Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Press, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Synopsis:
Finn has secrets, even from Ellen, the woman he plans to marry. 12 years ago, Finn was involved with Ellen’s sister Layla. 12 years ago, Layla disappeared. Finn says she was kidnapped. Some think she’s dead.

It now appears that Layla may be alive. A small Russian doll turns up, and its significance is only known to Finn, Layla, and Ellen. Finn keeps the finding of the doll a secret. When more start showing up, he is sure it’s Layla. His feelings for her have never really left, and when she starts emailing him, his emotions are mixed. He desperately wants to see her. But he doesn’t want to hurt Ellen. But Layla is playing games, and Finn is playing along. Someone is going to get hurt.

My Opinions:
Told from different timelines, and different perspectives, the story moves along well. I didn’t particularly like the characters, so it’s hard to love the book. Layla was devious and a little scary. Finn was a weak, selfish and arrogant fool who thinks he can have his cake and eat it too. Ellen was a little too likable. None of them were really well-developed. However, there was enough suspense, and a half decent plot to keep things interesting, and it is a fast read.

Really, 3.5 stars

This book was quite interesting I did not pick up who Ellen actually was until the end of the book. If you want a psychological thriller then this would be a good book for you. There is not really any horror part in this book. Nothing scary, at least not to me, just a lot of wondering "who did it", "why did this happen", etc. The story line and characters are very well written and developed which made for an exciting and guessing book.

Finding out the real and true story behind Layla's disappearance and why Finn lied is very interesting. I didn't guess everything until near the end of the book so the author did a very good job at that hidden information. This book will try to keep you reading it until it is finished and if you stop then it will play on the edges of your mind while you are waiting to read more of it.

Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.

Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him…even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.

Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla—hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive—and on Finn’s trail—what does she want? And how much does she know?

My Thoughts: A story told by alternating narrators that swings between “then” and “now,” Bring Me Back was a fascinating look at love, loss, and starting over. Except that when Finn starts over after Layla’s disappearance years before, he picks someone a little too close to home: Ellen, Layla’s sister, whom he had never met when he was with Layla. A part of him always wondered about what had happened to Layla, but Ellen has a way of showing a different kind of love. A nurturing kind that offers him care and comfort when Layla had been the needy one.

Just before Ellen and Finn start planning their wedding, a series of strange events begin happening: objects from the past that were significant to Layla and also to Ellen start showing up. Finn tries to protect Ellen and keeps some of these things secret and hidden. But the e-mails make him suspect everyone from his past, especially some who are part of his present life. When Ellen claims to have seen Layla in a nearby village, Finn goes on high alert. A neighbor’s claim to have also seen Layla adds some credence to the possibility that Layla is out there and coming back.

Why are the strange e-mails and sentimental objects appearing now? Who is behind these mysterious messages and sightings, and why does Finn feel a great sense of dread and imminent danger?

Intensity ratchets up as Finn becomes desperate for answers, and Ellen becomes more aloof…until she also disappears.

I had several theories about what was going on, from some kind of psychological disorder to an actual reappearance of Layla. But what actually happened stunned me and kept me off guard as I read. I couldn’t stop turning pages to see what would eventually unfold. A 5 star read.

***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

P. A. Paris has done it again. This is another great edge of your seat read. She keeps you guessing until the very end.

Twelve years ago, Finn's girlfriend, Layla, disappeared from a rest stop. The police concluded that she must have been kidnapped. In the years since her disappearance, Finn has moved on and fallen in love with Ellen, Layla's older sister. Three months before they are to be married, Ellen finds a miniature Russian doll outside there house. It appears to be the one missing from her set of stacking dolls, the one she insisted Layla stole. Could this mean Layla is alive???

This book is quite intriguing. I wouldn’t call it a thriller, but it definitely is psychologically disturbing.

I figured out what was going on very early in the story but kept reading, hoping I was wrong. I wasn’t, but I wasn’t disappointed.

I like the story but it felt just a little to transparent for me - it probably isn’t for most, but I spend a lot of time dissecting story plots in my head as I read.

Read and find out what happened between Finn & Layla. Not everything is as it seems.

B.A. Paris was my first thriller/suspense author I’ve read. It wasn’t a genre I normally read until I was contacted by the publisher to read her debut, Behind Closed Doors. Ever since then, I’ve had a special place in my heart for her books. It’s about a man, Finn, who we follow after the disappearance of his girlfriend at a rest-stop and something from that incident starts to haunt him. I’m just going to leave the synopsis at that. I think it’s better to go into this book as blind as possible.

