Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book really hard to rate, I toyed with leaving a 3 star but I have settled on a 3 1/2-4 star rating. I struggled as although the book was easy to read and engaging it was in my mind unbelievable and far fetched. I guessed fairly early on what the twist would be, however I did keep reading hoping I was wrong sadly I wasn't.

The book is based on a young couple Finn and Layla. Layla goes missing on a trip to France after an argument with Finn never to be seen again. The police investigate her disappearance but get nowhere. After some time has past Finn falls in love with Ellen who happens to be Layla's sister. All is fine until Finn proposes and then Russian dolls keep turning up. Only three people know about the Russian Dolls: Ellen, Finn and Layla so you eventually discover that Layla is behind the dolls. She has been closer than Finn thought all this time. I wont say anymore if you want an easy summer read then this book will hit the spot as despite the flaws I must admit I did enjoy reading it.

It is hard to give an opinion on this book without giving away the ending. Suffice is to say, I was rather dissatisfied. The characters were very interesting, and Cheltenham is a town I know well, my parents retired there. The story covers a lot of ground, From the southernmost tip of England, Devonshire, to the northernmost tip, an island off Scotland. The writer made this look effortless, but knowing the narrow roads and traffic, it would have taken much longer than in the story. It did keep me guessing, but I found the ending to be totally improbable.

Like others have said, I was really into this thriller in Parts One and Two, but Part Three fell flat for me. Possibly because I had guessed the twist of Part Three in Two, but also probably because the characters are unlikable, unrelatable, and not particularly well developed. The plot keeps moving (which is a great thing) and will have you turning pages as fast as you can, but there was something missing. That said, this is a solid thriller and will please fans of the genre.



3.5

Bring Me Back starts off strong and doesn’t let up till the end. It takes us through Finn and Layla’s history and the present. Layla went missing while going on holiday. It’s been 12 years now, no trace of her still. That is until the little Russian dolls start showing up. Creepy right!

Those Russian dolls are something that only Finn, Layla and her sister Emma knew about. Now they ar being left for Finn and Emma. What do they mean? What purpose do they serve after all these years after Layla went missing? Or maybe, they are being left to taunt Fiin and his fiancé.

The story is told to us by Finn from before Layla’s disappearance, and the present. Finn gives us all the clues a little at a time. He seemed to be a realistic character as well as Emma. It’s been years now, he and Emma both are trying to move on from the past, together. They’ve fell in love, but is it real or out of grief? This just adds to the already looming questions.

The story kept me turning the pages, so many questions, too many coincidences and what do they mean. This kept me engaged from the start until the ending which brought me some disappointment. While it was a good little twist, I felt like it took away from the story as a whole.

Overall, this was a pretty good little mystery, it was intense and eerie in places which I always look for when reading a psychological thriller, and I do believe that fans of this genre will like this one.

This book kept me guessing until the very end. I really enjoyed this mystery. Just when you think you have something figured out, you discover something that refutes that theory. This book is also told from different view points which adds another layer to the mystery. I would most definitely recommend going in to read this book knowing little to nothing about it first to get the full effect of the mystery.

The story just didn't work for me, and isn't very memorable. It was cliche, predictable, and not as thrilling as one would expect. There was a level of "can't put it down- must know the ending" that bumped it up a star, but that ending that I couldn't wait for was a dud. Video review here: https://youtu.be/Adu0UcUhIgA?t=10m22s

I didn’t like Bring Me Back as much as I did Paris’s Behind Closed Doors. I could predict the ending halfway into the book, but I hoped for some twist that would provide a good explanation for what seemed too wild to be feasible. Sadly, that didn’t happen.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy.

Another quick read with a nice little twist at the end. I liked the story line, it kept me guessing and wanting to know what happened to Layla. But I'm not quit sure I buy the end. I guess it's possible, but I'm not completely sold which is why I'm only giving this book 3 stars.

First sentence: We were on our back from skiing in Megeve.

Last sentence: Yet there's one thing that plagues me above all else, and it's this: if I had truly loved Layla, surely I would have known her anywhere.

I was really disappointed in this book. I’ve enjoyed Paris’s other books but not this one. By the end I could see that this was an interesting and new twist on a thriller. It was just done so poorly. Most of the writing was so melodramatic and soap opera-y. It was really annoying.

The premise of B.A. Paris’ latest thriller Bring Me Back involves Finn whose girlfriend, Layla, disappears when they are at a rest stop on their way back from a holiday in France. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance are murky and it is obvious from the start that Finn is an unreliable narrator. As the story progresses, we learn that Finn is now actually engaged to Ellen, who is Layla’s sister, a somewhat complicated situation to say the least. One day Finn receives a mysterious email, which leads him to believe that Layla has returned after twelve years missing. What ensues is Finn exhaustingly doing everything in his power to find answers to his very confusing situation.

I loved Paris’ first book, but unfortunately I have to say that this one was not for me. In the beginning I definitely felt that the story had a lot of potential, but the middle dragged on and on and on with the same situation happening repeatedly and not much else going on. I felt like the story somehow got stuck and I found my mind wandering at times, which doesn’t usually happen to me with psychological thrillers. The plot finally moved forward at the very end, but I found the resolution to be a little farfetched.

