I was invested in this book from the start. The first half is more of a slow burn with lots of POVs - the second half picks up when everything starts unraveling. I thought the overall premise and structure was unique and sets this apart from other thrillers that have similar twists.

I didn’t love that in the second half the whole story was basically repeating but from Jasmine’s point of view. Her inner monologue was awful because she is such an unlikable character and not because of the authors writing. I thought the character development was great.

Overall, this was a fun time and I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend the audio book as there is a fully cast for all the different POVs which added to the overall experience.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! I was a little worried at first with the multiple narrators, but it ended up working out just fine. And the twists towards the end! Especially the last one! Ha! Got me good lol all the voices were perfect too. Would recommend to friends

I went in blind and I’m so glad I did! This one gripped me from the start. The book is broken into parts, each part mainly focusing on one character. The quick pace and short chapters had me speeding through this on audio, but this popcorn thriller would have been just as old if I read the physical or kindle copy.

I would describe this story as unhinged and some of the characters as immensely unlikeable. I had no idea where the story was going. It was also very well thought out and each time I thought I might have found something that didn’t quite work o a plot hole, it was immediately followed up with an explanation or another twist.

If you like the art of the con, this is a book for you!

This book is twisted in more ways than one from the unlikeable characters I enjoyed not liking, to how the plot played out in the end. It was a really entertaining read from start to finish that I didn't want to hit pause on. I also enjoyed the full cast of narrators in the audiobook. I highly recommend this one for fans of twisty psychological thrillers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Business Trip" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audio book. I didn't care for the story. There was a surprise but overall throughout the book it was a slow burn. Not sure I could have actually read the book, glad I was listening.

This was a fun read but ultimately nothing super memorable for me. While I really enjoyed the first half, I felt like things went downhill in the second half. The last twist was what really sent this down to three starts for me... it just wasn't believable.

Interesting premise with a wild conclusion! The issue with too many points of view is that you lose a little of the nail-biting, anxiety-fueled drama you get when you tell it from the point of view of the victim. While the story did have a few twists and turns, I wasn’t as drawn into the story because of all the characters telling their side of the story. The twist was well worth the listen but I like a little more anxiety from my thrillers.

This story started off strong, offering a refreshing take on the crime novel genre. It hooks you in with its intriguing premise and complex characters—the kind you love to hate.

The plot follows Stephanie, a career-driven woman on a business trip, and Jasmine, a survivor fleeing an abusive relationship. The two women don’t know each other, but their lives take an unsettling turn when they begin sending their friends identical, increasingly bizarre messages about the same man. This setup is gripping and promises a tense unraveling of events.

The use of multiple POVs was ambitious, and while it added layers to the story, it felt excessive at times. It’s not inherently a bad thing, but you might find yourself questioning if all those perspectives were truly necessary
Unfortunately, about three-quarters into the book, the story takes a nosedive. The once-smart characters make bafflingly foolish decisions, and the dialogue descends into juvenile territory. The plot veers into the unbelievable, undoing much of the solid groundwork laid earlier. It’s as if the ending was written by a completely different author, lacking the finesse and cohesion of the beginning.

If you’re okay with these flaws and enjoy unique crime setups, this might still be worth a read. But honestly, had I known how it would end, I would’ve given it a pass. A promising start that ultimately didn’t deliver.

The one and only book I finished on my vacation. Very fitting to finish this one mid flight. Stephanie and Jasmine board the same flight. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is running from an abusive boyfriend. After they land, their friends receive cryptic text messages from them that they’ve met a man that they’re going to go back home with. Both women end up missing, and it gets crazy and twisty.

This audiobook was a fabulous performance with a full cast who all did a superb job giving each character a unique voice. Sometimes with multiple characters in audiobooks, I find it hard to keep track of who’s who, but this book narration was phenomenal!

It was smartly written, and I had a hard time putting it down. I did not guess the twists and the ending was satisfyingly good! Read this if you’re a fan of Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, Shari Lapena, BA Paris, Mary Kubica or if you like psychotic characters. 4.5 heart pounding stars.

