Started off with an intriguing premise but the end was disappointing. Moved a little slow to get to the third act. I predicted the twist yet also found it unbelievable. I enjoyed her previous book, THE BREAKDOWN, and was excited to read this, but ultimately wouldn't recommend it.

I thought this a strong concept, and a good plot ruined by the narration. I was particularly disappointed by the way the denouement came in one solid lump, as a digital file. It would have been so much improved had some of the content of that final letter from Layla been interspersed throughout the book. As it is, the resolution is melodramatic, describing stereotypical, one-dimensional characters, making the whole thing scarcely believable.

12 years ago Finn and Layla stop in a picnic area in France. Finn goes to the toilet block but when he returns to their car, Layla has disappeared. Bring Me Back is a psychological thriller.

I found this book very engaging. It had my head buzzing from the very start. B.A. Paris tells a great story that gets the reader really involved. You don’t just sit back and enjoy the tale because she puts these little lines of text into her script that make you wonder and question what is going on. There are many lies told within this story and you are forced to consider the many omissions made by Finn.

I liked the format of this book. Most of the chapters were from Finn’s point of view but the odd chapter was from Layla’s side. Each chapter was clearly labelled, some from Finn 12 years ago, some from Finn in current time and a few from Layla to rack the tension further up the torture scale.

The current day tension that Finn is exposed to is extreme. You can feel the psychological pressure he is under. Although he tells a number of lies and uses a lot of omissions to cover his tracks, I did feel a strong empathy for Finn. He was suffering from the stress brought into his relationship with Ellen and I had my head buzzing trying to work out the truth about Layla and her disappearance. I liked how this story forced me to think about why Layla disappeared, was she still alive, could it be this or that.

Although Finn is not married, he is sharing a home and in an adult relationship with Ellen. I liked how B,A. Paris explored the dynamics of adults living together - as though they were married - how they relate to each other and use personal space. I liked how love was explored in the context of comparing past partners to a current partner. I liked how the embarrassing question of “do you fancy my sister, if yes then more or less than me?” was handled. I liked how the issue of partner suitability from a man’s point of view was explored. This is not a romantic thought but how men actually think.

I liked the plot of Bring Me Back and the thinking behind it. I liked how the characters all had their part to play in this story. I liked how each of the characters could be the bad guy behind the Russian Dolls, the emails and the psychological warfare. I got a lot from this book and think it would make a great television series.

I found the writing of this book to be very high quality and it gave me just what I wanted from my reading experience. Bring Me Back is a psychological thriller that is at the top of it’s league and it gets the top score of 5 stars from me. Just for the record, I do NOT fancy my wife’s sister!

I really enjoyed the two previous books by this author (The Breakdown and Behind Closed Doors) so was looking forward to reading this. However, it didn't quite mange to pull off the psychological web of lies and deceit that made the first two books so memorable.

The opening scene is terrific and full of promise for a thrilling read. Finn McQuaid and his girlfriend Layla are driving back to their home in Devon after a skiing holiday in France when Finn pulls into a picnic spot to use the toilets. When he gets back to the car, Layla has disappeared. Despite a wide search by the police, she is never found. As the main suspect, Finn makes a statement to police, telling the reader he told "the truth. But not quite the whole truth."

Twelve years on and Finn has become engaged to Layla's sister Ellen who he met at Layla's memorial. No hint of what happened to Layla has even been found but Finn has never stopped thinking of her. Then he hears that an elderly neighbour thinks he saw her at the cottage where they used to live and tiny Russian dolls start being left in places where he and Ellen can find them. They have a significance to Ellen that make her think that Layla might be back.

However, after this cracker of a beginning and promising plot, the novel limped along rather slowly and repetitively (too many Russian dolls!) never quite achieving the tension and frisson that is the hallmark of top pyschological thrillers. Both Finn and Ellen remained fairly bland and unreachable and we never really get into their heads to see what they are feeling and thinking. The ending is foreshadowed so doesn't make much of an impact and left me feeling somewhat bewildered as to understanding the characters motives for their behaviour. The book was still an enjoyable read and one fans of this author should enjoy. I'll certainly be looking out with anticipation for her next book.

I literally finished this book in one day. B.A. Paris is a new favorite author. This was not your ordinary whodunit novel, and we get to know the characters through the alternating points of view and chapters. Normally I find this method of alternating characters confusing, but in this case it was easy to follow and we transition from Finn to Layla and get to know Ellen, Harry and Ruby. I have to say I honestly never saw the ending coming. It was a total surprise, but in the same breath a little hard to believe. My favorite book from this author is still Being Closed Doors which I found more suspenseful, but I believe this is an author I need to keep my eyes on.

