

My preference is almost always an audiobook and because of the narrator, this one did not disappoint. Narrator, Clare Corbett does an outstanding job of making this story come to life for the reader. Her voicing is gender appropriate and voice inflections spot on.

I wanted to love this story and although I enjoyed it, liked it, I was not 'wowed' by it.

3.5 rounded down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Sandie Jones for an ALC of this book. It has been my pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review.

A wedding weekend full of secrets! Ali and Will are getting married in Portugal. Rachel and her husband Jack (Will’s brother), along with Noah (Rachel’s best friend from college) and Paige travel to spend time celebrating the nuptials.

However, as the weekend goes lots of secrets come to the surface and no one really knows what is going on.

This book is suppose to be a thriller, I personally did not think it could be considered a thriller. To me there wasn’t any real suspense until the very end. It was just full of drama, it was like listening to a soap opera with all their “problems”.

It did feel like the characters were real. How the friends all interacted with each other, kept secrets from one another, and gossiped with each seemed to be right on track with how real life friend groups operate (for the most part).

Personally did not love this book, because it felt very much like a soap opera and I went in expecting a thriller. The writing and story line was good, just not my cup of tea.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advance copy of this audiobook! This is my honest voluntary review.

What an appropriate title for this book. Guilt comes in many different forms and the author did a great job of creating a story in which the characters lives intertwined in unexpected ways. As an audiobook, the narrator portrayed the essence of each character quite well. I do wish the epilogue was a tad bit longer.

Wow. Wasn't sure at first, what I was getting with this story but it ended up being even better than I had thought when I'd read the premise.
So many lies and cover-ups and misunderstandings. And I think I kept waiting for the other penny to drop but that doesn't happy until the VERY end. So enjoy the ride while it lasts.
Rachel is off to Portugal for her brother-in-law's wedding to Ali. Ali annoys basically everyone else, especially Jack, Rachel's husband, who Ali used to work for. And Ali is all set to marry his brother. But is she up to no good? Is she having an affair with Jack? And what of Noah and Paige, Rachel's best friends, who seem to be along for the ride. How will their presence complicate matters?
A really fun domestic thriller. *Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this novel.*

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

This was one fantastic ride!!! I started listening and could not stop. You're attending a wedding of your soon to be sister-in-law in Portugal, it should be exciting but you are dreading it because you really don't like spending time with her. Luckily your best friends are invited as well, so you make the best of it... or can you?

This book was gripping and thrilling! My original hunch was sort of obvious so I should have known better, but soon, I didn't know which way was up or down. I enjoyed the twisty turns of trying to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth. It was a trip I won't soon forget! And I am a bigger fan of Sandie Jones, I believe she has the thriller genre figured out! Fantastic!

I was really excited to read this book as I’ve enjoyed many of the author’s previous books. I felt this book failed to engage me in the beginning because there were many characters introduced all at once. There was a lot of drama and it almost felt like high school kids sleeping around with each other. By the time I reached the end, I was a bit confused with what was happening.

Welcome to the hot mess express because these six individuals have so many secrets you cannot help but love to hate these characters. Sandie Jones did a great job with the twists and turns in this book, however as the listener of the audiobook, I sometimes got lost due to confusion of characters, affairs, and all the other craziness that these six bring to the story. I would recommend reading this book over listening to it!

This book just wasn’t for me. I had difficulty keeping track of the characters as they all blended into one another and I found the narration somewhat robotic.

Sandy beaches + Sandie Jones =
A perfect summer experience!

Yes, I was seeking a perfect summer experience when I eagerly and enthusiastically requested THE GUILT TRIP, Sandie Jones' newest release. Sandie Jones is an author who rarely disappoints.

Until now.

THE GUILT TRIP is about three couples who travel to a cliff-top villa in Portugal for a destination wedding. All travel together as friends, all leave as suspects.

The book was slow, tedious, and repetitive; lacking that "thriller" element that was promised. The character development of all of the six MCs was shallow.

