4.5 Stars. I read and listened to the audio version of this book narrated by a full cast. The narration was very good with all the characters distinct.

If you want a book that you won't be able to figure out what really happened, this might be right up your alley. I don't think there's any way anyone could see what was coming. I was so into this book! It all starts with a woman who is being abused by a man and plans her escape. After that.... You'll just have to read it to see. It would be too easy to give something away.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the copies. All thoughts are my own.

It started out really hopeful. We got the 2 women, Jasmine’s and Stephanie’s, POV.

I was really curious to see how the stories between these women would connect.. and I was highly disappointed.

There were several POVs throughout.. some made sense, and others did not.

There were 2 plot twists.. the 1 was shocking and I sort of saw it coming. It was literally unbelievable and highly j realistic just like reveal number 2. Reveal number 2 made me want to pull my hair out. It just didn’t make sense AT ALL.

I wish I liked this but I cannot recommend this book.

2.60 ⭐️

Wow...
In this story, we meet Stephanie and Jasmine, two women who are going on a "business trip" for different reasons. As a new director, Stephanie lives a more comfortable life, while Jasmine is a waitress. These two women meet on the plane by pure coincidence, and their lives change in unimaginable ways. I was so sure I knew who the "bad guy" was, and then I came to find out I was wrong. I don't want to spoil it, but I was surprised. I had a slight feeling there was something off about this character as the story evolved. Trent's character was so obnoxious I could not stand him. However, his character added much to the story and made the twists more surprising.

The narrators did an amazing job bringing this story to life.

Thanks to SMP and Net Galley for the e-arc!! Also, to Macmillian Audio for the ALC!!

“Two women who have never met before leave town on the same plane. After a couple of days, they each message their friends and family: “I’ve met a great guy. I’ll be out of touch for a few days. His name is Trent McCarthy.” And then, both of them disappear.”

This was a really great debut psychological thriller!!

I really enjoyed the plot- it was very clever! I found it to be fast paced and I didn’t want to put it down.

I always love 2-3 POVs, but when I saw this one had more than that- I won’t lie I was a little hesitant, but I ended up absolutely loving how the story unfolded with having all the POVs! And it was not difficult to follow along at all.

Such a bingeable and well written debut novel! Recommend checking it out!💙

Woah! I did not see that ending coming! This was a very interesting premise with some unbelievable decisions. I had a hard time wrapping my mind around some of the things Jasmine decided to do but desperate people do desperate things so I suspended a little disbelief. Overall I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone who likes a “wth is happening” type of book.

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia is a fun thriller! Told in many viewpoints, the book read quick and kept me guessing.

Jasmine is escaping an abusive relationship and Stephanie is on a business trip and the two sit next to each other on a flight. A few days later each sends an alarming text about the same man.

This is my first Jessie Garcia book and it won’t be my last. I enjoyed how the story kept moving with many twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a fun thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book!

This book was okay - it kept my attention enough to read, but wasn't very exciting. There was a bit of a twist, but it was revealed early and we just spent the rest of the book with it being detailed to us. Definitely not bad, but just okay for me.

4 shocking stars

My sympathy was immediately activated when we met Jasmine; she’s been secreting money away from her waitressing job to escape an abusive boyfriend. I was on the edge of my seat when she crept out of the trailer, jumped into a car, and made her way to the airport. I was so relieved that she got away. Or did she?

Stephanie will also be on the flight to Denver with Jasmine. However, Stephanie is experienced with business trips. She’s a well-respected TV news executive on her way to San Diego for a conference. In a twist of fate, the women are seated in the same row on the flight.

The first shocking twist is that the women vanish, texts go unanswered, and then have uncharacteristic responses, and friends and co-workers start to get worried.

The second half has a huge twist that I didn’t see coming, and I don’t want to give it away in my review. Just when I thought I was a clever reader and knew how this would end, another surprising twist was thrown at me. This was a unique story that hooked me and surprised me.

The author was a sportscaster for 25 years and a sideline reporter for the Packers, and she has written about those experiences. This is her first foray into fiction, and I look forward to her next book!

Giving me initial vibes of The Last Flight by Julie Clark, The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia features two women on a plane, a plan to escape, and a murder plot.

Jasmine is fleeing a violent relationship and Stephanie is tired of being the dependable news director that can take on more than her fair share. They both board a flight and the excitement ensues.

For the first 60-70% off this novel, I was totally hooked and it was difficult to put down. I loved that I didn’t know what was going on and except for one paragraph that gave me a clue about what might happen (and later did), I was not sure how this would go. The story then moved into some territory that was a bit too unrealistic but still very exciting, I was in the mood for total escape and this book offered that. I devoured the last 25% in a short time and while the ending was partly what I expected, it added an extra twist I did not see coming. None of the characters were loveable and the character of Trent was so smarmy and gave me the full ick. That said, the characters were well drawn in my mind. There was a bit too much repetition in the POVs which could have been cut back.

