3.5 stars. This is the second book I have read by B.A. Paris (I still need to read Behind Closed Door). Bring Me Back involves our main character Finn, whose girlfriend, Layla, went missing while they were traveling in France 12 years ago. Layla is never found and the case is never solved. Finn is now trying to move on with her life and has recently asked his new girlfriend, Emma, who also happens to be Layla's sister, to move in with him. Everything is seemingly fine until someone starts leaving reminders of Layla in places that Finn is sure to find, followed by an email from someone claiming to be Layla.

I liked this book, but I was not the biggest fan of the main character Finn. I can say that I figured a few things out before they were revealed, but there were others that I didn't. Bring Me Back is a fast paced thriller and caught my attention from the first chapter. I enjoy the author's writing and the plot line is really interesting, I just had some problems with it at some points. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I will leave it at that. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I think that fans of B.A. Paris and fast paced thrillers will also like it.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for sending me an ARC of this book.

I have heard of BA Paris from the previous book but I never thought to buy it. I knew that it was hard to find a copy because it sold out fast. This was my first chance to get something thanks to Netgalley. Finn and Layla share a story that will keep the reader hooked. Reading suspense fiction one can expect surprises and more. This didn't disappoint. I can't wait to finish it. Sadly, my graduate studies take precedent now. Once I am done with that I will devour this book and not come up for air until I am finished.

Finn and Layla are in love and have taken a ski trip in France. Finn needs to stop at a rest area in the middle of nowhere on the way home. When he returns to the car Layla is nowhere to be found. He obviously becomes the number one suspect in her disappearance. 12 years later, Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. They have moved to the small town of Simonsbridge in England. Suddenly,someone is leaving Russian nesting dolls for Finn to find. Evidently Layla and Ellen had a set of these dolls as children. Ellen is convinced that the dolls being left or from that set. Finn starts receiving emails from someone who claims to be Layla. She wants him back. Where has she been for the past 12 years? What will Ellen think? The book goes back-and-forth between present day and what happened 12 years ago. It all leads to a shocking conclusion that I did not see coming. Talk about a twist! This is the first book I have read by BA Paris but it will not be my last. *I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved B.A. Paris' other books and could not wait to read this one and it did not disappoint! This book had the ability to keep you wanting to turn the page and keep you asking questions. I thought I had figure it out, but then I was wrong. I felt like I was Finn and questioning everything I though I believed was happing. This book is about Finn who is know to have a bad temper and become violent when he is angry enough. One night on New Years Eve he meets a girl named Layla and falls in love with her instantly. One night on their way home from a trip he goes to the bathroom and she disappears. Finn tells the police everything was fine and she was just gone, but is that the truth? Is Layla dead or alive? 12 years later Finn finds himself engaged to Layla's sister Ellen, but now he is getting cryptic messages, could they possibly be from Layla or is someone playing a sick joke?

For a psychological thriller, I felt the suspense piece of this book was lacking. I didn’t feel like there was a strong pull to keep reading as the plot seemed to stagnate; however, I anticipated a twist, like any thriller, and I wasn’t disappointed. Rather, I was still pretty floored. I thought I had this story figured out; I was wrong.

The book begins with a police report about the night Layla was kidnapped. There is no build-up to the event at all, and the story begins after the fact, far after the fact, years after. Though Finn has physically moved on, he will never forget Layla and wonders everyday about her. Those thoughts are muted—until Finn begins to suspect that Layla may not be gone. Twelve years after her kidnapping, he begins to wonder if she may be ok, and may be trying to contact him.

The clues he and Layla’s sister receive suggest she’s back, but doubts still arise. Someone else COULD be sending the clues, but why?

Finn is a pretty round character. In his first person narration he confides weaknesses and strengths to his readers. Some of these weaknesses cause the readers to question his authenticity in his narration, but he is honest enough that we tend to stick with him.

If you liked The Good Girl by Mary Kubica, you’ll enjoy this book. I felt the same reading her text. I didn’t feel like there was much driving the story, but at the end, it all changed, and the end was worth it! I recommend The Good Girl just like I recommend Bring Me Back. It’s worth the read, and even though I finished it a few days ago, I am still thinking about it. THAT is a true telling of a good book! Don’t be fooled by the 3 stars. To me, 3 stars is a very good thriller—it does its job!

The good things first: I liked how the narration shifts between Finn and Layla. I also shift in narration during the first part where Finn addresses Layla as if he's talking to her. I guess the shifting in the narration keeps you in your toes. That being said, I immensely found the book lacking. I did not like Finn or Layla as a narrator especially Finn. I was frustrated in Finn's characters. He has been making a lot of bad decisions and is a big baby. As for Layla, she needs help, medical help. There was a lot of plot holes and for a mystery/thriller book it was on the slow side for me.

Thanks netgalley.com for the free copy!

Bring Me Back from B. A. Paris sucked me in from the very beginning.Finn and Layla went away for a weekend getaway and Layla disappears from the car at a reststop...over a decade goes by with no sightings no contact...nothing. Finn moves on with his life, such as it is, falling in love with Layla's sister Ellen....soon after Finn asked Ellen to marry him, little Russian nesting dolls start appearing (special to Layla & Ellen) and Ellen believes she sees Layla on the street. ...Finn is told he has to choose...either Ellen has to go or Layla will disappear again this time forever!
Well written storyline, interesting characters a pretty solid read. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC book for giving my honest opinion.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and St. Martins Press in return for my honest review.

