Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this audiobook! I love B.A. Paris so I was so excited to read this book! I would say this is probably my least favorite B.A. Paris book that I have read but I still enjoyed it.

After putting this one off for a while and unsure if I even could read it because of an unexpected family issue making it hard to read any intense topics for a while- I was finally able to give The Prisoner a go!

Since I really enjoyed the book that was released prior to this one (The Therapist), I had high hopes for The Prisoner, but this one unfortunately didn't work for me.

I’ll start with the good things. Firstly, I have both read and listened to this story and either option is great. I will say, though, that the audiobook narrator did bring this story to life beautifully and I think listening made the story more enjoyable and adds a lot to the experience in a positive way.

This story is broken up into two parts: The Kidnapping, where we get past and present timelines and The Reckoning which is in the present. When we jump between past and present timelines, the writing is easy to follow so there is no confusion as can be the case in dual timeline sections. Another plus is that chapters are short which makes this already quick read feel even quicker.

If you’re a fan of surprises this one does have some. There were moments I didn’t see coming, but parts where although I had an idea of what it might be, the how/why was done in a way I might not have pinpointed. There are some unbelievable moments throughout but sometimes I expect that in this type of novel.

Now for the things that didn’t work for me. I would have liked to see more suspense and character development. This one didn't have the level of suspense I was looking for overall or have experienced in other works by this author. I would have also liked to see some character development with the female lead, Amelie. Amelie was likeable for the most part and a strong & determined character, however despite those - she fell flat for me. There was no character growth (and there were many situations where there was opportunity for depth/growth in the latter half of the story), which led to me not caring as much as I would have liked to. When it came time for the ending I thought it, too, fell flat. We got a lengthy explanation then what felt to me as an abrupt end.

I know this book has some great reviews, so definitely check them out if you think this is one for you but unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. I still will continue to pick up B.A. Paris as I have enjoyed others of hers.

In this gripping psychological thriller, The Prisoner, you'll occasionally find yourself holding your breath. This writer has a knack for making you feel uneasy! This is a quick read with some amazing turns.

A dark thriller, The Prisoner takes the reader through a tempestuous experience as a captive held for unknown reasons. The story is told alternately between the past and the present, which is a good thing, as focusing only on being kept in a dark and lonely place, frightened and not knowing what would happen next, would surely be a dreary experience.

Amelie has inadvertently found herself in a situation with a wealthy man named Ned who might be her ticket to having enough money to go to law school, but which she will soon realize is more dire than she could have imagined.

As we follow her journey in the dark, even as we also learn more about her past, we soon realize that everything is a lot more complex than we had realized. I loved how the journey unfolded, which was much more exciting than I thought it would be. A 4.5 star read.

The Prisoner, did not read like a B.A. Paris book to me at all.

Buckle in, we start right in the action! Then it quickly dies off. :( Amelia and her husband Ned kidnapped. With flashbacks to Amelia’s sad story as an orphan at 16.

Escaping to London where she meets Carolyn, and is taken is ‘adopted into a family’. Quickly meets Ned and has a ‘quicky business based marriage’. A mutual agreement between two people who need each other for their own purposes. The only question is what Prison is best?

I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris and have loved every book I have read. This one fell flat for me, started off great gripping me from the first page then fizzled out. I’m not quite sure if it was the pace, characters I just didn’t find myself invested in this story. I loved the interesting premise of this book and the beginning of The Prisoner. Didn’t seem like everything was flushed out in the plot to fully understand. There wasn’t the normal lightbulb moment, instead I was left with a questioning.

Thank You Macmillan Audio offered through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review!

The Prisoner was good, but not great compared to some of her others. Interesting premise, but the execution missed the mark a bit for me.
This certainly won't stop me from picking up her next one!
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Okay, so I just finished listening to "The Prisoner" by B.A. Paris, and whoa, it's a total mind-bender! This audiobook is not just a story; it's a full-on experience that'll have you hooked from the get-go.

First things first, the story itself is classic B.A. Paris – super suspenseful, full of twists, and with that edge-of-your-seat vibe. We're talking about a psychological thriller that messes with your head in the best way possible. The plot revolves around this intense situation where the main character is... well, let's just say they're in a pretty tough spot. No spoilers here, but it's the kind of plot that keeps you guessing at every turn.

The narrator of the audiobook? Absolute genius. They have this way of bringing the characters to life that's just so spot on. You can feel the tension, the fear, and the suspense in their voice. It's like they're not just reading the story; they're living it, and you're right there with them. The pacing is perfect too – fast enough to keep things exciting but not so fast that you miss the details.

Now, the cool thing about listening to "The Prisoner" is how immersive it is. The sound quality is great, and the way the narrator uses their voice to build up the suspense is top-notch. It's like listening to a movie soundtrack, but better because you get to imagine all the action.

What really got me was how the story plays with your emotions. One minute you're feeling sorry for the character, the next you're totally frustrated with them, and then you're just plain scared about what's going to happen next. B.A. Paris has this talent for creating these complex characters that are so real, you feel like you know them.

In short, if you're into thrillers that keep you up at night, "The Prisoner" audiobook is your next must-listen.

This was my second encounter with this author's work, and while I had high hopes, this particular book failed to captivate me. Regrettably, the storyline fell short of my expectations.

I had hoped for an unexpected twist, but unfortunately, I predicted it early on, which lessened my overall enjoyment of the book.

None of the characters resonated deeply with me, including the one held captive, leaving me feeling somewhat detached.