Perhaps having so many MCs was the problem. With six MCs, it was very difficult to keep them (and all of their infidelities!) straight. I felt like the audiobook should have been accompanied by a PDF scorecard.

Also, there have been many, many "6 friends go away, not everyone returns" books and, therefore, it was hard to view this book as "fresh content."

I listened to the audiobook, read by Claire Corbet. Although Claire Corbet is a talented narrator, she shrieked very loudly when she was reading the lines of one of the MCs. When hearing those loud shrieks, I had to remove my headphones to avoid getting a headache.

I feel guilty about not liking THE GUILT TRIP. I have always been a HUGE Sandie Jones fan and I wanted to give her a 5-star review. Maybe next time.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE GUILT TRIP. This book is not as it appears, each time you think you’ve got things sorted out- BAM- a twist. It will have you guessing until the end.

My NetGalley app still plays audiobooks in what sounds like an echo chamber. I look forward to hopefully being able to listen to audiobooks without an echo!
Thank you!

This book is full of as much drama as the title suggests, filled with exhausting characters, messed up lies, and lots of mistrust all surrounding a destination wedding I wouldn’t want to be a fly on the wall to attend. It’s a smart thought out plot, the author nails that, but these characters are so off putting it throws the story for an even bigger tailspin. Great job to the author!

The Guilt Trip was full of drama and unlikeable characters and gave me big soap opera vibes. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing...I don't know if it was the book for me. Was I entertained? Mildly. I listened to the audiobook, and I think that was the right way to consume this book. Was I bored? Kind of. The story seemed repetitive like we get it, you have a secret that might ruin your life if your husband finds out, get to the action, please.

The ending was weird, but now that I think about it, the end does fit the soap opera vibes. I believe the book was well written and feel that the right reader would love this drama-filled story.

Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio/Minotaur Books, for the ARC.

Rachel spends the few days leading up to her brother-in-law’s wedding fretting about whether or not her husband is sleeping with his brother’s fiancé. This carries on for almost the entire book, her fretting, and almost nothing else.
Things finally start to pick up right near the end of the book. It’s all a bit preposterous but entertaining enough.
Thanks to #netgalley and #macmillonbooks for this ARC of #theguilttrip in exchange for an honest review.

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

I have really enjoyed Sandie Jones' writing, and this book was no exception.

The book starts out by developing the characters of three different couples. You know right away that something is going on with these characters, and their relationships, but it is not clear as to what is happening. As the story unfolds a web of lies is revealed, and characters discover things about each other that they never expected.

But the web of lies is only the beginning. Jones writes in a way that leaves you guessing as to the truth of where the actual spider is, and who are the bugs trapped in the web. Slowly the truth unfurls and with it the webs are broken apart, eventually concluding in a horrific scene that leaves some in the hospital, another dead, and the spider revealed for the venomous arachnid that they are.

This book was not my favorite of Jones' but was a satisfying romantic thriller that left me with questions up to the end, wondering about nature of humans, how we operate, how we love, and how we make the choices that we make on a daily basis.

The two English married couples (Rachel & Jack, and Noah & Paige) have been good friends for a long time. Rachel and Noah have been best friends since they met at University. They once had a chance to become something more but they are happily married to someone else now (Rachel to Jack, and Noah to Paige). Paige also became Rachel's best friend. Jack’s brother Will is getting married to an attractive young women Ali, and they are all traveling together to a destination wedding in Portugal.Jack seems to hate impulsive Ali, but Rachel started to suspect they were having an affair......

This psychological thriller reminds me of The Guest List by Lucy Foley. I love destination mysteries with some dramas but The Guilt Trip has way too much dramas. I want more mysteries than cheating dramas. Also, the main characters are inconsistent and didn't feel authentic.

If you like reality TV shows, you may like this thriller very much (5 stars). But, if you are looking for smart psycho-thrillers, you may get disappointed(2 1/2 stars). Therefore, I give this one 3.5 stars.