This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

This debut novel reads like an well seasoned novel, by an even more seasoned author. The twists keep you guessing & the last couple of chapters lull you into a sense of weird comfort. Then the author pulls the rug from underneath you & drives home the final twist.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be an ARC reader & you have gained a fan!

I couldn't put this one down, it was that good! I always love when we get several different points of views and this one adds a few twists. Just when you think you know what happens, rest assured you dont!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Jessie Garcia and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on January 14, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC! *The Business Trip* by Jessie Garcia is an engaging and insightful novel that delves into the world of corporate culture with a fresh perspective. Garcia’s witty and sharp prose brings to life a cast of well-rounded characters navigating the complexities of work and personal relationships. The story is both entertaining and thought-provoking, offering a mix of humor and drama that keeps readers invested. Some plot elements might feel predictable, but the strong character development and clever dialogue more than make up for it. Overall, it's a satisfying and enjoyable read that provides an entertaining look at the trials and triumphs of modern professional life.

Riveting mystery that offers twists and turns non stop.
Stephanie and Jasmine are on a plane together; Stephanie is heading to a business trip and
Jasmine is fleeing a sadistic mate. There the story starts.
As they both go missing with silent phones and social media black outs, tensions arise as
the ones left at hone start searching and what is turned up leaves everyone confused as
nothing about either of them seems to be exactly as they thought.
Good plot with unsettling intrigue; and strong characters.

5 stars!

what.a.ride!

I couldn't put it down, it was that good! I always love when we get several different points of views. Everything about this one was fantastic, I won't be shutting up about it for a very long time.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I received an ARC of The Business Trip by Jessica Garcia from Netgalley!

The Business Trip is a book that is filled with twists and turns. This story was brilliantly and uniquely written. Told in multiple perspectives, it gives you more insight into the lives of the main characters without getting confusing. The character building was excellently done.

What would you do to escape a life where everyone has wronged you in your past? What do you do if an opportunity presents itself right in front of you? This book has everything you could want in a thriller and more!

This is my first book that I have read by the author Jessica Garcia, and I am certain it will not be the last! I would highly recommend The Business Trip to my friends and family and anyone who loves a good thriller with a twist !

This is one of those books where it's best to go into it completely blind. There were a lot of moving components and a lot going on, but in the absolute best way. The way the author structured all the moving pieces managed to avoid any convoluted plot or confusing plot points. I love the 10 different POVs but also know that it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

If you're looking for a story with endless layers and twists, this one is for you. And while the second half slowed down the pace a bit, it managed to keep me engaged and remained a page-turner until the very end. I highly recommend this one!

I wish I had liked this more! It started off so well & it kept my attention for about 60%, but it kept going downhill after that. By the 70-80% mark, I was losing interest very quickly. It was one of those endings where the twists & surprises are so far-fetched that I catch myself eye-rolling several times. For a debut, it wasn't bad, but I wish the ending had been written completely differently. That said, I'd give the author another shot & read their next novel.

My final paragraph, below, will contain mild spoilers, so do not continue if you don't want to read those...

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD!!

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I really don't understand why Jasmine did what she did. It felt off to me, like the actions didn't fit at all with the actual character that was written. The very end felt like a ridiculously unrealistic soap opera, especially how the officer was casually letting these two people (only giving mild spoilers, so I don't want to say names here) have a full conversation in the midst of an arrest, and basically pressing pause on the arrest to explain every detail. It's as if the author wanted to neatly lay out a recap of the events & how we got there, which is fine, but that was a weird time to do it.

4.5 🌟
This was my first book by this author, but I would love to read more! This book is told in several POV's, and the twists in this book were so twisty and good, just when I thought it was over, something else added to the story, and made my jaw drop multiple times.
Stephanie and Jasmine are opposites, but have more in common than you would think. Jasmine is fleeing from an abusive relationship, and Stephanie is on her way to a business conference, when the two woman cross paths on a plane. When both women reach out to their friends in some bizarre texts about a man named Trent, then disappear you are left wondering, what happened to Stephanie and Jasmine and what does Trent have to do with it if anything at all? Thank you Netgalley for letting me read an ARC of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

This story really has you jumping right in and getting into the meat of it. The entire story had me asking myself numerous times ‘wait? What??’ And really had me questioning if we truly knew who these characters were or if they were basically gaslighting us as readers. I didn’t put this down for an entire day, so if you are prepared for a thrill read of a read, buckle up and settle in for the twists and turns. I will say, it was satisfying to have a clean ending that I feel wrapped up the story perfectly and didn’t leave me feeling like I still had unanswered questions.
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC.

