B.A. Paris brings us another fast-paced thriller with Bring Me Back. Filled with suspense and mystery, you will be drawn into this story from the first page. It becomes a bit of a mind boggling experience - one that may have gone a bit better if it had gone differently. Although I was hooked at a certain point, the ending brought this one down. I think other readers will have a better time with it.

I tore through this but I'm not going to sugar coat it...It was unbelievable. As in the true sense of that word--not believable. As I read this novel, I thought that the author was setting up the outcome of Layla and Ellen bing the same person but I thought "no way" because there would be too many flaws in that outcome, so I was kinda shocked and kinda not. The "twist" was just not believable in that there is no way that all the other characters could not tell that Ellen was really Layla and there is absolutely no way Finn would not have known, especially if he was sleeping with her/them. She would have had to have a lot more than long days at the beauty salon, she would have had to have head to toe plastic surgery...and even then I'm doubting it. It's really unfortunate that this book went the direction it did because the pacing and style were great and I was truly on the edge of my seat multiple times.

Twelve years ago, Finn;s girlfriend Layla disappeared while they were at a rest stop. No trace of her was ever found. Finn has moved on and is about to marry Layla's sister, Ellen. Just when Finn thinks he has gotten over Layla' disappearance, signs in the form of Layla's beloved Russian dolls begin to appear and Finn is no longer sure Layla is dead.
The story flips between the past and present. The reader learns more about the circumstances surrounding Layla's disappearance and that Finn hasn't been entirely truthful. As the book continues on, the reader realizes that everyone is more than slightly suspect, in Layla's disappearance.
Overall, this was my least favorite of B.A. Paris' novels. She is a spectacular writer but her characters this time around felt flat and uninteresting. It's a big ask to have a reader suspend disbelief when the characters aren't worth caring about and there was a high level of disbelief suspension required here. The Russian dolls as a plot device was original but yet felt a bit cheesy and the villain here felt more like s/he belonged in a comic book.
Yet, despite the problems with the characters and parts of the plot, Bring Me Back works as a summer beach read. If you don't take it seriously, that is. The minute I stopped caring about how ridiculously cartoonish some aspects of the plot were, the more I enjoyed myself. Bring Me Back is fun on the level of a Lifetime Movie offering, a V.C. Andrew thriller, or a Final Destination movie. You aren't going to be checking your locks at night but you will keep turning the page to see what happens next.

*thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review*

I love B.A. Paris! While I figured out the twist really early on, I think that's more to do with my twisted mind than anything else!

Finn's character was very well balanced - he was annoying and selfish, yet I found myself still rooting for him, which is pretty difficult for an author to do.

The pacing was quick, keeping me just slightly off-balanced so I wanted to keep reading, and I finished Bring Me Back in just a few short sittings, flying through the pages. It’s one of those books you don’t have to analyze or think about, you just read it because it’s entertaining.

If you’re looking for a quick, enjoyable read, this is the book for you.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for letting me read Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris in exchange for my honest review.

After really enjoying BA Paris’ first two books, I was excited to be taken on another mystery. Unfortunately this one wasn’t as great as the first two books. I felt compassion for Finn, who is struggling with the disappearance of his girlfriend and then years later ends up with the girlfriend’s sister. Then they start getting clues that seem to point to Layla still being alive and not dead as they all assumed after several years of not finding her. This book definitely had me guessing til the end but I felt there was a bit too much filler with all the clues Layla kept leaving. It was a quick read but could have been a lot quicker if some of it was cut down. I also did not care for the ending of this book and although I was a little surprised at how it all shook out, it was also a little anticlimactic for me.

This book ended up being better than I had thought. It bogged down for me part way through, so much so that I almost didn’t finish reading, I had just gotten so tired of the cat and mouse games of the two main characters, especially Finn, who seemed to be acting so childishly. The whole scenario of how he was behaving about the possible return of Layla just seemed so immature and implausible. I’m glad I did eventually get back to it, and even though I suspected the surprise twist, the ending was quite good.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
While on vacation, two, young lovers stop at night to use the restroom. When Finn returns to the car, Layla is nowhere to be found. He quickly reported her missing but his story was doubted by many.
Now, years later, Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister. However, as the wedding draws closer, Finn gets a phone call from someone saying that Layla has been spotted nearby. Soon after, he begins to receive email messages and objects proving that Layla is indeed- still alive. Why has she suddenly come back after all of this time? Is she jealous of her sister’s relationship with her former love?

This one is a quick read but definitely has a wild twist. I found myself reading the ending slowly and even rereading some parts to fully understand what was happening! Who else has read it? What did you think of the ending?

Holy cow, what a ride! This book certainly kept me engaged and wanting to pick it back up every time life got in the way and I had to put it down. I was hooked from the beginning.

Few of the characters were actually likable, but I’m ok with that. I think it makes it easier for them to do questionable things in the story, and some of these characters definitely do questionable things.

Though the story was a bit reminiscent of Gone Girl and other recent thrillers, I still really enjoyed the ride and am looking forward to picking up more books by this author.



Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.25 stars rounded down to 3.*

I've read everything B.A. Paris has written, and generally really enjoy her brand of suspense. Behind Closed Doors did something that few books manage-it completely surprised me. I didn't LOVE it, but I will never fail to recommend something that surprises me. I found The Breakdown to be more predictable and was eager to see how Bring Me Back would compare with the first two.

I enjoyed Bring Me Back. But I found the characterizations of both Ellen and Layla to be flat. To be honest, only Finn seems fully developed but he also consistently does unbelievable things and makes ridiculous choices. It's the suspense novel version of an intentionally cheesy horror film.

That's not to say it's not enjoyable. I liked it. It didn't surprise me, though to be fair I might now just be trying to outmaneuver Ms. Paris as she steams forward toward her twists.

This one isn't as good as Behind Closed Doors but I liked it a lot more than The Breakdown.

There is some really intense and creepy imagery and it kept me interested.

*Digital ARC received from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First time I have read this author and I enjoyed this thrilling adventure. The back and forth of that fateful night was interwoven into the story in a captivating manner as each flashback gave more insight into what the truth was...but what was brilliant about it was that even with the flashbacks from Finn, we still did not have the most important information until the end...though we might think we do ...

The story was a read I did not want to put down, but it did have some predictable moments. I will say I figured much of what was going on for who and what was taking place before the ending, but I did not figure out the how or the actual ending! That ending was perfect but harsh at the same time. I loved the little addition of some of the side characters and I felt bad for the friends... as in as we learned more about Finn and Layla I don’t know how they had friends!

I look forward to reading more from the author. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read the book and share my opinions!

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris. A new to me author that I've heard good things about. This book took me awhile to get into I found it good but thought it dragged at times. I was still glad I read this new book and look forward to reading other books by B.A. Paris.

A good suspense book that kept me thinking and guessing. A couple goes on a weekend away and then she disappears. What he tells the police isn't quite true, but where has she gone? Now, years later he is engaged and ready to marry when new messages from the girlfriend who disappeared come back. Is she still alive? What does she want? Does he want her more that his current girlfriend?

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. If you like psychological thrillers, this is a book for you. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Full of mystery and suspense. Lots of twists and turns

A Tale of Two Sisters

Finn was a successful young stockbroker living in London working at his ex-roommates company when he met Layla. She was younger, not at all city wise, but she captivated him and changed his life. They moved from his city apartment to a country cottage in Devon, and he thought Layla was happy there.

Things changed. Returning from a ski vacation in France, they stopped at a remote rest stop. Layla was sleeping. When Finn returned to the car, she was gone. He was devastated. When he was able to move on, Finn invited Layla’s friends to a celebration of a bench he set up in her favorite spot. Her sister Ellen showed up.

Ellen was quiet and methodical, the opposite of the more flamboyant Layla. In spite of the differences, Finn fell in love with her, and they planned to marry, but at the wedding approached strange things happened making Finn wonder if Layla was alive and in the area. Was she trying to keep him from marrying Ellen?

This is a story of relationships affected by secrets. Finn has his past. Layla and Ellen have their family background. The background stories unfold gradually as the story progresses. It’s full of twists that will keep you guessing. The ending while foreshadowed is quite unexpected.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers with well drawn characters, you will enjoy this book. It can give you chills.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

I love a good twisty thriller, but my overwhelming feeling when I finished this book was, 'What did I just read?!?' This book left me guessing until the end. I loved the little clues, the uncertainty, and the overarching question of what happened to Layla. If you enjoy psychological thrillers then I would recommend Bring Me Back.

This was a quick and pretty interesting read. I have not read any of B.A. Paris' other books yet, but will do so now! Although I figured out the "whodunit" rather quickly, the process of the main character getting to the same conclusion was pretty intense. There were points in the book where I was not sure if I should like the two main characters or be afraid of them. Good beach read!

This is one of those books that I ended up liking but it took me a while to get into the story. I actually started this book and then I kept getting confused between the back and forth of the timeline and this story was not keeping me interested. I finally put the book down read a few other books and then finally came back to it.

Once I got about 45% in I started to be okay.

We start the story off where Finn and his girlfriend Layla pull off to a rest stop this is where Finn's nightmare beings. When Layla goes missing Finn has learn to put it behind him once he realizes she isn't coming back though it is never too far from his mind. When weird Russian dolls start appearing, then his fiance believes she saw Layla, and then finally the weird emails start to come in, Finn doesn't believe her to be back but what if she is. Where has she been all these years? Once all this starts up we see how Finn handles it all and he does seem to go a bit mental. Now Finn as a character drove me crazy and I can't pin point exactly what it was. I honestly could not wrap my head around the fact that he is with his the sister of Layla. Though everything starts to make sense towards the end when we start getting all the answers. Pretty neat how the author did this. Mental illness will play a part within this story and it is up to you to determine who has it.

I just loved BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and THE BREAKDOWN by BA Paris!!! Naturally, when I discovered she was releasing her third book, I anxiously requested it from Netgalley with trembling hands, so thrilled was I to get to add this one to my TBR pile!

