I thought this started out well, but had some clunky writing at the beginning. The plot was good - I wasn't sure if Layla was killed at the rest stop or not. The story of the missing Russian doll started off being interesting, but eventually the whole thing got too redundant (how many Russian dolls have to be given to make the point?). About half way through I started skimming and "read" the last 1/3 in less than an hour. It got my attention, but couldn't keep it.

This is more of a 2-2 1/2 star book. It wasn't bad, but it kind of made me roll my eyes. Maybe because I read a lot of mystery/thrillers. Maybe it just wasn't that good. I could see the twist coming maybe halfway through the book so I just wanted to get to the end. It wasn't a long book and it was an easy read. Also, sort of cheesy.

I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Until the end, I went back and forth on whether to give this three stars. I enjoyed this book, but I had the plot twist figured out at under 50% of the way through, and that made it seem to take longer to finish than had I not known. It lost a star during reading for that.

However, the end was quite good, if predictable. It was written well, if that makes sense, and perfectly ended. So, plus a star.

I've not read B. A. Paris's first book, but I've seen reviews where readers said it was "unbelievable" . Well, that's why I read: not only to escape, but to be convinced of disbelief for awhile. To allow anything is possible. This book succeeds in that regard. I enjoyed last year's book, "The Breakdown" also. Despite not being personally stunned by the plot twists, I will happily continue to read this author's books. They have that unusual "something" that makes them fun.

This was not my favorite BA Paris book. I was so intrigued at the beginning of the book. I was caught up in the suspense of trying to figure out if Layla was still alive. Did she run away? Was she kidnapped? Murdered? Did her husband, Finn, do it? Now he's engaged to be married to Ellen, Layla's sister. Suddenly, mysterious messages and sightings of Layla begin to appear. Has Layla returned? What will happen now? This book really does keep you guessing. However, I was disappointed by the ending. I thought it was not believable and have seen this type of ending a few too many times to find it original and satisfying.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

I finished this book in one sitting of about 4 hours. I could not put it down. A bomb could have gone off in the kitchen, and I still would have been sitting in my couch reading.

Bring Me Back is a suspense at its very best. Every theory I had was proven wrong time and time again. The plot twist was huge, and the very last line is everything.

Thanks to the publisher for the copy of this amazing book!

This book kept me guessing until the end. This was my first B.A. Paris book, and I loved the plot pacing. The plot moved forward consistently, and I changed my guess about what what going on several time. It was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading more by B.A. Paris.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’d have to give it 3 1/2 stars. It’s not my favorite book by this author but it did keep me intrigued. It lacked the suspense that her prior books had so I kept waiting for that but it never really came.
Good for an easy weekend read, though :-)

Bring Me Back was an amazing book! Thoroughly enjoyed the read. I was drawn in from the beginning. Loved the surprises and twists. Characters were well developed and made it impossible to decide who to cheer for. I love it when a book ending surprises me! BA Paris has outdone herself. Do yourself a favor and jump right into this book! You will not be disappointed!

Was so excited to be able to receive this advance copy from the publishers and Netgalley, for my honest review. I have read two other titles by this author and loved them. This one not as much, i did read in a couple of sittings but found it a bit predictable, half way i had guessed the ending. I didnt care for any of the main characters, which probably is why i didnt enjoy as much. However, i do look forward to reading more by this author ***

After being falsely accused of involvement in the disappearance of last girlfriend Layla, fund manager and inexplicably rich guy Finn has moved on and has a new fiance. The new fiance, Ellen, is the sister of Layla. The relationship is a little creepy, but not nearly as creepy as the tiny Russian dolls that start appearing in various places Finn goes. There is a backstory involving Ellen, Layla and Russian dolls, so their appearances lead Finn and Ellen to believe that Layla may not be dead afterall.

The possibility that Layla is alive drives an understandable wedge between Ellen (who seems neurotically insecure) and Finn (who seems to have no problem lying and an occasional violent streak). Those darn Russian dolls keep popping up, leading up to what is supposed to be a shocking finale.

I really enjoyed reading Behind Closed Doors, and thought The Breakdown was good but not great. Bring Me Back sticks to the same formula that keeps the reader turning the pages, though in this case I wanted to see what happens although I didn't particularly care. My biggest annoyance was the constant (and I do mean constant!) mention of the Russian dolls. Yes, I understand that they are a key to unraveling the mystery of what happened to Layla, but the words "Russian doll" must have appeared on every page. Almost more often than "the."

The quality of B.A. Paris' books is trending slowly downward. Hopefully the next book will return to the fine form of Behind Closed Doors.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley for free, although this doesn't influence my review in any way.
I loved Behind Closed Doors and The Breakdown. When NetGalley approved me to read an advanced copy of Bring Me Back I did a little dance. While I enjoyed the story and the twist was executed well, I just felt that it wasn't near her last two books.

The story starts off with Finn and Layla on holiday, when suddenly Layla vanishes. We time jump 12 years and Finn has moved on, but Layla is still missing. He is now in a relationship with Layla's sister Ellen. For all intents and purposed their life is happy. That is until Finn starts finding little Russian dolls and strange emails from someone claiming Layla is alive and well.

In the beginning, the book is told from past and present viewpoints and then switches to different points of view. While I enjoyed the cast of characters and the intensity, I felt the story overall was a bit predictable. A solid 4 stars from me.

I enjoy B.A. Paris writing style and will not hesitate to pick up any of her books in the future. I want to thank B.A. Paris, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for being so gracious in letting me read an early copy of this book.

