This was such a great thriller I could not put it down. I loved the twist and they kept coming . I did feel like some things weren’t super believable, but overall it was a great plot.
Thank you St.Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

Jasmine is trapped in an abusive relationship, but determined to escape. Stephanie is a News Director on her way to an important conference, but so tired of the travel for her job. These two women happen to meet on a flight. From that point the first half of the book was so hard to put down as I was trying hard to figure out what was going on. Then in the second half things to start to unravel as the author backs up to explain things. But the twists and turns in the entire book kept me glued to the story! Well-written, fast-paced, and a bit heart-pounding!

My thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this e-book and Macmillian Audio for an advanced copy of the audio book.

The Business trip is a thriller that focuses on Jasmine, who is escaping an abusive relationship and Stephanie who is going to a conference business trip in San Diego. They are on the same initial flight, they text the people in their lives that they’ve met a man and are staying with him. The texts become hectic and their loved ones are starting to worry and question who the Trent guy is. The book is very dynamic as listen to Stephanie and Jasmine, as well as the people in their life tell the story of what happened during and after this trip.

The plot is initially going somewhere and right when you think you have it figured out, PLOT TWIST. If you are a Freida McFadden fan, this book is a must. I enjoyed having multiple POVs and putting together the pieces of the puzzle, even if it lead me a different route.

I enjoyed the writing style and the plot in general. It was twisty enough to keep me intrigued but not overly confused.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book.

I am okay with unlikable characters, but yo… This book had zero that I could vibe with (except maybe Robert and Fred). And like, many character voices were just completely abandoned once they served the purpose of the plot. Rumor has it that Glenn is still in the hospital. Anna’s character arc was getting her $500 back. Lucy, Dave, and Bruce could have been combined into the same character. And as I right this review, I cannot remember a single thing about Bill.

Then there is Jasmine. Girly, how you be that way, and not just deal with Glenn yourself. I don’t understand you, baby girl.

The writing was okay. I do understand that it is a debut and I appreciate the that the author put into this. However, I think that it would have been better if the author had focused on fewer characters and added more veered away from so many “I” statements. Example: “I started calling her. She didn’t pick up so I left a voicemail. If she was still pissed because I had squeezed her arm hard the night before, maybe she would come right back and make that steak if I sweet talked her, so my first message was nice. I told her I’d changed my ways and I loved her” and on and on. I am not a writer, but so many first person statements back to back just drives me crazy. I also caught a few and formatting issues typos in the book (these never affect my review since I consider that more of an editing issue).

And I think the above quote also shows that the author was very good at villainizing male characters, but often relied on lazy tropes to get the job done a la “shut up and cook me dinner.” In the case of another awful male character, we see him being overly sexual (predatory?). I wanted to see more psychological thrills here, rather than in my face stereotypes that basically reduced the male villains to cave man caricatures.

I had a lot of issues with this book, but I did end up binging it once I got into it. The writing was not great (in my opinion); but I think it’s somewhat comparable to Frieda McFadden, and lord knows she sells. I think there were also a lot of plot holes and dumped character arcs. Just wasn’t for me.

This is a book that makes you think you know the plot, and that you are just reading how the plot unfolds. What you don't realize is that you are actually reading something entirely different. Then the twists start showing up and they are jaw dropping. Definitely not what I was predicting this to be. What a fun and wild ride! This was a unique and clever story.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story of a business trip gone horribly wrong. One woman attending a conference and one woman on the run from her past. A man who is so into himself and now arrested for the disappearance of both women. The women have vanished without a trace and a series of texts led them to the mysterious man. I liked the pace of the book and how it came out about the connection and what actually happened to these woman.

This is one of the best debut thrillers I have read in a long time and what a sensational plot! The story is narrated by various motley characters, some likeable and other not so much.

Stephanie is an executive at a TV station in Madison and she is scheduled to go to a conference in San Diego which she really does not want to go to. Jasmine grew up poor and is a bar maid who lives with a controlling abusive boyfriend. Jasmine finally has the courage to leave him and has booked a flight to Colorado. Stephanie and Jasmine end up sitting in the same row on the airplane and strike up a conversation. Hang onto your hat for all the twists, turns, and surprises that you are going to encounter in this fantastic book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book that kept me mesmerized from start to finish.

Wow this is a debut?!?! Incredible! Loved the style of writing, loved the story line, the unique way of telling this story. I could not put this down and finished it in one day!! Had me guessing and wondering what was going on, in a very good way! LOVED LOVED LOVED!!

This is a book with a very interesting premise and very poor execution. The twists in the plot kept me turning pages, but the writing made me want to quit at every page turn. The dialogue was silly. There were way to many points of view that made no sense and added nothing to the story. There was way too much showing and not enough telling. All of the characters were unlikable, except the nice cat-sitting neighbor. And the ending went completely off the rails. Do not waste your time with this book.