Despite the commendable narration, the narrative seemed to lack a certain depth, making it a swift yet ultimately unfulfilling listen.

I truly loved the story. I'm a huge fan of B.A. Paris. The story was really great. It was very interesting and captured my attention. However, I did not like the voice of the person dictating. Her accent was a bit distracting. I couldn't connect well to every aspect of the story because of that. I would absolutely recommend this book though. However, I would probably avoid the audiobook version because of the person dictating. I would purchase a hard copy and read it yourself.

My app updated and I lost all my audiobooks. I was unable to download it again so I missed out on listening to this book.

Why is Amelie being held prisoner? Are her captors someone she knows or was this a random encounter? Something very sinister is hiding behind the appearance of glitz and glamour. this survival story gripped me immediately. It kept me guessing, never knowing where the story would lead. B.A. Paris is a master of setting the stage of intensity with a constant sense of foreboding. I enjoyed the quick chapters that left me racing to the jaw-dropping conclusion. The narration added a layer of depth and mystery. Thank you, NetGalley for my copy.

⭐️
The Prisoner
By: B.A. Paris
Pub Date: 11/1/22
Publisher: Maximillian Audio

This book flips back and forth a lot between the present and the past. Unfortunately it was not a hit for me. The beginning parts were exciting but then it seemed to just drag on.

Present Day: Amelie and her wealthy husband Ned have
been kidnapped and held for ransom. Ned’s father is not willing to pay. All they asked for was a pound (about a dollar in US currency) but it’s going to double everyday that he doesn’t pay.

Past: Amelie’s father died when she was 16 her mother died while giving birth so she’s all on her own. She espaces to London, when she gets a job as a living housekeeper. Carolyn, her boss, takes her in and ends up becoming her best friend.
As the book moves off Amelie finds out who her husband truly is and how much danger she’s in.
Will Ned’s father pay the ransom? Who kidnapped them? Where are they? You'll have to read The Prisoner to find out!

I was very excited to read this book after reading the author's previous book, "The Therapist". This one, however, ended up a little flat for me. While we are supposed to feel sympathetic for the heroine, Amelie, I found her naiveite to be more annoying than endearing. The other characters were one dimensional and overall unlikeable. The plot seems far-fetched to me, and the twists were predictable. Perhaps what I found most disturbing was that despite all that she went through, she decided to give her captor a chance at love at the end. I have a hard time getting behind a book with the message "He tortured you? It's ok because he did it for your own good". I did find that the plot moved quickly, and despite the things mentioned that I didn't enjoy, it kept me engaged and wanting to know how it was resolved. All in all, it was an okay book but not great, and I wouldn't use this one as the best example of the author's work. The narrator did a nice job with the audio edition of this book.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a free copy of the audio book in exchange for my honest review. The Prisoner just wasn't for me. The audio narration grated on my ears, and it was frankly hard to get through. For what it's worth, I referenced the hard copy for comparison and found it much more enjoyable than the listening experience. Even so, Part 2 went downhill in its overexplanatory nature and confusing names of people (Paul Martin, Paul Carr, Carl, Hunter, Carolyn, Lina, Justine, etc). You've got Amelie, who was left with no social circle after her ailing father passes away. She lies to her teachers about having family support and instead retreats to London where she is taken under the wing of Carolyn and her friends. Life is turning up when Amelie makes a weird and questionable decision, shaping the trajectory of the rest of the storyline. Amelie and her husband are taken prisoner (title drop!) and it's unclear why, until you get it all explained to you in the last third of the book. This book is a bummer because Behind Closed Doors was jawdropping and exhilarating, but The Prisoner just wasn't executed well.

First off I LOVE B.A. Paris so you can understand how excited I was when another book came out.
This was another well written book that I lost myself in and had moments where I felt I was locked in a dark room with the character. I would love to read about what happens to them after the story ended to see how the main character gets over the trauma she was put threw.

Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook. I think I'd actually prefer the audiobook for this one since it was well done and I was able to get into the plot quicker. It wasn't my favorite B.A. Paris book, but it's a solid domestic thriller and a fun listen on audio. With the alternating timelines I found myself invested in where the plot was going.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and B.A. Paris for an advance copy of The Prisoner in exchange for an honest review. This was definitely an interesting story & premise but it just didnt work out as well as I wanted it to. I love this authors books and I feel like they are usually very suspenseful and maybe I just misinterpreted this one as a thriller so thats why it didnt fully work for me? Honestly, the characters annoyed me and I struggled paying attention when we were going back and forth to the past and present. I did enjoy the narrator of this one and I thought they did a good job voicing the characters. With that being said, I think this book will find its target audience and people will definitely love it. I do look forward to reading more of this authors work in the future. This one is out now!

3.5 stars

I have read every book by this author and have enjoyed the "popcorn thriller" feel to the stories and the twists and turns that happen throughout. This unfortunately was one of my least favorites by Paris so far. This felt like a movie you turn on at midnight on HBO - doze off a bit and still get the gist of it and then by the next day kind of forgot you even watched it. It just didn't work for me and I felt like I wasn't really invested in the story or characters. That being said, I would still continue to read B.A. Paris next novel since I have enjoyed the rest of them. This could be a wrong book at the wrong moment for me - but overall I just found it forgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I did not post this to my social media or goodreads just because I do like this author and didn't want to put out a negative review.

Good plot, but feel like it could have been done so much better. I really wanted for from the ending, but overall was a quick and easy read.

The Prisoner was just ok for me. It did not have the normal B.A. flare for me.
Thanks to Net galley and St. Martin's Press for this copy.