This was a lot better than I had anticipated. This was such an intricately layered thriller with twists I didn't see coming. It did take a little time for the story to sink it's teeth in, but by about 25% I was hooked.

You were warned — don’t talk to strangers.

And, be careful on a plane.

Wow, this took a turn that I was not expecting and I loved that it surprised me! Sometimes I feel jaded and disappointed with how easy it is to guess the big twist or reveal. Not this time.

Two women meet on a flight. One is a news director on her way to a conference and the other is escaping an abusive boyfriend. They have nothing in common. Friendly conversation ensues and the trip passes pleasantly. Nothing, however, will go as planned.

The narrative flips between points of view and the characters are interesting and unique. It was so hard to step away from reading so I found myself forgetting about all the things I really meant to do today and read it in a single session. Lots of drama and the reader is totally drawn in by the activities and behavior of the characters.

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audiobook while reading along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The talented cast of narrators really brought this story to life with their voices and dramatic flair. It definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the story. Well done.

Jessie Garcia’s The Business Trip is an ambitious debut, offering a gripping premise packed with suspense and twists that will keep readers intrigued. The story of Stephanie and Jasmine—two women whose lives intersect through a series of mysterious events—explores themes of manipulation, trust, and survival, promising plenty of nail-biting moments.

The strongest aspect of the book is its fast pace and the initial setup. The dual narratives of Stephanie, a businesswoman, and Jasmine, a woman fleeing abuse, are compelling and immediately hook you. The buildup of tension, especially through the cryptic texts and the enigmatic Trent McCarthy, creates a sense of unease that carries much of the novel.

However, while the twists come in abundance, not all of them feel earned. Some reveals are overly reliant on shock value rather than a carefully laid foundation, leaving the plot occasionally teetering into implausibility. The characters, while intriguing, could have used more depth—Jasmine’s story, in particular, felt underdeveloped despite its emotional potential. At times, the book leans so heavily on the suspense that it sacrifices emotional resonance and character growth.

The ending aims for a jaw-dropping twist, but it feels rushed and slightly convoluted, leaving some threads dangling in ways that feel unsatisfying rather than intentional. It’s clear that Garcia has a knack for crafting tension, but a bit more polish and attention to nuance could have elevated this story.

Overall, The Business Trip is an entertaining, page-turning debut that’s worth a read for fans of fast-paced thrillers. While it doesn’t fully deliver on its ambitious setup, it shows promise for Jessie Garcia’s future as an author.

I had the pleasure of both reading AND listening to this book! (Thank you NetGalley!)
I thoroughly enjoyed both!
At first I thought I may not be able to keep up with the different points of view but I was wrong- they were perfect. And as I was reading I really thought I would be let down by the ending- but I wasn’t! It was great!

I really enjoyed this book!

The Business trip is a thriller with multiple points of view. You’re able to see the perspective of major characters as well as supporting characters. It took me a little to follow along with having so many points of view but I was invested. We meet Jasmine who’s had a rough life. She’s finally breaking free from her abuse boyfriend and plans to start a new life. Unfortunately plans get tangled and her original plan is scrapped as she relaxes on a flight to Denver. Her next choice changes her finally destination as well as the trajectory of her life.

I enjoyed this novel and the loops it threw at me. At some parts it was hard to follow which character I was reading from. I feel the value of the book would remain the same if we had one or two less characters for the POV. I enjoyed the final twist but part of me felt it was hard to believe. If you’re wanting a book with twists turns and unpredictable plot this is it.

This debut thriller was so binge-worthy! If you’re a fan of Freida McFadden, this one will definitely appeal to you.

I can’t remember the last time I read a book with so many highly unlikeable characters—they were all pretty awful (well, maybe not Robert).

The story kicks off with Jasmine, who’s fleeing an abusive relationship, and Stephanie, who’s heading to a work conference, meeting on a plane. What follows is a wild, twisty ride that kept me on my toes. The twists came so fast and frequently, it was hard to keep up! While some outlandish moments do require you to suspend disbelief, the fast-paced plot made it impossible to stop reading. Fans of twisty thrillers will enjoy this one!

I wanted to like this book, and it kept me engaged for the first half. After that I knew where the plot was going. I had hoped that I was wrong, but I wasn't. I'm glad I read it, but it wasn't for me.

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia is a gripping and twisty thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story follows two women, Stephanie and Jasmine, who seem like they couldn’t be more different but end up connected in shocking ways. Stephanie is on a business trip, while Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship. At first, they don’t know each other, but their lives take a dark turn when they both send their friends eerily similar, increasingly strange text messages about a man named Trent McCarthy.

And then, they both disappear.

From there, the mystery takes off. As their loved ones try to figure out what happened, the story gets even more suspenseful. Who is Trent McCarthy, really? What happened to Stephanie and Jasmine? Are they victims, or is there more to their story? The twists and turns made it impossible to guess what was coming next.

One of the things I loved most about this book was how it was laid out. Different chapters are told from different points of view, which gives you a deeper understanding of the characters and keeps you wondering who to trust. I had a feeling something wasn’t right, but I was completely blindsided by the big twist. It was so well done!

However, the reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that parts of the story felt a bit outlandish and far-fetched. While the twists were exciting, some of them stretched believability a little too much for me. That said, it didn’t ruin the book—it just made it a bit less realistic than I’d hoped.