BRING ME BACK tells the story of Finn and Layla, a young couple in love and on vacation, when Finn needs to stop at a secluded service station to use the restroom. But,
when he returns to the car, Layla is gone, never to be seen again!

Years later, Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. All seems idyllic until Finn receives an email as well as other odd occurrences at the house suggesting Layla could in fact be alive. Is Layla behind it all? And if so, what is it she wants?

The book had me completely invested and the pages kept turning with a fast paced plot. I had a strong guess at where part two was going, but unfortunately by part three my initial enthusiasm had dwindled as the plot twists failed to wow me. I felt this type of twist had been done several times before and required me to suspend belief a tad too much. Add to the fact that the characters lacked depth, I have to conclude that BA Paris' third book did not hit the same spot as her previous two books did.

Please don't take my word for it though, I see there a plenty of reviews stating they absolutely loved this one too...I recommend you go ahead and read this one to form your own opinion.

Two out of three fantastic hits is still quite the achievement. You can bet that I for sure would still be ecstatic when her next book gets published!

Many thanks to Netgalley, St Martin's Press and BA Paris for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Goodreads’s Hottest Books of Summer
HomeMy Books
Browse ▾
Community ▾

Search books



EXCERPT: Everything - all this - would be much easier if Ellen and I had fallen in love with other people instead of each other. It shouldn't matter that Ellen is Layla’s sister, not when twelve years have passed since Layla’s disappeared.

But, of course, it does.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.

Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him...even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.

Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla—hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive—and on Finn’s trail—what does she want? And how much does she know?

A tour de force of psychological suspense, Bring Me Back will have you questioning everything and everyone until its stunning climax.

MY THOUGHTS: Bring Me Back is the first book I have read by B. A. Paris, about whose writing I have heard so many great things. I won't be disputing any of them. I picked this up to read when I got home from work, tired and grumpy, yesterday afternoon and didn't put it down until I finished late last night. I couldn't put it down. I would have bitten off any hand that tried to separate me from it.

WOW! Gripping. Addictive. Paris had my mind spinning with possible scenarios which kept changing with each turn of the page.

And plausible. . . Just how secure would you feel being the fiance of the man who loved your sister, the sister who disappeared under suspicious circumstances some years earlier? Similarly, would you wonder, if you were him, why the sister of your previous love has fallen for you when you were a suspect in her disappearance?

Cleverly crafted, the story is told from both Finn's and Layla’s points of view, both at the time of her disappearance and now, when the appearance of the smallest in the set of Russian dolls has driven a small but perceptible wedge between Finn and Ellen.

Clever. Very clever Ms. Paris. I love it!

Thank you to St Martin's Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Bring Me Back by B. A. Paris for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

‘Bring me back’ caught my attention first because of that vibrant cover. It was surprisingly eye-catching for a non-fantasy book and very appealing with the splashes of yellow and black and purple. It is only when one looks more closely that it becomes evident that the yellow is part of a broken down wall covering up what appears to be a deep, dark hole behind it. Yes, suitably chilling for a thriller and subtly done one must admit.

The story is about a man who lost his fiancee many years ago. By lost, I mean literally lost. One minute she is there and the next poof. And then, he moves in with her sister! Talk about suspicious. (On a side note - In the Indian context, marrying a widow/widower to her/his dead spouse’s sibling is not a big deal, especially when there are children from the marriage in the hopes that the aunt/uncle would be kinder than a stranger. After all they are not related by blood, are they? However, this seems to be somewhat of a taboo for the firangs.)

The story is enticing and engrossing enough with the premise that the author has set, but when topped off with the fact that she manages to keep the reader guessing for most of the book it begins rising sharply in the thriller enthusiast’s estimation. For avid thriller readers, the killer/mystery outcome should become apparent when there is still about 1/4th of the book to go, which is pretty good according to me. Towards the latter half of the middle, it does begin to drag a little and one wishes that the author would have skipped a few laborious descriptions painted in to create a general feeling of suspense. There are also a couple of red herrings thrown in, that thoroughly muddied the detecting waters for this reader at least, and were a frustratingly nice touch. The characters are etched out to almost perfection that is to say, the main protagonist is such a bechara person that one is left wondering whether to slap him silly or to commiserate with him.

However, it behooves me to say that this book reminds me a bit about the ‘ Woman in the window’ with the kind of atmospherics that both authors have managed to achieve, and which I did not like at all. This book seemed eons better than the other one in terms of execution of the storyline. Being a bit of a drag here and there is allowed but getting bombarded by page after page of psycho-babble becomes too much to take. This book takes time to settle into your conscious and make you wonder about the propensity of humans to take wrong decisions at the most crucial points of their lives.

A lot of people are complaining for the ‘soap opera’ plot of the book, but as Indians we manage to digest that kind of literature pretty well. After all, we had the longest running soap opera in the country where the main male protagonist underwent plastic surgery no less than 3 times to accommodate new actors for the same role!!

Also, for some reason this book had a Clark Kent vibe to it. Why? Well, that cannot be divulged without giving out spoilers so you will just have to read it to find out.