The Business Trip
Jessica Garcia
Pub: 1/14/25
4☆

A gripping and twisty thriller that instantly draws you in and will keep you entertained throughout. That one final twist on a twist might need you to suspend reality just a tad but all in all this was a solid debut and I’m looking forward to more from Garcia.

I alternated between digital and audio copies and would definitely recommend giving this one a listen. The full cast narration of Andrew Eiden, Dylan Fitzpatrick, Fred Berman, Fail Shalan, Hillary Huber, Jennifer Pickens, John Pirhalla, Kimberly M, Wetherell, Kirby Heyborne, and Tim Campbell Was so well done.

Thank you St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copies.

Thanks  NetGalley for the ARC of The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia
What a great story and a debut novel to boot! I loved reading this book.
I liked how the book started with the two main characters, how different they are, how they were introduced separately and in so much detail. And then the story was being told through other characters eyes. It was brilliant how the story unfolded, the clues that were dropped and the twists.
The characters were great as were the settings and description. Some of the story was a little far fetched, but of course this isn't real life and it was a great read non the less
This author is on my TBR list!

Stephanie and Jasmine are strangers who end up talking on an airplane. From different worlds and going different places, the end of the flight should have been the end of the story but that's only the beginning. Twists and layers interweave to connect Stephanie, Jasmine and Trent but just when you think you understand it flips again. I enjoyed thevwritinf and storytelling and the days as told by the different characters to set and reset the scenes. I didn't expect the ending but was pleasantly shocked.

Macmillan Audio ALC
This was a solid thriller debut. I first went in thinking I knew where the story was going, but I was so glad the author surprised me multiple times. Her plotting was impeccable. She created so many characters; some of whom were likable and easy to root for, while others were awful and easy to root against.I really, really like audio production of this book because each character has their own narrator. This made it easy to keep everybody straight and to really get to know all of them. It added another layer of suspense in the novel. I will be looking forward to what she writes next.

3.75 stars
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TW: Domestic abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Rape, Abortion
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Stephanie and Jasmine are from two entirely different worlds. Stephanie is on a business trip while Jasmine is fleeing from an abusive relationship, little do these two women know, that one flight will change their worlds forever. A few days after both women have left, their friends back home start receiving eerily similar texts - how they've met a man and things are going SO well.

After a few days, both women vanish. As their friends back home begin to worry, we start to wonder what happened to Stephanie and Jasmine. This was a slower burn for me, a lot of the beginning was a tad repetitive as people began to wonder what happened to Stephanie and Jasmine. When a man is arrested for their murder you start to think that it's the end of the story.

Once this book picks up, you won't want to put it down. Just when you think you've figured it all out, another twist is thrown in and throws you off the loop entirely! The plot and twists were far-fetched, but if you're not going in thinking this would be something realistic and factual, you should be ok!
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I would like to thank St. Martin's Press, Jessie Garcia, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, The Business Trip publishes on January 14th 2025, pre-order your copy today!

What a good story with some surprising twists. I thought I knew where the story was going but I was not expecting the twist at the end. This was a great thriller/mystery!

My Rating: 4.5 stars!

An amazingly impressive debut novel by Jessie Garcia, this book was a page turner that kept my attention at all times!
I love dual POV novels, and the way Jessie used that made for an incredibly suspenseful read! This novel leaves readers wondering what will happen next, how things will turn out and how all of the pieces fit together... and let me tell you it is full of great twists and turns.

This book is going to be the next big thing and I am sure will be on thousands of peoples 'to be read' list.

This debut novel is told through multiple POVs. Initially, I thought I was going to enjoy it, but as I read further, I lost interest. The only character I genuinely liked was Stephanie’s neighbor. Unfortunately, much of the story felt over the top, which ultimately made it hard for me to stay engaged.

Jasmine and Stephanie are two strangers who meet on an airplane. Both have completely different lives. Jasmine is running from an abusive ex boyfriend and Stephanie is headed to a conference she would rather not attend.

Both women end up missing and their friends and colleagues have to piece together ehats happened to them. I definitely thought I had this book figured out but didn't. The twists were so good. An excellent read!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's press and Jessie Garcia for the ARC.

This is an intriguing mystery with excellent pacing. When two women, passengers on the same flight from Madison to San Diego, disappear, their vanishing is linked to the same man, and the circumstantial evidence against him is overwhelming, but the real situation is not that simple. The story alternates between the viewpoints of the two victims, the alleged perpetrator, and several friends and coworkers of each woman as the truth gradually reveals itself. This device works well to sustain suspense and move the action forward, though it may be a challenge for some readers to keep all the narrators straight. The final twist may or may not come as a shock (I had an inkling) but the ending is satisfying. I’d definitely read more from this debut author!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for providing an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest and independent review.

"Two women don’t know each other but are on the same plane. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship."

This book will keep you guessing and was fun to read! Many moments were farfetched, but it is a fiction novel and enjoyable nonetheless. This was very impressive for a debut and I would read future books by this author.