Oh I loved this book. The narration was spot on. Sometimes narrators tend to drag and hem and haw. Not the case here. Kept my attention for the whole book and I never guessed the ending.

I did a hybrid of audiobook/physical reading for The Guilt Trip which I found to be light on thrills and heavy on domestic drama.

The narration was well done but there were a lot of characters to keep up with which is why I found it easier to read at times. I would have liked more distinction between the characters voices and potentially a male narrator as well.

I found the middle to be a bit repetitive and thought there was a lot of droning on and on about the same things. However, I did enjoy the few twists thrown in at the end but would have enjoyed more suspense throughout.

This was such an incredible book, and the narration was on point! I had such a good time listening to this, and there were several times I couldn't guess what was coming next.

A fabulous destination wedding will bring together 3 couples for a weekend they will never forget. Noah and Paige, Rachel and Jack, Allie and Will, friends and soon to be family find themselves sharing more than just a future together. Long buried secrets and new truths soon come to light as Paige and Rachel, best of friends, become suspicious of Allie's behavior. Is Allie after her fiancé's (Will) brother (Jack)? As Rachel begins to question everyone and everything around her, her own secrets begin to surface and soon, it's hard to know who's telling the truth.

This book had a slow start for me but after picking it up as an audiobook it soon picked up speed and intrigue. As Rachel begins to understand what's going on right under her nose, it was hard to put it down. There were plenty of surprises in the end. It would be great to hear from the other characters perspectives.

3.5 stars.

The Guilt Trip is a mixed bag. The writing is good and the pacing is solid, but the characters are terribly unlikable and the plot seriously jumps the shark. I'd call this one a guilty pleasure. I'm not mad at it, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for either. I enjoyed reading it, but certainly wasn't blown away. That being said, I'd still read another Sandie Jones book in the future.

The setup for the plot in the beginning is a little hazy. Two couples are invited to a wedding. For one couple, the invitation makes sense...the husband is the brother of the groom. The other couple? They're best friends of the first, but barely know the couple getting married. Their reasoning for being invited to (and attending) this destination wedding in Portugal is a bit illogical.

The characters are written and developed well, but nearly all of them are just whiny and entitled. The only one I think I liked at all was Noah, and even then...he wasn't exactly white knight material either. There is just a LOT of dysfunction at play. The narration enhanced this feeling of irritation. The female characters all sounded very similar and the intonation was a bit of a grating pitch. The remainder of the narration was very well done, with a good clip to the flow and nice inflections to the dialogue. A little better distinction in the character voices would have been helpful, but it still worked. I really didn't have anyone to root for, so it was more just waiting for the implosion and watching the chaos ensue.

The plot does move at a pretty good clip and there are a lot of little setup pieces along the way that make sense, but also provide for some minor twists and turns. I did figure out one of the major twists, but it still had a good bit of tension to it and worked well. And then...the ending. Oh boy. Hold on to your seats because there was suspension of belief working here. Things may have been a little crazy up to this point, but then it went full on left turn. It wasn't believable, but it was fun...I'll give it that.

TLDR: Enjoyable, fast read with unlikable characters and a crazy ending that will have you somewhere between rolling your eyes and rolling on the floor.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel/audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Not quite compelling given the strong thrillers that have emerged this year, the plot felt very familiar with the twists feeling quite predictable. Though enjoyable as a quick read, this lacked strong character dynamics and development to make the reader feel invested or on the edge of their seat.

The Guilt Trip was great summer listening! An island setting is always a good escape for the reader.

Great book and audio version. Sandie Jones does not disappoint! Dark and twisty all the way through.

This was a ton of fun and both the end and the epilogue made me gasp. Well done!
I listened to the audiobook of this as an ALC from NetGalley.

I listen to this book on a road trip.. it was ok. Not my favorite book.. I'm just not the fancy-schmancy type and I just really didn't connect with any of these characters.. to be honest I really didn't give a crap about any of them. I just always finish a book once I start so to be honest. Ali was definitely annoying but I also thought Rachel was annoying at times too.. I would never want to hang out with WILL or any of these people so it was kind of hard for me to get into at first and then the ending just left me more confused than not .. but nonetheless it was a book and I read it so thank you for letting me read this Arc netgalley

This is my first introduction to Sandi Jones. I have mixed feelings about this story. The beginning was slow to start, but I stuck with it. The ending was the payoff.

The narrator did a great job of reading this book with a variety of voices to distinguish characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review..

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.


Sandie Jones is becoming a favorite author for me. I really enjoyed this story and was engaged throughout the novel. I wasn't able to figure out the twist in the end. I hope everyone gives this book a chance and then checks out all her other novels.

