Stephanie and Jasmine meet on an airplane. Jasmine is trying to escape an abusive relationship, and Stephanie is going to a conference. Trent McCarthy is also introduced & the girls suddenly vanish.
This was a compulsive read for me. The story was told from many perspectives, which was slightly confusing to keep track of, especially in the beginning. Then the chapters/character perspectives got longer and easier to follow. The author did repeat part of the story line between 2 different peoples perspectives, and this honestly wasn’t necessary (but I didn’t hate it).
I will admit, most of the characters were insufferable, especially Jasmine, but I was so caught up in figuring out what happened. The first twist was wild but made sense. The second one was insane, and I never would have guessed it. Mind blowing ending. Glad things worked out the way they did.
Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Started off strong—fast-paced, intriguing, and gripping until Parts 3 and 4. A great concept for a twisty, hard-to-predict plot, but the execution fell short for me.

Energy: Aggrieved. Unsuspecting. Impromptu.

🐺 Growls
Part 3 was tedious and disrupted the fast pace. We’re in the mind of a terrible person, but the way his thoughts were written felt corny and too upfront. It came off as a cartoonish parody of an insufferable character's inner monologue. Part 4 had too much spoon-feeding of the twists.

🐕 Howls
Writing was too simplistic and often juvenile, and it started to grate on me as the story progressed. Character dialogue felt overly formal, yet cheesy. Everyone seemed to have the same inner voice style. The character thoughts, dialogue, and reactions felt stiff and unnatural.

🐩 Tail Wags
The quick perspective shifts. Part 1 set up the story well. Part 2 was intriguing as we saw characters reacting to the mystery. The overall plot. Most of the over-the-top moments.

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set near Madison, Wisconsin and Atlanta, Georgia
Perspectives (10): A bartender in an abusive relationship. The bartender’s co-worker. The bartender’s abusive partner. A news director sent to the conference. The news director’s neighbour/cat-sitter. The assistant news director. The general manager of the news station. The digital manager of the news station. The news director at another news station. The general manager of another news station.
Timeline: Current (2020s).
🔥 Fuel: Twists and turns. Fake-outs. Tangled web of mystery.
📖 Cred: Over-the-top with a touch of thriller-style camp

Mood Reading Match-Up:
Airports. News station. Patchouli perfume. Ambien. Texts. Meetings. Work conference. Networking.
• Uncharacteristic texts, missing person mysteries
• Rapid multi-POV switching to progress the plot
• Short chapters
• Fast-paced clues and reveals
• Sleuthing and investigating alongside the characters
• Secret pasts, not all is as it seems
• Mix of caricature-style characters
• Sprinkling of shocking true crime energy snowballing into roller coaster of surprises
• Getting all the thoughts and all the tea from the characters, knowing more than the characters
• Simplistic writing + twisty plot-driven stories

Content Heads-Up: Abusive relationship. Rape (forced, rough sex within relationship). Abortion (brief recall). Parental rejection, emotional abuse. Covid (brief mention). Missing persons. Misogynist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, racist character. Masturbation (on page). Murder. Jealousy. Theft.

Rep: American. Cis. Gay. Hetero. Pale, dark, and ambiguous skin tones.

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley

The story revolves around two women who meet on a plane and seem to disappear. Early contact with their friends and coworkers have them meeting the same man and their stories seem just a little off to everyone.

There were so many great twists to this story that had me quickly turning the pages for what comes next. The story is written from the points of view of several people, which seemed odd at first but made perfect sense as the story continued.

I had an absolute blast reading this and trying to follow along while guessing what was coming next. I am in awe this was debut, it was very well written. As long as you are prepared to enjoy the ride of this book and just sit back and read without spending too much time worrying about what’s realistically possible, you’ll enjoy this!

3.5 Stars Rounded Up To 4

This reviewer looked forward to reading The Business Trip and had high hopes for the book. The plot is original and the storyline entertaining, which is why I rated the novel 4 stars instead of 3. Thriller lovers will enjoy the edgy suspense and subterfuge that carries this story to its climactic conclusion.

Though I expect to suspend disbelief when opening a new thriller, and willingly do so, The Business Trip taxed my suspension of disbelief beyond its breaking point. However, the story twists and turns are entertaining, and if a reader is willing to go along for the ride and not ask questions about likelihood and probability, this debut novel becomes a satisfying read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing an advance copy of the book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews.com at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

Ahhh I wanted to love this but sadly it just didn’t hit for me. I will however give the author another chance in the future!

Wow… I absolutely flew through this book and had so much fun. I was obsessed with finding out what happened to Stephanie and Jasmine, and I truly had no clue what was going on for most of the story. That only made me flip through the pages faster, and difficult to put down. When the pieces of the puzzle started coming together... I was shook. Then came another twist and OMG! I’m a big fan of multiple twists in a story, so this was right up my alley.

That being said, I did find some aspects of the story a bit unrealistic, and far fetched. But even so, the author did a great job of tying up any loose ends, and offering supporting details, which I appreciate.

I also enjoyed the multiple pov's from the side characters because it aided in in the overall story of what was going on and generated suspense, but my favorite pov was Jasmine's. I liked seeing the way her mind worked and it gave more insight into her personality. And all I have to say again is "wow" when reading Trent's pov for example. All of the characters were equally interesting and complex in their own right which made me invested in the outcome.

The flow of the story was fast paced, there was never a dull moment no matter whose side you were reading.

Overall, I would highly recommend "The Business Trip" by Jessie Garcia to any reader looking for something super twisty, shocking, and unputdownable.

I’m so grateful to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Jessie Garcia for sending me an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

I struggle with the number of stars I want to award this book. Overall, the story was compelling and kept me turning the page - until the part where we're in Stephanie's hotel room. It got really dark at that point and I put the book down for a bit. But it definitely picked up and I sailed through the rest of the book. It was a very enjoyable read, and it's a story I'll remember. However, (and I see other reviewers agree with me here), the story was over the top, but the ending itself was almost laughable. I get that it's a work of fiction and as a reader, I do want to be taken on an adventure, but I still expect the story to be relatable. This one seemed above and beyond (hence the lower rating).

For readability and interesting plot, I give this a 4.0 but overall a 3.0 - 3.5.

An interesting thriller filled with twists and turns. Overall, I enjoyed it. But I found some of the storytelling repetitive and the ending a bit unbelievable.

Jessie Garcia's debut novel will keep you guessing! Two women with nothing in common except a plane ride disappear. Was it the work of the same man or unrelated? Readers won't be able to put this one down!

Twists and turns make this a most exciting thriller. It is a stay up and finish it type of book. You will find you can not wait to find out what happens after Stephanie and Jasmines paths cross. Told from different viewpoints it is still exciting and very easy to follow. Do not miss this thriller

Our main character, Jasmine, finds herself on the run from her abusive boyfriend (this guy is terrible, real piece of garbage). On her way to her destination, she meets the well-to-do Stephanie, a news director from California who is on her way to a work conference. They appear to make friendly conversation, but all is not as it seems because they both just so happen to disappear. Even though they were strangers before their encounter on the plane, they both seem to be connected to the same man, Trent McCarthy.

First, I liked the idea for the plot of this book. There were a lot of unexpected twists and you really never knew what was about to happen next. It made the reading experience more interesting.

On the other hand, my least favorite part of the book was the characters. They lacked depth and nuance. Almost every character was annoying. If they had had even one or two redeeming qualities, it may have made up for it but there were no redeeming qualities. The characters that were not annoying were still kind of flat and we didn’t get much time with them.

