I hate to write that I really didn’t enjoy this book. I had high hopes for this anticipated summer release, but I felt like it was a little all over the place with the writing. While I was reading I found myself skimming paragraphs at a time as I wasn’t overly invested (which is not really like me). I appreciate that this was a quick read otherwise I would have been even more disappointed. I appreciate there were a few twists here and there that kept up some intrigue without spelling out the whole story, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough for me to rate it much higher than a 2.5.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Wow! I did not see that ending coming at all. I enjoyed the twist on antagonists at the end of the novel, as Ali was portrayed as such a bad character. Definitely worth a read.

The Guilt Trip kept me guessing! Three couples head to Portugal for one wedding. But how many will leave? This book is an addictive page - turner that you won’t be able to quit! This keeps you guessing up until the very last sentence, and even then, you don’t know what might happen! If you want a book that will keep you on the EDGE. OF. YOUR. SEAT. I highly suggest this read!! Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Three couples head to Portugal for a wedding. One character ends up dead and one in prison. Is Ali really that flirty? Is Paige really that controlling? And is Rachel really that naive? They will all keep you guessing in this fast paced, twisty read. One reason I wanted to read this book was that it was set in Portugal, a place I visited just prior to the pandemic. Sadly, this book could have been set in any seaside resort town and did not give me the sense of Portugal I was craving. Still a great read though.

Sure to be a major summer blockbuster, grab this book and prepare for a wild trip in this fast-paced destination-wedding-gone wrong thriller! Three couples set off together to attend a dream wedding, but there are bumps along the way from the very beginning. There are hidden secrets among these wedding guests that connect and threaten those around them. This was a thrilling page-turner with lots of surprising twists that kept me guessing until the last page.

This was yet another quick, engaging thriller by Jones (I’ve read them all). She is the master of characters acting one way, but then making your realize that things are not always as they seem, and thus those actions may have a different purpose than the obvious. I enjoyed the setting and the unique ending. If you liked any of Jones other novels, I think you’ll enjoy this one too. READ: The Other Woman first, if not!

3.7 🌟

Sandie Jones, you have done it again! I have just finished reading The Guilt Trip and my heart is racing! If you are a fan of Sandie Jones (and if you’re not you should be) you will want to jump at the chance to read her latest. She has given us readers another exciting novel! What starts as a group of friends heading out to a destination wedding, ends with nothing as it was before they left. I don’t want to give any details away because that’s half the fun seeing as each truth is brought out to the open. And just when you think you believe someone and what is happening, you soon find out nope, wrong. Just wait! Grab your copy August 3rd!!! Which also happens to be my birthday!! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for the ARC!!!

This book drew me in at the beginning but as it went the drama was too high for me and it felt like everyone was just concerned about cheating. It seemed to take awhile to get into the thriller aspect and their was a lot of character building filled with drama.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

The Guilt Trip caught me right from the first page and didn't let go until I finished! I was drawn in immediately into Rachel's world, and it was refreshing to have a main character in this genre that I liked and was rooting for. Often I finish these books feeling like everyone was a horrible person, but not so here. There were a few things that surprised me (I thought I had it all figured out right away, but I sure didn't!). I'm being purposely vague because I think this is one of those books that's best to go into mostly blind, but I loved the revealed depth of a specific character who could have easily been kept plot-device shallow. Additionally, I loved that not everything was as it seemed. I devoured nearly the entire book on a plane ride. It's the perfect summer escapism we all need after the stress of last year!

After reading the synopsis I was expecting a fast paced murder mystery at a wedding in Portugal, a similar storyline to ‘The Guest List’ (even the cover looks very similar) but unfortunately, this was not that.

The story follows 3 couples, travelling to Portugal for a wedding, and slowly, secrets and betrayals are revealed. Emphasis on the word slowly. We spend most of the time reading Rachel’s internal monologue and it gets very repetitive. There isn’t much action until the last few chapters of the book, and even that isn’t very exciting, and actually pretty confusing. By the end of it, I still didn’t know really know what happened and the epilogue only made it more confusing for me.

One thing that bothered me was a side story about one of the characters being overweight in the past. It was written in a way that it’s something to be embarrassed about or ashamed of. There’s a lot of negative talk and shame surrounding women’s ages and appearances. I feel like I see this in so many books these days, can we just stop doing that?

