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astoriareader 's review for:

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia
2.0
dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
SYNOPSIS
  • Two women, strangers to each other, board the same flight. Stephanie is on a business trip, and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship. Days later, both send identical, erratic texts about the same man—and then vanish.
  • As the search begins, one question looms: Who is Trent McCarthy, and what really happened?

MY THOUGHTS
  • As a debut novel, The Business Trip had a promising premise that drew me in right away. The first third of the book was strong, and I appreciated the short chapters that made it easy to keep turning the pages. The multiple perspectives were also a nice touch, showing the author’s ambition in juggling different voices.
  • However, the execution faltered as the story progressed. While I typically enjoy multiple POVs, there were simply too many characters here, many of whom felt unnecessary. A tighter focus on fewer perspectives would have allowed for a stronger narrative and better character development. Unfortunately, most of the characters lacked depth and came across as cartoonish, making it hard to connect with or care about them.
  • As the plot unraveled, it went completely off the rails. I’m all for suspending disbelief when it serves a well-crafted story, but this one pushed past the limits of plausibility without the payoff. The ending, in particular, was completely unsatisfying and left me feeling frustrated rather than thrilled.
  • Overall, while The Business Trip had its moments and showed potential, it ultimately didn’t deliver on its initial promise.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐ Promising premise with a strong start and short chapters, but too many unnecessary characters and shallow development dragged it down. The plot went off the rails, and the ending was unsatisfying. Ultimately, a disappointing debut. 

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press & Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on January 14, 2025.
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