9 March 2018 - This review has now been posted on Amazon.co.uk : https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R7NK8JGBNE9Z1/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

“What'll you do when you get lonely
And nobody's waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long.
…..When your old man had let you down.
Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
Turned my whole world upside down.”

I’m not sure if these lyrics to the song ‘Layla’ were in any way an inspiration to the author but there is a thread running through them that did strike a chord (!).

This is a tale of love that endured over many years despite or perhaps because of tragic circumstances. Told from a number of different perspectives the book never fails to retain the interest of the reader and, whilst shocking, the conclusion provides a fitting closure.

I have to say that I found the book hard to put down as the story unfolded. Highly recommended.

An advance copy of this book was supplied by the publisher in return for an honest review.

"...love makes us behave out of character...it drives us to do things we never thought we'd do."

Finn McQuaid and his girlfriend, Layla, are driving back home to St. Mary's (in Devon) after skiing in Megeve when they pulled off the motorway into a picnic area at Fonches. It's not a service station, its main appeal is that it has a toilet. When Finn returns to the car after using the facilities, Layla is gone. Over the next 12 years he exhausts various methods looking for her, but never finds a trace. Was she kidnapped, is she dead? Finn has no clue.

Though she was the love of his life, he has finally managed to move on and has become involved in a serious relationship -- with Layla's sister, Ellen. They are to be married and Finn is happy enough. Soon after the wedding announcement, Finn starts to receive some creepy indications that perhaps Layla is still alive. Or is someone just messing with his head not wanting him to finally have some happiness. Has she finally come back to him and what in the world is he to do about Ellen?

Creepy is a good word to describe this novel of psychological drama. It will become clear to the reader quite quickly that something weird is going on here, but NO SPOILERS. There are many clues and the astute reader will see where it's leading fairly quickly though the author makes a valiant effort to throw in many red herrings to divert away to other conclusions. It was hard to really get into the true nature of the characters and I didn't find myself identifying with any of them except I could feel the tension and frustration that Finn experienced. The believablity factor also comes into play so you have to allow for the fact that you'd probably do things a bit differently to Finn as events spiral out of control. The writing was good and the pacing was appropriate to the story. I think I can say that the overall feeling I came away with was just sadness.

I've read both other novels and still think that Behind Closed Doors was the best of the 3, but I enjoyed this one. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-book ARC to read and review. B.A. Paris is still on my "to-read" list.

Another great psychological thriller by B.A. Paris! This novel was fast paced and packed with suspense. Throughout, it is definitely clear that something is off, however, it's not immediately obvious which aspect of Layla's disappearance is not quite right. The eeriness of the Russian Dolls definitely added to the suspense and overall, I was blown away by the ending. I highly recommend to psychological thriller fans!

I devoured this book while alternately thinking this is so good/this is going nowhere. It was a weird read.

Free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book captured my interest from the first page and never let up until it ended. Finn's volatile temper coupled with his girlfriend history makes for an interesting read after one of his girlfriend's goes missing and he begins a relationship with her sister. There are lots of twists and turns to the plot with a shocking ending. I really enjoyed this book.

I am a big fan of B.A. Paris' work, so I couldn't wait to get stuck in to Paris' latest offering. 'Bring Me Back' concerns Finn and Layla who are in a fairly new relationship. On holiday, they stop at a service station, at which point Finn stops to use the restroom. On his return, girlfriend Layla is gone. 12 years later we are taken to the present, where Finn is in a romantic relationship with Layla's sister Ellen, and Layla is still missing.

Shortly before Finn and Ellen are due to get married, he receives a phone call which leads him to believe that Layla is still alive. Now, if you're an avid reader of psychological thrillers like me, you'll no doubt have predicted the plot twist from reading the book synopsis alone.

I find Paris' books to be well-written, with just enough suspense and not too much unnecessary detail, as can frustratingly be the case with others books within this genre. However, I felt the middle part of the book dragged and dragged, I was fairly sure I knew what the outcome was going to be (and from reading other reviews it seems plenty of others sussed it out too), and couldn't wait to reach the end. The twist, when it came, was far too predictable. I was pretty disappointed in this book, given that Paris' previous works are of such high quality.