While I did like the plot, everything that happened was just too convenient and over the top. I understand it is fiction, but this was just a little too crazy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

Jasmine and Stephanie are two women from completely different backgrounds who meet when they happen to be on the same flight. They get to know each other briefly and go their separate ways after the plane lands---or so they think. Stephanie is a TV news director on her way to a work conference and Jasmine is looking for new beginnings as she leaves an abusive relationship. Trent meets Stephanie at the news conference. A few days later, the two women go missing at the same time. Police find evidence that links Trent to both these women. This story takes the reader on a wild ride to figure out what happened to Jasmine and Stephanie and is Trent responsible for their disappearances?

I truly did enjoy this book, it was a fast-paced mystery thriller that held my attention from start to finish. I was not prepared for the twist ending! I love books that plant little easter eggs throughout the book that, most people just skim over and don't pay much attention until those details matter at the end. I think this book was well written, especially as a debut, this author has incredible potential. I do wish there would have been just a bit more character development to get to know our two main ladies. The beginning and the end felt a tad rushed with most of the filler happening in the middle. It always irks me when the "twist" ending happens within the last like 10 pages of the book..but that's just me!

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick mystery, who-dun-it read. I would definitely say if you're a big Freida McFadden reader, this will be right up your alley! 3.5/5 stars for me, but rounding up to 4.

I was provided with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this reading opportunity.

This book absolutely floored me — I'm impressed this was a debut novel by Jessie Garcia. I couldn't put down this thriller, multiple perspectives had the story flying and on the edge of my seats. I did not see the twist at the end, still reeling.

Very enjoyable thriller! I do think this story had better build up than final execution. But it was a satisfying end!

I can't believe this is just a debut novel! I had no idea what the end would be until the last page! It's giving Gone Girl and Luckiest Girl Alive vibes!! I loved this book!!!

What happened when Stephanie and Jasmine meet on a flight to Denver? What you think happened is only part of the truth which is revealed as a surprising twist at the end. There was more darkness and cruelty than I expected, but I do wish some of the investigation into the situation was revealed as the book continued, rather than at the end. It felt a bit abrupt with how some characters were only active in the first half, and some explanations felt a little far fetched.

It’s a good book, but not the twisty suspenseful book I was expecting or hoping for.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the arc.

I have a soft spot for books that involve traveling or take place in an airport. I absolutely loved "The Last Flight" by Julie Clark, and this book gave me similar vibes but still had a unique spin and outcome. There were no dull moments, and it felt very fast-paced. The different points of view were all interesting. Thanks for the advance review copy

With the help of a friend, Jasmine boards a plane, escaping an abusive boyfriend. News director Stephanie is on
the same flight, on her way to attend a conference.Jasmine's friend becomes concerned when she doesn't hear
from Jasmine. Stephanie's friend and coworkers become concerned due to her responses to messages. Both
women send messages claiming the man they are with is threatening them. Then both disappear. What
actually happened? More is revealed about Jasmine's past and Stephanie's time at the conference.
Suspenseful read that keeps one turning the pages.
#TheBusinessTrip #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

The Business Trip, Jessie Garcia’s debut thriller, weaves an intricate tale of suspense with strong psychological undercurrents. The novel follows two women, Stephanie and Jasmine, who seem to have nothing in common but end up entangled in a gripping mystery after they both vanish following strange, identical texts about a man named Trent McCarthy. The central question that fuels the plot is whether Trent is the predator, or if these women are more dangerous than they appear.

The book is a page-turner, full of twists and turns that keep readers guessing. The narrative structure is particularly clever, often presenting events from multiple perspectives, which deepens the suspense. However, some readers might find the numerous character viewpoints overwhelming at times, though most agree it adds to the complexity of the story. The dynamic between Stephanie and Jasmine, along with the slow unraveling of Trent's role in their disappearance, keeps readers on edge throughout.

A few criticisms highlight that some twists feel a bit too predictable or over-explained, which can slow the pacing down. Yet the novel still manages to maintain an addictive tension, with many readers praising its ability to mislead and surprise, particularly toward the end.

Ultimately, The Business Trip is a solid thriller debut, perfect for fans of psychological suspense who enjoy layered storytelling and complex character motivations​.