This Author is amazing. I would give it 100 stars if i could! I loved this book. So well written. I found this book unputdownable!!

Bring me back by B.A. Paris

4/5 Stars.

I could not put this book down. The way it was written, Wow!! I stayed up to finish this book.

Personally, I liked Bring me back better than the author’s previous books.

Like I quoted in my review of Behind Closed doors:

I have read “The Breakdown” before this one and it looks like the author has used a very similar template for both the novels. Now I have the ARC copy of “Bring me Back” and I hope it’s something different.

This book has a very similar template. It focusses on dynamics of a married couple once again but I guess it’s the treatment that made it better than the other books.

Blurb:

On their way home from France, Finn and his girlfriend Layla stop at a dimly lit service station to use the restroom. When he returns back to his car, Layla goes missing and she was never found.

12 years later, Finn has moved on with his life. He is in relationship with Layla’s sister Ellen and they are about to get married. Everything seems perfect until one day a small Russian doll was found at their doorstep. Ellen states that the Russian doll must be from her sister Layla because it’s the exact one that Ellen lost during her childhood. Finn dismisses it as someone playing prank but more Russian dolls keep showing up at their doorstep. Also, Finn gets an email from someone claiming to be Layla.

Is Layla alive? If she is, why is she turning up after 12 years? With his relationship with Ellen strained, Finn tries to find out who is behind all this.

When you think about it the author presents a fairly simple plot but it’s the narrative that shines. The book is separated into three main parts with each chapter alternating between “Before” and “Now”. The narration is toned in the first person of each of the main characters. This helps you to get into their head. Finn, Ellen, Layla each of them has different personalities and are messed up in their own way. When you are placed inside the heads of the messed up main characters, it does “Creep you out” and I guess that’s what made this book “unputdownable”.

Half way through the book, I was able to guess the climax but the author was clever because she had opened up a lot of questions through the course of the novel and I was wondering how she was going to tie up all the loose ends. I must say she did a very good job.

So, why the 4 stars? I felt the book was little unrealistic (I felt the same way with her other books too). And the climax, it was too dramatic & cliched for me (but that didn’t spoil the overall experience of the book).

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Verdict: With Bring me back, B.A. Paris has weaved a compelling psychological thriller with complex characters and a gripping story line.

Bring Me Back is another 5 star page turner from the author who blew me away with Behind Closed Doors. The hashtag on social media for her latest book is #forgetsleep and I couldn’t agree more. Don’t go into the last quarter of the book unless you have an afternoon to finish it – it’s that gripping!

The first part of the book alternates between Now, when Finn is engaged to Ellen and secret messages, clues, and warnings regarding Layla’s disappearance start popping up, and between Before. In the Before chapters we get snippets of Finn and Layla’s relationship before the disappearance. The second part of the book switches gears a bit regarding the alternating POV’s, but to spell it out for you would spoil it. This book was a cat and mouse game with unreliable narrators, twists and turns, and a well crafted plot that will keep you turning the pages.

Some readers may find the story a little far fetched – there were some implausibilities that frustrated me a little bit in the beginning, but that’s the beauty of reading – let yourself get caught up in it and enjoy the ride. This is a solid, page turning psychological thriller from an author who is a new favorite of mine. This book doesn’t come out until June 19, 2018, but put it on your summer reading list for sure!

Ten years on from the disappearance of his young girlfriend Layla, Finn has well and truly taken charge of his own destiny. Engaged to be married to a wonderful woman, Finn has worked hard and built up enough cash reserves to be able to work from home, support his dog and live the quiet life in an English village. Life for Finn is extremely good. How quickly things can change.

The appearance of Russian nesting dolls, left on the wall outside Finn and Ellen’s house plus arriving in the post, are a huge jolt to the couple. The dolls once meant something to Layla, and also to her sister - Finn’s fiancé Ellen. An old neighbour spots Layla in the street of Finn’s old town and then it’s on for one and all. Is Layla still alive? Separating himself from happy memories of his time with Layla has not been a easy task for Finn in the years since she vanished, and moving on with Layla’s sister all the way up to the altar has required Finn to make some slight adjustments. Finn’s official account to the police of what occurred at that vacation stop ten years ago was a little different than from what actually happened. Finn always did have a bit of a temper.