This book was so intriguing because of the suspense and dual perspectives. I really wanted to know what was going on and was left guessing throughout the whole book. I think the very last line of the book sums it up as a whole perfectly.

I would recommend this book (and this author), especially if you’re new to this genre.

2 years ago I read "Behind Closed Doors" by B A Paris and enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately, her next book "The Breakdown" did not convince me anymore. And now I have to admit that I liked "Bring Me Back" just as little.

The story is just absolutely irrelevant and implausible. As noted by previous reviewers, the plot is taken from a soap opera. The characters remain extremely flat. The resolution I have guessed quite quickly. The whole book seems somehow unfinished and still in its raw state. First, the smooth writhin stopped me from DNF. But especially towards the end it goes downhill. I do not like it when the characters roll questions over questions in their heads. It's teeming with question marks on some pages. In the end, there is no action but everything is explained in a letter. Anyway, towards the end, too much is explained rather than at the expense of action. The whole story is extremely bizarre and implausible. This book would also go through as a penny dreadful.

I am not sure if I will give the author another chance. I liked her first book, but two such bad follow-up books make me think.

I loved the story but the end of the book left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. It was an interesting twist but I just couldn’t believe it. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t say why but it bugged me. However I devoured the book and stayed up far past my bedtime trying to figure out what was going on! The book flowed nicely though it jumped around between the past and present as well as through multiple viewpoints. The book was also just on the edge of creepy and really made me think scary thoughts. I had plenty of guesses about what was happening though and none of them were correct. If you love a good domestic thriller check this one out!

In theory, Bring Me Back is a pretty original concept. Having enjoyed B.A. Paris’s first and second novels (the second slightly less), I was interested to see what she would come up with and how she would grow as a writer.

Unfortunately, in this novel, it felt like Paris was trying too hard and that resulted in a lot of cheesiness. In fact, it was so distracting to me that I could actually feel the author’s presence. When reading a novel, I want to be immersed in the story, not thinking about the author and why she made the choices she did.

But, I will say, for thriller lovers, this is a fun one. Based on certain subjects I studied in college (won’t say in case it spoils), I guessed the plot twist around halfway — but I think it will surprise a lot of people.

I will say that I really enjoyed B.A. Paris's debut novel Behind Closed Doors but practically gave up on her second novel The Breakdown ... so I wasn't sure what to expect with her third novel, "Bring Me Back".

I liked it. I thought that the first half was really engrossing and fast paced. It drew me in immediately; but then it got a little long-winded.

If you've read B.A. Paris's previous books, you know that she enjoys having her narrator fixate on things, that she has our narrator repeat herself; through that we get a better look at the mental game that is being played. In "Behind Closed Doors" it worked really well because it also allowed the reader to realize just how terrorized Grace was. In "The Breakdown" it just slowed the story-line to the point of frustration. In "Bring Me Back" it worked well for 50% of the book ... and then it got a little tiresome.

12 years ago Tom was in France with his girlfriend Layla when she disappears. Tom is found innocent in her disappearance and returns to the UK. Layla's body is never found.

Jump ahead to the present, Tom is engaged to Ellen. Layla's sister. All is well until a miniature Russian doll is left for Ellen - making her and Tom believe that Layla is not only alive, but back in their lives.

The first half of the book is told through Tom's perspective - alternating chapters between the story being moved forward, and chapters in which we find out what really happened in France to cause Layla to disappear.

Part two of the book is where it started to lag. Not only do we have Tom's chapters, but we also get Layla's chapters - and both work well, but then it just gets too long. The story is almost too drawn out - the tension had already been built, what happened at the end of the book could have happened three-quarters into the story and it still would have worked. Because the ending is good.

I wouldn't say that the added chapters ruined this book for me - but I do think it could have been trimmed a little and would have kept my attention more.

That said. This was an enjoyable mystery. Worth picking up, as it is a quick read that will keep you entertained.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I definitely think that this book is more on par with B.A. Paris' first novel - good idea, well developed and solid ending.

Finn is engaged to be married to the sister of his girlfriend who disappeared twelve years ago. Nobody knows what happened, and I'm not sure that I want to say more since I hate even small spoilers in reviews. This was interesting, and had some good twists and turns (although I did figure out what was going on about 2/3 through the book). It was a good mystery, and another book by this author that I enjoyed.

This review was a bit difficult to write. I love Paris and have previously enjoyed her titles. Behind Closed Doors is one of my favorite thrillers and her second book, The Breakdown had a really interesting premise. My experience with Bring Me Back was a bit different though.

