THE PRISONER by B.A. Paris is a thriller about the kidnapping of Amelie and her billionaire husband. The harrowing story is told in alternating time lines detailing Amelie’s life before her marriage and during her imprisonment after the kidnapping. Amelie has suffered through other hardships in her young life but will she survive in the hands of her ruthless husband’s enemies. Fast paced and exciting this novel is a roller coaster ride well worth taking. #netgalley

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris is a book that I could not get into no matter how far I tried. I felt that the first 1/2 was interesting and well done but the ending seemed drawn out and I started to lose interest in the storyline. I have never read a B.A. Paris book but I will try her books again since I have heard many good things. This also seems to be an unpopular opinion that I have when it comes to The Prisoner. I also had the audiobook which helped me get through this one. I would not write this one off completely but the ending was pretty "meh" for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Amelie has been a survivor from day one. After losing her parents, she has made a life for herself in London with help from Carolyn Blakely a kind woman who took her in. Shortly after marrying billionaire, Jed Hawthorne, she is kidnapped and held in a dark room. Who has kidnapped her and why does she feel safter there in that dark room than with her husband? Pretty bad when you feel better being held captive.
This book was so suspenseful and I couldn't put it down at all. Every chapter had a cliff hanger that made it impossible to find a stopping point. Its been awhile since I've read a psychological thriller this good.

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris is a short but suspenseful thriller that has you zooming through the pages to find out how it's going to end. Amelie has been kidnapped and is being held as the titular prisoner. As the story unfolds the reader discovers what led to her abduction along with the secrets that have been kept. I enjoyed the drama of this storyline and recommend you check it out. Read and enjoy!

💷 A R C • R E V I E W 💷
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Title: The Prisoner
Artist: B. A. Paris
Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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HAPPY PUB WEEK!! B. A. Paris is easily an auto-buy author for me. When I saw this one on NetGalley I immediately hit request without even reading what it was about and I am happy I did.
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This one gripped me right form the start with the kidnapping of Amelie and Ned. This story is told in the past and the present, which I’m sure you all know I love because i always rave about these kinds of books. Love when the past prefaces just a little bit the reason for what’s going on in the present. Gives it a total mystery vibe. I’m about it. The entire premise of the kidnapping gave me such claustrophobic vibes, only to give me a quick gulp of air during a short past chapters to send me back into that claustrophobic darkness (literally). I liked how this one was told I multiple parts as well.
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The character of Amelie was great, I really felt for her. I wish I had learned a bit more about Ned, and why he was the way he was; the rest of the characters didn’t seem to have much depth so at some points they all seemed to jumble together. The ending was okay, I wouldn’t say it was my favorite, seemed a bit too far fetched at some points in my opinion.
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Overall, I enjoyed this one, it was fast paced enough for me and gave me that eerie sense of dread for the main character and had the perfect amount of mystery thrown into the mix.
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I was able to listen to this one via audio and also read via ebook which was a huge bonus. The narrator really brought the character of Amelie to life, I though she was fantastic and I loved having the ebook for references to certain characters while listening. Huge thank you to @netgalley @baparis @macmillinaudio and @stmartinpress for the eARC and audio in exchange for my honest review! The Prisoner was just released so be sure to grab it!
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#claustrophobicread #psychologicalthriller #domesticthriller #kidnapping #apoundadaydoubledeachday #kidnapping #strongmaincharacter #nodepthtoothercharacters #mysteriousvibes #baparisattentiongrabbing #theprisoner #baparis #theprisoner

Convoluted psychological thriller that is much too improbable to be believable.

The narrative starts from the point of view of a young woman held captive in a pitch black room. Her husband is in another area of the same house and a ransom has been sent to his wealthy father. Amelie and Ned Hawthorpe have been kidnapped. By whom and why? Sure, their marriage was unusual and recent events have brought things to a breaking point, but things are just not making any sense.

Ah, why do I get sucked in to opening books like this. It was almost painful to read because the whole premise was so implausible and the plot went from one preposterous event to another. The characters were stereotypical and predictable. I did not care for any of them and, no matter how much I was meant to like Amelie, she got on my last nerve. I actually considered marking it DNF at about 25% but I forced myself to go on. I hoped that the story would eventually come together and make sense. Disappointed to report that even after all the revelations, it just required way too much of a buy in that I was not willing to afford. Also, I do not like reading about people held in captivity and the long, drawn out details about where they are being held and the conditions and how they search for escape, etc. The rags to riches bit I also could have done without. Too much in this tale was contrived and I can't recommend it. I will be taking a pass on future work by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Loved this book but felt it was very similar to other books by this author overall an enjoyable story and short chapter which I love thank you NetGalley for the ARC