What I hated about this book was that I had to suspend belief WAY too much for this book to be at all relatable, that it was verging on the ridiculous. I'm afraid this book isn't one I'll be recommending.

Another one hit right out of the park! Interesting set-up but a bit more predictable than the author's previous stories. Still, I enjoyed it and the build up was exciting and satisfying.

I received this book "Bring Me Back" from Netgalley for my honest review.
What happened to Layla? She disappeared on the way back from a holiday. No one really knows for sure. The book was interesting and a page turner because you really want to know what is happening. I did find the characters interesting. The end was unexpected.

For readers who like this genre, this is a great read. Best book by B.A. Paris yet in my opinion. Everything aligned and made sense at the end and the plot twist was great. The entire time I was attempting to formulate what the twist and ending was going to be, but I didn't come close to figuring it out. Great turn, great writing, and great book.

Looking forward to her next book.

I'm shocked at how much I disliked this, given how much I enjoyed Paris' other books. This felt... plodding, for lack of a better word.

While I was intrigued by the premise at first, I quickly grew weary with all three of the main characters, and especially Layla and Finn, the two 'main' voices of the tale. There was no suspense, or build. Just cheesy one-liners and constant repetition (honestly, how many times can one person read the words 'Russian doll' without going insane?). The editing was sorely lacking - the book was way too long, and every chapter seemed to take the same path:

Finn gets up.and thinks about what food he'll eat that day
Finn worries.
Finn receives a Russian doll.
Finn and Ellen have a lackluster, boring conversation, during which Finn compares her unfavourably to Layla ad nauseum. Finn is unlikable.
Layla emails an 'ominous' note to Finn that is laugh-out-loud cartoon-villain in its tone.
DUN DUN DUN

Generally, this book was just not up to Paris' standards. While her other books were electric and thrilling in their dives into the quagmire of evil minds, this was boring, and I guessed the 'twist' about 20% of the way in. I will still read Paris' next novel, as I dearly hope this was a one-off mistake - perhaps trying to get the next book out too quickly?

Thank you for the opportunity to read and provide honest feedback.

Addictive, fast-paced, and mind boggling!

It’s been awhile since I could refer to a book as “unputdownable” but here we are. Finally!

Every single theory I had about where the plot was going was given to the main character as part of his ideas at a little past the halfway point, and I was stuck there with my jaw dropped thinking, well then. This author just flipped the script and threw out everything I was thinking so where are we going to go from here?!

I did figure it out at about three quarters of the way through but I didn’t even care because it was that good!!

I have a feeling this is going to be a polarizing book (like another book I’m thinking of which will remain unnamed because it could be a potential spoiler) - readers are going to either love it or not. I’m for sure on the loved it side of things!

Thanks a mil to B.A. Paris (I’m going to go buy your other books now!), St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ahh I'm quite disappointed, I absolutely love B.A Paris having read the break down which was a fantastic gripping read. I was really looking forward to this one after reading some great reviews and the blurb sounded right up my street. The first opening pages is of Layla and Finn on a holiday in France, Finn stops at a remote location to use the toilet leaving Layla who is asleep in the car, when he returns he finds Layla is no where to be seen which concerns him immediately as Layla is afraid of the dark and wouldn't just wonder away of her own accord, immediately I was gripped wanting to find out what had happened to Layla and who had more importantly taken her?! ... sadly after this opening chapter I found the now in 2018 twelve years later a bit boring! I found it quite slow paced and sadly didn't hold my attention as the opening had, I skipped ahead to find out what the twist was and I found that a bit disappointing and also unrealistic to, I was really looking forward to this book and disappointed I didn't enjoy as much as B.A Paris previous books.

This book was certainly a page-turner; the way the story unfolded was sort of perfect in terms of keeping you invested as a reader. I did guess the twist; however I suspect it's because I've read so many of these thrillers.

I liked B.A. Paris's book Behind Closed Doors but I wasn't wowed by it...This is much better, and though I didn't like the ending, I am definitely interested in reading more of Paris's work. I especially enjoy her narrative voice and her plotting. Lots of little red herrings to keep your brain busy as you try to unravel the mystery.