This book was full of drama, suspicions, rumors, and distrust. The characters were decently well written and interesting, although not entirely likeable. Ali was rather annoying throughout the book, which I suspect was the intent. I found Rachel to be irritating at times as well, with her alternating between trusting and distrusting her husband. The soap opera-esque plotline did keep me guessing and there were some big surprises along the way. Overall, it was entertaining.

I really enjoyed the narrator and would like to listen to more of their work.

I'm a bit torn about this book, because for about 80% of it, I was wondering when we'll actually get to the suspense/thriller part of the story. It promises murder, but that only happens very late in the book. Having said that, I *LOVED* the complexity of the characters. When I let go of the expectation of a fast-moving thriller, I found that I actually really enjoyed reading about these vulnerable, flawed, complex characters. So I would definitely recommend this, but don't go into it expecting a thriller. It's more of a slow-burn suspense drama.

This book is a bit like a soap opera set in a destination wedding. And gosh I wanted to love this book, it sounded like the kind of thing I usually really enjoy. And while I did like it, I just didn't really love it. I can't quite put my finger on why - I'm not a reader who needs to "like" the characters in books I'm reading, but I found all these people were annoying me - whiny and full of "what ifs", and a bit entitled. It was like going to that destination wedding with a bunch of people you don't like. And while I can usually keep characters and events straight in my mind, for some reason I found this one to be confusing. That's especially true of the ending - I found myself wondering when I finished it what had actually happened in the pivotal event. I don't want to say too much and ruin it for others - and honestly it may well have been my mindset when I was listening. If I were to revisit it later I might well have a completely different take on it - I suspect my patience has worn a bit thin these days. So if this sounds like your kind of read, I'd definitely give it a try.
The audiobook was well done, and the narration was excellent.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

I wouldn’t classify The Guilt Trip as a thriller. I felt it was more of a soapy drama with a splash of thrills. You need a score card to keep up with all of the lies and deceptions. Initially I didn’t like any of the characters, but grew to really like a couple by the end. This is a quick, easy read that kept me interested and entertained. The narrators did an excellent job of bringing the story to life and adding an extra layer of enjoyment. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.

Enjoyable read filled with twists and turns. Three couples go away for a wedding event only to dredge up secret after secret. Ending seemed a bit abrupt.

This one was just ok for me. I wasn't overly drawn to the characters and just never really connected with the book. There were lots of twists and turns and I enjoyed the narrator, just not one of my favorite story lines.

The Guilt Trip follows a small group of friends as they arrive in Portugal for a destination wedding. There are three couples that we are following and they all have secrets they are keeping and things quickly start imploding within the group. The story is told through the perspective of Rachel who has been married to Jack for around twenty years and she is there for her brother in law, Will’s, wedding. Also tagging along on the trip are Rachel and Jack’s best friends, Paige and Noah. Rounding out the group is Will’s bride, Ali, that no one other than Will seems to like.

My biggest problem with this story is that it is marketed as a thriller when it is really an adult contemporary for 90% of it and then we get some action. Which is then quickly resolved since it happened at the end. So, the majority of the story rests on the friend group and none of them are likable. Which is usually fine in a mystery or thriller but when the only “action” is drama in the friend group it wears thin very quickly. As for the drama it all felt fairly obvious and I was just waiting for Rachel to get a clue. I wish that Jones had added a prologue where we got glimpse of what was to come at the end because then this book could have had a suspense element that it desperately needed.

I listened to the audiobook of this and I feel like that is the only reason I was able to fly through it. Clare Corbett narrated this book and she did a fantastic job. The way she read it kept me intrigued way more than I would have had I been physically reading it. Her voices and her use of the different tones of her voice all added elements that kept me wanting to listen.

If you are interested in a slow burn domestic contemporary with shades of a thriller then this would be a great one to pick up. I think the setting alone would make this a good choice for the colder months since it will transport you somewhere tropical and warm. I also highly encourage you to look into the audiobook, whether through your library or other ways you access audiobooks, because it will greatly increase your enjoyment of this story.

Six friends travel to Portugal for the wedding of two of the group. What could possibly go wrong?? Well if you’re in a book written by Sandie Jones, quite a lot!
Rachel (Jack) and Noah (Paige) have been friends since university. Will ( Jack’s brother) is marrying Ali. The question is who is really sleeping together and who is really in love with their spouse? This all adds to what is basically a cat and mouse game. Although the end event is shocking, the rest of the book is like an episode of an afternoon soap opera. Definitely not my favorite book by Ms. Jones. There are moments that almost redeem the book, but overall 3.5 ⭐️’s rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook in return for my honest opinion.
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