3.5 stars. This is a gripping read that I couldn’t wait to dive back into every time I had to put it down. I was very invested in seeing where the characters ended up.

Three couples arrive at a villa in Portugal for the wedding of Ali and Will. Rachel and Noah have been friends since their university days. Fast forward twenty years and Rachel is married to Jack. Noah is married to Paige, Rachel’s BFF. And Jack’s brother, Will is marrying the beautiful, but exhausting Ali.

The group, with the exception of Will, collectively agree that Ali embellishes the truth a lot and is a major attention-seeker. As the wedding looms closer tensions arise between all the couples and everyone suspects it’s all the fault of one person.

Like I mentioned above, I was really invested in how this story would play out. I correctly guessed some of the major plot points fairly early on, but was still compelled to keep reading. It seemed so obvious to me what was going on. The climax of the story was a bit too dramatic for my liking, but overall I did enjoy reading this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Oh boy. In 120+ galley's I've never had to leave a review like this, where unfortunately I have nothing constructive to sandwich my disappointment with.

I am a huge fan of Sandie Jones and I routinely recommend "The Other Woman" *and* "The Half Sister" to friends when they're looking for a well written quick read. This one though, was honestly a disaster. Reading this book with all its miscommunications was like watching a 'Three's Company Marathon but without the redeeming humor.

The one thing I can say in the positive column is that I do feel like a talented Netflix producer might be able to use the setting, alternating perspectives, and creative scene cuts to make it less obvious and set a much more nefarious tone. If they did that I would certainly watch it, but this one was just a big miss for me.

“The Guilt Trip” by Sandie Jones
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers/Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Pub. Date: August 3, 2021

Do not be guilted into reading this tedious novel that revolves around three couples that repeatedly asks the questions who loves who and who is cheating on who. One wife, who is the book’s main narrator, tortures herself with suspicious thoughts, which seems to be the story’s only theme. Maybe for you but, certainly not for this reviewer.

I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

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I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

I really liked the premise of this book and the characters and setting were fun. I had a bit of a hard time with a few things. For one, it seems a bit unrealistic to think Noah didn't have suspicions regarding Josh for so many years. Also, literally 5 of the 6 main characters had some type of secret they were hiding and that seemed a bit much. All worked out for most of the characters in the end, which I liked, and the book engaged me. I had many moments where I wanted to yell at one or more characters to just come out and be truthful or communicate fully. That can be maddening but I like it. I look forward to more books by this author.

Three couples have gathered at a cliff- side villa in Portugal for a wedding.

29 year old Ali is marrying Will, who is the brother of her former boss, Jack.
Jack is married to Rachel, and she is best friends with Paige who is married to Noah, who was Rachel’s best friend growing up.

Got all that?

CONVERSATIONS

The first part of the book focuses on conversations, mostly between Rachel and Paige, who at 42 years old, with grown children, are feeling a bit insecure about if “they have still got it” in comparison to the gorgeous bride-to -be.

INCRIMINATIONS

The second part of the book is a series of incriminations which resulted from those conversations and were often based on gossip and misunderstandings.

REVELATIONS

DROP THE 🎤

Once, Rachel grabs the microphone from the wedding’s DJ, the revelations come fast! Yet, it felt like it took a long time to get to this point...

This book was very reminiscent of another for me, and I cannot say that I found much to be surprising.
But, I do read a lot of SUSPENSE.

Sandie Jones does know how to hook you from the start, so if you are a fan of the author, OR new to the genre, you may find it more entertaining than I did.

It was just average for me. 3⭐️

Thank You to Minotaur for my gifted copy. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Available August 3, 2021

There were so many characters that it felt like I had trouble keeping the characters/plotline straight. The writing felt incredibly slow until the last 10%.

In this “not everything is as it seems” page-turner, you will meet people you like then hate, hate then like or just really really don’t want to know. It’s a great summer read — fast-paced, lots of twists & turns and great writing! Definitely take this on your next vacation and be happy you’re not away with these people! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book; I thoroughly enjoyed it!

After reading The First Mistake, I knew Sandie Jones would become an auto-read author for me. Sandie's writing style is smooth and leaves you pining for just one more chapter!

How well do you know your friends? After reading The Guilt Trip, I am not too sure! A group of 6 long time friends head to Portugal to enjoy a wedding . When Rachel discovers something she cant believe, everything begins to unravel. Secrets and betrayal are just the tip of the iceberg.

This book is filled with twists and turns, my anxiety raged from early on. Sandie Jones, has once again done it! Great read. I would happily recommend this book to anyone who will listen! I absolutely loved it!

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review.

Unfortunately I don't think this book was for me. I found myself having to force myself to continue. Rachel and Noah and 5 friends go to a villa for a family wedding. Many secrets are found out and revealed. I did not find myself liking or connecting to any of these characters, especially Ali who seemed very selfish and immature. Could not wait to finish.

Review posted on www.instagram.com/WeLikeBigBooks on May 25:

🏝Christina’s Book Review🏝

Hi friends, how’s your week going so far? I have a book review for you today...The Guilt Trip, which comes out on August 3rd.