The story does start out strong. Finn and Layla make a stop at a gas station. Finn leaves Layla in the car and goes to the washroom. When he gets back, the car is still there but Layla is gone. She remains gone for twelve years before events start happening bringing her disappearance back to the spotlight.

The first chapters were filled with suspense surrounding the mystery of Layla’s disappearance. What really happened at the gas station? Is she really back? Who is stalking Finn and his girlfriend, Ellen? There were so many questions and I was suspicious of everyone. I couldn’t really guess the twist in this one.

As much as I liked the mystery, I struggled with the fact that a lot seemed to take place in the main character’s mind. I enjoy thrillers that make me question stuff, suspect different characters and come up with all kinds of theories. In this case, I didn’t have to do that because the character was constantly, almost obsessively trying to guess what was going on. I don’t know if that makes sense but I’d rather have been the one trying to guess the twist lol. In addition, although the main twist was unpredictable, in my opinion, it was kinda implausible. I tried to suspend disbelief but it didn’t work in this case. I am also not a fan of how the reveal was done.

That said, I liked the role that was played by the Russian dolls. I had to Google and see what the dolls look like. For some reason, the images creeped me out and reminded me of Chucky. The use of the dolls added a eerie vibe to the narrative.

In the end, this was entertaining enough for me to keep reading until the end. I love Paris’ writing but this isn’t my favorite book by her. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that I will still read her next book.

Bring Me Back is the third book written by B.A. Paris and having loved the first two imagine my excitement when I saw that this one would be coming soon. Immediately my little fingers pound down on that request button to obtain a review copy then I had to sit back and wait….. *fingers crossed* When my approval came in for Bring Me Back it was more of a…… *happy dance*

But then the excitement level was tested as I waited until closer to publication to read this one. I kept seeing review after review that just seemed to have a mediocre feel to them all. I kept hoping though that I would be the one oddball that absolutely loved it anyway no matter what anyone else had thought.

Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Much to my dismay I never really got excited for Bring Me Back at all once I began to read the story. The book started off with Finn and Layla stopping so Finn could run into the restroom only for him to return to find Layla missing after which he goes to the police but years pass with no sign of Layla or hint to what happened that night.

Twelve years later we join Finn as he is happily in a new relationship with Ellen who just happens to be Layla’s sister. The pair are newly engaged when out of nowhere suddenly signs of Layla being alive and well start popping up into their lives so what is Finn to do when the love of his life is back and he doesn’t have to settle for second best?

The story is told by switching from the now to the before to alternate giving readers a look into Finn and Ellen’s lives as the first hints of Layla’s return are happening and a look back at Finn’s relationship in the past. Now for me I’m one that sees a person has been gone for over a decade and I just can’t get overly excited. So I get an early theory into my mind and plod on with the story.

I was also not a happy camper that Finn’s whole moving on and starting a new life just happened to be with the sister of the missing girlfriend so that also added to my meh feeling and lack of excitement. I kept hoping upon hope though that some magical moment would come and there would be a major twist to snap me into that frantic need to know mode I get into but it just wasn’t coming.

At the end of the story I found that part of my early intuition was partially correct so this one just turned into one of the “meh” it was alright but forgettable ones to me. I have high hopes that the next will be much better again and will be right back in the line to grab it though.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The first book I read by BA Paris (Behind Closed Doors) shook me to my core. I loved it and loved all of its creepy twisted plots turns. Her second book, The Breakdown was a little less loved but I really enjoyed it.

Her latest book Bring Me Back, is my least favorite of the three. I should mention, These books aren't connected in any way. They aren't the same stories or the same characters, but they are all driven by plots twists and unreliable, "Who is the bad guy?" type of narration. Bring Me Back relied on this same story line throwing us curve balls as we tried to figure out the mystery behind Layla's disappearance. Finn was our main male character and he was often times portrayed as volatile and having a bad temper. Red herring alert! Throughout this book, my overall feeling was disappointment. It was honestly just boring to me. BA Paris has written three books in three years now and I am left wondering if she should hold off a bit on the next one? Give the story a bit more time to grow and develop? With that being said, I will continue to read whatever she writes because her first book was, in my mind, her masterpiece. I hope she is able to find that magic again so she can shake me as hard as I was shaken while reading Behind Closed Doors. BA Paris, if you read this review, know that I love you and think you are wonderful! I hope you don't want to shake me like Finn shakes Layla in the book! :)

Thank you to St. Martins Press, NetGalley and B.A. Paris for the Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.65 Stars* (rounded up)

What would you do if your past came back to haunt you? Could you let it go? Would you want to? I know my answer… the question is: how do Finn and Ellen, the main characters in “Bring Me Back” by B. A. Paris, feel about it. Read on to find out my friends.

