Stephanie and Jasmine cross paths on a flight. Stephanie is a news director on her way to a conference, and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive boyfriend. Soon, the people in their lives begin to receive similar texts from both of them about the same man. It is out of character for both women, and people begin to suspect that something is amiss. Great narration

Two complete strangers living two very different lives - what happens when they both end up on the same flight and their paths unsuspectingly cross? One is running from her past, the other is on yet another business trip. Then, they both disappear. When compelling evidence is found of both women at a mystery man's home, friends of both women start to try to put the random pieces of their disappearance together. Who is this man who just appeared out of nowhere? How did he meet either woman? How is this all connected when it doesn't make sense at all?

This book was a roller coaster from start to finish! By listening to the audio version of this book, I was lucky to be able to hear a full cast of characters, which made the book even more compelling. Each narrator did a great job of portraying their characters - I was pleasantly surprised that I never got confused between who was who!

As for the story, Jessie Garcia did a great job at keeping things moving at a fast-pace, giving you just enough time to put your own theories together while moving right into the next twist or kernel of information to consider. As things progressed and I thought I was seeing where this was going, another chapter would come along and make me realize I still had much to discover!

I finished this book in one day - I couldn't put it down. For a debut novel, I highly recommend picking this one up! I will be looking forward to Garcia's next novel. Thank you so much to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen and review this book!

A jaw-dropping, wildly unpredictable thriller! Stephanie and Jasmine don't know each other and have nothing in common but they're on the same plane. One is on yet another business trip and the other is escaping an abusive relationship. I had so many ideas as to where this book was heading but all of them proved to me wrong. I listened to an advanced copy of the audiobook and it was narrated very well. Told from many POV's and a narrator for each made it even more engaging. Thanks to NetGalley for this binge listen!

I had the pleasure of receiving an audiobook ARC of *The Business Trip* by Jessica Garcia, and overall, it was a mixed experience for me. The book starts off strong, delivering a fun and thrilling ride, but unfortunately, it loses its momentum in the final stretch.

**The Pros**
- Exceptional Audiobook Production: The multiple narrators were a fantastic touch, making it easy to follow the shifting POVs and adding depth to the story.
- Gripping Beginning: The opening scenes, featuring a planned escape from a dire situation, were intense and completely engrossing.
- Unique Narrative Structure: I appreciated how the book explored the "before" perspectives of the two main characters, then transitioned to focusing on the supporting characters' POVs. This weaving of different perspectives added intrigue and originality to the storytelling.
- Standout Side Character: The Broadway-loving, cat-dad neighbor absolutely stole the show. He’s easily the MVP of this book.
- Fast-Paced Plot: The story moves quickly, keeping you engaged for much of the ride.

**The Cons**
- Unlikable Characters: While some characters were compelling, many came off as frustrating or overly annoying, making it hard to fully connect with them.
- Losing Steam: After the initial twists and discoveries, the latter half of the book started to drag and felt less cohesive.
- Far-Fetched Twists: While twists are a staple of thrillers, some of these bordered on unbelievable, pulling me out of the story and lessening the overall impact.

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In summary, *The Business Trip* has its moments of brilliance, particularly in its audiobook format and early narrative structure, but it stumbles in its execution toward the end. If you’re looking for something fast-paced with a unique storytelling approach, it’s worth a try—but don’t be surprised if some of the twists feel a little too out there.

Finished in one day because I had to know how it would resolve! I cannot recommend the audiobook version of this one enough; there are tons of characters’ perspectives, but a different narrator for each really helps set the characters apart, adds to the story, and keep things (extra) attention-grabbing!

Honestly, more people should be talking about this upcoming thriller (and immediately adding it to their lists) because despite it being the author’s debut, it reads like a seasoned thriller writer wrote it. It’s gripping, the perfect length, and definitely unpredictable. Without giving away any spoilers, I will just say that the ending is PERFECT.