Paris is an excellent writer and her other books still make her one of my top favorite authors, but this one just missed the mark for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press Press for providing me with a complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Finally! I haven't put this off for any particular reason. I just could not get to it. Too many great books out there! So, I was excited to finally put this on my schedule and stick to it because of this 13 weeks of horror!

B.A. Paris is one of my favorite writers. Even though she only has three books out now, I love how she mixes twists and hints into the story line. Sometimes she allows the reader to know exactly what is going on, because her stories are so crazy, it's better to put it all right out there.

Then, there are plots like this one. Where she kept the information up close and personal, and didn't reveal until the very end of the story, what exactly was happening.
What to expect:

Red herons galore. I highlighted so many sentences that seemed like clues to what happened to this gal, and going back over those clues, they each lead to another suspect, or another event. It's like putting a puzzle together when you don't have an edge and every puzzle piece is the same color.

Although I knew I didn't have the full information, that's what I love about her writing. She gives her readers the knowledge they need, to fully understand the entire thing, by the end. There are many clues, and yes, red herons too, that lead the reader throughout the story. Breadcrumbs that lead to nowhere, so you have to follow them all fully to be able to decipher which are the most important.
The Plot:

The synopsis says it all. Everyone is hiding something. Hiding something does not equate to committing a crime, though. And that's the trick here. There's a lady that has gone missing, and the entire plot is to figure out if someone is lying.

The missing portion and the here and now are 12 years apart. Which struck me as odd at first, but it's been 12 years since the event. Anyone would assume that she was gone. And then Finn starts to think back on that day and admits to leaving information out. The only people that purposefully leave information out are those that are guilty of something. Doesn't necessarily mean murder though.

Then there's Ellen. She's an odd one but the entire situation is wrong. There are clues with her too, but very small, and honestly, I wouldn't think that she had anything to do with Layla's disappearance, even with her odd behavior. She's starting to see Layla everywhere, that doesn't mean anything but the fact that she misses her sister.

Downsides:

The major downside is that Finn decides to marry Ellen and the relationships mirror each other too much. It's like a love triangle with a ghost. Ellen starts to get jealous even though she wants her sister back, she doesn't want to lose Finn. It's a weird, twisted story, and as much as I love the way B.A. Paris can manipulate a character and how they work and what they do, it's a little much for me.

It's just one trope that I abhor, fully. And it's even weirder in this because it's a psychological thriller, so it's not even like there's this extra woman trying to get to Finn. Still, it took away from the story for me, quite a bit. Especially since half of the story was told through a before and after pov.

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This was a book that I didn't want to put down. While I didn't find the main characters the most likable or relatable, B.A. Paris proves to be a great writer once again.

I'm predominantly a romance reader so this was a conscious step outside the box for me. I enjoyed this storyline, it had me intrigued from the first page the the very last. The story ebbed and flowed, exciting twists and revelations were interspersed with sections that lulled and dragged. But I never wanted to stop reading. I was fully absorbed in the storyline. But the romantic in me that craves emotion definitely struggled with the flat, monotone voice of this book. It's hard to gauge the reliability and personality of each narrator through such dry writing. However, there's a lot to be said about a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat like this one did. I agonized and theorized the whole way through and I while I felt like I came close to predicting how the story would play out, I was off base and I never saw a lot of it coming. This is an unpredictable page turner, albeit a dry one, but still, I was enthralled by the mysterious, suspenseful events that transpire on these pages and I've been inspired to step outside the box more often.

This story was brilliant, in fact I read it in three hours as I could not put it down. I would like to thank Netgalley for asking me to read and review.
When Finn meets the girl of his dreams he falls for her in a big way but Layla is too young and just getting to London she wants to have some fun so they part. A few weeks later he finds her on his doorstep, cold, hungry with no money as it has all been stolen in the hostel she was staying in. Finn nurses her back to health then not wanting to share a flat with his friend anymore he buys a cottage in the country for them to start their life in.
Taking a trip to France there is a ripple in the relationship so on the way back Finn pushes to find out what is wrong. He was not expecting the answer though and immediately pulled into a services, they end up arguing with Finn pulling her out of the car, shouting at her, his anger was bad so he knew he should just walk away and calm down so he headed to the toilet block. On his return he cannot find Layla anywhere, police are called, searches carried out but she was never found, there was also never a body found. Finn accepted that she had been abducted and taken somewhere but for all the news and papers looking for her she had never been found. She really had disappeared.
Years later Finn meets Ellen and falls in love with her, not a love like Layla but a soft smooth love. Eventually after living together happily Finn asks Ellen to marry him, she is so happy. But for Finn the problems are just beginning, emails arrive from someone pretending to be Layla, he keeps all this from Ellen until it all gets a lot worse. An old neighbour says they saw Layla then Ellen see’s her in the street, how can it get any worse. Finn goes to the cottage that he shared with Layla as he never sold it and never went there again, the letter he wrote to Layla hoping she would come back was still there. She wasn’t alive someone was playing with his mind, who would do that?
These characters have you gripped with a twist along the way, really great writing which throws up red herrings to keep you on your toes. I loved this book and straight away it is in my top ten for this year.
mailto:HQStories@HarperCollins.co.uk

