Wow what a GREAT read! It was super easy to get engulfed in Garcia’s story telling. However, I will say if you have a hard time keeping up with multiple character POVs that this book might throw you. I had to start writing them all down but I loved the perspectives and seeing all sides of this story unfold!

The Business Trip starts off with our two main characters, Jasmine and Stephanie, and quickly goes in to where they’re currently at in life. Jasmine is in a pretty rough situation: dating a controlling and abusive man, barely any money to her name, and very isolated from friends and family. She needs to escape and fast. Stephanie is a very successful high-end news director at a very noble company. She’s divorced and has a son named Evan. Although she has what most would consider everything she needs, she desperately needs a break from work. Instead, her boss sends her to a work conference in San Diego.

Soon enough you find out how the lives of Jasmine and Stephanie intertwine. Through many twists and unexpected avenues the story builds upon itself until the very end right when you think you have it all figured out. Like I said before, I really enjoyed how we got a bunch of perspectives and the order of which the author told the story was very well planned out and purposeful.

Look out for this book come January 2025, I’m sure it’ll be a big hit!

Thank you to Jessie Garcia and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book is So. Much. Fun! I read a lot of thrillers so it’s hard to surprise me but this book did just that. I could not have predicted how this story was going to unravel or end. So big hats off to the author for originality!

As this story unfolds, Jasmine is running from her abusive boyfriend. Stephanie is headed to another boring work conference. Both of these women are on the same plane headed west. But the sequence of events that occur after these women reach their destination is shocking!

This is NOT a perfectly written story. But in spite of that, I had a hard time putting this one down. First I needed to know what happened to Stephanie and Jasmine. Then I laughed out loud through all of Trent’s chapters. That guy is such a slimy dirt bag! And I was shocked at everything that happened till the end. This book is just good thriller fun and I can’t wait to read what this author writes next!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on January 14, 2025

3.5 Stars
Quick synopsis: A tale of two women with disparate lives that end up on the same plane. One is running, the other is on a business trip to San Diego.
The Business Trip is a debut book that utilizes all the tricks for deflection, a host of characters connected to each woman, and a few plot holes. All of that, though, still plays out as a compulsive read to find out who and what is responsible for the missing person(s).

If you can suspend your belief for the aforementioned plot holes i.e., dragging a 200lb+ suitcase without mishap, you will find yourself turning pages in rapid succession just to discover the who and why.

Jasmine is escaping an abusive relationship; Stephanie heading out on yet another business trip. They find themselves seated next to each other on a flight to Denver. After sending identical texts to friends back home in Madison, they seem to vanish. Their texts indicate that they have met Trent McCarthy, perhaps the man of each one’s dream, and they are headed to his home in Atlanta. A few more texts filter in, but basically they seem to vanish.

Although maybe a little over the top, I thought this a great read for a debut novel. Written from multiple POVs, it is fast and engrossing. Another one I read long into the night. There are twists and turns; some you won’t see coming! I have to say that the character of Trent was such an obnoxious misogynist that it was painful to read the chapters from his POV. Don’t let him turn you off to the book, though, it is worth sticking with it to the end.

His was yet another amazing book by Jessie. The twists and turns tied up nicely at the end. I read the book pretty quickly but plan on rereading it a little slower paced so I can appreciate all the subtle little details,

Full of surprises. This is a cleaver book with the extent the characters go through. There were some pages that could have probably been left out of the book that didn't seem necessary for the story though. It is split up into 4 parts. Part one is all from the two women's POVs. Getting to know them and their backstory. Part two comes from their friends and colleagues (who really steal the show in my opinion.) As things begin to happen we get the POV from the people on the outside. Part three is from the 'villains' POV. Those first three parts all take place over the same timeframe (so you see the same events from several different perspectives.) Part four takes place after the first three parts and you get to see the characters true colors. This is a suspenseful drama. Not lighthearted. It's not really a heavy read (even if the subject matter is of a serious nature.) It's not a comedy, but it almost has an air about it that if the book were turned into a film, I could picture it as one. Just imaging the events that unfold and how it all plays out in the end. Overall, it was an interesting read and fun to see how everyone reacts and how the friends try to figure out what's really happening through texts.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

Debut novel. Needed a change from serious, literary fiction.

