This is the 3rd book that I've read by B.A. Paris and it definitely will not be the last. The author is a talented storyteller who has created enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged but not confused in spite of the fast pace of the story. There were some clever elements such as the Russian dolls let for the main character to find that really added another creepy facet to story to make it stand out I found myself turning pages quickly to get to the satisfying ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

I enjoyed this one. I felt Finn was a bit manic at times, but I suppose that would be a natural reaction to having your love disappear without knowing what happened to her, to then have someone 12 years later, play mind games surrounding her disappointment.

Quite a few twists that kept the book interesting. All in all, I would recommend this book to any mystery lovers out there.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2435933107

Finn's girlfriend, Layla, disappeared years ago, seemingly into thin air. After a brief period of time where he was accused of having a hand in her disappearance, life has gone back to normal for Finn. He is in living with a woman, doing normal things like walking his dog and working from home. His girlfriend, however, happens to be Layla's sister, Ellen. Everyone kind of pretends like it's okay because Ellen is the exact opposite of Layla, and it works (?). Finn begins getting mysterious emails and finding Russian dolls, supposedly from Layla. I don't want to say anything else because I don't want to spoil anything...

I give this book 2 1/2 stars. It was a pretty quick read. I definitely wanted to know who was sending the dolls and what steps Finn was going to take next. The writing was... eh. Just nothing special. The ending was also.. eh. Definitely nothing special. Read if you are new to thrillers! I don't think this book is for everyone, but it was certainly entertaining.

This book was pretty predictable but nevertheless I couldn't put it down. It was entertaining but similar to many other books I've read before. Thank you for the ARC copy.

St. Martin's Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Bring Me Back. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Layla and Finn were on holiday when a stop at a service area yielded disastrous results. Layla disappeared and, despite their best efforts, the police were unable to determine what happened to the young woman. 10 years later, Finn is engaged to Layla's sister Ellen. When secret messages and unexpected gifts are left on their doorstep, what conclusion will Finn draw from the unwelcoming attention? What really happened to Layla?

Unfortunately, Bring Me Back included a plot that was mostly transparent and unimaginative. I could not find sympathy for any of the characters and I spent much of the book hoping to find a connection with just one person. The author was not successful in creating a believable story, although the suspense was largely there. There were just too many missing pieces, background information that the reader must take on faith. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Bring Me Back to other readers.

Bring Me Back is B.A. Paris’ third suspense thriller. In this story, Finn is engaged to Ellen, the sister of the woman he loved and lost ten years ago. Layla disappeared from a roadside rest in France and has never been seen again. For a time, Finn was even suspected of some foul play, but that was in the past.

Now after all this time Finn is moving on if marrying the sister of your former love can be called moving on. But there are complications. He and Layla’s former neighbor claims to have seen Layla. A Russian nesting doll suddenly appears, one that Ellen believes Layla took from her years ago. Then there are nesting dolls here, there, and everywhere.

So is Layla alive or is someone gaslighting Finn? What is going on? It has the trademark Paris suspense and pace.



Bring Me Back is the third book by B. A. Paris in just two years. I am thinking she should pace herself a bit because the second and third are less suspenseful than the first. This is not nearly as upsetting as the first, partly because I come to not care about anyone. Finn is in love, sure, but he’s volatile and violent. Ellen is in love, but she’s secretive and passive. Layla, well, you will find out what Layla is. I was happy to finish because I didn’t enjoy this book. I didn’t hate it, but I figured out who was who and what was what far too soon and mostly longed for the book to be over.

I received a copy of Bring Me Back from the publisher through NetGalley/Shelf Awareness.

Bring Me Back at St. Martins Press | Macmillan
B. A. Paris on Twitter

★★

Enjoyable enough, but I found the ending to be a bit of a stretch. That said, it was suspenseful throughout and a good bet for those who enjoy domestic suspense.