The Business Trip primarily follows Jasmine (a woman fleeing an abusive relationship) and Stephanie (a successful news director going to a business conference). The women have nothing in common, other than happening to sit next to one another on a plane heading to the same destination. When a few days pass, and the women’s friends begin receiving the exact same text messages from these two strangers about having met a man and deciding to run off to Atlanta with him, this begins ringing alarm bells. Then both women vanish entirely.

Thank you to Jessie Garcia, Macmillan Audio, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

This book was an "almost there" book for me. I felt the pace was a little slow and a little scattered. I felt like the premise of the book was really fun and original. There were many different POVs throughout the book and it was a little hard to keep everything straight-even as someone who is a big fan of books with multiple POVs. Even though this wasn't my favorite of all time, it was an enjoyable read with enough twists to keep you going.

*3.5 stars

I started this book out as an audiobook. So many different narrators…..but that actually helped me keep all the characters straight. Each chapter is from one characters POV.
I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make it very far after listening to the first chapter TW for all of the DV victims out there. I know I personally had a very visceral reaction. Luckily after that it settled down some and I was able to finish the book.
I never actually saw the plot twist at the end. I had an idea of what might be happening somewhere in the middle but never saw that last bit.
A solid 3.5/5 stars for me.
I received an ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

Jasmine is a woman running from a bad relationship. Stephanie is a news director headed to yet another work conference. They both get on a plane, and then their friends start receiving strange texts from each of them; the thread tying the texts together is a name: Trent McCarthy. Who is Trent? Why is Stephanie requesting extra time off to be with him? And how does Jasmine fit in? This mystery is made all the more intriguing as it’s told from multiple points of view. Readers get to hear from not just Jasmine and Stephanie, but also Trent and worried friends and coworkers. This story is absolutely captivating and addictive. Readers of Lisa Jewell and Lucy Foley will fall in love with Jessie Garcia.

The audiobook is read by a whole cast which makes the story all the more immersive. Reading the novel is fun, but listening to the emotion from the narrators was outstanding.

So the plot was clever and many parts were riveting as the numerous twists unveil the backstory. The problem is that it was too farfetched and unbelievable. Every detail seemed to play out perfectly to not even be planned. However, I did enjoy the different pov's as well as the different narrators portraying the characters in the audiobook. But the premise of the book just didn't work for me. My thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing a review copy of the audiobook via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by a host of people all of whom do a fabulous job! Kudos to Andrew Eiden; Dylan Fitzpatrick; Fred Berman; Gail Shalan; Hillary Huber; Jennifer Pickens; John Pirhalla; Kimberly M. Wetherell; Kirby Heyborne; and Tim Campbell. The audiobook is fantastic if you are interested in that.

Two women from completely different backgrounds are on a plane together headed to different places for different reasons. Stephanie is a new room manager heading out on a business trip, and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship trying to start over. The only thing that these 2 have in common aside from being on the same flight to Denver is that they bear a striking resemblance to each other. When the 2 women vanish, the questions from their family and friends circle around a man named Trent McCarthy and what happened between the three of them.

This is a fast paced read full of interesting characters, suspense and so many twists and turns! As the character's stories unfold and we begin to learn more about them, it becomes apparent that they are not who they seem to be. I could not put this one down and holy smokes, the ending was fantastic. There are a lot of characters in the story but all play their part and are easy to keep straight. Throw in a few red herrings, plot twists and a stunner of an ending, and all of my boxes are ticked!!!

5 Stars - highly recommend!!!

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia on audio gave me vibes of Look Closer by David Ellis going into it, particularly the cover’s color scheme. I will say it held up to that comparison for the most part. It’s a creative and twisty story with a midwest flare and the ensemble of narrators was a great choice (the main narrator Jennifer Pickens was my favorite, Hillary Huber is always good also in the Look Closer cast, and the remaining narrators ok to good). For me, the plot was overall predictable but also a little too twisty. In the end, it didn’t live up to the Look Closer ‘gotcha’ standard but it was still a very good and entertaining listen. I will be checking out her next book for sure!

Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

Jasmine is running from an abusive boyfriend. Stephanie is going on a business trip for a few days. All is going as planned until we find out both women are going home with the same man . . .

This book was an entertaining, fun read. I definitely didn't expect the story to end how it did. The author did leave little clues throughout the book as to what would happen. I picked up on some and missed some entirely.

Stephanie is on her way to a work conference. Jasmine is running away from her abusive boyfriend. Both are on the same flight, and after the flight, their friends receive the same texts about a sexy mystery man from the two women who do not know even each other. What really happened on that flight? And where are the women now?

Thank you Jessie Garcia and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook advanced copy of this thriller. All thoughts here are mine and mine alone.

This book was fast-paced and did not bore me, but it also did not leave me satisfied. The characters were almost entirely wholly unlikeable, which is not fun to hear about constantly in a 9+ hour audiobook. Especially Trent, who did not have a single good quality. It was extremely unrealistic and super annoying when the author would, once again, harp on his bad qualities.

Overall, I was not a fan of this book, but that might be because I do not like POVs from the "bad guy's" perspective as I feel it gives everything away which is not what I want in a thriller. It just was not my cup of tea and I fell like the story fell flat.

I chose the audio version of this book because it was read by a full cast. Most of the characters were completely unlikeable which made it hard to connect with them. However, I was still intrigued enough by the intricate plot to keep listening. There were lots of twists and turns along the way, and I was surprised by the ending. A little over-the-top, but definitely entertaining--overall a fun read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Unfortunately all the changing of POVs got me confused and uninterested.

Wow I was not paying attention when I requested this and had no idea it was full cast. Definitely a pleasant surprise. I think this was a great debut for this author. It was a good pace, the characters kept me hooked on the story, and the suspense was definitely there. I can't wait to see more from the author in the future!

I honestly really enjoyed this book! A lot of the reviews claim it’s far fetched, or over the top, but that’s what I enjoyed about it! Like any good thriller, it had me guessing until the end. There are multiple povs, all telling the same story in a different timeline. It was easy to follow, and having the multiple characters tell the story really added to the final “bang”.


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Wait, what?!?! I thought I was like 75% through when the book was like “you are done.” Loved it, but needed so much more. The ending was not enough. I quit my book clubs book for this. I’ll stop my review abruptly just like the author did her story

Jessie Garcia’s The Business Trip is an intriguing thriller that kept me hooked despite a few slower moments. While the pacing occasionally dips, the richly drawn characters and the mounting tension more than make up for it, pulling you deeper into the story with every chapter. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, Garcia delivered a shocking twist that completely upended my expectations, and the ending left me stunned in the best way. It’s a testament to Garcia’s storytelling prowess that the conclusion felt both unexpected and entirely satisfying. A must-read for anyone who loves a thriller with a jaw-dropping finish!
Thank you to Jessie Garcia and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this novel early in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very enjoyable thriller, a debut novel from a new author.

Stephanie and Jasmine meet on a plane, Stephanie on a business trip and Jasmine escaping from an abusive relationship. A few days after the trip their friends start receiving the exact text messages from each of them, mentioning a man called Trent McCarthy. These messages don't seem right, and as the friends get concerned, both women vanish. What happened to them, and how is Trent involved?

The story is told from multiple point of view, from Stephanie and Jasmine themselves, their friends, Trent and even text messages. The first half of the book is a slow burn, but after the half way mark, every thing changes. I didn't see the major twist coming, and I found the twists and turns, while a little unbelievable, made for an exciting read. We almost repeat most of the first half of the book again, seeing things very differently the second time through. This actually worked well.

I wasn't big fan of most of the main characters, but the plot was interesting.

I listened to the book, and the multiple narrators really made the book come alive, as each character had their own voice. It made for a great audiobook, and enhanced the enjoyment immensely.