The Prisoner by BA Paris is a story of survival. Amelie Lamont is a survivor. She has been on her own since the death of her father. She makes her way to London, finds a job and enters the glamorous lifestyle of those around her. She meets the billionaire Ned Hawthorne and enters into a marriage of convenience. She doesn’t realize until it's too late that lies and deceit are the name of the game. A chain of events begins, tumbling like dominoes until she finds herself in a dark room, kidnapped with no hope of getting out. Lies, deception and She has no idea where she is, who her captors are or what their intentions could be; however, one thing she knows for certain, she’s not going down without a fight.
The Prisoner is an interesting psychological thriller told in two parts. Part One opens in the present as Amelie wakes up in a dark room, recounting the events of the previous day. Back and forth between past and present, the series of events are revealed as how she got kidnapped and possibly why. Part Two is the aftermath as the investigation into the kidnapping begins. Who is to be believed? And who is hiding a deadly secret? The Prisoner is filled with twists and turns that will leave you guessing who to trust and who is behind the kidnapping and what their motives are. I enjoyed The Prisoner. It kept me guessing until the very end. I recommend The Prisoner.

The Prisoner is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

After reading another thriller just before this, I had a hard time with the writing and the overall concept of it. What was the purpose? The unravelling at the end was hard because it was just telling me what to think and reason through.

B.A. Paris is an automatic author for me - I was so excited for the latest release, The Prisoner, and this book did not disappoint! We have a strong protagonist in Amelia, and though parts of the story felt unrealistic, it was overall entertaining. The dialogue wasn't forced, and we were introduced to developed characters, if only for a short time. The very end was not my favorite (literally the last couple paragraphs), but did not ruin the story for me. I would definitely recommend this book to any reader who is a fan of B.A. Paris's other books, thrillers, and psychological dramas.
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A huge thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. #ThePrisoner #NetGalley

Enjoyed the past a present from the same character and loved the atmospheric build the beginning had. Not sure if I was rushing bc I wanted to know who did it but the end felt long/wordy!

It took me a while to get onto - I honestly put it down for a few weeks, then started it over and this time it went much faster. The end was so surprising — I thought there would be at least another chapter there, but I kind of liked it working out how it did. One if my struggles was the alternating past/present structure - it didn’t work for me at first, but once I got through more if the backstory I didn’t mind it. I did find myself having to suspend disbelief a LOT and the perfect friendships in the beginning were another struggle, but then as it got twistier, I was more inclined to ignore things that didn’t seem realistic because I was invested. I also had to keep reminding myself that Amelie is only 21, so that made her behavior make more sense. All in all, this was a fast, weird thriller with some unexpected twists that I really enjoyed.

The first half of the book, I was very intrigued. The little crumbs of info the author gave us, had me wanting desperately to find out what the hell was going on!

Then the book shifted for me. Not alot happened but then again, alot happened. I know that sounds nuts but it's hard to explain.

I also has some difficulty connecting with these characters as well. I wanted to like the main character Amelie but she was very one dimensional.

While I didn't love this one like most of this authors previous books, I was intrigued to see how it all ended.

Wow. What a crazy suspenseful read. I had no idea what was going on for about half the book. I kept guessing what might happen next AND I was wrong every single time! Such an original story and a real page turner. Another winner for BA Paris. I read another of her books right before I read this one. And now I am having withdrawn. They were so different from each other and just amazing. A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

It's taken me awhile to write this review because I'm honestly not sure what to think. There are elements of this story I really enjoyed, and other elements that I really did not enjoy. I felt confused for the first 1/4 at least, which I think was purposeful and meant to create suspense, but I found it a bit annoying as I wanted a bit of something - anything - to build a base from and felt that was too slow to come. Once I finally had the scaffolding of a plot, it had good bones and I liked where it was going, but then it just seemed to fall apart for me and ended way too quickly. The whole thing felt rushed, like it was written in a huge hurry and was victim to poor editing - like huge chunks had been left on a cutting room floor and were just missing to give it more of a body to hold onto. The characters all needed more thorough development, the entire story needed more meat, and just more attention to the entire thing as a whole would have been good. I alternated between the e-book and the audiobook and preferred the audiobook. I'm not sure I would have finished reading it if I didn't have the choice to listen while doing other activities. Like I said, I think the bones are here, but there's just no meat. It read like a short story that was really rushed / forced into becoming a novel and wasn't quite complete by the deadline. I normally really like B.A. Paris, but this wasn't my favorite. I'll continue to read their work. 2.5 stars

2.5 stars

I was so excited to get early access to Paris’ newest book. Especially after loving Behind Closed Doors and having bought and added The Dilemma and The Breakdown to my tbr shelf.