All in all, it’s still a decent drama, but I was expecting a thriller murder mystery, so I ended up being disappointed. I have read all of Sandie Jones’ books so far, and will still continue to.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

The Guilt Trip is one trip you will not want to make reservations for! I prefer my trips with happy memories and drama free arguments. This is not the case for 6 friends or 3 couples. Affairs, secrets, and lies are exposed. What will the fallout be after the damage is out there?
Pretty decent story. A lot of build up at the beginning with a fairly whiney wife who questions her husband's fidelity the entire trip. The end finally explodes with an act that one of them commits but no one can believe to be true. Will marriages and friendships survive this trip?
This title is due out August 3, 2021. Look for it this summer. Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Oh what a crazy twisted guilt trip it was! Guilt is such a powerful emotion that it seems to leak out of our pores for others to see because it affects our behavior in ways we don't even realize. Two married couples go on a trip to another country to attend the wedding of the third couple they are traveling with. They all have complicated relationships with each other and some have a history with each other that goes back years. Once they all reach the wedding destination tensions rise and guilty secrets leak out slowly until the biggest secret is revealed. I enjoyed this story from the beginning to the satisfying ending.

This book is a fun but somewhat overcomplicated book. The premise brings three couples to a destination, where secrets are revealed and of course thrills commence. The premise of the book obviously hints at lies and secrets between the couples, which makes the characters come off as a hit unlikeable. Due to all the secrets, everyone appears suspect, but it felt too purposeful at times which was annoying. Overall I think it is worth the read as the plot twists aren't all predictable. Due to the large cast and additional minor characters, there does feel like some wasted space getting to know all these people.

Wasn’t my favorite for a “thriller.” Not very likable characters and so many useless questions. Kind of frustrating to read

I was hooked from the get-go. This was a gripping, fast-paced, quick read that I couldn't put down until the end. The title of the book is great. Each one of the characters had a secret that ultimately would come out. None of the characters were really likeable although towards the end, this reader started to understand and forgive their behaviors. The build up and suspense had me entertained throughout. Excellent read. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Six friends are traveling to Portugal for Ali and Will's wedding. Even though they are friends, there is some tension in the group when they arrive at the airport and Ali cannot find her passport. Ali rubs Jack, Will's brother, the wrong way and Rachel, his wife, can't figure out why. Ali is flamboyant, flirty, loud, and likes to drink, however, Rachel is hoping to get to know her new sister-in-law better on this trip. The weekend takes a turn for the worse when Jack tells his wife and two of the friends that Ali is cheating on Will. When Rachel overhears Ali confide that she doesn't want any children after Ali tells Will she can't wait to start having babies, Rachel doesn't know what to do. With all of the lies and deceit, it is no surprise that the weekend ends in murder.

Sandie Jones is a master of the psychological thriller and her latest book does not disappoint. I love it when I can't figure out who the good and bad guys are. Great for beach reading and Bookclub discussions.

This was not exactly what I was expecting. However, once I got through the first few chapters, I enjoyed it. I was interested in the web of relationships and connections between the characters. Great dialogue and situational suspense!

I really enjoyed Sandie Jones last book, and this one was an easy read but I felt like it was rather predictable and needed more of a story line to keep me hanging on. I definitely didn't see the ending coming which is good but I thought there could have been a bit more going on. It would be a good beach read.

This book personifies the old adage, don't judge a book by its cover. It may have seemed that Rachel and Jack had the perfect marriage but it certainly was not the case as she learned more and more about the person she had believed to be and who.he actually was. In addition, Ali was believed to be all looks and no substance which could not have been further from the truth. She was the best one of them all. Quite a shocking ending and epilogue!

This was not what I expected it to be. Having read Sandie Jones in the past, it was a bit of a departure. Typically I would describe her books as thrillers. This had a thriller element toward the end, but was far more focused on the core relationships. Despite the departure, the book kept me interested and hooked. I enjoyed the story and kept coming back to it as I wanted to know how the relationships would evolve. The title really sums up a major theme of the story. I found the book fun and engaging and a great summer read.