Albeit a bit slow at first, this novel eventually sucked me in as I wanted to know more about Amelie's past and what led her to this point. However, I was a bit underwhelmed by the ending...it felt disconnected and rushed. Overall 3/5 stars.

3 stars?

This one was a bit of a disappointment for me, and I’m not sure if that was the story itself or if it was more about the files that were accessible. I know there were missing pieces from the ARCs (definitely from the audiobook version, and it seems like from the ebook edition as well) that were available for download, so it’s tough to get the full picture of the story. That being said, I liked the protagonist, and much of the story (before it got a bit confusing and then cut off) was interesting and twisty in the usual style of this writer. I think I’ve read all (or most) of the novels from her; I liked this one, but it wasn’t my absolute favourite. I’m still looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next, and I’ll have to consider revisiting this one in the future, maybe after it’s published.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would but it wasn’t a terrible read and I’d recommend this to a friend

A woman wakes up in a dark room, she has no idea where she is, or who took her. She had picked herself from a incredibly tragic past and risen to wealth and security with her marriage to her wealthy husband. So why has this terrible thing happened? What do her kidnappers want? Who do they want?

Personally, I feel B.A. Paris knocked it out the park with this one and this book is now in my top three by this author!!! The short chapters made this book easy to digest, my eyes were gobbling up every detail. The only bummer was that I felt like I didn’t have a difficult time figuring out the twists in the story and I would have liked a little more depth to the characters, therefore I had to give it 4 stars. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an amazing chance to read this book!

I DNF this one at about 30%. I think B.A Paris just isn’t my jam. I’ve tried 3 of her books and they were all flops to me. The characters in this were really unlikeable. It took me a week just to get thru to about 30%. Which for me is bad lol. Thank you for the opportunity to read this and realize she just isn’t for me.

Amelie has had a series of struggles in life when she finally meets friends and settles into happiness. That is until she gets mixed up with Ned Hawthorpe. Amelie is forced to suffer the ramifications of Ned’s long past, while struggling to understand who has her fate in their hands.

In the beginning, I was really interested in Amelie’s life and wanted to know more about her situation. However, the page-turning tendencies did not remain for me throughout the book. I think the “kidnapping” piece of the book dragged on and some parts did not add value to the story. I also thought the ending had too much of an “explanation” ending where one character narrates what actually happened, rather than the readers finding out through the main character.

While I was super interested in this one in the start, it wasn’t my favorite thriller. I would say my negatives are more of personal preference (explanation ending, spending too much time on some things, etc.), so I would still recommend it to others so you can decide for yourself! This author is a wonderful storyteller, so it is still worth a read.

I just finished reading "The Prisoner", by B.A. Paris. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. While I have read and throroughly enjoyed many books by this author...I have to say this is my least favourite.
The story is about a woman who is kidnapped and held in a dark room...and while being held in the dark room, we learn about her past and how she ended up in her predicament. Much time is dedicated to describing the dark room, and her struggles to survive in the dark room. I found myself skimming those pages. Some of her backstory is interesting but, I was not intrigued enough to care about whar or why or how. I found the character of her husband so depicable he was almost cartoonish. I kept asking myself, how someone could have fallen for his actions and words.
There was some excitement, but not enough to recommend it. The plot was too outlandish and bizarre. And the ending wasn't surprising or impactful at all. There were also some unanswered questions that made me puzzled. I didn't understand the motivation of some of the characters for their actions. I found myself looking to see how muany chapters were left. And the ending was so drawn out...I actually got a little bored. I did finish the book, but I was relieved when I got to the last page.
All in all, not my favourite book. Happy Reading.

The Prisoner was an excellent read that kept the reader on their toes and wanting to read more. I loved the twists and turns throughout the book. B.A. Paris continues to deliver an enthralling reading adventure.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!
The start of this book was so strong! I liked the hard-working MC with many survival goals and ambitions. The claustrophobic vibe after the kidnapping was really well done. Unfortunately the ending was just over-explained and dragged on and on even though I was really curious about some plot points. Overall it wasn't a bad experience, I just wish the ending was done differently!

B.A. Paris has been a miss for me but this was better than her other 2 books. Creepy and good writing made this a solid thriller!

Great book by one of my favorite authors. Great characters, Great plot, Totally shocked by the ending. Can not wait for next book from this highly acclaimed author

What a fabulous story. I loved it!

Amelie is kidnapped and held in a dark room. She doesn't know who did it or why.

The story goes back and forth with Amelie's life in the past, before she was abducted, and in the present while she's being held captive. I was equally invested in both timelines. And that ending!! I loved it and hated it!

This book was full of twists and turns and I just could not put it down. It is a must read!

Thank you to the author, the publisher and to #netgalley for the ARC. However, this is not impact my review - read the book for yourself and see.

This book had a slow start, but really got me engaged after a few chapters. I enjoyed the back-and-forth timeline and found myself dying to get to the end. I predicted the ending but still found it satisfying to read! Definitely recommend, this book was as good as the other B.A. Paris books! Add it to your "to read" list!