I enjoyed the short chapters and the dual timelines of past and present. It was also great to read a solo POV for a change! I was intrigued by the locked room mystery and was enjoying the first part of the story, but then it took a turn and fell completely flat. 😬

The story lacked depth, complexity, and felt very shallow. I also didn’t care for nor was I able to connect with any of the characters. Multiple aspects of the plot felt far-fetched and messy, and I was VERY surprised about the sudden ending. 😕

Orphaned Amelie moves to London in hope of one day attending college to be a lawyer. Being homeless, luck was on her side as she met a wonderful group of women that gave her a future. Before she could really begin building the life she dreamed of, she gets distracted by a life of glamor and money wedding billionaire Jed Hawthorne. Suddenly after a turn of events, Amelie wakes up hostage in a pitch-black room. She doesn’t know who has kid-napped her, what they want, or how she’s going to get away from them and Jed.

I really liked the short chapters. It felt like it took no time to read, but unfortunately that's about it. None of the actions of the characters seemed believable and the "twists" were nothing to be shocked by. I'm glad I did not spend money on it and wouldn't really recommend it when there are better thrillers out there right now.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

BOOK REVIEW // THE PRISONER

2.5/5

Amelie has always been a survivor. From losing her parents at a young age, she builds a glamorous life for herself in London. Part of that lavish lifestyle is because she married a handsome millionaire named Ned Hawthrone.

But then Amelie wakes up in a pitch black room- having no idea where she is. Who took her? Why was she taken? Who are her mysterious captors? And why does Amelie suspect it might be Ned.
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And another book lands in the “it’s a no from me, dawg” pile…

This is fourth book I’ve read from this author – and I’m beginning to notice a trend in how she writes her female main characters: all of them are weak and are very much the “damsel in distress” in every story. And it bothers me! The “woe is me” façade is getting old, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the questionable things Amelie was doing.

I had ZERO emotional investment in ANY of the characters….they were SO surface level.

The beginning of this book was promising, and Ned gave Jack from Behind Closed Door vibes – but then the story got so repetitive and for half the book NOTHING was going on – and there was absolutely NOTHING “thrilling” about this book

While the premise did sound interesting (and had potential) it was not executed in a cohesive way – the ending felt like it need AT LEAST 10 more pages to tie everything up in a pretty bow. There was also A LOT of characters to keep track of too….and I got VERY confused

This book made no sense to me, and to be 100% honest not my cup of tea AT ALL. This may be the last BA Paris book I read…

SIMONE SAYS READ THIS IF YOU LIKE

Short chapters
Quick reads
Past/present timeline
Porridge
Doing math on walls

This story pulled me in from the beginning…I was intrigued by the plot, loved the short chapters and that I was getting some of the backstory with the flip/flop between the past and present.
It was a pretty fast paced read with good flow in the first half (second half, not so much)…

But things went downhill…as I read on, it started feeling super repetitive and I felt like I was reading in circles.

Overall the book was very surface level and I felt like I had to read a lot to get just a tiny bit of any new information.

There was so much random information thrown in I could have done without and it just confused me.

What was really missing was the lack of character development (and that’s so important!)- there were so many characters but I had no connection to any of them and really didn’t know who was who.
I also didn’t really feel like they had strong connections to each other…I questioned why certain characters were even introduced quite a bit.

Ok and now the ending…I actually thought I was missing a chapter. I’m not sure what happened at the end- it was random and so abrupt and I really could have used a couple more chapters. I have so many questions and the whole wrap up was super underwhelming. I didn’t think there was a big twist or reveal, and that’s really what I need in a good book.

I didn’t really have any emotion while reading it and was never on the edge of my seat or surprised- since I didn’t really know enough about the characters there was no shock value when the bad guy was revealed…and again, so many unanswered questions.

2.75 stars, rounded up to 3

The Prisoner is split into two parts: the first offers alternating timelines between the past and the actual kidnapping event while the second follows Amelie after she is released and discovers what actually happened.

The book starts out with a bang, as Amelie and her husband Ned are kidnapped. One thing I did like from the beginning was that the descriptions were very vivid to the point that I could really envision what was going on, making the story a bit more compelling. I also liked how Amelie's character was described, showcasing her as imaginative and strong as she tried to find clever ways out of her situation and piecing together the various parts of the story. However, I was a bit let down by the details of her abduction; although I felt like some scenes were purposely repetitive, they sometimes got a bit tedious over time.

As the book continued and moved into the second part, I did end up getting more invested in the story. While I am new to the thriller genre, I thought it was kind of weird though how the reader is spoon-fed some of the information towards the end. I would have liked some more "show-not-tell" throughout, helping me make my own conclusions, instead of explaining it all in the last chapter. I wish I could have been able to try and figure it out myself more instead of being told what happened.

Overall, I did think this was an interesting read and I was definitely invested in finding out what was going on by the end, but ultimately some parts of the book just didn't work for me. However, if you enjoy psychological thrillers, particularly ones revolving around abductions and kidnappings, this might be for you, especially due to the fast-paced nature of the short chapters.