I really enjoyed this book…for the most part. The first half started off well - I was into the story, the pace was great, I enjoyed the switching POVs. And then in the second half, I felt like it was a retelling of the first half from one POV. That slowed it down a bit for me, but overall I enjoyed the book. 3.5 ⭐️

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This debut is a fast paced read that can be read in an afternoon. Good pacing throughout and I wanted to find out what happened. I liked that there was some unreliability in one particular character. It was interesting and well done. Would definitely pick up future books by this author.

This is a great book, full of surprises and twists. Two women meet on the same flight, traveling for very different reasons. Just as you think you know the characters and your empathy and loathing is in place, something happens to turn the narrative on its head!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia had some pretty unexpected, jaw dropping twists! Multiple POV, tension, and many twists made this a binge worthy read for me! I would love to listen to it on audio as well.


Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think I was in the mood for a good thriller, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Business Trip.

In the beginning, we know more than the other characters (or at least we think we do). It had me yelling at the characters to figure it out faster. It's kind of like when you tell the girl in the horror movie not to go into the basement. I love it when I'm so into the book that I'm telling the characters what to do.

The story is told from multiple points of view. I thought that the storytelling method was interesting. For several of the characters, it felt like they were being interviewed. This was especially strong with the start of Trent's section. It gave us more insight into the characters, but it also felt like we were being told a lot, so it wasn't easy to determine if it was true or not.

Some bits of the story were pretty obvious about what was going to happen, and I felt like the ending kind of wrapped up too quickly, given how drawn out the rest of the story was.

I was really rooting for Stephanie, and I'm still not sure how I feel after everything was revealed. My favorite character was Lucy, and I wish there had been more chapters with her. Had the ending not wrapped up so quickly, and we had gotten to see more of the investigation, then we probably would have seen more of Lucy.

This would make a great vacation read as it is thrilling enough to keep you turning pages, but doesn't give you so much anxiety that you can't relax with the book.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Thursday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/04/the-business-trip-by-jessie-garcia.html

Have you ever started a book thinking you knew exactly where it was going… only to realize, several twists later, you were completely wrong? That’s exactly what happened when I picked up The Business Trip—and I mean that in the best possible way.

From cryptic texts to multiple intertwined perspectives, this thriller is anything but predictable. It kicks off with a seemingly straightforward business trip and quickly spirals into a layered story of survival, secrets, and split-second decisions. Buckle up, because this one doesn’t slow down.

ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ:
Stephanie, a high-powered TV executive, heads to a conference in San Diego on a routine business trip—but when the event wraps up, she sends a cryptic message to her friends and colleagues saying she’s met a man and is flying to his home in Atlanta for a week. Then… radio silence. Or worse—strange, increasingly disturbing texts that suggest something is very wrong.

Meanwhile, Jasmine, a woman desperately fleeing an abusive relationship, happens to be on the same flight. She’s not just trying to escape her past—she’s trying to disappear altogether.

What unfolds is a tangled, suspenseful web of mystery, misdirection, and survival, told through multiple viewpoints.

ᴍʏ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴄᴇɴᴛs:
This book was seriously a trip (pun absolutely intended)! I love a thriller that keeps me guessing, and for the first half of the book, I genuinely had no idea what was going on. In the best way. The plot constantly shifted in unexpected directions, and just when I thought I had something figured out, the story veered somewhere completely new. It kept me hooked and turning pages late into the night.

Now, I’ll be honest—I was a little apprehensive when I realized how many perspectives the book switches between. We get at least six different POVs, which sounds like a lot (because it is!). But surprisingly, the structure worked. The chapters are super short, which helps the pace fly, and the way some scenes are revisited from different angles actually made things easier to follow. That said, with so many characters and quick chapter changes, most of the characters felt a bit surface-level. I would’ve loved a little more depth and emotional nuance from a few of them, especially Jasmine.

Still, the twists and payoff made up for it. And without giving anything away, I really appreciated that the ending wasn’t just clean-cut justice. There were consequences across the board, even for characters who weren’t strictly “villains,” which felt refreshingly realistic.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, high-stakes thriller with a unique structure and plenty of surprises, The Business Trip is worth the ride.

Disclaimer
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and the SMP Influencers program for sending me a physical copy of this book to read and review, along with fun goodies, including airline biscuits and brochure. This does not affect or influence my opinion of the story.

Jesse Garcia’s The Business Trip is a sharp, fast-paced narrative that blends corporate tension with personal transformation. The story follows a protagonist thrust into an unfamiliar professional setting, where each decision carries weight—and hidden consequences. Garcia skillfully captures the subtleties of office politics and the quiet intensity of high-stakes negotiations, all while exploring themes of identity, ambition, and integrity. The writing is clean and focused, with just enough detail to paint vivid scenes without dragging the pace. A compelling read for anyone who enjoys workplace drama with emotional depth.

The Business Trip
By: Jessie Garcia

4 Stars

What would you do to have a new life? This book follows a few characters who want something different in life, but some will do much more than others to get that freedom. Sometimes, it's as simple as a little white lie, while sometimes it can also mean...murder?