This one is very Agatha Christie lite. I really didn’t like most of characters from the first chapter. However, I did race to finish it. There’s a lot of suspense in every chapter as everyone’s secrets threaten to spill out at any moment. I wish I knew a little more about the backgrounds of the characters to compare their normal behaviors to how they were acting under this stressful environment. Overall, it’s perfect if you’re looking for a quick, suspenseful, soapy read. Thanks to #netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Three couples travel to a beautiful Portuguese villa for one of the weddings. Its however, does not all go smoothly as one would like and nothing is as it seems. This is a story that draws you in and keeps you wanting to read on to see how it will end. It was pretty a pretty fast paced thriller. I've loved all of the other books by this author and continue to be a fan. I recommend this! Thank you NetGalley and the publisehr for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. f you like twisty thrillers, then this book is for you! This book follows a group of friends who go away for a destination wedding in Portugal. What happens next will keep you guessing and trying to figure out the truth among all of the secrets and lies. I really enjoyed reading this and it keep me turning the pages well into the night! This is a perfect summer read if you like relationship thrillers...fast paced and captivating!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

I really love a good vacation book with a tropical locale, and The Guilt Trip set in Portugal will definitely give you beach-y vibes. Four best friends are headed to an isolated villa to celebrate the wedding of one of the couple's brothers. The bride to be is younger, and the two couples find her insufferable. So when the groom's brother drops the bombshell he knew she had an affair, she is even harder to like. As the wedding plans stay in motion, things are not what they seem.
The first half of this one was great, but the main character, Rachel's, jealousy and suspicions are so out of left field it's almost laughable. I just got so tired of it. She has convinced herself the bride is having an affair with her husband and keeps picturing them in the same questionable position, even though there really is no real proof. The drama and secrets are juicy, and will keep you reading, but the ending just left me unsatisfied. It's just a little too unreal.

This is a book that I wanted so much to like! I loved The Other Woman and The First Mistake and I find Sandie Jones to be an amazing author. This book just missed the mark for me. **Spoilers ahead.** I felt as though the “real relationship” members was extremely predictable from the first few pages. I also thought that most of the book was just characters being suspicious and a lot of “do you think he could really do this?!” or “have you asked him about it” or “I hope he doesn’t know about it”, to me it was an extreme amount of speculation and not enough “meat” to the story.

I was so utterly confused by the ending. I didn’t see the accident coming, but I also truly don’t understand the epilogue. I know that it was meant to “reveal” the truths but personally I just couldn’t comprehend who was speaking or what really happened. I went back and re-read the ending and the epilogue twice just to see if I was missing something.

Additionally, I didn’t think any of the characters were very much relatable. Rachel is a housewife with barely a personality trait. Noah has been harboring on a “long lost love” for over twenty years. Move on, man! Jack is a jerk, Will is a filler character, and Paige is lacking. Ali is the only real character with any type of background or personality and even that isn’t expressed until the very end of the book. I found it so hard to get invested in these characters emotions and actions.

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

There is a lot of finger pointing, back stabbing, distrusting and resurrecting buried secrets between the characters in this book. For a group of friends, they certainly had a lot to say or assume about each other in the first part of the book, and most was unkind. While all those issues are evident on on the surface of the story there is a whole other level of deceit that the reader doesn’t discover until later.
One of the characters finally sees through the lies and realizes her assumptions were misplaced and regrets the damage she has caused but that shame comes a little late to the party for the resulting consequences.
The constant he said/she said storyline reminds you of your days in grammar school, not of a group of worldly adults and it is wearying as you read it.
While I had my hunches about the outcome there was still a surprise at the end and I was glad I stayed with the book.

This was a nail biter in all kinds of ways. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, It took all kind of twists and turns. Really good and I would recommend it highly.

I really wanted to like this book, but sadly it missed the mark for me. At 80% through, all that had happened was that each of the main characters had conversations with each other at different times about the same thing. He talked to her, she talked to him, she talked to her, etc. It got really tedious and I found myself skimming because it seemed like I kept reading the same conversation over and over. By the time the action took place, I found myself reading only in order to finish the book. Like I said, I wanted to enjoy this, and it seems like many people do, so take this feedback as you will.

Thank you for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Make no mistake, TRUST & LOVE are the bonding glue to a healthy relationship. Breaking that trust can often lead to a person's change that can sometimes be irretrievable. Sadly, some good people are betrayed but knowing which ones are good can be a deceptive facade. They also say FIRST IMPRESSIONS are said to bind your beliefs about someone, but it can also lead you to misjudge a character. This book draws you into these 3 important perceptions.

As family and friends gather for a weekend together in a Portugal Villa for Ali & Will's wedding...tensions rise. Even the most complex bonds within them are tested over some of life's most challenging moments. What should have been a celebration of a new family member for Rachel and Will's brother, Jack, Ali's lively personality irritates the guests. Rachel's best friend throughout her childhood is Noah and his wife Paige.... her go-to-girl and confidante. They draw conclusions about Ali and become fixated on her flaws. Then Jack delivers some scandalous info about an apparent affair she is having, which would crush his brother if he knew. This circle of friends become engaged in so many situations...some are rather hot and steamy scenes.

One of Ashley McBryde's lyrics comes to mind..."thing is, we all got secrets".... This could not be more true. While a finger is pointing to Ali, some are pointing back at themselves.

A perfect title "The Guilt Trip". A well-written, exhilarating book that scored for me.
Thank you St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for this outstanding ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This summer’s see-everywhere beach read, The Guilt Trip is a fast-paced thriller set in the picturesque surfside town of Nazaré, Portugal. Our story begins as three London couples – Rachel and her husband Jack, Paige and her husband Noah, and Ali and Will – the bride- and groom-to-be – descend upon the cliffside village for an intimate family wedding and the ultimate European getaway. Things start to devolve rapidly, though, as fans of Sandie Jones (The Other Woman) might expect. Our lead character Rachel stumbles into secret after secret, is led to question what goes on behind closed doors in marriages she thought she knew, and uncovers doubts about her own past that she’s tried to keep buried for twenty years. Perfect for fans of heart-pounding drama, plot-driven mysteries, and stream of consciousness internal dialogue, readers will tear through The Guilt Trip at a frantic pace, eager to uncover the characters’ secrets, root out truth from lies, and turn page after page to race toward the big reveal.