Now: Finn is happily engaged to Ellen, living a quiet life in the suburbs, just the two of them. Being with Finn, well, for Ellen it is everything she ever wanted.

Before: Finn was engaged to Layla. His love for her was extremely intense. He needed her, was consumed by her and wanted to be with her every second. Then she disappeared, out of thin air. That was twelve years ago.

Finn has never gotten over it. Neither has Ellen. Layla was Ellen’s sister, you see and Finn has been in love with both of them. Tsk. Tsk. Now, twelve years later, both Finn and Ellen start receiving Russian Dolls (reminders from Ellen’s childhood) and other notes and such, making them think Layla might still be alive. Finn is haunted by this.. by Layla, whom he was always been obsessed with. He can’t sleep, becoming more and more withdrawn, while Ellen is excited at the idea. Could her sister be alive? Is your pulse racing? Are your hands shaking? The answer should be yes.

B. A. Paris’ “Bring Me Back” is a unique mystery / suspense which short intense chapters and well developed characters in which I was immediately invested. It is a quick, easy read which I flew through in a matter of mere hours. While I guessed parts of the story by the midway part, another threw me complete for a loop and that part was a bit far-fetched for me. B. A. Paris is an expert at immediately capturing a readers attention and she grabbed mine from the get go. Having read her previous novels, I would say that this one didn’t quite measure up. That said, if you liked B. A. Paris’s other books, I think you’ll like this one as well as “Bring Me Back” is a fun, thrilling ride.

This was a Traveling Sister read which was a lot of fun for all of us. For full traveling sister group reviews, please see Norma and Brenda’s blog: https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com


Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and B. A. Paris for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter and Instagram on 6.3.18.

This isn't my typical genre, but I found the ARC on NetGalley and decided to check it out. The book definitely kept me intrigued throughout, though I wished for a less inner monologue from Finn and more focus on the action. 3.5 stars.

Enjoyed it. Good storyline with lots of twists and turns. Lots of suspense. The characters were well developed. I would read more by this author.

I am a fan of BA Paris so I was excited when I saw there was another book. Bring Me Back did not disappoint. I was afraid the ending wasn’t going to bring enough closure but it tied up nicely. (SPOILER BEGINS)

The idea that Finn couldn’t tell that it was Layla was interesting. I know it says she tinted her eyes and had laser skin treatments but I don’t think that’s enough. Maybe if she had excessive plastic surgery it would be more believable. I believe the fact that Finn didn’t recognize her was a testament to how uninterested he was in Ellen and hung up he was on Layla. But if we’re saying he was too hung up on Layla to notice Ellen then shouldn’t he be seeing/relating everything to Layla? And wouldn’t that make him see Layla in Ellen, and eventually figuring it out? I also don’t fully understand why Layla would go back to her father. The book makes it seem as though she did this so Finn couldn’t find her, but she gave enough detail in describing her home that he was able to find it off of a few details 12+ years later. I would have enjoyed some chapters in the dad/mom/Ellen’s perspective leading up to the revelation. We only heard Laylas side of the story and she has proven herself to be mentally unstable. Hearing Ellen’s version of evens would have brought more closure to me as to how things actually went down.

The premise is interesting but ultimately not very well delivered. Finn, the narrator, is an unlikable idiot with anger problems who may or may not have killed his girlfriend Layla while on vacation. Years later he's getting ready to marry her older sister Ellen, who is incredibly boring. The other secondary characters only purpose was to be possible, yet highly unlikely, red-herrings. The only believably written character was the dog.

This was a perfectly fine mystery but didn’t leave me anxious to read the next chapter so I could find out what would happen next. It started well but then slowed down, picked up again with part two but slowed again. For me there wasn’t enough story or character development to go with the back and forth that was happening and anytime I put the book down I kind of forgot about it.

I did like the overall concept though, it had a few good twists and when reading I was never really bored. I wish more had been done with Ellen, I feel like her voice was missing and she was kind of flat for me. I think if we could have seen a little bit more behind this sweat sister that filled the empty space in Finns life, the story would have felt a little more unsettling. I enjoyed B.A. Paris’ first book Behind Closed Doors and was hoping this would provide the same creepiness but really didn’t get that until the end. The end was the best part but seemed like it didn’t just leave the best for last but everything or last.

I want to thank the author, Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me a copy of Bring Me Back.