3.5 stars rounded down;

Stephanie and Jasmine are sitting next to each other on a flight. Both women are going to the same location but they are strangers and have absolutely nothing in common. Jasmine is fleeing an abusive boyfriend while Stephanie, a TV exec, is on a business trip. A few days into the trip, both women text their friends/family about the same guy - Trent. When the two women suddenly vanish, questions are raised. Who is Trent? What is his connection to these two strangers?

A fun and interesting read, but it's definitely OTT and you will need to suspend your beliefs. There are lots of twists and it is honestly quite unpredictable. Didn't really guess where this one was going. The author is very creative for coming up with this plot and all the twists! It is hard to put this one down (I read it in one day!) as so much is happening - it maybe lends itself a bit to a "popcorn thriller". I did really enjoy this author's writing style.

Well done to Jessie Garcia on this debut thriller - looking forward to reading more novels by you!

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

This was such a fun thriller, full of humor and twists and turns! As soon as I thought I knew…I didn’t! You get glimpses of the story from multiple POVs which just gave this story great layers. I listed to the audiobook with this one and the cast did a great job!!! Honestly a really spot on narration.

If you love:
🔪Thrillers
✖️Multiple POVs
🌪️Twists
🐈Cats
🤯Who did it
😥Troubled background
👥Dynamic side characters

Give this one a read!

#thriller #thrillerbooks #netgalley #thebusinesstrip #whodidit

The Business Trip was a rollercoaster thriller that I was not prepared for. The short chapters and ever-shifting points-of-view kept me as the reader on the edge of my seat and completely off-guard. The itty-bitty breadcrumbs and clues that were gradually dropped along the way kept me guessing. And the final resolution that finally tied all the characters and clues together so the whole plot was finally revealed was a bit of a unique experience when so many thrillers can be guessed anymore.

Jessie Garcia’s debut novel “The Business Trip” is a rollercoaster of suspense that hooks you from the very first page. Told through multiple viewpoints, the book introduces us to two women Jasmine and Stephanie, whose paths unexpectedly cross on a flight that will change both of their lives.

Jasmine is a financially struggling bartender who’s managed to scrape together enough money for a flight to escape an abusive relationship. Stephanie, on the other hand, is a divorced, successful yet overworked news director heading to San Diego for a news coverage summit. Despite their stark differences, their fates become intertwined in the most unexpected way: sitting next to each other on a flight, where they even share a striking resemblance.

After parting ways, things take a bizarre turn. Both women’s friends begin receiving strange, out of character text messages from them. And somehow, both are mysteriously connected to a man named Trent McCarthy, who lives in Atlanta. What’s going on? Is it some kind of elaborate scam? I found myself flipping pages anxiously, desperately trying to uncover the truth (because, let’s face it, I’m pretty nosey, haha).

The Business Trip is filled with jaw-dropping twists and turns that keep you on edge. Garcia masterfully builds suspense, drawing readers into a web of deception, confusion, and danger. That said, while I loved the book overall, the doppelgänger twist at the end didn’t quite do it for me. It felt a bit far fetched, and in my opinion, could’ve been left out.

All in all, The Business Trip is a brilliant debut with an addictive plot that kept me on my toes. Though the ending didn’t quite live up to the build-up, it’s still a solid 4.5/5 for me. A must read for fans of psychological thrillers!

✈️ The Business Trip✈️
By Jessie Garcia

Pages: 352
Rating: 4️⃣.0️⃣0️⃣
Book Goal 2025: 11/130

✨Have you ever found a lookalike? Was it strange?✨

Wow! The twists. The turns! The ENDING! I didn’t see that one coming…. I was shocked.

I really enjoyed this plot, the twists and the build up. The only thing that was a bit of a miss for me was that not only was it multi pov, it had MANY characters. But then it also was dual timeline which sort of made it hard to stay on track.

Overall I enjoyed this quick read and would read another by this author!

I flew through this thriller super quickly because of how intriguing it was. The first half had me completely invested, and there was a pretty neat twist at the end that I’m glad the author threw in there. I do think that the second half of the book wasn’t as strong as the first half, but I still enjoyed the reading experience overall.

There were a lot of POVs, but I actually didn’t mind that at all. I usually hate when authors do that because it can get very complicated, but I felt that the characters were all distinctive enough that I didn’t get confused or forget who some of the people were.

I think the book would’ve been a lot stronger if the second half was handled differently. It was basically a looooong explanation of what the killer did and how they accomplished it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a big reveal. But I felt the length of this one was unnecessary, and things got way too repetitive and a bit dull. That’s what kept this read from being five stars for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy!

✈️ The Business Trip - Jessie Garcia

3.75 ⭐️- This was addictively good! What a fun, twisty psychological thriller debut. I was hooked from the very beginning!

I was addicted to this audio! It’s a full cast so I definitely recommend it. The thrill and mystery started from the very beginning with unlikeable characters, that I enjoyed not liking, twists and turns and multiple skeptical POVs. This was fast paced and easy to binge. There were a couple of storylines I felt were unfinished and I wanted more, but I did enjoy the ending.

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin Press for the early ARC and audio. This one’s out now!

Loved this thriller!!! Twists and turns and most I never saw coming! Even the villains were likeable. A great, quick read!!