I know this book has received very mixed reviews to date; I ended up on the positive side after finishing this. This is my first read by B.A. Paris and I definitely will be reading more from this author as I really enjoyed the writing style.
In a nutshell, Finn's girlfriend Layla goes missing one night at a rest stop and has not been found. 12 years later Finn is about to marry Layla's sister, Ellen when drama ensues. Has Layla returned because she is angry Finn is marrying her sister? Finn and Ellen are constantly finding these Russian dolls everywhere, which they believe is related to Layla. I couldn't quite relate to a grown woman being obsessed with Russian dolls, but that's the only negative I can say about this book. I didn't see the plot twist at the end coming and I'm mad at myself for not figuring it out. The last part of this book upgraded me from 3 to 4 stars.

**Special thanks to NetGalley and HQ for providing me an advanced read copy in exchange for an honest review. **

Another hit for B.A Paris! She has produced another domestic thriller. This one started out with Finn and Layla on a roadtrip and stopped at a rest area. He goes to the restrooom and comes back to find the car door open and Layla has disappeared. Twelve years later Finn is getting ready to marry Layla's sister, Ellen; except there are things happening that make Finn think Layla may be back. Is she really back or is someone trying to stop his wedding to Ellen? Who is behind all the Russian dolls turning up? Who's sending the emails to him? Was she spotted nearby?

An interesting unfolding even though I worked out some of what was going on fairly early (at least I thought so). The narrators here are unreliable - very much so! This will make a great summer read.

Thanks to B.A. Paris and St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Thank you NetGalley for this Advanced eGalley of Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris.

Finn and Layla are on holiday when she suddenly, and inexplicably, goes missing. Finn tries desperately to find her, but isn't sure how, or why, she's managed to disappear. Though he's eventually cleared of any foul play, the pall surrounding her disappearance never truly leaves him.

A dozen years later, Finn has settled into a new life--with Layla's sister, Ellen--and has moved on from the sensationalism that once engulfed him. However, now that he's finally moved on, signs that Layla could be alive begin to appear.

The idea that she may very well be alive and well sets Finn, and Layla's sister Ellen, on a path where both are forced to reckon with demons they'd believed were long since buried.

Unlike many, I didn't care for Behind Closed Doors. I thought it was okay, but it didn't make me want to run out and buy the next book Paris wrote. In fact, I skipped over The Breakdown altogether, so I didn't leap into Bring Me Back with any expectations.

That said, I was disappointed by its conclusion and annoyed by the amount of time it took to get to there. Honestly it wasn't clever enough to have taken so long to develop.

Even so, I read this in one sitting. Why? Because despite the ridiculous (and somewhat predictable) conclusion, it was impossible to deny a compulsive need to get to the end as quickly as possible; if for no other reason than to prove I'd come to the correct conclusion about its boring, one-dimensional, and uninspiring people.

For that reason alone I gave it two stars.

To say more would spoil "the fun" for those who look to read it, so I'll only say, it wasn't for me.

This is not my usual genre. It is a rather dark read. There are times the twists and turns are actually quite annoying. Usually, I find I unravel plots early in a book, not so here. I was consistently wrong each time, even when I was close, I wasn't. The psychology of the characters eludes me entirely, adding to the disquiet. This book is a thriller of the first order.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an E-ARC of this book. There are so many twists and I could not make any predictions. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries aND thrillers. #Netgalley #BringMeBack

Bring Me Back is an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller that begins with the mysterious disappearance of a woman, Layla, at a restroom stop in France. Finn, her boyfriend, is frantic when he discovers her gone. After months of searching, he gives up and returns home. Fast forward twelve years and Finn is engaged to marry Ellen, Layla's sister, and yet Layla is never far from his mind. After Finn and Ellen's engagement announcement appears in a local paper, an omen in the form of a tiny Russian doll appears on the wall in front of their house. The relevance and implications are monumental as it's a link to Ellen's childhood. Only she, Layla, and Finn know the significance of the Russian doll. From this point, events spiral out of control as Finn begins receiving sinister and threatening correspondence from someone claiming to be "Layla". Is it possible Layla has returned to reclaim her life . . . and man? Or is someone playing cruel, obsessive mind games?

Through alternating chapters of past and present, Bring Me Back unfolds through two points of view. I was quickly drawn into this thriller and found my heart racing as the story and Finn's state of mind spiral out of control. The first half is addictive as the dark and ominous tone, frantic pace, and urgent sense of time running out escalates. I burned through pages looking for answers along with Finn. The author does a great job setting up the characters, scenes, and plotline leading to an explosive first half. As the story progresses, secrets and lies surface clueing readers into the fact that all is not as it seems. A little more than halfway, I realized what was happening, but still felt a sense of urgency and trepidation as I read on to see how the author would weave it all together. Approaching the end, events occurred that had me thinking back over the story, and I just wasn't quite able to accept things as plausible. As a result, a story that began with great promise fell short of the mark in my opinion. Bring Me Back is a compelling story that I admittedly read nonstop, but the direction the author chose to take the plot line didn't work for me in the end. I think psychological thriller fans will be evenly split on this one. Give it a shot and decide for yourself!

