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. The climax of the story was a bit too dramatic (and gory) for my liking, but overall I did enjoy reading this one.

Thank you to Netgalley

This book started out so promising and had a great premise but quickly became extremely annoying and petty.

The characters were not even remotely likeable and the jealously and mistrust were over the top and unrealistic.

I was excited to give Sandie Jones another try after disliking The Other Woman, but unfortunately this will probably be the last book I'll read by her.

Ultimately stopped reading at 33% because I couldn't take it anymore and I rarely DNF.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Minotaur for the ARC.

Unfortunately this book was just not for me. Based on the synopsis ‘They went away as friends. They came back as suspects.’ And ‘jumping to conclusions becomes the difference between life and death.’ I expected something exciting and suspenseful. Instead, this was just drama. The main character spent the entire book jumping to conclusions and making up entire scenarios in her head without ever discussing her concerns with her husband, or anyone else involved in her inner turmoil. The lack of communication and level of angst the characters suddenly demonstrate within hours of landing in holiday with no real reason confused me. These people have been married and friends for 20+ years and now this is coming up? The ending also left me scratching my head a bit.

If you go into this just expecting family drama then you will probably enjoy this more than I did

On a positive note, the narrator, Clare Corbett was excellent, I would happily listen to other books narrated by her.

You know how sometimes you can spend an entire day or longer preparing an elaborate meal (like the Thanksgiving feast for those of us in the States), and then you realize the actual eating of said meal takes under an hour?

Sandie Jones’s latest novel reminded me of that scenario in that it takes 90% of the book to prepare readers for a thrilling event that’s over and done with before you have a chance to savor it. The questions then are 1) if all the lead-up is enjoyable in itself, and 2) if the finished product made it all worth it.

In order to answer yes to the first, you really (and I mean REALLY) need to enjoy the type of backstabbing domestic drama where gossip is king and everyone is possibly/probably banging someone they shouldn’t be. A handful of couples go away together for a destination wedding weekend in Portugal, and as the story moves along you realize friendship and faithfulness are in very low supply.

I personally did find the final pages of the book to be quite compelling, but I’m also glad it wasn’t one page longer. While it wasn’t a total turkey, this melodrama was a bit overstuffed.

My thanks to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the advance reader and listener copies, respectively. The audiobook has single-person narration performed by the very well cast Clare Corbett. Both formats are available in the US on August 3rd.

Three couples and a lot of secrets... Meet Rachel and Jack and Paige and Noah. They arrive at a seaside wedding in Portugal for Jack's brother and his fiance Ali. But Ali might not be who she seems to be, and everyone seems to have something they are hiding. As everything starts to unravel, the champagne is flowing, and the claws come out, someone will stop at nothing to keep their secret... and punish the others. This one will keep you guessing until the very end. I absolutely loved it.

The characters were well-developed and I even loved to hate some of them. It is definitely an emotional roller coaster that will keep you turning pages. The setting is stunning and it will have you wishing for a beach, a chilled glass of champagne, and an umbrella to read under. This is a perfect summer read, and I highly recommend it. Jones delivers again with The Guilt Trip!

In my quest to find new authors I love this year, I can safely say that Sandie Jones is on that list & I already have her backlist on the way to me!

This story is about six friends making three couples who travel to a villa in Portugal for the wedding of Ali and Will. While this isn’t the most thrilling thriller I’ve ever read, the writing and character relationships and little clues to all the complex feelings between all the characters was SO WELL DONE!!!!

Unfortunately, I just could not get into this one. The characters didn't work for me and so I had a hard time caring about anything that was happening. I really liked the premise, so I was disappointed that I couldn't connect to it enough to enjoy.

The twist in The Other Woman had me floored when I listened to Sandie Jones' previous novel. So when I got the chance to listen to the Guilt Trip I was very excited! Here's the good and the bad.

I'll start with the things I liked. I really like the main character, Rachel. I think Jones did a very good job at capturing what it's like to wrestle with inner demons and your past and how it can make the way you look at others a bit skewed. Especially in someone that is an honestly good person. The dynamics between the three couples were fun, put you on edge, and was even cringey at times (but in a good way). I did at times second guess my opinions of each character. If you are a fan of reality television or soap operas/dramas I think you'll enjoy this book.

Now for what I didn't care for. I felt this book is misleading. I went in thinking that it was more of thriller when I think it is more domestic drama/ contemporary fiction. There is a brief "who dunnit" and there is some thrill trying to figure out if someone is lying and if so, who. Overall, though, I felt like I enjoyed it more thinking it as NOT a domestic thriller. If I was to to look at this like a thriller more, I feel like I'd be more disappointed. I knew from the beginning some of the main "truths" about the characters. The twist was interesting and entertaining but overall not incredibly exciting and a bit underwhelming. I may be comparing this to the author's previous book The Other Woman which I found the twist very exciting and I did not see coming so I would in no way exclude this from your TBR. However, if you are a die hard Thriller fan and doesn't enjoy the more domestic books this may not be for you. If you are just get into thrillers this may be the perfect book for you because there are aspects of it that are thrilling.

Overall I enjoyed this book and was entertained. However, I did not feel it was a thriller. I also suggest going into this as blind as possible. I think that if I would have read the description before I'd have been a bit disappointed while listening. But I went in only knowing the author and her previous book so I think that helped me enjoy it more. The narrator for the audio was fun to listen to as well.

*Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, Macmillan Audio and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book but I did feel it dragged on a little longer than it needed then sped up all the details in the ending. I listened to it on audiobook and I believe that made the crunch of the end a little more difficult to follow. Overall a good twisting story, where you're not sure who to believe.