The setting: Stephanie, divorced, with a grown child, and a cat, works at a television station in Madison, Wisconsin, as the news director, She is headed for a conference in Denver. Jasmine, a waitress in Madison, is in an abusive relationship, decides to leave and head for Denver to start a new life, borrowing money from a friend to enable her escape. They end up on the same plane where Stephanie begins to concoct her elaborate plan to become Stephanie.

What can I say? This was a fast-read, page turner and I wanted to see how the plot came together. Stephanie disappears, telling her office workers and cat sitter she has met someone {Trent McCarthy] at the conference and is going back with him to his place in Atlanta, But it's Jasmine who is doing this. And so it starts,

Lots of planning on Jasmine's part [and an intro to her backstory] and a few twists [should I have caught the one plant? IDK].

I never found the intricacies plotted by Jasmine as believable--no spoiler, but I just didn't think she had the mental capability--it was VERY INVOLVED. I kept on as I wanted to know how it all came together [because there is a HUGE leap].

Save for Stephanie's gay neighbor and catsitter, Robert and some of her male work colleagues, the two main men in this book are pigs--Trent, and Jasmine's boyfriend, Glenn.

The chapters alternate voices: Jasmine [predominantly], Stephanie, Glenn, Robert, Anna [friend of Jasmine's], Dave, Bill, and Lucy [newsroom co-workers].

2.5, not rounding up because I think one could spend time reading a far better book--though I thought for the page-turner factor, a 3--but CANNOT DO IT.

Oh my, I love a book that just plays with you. You think you know what is going on and then there is another twist. Books like these are the reason you stay up reading well past your bedtime, the reason you have to read "just one more chapter." The Business Trip is just such a book. Two strangers are on a plane. The both text their friends about the same man. They both then disappear. Were they both killed by the same man? Be prepared to stay up late to find out.

The twists kept coming in this thriller and I couldn't put it down. Jasmine and Stephanie have opposite lives that they are both trying to escape from, just for a moment...but little do they know that one plane ride will change both of their lives forever. A twisty mystery that fans of Gone Girl will love, The Business Trip is a thrill ride that delivers!!

I don't even know what to say. It sounded like an interesting thriller that did not live up expectations. I think at the 'reveal' part of the book everything fell apart for me. I didn't even understand what was going on. And the multitude of people we follow in this one just has you reading and reading, hoping to get to something that made sense. The ending wasn't great and it didn't make a lot of sense.

"The Business Trip" follows two women, Stephanie and Jasmine. Stephanie is divorced, with one son, and currently working at a news station. She's resentful of her job constantly having her going to conferences and despondent on how much her son has pulled away from her since the divorce. She ends up meeting Jasmine on her flight to San Diego. Jasmine, we find is running from an abusive boyfriend and dead end job. The book follows their friends and coworkers left reeling when the two women vanish.

The thing is, most of this book just follows Jasmine. I don't think we really get a sense of Stephanie at all. And then when it shifts over to following Stephanie's neighbor, her coworkers, and Jasmine's best friend from childhood, etc. We then shift over to a man [no spoilers] and then back again to you are on a never ending loop. I also had to look to see who was "speaking" in the chapters I was reading because some of the characters we get sound so similar that I was getting confused.

The plot is just a mess. I think Garcia was going for a popular book I won't name here since that will reveal things, but there were so many plot holes and just out and out incorrect things that I just didn't really ever jibe with this one.

The ending had me going okay then. It just kind of ends...badly. We get a limp ending that made me think that I was supposed to feel empowered I guess. One grudging star given for this one.

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

The story is told in 4 parts with multiple points of view. Part 1 is told by the two women preparing to travel for very different reasons. We learn about their lives, their relationships and why they are traveling. Part 2 is told from multiple POV’s – the friends and co-workers of each of them. This is where the suspense takes off – especially when they learn that their friend doesn’t return as expected. What happened? The 3rd part is told mainly in the POV of the man they met and finally the 4th part wraps up the story with the original women’s’ POV’s. This is where the story fell short for me and became easy to put down - suspension of disbelief. This section was mostly telling instead of showing. Once I accepted having to suspend disbelief, I finished it quickly – I wanted to know how Garcia was going to wrap up the story – too many twists added a bit more suspension of disbelief. Despite that, it was entertaining. Plot was intriguing although motivation and method needed a bit more thought to make it more credible.