All in all, a solid, suspenseful thriller. It's a quick read and I would recommend it for fans of the genre.

As a big fan of Behind Closed Doors, and having read The Breakdown by this author and mostly enjoyed it, I was really excited to get my hands on a copy of Bring Me Back. The story follows Finn, after his girlfriend Layla disappeared twelve years ago. It is a twisty, fast-paced thriller, and I really couldn't stop reading. Last night my eyes were burning, but I just had to know the conclusion, and what a conclusion it was! I can't say I am entirely thrilled with the ending, but it was definitely strange and unexpected, so that is something. I do with it had been a little more plausible, but it was still a gripping read and I will certainly look for anything else this author writes with interest.
Thanks to Netgalley for supplying me with this copy in exchange for an honest review!

B.A. Paris is an author that came storming on to the scene (or at least into my consciousness) a few years back. Her first two books were really excellent and she has come up the list of authors that I get very excited to see publishing a new book.

Having said that, Bring Me Back was not a favorite of mine. The beginning was compelling and definitely had my attention but as it went on, it wavered a bit for me and I didn't love the ending.

Even so, I will absolutely be on the lookout for the next book by this author. And having learned that she loved Enid Blyton books as a child makes me love her all the more! :)

Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read this book and share my honest review.

I enjoyed the story but found the main character Finn pathetically unrelatable. Better than Behind Closed Doors though and would recommend to mystery fans. The last 3rd of the book kept me turning pages until the end. Some filler in the middle with typical detective guesswork but it's never too dull or dry.

Imagine this scene. You are on a long road trip with your partner. It's the middle of the night, and you have to stop the car to go to the restroom. You leave your partner in the car, and tell her to lock the doors. You run to restroom in the pitch black of night, quickly relieving yourself so you can hurry back to the car. On the way to the bathroom, you see another person pull up to the rest stop, but don't think much of it.

You rush to your car, eager to get back on the road again, only to find your girlfriend is missing. You search in the dark of the night, only to come up empty-handed. With no cell phone service, you abandon the search and head to the nearest gas station to call for help. Your girlfriend is never found again.

Flash forward 12 years later. You are happy engaged to your girlfriend's sister, whom you met while grieving. Things seem perfect until your missing girlfriend comes back from the dead, or at least someone who is pretending to be her is following your every move.

This is the premise of B. A. Paris' Bring Me Back, a whirlwind psychological thriller that is twisty as a mountain road. This book is a great study in unreliable narrators: can you trust what you have been told by the person whose girlfriend went missing? He seems like a nice guy, albeit one with a temper. Did he kill his girlfriend, and, if so, who is stalking him and his fiance? Is it a jilted lover seeking revenge? Is it some stranger who read about him in the paper and nothing more? Is it a close friend who harbors resentment over a financial falling out, or who is jealous over his pick of lovers? Or is it truly his former lover, angry that he is now with her sister?

Thank you to the author, B. A. Paris, the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a an advanced reader copy of Bring Me Back. The book will be available for purchase on June 19, 2018 - it is the perfect poolside read!

Not bad, but not as good as Behind Closed Doors.

Will always read whatever B.A. Paris puts out though. It is always worth it!

This novel will probably be quickly compared to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl. They both have strong-willed women hell bent on keeping/destroying the man they love. But to limit Bring Me Back to yet another girl-gone-wrong novel would be an injustice. B.A. Paris once again dissects a dysfunctional relationship and gets to the core of what makes a man and woman fall for each other. I found the latter half of the novel much more fascinating than the first half. Quite honestly, without giving anything away, I felt the first half was a bit redundant and at times, unbelievable. Why would a 19-year-old woman who was in a relationship for a year, "return" after 12 years? Nineteen is usually an impetus age when relationships come and go, not usually a time when one moves on without a word and then "reappears" wanting to take back everything she gave up. That being said, I did find the story intriguing.

This is hands down my FAVORITE book by the author. I was riveted. I couldn't put the book down and I didn't want to. This is one of the must read thrillers of summer 2018 and I know it's going to be an instant bestseller. I highly recommend it.

4.5 stars