This story is laid out a little differently than what I was expecting, but it led me on a thrilling ride all the same. I was not expecting the crazy journey that this book was going to lead me on. It was both thrilling and completely captivating. It was so full of twists with a mystery that will keep you wanting more and keep you guessing until the very last page. I have to say the characters were very interesting. Some, Quirky and likable, while others were easy to "not adore." They really were what made this story so enthralling.

I have to add that I loved the ending. It fit so well and was quite bad a** If I do say so myself.



*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

I loved every bit of this book -- a phenomenal debut! While the plots seems like any other one of it's kind, it ends up being extremely clever and page-turning! The twists are jaw-dropping, and I'll definitely be reading more from this author!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this amazing debut early.

Jessie Garcia's The Business Trip is a chilling descent into the unsettling heart of corporate ambition, where success comes at a terrifying price. This isn't your typical office drama; it's a meticulously crafted thriller that will leave you questioning the motives of everyone involved.

Garcia masterfully creates an atmosphere of creeping dread, transforming the familiar landscape of business travel into a labyrinth of paranoia and suspicion. As the protagonist navigates a high-stakes deal, a sinister undercurrent emerges, hinting at a darkness that lurks beneath the polished surface of power.

The Business Trip is a suspenseful and mysterious journey into the hidden costs of success. With its compelling characters, intricate plot, and mounting tension, Garcia delivers a novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, shocking revelation.

This was quite an interesting and intriguing thriller. I can usually figure out a book's plot line but this one was slow coming too me. The story is told first of all in a series of texts sent to a young women who goes to a conference. Those texts are sent to her next door neighbor who is a friend and cat sitter in her absence and several coworkers. Another character, a waitress by trade leaves her abusive husband in dead of night. Their lives intersect in a most interesting way. Who is sending the message? What happened to these two missing young women and how is the subject of this very entertaining read. It is one you can't put down. Thanks to #netgalley#Thebusinesstrip#JessieGarcia for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The business trip by Jessie Garcia was a fast read- I finished it a day because I literally couldn’t put it down. I have never read a book with this many POV’s but the author did it in a way it was not confusing and kept ratcheting up the twists and tension. One main character Jasmine we start out feeling sorry for but soon that change's in breakneck speed. The other main character Stephanie we don’t get a real feel for her personality - I wish Garcia had dug more into what makes her tick. There’s Trent with the overly white smile and obnoxious personality we are meant to hate or be annoyed with and he was definitely a pain in the proverbial butt. Twists turns unreliable narrators. Murder mystery written in a new way I found entertaining- I would just like more in depth characters and one likable one besides the neighbor who feeds Stephanie’s cat. I’m giving four stars and look forward to The authors next novel.

Stephanie and Jasmine are nothing alike, but they meet on a plane when Stephanie is traveling for a business trip and Jasmine is fleeing and abusive relationship. When they are both declared missing and in danger it’s up to their friends to put the pieces together and alert the police before it’s too late. Trent McCarthy is fingered as the number one suspect, did he do it? Or is something more sinister afoot?

I am usually more of a cozy mystery reader, but I like to mix it up every now and then and I’d seen this book around so wanted to check it out. I listened to the audiobook and was hooked from the first chapter. The narration was great and each character had a different narrator. The story was fast paced and multi-layered, the characters were intriguing and full of surprised and I loved the traits and turns of this mystery. Every time I thought I knew what might be going on the tables were turned and I was right back to guessing again. This was a twisted and twisty thriller that had me unable to put this one down. I’m glad I got the chance to read this book and really enjoyed the audiobook version.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This thriller was full of twists and turns. I did not see that ending coming! This was a fun and wild ride. I really enjoyed the multiple points of view and the way the book was structured. This book was chilling and great.

This was a wild ride. There were so many twists I had no idea what to expect the outcome to be. It’s hard to even summarize it because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. I can’t believe this was a debut novel, and I’ll definitely read more by Jessie Garcia.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this book.

A fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing the entire book. I did not see that ending coming! WOW!

Thank you netgalley and St Martin’s for this amazing read!

I really enjoyed this unique thriller. I enjoyed the way the twists were uncovered from various points of view. This was a quick and easy break from everything heavy going on in the world at the moment. I recommend this as a beach or road trip read!

Jasmine is running from an abusive relationship, and constantly looking over her shoulder for the evil and murderous Glenn.. Stephanie is on the way to yet another conference for her tv station. They end up sitting next to each other on a flight, and both of their worlds change forever.

Wow, this was thrilling, and it goes in a direction I never expected. I was hooked from page one. Garcia has done a great job of concocting a clever and original plot. The characters are intriguing, and nobody will guess the ending  Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

[ Thank you to the publisher for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

I was HOOKED. I absolutely flew through this book because I had to know what was going to happen. I was glued to those pages. This had my heart pumping. The pacing was great, I thought the build up was perfect. And even the ending was solid.

Will keep my eye out for more by this author!