Garcia is a debut author and the premise made for a good thriller. I’d read her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jessie Garcia and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

I did enjoy this book but there was just something missing. Things lined up a little too unbelievably, especially at the end.
However, I liked the writing and thought most of the twists were great and unexpected.

This book kept me guessing the whole time… right up until the end. A super interesting story with multiple POVs (that were easy to follow and keep up with).

The author does a great job of honing in on all of the characters, helping you understand why they do the things they do. Some I loved, some I couldn’t stand (intended), and some I felt so bad for.

If you love a twisty turny thriller that will keep you guessing, this is it!

A great debut novel for this author. This was one book that once started I couldn’t and didn’t want to put down. I devoured this book and loved the twists and turns given!

Loved this book. The ending was such a surprise that it made the entire book better. I haven’t been surprised by a book in a long time and this one actually made me gasp. I look forward to reading more by Jessie Garcia.

This book kept me interested the whole time even though I didn’t feel particularly connected to either of the main characters. Two women, strangers to each other, board a flight for two very different reasons and after speaking briefly to each other on the plane neither’s life will ever be the same. Stephanie is going on a business trip but could also use a little R&R, and Jasmine is trying to escape an abusive relationship but calls it a business trip” if anyone asks. A few days later, friends get strange text messages and things gets twisty from there. What happens to the women is intriguing and kept me reading to find out how it is all resolved. The book picks up its pace in the second half and definitely had a few twists I wasn’t expecting.

The Business Trip is a riveting debut that had me on the edge of my seat! The story follows Stephanie and Jasmine, two women from different walks of life who find themselves on the same plane, unaware of the dark connections they share. As their seemingly unrelated lives intertwine, the suspense escalates when both women vanish after sending eerily similar texts about a man named Trent McCarthy. Jessie Garcia skillfully unravels a web of deceit and manipulation, delivering twist after twist that kept me guessing until the last page. This thriller delves deep into the complexities of trust and betrayal, making it a must-read for fans of psychological suspense. An impressive start for Garcia—can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Two woman meet on a plane to Atlanta. Both send messages to their friends that they have met a man. Both women soon disappear.

Not much can really be said about the premise of this book without spoiling it. It was so much more interesting than the blurb described. The writing style was very unique and it definitely kept me intrigued and I found it hard to put down. The alternating characters and timelines were very well done. The plot was wild and I loved it. Was the twist all a little bit far-fetched? Probably, but I was all for it. Ultimately I was hoping for something a little different for the ending but overall I loved it and would highly recommend it.

🔎 ARC Review

The Business Review

@jessiegarcia_author
@stmartinspress
@netgalley

Publication Date: January 14th, 2025

My Rating:
🌟 4/5


Stephanie and Jasmine have nothing and everything in common. The two women don’t know each other but are on the same plane. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship. After a few days, they text their friends the same exact messages about the same man—the messages becoming stranger and more erratic.

And then the two women vanish. The texts go silent, the red flags go up, and the panic sets in. When Stephanie and Jasmine are each declared missing and in danger, it begs the questions: Who is Trent McCarthy? What did he do to these women— or what did they do to him?

Twist upon twist, layer upon layer, where nothing is as it seems, THE BUSINESS TRIP takes you on a descent into the depths of a mastermind manipulator. But who is playing who?

🔎 My review
This is Jessie's debut novel and 🎤 drop!! In the first half it was a little slow and had a few twists. I actually was telling my husband about the book so far and then when I resumed the book, i literally was screaming at the second half! The twist at the end was crazy and definitely unexpected 😲. 100% recommend


Thank you @jessiegarcia_author, @stmartinspress, @netgalley for the ARC!

#books #bookreviews #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookstagram #bookobsessed #thriller #jessiegarcia #stmartinspress #NetGalley #TheBusinessTrip #mystery #unexpectedtwist

Pretty good psychological thriller with some twists & turns. Would make a good vacation read. The main character is sympathetic, and the supporting characters are well developed. I like that there was some acknowledgement of class and wealth disparities.