I was hooked on this story from page 1. I loved the way the story was rolled out using the two different voices. There were a lot of unanswered questions from the very beginning until near the very end. At some point I had an idea the twist was going to involve the sisters, Ellen and Layla, but I never figured it out.

The atmosphere was great—creepy, scary, gripping—and I admit to wondering repeatedly if Finn was to be believed.

Great read!

Bring Me Back was a fun mystery/thriller style book that was a fast read. The author of Behind Closed Doors has created another twisty story with characters who are hiding some of their fundamental personalities from nearly everyone in their lives. Readers will be turning the pages faster and faster as the book draws to a close to understand where Layla has gone, and what it will take to bring her back.

I absolutely loved and devoured this book. I first read a B. A. Paris book, Behind Closed Doors, last spring. I've been unable to get ahold of The Breakdown to read, but when I saw this was on here, I jumped so hard at the chance to read it. B. A. Paris has a way with words and sure brought them back with this story about a woman who goes missing and whose husband is a prime suspect. Similar to a Gone Girl feel, I enjoyed and sped through this book and loved every minute of it.

This story follows Finn and his fiancée Ellen with flashbacks to a heartbreaking trauma that affected them both. Soon unanswered questions from his past begin to appear in the present and he is left with a puzzle and an undecided heart. As each new clue is revealed you will have to ask yourself, is he the villain of the story, or can he figure it out before it's too late?

When you are down to the last 20 pages and not sure how this one’s going to end? You’ve got a good suspense! B.A. Paris once again writes a page turner that keeps you guessing till the very end.
In Bring Me Back she has created a complex love triangle between Finn, Ellen and her sister, Laya. Layla, who has been missing over 12 years after an argument with Finn. Has Layla suddenly decided to show up now that Finn has proposed to Ellen? If so where has she been all these years? And why the games.....
I highly recommend this one!

Thank you, Netgalley, for giving me the chance to read this book! For me it started and ended strong, but the middle was a bit too drawn out with the Russian dolls and the emails. I like that the author comes up with very different plots in her books, including this one. I liked the twist and the not so tidy wrap up. If you like psychological thrillers, check this one out. Let me know what you think. I'm curious.




***********SPOILER ALERT***************



About half way in, I decided Layla and Ellen were the same person. However I thought they were Ellen. So, I was quite surprised with how it turned out.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Dear brain, please shut up!
Wow, what a ride! I'd never read anything by this writer before, but I sure will now.
This is the story of Finn, close to marrying Layla when she disappears. Some years later, Finn meets Layla's sister Ellen with whom he sets up house.
The pace is quite slow as we move from past to present, getting familiar with their history. But then weird things start to happen and the story quickly picks up speed. By now I'm on the edge of my seat, in suspense.
As Finn seems to be loosing it, Ellen is his rock, calm and steady, I like her a lot. Layla on the other hand is the rebel one, tilting the balance. While the tension is building, my brain is spinning to keep up with events, trying to figure out the truth, since all of them are keeping secrets.
Bring Me Back is a well crafted psychological thriller with a nice twist. The characters are indepth and likeable. Their small number making it easy for the reader to keep track of the complex story. Recommended reading!

This book was okay. The plot was interesting, as was the switching between narratives as more of the mystery was revealed. But I found it unable to keep hold of my attention so it took a lot longer for me to get through it.
The twist at the end, I felt, was pretty predictable before it was revealed
The characters didn't really have that much depth to me either.
It was just..an okay read all around. But not one I'd reread.

Short Take: VERY enjoyable, if you don’t think too hard about it.

*Note: I received a free advance copy of this book for review.*


I LOVE road trips. Especially when someone else is driving, and I can enjoy some delicious books and thrilling unhealthy snacks while the wind is in my hair and the radio is playing. In theory, it’s fantastic. In practice, however, there are less-than-fun circumstances, like GPS sending you the wrong way, sitting for seven hours in traffic, arguments over the radio station, or all that fantastic junk food deciding that it’s not your friend after all.

Or, if you’re a strapping young lad named Finn on a trip with his girlfriend Layla, you could stop at a rest area to use the bathroom, and return to the car to find Layla has disappeared, which would definitely put a damper on the festivities.

Bring Me Back begins with Layla’s disappearance, then jumps ahead ten years. No trace of Layla has been found, and Finn has since become engaged to Layla’s sister Ellen (yes, it’s weird & creepy). With his life finally starting to come together after losing Layla, Finn is thrown back into the nightmare when someone begins sending him and Ellen messages and packages with meanings that only Layla would have known about.

So is Layla still alive? Or has whoever killed her and gotten away with it for ten years decided to play a sadistic game with Finn and Ellen?

I’ve seen similar setups in other books, but I have to say that I did not see the final twist coming. I was caught completely off guard, and that is generally a good thing, but the final reveal was so incredibly implausible that I just couldn’t buy in to it. It’s something that has been done a few times in other books & movies, and much more effectively, I think. And it only works if you assume that one of the main characters is a complete and total moron, more than a little blind and deaf, and self-centered to the point of caricature.

Ok, I’ll concede that last one. Finn was a class-A d-bag, with anger issues and pretty much zero redeeming qualities. And not in the fun, twisted, sociopathic kind of way, either, he’s just the guy that nobody likes having around.

If you’re willing to overlook an unlikable narrator though, and to just go along with the craziness, Bring Me Back is actually pretty fun. The pacing is spot-on, and the writing is engaging enough that I devoured this one like it was a gas station burrito and I was cruising down I-79 with the 80’s station playing.

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and some Clapton. LAAAAYYYYLLLAAAA!!! has been stuck in my head for days.)