#BringMeBack by @BAParisAuthor is the very best kind of thriller. It grabs you from the start and refuses to let go. You enjoy the ride so much that, before you know it, you've finished the book without putting it down. Brava! Wonderfully entertaining. @StMartinsPress #BookReview #NetGalley

I'm usually a fan of B. A. Paris' books. Bring Me Back was interesting, that is, until the end, when the story and the conclusion became very implausible to me. I gave this book 3 stars - it was okay, but nothing to "write home about."

This was a seriously AMAZING book that’s full of suspense. Many twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. I did NOT want to put this book down, it grabs you and that’s all your thinking about when your not reading it. Ok, why only 4 stars then, because I did not like the ending. This book could of ended so differently, but it didn’t, so it lost a star for that. This is my very first book written by B.A Paris, I was truly impressed. This is a book about love and loss. Finn was in love with Layla, until she just vanished. Now 12 years later Finn is going to marry Layla’s sister, Ellen. They (Finn and Ellen) start finding little Russian dolls (yes, they’re significant to this story) and Finn starts getting strange emails claiming to be from Layla. What, is Layla back or is someone seriously screwing with Finns head? You’ll have to read it to find out....you will not regret it!!! Happy Reading! :)

B.A. Paris has done it again, created a psychological thriller that not only keeps you guessing to the very end but keeps you reading late into the night. A highly recommended page turner,

“Bring Me Back” is a slow-pressure suspense story, building inexorably toward a thriller-type climax. Author B.A. Paris artfully leads the reader from chapter to chapter, planting clues that indicate there is always more of the story to be revealed.

I liked the flip-flop of chapters, with main character Finn always keeping us up on what is happening now while Finn or another character related their versions of past events. The author allowed the characters to reveal a statement or two that either allowed insight to the truth or foreshadowed details that were sure to twist the story in another direction.

Although I was able to guess some of the plot, the characters chose to continue in unexpected directions and I never felt disappointed nor desired to put the book down. Ms. Paris’s teasers always compelled me to read the next chapter, and I finished the book in a single morning. Finn is a complex character, with both likeable and unlikeable traits, and I was never in doubt as to the motivations of any of the characters.

Bottom line: Well-written, believable, with realistic dialogues and characters that always have reasons for their actions (even when those choices are wrong). Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

This is my first novel by Paris and I really enjoyed it! I read this book in one day because I needed to know. The pace was fast and what I thought I knew was not what happened— which is always great!

BRING ME BACK by B.A. PARIS is a very twisty psychological thriller that kept me engaged right up until the end. Solid writing and great pace... Enjoyed reading this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

One of the twistiest psychological thrillers I have read yet. A white knuckle read!

Finn and Layla are a young couple on their way home from a ski vacation in France. On their way home, Layla vanishes. Finn tells the police that she vanished while he was in the restroom, he tells them where he was parked and what other people and vehicles were in the rest area - he tells them a lot. He is not entirely truthful though, and the secrets that he keeps that night will not stay buried forever.

Twelve years after Layla's disappearance, Finn finds himself engaged to Layla's sister Ellen. But now it seems that someone out there knows his secrets, and the price of keeping them may be higher than Finn could ever expect.

I loved Paris' other novels, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, and THE BREAKDOWN, but I think this might be her best one yet! This book is going to be in a lot of beach bags this summer!

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris. Honestly, I’m on the fence with this one. I mostly loved it. No, love is too strong a word. I liked it, even though it strained the boundaries of believability and its narrators are unreliable.

The book’s blurb signals intensity and heart-pounding suspense, and I felt that, at times. Finn is a successful, wealthy forty-year-old man engaged to Ellen, an illustrator. Twelve years earlier, Finn was about to propose to Ellen’s sister Layla when she disappeared and was later presumed dead. Now, more than a decade later, cryptic messages appear out of the blue that have Ellen trying to convince Finn that her sister is alive. Finn, too, receives the same little symbolic dolls, and more. But he keeps those secret from Ellen. Does this mean he still loves Layla? More than Ellen?

All this is very mysterious and weird. Is it sinister? Twisted? Malevolent? I developed a theory about what was really going on, and it was the truth – in my own mind, that is. I was close. But I didn’t nail it.

The chapters alternate between Now and Then; Finn and Layla. We get each of the pair’s version of the truth, but not the whole truth.

I was sucked into this vortex of Russian dolls and secrets and half-truths for a while until it started to feel tedious. Where would it end? It seemed incredible to me that Finn would consider dumping Ellen for Layla after twelve years. He’s years older than Layla, and if this truly is Layla, why is she playing these games with him? His obsession became frustrating, even maddening, but I had to see it through. How does this end? Someone’s heart will surely be broken. Ellen makes threats, too, which is understandable. Finn becomes like a powder keg about to blow. Ms. Paris has done a good job of building the suspense to this point, but it began to feel that her characters lacked dimension. I did appreciate the long explanation in the form of a letter to Finn. By the time I read the final page, however, I felt a bit cheated, as though the ending had been rushed.