This was my third book by B.A. Paris. While I am still a fan of hers, this book just didn't do it for me. I could not get into it like I did her other books.

I seriously did not like Finn. For me, he had no personality. And I found it way weird that he went for the sister.

The ending was very strange and I just was not a fan of this book like I was the other ones. I certainly have not given up on this author and look forward to her next book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley



After finishing Bring Me Back I am frustrated and swore way too much at the ending of this book. The problem begins immediately and doesn't really get any better the more you read. There's potential here, a lot of ways to make this novel great, but instead, it plays it safe which is fine if you've never read a suspense thriller before. It's a decent enough read to get you interested in the genre, but for the seasoned fans, there's not a lot here that's new or exciting. Paris is a decent writer, but the plot twists become glaringly obvious and the characters are lifeless cutouts that you merely read about, yet have no interest in.



While the premise is intriguing, it just doesn't hold up. I get that while you're reading a book, or watching a movie things happen that could never happen in the real world, but the subject matter has to hold your interest to make you forget about the rules and regulations of reality. If anything, by playing it safe and mirroring whatever the current trends in fiction are, it does more harm than good. This seemed like a promising book, and Paris is a talented writer that gives us to glimpses of Finn, and Layla. Problem is, the more we get to know Finn, the less we like him, and Layla has been gone twelve years, the mystery is there, and I wanted to care, but I couldn't. You see the plot twists coming a mile away, and the book struggles under the weight of how good it could be, but just isn't.



Not much here is done right which is unfortunate given the talent of the writer. She plots the story well, and if she hadn't played it safe, this could have been one hell of a book. There's a lot here that if done differently, could have blown readers away. As it is, you could easily borrow this from the library and read it on a vacation because the truth is, Bring Me Back is easily forgettable and boring. I really hate giving bad reviews, but this one really deserves it because it really wants to be a hit, but ends up missing.

Great read from beginning to end. Keeps you guessing as to what is really happening with the characters until the end.

Finn and Layla are a young couple on a road trip. Finn stops at a gas station, when he returns to the car he realizes that Layla wis missing. Ten years or so go by and Finn is engaged to another woman, Ellen. Ellen is LAYLA’S SISTER! Strange things begin to happen which leads Finn and other characters to believe Layla may have returned. There are sightings of Layla, a favorite childhood toy of hers is being left places for Ellen and Finn to find. Finn also begins receiving emails. This book was a bit slow paced for my liking. There were some twists, but nothing too exciting.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this title. This is my first B.A Paris book and it won't be my last. A faced paced story with an interesting plot that kept me reading quickly. I had sworn off thrillers for a while but this book has brought me back! 4 Stars! I also appreciated the low explicit content.

A bit of an interesting mystery novel. It has it's predictable moments but I found it enjoyable regardless. I'm a big fan of mystery books but I haven't really read books like this before. I'm glad I gave this one a chance.

Why is it that a lot of the books I’ve been reading lately remind me of old movies? BRING ME BACK is reminiscent of a ‘90’s movie with Jeff Bridges called THE VANISHING. In this telling Finn’s girlfriend Layla Gray disappeared from a rest stop in France twelve years earlier and has never been seen or heard from until a detective phones with information that Layla has been seen in Devon. Is Layla dead or is she alive?

Alternating between past and present and told from the vantage point of the two main protagonists Finn and Layla, whose veracity as narrators of this twisted tale is definitely in question.

For those willing to take a giant leap of blind acceptance this is a book that will tease your imagination, take you hostage and hold you captive until the last page.

This was a quick read with the suspense built around the question of Layla’s disappearance 12 years ago. When clues begin to surface that Layla may still be alive, her former fiancée Finn, hides the truth from Layla’s sister, his current fiancée.
The story was fairly predictable, even with the twists. I wouldn’t recommend since there are so many other thrillers that are better written. This seemed to try to follow the “Gone Girl” format too close.