As we’ve discovered with the two previous monster hits from this author (BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and THE BREAKDOWN ), Paris knows how to keep us in the seat and our eyes glued to the page. BRING ME BACK sets its own pace of creeping suspicion, denial, a good re-think, then circling back to rampant suspicion. Having a less than snowy white protagonist is all to the good and it works here that Finn is more everyday narky than a noble wounded survivor of tragedy. There’s more invested in BRING ME BACK than just the possibility of happy ever after for Finn. He has to work to get to that point, unravel and then re-form.

You may however be thinking as you read this book that “whoa, this man is extraordinarily dumb” and it is this colossal realization that takes away from what is otherwise a very readable work of crime fiction. It is so mind bogglingly obvious what is going on, so early on, that you start to question the sanity of the protagonist. Given, our Finn comes across as a bit vain and self-absorbed, but seriously. This is one person not coming across as that bright for someone who is supposed to be a gun financial analyst. His friends aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed either. A small cast, a small setting, few choices in suspects as to the who and why narrows your focus and this will rachet up the tension for the reader who will pile it onto every character encountered.

BRING ME BACK is a fast and enjoyable beach read that will carry you through to a change of shift with the lifeguards. Definitely a one trick pony though. Once that pony ponied up, that was all you could see and the rest of the book was reading on in hope that your insight to the obvious was not all there was going to be.

Bring on B.A. Paris, book number four!

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher St. Martin’s Press for the ebook ARC of Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris in exchange for an honest review.

A young British couple, Finn & Layla are driving through France on holiday when they stop for gas. He goes in to pay and she stays in the car. She is told to lock the doors as she doesn’t like the dark. But when he comes back, the car door has been left open and she is not inside. No one sees her ever again.
Ten years have passed and Finn has asked Ellen to marry him. They are both very happy. His part has become only a small part of his life now. Until one day, he comes home and finds his future wife sitting on the sofa. She is turning something over her fingers that only he and she would know about because his future wife is the sister of his first love that went missing.
As more and more questions are raised, their relationship becomes strained. Has Finn’s first love, Layla come back to him after all this time has passed? Or is the person who took her playing games with him?

I give this book a rating of 5 stars and I highly recommend reading it. I couldn’t put this book down. I was hooked from the very beginning. It was very well written. The book had me guessing throughout it most of it. This was the first book I have read by B.A. Paris and it definitely won’t be the last!

#BringMeBack #NetGalley

Read all my reviews at: https://brainfartsandbooks.wordpress.com

Oh the tangled webs we get caught in when reading a B.A. Paris book. This is my third B.A. Paris book and I get pulled in each and every time. Finn is about to be married to Ellen, the sister of his girlfriend, Layla, who disappeared over ten years ago. One day, a little Russian nesting doll shows up outside their house. This little doll is symbolic of the one that Ellen lost as a little girl that she though Layla took. Layla is then spotted by both a neighbor and Ellen but runs away when she is seen. What is going on? Is Layla alive? Finn is freaking out and thinks someone is messing with them until he receives an email. From Layla. Is it really her? Two words…sucked in.

Thank you to Netgalley, B.A. Paris, and St. Martin's Press for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to start this book, because I have read the authors other books and loved them. Bring Me Back did not disappoint, I could not put it down and it had me guessing till the very end, every time you think you figured out the ending another twist would happen. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

"The one you love and the one who loves you are never, ever the same person." — Chuck Palahniuk

Bring Me Back is one wild roller coaster ride! I was not sure what I expected out of this title. I was intrigued by it which was why I requested it from NetGalley. This is one of those books that catch your attention from the very start and does not let go.

The story follows forty-one-year-old Finn. The book opens with Finn and Leyla at a rest stop as they drive home from a ski trip. Leyla disappears in an instant leaving Finn with one question. Is she dead? Ten years later Finn is engaged to be married but his past comes back to haunt him.

The characters are absolutely stellar, and they are developed masterfully. This book gives you a lot of unanswered question which accumulate throughout. Slowly the web answers unravel while providing a satisfying amount of suspense. This difficult to put down and will keep you guessing until the end.

Bring Me Back
B. A. Paris

MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️
PUBLISHER St Martin’s Press
PUBLISHED June 19, 2018

A fast and suspenseful story of love, betrayal and jealously and a woman who has been missing for twelve years.

SUMMARY
Finn and Layla who have dated for over a year and are madly in love, are skiing in Megeve, France. They stop in Paris for dinner and a walk along the Seine on the way home to Devon, England An hour and a half after leaving Paris, Finn makes a rest stop at a picnic area, and when he returns to the car, Layla is gone, never to be seen again. That’s the story that Finn told the police. But that’s not quite the whole story.

Twelve years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen, who is an illustrator. Finn believes their grief over what happened to Layla, is what drew them together. Ellen and Layla were so different, Ellen’s hair is much darker, she eats differently and is much skinnier than Layla. And their personalities are also different, Ellen is much quieter and introspective than Layla was. But Finn loved them both.

Not long before Finn and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call, an old neighbor says they have seen Layla in front of Finn and Layla’s old cottage. Not long after, Ellen finds an old missing keepsake, a little Russian nesting doll, laying on the pavement outside their house. It’s been missing since she was a little girl. Layla was the only one who knew that. That little Russian nesting doll has meaning to Finn as well, Layla had it with her that night she went missing. And then Finn gets an email that shocks him to his core. Was Layla alive? Has she come back? Where has she been? And what does she want?

REVIEW
The little Russian stacking dolls start turning up everywhere: in the mail, on the garden wall, at the restaurant, on the car windshield. It’s very creepy! And by that time, you are so invested in the book you absolutely cannot put it down. The plot drives the narrative in this chilling book. And while the you may not like the egotistical Finn or the moody Ellen, the character development is superb. You’re going to want to buckle your seatbelt for this stunning ride, because the twisty turns may give you whiplash. B. A. Paris’s writing is fluid and she takes the checkered flag with this fast and furious suspense-filled story. Fans of Paris’s first two novels, Behind Closed Doors and The Breakdown will love Bring Me Back. She does not disappoint.

Thanks to Netgalley , St. Martins Press, and B. A. Paris for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was disappointed in this book, certainly not the quality of Behind Closed Doors. It was fairly predictable (I had the twist mostly figured out way before it was revealed), and nothing really HAPPENED in the story. Plus, none of the characters were likeable. This is just an “eh” book. But a HUGE thank you goes to NetGalley for the ARC!

Finn and his girlfriend Layla were returning home from a skiing vacation in France, when he decided to make a quick bathroom trip at a secluded rest stop, Layla decides to wait for him in the car. But when he comes out of the bathroom he discovers that she is gone, which leads him to think she must have changed her mind about using the bathroom, or maybe getting out to stretch her legs a bit. But after several minutes of waiting he realizes something is wrong, so a search ensues, and he comes up empty handed, she has simply vanished in thin air. He notifies the authorities, they do their own investigation, but she was never to be found.

Now twelve years after the incident, Finn has moved on and found love once again with Layla's sister Ellen. They share a home together, and are planning their wedding, and you could say everything for them is perfectly falling back into place. Then Russian dolls appear on their doorstep, mysterious emails are received, and sightings of Layla start happening and their world is once again turned upside down. Now as they try to determine if it is in fact Layla making a return, or someone playing tricks on them, the two of them begin to realize that their happily ever after just hit a big snag. Someone wants a little revenge, and they will stop at nothing to make it happen...

Bring Me Back is a riveting tale that will grip you from the first page and not let go until the last! This was my first read from this author, and must admit I was quite thrilled with what I found, the plot was engaging, exquisitely crafted, and riddled with twists and turns that had my jaw dropping more than a few times. Just when I thought I knew where things were headed, Ms. Paris, would pull the rug out from under me and leave me stumped all over again. I thoroughly enjoyed this clever work of art, it had everything I look for in a suspenseful read and so much more... highly recommend you get your hands on this one it's sure to boggle your mind and keep you on the edge of your seat!!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed.

I'll never look at a Russian doll again without thinking of this book. I enjoyed it; sort of had it somewhat figured out about halfway through. It definitely keeps you thinking what is it or who is it making things happen.

I received this book from St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!

WOW!!!! This book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. Finn and Layla are on their way home from a trip when Finn stops at a secluded area to use the restroom. He gets back to the car only to find his girlfriend missing. Fast forward 12 years, Finn is engaged to Ellen, Layla’s sister. Of course their “happy” life will get turned upside down when Finn begins receiving cryptic emails and Russian dolls from someone claiming to be Layla. Page after page, the author does not disappoint! B.A. Paris, BRAVO!!!!!!

An extremely fast paced novel. I loved this one just as much as I loved her other two novels. This book was a one nighter and had me hooked from page 1.

This was an enjoyable and gripping quick read. Clever plot and flows nicely with a few twists to keep the reader guessing. I've enjoyed reading all the books from this author, all similar in genre but quite different too.

I loved part one of this book so much that I told all my friends to pre-order it. Unfortunately part two and three were not as good. It felt like the author was trying to recreate Gone Girl but I figured out the twist before I was even halfway through the book. The setting was super boring and in the end I couldn’t wait to just be done with it.

I really enjoyed the author’s first novel and liked the second one. I looked forward to this new book after reading the synopsis, but unfortunately this one left me rather cold. The pacing was off and it. was all rather odd. I wanted to love it ... I really did. But this one just didn’t work for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3

First of all, let me say I am a big fan of B.A. Paris and anticipate any of her new releases. With that being said, I was a little disappointed with Bring Me Back. I enjoyed both Behind Closed Doors and The Breakdown but did not see the same consistency here. I was very much into the story about 80% of the way and was pleasantly surprised by what the twist was, but found the last 20% to be a little far-reaching as the onion was being peeled and the twist was explained. There seemed to be a concept the author was going for but the unwinding fell a little flat for me. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC. I look forward to more by B.A. Paris.

I still can't believe I wasted one day of my life reading this crap. "Addictive" and a "page turner" it is not. I just wanted to stop reading this stupidity, but if I actually stopped I wouldn't be able to fully tell how much of a bad story this book is.

So Layla disappeared one night and 12 years later she is... like back. Fine. The problem is the ridiculous chat conversations that she has with Finn (the ex); they are so absurd that I decided not to read that part anymore. So Finn chatting with Layla, a person that has been gone for 12 years, and no emotion is shown. Hello! A "where the fuck have you been?" is in order!

Oh! He still loves her! Holy crap.

So now Finn is going to marry Ellen (Layla' sister) and that is what apparently has brought Layla back from the dead.

The story is told in the past and present. The past consists of events that took place between Layla and Finn before she disappeared, I guess to show us how deep their love was...? Unnecessary crap.

Anyways, the real reason of why Layla had been gone 12 years came like a sudden slap that just made mad. Yes, I was mad at reading something so wacky (not the reason itself but the way it was played out).

The best part is that Layla leaves an email explaining EVERYTHING! Isn't that convenient? I suspect that written evidence is the prefer method of A. B. Paris for solving a story. (The same happened in <i>The Breakdown</i> but instead of an email it was text messages. Like people discuss their crimes over texts...).

Anyway, everything was nicely explained here in the form of an email and that was that.

I wanted to see real emotions but these characters acted like robots.

This is my last Paris book. I am not wasting my time anymore with this author.

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this title.