I flew through this book in a day, I loved Amelie's character and her development through the book was wonderful. I truly felt her emotions and I love when an author can make that happen. I hated Ned, which I believe is the point of the book. The ending, is where the author lost me. Perhaps, it's because they are leaving it open for another book, but I am not one that likes a book to be left so open ended. Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-book copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have to say, I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris's previous works, but this one did not cut it for me and I am shocked by how disappointed I was with this. I am left with so many questions and just very confused after reading this one. I felt that this was way too short and is seriously lacking in character development. There are so many character names thrown in at the end that I could hardly remember who they all were and why the ending was supposed to be dramatic and shocking. The complete lack of any character development for a single character really just left me feeling zero emotional attachment to these characters and not really caring what happened to them one way or another. When I first started this, I was intrigued by the premise and the beginning POVs but quickly became confused on why the story was organized in the manner it was. I also found myself wanting more of the POV of the beginning of the "marriage" but hardly got anything. I felt like this came completely out of nowhere and there was just no proper build up to anything in this. I am left with so many questions still and am very disappointed because this was so different from the style of Paris' past books. I will still look forward to her next releases but I would skip this one if you are a fan of her work. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Edit: It has now come to my attention via a follow up email from the publisher that the file for THE PRISONER on NetGalley was missing multiple chapters. This is probably why I was left so confused and why I didn't enjoy this nearly as much I would have hoped. However, it would be nearly impossible for me to determine which chapters were missing on my first read through so I will not be going back and listening to the chapters I missed. Very disappointed in the publisher for not realizing this before putting it on NetGalley. I'm sure I'm not the only one who had this unfortunate experience and it will likely hurt the early popularity of the book.

This is the first book I have read by B. A. Paris. I have been curious about her work from their reviews.
The opening chapter sees the abduction of Amelie taken from her bed during the night along with her husband Ned to an unknown location. Immediately they are separated, she is taken to a dark room with a mattress and a toilet. As the days pass, Amelie works on two problems:
1. Why were she and Ned kidnapped?
and
2. How will she escape?

The Prisoner is told two parts; the first deals with the Amelie’s abduction and alternates between taking us back in the not too distant past – a couple years, to explain how Amelie and Ned met, eventually resulting in their marriage, it also explains why when still basically newlyweds Amelie and Ned have already come to hate each other - so much so that even as she sits and plots how to escape her dark room its the safest she’s felt since her marriage to Ned.

The first part had my attention captured for ages, wanting to know if something revealed during the past timeline would explain the kidnapping, or if/when/how Amelie escapes in the present timeline.
Of course at some point the two timelines have to merge somehow and this brings on the part 2 – which I can only label as the fallout from what happened in part 1.

The ending was a little meh! for my liking, plus I also had figured out who at least one of the kidnappers were long before their reveal. But still this was still a good read, good characters, page turning and also has me interested in reading some more of Ms Paris’s work.

4-1/2 stars

Thanks to #Netgalley and #St. Martin's Press for an ARC of #The Prisoner in exchange for my honest review

The Prisoner Review!

Thank you so much @stmartinspress and netgalley for this gifted copy, in exchange for an honest review! The Prisoner comes out November 1, 2022!!

I couldn’t put this book down for the life of me!! What a crazy and unique thriller of a book. The Prisoner was a 4.5/5 ⭐️ for me!
There wasn’t much twist at the end for me, I figured it out at the very beginning. That didn’t ruin it for me though, I was still on the edge of my seat the whole time!! I was so caught up in the story line that when I flipped the last last page, I was completely shocked that it was over. It was so abrupt and that was the reason for it not being a 5 star. What a fun and thrilling ride though! Definitely recommend this one!!

Synopsis: Amelia has had a rough life with her parents dying and becoming homeless. Her luck turns though, when she starts working as a cleaning/cooking lady. Through mutual friends, she meets a billionaire and is swept up in an expensive life style. After a crazy time in Vegas though, she wakes up, trapped in a pitch black room. Why is she being held prisoner?

At the start of The Prisoner, Amelie and her new billionaire husband are kidnapped. Who did it? Why did they do it? And why does Amelie feel more comfortable being kidnapped than being at home with her husband?
The first half of this book held my interest but it started to fall apart/lose focus in the last third.
*Thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advance review copy.

I loved the back and forth between past and present in this book. Every chapter changes your perspective on the whole situation and who was involved. This BA Paris novel did not disappoint!!!

Amelie’s life hasn’t been one of ease, but she is a survivor. Alone, after losing her parents, she makes a life for herself in London with help from Carolyn Blakely who kindly took her in. Long story short here, Amelie goes to Vegas with her boss on a business trip and ends up marrying Hime. Ned Hawthorpe is a billionaire and maybe Amelie needs some of that money. Shortly after they return they are both kidnapped and she is held in a room with absolutely no light. Who has kidnapped her and why does she feel safer there in that dark room than with her new husband?
This was part one and it kept me glued to my kindle. Part two, on the other hand seemed long and arduous.

I did enjoy this book but have read much better by B.A. Paris. Although this was not a five star for me, Paris is still one of my go to authors.