This book was a twisting psychological thriller. The story drew me in from the moment I read the description, and I wasn't disappointed with any of the turns. As the story unfolded, I found myself changing my mind about the outcome I wanted. I didn't get the ending I was hoping for, but the book was even better for not following my expected course. There is a lot of emotion written into this storyline that stays with you well after the last page is turned. I didn't know this author before I read this book, but I'll be looking for more from B A Paris in the future!

Russian dolls, suspense , but some tiresome dialog. There are things to like in this book, but overall , it is not
one of the best mysteries of the summer. Despite all the hype about this book, there are some concerns about
the novel and is it popular only because of the authors reputation.

4.5 stars! Gripping and highly addictive!

I have read every one of B.A. Paris’ books and have found each one compulsively readable. There is something about her writing that sucks you in from the very first page and doesn’t let you go until you have read the last word (often leaving your jaw hitting the floor). This book followed that magical formula of hers, leaving my hands feeling a desperate sense of empty when they weren’t holding this novel. Though I figured out a big plot twist at the end of Part 1, I still devoured this book, soaking up every word with curious anticipation of how things would work out in the end.

This novel follows forty one year old Finn, who lives with his girlfriend Ellen. Over a decade prior, Finn’s then-girlfriend Layla (who happens to be Ellen’s sister) disappeared, never to be seen again. The pain of losing Layla has haunted Finn every day since her disappearance.

This was a Traveling Sister read with Brenda. It was a quick and addictive read that I highly recommend!

A big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and B. A. Paris for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Bring Me Back is available now!!

Another book of the unreliable narrator genre like Gone Girl. If you have had any experience reading stories like this, you will figure out the twist pretty quickly. The narrator Finn has lost the love of his life, when she disappeared from a rest stop while they were on vacation. Although he was initially suspected of being the cause of her disappearance, he is ultimately cleared of suspicion. However he gives the reader reason to believe that his innocence is not so clear-cut. Flash forward ten years and we learn he is engaged to his former sweetheart's sister. At this point readers familiar with this genre can predict that no good will come of this. All that is left is to pick up the clues as the author scatters them through the story. I always lose patience with a character who causes his own troubles because of the foolish choices he makes, and this story is a prime example. Not telling the truth and then justifying your lies to the reader make for a weak hero. But then hero is not a term you would apply to the main character of a book like this.
This story will appeal to fans of The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, but I find it too formulaic for my taste.

Bring Me Back is a novel that will surprise you at the end. Written in first person, from the points of view of Finn and Layla, it tells a complicated story of love and loss.

Twelve years ago, Layla disappeared one night from a parking lot at a rest area. Finn never found out what happened to her. He has moved on. Now, he is set to marry Layla’s sister, Ellen. However, he begins to receive mysterious messages in the form of emails and little Russian dolls left in various places for him to find. Who is behind these things?

As a reader, I enjoyed how the story built up over time, building on previous revelations. The one thing is did not enjoy was how each chapter ended with a cliffhanger-type sentence. This is something that annoyed me as a reader of James Patterson and caused me to give up reading his books. It’s disconcerting seeing another author use the same technique. As a reader, I feel that this technique brings the author’s presence to mind too much. In my opinion, good writing should transcend the presence of the author. The story should be told without the reader constantly being reminded that this is a work of fiction. It detracts from the story to have both narrators using the same technique since they are supposed to be separate characters.

Other than that, I enjoyed the story. Toward the end, the reader begins to suspect what is really going on. The big reveal near the end isn’t too surprising. But, I was disappointed at the way the novel ended. Without giving away spoilers, I was hoping for a much different resolution to this book. Other readers’ opinions on that may differ.

The writing is good and dialog is believable. The characters are well-written. I felt that Ellen’s character did lack some in depth, but Finn’s character was pretty well documented. I wanted to know more about Layla’s character too. We do find out more near the end, but she’s the mystery woman throughout the story.

If you like a good mystery without a lot of gratuitous violence, this one may be for you.