Wow, just wow. I don't know what else to say without any spoilers. B.A. Paris does it again. She has become one of my favorite authors! Thank you to the publisher for sending me this review copy.

Thank you Net Galley for the book! The story was well written and kept me intrigued. I did not love the ending and thought it could have been done better. Overall I finished the book in a day so it was written very well, flowed easily and kept me interested. The main character wasn't very lovable as he came off as a bit creepy (in my opinion), and the couple seemed to have co-dependence issues as they always did everything together.

I actually thought this book was a romance and part of it was. And but it was also a suspenseful mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. Its a book that you need to pay attention to the back stories that the author includes because it helps you understand everything that happens. I can honestly say I never saw the ending was coming and that was a great thing. This is a brilliant story line. Its a must read for every reader type.

A fun, easy, and thrilling read with lots of highs and lows. I was pretty confused throughout 90% of it, trying to figure out what was going on, even though I had a theory (that ended up being correct!!) and was trying to piece it together.

I admit that although I really did not care for Finn throughout the entire book, I did truly feel sorry for him in the end.

Wow. The first word out of my mouth after I finished reading Bring Me Back. Finn, the main narrator of this story, keeps changing his theory of what happened to his girlfriend Layla the night she disappeared twelve years before. Each theory seems plausible and then Layla appears, telling her account, only building the suspense to an ending I never saw coming. A must read thriller for this summer. The first book I have read by B.A. Paris, but definitely not the last.

4.5/5 stars

Wow!

I enjoyed both of the other books by BA Paris but I have to say this one is my favorite so far.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading this book. I didn't see the end coming at all. 😊

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Bring Me Back is well-written and an engaging and fast read. I liked the format of the three different parts, with different times and narrators. I also liked how the author “predicted” the reader’s suspicions along the way and addressed them. The mystery kept me guessing (I will never look at highway rest stops or Russian nesting dolls the same way, that’s for sure!), but the reveal left a few details unanswered. I was left with some questions, and not in a good way.

I read The Breakdown (by the same author) last year, and loved it. I found it hard at first not to compare the two, although very different stories. Bring Me Back did not tie up loose ends as neatly for me, but I am definitely a B.A. Paris fan.

An interesting thriller. Although I found myself rushing through it. Perhaps the writing was too repetitive? I was skipping paragraphs to get to the end and believe if it had been a little shorter it would have had much more impact.

Twelve years ago Finn’s girlfriend, Layla disappeared from a rest stop on their way home from vacation. In his statement to police, he said that Layla was in the car when he stopped to use the restroom. When he got back she was nowhere to be found. His phone wasn’t getting a signal so he drove to the nearest gas station to ask for help.

“It was the truth. But not quite the whole truth”

Finn was arrested on suspicion of Layla’s murder. However, her body hadn’t turned up and there was insufficient evidence to prove Finn did anything wrong, so he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Layla was never seen again.

Twelve years later, Finn has moved on and is even engaged. Finn and his fiancé are heading out for dinner one evening when Finn’s phone rings. Iit is one of the detectives who worked on Layla’s case calling. Apparently, one of Finn’s old neighbors came into the police station and told the detective that he saw Layla the previous day.

“He said he saw her standing outside the cottage and that when he went to speak to her, she ran off”

At first, Finn is shocked but both Finn and the detective figure the elderly neighbor must have been seeing things. They let it go, but the thought stays stuck in the back of Finn’s mind. And as days go by more and more strange things keep happening.

The story flips back and forth between “then” and “now” as we learn more about Finn’s relationship with Layla as well as his relationship with his fiancee. Finn feels like he’s losing control. He doesn’t know who he can trust.

So what really happened the night Layla disappeared? Could she really be alive after all of these years?

After reading and enjoying the author’s two previous novels, I was hoping I would enjoy this one too….and for the most part, I did. Suspending disbelief is necessary for this novel (as with most thrillers), but that really didn’t bother me. But I did find that there was some repetition that was a bit distracting. I also felt like things really slowed down midway through. Thankfully, things did pick up again and I was pulled back into the story.

For quite a while I was pretty sure I had it all figured out. But the author tossed in a few red herrings as well as some twists and turns that threw me off. I may have been right about a couple of things but I didn’t see everything coming…ESPECIALLY that ending!!

So although there were a few things that bothered me about the story, overall I still enjoyed it. In my opinion, this was another clever psychological suspense novel from B.A Paris, and I am excited to see what she comes up with next.

I’d like to thank Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.