This is a psychological thriller set in the UK that follows the love triangle of a very screwed up threesome containing Finn, Layla and Ellen. Finn, a trader originally based in London, falls in love with Layla after fatefully meeting her during her ill-planned visit into London on New Year's Eve. With no acquaintances and no where to go, Finn offers to house her at his apartment until she can get her bearings and find a job and place of her own. Over the course of a year, they fall passionately in love and Finn feels about ready to pop the Big Question, when Layla hits him with a traumatizing revelation. Afterwards, Layla disappears without a word or clue to her whereabouts. Police go about their missing person investigation, under the presumption that Layla has been abducted. With no progress in the case or hope of discovering a body, Finn reluctantly continues his life, thus forming a romantic relationship with Layla's sister, Ellen.

Suddenly, Russian nesting dolls begin appearing apparently out of no where. This is evidently significant, because Layla and Ellen grew up with dolls of their own, which Layla in particular was very fond of. Then e-mails containing veiled and unsettling messages begin appearing in Finn's inbox. This leaves him wondering; does someone have Layla? Or even more nerve-wracking...is it Layla herself? Doing his best to keep his suspicions and hopes hidden from Ellen, Finn works to track down the source of this mystery once and for all, in the hopes of uncovering his long lost love.

Frankly, I thought this book was predictable and underwhelming. It was a typical, run-of-the-mill thriller, with improbable twists and turns that left me less "oh, wow, I did not see that coming," and more *eye roll, eye roll, eye roll.* The conclusions Finn would jump to about his friends and their involvement were ridiculous. And because Finn was such a dislikeable hot head, I just couldn't empathize with him in the end. Not the best thriller I've ever read. 2 stars.

OH! EM! GEE! This story is not what it seems. Paris weaves such a tale that it pulls the reader right in for the ultimate conclusion which is not what you expect at all. Her character development allows you to feel as if you know each player so well. As she continues telling the tale, even the characters aren't what they seem to be. This is the third book from Paris that I've read and she has me hooked. Bring Me Back isn't always an edge-of-your-seat story but it keeps your mind engaged entire time. Highly recommended!

Bring Me Back was an absolutely addictive psychological thriller! Even though this book hooked me from the very first page, I was left feeling unsatisfied in the end.

For most of the book, I was just as stumped as the main character was. Typically I consider any mystery/thriller that keeps me guessing to be an automatic winner. Unfortunately, this book's ending was totally outside the realm of possibilities which is why I hadn't figured it out. As unrealistic as the twist ending was, it was original (to me) but could've been revealed in a more creative way.

On top of that, I had a few other issues with this book. The 3 parts that divided this book were written in complete different styles and offered more of a disconnect than anything. The entirety of the story was also very repetitive and the characters never made me care about their lives.

For a thriller, I never was anxious or scared while reading this book. It may be an easy & addicting read, but ultimately isn't the best book in the genre to pick up.

I liked this new book by B A Paris but not as much as her other book, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. BRING ME BACK seemed to move slowly until almost half way through. When the action began it was better. Finn loves Layla, Layla disappears, Ellen, Layla’s sister, arrives, Finn falls for Ellen. Finn is not charged with Layla’s disappearance because no trace of Layla is ever found. After Finn and Ellen announce their engagement weird things start happening that only Finn, Layla, and Ellen would understand. Ellen believes or hopes Layla is alive. If Layla is alive, who will Finn choose. It becomes interesting from here. So many clues say Layla is alive. Or could it be someone trying to pull a joke because of jealousy? Must read to find out.

I hate to say it, but I did not like this one. I've read all B.A. Paris' books and this one was by far the worst. I couldn't connect with any characters, I hated Finn. The twist the plot entails was so far fetched. I found myself starting to skim pages at Part two. Not my favorite.

I wish that we could give books a 3.5 star instead of just 3 or 4. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the story but it felt to drag on a bit which left me skimming just to get to the end.

I adored Ms. Paris's book, Behind Closed Doors, it had me riveted and sucked in until the very end leaving me wanting a whole lot more, but this one was not as consuming.

The book is told in three parts with dual POV's from different characters. Each part, the POV's changed. The only one that stayed the same was our leading man, Finn. Now I cannot go into much detail surrounding the POV's or it will give away some spoilers. Just know that I did enjoy this aspect of the book. Part one consisted of before and after and was solely told from Finn's perspective. Part two is where it starts getting interesting. But by part three, I felt that there was a lot of filler going on and just could not wait to actually get finished with the story.

The story bounces back and forth and you as the reader contemplate whether Layla is alive or dead and if Finn harmed her in some way or if she was taken. The ending was surprising to me and all the while reading I kept trying to figure out the mystery. Needless to say...I definitely didn't get it all figured out but some pieces I was able to.

Although, I did enjoy the story line and liked the characters, I did not feel like this one had as much an impact on me as Behind Closed Doors did.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.