Part 1 of the story, I felt for both Jasmine and Stephanie. There were some suspenseful moments. No very bright activity going on, but with some suspense. Part 1 also had some boring moments.

Part 2 of the story I started to think Jasmine was maybe a tad selfish. She left Anna in a bind. Stephanie, luckily had good friends with common sense who worried about her.
Part 2 dragged along a bit. It was interesting because I got to see the reactions of the people closest to Jennifer and Stephanie. The texting back and forth and the overlooked red flags went on too long.

Part 3 I skimmed through some of it, just because Trent was completely odious. I also didn't need that much detail about him. Although he was not a decent human being, that was drastic.

Part 4 blew everything to pieces, and closed the circle.

The fact that all of these things occurred on the fly was pretty unnerving. If those are the first thoughts that enter your mind, then you follow through with them, you have a serious problem. Jennifer's attitude was so off putting. I wanted to know if the reason Stephanie thought her son was so cold was really his reason for being cold.

I would give this 3.5 stars. If you can make it through the first 4 or 5 chapters, the rest of the book isn't too bad.

I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book received via NetGalley.

This book starts off and you better have time to keep going as you are not going to want to put it down. The Business Trip, by Jessie Garcia is about Stephanie, a newsroom director who goes on a business trip and Jasmine who is running away from her abusive boyfriend. Both meet on a plane. What happens from there you won't believe which is why you better have time to finish this book in one sitting. I highly recommend this fast pace thriller. Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Jasmine is a woman who thought she had finally met the man of her dreams until he became controlling and abusive. She has managed to scrape together enough money to sneak away and leave him for a new life. Stephanie is a divorced mother of one son who is a successful television producer. She’s leaving town for yet another work conference. The two women find themselves seated in the same row on their flight out of town and enjoy spending the time talking about their lives. During the flight Jasmine formulates a plan that she believes will help her disappear for good. This debut novel was fast paced. The character development is built up with lots of plot elements that will keep you interested. There are twists and turns that will keep you engaged and motivated to find out how it all comes to the surprise conclusion.This ARC was provided by St Martin’s Press publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially intrigued by The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia, expecting a gripping mystery based on its premise. However, as I progressed through the story, my excitement turned to disappointment. The characters felt one-dimensional and unlikable, with many written so stereotypically that they lost any sense of realism. The main character’s motives were particularly far-fetched, making it difficult to stay invested in the plot. Sadly, this book missed the mark for me. I rarely rate books this low, but I can only give it one star—it truly felt like a waste of time.

Very well done! I loved that this story was told from
Multiple viewpoints in a chronological way. Just when I thought ok I know how this ends the author threw in two more great twists! Definitely recommend!

I absolutely loved this debut novel! Jasmine is leaving abusive husband Glenn and going to Denver. Stephanie is the news director at a big firm and is going to a conference in San Diego while her neighbor, Robert feeds her cat. Trent is a mystery man who's also attending the conference and appears to be attracted to Stephanie. A decades-old crime comes to light as well. It's a complicated but deliciously wicked plot that had me hanging on every word! There's theft, mistaken identity, AI technology, and murder. What's not to like?
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was great! Not at all what I thought would happen. It is full of shocking events. I empathize with Jasmine, she’s had a rough life and this business trip is exactly what she needed. I really enjoyed the way this author does her writing. Fans of Freida McFadden will love this!

Jessie Garcia hit it out of the park on this debut novel. Jasmine is looking for an escape from her abusive relationship and sets off on a trip to leave, while Stephanie who works at a television station is on her way to another work conference. What happens when the two cross paths? Why are they texting their friends about the same man they met? One of the things I loved about this book was the fast pace, it was told from various individuals perspectives - Jasmine, Stephanie, and their friends. The entire book for the most part takes place during one week in time. Every time I finished a chapter I wanted to get to the next to see what was going to happen next. Each turn of the story had me surprised. I really felt something for the characters, feeling bad for the cards life dealt to Jasmine, while understanding the toll business travel took on Stephanie.

I really enjoyed the twist at the end. While some may say it was completely unrealistic and unbelievable, that's exactly what I loved - that I was not expecting it nor would have thought of it on my own. Not only that - I read to get away from reality so really enjoyed that this took me somewhere I would not have thought of.

I hope Jessie Garcia continues to write as I did enjoy this little trip.

I really wanted to like this one. It had a good premise and it kept me turning pages. However, I couldn't get past the poor writing. It read like the first draft of a novel that should have been sent back for rewrites and polishing. It's a hot mess of dumb storylines and side characters that appear and disappear without being used for anything significant to the plot, not to mention an outlandishly sleazy dude straight out of central casting. There's also way too much telling and not enough showing. Sorry to be so harsh on a debut novel, but this could have been much better.