3.5 stars rounded up. Jasmine and Stephanie are on the same flight out of town. Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship and Stephanie is going to a work conference. These two women are strangers, but one thing they have in common are the texts they send their friends and family about a man they met - Trent McCarthy. The texts all seem fine at first, until the women share they are extending their trip. After further communication, the text recipients begin to suspect they aren’t really texting Jasmine or Stephanie.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audio of this book and it was a fun time! It’s full cast, fast paced, and easy to listen to - which is impressive given all the narrators involved! I absolutely loved the first half of this book. I was invested and determined to figure out what was going on with the texts. I knew a twist was on the horizon, but hadn’t placed it yet. The first twist pops up about halfway in and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. That plus the final twist made it a bit unbelievable for me, but it was still a good time along the way! It’s hard for me to focus on audio sometimes, but I had no problem here.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

The Business Trip was a wild ride! I absolutely DEVOURED this audiobook. I couldn't stop listening until I knew how it ended. I thought it was such a clever twist on a psychological thriller and Garcia really kept me on my toes the whole time. 10/10 recommend this one for thriller fans and readers who love suspense! Best book of 2025 so far!

Stephanie and Jasmine cross paths on a flight, Stephanie to a conference for her job as a News Director, and Jasmine on the run from an abusive boyfriend. Friends and family at home are left baffled when both women mysteriously vanish after sending cryptic texts about meeting a man on their travels. Though Stephanie and Jasmine both claimed to fall into a sudden and heated relationship with Trent McCarthy, each women subliminally sends a different message, eluding to the fact that their disappearance isn't happenstance. Through the narrations of Stephanie, Jasmine, and Trent himself, reader's untangle the complicated web of lies and deceit while trying to determine who is truly the mastermind. Garcia's cunning and complicated narrative will absolutely keep you on the edge of your seat!

The Business Trip is a psychological thriller that follows Jasmine, who is leaving an abusive relationship & then intertwines itself with another woman, Stephanie, when the two meet on the same flight.

Jasmine & Stephanie’s stories intertwined in ways that I didn’t see coming, and provided a bunch of twists that kept me wanting to read more and more! Jessie Garcia does a great job weaving in threads of deceit, secrets, manipulation & revenge, all while leaving readers wondering who the characters TRULY are.

The audio narration was incredibly well done by Andrew Eiden; Dylan Fitzpatrick; Fred Berman; Gail Shalan; Hillary Huber; Jennifer Pickens; John Pirhalla; Kimberly M. Wetherell; Kirby Heyborne; and Tim Campbell. The book is split into four parts, which I find super helpful in audiobooks, especially thrillers, due to trying to keep all the characters straight. Not only that but each character in the book had their own narrator, making them easily distinguishable from one another while also bringing their unique personalities to life.

Overall I did enjoy this book, however, I struggled at the end because the ending really fell flat for me…🤷🏻‍♀️ It seemed a bit rushed & not as thorough as the rest of the book, which left me feeling a bit unresolved. Regardless, I did enjoy Jessie’s writing style, character development and the way in which she kept me guessing while reading.

This book was kind of all over the place. Written by a new to me author, it started off strong with a woman being abused by her husband and I liked the full cast audiobook narration but then things got weird with a multi-timeline story and I ended up DNFing fairly early on. Just not for me sadly. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

The Business Trip

What a WILD ride. I can safely say I did not see these twists coming. At the beginning, there were quite a few POVs to keep up with, but the short chapters kept things moving and kept me interested. When the POV swapping slowed down, I was blown away at the twists that were revealed. I loved the ending and found it very satisfying.

The full cast audio narration was SO FUN. It definitely helped me keep the different characters straight, and make it an enjoyable listen. Highly recommend this thriller - you won't be able to put it down! Fabulous debut from Jessie Garcia.

Thank you to Macmillian audio for the ALC. The Business Trip is on shelves January 14, 2025. My opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars

A Full Cast of Narrators: Yes, Please!

The audiobook nails the experience of listening to The Business Trip. A full cast of narrators—TEN narrators. That’s not just a selling point; it’s a game-changer.

When you’re juggling a story with a lot of characters, having distinct voices for each one is a lifesaver. Seriously, each narrator brought so much personality to their character that it was like having a little movie in my ears. This audiobook didn’t just tell the story; it performed it.

A Clever, Twisty Plot That Hooks You

Here’s where the book truly shines: the writing and story structure. It’s clever. The first half introduces us to Stephanie, a business traveler, and Jasmine, a woman fleeing an abusive relationship. They meet on a plane, and a few days later, both start texting their friends and coworkers strange things that seem a little out of character for them. The messages grow stranger, and more unsettling.

