I was so excited for this audiobook. The cover just screams summer thriller, however that was not the case with the actual book. I had a hard time listening to the audiobook due to the accents and I found the whole dialogue/story very bland. If the characters would’ve just talked to each other then a lot could’ve been solved.

What an excellently written and entertaining book! I got an advanced copy of the audio book version of this and could not stop listening to it. I started and finished the audio version in one day.

For the story - it includes complex and entertaining characters. Lots of emotions in the book but just as many for the reader/listener as the story translates so well and it is so easy to feel like you are in the place of the characters. They are relatable and flawed in a perfect combination.

The narration was just as good as the story. Clearly able to distinguish between the characters.

I will be recommending this book to my suspense reader friends.

Rachel and Noah have been friend since they met at university. While they once thought they would be something more, now, twenty years later, they are happily married to other people, Jack and Paige respectively. Jack's brother is about to get married to impulsive Ali and the group of six friends travel to Portugal for their destination weekend. They arrive at a gorgeous villa where Rachel is looking forward to getting to know her future sister-in-law Ali better. But Ali rubs most of the group up the wrong way.

Nearly everyone of the characters hides a dark secret. If just one secret manages to surface, the friendship will quickly fall apart. The story covers: murder, adultery, suspicion and secrets. I didn't feel sorry or like any of the characters. There's parts of the story that drag out, but the last few chapters were worth waiting for. When Rachel learns certain truths about Ali, the plotline spirals. And there's the death of one of the characters. I did feel the second [art of the book was a bit rushed.

Three couples, vacation and tons of drama! There are so many things going on and found myself rooting for someone and heavily irritated with the same couple of characters. The first few chapters isn't as intense but as the drama unfolds, whoa! I stayed up to finish it., I truly enjoyed the narration, it gives the book justice! Thank you for the audiobook copy!

Rachel and Jack. Paige and Noah. Will and Ali. Five friends who’ve known each other for years. And Ali, Will’s new fiancée. They went away as friends. They came back as suspects.
The Guilt Trip begins with the three couples traveling to Portugal for Ali and Will's destination wedding. Ali is a newcomer to the group, and soon Rachel discovers a shocking secret about her... then everything changes. As the weekend continues, more secrets continue to spill out, marriages are threatened , and someone ends up dead.
For me, this was just okay. It started out interesting and had me hooked, but then starting to feel extremely repetitive... we get it, you're all unlikable characters with things you are hiding. If you like soap operas, this may be for you. Full of drama and infidelity, it just fell a little flat for me. The conclusion felt a bit rushed and dramatic. I'm sorry I cannot provide a more positive review.

“ ‘I wish I hadn’t got pregnant so young,’ she says thoughtfully. “But I would never have done anything about it once it had happened.’ “ <— this speaks to my soul ☺️

The Guilt Trip gives you three couples traveling to a seaside Portuguese villa for the wedding of one of the couples, Will and Ali. Of the other two couples, Jack and Rachel are married and best friends with Noah and Paige. Yet Rachel and Noah were college sweethearts and Noah is Rachel’s the one that got away. Also Jack and Will are brothers. Whew. Confused yet? Me too.

2 1/2 ⭐️ rounded up to 3. I felt that the book started off strong, albeit with some very unlikeable characters. Ali seems ditzy, attention seeking, and immature. Jack is ornery. None of them seemed all that reliable. Then they arrive in Portugal and the shit really hits the fan. Affairs are unearthed, but we’re not sure amongst whom because everyone is lying. You’ve gotta give me at least ꪮꪀꫀ character to root for, otherwise who cares who is cheating?!

Towards the end of the book I just found it rushed and a bit confusing. I actually had to reread the last chapter and the epilogue because twists were 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓁𝓁 being thrown in and I wasn’t even sure what was happening at that point.

I did enjoy the audio version more than the print. Clare Corbett has an amazing accent and she did a great job giving these mostly unlikable characters some heart and emotion.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press,
Macmillan Audio and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Six friends (three couples) are preparing for a destination wedding. Upon arriving, the couples begin to deal with drama and begin uncovering love triangles swirling in rumors among the group. Ali, the bride, is rubbing the group the wrong way, and Rachel is beginning to believe that she may be having an affair with her husband. The novel is a twisty turning thriller where you begin to wonder what is the truth and how will it impact everyone's marriage? I really enjoyed this as an audiobook - I flew through it!

The synopsis of this one was so intriguing and I’m super bummed that it fell flat for me. Too much going on, I felt like things got confusing and then a weird resolution in like 20 pages that just left me kind of … hanging. This is actually my first read from this author and I’d try another, if recommended.

Wow!! The Guilt Trip was just what I needed. It keep me on my toes the entire time and then surprised me again at the end!! Sandie had me hating characters then loving them and vice versa. Definitely would recommend to anyone who needs a good thriller that they can’t put down.

Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars

This book was ok. I was really excited for it when I read the description, but it ended up falling a little flat for me. Six friends head to a villa in Portugal for the wedding of two of them, but then some secrets come out that affect them all in different ways. I'm trying to be super vague with my description because honestly, anything else will give too much away. I didn't guess quite everything, but there were some things that were pretty predictable.

I think my main issue with this book was that the first half was really boring. It was mostly them just sitting around, gossiping and drinking, and that's basically it. It does pick up in the second half, although it's more the thirty percent, but by then, it was just a little too late for me. I also think the author didn't quite know what genre they wanted to write. I normally don't mind overlapping genres in fiction, but I think this one was trying to do a little too much, and ended up not doing any of them well. The characters also didn't have much depth, with the exception of Ali. I felt like they were all mostly one dimensional, and I found myself not really caring about most of them.

