I thought the book was fast paced and easy to read, but the characters annoyed me overall. I liked the writing and the premise and the twists were good but a little predictable. Jones did a good job with character development and really put the reader in Rachel's shoes as an unreliable narrator, but I wish there was more depth to the characters.

This novel and the DRAMA within its pages is one of the reasons I do not go to weddings anymore. Let alone the about of money that is tossed away. IN this case three couples "shake up" for the weekend in Portugal for a destination wedding. Old friends talk and things spill out. The Novel unfolds fast, then slow, then fast again, it takes days in the lives of the characters JUST for it to all go BOOM! for us the readers, You think I read all of that, and then that is the answer I get....that is the conclusion the characters get????
That is why I hinged on 4 stars instead of 5. All the drama of a Showtime Movie is there BUT a little more could make it a thrilling blockbuster.

I was so bummed that I didn't love this one. I had a hard time following the characters (so many of them) and the plot was a bit confusing for me. I hate to say anything negative about an authors work as I could not do what they do but this one did not hit the mark for me. I do look forward to more from the author in the future as I have enjoyed her other books. (2.5 stars- rounded to 3).

I started this one and struggled to get into it. Could be the timing, I'm going to try and pick it up at a later date and see if that helps.

LOVED this one so much. Really enjoyed the setting, trope, and the who dun it vibes. If you enjoy domestic thrillers, this one is perfect for you. I was hoping the ending would have more of a punch, but it is still a book I will be recommending! Thank you so much for a copy of The Guilt Trip!

I felt slightly disappointed with this one. This was my first Sandie Jones and I had higher expectations for the novel as a thriller. Really the entire novel is circling this massive event which we know impacts a group of friends on a vacation before a wedding. Do we know what happened? Not yet. The buildup was too slow and frankly overdramatic, and then the event is unbelievable! And usually I never think that! I did not like the ending at all. Thought it was over the top and ridiculous with little explanation as to character actions. Not an enjoyable thriller for me. I did give it two stars because something inside of it kept me reading vs just DNF so that's something.

This book was not for me. I don't think the author is for me as I have not enjoyed any of the books she has written. The story leading up to the big bang seemed to take forever to get there and the finished product was not worth it. It happened in a second and the lead up was long so the pacing of this book was off to me. The drama between the characters almost didn't seem believable at times either.. Overall, would not suggest this thriller to readers as there are other ones out there that are better.

I liked this one but I expected it to more of a thriller. I found it to be more of a drama. It was an easy read and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I have always enjoyed Sandie Jones’ books!

I really enjoy anything that Sandie Jones writes, and this one was no different. I love stories that take place on islands, and this one really captivated my attention. I read the whole thing in one sitting- I couldn’t wait to find out how it ended.

I struggled with this one a bit. I felt like it started off good and interesting and then quickly fell apart midway through the book and got repetitive but also hard to follow. I stuck with it and finished it and the ending was definitely not something I saw coming and given recent current events (Waukesha tragedy) it hit a little too close to home for this Wisconsin girl. Really wishing I had given up reading the book midway through now.

When three couples travel to Portugal for one of their weddings, things take an unfortunate turn. Noah and Rachel are old friends who thought they might be more, but are now both happily married. Jack is Rachel’s husband, and his brother Will is getting married to Ali. Ali is immature and rubs the group the wrong way. Paige, Noah’s wife thinks Ali just wants attention, but is there more to it? Rachel uncovers a secret that Ali is keeping, one that might cause all of their marriages to unravel.

This book read more like a soap opera to me than a thriller. About 90% of the story is leading up to the wedding, and it is filled with Rachel and Paige gossiping about Ali and realizing that none of these characters are being honest with each other. It was hard to find any of the characters likable because of this. Although there were some good reveals at the end that I did not see coming, I did think it took a long time to get to them. This book was a bit repetitious at times and could have been a little shorter in my opinion. I also would classify this book as a domestic drama instead of a thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was the first book I've read by Sandie Jones and I was impressed! I loved this book throughout and the characters as well. The ending was a bit off to me as I felt like I needed more!

I didn't love this as much as I wanted to. I found it a bit too much of a slow burn for me. Plus the characters were all unlikeable.

I didn't finish this book on NetGalley before it expired. I felt guilty about that and borrowed a physical copy from a friend and I muddled through.

I loved the premise of the book and the descriptions of the wedding venue in Portugal.

Perhaps I was expecting it to be like the Guest List and I was disappointed that it wasn't and perhaps that was unfair.
If you enjoy a slow burn and mostly unlikable characters (which can be fun at times to read about people you can't stand) then I would give this one a chance.

The Guilt Trip had an interesting premise, I just found that I couldn't totally connect with the characters and plotline. I have enjoyed Sandie Jones writing in the past but struggled with feeling invested with the storyline. I found myself wishing for the characters to be a bit more layered and would have liked for more of the plot themes to be flushed out. I think I was just in the space of wanting a bit more overall so this ended up being a bit of a letdown for me.

Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

"The Guilt Trip", by Sandie Jones, is based on three couples: about-to-be-married Will and Ali, and married couples Jack and Rachel and Noah and Paige. As they spend the week together leading up to the wedding, a number of secrets are revealed and eery relationship is threatened. This book had many twists and turns which were very surprising and kept me reading. However, it got confusing at times to decide who to believe and to keep the couples separate in my mind. I also had a hard time really enjoying the characters or finding anyone to root for.

Overall, I enjoyed the mystery/thriller aspect of this book, even if I didn't enjoy the emotional/psychological aspects. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was my first Sandie Jones novel and I have to say she does not disappoint. In this thriller of a novel a group of friends travel for a wedding and as the weekend progresses, secrets and desires come to light. The characters dish out a huge amount of back handed compliments and digs at each other which allow the reader to have serious doubts about the "friendships" portrayed.

As the book progresses, you are not sure which character to believe and who is telling straight up lies. The ending is a bit shocking, but all in all this is a fantastic story. Thank you to NetGally and St. Martin Publishing for a copy of this novel.

SO GOOD! Wild, twisty, the best kind of unlikeable characters. I truly went thinking a whole different direction until the truth was revealed, which is rare for me.

3.5 stars

This was a captivating and engaging book - you definitely don't want to be away from the story for long because you really get invested quickly on what is going on and what happened.

However, for me, I disliked Rachel so much that it clouded the story a bit for me.

The twists and turns are well done and thought out and kept me in the story despite hoping that Rachel would fall off a cliff. ;).

Overall it's an entertaining read but not my most favorite of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Love, love, love The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones. I admit that I thought I knew what was going on right from the start. The reality is, I had NO FLIPPING IDEA what was going on, and my own conclusions we so very wrong. I love a book like that. It kept me hanging on and flipping the pages from beginning to end. There was no character that really annoyed me, and I could honestly relate to them all, which was kind of strange. But this was such a well-done book, and it exposed me to a bit of my own unconscious bias' and helped to teach me that I'm not always right, and I can still be surprised about something or someone.

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.