This is the author’s debut work of fiction and she has experience in the field of reporting and managing a newsroom, much like the character of Stephanie in the novel. She says in the acknowledgments that the idea for this novel formed while sitting chatting with someone on a flight to Denver. I love when the author shares their inspiration for the books they write.

I am rating this book 4 stars for holding my attention and for keeping me guessing. I look forward to future fiction from this author. I would recommend this book for fans of twisty mysteries, men behaving badly getting their comeuppance, and if you don’t mind moving into territory that is a little unrealistic.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. The Business Trip publishes January 14, 2025.

Quite gripping and intricately compsed! I'm a sucker for books set on airplanes/in airports, but beyond that I had no preconceptions about this book. I expected a sort of Strangers on a Train theme from the description, but what I got was way better.

Go in blind for this one, because even mentioning why I liked it so much would be a spoiler. The ending is a bit far-fetched, but if you're willing to suspend belief and enjoy the ride it's well worth it.

I'm looking forward to seeing what else Garcia puts out!

Let me just go ahead and pick my jaw up off the ground! I loved this book!

Jasmine is fleeing from an abusive relationship and Stephanie is on yet another business trip. They meet on board the same flight. A week later they are both missing. What happened on that flight? The author tells this crazy story through the eyes of the other people involved in their lives. I thought the alternating view points was really creative.

This book was so good. It was fast paced twisty and I stayed up late to figure out what on earth was going on.

This is a must read!
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

This is a twisty story with some excellent twists I didn't see coming. I loved the multi POV story telling, so well done.

It's an impressive debut and I'm looking forward to her next book already.

This debut novel by author Jessie Garcia started off well. The story had short chapters and it was a gripping, edge of your seat thriller.

My only complaint about this thriller was that the ending left me meh. Overall, I still enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more by this author.
L

Jessie Garcia’s The Business Trip is an engaging and enjoyable read that offers a refreshing take on storytelling by showcasing multiple viewpoints. I appreciated the way the author balanced both sides of the story, giving the characters depth and complexity. It was fascinating to see events unfold through different perspectives, which kept the narrative dynamic and intriguing.

The plot takes a bit of a wild turn toward the end, but surprisingly, I didn’t mind it at all. In fact, it added an unexpected twist that made the story even more memorable. It’s not your typical, predictable ending, and I found it to be a welcome change from more conventional narratives.

Overall, The Business Trip is a fun and thought-provoking read, perfect for those who enjoy multi-layered storytelling with a bit of a dramatic edge. Jessie Garcia has crafted a unique and entertaining book that’s definitely worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Jessie Garcia for an ARC of The Business Trip! This is one of the books I’ll think about for a while after. I absolutely loved the plot and the execution and I honestly had no idea how this was going to end. This was such a fun read and had me hooked trying to figure out what was actually happening with all the twists and turns. The multiple POV’s was a great addition to the story to see everyone’s perspective during the timeline. I can’t believe this is Jessie’s debut! I can’t wait to read what she comes out with next!

Thank you to MacMillan audio (#MacAudio2024) for the ALC.

There were quite a few characters/points of view in this story but it was pretty easy to keep track of them. I felt like the audio really enhanced the story as well - with a full cast, it helped differentiate the many characters. It was pretty easy to root for Jasmine for most of the story, and even easier to hate Travis! This story took several wild twists I wasn’t expecting, and although some of them required a bit of suspension of belief, the plot was extremely addictive and I couldn’t wait to see how it was going to end.


“The Business Trip” releases January 14, 2025! This review will be shaded to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

I really enjoyed most of this book, but there were a few things I could do without. 1, there were too many POVs. I kept forgetting who each character was and why they were relevant. 2, it got a little repetitive in the second half of the book. Those things aside, I really enjoyed the story. Though not very believable at times, it was a fun read.

Maybe this just wasn't the thriller I was in the mood for, but it left me feeling a resounding "meh"...cardboard characters, unrealistic dialogue, twist that was too ridiculous for words. Sadly, I did not like this one.

Two women, one mystery man, and a series of bizarre text messages - how can one trip go so horribly wrong?

The Business Trip is a wild debut thriller by Jessie Garcia. Filled with crazy nonstop twists, and characters that are very relatable, this gripping storyline kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

Well done!

While I was unsure how to feel at first with the multiple points of views, this was cleverly written. The multiple POVs force the reader to put together clues you wouldn't have have from only a few perspectives. There was just enough to get an idea of who each was, and more of the characters' we needed to know best in order to understand their motives and like or dislike them. The twists were done well, and while I thought I guessed correctly there was still a surprise I didn't see coming. Overall, a well written thriller with excellent pacing worth reading. The beginning is a little tough to get into due to the complexity of the writing style, because there's a lot happening and multiple people to know, but it all ties together in an inventive and twisted mystery.