Overall, I can't say that I recommend this, but I didn't mind finishing it to find out what happened.

Three couples go away on a trip that should be the experience of a lifetime. However, soon after embarking on their journey it becomes evident that the couples don’t know each other as well as they thought. The trip quickly takes a dark turn and only one thing is for sure, nothing will ever be the same.
This story was a fast paced, domestic thriller that kept me guessing at who was friend and who had sinister intentions. I listened the audiobook and would highly recommend it. The narrator did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life. Put in your headphones, enjoy the ride, and try to guess who can be trusted.

This is the story of three couples who lives are interwoven. Rachel and Noah have known each other since University, Rachel is married to Jack and Noah is married to Paige. Rachel and Paige become best friends over the years as they both raise their children. Jack’s brother is getting married and it brings all the couples together in what can only be described as a crazy trip!

This book was a fast read full of twists and turn!

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones is a domestic thriller in the truest sense. Two couples, Rachel & Jack and Noah & Paige, travel to Portugal for the wedding of Ali and Will, Ali is vivacious and outgoing, but childish, leading to suspicion from the established couples. Things escalate, leading to a far-fetched final climax and an ambiguous denouement.
Those more familiar with Jones' previous books might have recognized this for a domestic thriller, but unfortunately, I did not. The synopsis led me to believe it would be a traditional thriller/murder mystery, so I was left disappointed. The books was slow and repetitive, with Rachel (the POV character) bouncing from suspicion to trust and back again. I think it just wasn't for me.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was good. I think it's what kept me even somewhat engaged.
Overall, an average read I probably won't remember in a month.

I was excited to read this book because of all the great reviews I was seeing, and it did not disappoint. Four friends leave the country to attend their friend's wedding. While on their trip, suspicions arise around the bride and secrets begin to unfold, causing one heck of a wedding.

It's hard to talk about the many layers of secrets in the book without giving away the juicy details and ending, but the ending has so many twists and turns that you wonder what's going to spring up next in each of the remaining chapters. The book is well written and I found myself liking many of the characters, but I never really knew who could be trusted, so I was always met with suspense and surprise.

I highly recommend this book; it is well worth the read!

This was a rollercoaster of drama. At first, I couldn't get into this book. I left it for awhile and came back to it. Then, it picked up and things were moving along well. The drama came along fast and furious and I was really intrigued. But by 50% into it, the plot was feeling somewhat repetitive. There wasn't a lot of forward movement keeping me intrigued. It wasn't until about 80% in that the drama and impact picked back up. And a lot of that time could have been solved with a conversation, a complicated one but nothing that would necessarily take this long to solve. The ending did throw me for a loop, which was unexpected! But wish the epilogue said a little more than just the few lines.

Drama, drama, and then more drama! Damn, remind me to never go on vacay with this crew! (Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC of The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones!)
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The Guilt Trip is a crazy thriller that works because it leads the reader down so many red herring paths. I guessed some of the twists, but not all of them and was happy that there was some mystery left til the very end.
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Jack & Rachel and Noah & Paige are headed to Portugal to celebrate Jack's brother, Will as he marries the love of his life, Ali. While everything on the surface appears to be a fun couples' trip with a celebration at the end, there are several hidden secrets encompassed within this group of people. Not everyone is as they seem. (Duh duh duhhhhh)
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I generally enjoyed this story and wanted to know what would happen - it definitely was a page-turner. However, it felt like it took a bit too long to "get there" and there were so many repetitive details that I could have done without. Essentially, this could have probably been a short story and I would have found that a bit more enjoyable. 3.5/5. Fun summer thriller, but not likely one that will stay with me.

This book was less thriller, and more domestic drama. I didn't love it until it was about 75% finished, which normally I hate in a book. However, the ending was WILD, which really helped my rating. It was hinting all along that someone could be hurt/dead, but when the book was 80% over, I kept thinking "WHEN is this going to pick up??" And pick up it did - absolutely loved the ending.

If you're a fan of domestic thrillers, I would recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley for this audio-arc. At first glance this book looked like a novel similar to Lucy Foley. I originally thought it was a murder mystery who-done-it but it was not that at all. It was a novel rich with lies and deceit. I was constantly guessing what was true and what was false. The author was able to spin such a web of deceit that constantly made me question everything and everyone. I don’t know if I can trust people ever again lol. This book was definitely an enjoyable read and I would love to read more from Sadie Jones in the future.

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

The Guilt Trip follows two married couples (Rachel and Jack, Paige and Noah) who travel with Jack’s brother Will and his fiancé Ali to Portugal for their wedding. They stay together in what sounds like an amazing seaside villa. Right away, there’s some contention towards Ali, the newcomer to the group. Rachel is more welcoming toward her because they will be sisters-in-law. Also, Ali used to work with her husband Jack.

Ali is younger, flirtatious, over-dramatic and high maintenance. Much of the drama centers around Ali as Rachel discovers inconsistencies and half truths in her stories.

There’s quite a bit of conversations and character development in the first half of the book, mostly between Rachel and bestie Paige. Speculations of extra-marital affairs, paternity, and deception between the couples seem to be the theme here. For long time friends, seems a lot of “stuff” gets revealed during this destination wedding. It makes me wonder how they’ve been able to maintain this friendship with the secrets and lies. But in any drama, things aren’t always how they appear. I thought Ms. Jones did a wonderful job with creating this tense energy.

I found this book entertaining, it kept me guessing throughout due to misdirections and misunderstandings between the characters. I was expecting more of a thriller in a vacation spot, but I liked how all is revealed in the end with some juicy twists.