Just like the characters’ friends, I found myself frantically trying to piece together what was happening. The sense of mystery and tension builds and red flags are waving wildly.

The Big Reveal: Ambitious, Did it work?

When the second half kicks in, we dive into what actually happened through a couple of other characters. The reveal is clever, no doubt about it. This part of the story does get a bit repetitive at times, but the real strength lies in how all those burning questions are answered through the characters’ points of view.

Believability: A Stumble in the Story

It was hard to buy into the events unfolding the way they did. It stretched my suspension of disbelief a bit thin and lost me. It was hard to recover from that.


That One Character… You Know the One

Let me just say… there was one character that seriously tested my patience. You know the type: over-the-top, stereotypical, and grating. The narrator did a good job embodying the character, but between the writing and their voice, it was a lot. It almost pulled me out of the story… almost. I get that the author was going for a certain type with this character, but it leaned a little too hard into caricature territory.

That said, if you can look past those moments that make you go, "Really?" there’s still so much to enjoy here. The twists, the characters, and the pacing all make it worth sticking around for the ride.

Just maybe brace yourself for that character. You’ll know them when you hear them.

The Business Trip was an intense psychological thriller that had me so mad I didn’t know what to do. 😅

I started out so sympathetic towards one of our main characters, but the way I flipped on her so quick had me feeling l broke my back. The pacing was quick, I was interested to see how it all turned out but it also felt a little too far-fetched for me in a multitude of ways. I don’t want to give all my thoughts, because I don’t want to give away spoilers and ruin it for anyone else.

The one disappointing part for me is that I finished the book, walked away from it for a week (I like to write my reviews after having time to reflect, because sometimes I end up up liking it more after thinking about it) but I honestly couldn’t even remember the entirety of the end twist so I had to go back to it to give a complete and fair review.

That being said, I’d still give this author another try, because it wasn’t all bad either. I listened to this one on audio, and thought the narrator did a great job. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and MacMillan Audio for my advanced audiobook.

3 ⭐️ quick easy bingeable read, but nothing show stopping. If you like phycological mysteries with multiple POV’s, fast paced easy writing, dark, unlikable characters with a couple of twists then I’d recommend it, but it wasn’t my personal favorite. The narrator was great though!

content warnings: r@pe, SA, murder, cheating, swearing.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for review.

Read If You Like:
- Psychological thrillers
- Multiple perspectives
- Unreliable narrators
- Stories involving disappearances
- Twists and suspense

The Business Trip is a psychological thriller that intertwines the lives of two women, Stephanie and Jasmine, who unknowingly cross paths on a flight to Denver. Stephanie is a successful news director attending a business conference, while Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship, seeking a fresh start. Despite their differences, both women find themselves entangled with the enigmatic Trent McCarthy shortly after their arrival.

As days pass, Stephanie and Jasmine send eerily similar messages to their friends about Trent, with their communications becoming increasingly erratic. Then, both women vanish without a trace, their texts go silent, and concern escalates among those who know them. The narrative delves into the ensuing investigation, raising pressing questions: Who is Trent McCarthy? What happened to Stephanie and Jasmine? And what secrets lie beneath the surface of their interactions?

The novel is structured through multiple perspectives, providing a comprehensive view of the events leading up to and following the disappearances. This approach allows readers to piece together the mystery from various angles, enhancing the suspense. The author skillfully crafts a tale filled with twists and turns, keeping readers guessing about the true nature of each character and their motivations.

While the plot is engaging and fast-paced, some readers may find certain developments to stretch plausibility. However, the unexpected twists and the exploration of complex psychological dynamics contribute to a compelling narrative that holds attention throughout.

The Business Trip is a gripping read for fans of psychological thrillers who appreciate intricate plots and character-driven stories. Its exploration of manipulation, identity, and the unforeseen consequences of chance encounters makes it a noteworthy addition to the genre.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC and ALC!

This was a thrilling, fast-paced read that perfectly captured the drama, humor, and tension of navigating relationships at work. Set during a high-stakes corporate retreat, the story follows a group of colleagues whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways. The characters feel real - flawed, funny, and sometimes frustrating and that makes their struggles and triumphs hit even harder. Just when you think you know where it’s going, a twist is thrown in that keeps you hooked. It’s the kind of book you’ll want to binge in one sitting. Perfect for fans of character-driven stories with plenty of heart... and a little chaos.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the Advanced Reader Copy!