Well, this was a wild ride! I really enjoyed the plot of this story and the several twists the author threw our way. I am usually pretty good at guessing where these types of thrillers are headed, but that final twist really shocked me!

My biggest gripe was the large number of POVs. I'm sure the author's intention was to use these to keep the reader guessing what really happened to our main girls and to help provide some backstory. But I feel like many of those clues could have been added elsewhere to keep the story tighter. Did we really need a chapter from the POV of Trent's boss? Or all those folks in Stephanie's newsroom? The lack of a distinct voice made all of these kind of blur together and read more like info dumps.

Also, many of the characters rang hollow and were bordering on stereotypes. This could have been remedied had some of the extra POVS been removed to give them more space to be fleshed out.

I did really enjoy just how unlikable Trent was. I laughed out loud at some of his scenes because I know a few men that are just like him. I found myself hoping for his comeuppance regardless of whether he was guilty of murder.

Two strangers meet on a plane. Shortly after, both of them go missing.
Jasmine is fleeing to Denver from her abusive boyfriend. After a year of saving up she finally has enough money for a plan ticket to start her life over.
Stephanie is a divorced program director from Wisconsin laying over in Denver before heading onto San Diego for a news convention.
Their lives can't be any more different from one another, yet somehow both of them are texting their friends about a man they met, Trent McCarthy who lives in Atlanta.
As the text messages become more worrisome to their friends about how controlling and erratic Trent can be, it sparks them to alert the police when the texts go silent.
How did these women, seemingly in different parts of the country end up in Atlanta with Trent and what really happened to them?
The layers in this story from each character's perspective show that all is not as it seems and the twists and turns of this plot will have your head spinning till the very last page.

wow!! what a twist!! this was a quick read that literally had me on the edge of my seat!! i’ve never read the author before but will definitely check out more of her books. i loved how in the end Jamie got a surprise of her life lol!!!

This was pretty good. I had no idea what was going on through like 75% of the novel, so it kept me reading.

2.5⭐️s. The characters and dialogue in this were so cheesy and overdone it was obnoxious. Even psycho misogynists don’t talk to others or themselves like this. It was bizarre - like it was attempting to be comical but definitely wasn’t.

The concept of the story was actually good - interesting and had twists that you didn’t anticipate. However, the way it got there was so completely unbelievable, with plot holes, insane perfect-scenarios, and inconsistent characters, it totally ruined it. Also, so much of the other dynamic of characters was just weird, forced, and unrealistic as well. I felt like I was waiting for the punch line in all of it but nope, it was intended. So ridiculous.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

I really liked this one. A thriller with multiple POVs and manipulative people? Yes, I'm here for it.
This book does have some not-so-realistic situations...but I, for one, don't mind that at all. I usually looove a thriller with ludicrous characters and/or plot twists.
I had fun with this book and I can see a lot of thriller readers enjoying this one, too.
Thank you, NetGalley and St, Martin's Press, for allowing me to read an eARC of this novel.

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc!

"The Business Trip" by Jessica Garcia is a captivating exploration of personal and professional growth, blending humor, drama, and profound life lessons. From my perspective, which might be a tad bit "more" than the author intended. LOL The novel resonates with the journey of self-awareness and emotional healing. The protagonist's transformation mirrors the challenges we face in balancing work, relationships, and inner peace. Garcia's storytelling gently reminds us to embrace change and trust our intuition, values I deeply connect with in my own life..

The story builds around the two women, Stephanie's and Jasmine's, interactions with Trent McCarthy, a figure whose involvement is shrouded in mystery. The novel is filled with twists, where nothing is as it initially seems. You are always questioning who the real manipulator is—whether Trent or the women themselves?!?

Side note- If you like unpredictable thrillers, you’ll likely find it an engaging and entertaining read. However, if you're not a fan of dark, manipulative plots, it might not be for you. Regardless of this, I would recommend giving it a read.

I liked this book! I thought it was an interesting way to present a mystery. I enjoyed the different POVs - it showed how others were reacting to what was happening. There were times when the story seemed a tad far-fetched, but it didn't bother me all that much. Thank you NetGalley and St, Martin's Press for a digital arc of this title.

À great suspense from Jessie Garcia, an author I just discovered. I liked the characters, Stephanie and Jasmine. It’s a good page-turner!

Pretty much had the ending figured out about 50% through the book. I feel the story could have been better if scripted a bit differently. Story felt like a snooze fest and dragged from about 60% through the book to the end. There was a good bit of repeats in conversation when switching between the different characters which caused me to not be as interested in finishing, even though I did finish. Unfortunately this isn't a book I will likely recommend to others. It was okay, but did not keep me on the edge of my seat like I had hoped for.

