This book is just not working for me, I pick it up and put it down so many times I have lost count. The writing style is not working for me, I dont care about any of the characters for some reason. I'm not putting the feedback on my platforms because maybe its just me and it will work perfectly fine for others.

I absolutely enjoyed The Guilt Trip! Sandie Jones delivers a high-stakes thriller with simmering tension, sharp relationships, and enough deception to keep you guessing until the very last page.

The evolving dynamics among the friends—old flames, jealous spouses, hidden affiliations—are crafted with magnetic intrigue. Rachel’s dawning suspicions about Ali, combined with Jack and Noah’s conflicting responses, heighten the emotional undercurrents in ways that feel both real and unsettling. Recommend!

𝙈𝙮 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:

This was messy in the exact right way. Secrets, lies, passive-aggressive glances, simmering tension—The Guilt Trip is one of those “everyone’s lying and no one’s okay” thrillers that unfolds over one chaotic destination wedding weekend, and I loved the drama of it all.

The setup is deceptively simple: three couples, longtime friends, a scenic cliffside villa in Portugal… and enough buried resentment to guarantee something bad is going to happen. Sandie Jones keeps the chapters snappy and the perspective claustrophobic, building a slow but steady sense of dread. Everyone here is suspicious, and part of the fun is watching the characters spiral under the weight of things left unsaid.

It’s not super twisty, and a few of the reveals were predictable—but I didn’t mind. The psychological tension and interpersonal dynamics were more compelling than any big “gotcha” moment. I also appreciated how it explored jealousy, trust, and the fragility of long-term relationships under pressure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Sandie Jones for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Guilt Trip is available now!

Absolutely loved this book! The suspense was enough to keep you on the edge of your seat all the way! Nail biting suspense!

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones is a psychological thriller that centers on Rachel and Jack, a married couple attending Jack’s brother Will’s destination wedding in Portugal. The story delves into the complexities of their relationships with friends and family, particularly focusing on Rachel's suspicions about her husband's interactions with others. As secrets unravel, the novel explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the consequences of hidden truths. While this book offers a suspenseful premise, I found the narrative to be predictable and lacking in depth.

Twists and turns and you never know who is lying or who is telling the truth. A good lesson in jumping to conclusions and coming up with 2+2=5. Never tink you know what you know. A like slow and repetitive in a few places by overall a quick easy read. Enjoyed he book despite the Alford Hitchcock type ending. I read an Advanced reader copy but was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Overall The Guilt Trip was a pass for me. I found this as well with the last Sandie Jones I had read. I had a hard time deciding if this was a mystery thriller or a romance. I felt underwhelmed reading this book and was ready to start a new book.

A destination wedding and a murder...unfortunately it has been done a few times already and I couldn't find anything to set this one apart from the others. I did finish it but it definitely didn't draw me in and keep me there like I was hoping that it would.

I’ve loved Sandie Jones’ past books and “The Guilt Trip” didn’t disappoint! I loved the twist and setting and am excited to read her next novel!

The premise of the destination wedding is a fun one. It provides the perfect setting for a who done it. What I also found in this story was the theme of friendships. What brings us together and how and why are we able to stay together. A great book to bring on a weekend getaway!

Gave this book a try but overall didn’t enjoy it. Wasn’t able to get into the story as much as I wanted to.

this book was just okay.
i was able to read it and enjoy it for the most part, i just did not love it like i thought i would.

after a couple of days i kind of just forgot about the book, nothing really lingered with me.

Sandie Jones's "Guilt Trip" is a psychological thriller that explores the complexities of friendships, secrets, and betrayals. Jones's ability to create tension and suspense is evident throughout the novel, making it a page-turner for thriller fans.

The story occurs during a seemingly perfect group vacation designed for a destination wedding, which starts to fall apart as hidden truths emerge. The setting and premise are captivating, and Jones does a commendable job of keeping the reader guessing about the characters' true motives and past actions.

However, the novel falls short in a few areas. The pacing can be inconsistent, with some sections feeling rushed while others drag on without significant developments. Additionally, while the characters are initially well-drawn and interesting, their actions and decisions sometimes lack depth and realism, leading to moments of frustration for the reader.

In summary, "Guilt Trip" is a captivating yet unremarkable thriller. It does well at building suspense and diving into intricate relationships but falls short of standing out in its genre.

Loved this one! The Guilt Trip is the first book I have read by Sandie Jones but it won't be my last. This was such a well done thriller. I couldn't stand to put it down and stayed up way too late to finish. I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Good bones, but execution needed work. While I was excited by the premise, I didn’t find myself interested when I started reading. I stopped reading at 13%. I then skipped to the ending to read the last chapter, and it felt contrived. Obviously I had missed the middle, so that doesn’t mean much. 3-4 stars for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I liked the start of this, half way though sort of lost interest, and the end was just a lot so fast.

Recommended audience: people looking for a guilty pleasure read that’s super engaging and keeps you wanting to turn the page.

I was hooked to the story, but semi rolled my eyes with all the deceit and alleged infidelity. It definitely had drama and twists. Lots of characters to keep track of and I can’t honestly say I know what happened at the end haha It didn’t wrap up in the clear way I wanted to so I’m not sure if we know who was lying or telling the truth

Interesting web of lies spinning tales book but overall just didn’t do it for it, I couldn’t get into the characters and I felt like the build up took 99% of the book and then didn’t explode like you’d expect.

2.5 stars. I did not enjoy this book. Lots of drama and soap opera like chapters. I could not stand Ali. Made it hard to get through the book. Slow and couldn't keep my attention at all. I do like a good destination wedding read with some drama and thrills. This book also has the exotic location that I look for from time to time. I thought this looked really good. It is not for me though. I was bored and pushed through. The 3 couples just annoyed me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to read for review. I will give the author another try.

This book had an interesting premise, but went off the rails fairly quickly. No character is likeable as they are all hiding something. Yet, they decide to all go to Portugal together so two of them can get married. Even though it seems like no one likes the bride? The whole thing was odd and seemed a bit forced.

The book is told through the perspective of Rachel. She has secrets of her own but seems to be easily influenced by others. She implicitly trusts her husband and decides not to trust Allie (the bride). And still everyone lies to each other and pretty much ruins not only Allie's wedding day but her wedding weekend.

The ending is left up in the air, which is annoying. I like things wrapped up and I want to know what happened. This doesn't have that.