This book is a multi-pov twisty thriller and I did not predict what was happening in this book. Even when I had little ideas of what could be going on, it was wrong and I didn't predict the ending at all. I enjoyed the twists, but the simple and somewhat choppy writing style (maybe too many pov?) wasn't my favourite which is why it was only a 3 star for me. I do recommend this though if you like twisty thrillers and it was a good read that kept me guessing.

Unfortunately not a fan! Way to many POV to keep track of and not a single likable character. My biggest issue was the unrealistic plot twist.

The Business Trip 💼 🩸
By: Jesse Garcia
Story: ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ 3.7/5
Narration: N/A

I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early e-arc of The Business Trip by Jesse Garcia. Jasmine has had enough. Her abusive boyfriend Glenn has hit her one too many times and it’s time she finds a way out. Stephanie is a Television News Director whose life seems to be perfect. Yet, she believes that something is still missing. What do these two have in common? A flight that ends in identity theft, murder and romance? Well, maybe not romance. Find out what happens when two complete strangers on a plane end up with more in common than planned. Or was it planned?

I really enjoyed this one! As someone who rarely has a chance to sit down and read, I’m glad this was one of the ones I was able to experience. Every night felt like an escape into a world of suspense, questions and utter shock. While there were so many characters that one could find hard to remember, it actually made for a more interesting read. I have already recommended this one to others.

I was pleasantly surprised with this debut novel. I thought I had it figured out a couple times, and I was wrong! A woman on a business trip and a woman running from an abusive relationship have their worlds collide in an unexpected way. Both disappear and seem to be connected to the same man. So many twists and turns and the conclusion was not what I expected! This was a really enjoyable read for the authors debut! Always love a multiple POV read that keeps me on the edge of my seat and this one does just that! Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This page turner started with a bang and never let up!
Jasmine was on the run from her abusive boyfriend when she was seated next to Stephanie, a woman who was going to a conference in San Diego.
The author described how Jasmine skrimped and saved and why she had to get out of Madison. Glenn -her boyfriend was a jealous and abusive creep who tried to control every aspect of her life and all her money.
I don't typically care for multiple viewpoints but the author headed each chapter with the character in that chapter and also provided the timeline when the events occurred so it made it pretty easy to follow. She also gave enough background on each character to allow this reader to empathize with them and get a better perspective on their motivations and actions.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and hoping that Jasmine would be all right. I liked the suspense that the author built and thought the ending was a little rushed (just when I thought that Jasmine could breathe) but a great twist.
Although this was the debut novel for Jessie Garcia, I would love to see her next one as this one was so tightly woven.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving my own opinions. Definitely 4.5*

The premise of this book is very intriguing and the first half is really good! The 2nd half is hard to believe and misses some parts that would really knock it out of the park.

4.5/5 Stars

Two women meet on a plane. Stephanie is going on a business trip, while Jasmine is trying to escape an abusive boyfriend. Days later, they each send text messages to their friends stating they've met a man named Trent McCarthy. Suddenly, the texts stop and the two women are declared missing.

I loved this so much, it was such a fun thriller! It had so many unexpected twists and turns, that kept you on the edge of your seat the entire time. I thought I had it figured out, but I was so wrong in the end. I really enjoyed the full-cast audio, and definitely recommend that format! There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but I thought they were all used well in the story. A lot of them are unlikeable, but I loved to hate them. Also big fan of Robert, Stephanie's neighbour and cat-sitter friend. I definitely did not see the ending coming, and was so pleased with how the story unfolded. The ending line also packed a punch.

I will definitely be checking out more from this author in the future.

Another great debut to start out the year. This is a domestic thriller full of twists and turns. I definitely didn't see that ending coming. It was a bit confusing in the beginning with a lot of different characters- friends and co workers. Were they really all needed? Probably not, but it all ties together beautifully. Jasmine and Stephanie meet on a plane and it's nothing but a wild ride from there.

Jessie Garcia's "The Business Trip" is an edge of your seat page turning thriller. I the read book in one evening. Well, more like I stayed up all night reading it, because I couldn't put it down.

I’m not really sure how to feel about this book as it blew my mind. I sort of expected a story of misunderstanding and it is not that at all. We follow Stephanie who is going on a business trip intersecting with Jasmine who is escaping a horrible relationship. I thought maybe they would help each other through the challenges they are having and it really turns into a “what just happened” scenario which keeps you turning the page to see how it will turn out. This is truly a dark tale with lighthearted moments that make you think it’s going to be a misunderstanding or take a more positive bent. However, there’s definitely female empowerment going on despite the parallel sociopath thing. I could put it down but it’s a dark vibe too. See hard to describe!

Considering this was a debut novel for the author, it was pretty good. It had more twists and turns than a back country road. Jasmine wasn't a very likable person. Robert was a great character. Don't even get me started on the despicable Trent character. LOL An intricate plot which allows you to think you know what is going on, but you'll be surprised. It's interesting the author came up with the idea for the story from her own plane ride. It does prove you never know who that stranger next to you is and what they are like. I'm interested to see what other books this author will write in the future.

This was a great debut. It kept you intrigued and guessing. I always think I will get a twist, but nope I am way off. This is one of those books!