If you love thrillers with shocking twists and stories that keep you on the edge of your seat, I still highly recommend The Business Trip. It’s fast-paced, unpredictable, and the kind of book you’ll want to talk about as soon as you finish it!

What a great thriller read! I found this book easy to read and it was definitely a page turner. I do think the first half was kind of a slower burn and I was almost bored at times, but the second half had me hooked. I love when I can’t predict a plot twist and the author did exactly that!

FIVE STAR READ.

I read a lot of thrillers but this is the one

it was fun, fast-paced, and suspenseful. all the characters were relatable, and the chemistry was chef kiss.

I loved how the book kept me guessing, and I couldn’t put it down. If you're looking for an entertaining read with a bit of excitement, this one’s worth picking up!

The Business Trip is such a solid debut thriller! I was immediately sucked into the plot. Two women meet on a plane, Jasmine is escaping her mediocre life and abusive partner and Stephanie is a high-powered news director headed on a business trip. Both women go missing shortly after reaching their destination. There were a lot of characters and most of them worked for me, but some felt a little too one dimensional. The ending was pretty unhinged, but the easy to read pacing and binge-ability makes this a top tier vacation read!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Wowwwww this was FANTASTIC! I did not want this story to end and I was hooked from the very beginning! I was able to receive an arc of the audiobook of this book and I loved every single second of this story! I’m pretty sure this is the authors debut novel and I need more books from this author IMMEDIATELY! There were sooo many POVs, but honestly, I think the audiobook made it so much fun to hear each narrators voices & POVs! I normally don’t like more than 3 POVs because it can become confusing, but this author did it the best way possible!

If you have the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, I would highly recommend it! Not that the story is not good on its own, but I loved the audiobook sooo much! This story will be stuck in my head for a longgggg time! This is definitely going to be one of my top 10 favorite books ever now! I cannot wait to see what else this author comes up with because I will be first in line!

If you want a super twisty story, drama, suspense, and an ending you will NEVER see coming, then this is the story for you! READ THIS IMMEDIATELY! You will not be disappointed!

Wow! I really liked this one. It’s a quick, easy, twisty read that I couldn’t put down. Jasmine is stuck in an abusive relationship and is willing to do almost anything to get out. She has been saving her waitressing money for over a year and is ready to make a move. Stephanie is the news director for a local tv station and is on her way to a business conference. The two women end up on the same plane, and even though they don’t know each other, their stories begin to overlap. Oh boy! I found myself saying “What???” quite a bit when things didn’t seem to be making sense. But that’s the point! The story is told from multiple points of view, but which one is closest to the truth? A true page turner! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC.

Whoa! I did not expect the ending of this one; though as soon as it happened, my mind jumped to a clue that was left early in the book. I felt bad for Jasmine; her life sucked and she was jumping from one abusive situation to the next, but she did take things too far. Also Trent is the definition of icky guys, and the author did a really good job of portraying that. Like I honestly hated how he thought about everything, that even though he was supposed to be attractive, I just pictured him as this slime ball of a man.

I enjoyed that the first half of the book, aside from the first few chapters), were told from all of the friends’ POV and we use that to try to piece together what is happening. We are just as lost as the characters. But then when we finally jump to Jasmine’s POV in the latter half of the book, we get the background of what really was going on.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook! Listened in tandem on LibroFM!

This book defines the "red herring" move. I think I have whiplash, but in a good way. I like being wrong, and I was. Several times over. That hardly ever happens.

It did almost lose me towards the middle, but I kept going and there was a payoff that made it worth it.

4.5, rounded!

Jessie Garcia’s jaw dropping debut novel, The Business Trip follows Jasmine and Stephanie who are on the same airplane but don’t know each other. After a few days they start texting their friends about the same man and strange things start to happen. People disappear, go missing … etc. I could not put this book down and it’s hard to believe this is a debut book - it’s that great! I can’t wait to see what Jessie Garcia writes next!

Wow! This book was definitely a page turner! If you like Freida McFadden then you will like this book! I thought I had this figured out a couple different times and NOPE…..I sure didn’t. You have to read this book!!!

The Business Trip is an enticing thriller that offers a fast pace, jaw dropping twists, and a fun read.

It follows two women who are so different, you wonder what in the world they have in common. They become seatmates, and then both somehow have the same fate and the hands of the same man. Intrigued? I definitely was. This book kept my attention and I loved all of the plot twists it had. The pace definitely helped this book along.

Big thanks to the publisher for the arc!

This was an easy enough read and I finished it quickly. It definitely falls into the popcorn thriller category. The multiple POVs helped move the story along. However, because there were so many it caused an overlap that made me skim through a section of the book because it was repetitive. Also, I wasn't a huge fan of the ending and the epilogue. Overall, I expected to enjoy it more based on earlier reviews and wouldn't readily recommend it.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

This book was a wild ride! Jasmine and Stephanie meet on a long flight. Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship, while Stephanie is heading to a conference.

A few days after the flight, neither Jasmine nor Stephanie can be reached with the exception of some uncharacteristic texts to friends from each woman, claiming to have met the same man, Trent McCarthy, and stating that they are in Atlanta with him.

The twists and turns in this story are unexpected and suspenseful. I stayed engaged throughout, trying to figure out what was happening. Told from multiple POVs, this book was a fast read for me. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more by Jessie Garcia.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC.