Good but definitely not as compulsively readable as the authors first book. I enjoyed the story but never really connected with the characters like I wanted to. I was pulled in by the mystery of the description and the first part of the book kept that need to know the truth going but at some point the pull just kind of died out. I still wanted to know how everything worked out but there wasn’t the feeling of racing through the final chapters to get there like I love experiencing. I would still recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good domestic thriller but I’m hoping the next book hits more like the first did.

When the book opens, things just don't look good for Finn and Layla.She has vanished without a trace. Finn seems to be kind of an average guy, nothing too special. But Layla, she is the kind of quirky, silly, cool girl who that is confident and vulnerable all at the same time. Think Drew Barrymore in Mad Love or Baby in Dirty Dancing. Just something special. And Finn knows it.

So when she goes missing, he seems to accept that the bright shining center of his life will never return. And so...years later, he cuts his losses and settles down with her older sister, Ellen. Still a beauty. But a quiet one. She has brown hair, not fiery red like Layla, and their life is comfortable, but lacks both the ups and downs of Finn and Layla's relationship.

Bring Me Back definitely leaves the reader guessing. Finn alludes several times in the beginning of the book that he knows Layla isn't coming back. Something sinister lurking? Then, the plot thickens as we learn more about Finn's back story and specifics of both relationships.

Bring Me Back is another page-turner. I loved the story, the mystery and the setting (a quaint town in rural Ireland). It's one of those stories that makes you question one character's motives, then another character's sanity, then everyone's motives AND sanity until you finally get your resolution.

I highly recommend this book to fans of B.A. Paris and other books of psychological suspense. It will keep you guessing! I also appreciated that the loose ends were tied up quite well in the end. Happy ending? No spoilers here, you'll have to see for yourself.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a free e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, Paris has done it again.

I'm always wary after finding good books that subsequent publications won't live up to the hype. Well, you won't be disappointed with this. 

Twelve years ago Finn's girlfriend disappeared. He told the police the truth about what happened. But not the whole truth. 

More ups and downs than the big dipper, I honestly didn't see how this was going to end and thought I have guessed the ending several times, but was thrown red herrings. The last twist got me.

My only complaint is that B.A. Paris cannot write books as fast as I can read them! Please cancel all your pans and write more books soon!

I received an early copy of Bring Me Back by BA Paris from Netgalley and the publishers for a honest review. 

First, I was over the moon to have received an ARC. This book is coming to you June 19, 2018 .... mark your calendars!!! You will not want to miss this one! This will make the perfect beach read!! 

Second, there is something magical and addicting about this author’s story telling abilities .... ADDICTIVE!!!!!

Oh. My. Gawd.  I do love a BA Paris story and this one did not disappoint.
What I loved: the characters, the setting, the twists, the turns, the whole thing. The. Whole. Thing.
What I liked: Harry's character, I think there's a back story that needs explored there.
What I hated: without spoiling anything, something at the end rubbed me wrong, but I'll leave it at that. It wasn't enough for me to change my overall feelings.
I could easily see this being a book discussion book.

1 1/2 stars. I swear I gave it my best shot. I really wanted to love this book. Paris' Behind Closed Doors kept me on the edge of my seat, but her sophomore novel The Breakdown bored me, so I figured two out of three ain't bad, right? Sorry, it's a Meat Loaf kinda morning.

But this book is so CHEESY.

I'll give it an extra half star for keeping me reading despite rolling my eyes every few pages, but that's the most enthusiasm I can muster for it. The twist/reveal of the book may be shocking to new mystery readers, but it's actually been used by too many authors for me not to see it coming at this point. And many of those authors have made it more convincing than Paris managed here.

Bring Me Back alternates between the past, in which Finn (the narrator) and his girlfriend Layla take a holiday in France and she disappears; the present, in which we find ourselves ten years later with Finn about to marry Layla's sister Ellen; and first person accounts from Layla, where she mostly talks like a comic book villain, figuratively twirling her mustache. Muahaha.

Most of the book takes place in the present. Despite believing Layla is gone for good, signs start popping up that she may be alive. Her beloved Russian dolls start appearing everywhere, and when Finn receives emails from a mysterious source who seems to know too much, it becomes obvious something nefarious is going on. 

Problem is, it's all a bit like a slightly comical (though unintentionally so) B-movie. Every chapter ends with some really cheesy line that is supposed to be ominous. Like:

"I don't ever want you to be scared of me," I say. 
Not like Layla was, that night, I silently add.
***
So I log on to my emails and find one from Layla.
YOU HAVE TEN DAYS 

It was just so ridiculous I wanted to laugh. The narrative reminds me of the criminologist from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, raising his eyebrow at the camera and saying "Or had they?"

And it was difficult to become invested in any of the characters' stories. Finn seems like a dick from the get-go (and a dumbass - why would he go meet someone he suspects is a kidnapper?), Ellen and the secondary characters are bland and one-dimensional, and don't even get me started on Layla. There was no hook; no exciting questions. The middle dragged as I was forced to ponder what exactly I was supposed to be caring about - are we supposed to be afraid of Layla? Are we supposed to care about the romantic relationships and who Finn will choose?

In general, I prefer more carefully-crafted plots with more complex characters than Paris offers up here, but I can definitely enjoy pulpy, nasty thrillers like her Behind Closed Doors. Unfortunately, though, I don't think this book was particularly clever OR fast-paced and enjoyable. I guess her first book might have been a one-off for me.

I must start off by saying this author is an auto-buy/request author. I have loved absolutely every book I’ve read by B.A. Paris. I skipped reading the synopsis of this one because with her books I love being surprised. As usual this book is made up of short chapters that leave you wanting more. I really dislike comparing books to other more known and widely loved books but… I really got Gone Girl vibes throughout the whole book, with the way the chapters were set up, and the fact the the characters leave a lot for questioning.

	I enjoyed the fact that the book was told in chapters going back and forth with “his” life now (with his missing first loves sister, who he is engaged to) and “his” life then  (with his now missing first love). I like the change in pace and how he described each relationship. I will say with this type of narration there was a bit of repetitiveness, but I wasn’t bothered by it at all.

	I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book, whether it was the action keeping me interested, or the mystery. The whole book was set up with twists and turns that I did not see coming. Honestly reading this one is making me want to re-read all of her books again. This one absolutely lived up to all of her other books, maybe even surpassed it. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

I was so excited to get my hands on this book! B.A. Paris is one of my favorite writers in the psychological thriller genre. Behind Closed Doors is one of my favorites and I enjoyed The Breakdown. Bring Me Back was gripping and entertaining, but I didn’t like it as much as her previous pieces of work. 

Here’s what I liked:

We get multiple POVs with this book, and Paris makes each voice their own. Finn sounded authentically like him, a middle-aged male. While Layla’s chapters sounded like …Layla. 

Paris is GREAT at pulling off red herrings. It’s rare for me to actually say, I did not see that one coming while reading. She had me thinking I was outsmarting her, that I was on her trail, but really she was the one outsmarting me, pulling me along for the ride. It’s truly impressive when a writer can do that. In the first few chapters, I thought I had already figured out what happened to Layla. A few chapters later, I realized I was wrong. And repeat. A thriller proving you wrong time after time is always a sign of a good, intriguing story. 

The middle of this story was so tense. I kept asking myself why. I kept turning the pages, I didn’t want to stop to sleep. 

What I didn’t like:

You know how I just said Paris is great at red herrings and twists and turns? For the most part, that statement is true, but what kills me is the final twist, the last reveal – the one that is supposed to shock us put everything into place – was a huge disappointment for me. The end was so unbelievable, so implausible, I felt cheated. The ending of this book left me scratching my head in confusion, which is never something I want to happen when it comes to a thriller. 

I also hate second person point of view chapters in stories. It’s such headache to read and I don’t think it was needed (although I understand why it was present).

–

Overall, this book really put me through a roller coaster of emotions. Bring Me Back will take you through ups and downs and ups and then back down again. As over used as this phrase is, this book really is a twisty, psychological thriller. The end left me with a bad taste in my mouth, but I still recommend! 

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC. These are my honest, unbiased thoughts!

B.A. Paris has yet again crafted another hair-raising psychological twister.

Finn is a successful self-made businessman living outside of London with his loving partner Ellen. It has taken Finn time to come to terms with his fiancee's disappearance over 12 years ago.  Layla Gray vanished while on a vacation in France. He had just parked the car at a rest stop and when returning to the vehicle she was no where to be found. After a long interview with the French police and an intense search for his beloved, Finn tries to piece back his life again After Layla. His Layla, the nineteen years old girl he rescued one night in a London pub. Layla whose sister is Ellen. And, Layla whom is his every obsession.

"There was no truth in this, but I needed the police and everyone else to believe that everything had been perfect between us..."

Strange events start to happen, suggestive that  Layla is alive. Sightings of the beautiful redhead, the appearance of a missing Russian doll statue, mysterious phone calls, and strange emails give Ellen and Finn hope that she will appear after being lost for 12 years.

"And now I have."

Disquieting messages from Layla bombard Finn's email. Suddenly, all is in question- his life with his soon to be bride Ellen,  his love for Layla, and the loyalty of the people around him. But is all of this is all a sinister joke?

"Tell Ellen, or I will.".

Bring Me Back is written in three parts is told in alternating timelines, Before Layla, and After Layla and from two different points of view. In the Before, we get the backstory of Finn's and Layla's courtship. Finn's voice is haunting as he recalls the events leading up to the disappearance of his fiancee. It almost seems like he is talking to her ghost. In the After, we see his life with Ellen and all the strange things that follow.  The drama brilliantly unfolds in part two and three, revealing of secrets of the last twelve years and unhinging everyone involved. And it is unclear who is manipulating whom.

B.A. Paris is a master of psychological illusion and suspense. Bring Me Back is extremely well written with an interesting sophisticated plot laid out in a way that generates binge-worthy tension. 

"And then she spoiled everything."

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

B.A. Paris has done it again!!! Her ablity to build stories and characters is amazing! I love a good mystery/thriller and I'm pretty good at figuring out "who dunnit" but I never quite figure it out with B.A. Paris' novels. I don't think I can be specific about this book without giving spoilers, but I have been finished with this book for 10 days and I am still thinking about it. Thank you B.A. Paris for another awesome read and to Netgalley for an ARC!!

This book started out strong but quickly lost momentum. There are a lot of books out right now similar to this one that follow the Gone Girl/The Girl on the Train style, but this book does not pack the same punch as some of the others. It was not as suspenseful as I was hoping for and  I saw the twist coming. I found some parts to be quite cheesy and did not care for the characters, perhaps they were not developed enough but I found myself getting annoyed with them and their actions. I'm all for twists and thrills but there were some parts at the end that I just did not find believable or convincing.

I’ve enjoyed this author’s two previous works. I was excited to see what she was going to deliver next. Sadly this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. Unbelievable characters and transparent plot line detracted too much.

This is one of those kinds of thrillers that has a really interesting premise, but once you start breaking down how things would work logistically it doesn't end up making a whole lot of sense. It's hard to go into specifics without giving away the twists in the story. The author doesn't leave anything unanswered, but I'm not convinced that any of the answers are either logical or probable. That being said, I really do like this author and will definitely continue reading her novels.

Finn is getting on with his life 12 years after his girlfriend Layla disappeared from a truck stop in France on the trip home after a holiday. Cleared of any wrong doing, he is currently living with Layla’s sister Ellen and they recently decided to marry.
But the appearance of small Russian Dolls, which has significance from Ellen’s childhood, suddenly has Finn on edge....what really happened to Layla?

I started reading this book and was immediately drawn in. It was Finn saying a few times initially ‘It was the truth but not quite the whole truth’ that had me intrigued. In the first half of the book the chapters alternated as ‘Now’ and ‘Then’ and later they changed to ‘Finn’ and ‘Layla’. These were easy to pick up, never caused confusion and they nearly always ended on a teaser of sorts..... I just wanted to keep reading. 
My mind was kept busy going all over the place with different scenarios, so I was never sure how things would turn out. I gave this book a rating of 4 solid stars, however this story did not have the same heart thumping moments for me as the authors first two books. Still a great read but not my favourite of hers.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read.

Remember when everyone was screaming about Behind Closed Doors last year? And then soon after, Paris came out with The Breakdown and that also brought about a lot of discussion? I know there's a lot of mixed thoughts on both of these books and I have a feeling the same is going to happen with this one. I absolutely fell in love with Behind Closed Doors, read it in one sitting and the ending gave me literal chills. Then The Breakdown fell slightly flat for me. This one fell right in between these two and let me tell you why.