This a quick and easy read full of twists & turns. It grabs your attention, but then somewhere along the way I realized I wasn't all that invested in the characters or what really happened. I just wanted to scream at them to please TALK! Try and have a conversation like grown adults and see what might happen. HA HA! But that wouldn't make a good story.

The narrator did a great job and I think this book will be quite popular even if it fell a little flat for me.

Another suspenseful thriller from Sandie Jones that kept me guessing until the last word! The Guilt Trip is about a group of friends and family who travel to Portugal for a wedding. The beautifully described setting in a villa on a clifftop overlooking the sea is the perfect backdrop to this eerie story as secrets emerge from every direction. I kept changing my mind about who was telling the truth and what really happened in this whirlwind of a story, and Clare Corbett's beautiful accent and audio book narration really added to the ambiance and suspense of the story!

Guessed the ending way before while I reached the middle but it is written well. The story was a little too long and the end convoluted, but still worth a read.

I was so excited for this audiobook. The cover just screams summer thriller, however that was not the case with the actual book. I had a hard time listening to the audiobook due to the accents and I found the whole dialogue/story very bland. If the characters would’ve just talked to each other then a lot could’ve been solved.

What an excellently written and entertaining book! I got an advanced copy of the audio book version of this and could not stop listening to it. I started and finished the audio version in one day.

For the story - it includes complex and entertaining characters. Lots of emotions in the book but just as many for the reader/listener as the story translates so well and it is so easy to feel like you are in the place of the characters. They are relatable and flawed in a perfect combination.

The narration was just as good as the story. Clearly able to distinguish between the characters.

I will be recommending this book to my suspense reader friends.

Rachel and Noah have been friend since they met at university. While they once thought they would be something more, now, twenty years later, they are happily married to other people, Jack and Paige respectively. Jack's brother is about to get married to impulsive Ali and the group of six friends travel to Portugal for their destination weekend. They arrive at a gorgeous villa where Rachel is looking forward to getting to know her future sister-in-law Ali better. But Ali rubs most of the group up the wrong way.

Nearly everyone of the characters hides a dark secret. If just one secret manages to surface, the friendship will quickly fall apart. The story covers: murder, adultery, suspicion and secrets. I didn't feel sorry or like any of the characters. There's parts of the story that drag out, but the last few chapters were worth waiting for. When Rachel learns certain truths about Ali, the plotline spirals. And there's the death of one of the characters. I did feel the second [art of the book was a bit rushed.

Three couples, vacation and tons of drama! There are so many things going on and found myself rooting for someone and heavily irritated with the same couple of characters. The first few chapters isn't as intense but as the drama unfolds, whoa! I stayed up to finish it., I truly enjoyed the narration, it gives the book justice! Thank you for the audiobook copy!

Rachel and Jack. Paige and Noah. Will and Ali. Five friends who’ve known each other for years. And Ali, Will’s new fiancée. They went away as friends. They came back as suspects.
The Guilt Trip begins with the three couples traveling to Portugal for Ali and Will's destination wedding. Ali is a newcomer to the group, and soon Rachel discovers a shocking secret about her... then everything changes. As the weekend continues, more secrets continue to spill out, marriages are threatened , and someone ends up dead.
For me, this was just okay. It started out interesting and had me hooked, but then starting to feel extremely repetitive... we get it, you're all unlikable characters with things you are hiding. If you like soap operas, this may be for you. Full of drama and infidelity, it just fell a little flat for me. The conclusion felt a bit rushed and dramatic. I'm sorry I cannot provide a more positive review.

“ ‘I wish I hadn’t got pregnant so young,’ she says thoughtfully. “But I would never have done anything about it once it had happened.’ “ <— this speaks to my soul ☺️

The Guilt Trip gives you three couples traveling to a seaside Portuguese villa for the wedding of one of the couples, Will and Ali. Of the other two couples, Jack and Rachel are married and best friends with Noah and Paige. Yet Rachel and Noah were college sweethearts and Noah is Rachel’s the one that got away. Also Jack and Will are brothers. Whew. Confused yet? Me too.

2 1/2 ⭐️ rounded up to 3. I felt that the book started off strong, albeit with some very unlikeable characters. Ali seems ditzy, attention seeking, and immature. Jack is ornery. None of them seemed all that reliable. Then they arrive in Portugal and the shit really hits the fan. Affairs are unearthed, but we’re not sure amongst whom because everyone is lying. You’ve gotta give me at least ꪮꪀꫀ character to root for, otherwise who cares who is cheating?!

Towards the end of the book I just found it rushed and a bit confusing. I actually had to reread the last chapter and the epilogue because twists were 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓁𝓁 being thrown in and I wasn’t even sure what was happening at that point.

I did enjoy the audio version more than the print. Clare Corbett has an amazing accent and she did a great job giving these mostly unlikable characters some heart and emotion.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press,
Macmillan Audio and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Six friends (three couples) are preparing for a destination wedding. Upon arriving, the couples begin to deal with drama and begin uncovering love triangles swirling in rumors among the group. Ali, the bride, is rubbing the group the wrong way, and Rachel is beginning to believe that she may be having an affair with her husband. The novel is a twisty turning thriller where you begin to wonder what is the truth and how will it impact everyone's marriage? I really enjoyed this as an audiobook - I flew through it!

Wow!! The Guilt Trip was just what I needed. It keep me on my toes the entire time and then surprised me again at the end!! Sandie had me hating characters then loving them and vice versa. Definitely would recommend to anyone who needs a good thriller that they can’t put down.