Unfortunately the build up to what happened on the flight was a lot more interesting than what actually happened on the flight. I was hoping for a clever twist but it was mostly unbelievable and just didn’t work for me. The multiple POVs included were ultimately unnecessary. The recounting of conversations was repetitive and did nothing to move the story along. This one just didn’t work for me. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I found this book to be less than what I expected. The beginning of the book is somewhat confusing with the chapters bouncing around between different characters. Iit was still fairly easy to figure out early on what was actually going on even though the author did her best to try and make it confusing. The bottom line is that crime does not pay, no matter how skillful you think you are.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Goodreads, Net Galley, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.

This was a very clever mystery crime story about two women. The first is Jasmine who works in a bar and lives with an abuse guy. The second is Stephanie who is the news director of a TV station. Stephanie is traveling to San Diego where she meets Jasmine on the plane ride.

This book switches points of view between the two women and other key secondary characters. I sorta rooted for Jasmine in the beginning after all the abuse she suffered but then….. And Stephanie I liked throughout the book and was sad when she ended up in trouble. The ending came quick and I would have enjoyed a longer finale. It was very entertaining and I’d recommend it to those who enjoy a good twisty plot.

Thanks to St Martins Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you Jessie Garcia, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for a #gifted e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted so badly to like this one, but it just didn’t give me what I needed. I liked the concept of two women on one flight somehow both going missing and all signs point to the same man being responsible. It started strong and hooked me initially - I sympathized with Jasmine and liked Stephanie. I flew through the first few chapters (the short chapters in the beginning also helped). 

Unfortunately, as the story went on, the addition of too many points of view and longer chapters made the story sort of drag. Some POV’s felt unnecessary and I found myself wanting to skim a bit. Unfortunately, as the story went on I also began to not like pretty much every character except for Stephanie’s neighbor and friend. 

The twists, while jarring, felt too out there - like there is no way that could have possibly happened. The ending twists left me frustrated with the rest of the story.

This one sadly wasn’t for me, but read the description because it may interest you!

- Jasmine’s side of the story kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning. I wanted her to get away from Glenn.
- The author must be around my age or something, but mentionings of TV anchors like Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, and Peter Jennings - I grew up watching brought back a lot of nostalgia.
- I immediately liked the different sides of each character in every chapter and was soon able to follow along to who everyone was.
- Woah, what a rollercoaster! I did not see that coming with Stephanie being the one with the plan.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This book started off well with an intriguing premise. I enjoyed the book structure and the "set up". Unfortunately I think the author tried too hard with the twist ending - it was just silly and not plausible. I understand this is her first book and would probably give her another try. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

An enjoyable read but a bit forgettable, there were plot holes and obvious reveals that didn’t quite excite me yet it was well paced and fun to read in the moment, a decent debut.

This was a really good book! I did feel like it was kinda a copy of the book "the last flight" so read that if you liked this one!!! I liked the unreliable narrators and the twists and turns throughout the book. I loved the pacing and how the story was keeping me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Jasmine and Stephanie are on the same flight to Denver. Afterward, their friends, family, and coworkers receive texts that suggest that both women are in dire trouble.

I found the premise of THE BUSINESS TRIP quite intriguing and the plot delivered on a twisty journey that kept me guessing. Although I had to suspend disbelief about some of the things that happened, I enjoyed the progression of the story and each new reveal. The author does a nice job of tying up many of the loose ends, for example, showing why a certain character happens to be watching a particular television show.

The story is told in multiple first person points of view, starting out with those of the two main characters, Jasmine and Stephanie. Soon, we’re getting points of view from multiple people in each woman’s life: Jasmine’s close friend who works with her at a bar and Jasmine’s abusive boyfriend; Stephanie’s neighbor, several of Stephanie’s coworkers; the perspective of a character who is introduced later and their boss. A few of the characters are set up with extensive backstories and their chapters include multiple mundane descriptions of their day to day actions, both of which slow the pacing as does the overlap between information provided in various points of view. For example, text message exchanges are repeated as well as the description of events.

My favorite character is Robert, Stephanie’s neighbor, cat sitter, and best friend. I would love to see Robert get his own novel.

I liked how both women had different reasons for taking the trip with Jasmine running from violent and toxic relationship and Stephanie taking yet another business trip because unlike her most of her coworkers, she is single.

I really like that the author shares the inspiration for the novel in the acknowledgements. THE BUSINESS TRIP is the author’s debut novel. I look forward to checking out Garcia’s next release.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Business Trip by Jessica Garcia tells the story of Stephanie, a news director going to San Diego for a conference and Jasmine who is fleeing an abusive boyfriend. This was written out of order but it made sense. There was some repetition at the end but I think the author had to do it. It kept my interest and kept me reading. The characters were interesting. The story line had some unexpected elements.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.