The concept isn't something that is very new to this type of genre: Guy loves woman. Woman goes missing and is said to be dead after so many years. Guy falls in love with said woman's sister. Past comes back to haunt them. It's the execution that makes this a fun read. Paris keeps her chapters short and hanging so you continuously keep turning the pages until you realize you've just finished the whole damn book. Genius. For this particular story, I caught on fairly early what the twist was going to be .... well, mostly. The twist ended up being a little bit of a different variation to what I was thinking but the same concept was there.

I did find myself getting utterly annoyed with the characters but I expect I'm supposed to. Again, COMMUNICATION people!! But when it comes to matters of the heart, communication is usually nowhere to be found (when things start to go haywire anyways). I think what got me in this story line is that even though I was certain where the book was going, as the main character kept questioning himself, I found myself doing the same.... I needed to know. Am I right? Am I wrong? DO I CARE either way? 

There is definitely going to be some divisiveness with this book amongst the thriller readers, I think. As a shorter novel, there wasn't as much character development as in her other two books and does lull a bit in the middle. What worked for me, and why I ended up loving this more than I had initially though I would, is an ending that's not so happy. And that's not ruining anything, folks. You'll need to read to find out why and decide for yourself. B.A. Paris, you have a fan in me. AUTO BUY AUTO BUY AUTO BUY

One heck of a thrill ride. At times, I found myself holding my breath and simply couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Wow, just wow! Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris features the main character of Finn who had his girlfriend, Layla, disappear on him 12 years ago while they were on vacation.  Fast forward to the present and Finn is now engaged to Layla's sister, Ellen.  Though their relationship has raised some eyebrows Finn and Ellen are happily in love or so they think until all of a sudden it seems as though Layla might have popped up again.  Written as a great thriller suspense novel be ready to lose some sleep finishing this book.  Read and enjoy!

A riveting novel dealing with twisted psychology, or abnormal psychology between one man and the two women that become the center of the man's life.  The reader will find themselves changing their minds several times about what is happening and what the end results will be.  The book opens with Finn and his love Layla driving back from a trip to Paris to their home in London late at night.  Finn decides to stop to use the bathroom at a nearly deserted rest area along the way.  He leaves Layla sleeping, locks the doors and walks to the facility. Returning he finds Layla missing, no trace, no body and no signs of a kidnapping.

     Finn is devastated: searches for Layla for many years to no avail.  Out of the blue it develops that Layla has a sister named Ellen. The two get together and about 10 years after Layla's disappearance it looks like Finn will find a salvation for his woes with Ellen leading to marriage.  But suddenly there are signs that Layla is still alive and living around the area that Finn and Ellen reside in.  First a neighbor of Finn spots her, and than Ellen herself catches a possible glimpse of her sister.
     Other strange things happen.  A history with Russian dolls during Layla and Ellen's childhood reoccurs when these begin to appear around the home that Finn resides in,  e-mails from a mysterious source begin arriving on Finn's computer, and a country home that Finn owns and has deserted appears to have someone living in it.   The truth of the matter is wrapped up in a series of circumstances that change as the reader is introduced to them.
     An impossible book to put down before finishing will provide enough draw to cause future novels by B.A. Paris to be looked for and read as they come out.

I'm a big fan of B.A. Paris' books, and this one was no exception. It was a heart-pounding, suspenseful ride. The alternating narrators had me flip-flopping, trying to figure out which one, if either, was reliable. I have always found there to be something creepy about Russian nesting dolls, and the way that these dolls were incorporated into the book added to that feeling for me.

Woah!   This novel still has my head spinning.   I have mixed feelings.  The first quarter of the book I wasn't fully connected... then a twist came. And it hooked me!   This novel kept me guessing.  I really enjoyed it.  

I had a negative reaction to this authors first novel BEHIND CLOSED DOORS it was one of the darkest books I can remember reading and I was upset about the use of a mentally disabled character being tortured.  It felt wrong. But the sinister main character and the darkness showed me that Paris was the real deal when it came to writing thrillers !

THE BREAKDOWN Was one of my favorite thrillers of 2017. It was fast paced and just straight out a good thrilling page turner 

This third attempt couples the sinister under tone and page turning thriller story.  

Some readers may figure out the twist I couldn't.  This will be a novel that stays with me and will definitely be reread and one of the best thrillers of 2018.  

 This book releases 2018 will fly from the shelf!