Some reviewers have written that Bring Me Back is their favorite of B.A. Paris’s novels. It is the first that I have read, so I have nothing to compare it to. Except for bogging down in the middle, which felt overly repetitious, I managed to stay enthralled with the story until the end. It had an intriguing concept that almost, but didn’t quite measure up to its billing.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.


3.5 stars

Another great read from B.A. Paris. Finn & Layla are a young couple in love, but all relationships have their ups & downs. Finn has an explosive temper & after lashing out at Layla one night after which he takes a walk to clear his head, he discovers Layla has disappeared. At once considered a suspect, Finn pledges his love to Layla. Eventually she is determined to be missing, & any leads dry up. After a while Finn is introduced to Layla's sister, Ellen. He slowly falls in love with her, and proposes to her. But is Layla really gone? Strange emails & Russian dolls suggest otherwise. All of which takes its toll on Finn & Ellen. Then Ellen disappears. The twists and turns are skillfully interspersed and the final revelation is heartbreaking, yet full of kharma. Loved it!!! Thank you St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I did not think it would be possible to top Behind Closed Doors, but this book does! This is a “sorry kids, you are going to have to make your own sandwich and go ahead and figure out how to do laundry because Momma is reading” book. B.A. Paris is officially one of my favorite authors.

My Review of “Bring Me Back” by B.A. Paris , St.Martin’s Press, June 19,2019

B.A.Paris , Author of “Bring Me Back” has written a captivating, intense, and suspenseful novel. The Genres for this Novel are Mystery and Suspense, Thriller and Fiction. The story is told in the present and goes back twelve years or deeper into the past, when it pertains to the characters or events in the story.

The author describes her characters as complex, and complicated. The characters all could be suspect in some of the mystery. There are twists and turns. Finn and Layla are are on a vacation and in love. Finn goes to the bathroom, and when he returns Layla is gone. This is the story that Finn tells the police, but it is only part of the story.

About ten years later, Finn is with Layla’s sister Ellen, and they are engaged to be married. Everything seems to be woking out well, until it doesn’t. There have been some sightings of Layla, after her 12 year absence. Strange packages are sent to Finn. Finn is also getting threatening emails, and strange things are occurring. Could it be possible that Layla is back? If she is , what does she want? If it is Layla, where has she been?

I would recommend this novel for those that like a suspenseful mystery. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

I have come to expect stories with unexpected twists and turns from this author and this one was no exception. While the plot kept me guessing until the end, I did feel it got rather long winded in some areas.

Just finished BRING ME BACK by BA Paris. Very good storyline but the end twist was a bit unrealistic and caused me to deduct a star. Still a decent read 🌟🌟🌟🌟Four stars.

Not as engaging or plausible as the summary made it sound.Not as fast-paced to the present enough to hold my interest. My attention was not engaged enough to make me want to keep flipping the pages to see what happened next. Writing style not my style.

A compelling read that left me wondering exactly how to categorize it. It is a psychological thriller. A story in which the horror lies entirely within the characters rather than from some external force? A mystery in which the central questions isn't 'who is the murderer' or even 'was there a murder' but rather 'what is murder?'

Can a mystery novel be too twisted? Yes, Bring Me Back manages to be too much. The novel started off with a brilliant premise of lost love, lies and betrayal before shifting narrators and time jumping made it too hard to read. Then the big twists were too unbelievable for this to be a satisfying reading experience.

Bring Me Back

Twelve years ago Finn’s girlfriend Layla disappears when they stopped at a rest area in France and is never seen again. For a time, Finn is suspected in her disappearance but the mystery remains in solved. Eight years after Layla disappeared, Finn becomes involved with Layla’s sister Ellen and later proposes. Prior to their wedding date, Finn starts receiving cryptic messages and signs that lead him to believe that they might be coming from Layla. Could the messages be from Layla, or is it Finn’s imagination, or something much more sinister at play? This twisty thriller keeps readers guessing until the end.

4.5 stars. Twists for days!! This was my first B.A. Paris book, and to be honest, at first I hated it, but I’m very glad I stuck with it. She deserves her status as a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. The character’s POV you see during the introduction is a bit repellent because Finn is awful from the start. That’s why I struggled with the book in the beginning. Then, it started growing on me. A new POV had been introduced, thankfully. Next, it betrayed me. I couldn’t trust the author or any of her characters anymore. What in the actual hell is happening??!! Finally, I went away enamored. This book is a slow burner, but once it catches, it burns down the world. THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND ST. MARTIN’S PRESS FOR THE ADVANCED READER’S COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW.

So.......what REALLY happened that dark night?

All I'll say is that it's been 13 years since Layla mysteriously disappeared and Finn, with his volatile temper, gave his statement to the police.....but was it the truth?

As a macabre game of clue ensues with um....(too many) a Russian doll, a combination of creepy emails and "the voice" did have me wondering who in the he** to trust.

BRING ME BACK is a puzzler of a mind-game and my favorite Paris read thus far albeit still fell short by way of repetition and disbelief, BUT a solid entertaining 3 stars for me. Enjoyed it!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review.