When I read B.A. Paris' first novel, Behind Closed Doors - I was riveted from cover to cover. It was suspenseful and filled with twists and turns that kept me turning the pages and prevented me from putting the book down. It was a one sitting read!

Paris's writing did nothing but go downhill from there and now with her third novel, Bring Me Back, the downhill slide continues.

The premise of this novel seems interesting but, sadly the execution is lacking. I had figured out "who" Layla very early on. The story from then just drags on. And, of course - the husband "gladly" goes to jail.

I really wanted to like this book more and I remain hopeful that Paris will regain her mojo from Behind Closed Doors in her next novel. I wish I could recommend this book, but I cannot.

3.5 stars

Finn and Layla are returning from holiday when they stop for gas. When Finn returns from the restroom, Layla is gone, never to be seen again.

12 years later, Finn is now happily engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen...a woman very different from Layla.

Shortly after their wedding announcement is posted, Finn returns home from work to find Ellen holding a Matryoshka doll. She is convinced that it is the tiniest of the nesting dolls, missing from the set she had as a child. But only one person could’ve left this doll for Ellen-her sister, Layla.

Is Layla alive? If so, where has she been? And, why return now?

This was a buddy read with Danielle (The Blonde Likes Books). We were both drawn in by this unique story and compared thoughts every 10 chapters. Our theories kept changing (a good thing, kept us guesssing!) .

My rating reflects that I would’ve been more satisfied by ANY of our guesses, more so than the actual conclusion! (See her review on Goodreads and her blog!)

If you prefer thrillers with a twist, no matter how implausible than you won’t be disappointed!

For ME, if the journey is enjoyable, as this most definitely was, than I would rather guess the end, than have a twist just for the sake of a twist. Or at least an ending that I can buy into, if I do not see it coming!

Still, I preferred this book to “The Breakdown”, and do recommend it for fans of B A Paris.

I would like to thank Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for the ARC provided in exchange for my candid review!

This book will be released on June 19th, 2018

This is not the first book I've by B.A. Paris and I was so excited to read another one. The book didn't disappoint as far as the writing and keeping my interest. I finished the book fairly quickly and could wait to hear the ending. That is earned it an extra star. The story itself was more of 3 star rating to me, but the fact that I couldn't put it down made me elevate it to 4 stars. I thought the ending was pretty strange and in my mind I few ideas that I liked for the ending. I loved the writing and will definitely read more books from Paris!

In Bring Me Back, we are introduced to Finn and Layla. They had been dating about thirteen months before she was kidnapped one night at a rest stop in France. Twelve years later, Finn begins to receive emails and Russian dolls. All this began after Ellen announced their engagement in the paper.

Ellen is Layla’s older sister. Finn had never met Ellen while dating Layla. She was still living at home taking care of their father. Finn finally met Ellen at the memorial service for Layla.

The story alternates between the past and the present, in part one. Finn narrates part one. Part two is told from two separate points of views. Part three continues with alternating points of views.

All the suspense, or the little bit included in the story was held unto the end. I’m trying to decipher if this is an attempt at a second chance or something more sinister. I’m certain these sisters have some backstory that will come into play in the end. I got lost in the execution of this story trying to determine what I was suppose to focus on. Was I suppose to want Layla to be with Finn? Or was I suppose to question Finn and his temperament? Was I suppose to question Ellen and her motives?
To be honest we know very little about Finn, Ellen, and Layla. This lacks the necessary character growth and development used to establish motive. The first part focused on some emails and dolls which was anticlimactic upon reveal. These emails and dolls took up a good portion of the story. The problem with these dolls is that the significance of them was limited to knowledge of four characters.

I don’t like the way B A Paris speculates about these undeveloped characters with her accusations pointing fingers in every direction to throw the reader off course. In the beginning my mind conjured up some thrilling possibilities, but none of them panned out. Instead I was left with some confusing email messages and some Russian dolls.

In order to clarify my confusion about these Russian dolls I looked them up hoping to find some type of reason for their creation and meaning. That didn’t resolve anything. This author has chosen these dolls for something significant to these sisters yet withheld the meaning. These dolls meant nothing to me. I wasn’t scared or worried about these dolls and I could care less who was leaving them.

There is nothing to connect with other than the dolls. How am I suppose to connect with these characters when Layla is nonexistent and Ellen gives Finn a wide birth of space.
Between the dolls and emails this story became a game of What if? It was a tiresome read with nothing going on except more dolls. Where did this jealousy stem from between sisters when Ellen hadn’t met Finn when Layla dated him?
When it was all said and done I wasn’t surprised by the reveal. I had figured out most of it. The how’s and why’s became unimportant. Sadly, this story wasn’t executed in the way I had hoped for this type of reveal.

Not as good as other works by this author. I give this novel two stars. It was okay, but I do not recommend it.

B.A. Paris, in her emotional novel, “Bring Me Back,” put me on an elevator with too many ups and downs. On the way up I experienced some good descriptive writing. On the way down, I suffered through too much rumination and too many over-enthusiastic attempts at being evasive. Overall, I never arrived at the level I was expecting.

The story: The memory of a long-past disappearance has faded and the protagonist, once investigated as having been involved, has moved along to a new life. His wife-to-be happens to be the sister of the missing woman, his first wife, and, as might be expected, life is unsettled and will soon get worse. As interesting as the premise is, the author never gets it percolating in my mind.

Paris, an English writer, has spent most of her adult life in France. I haven’t read either of her first two novels but they were well received and favorably reviewed. I can see promise in her writing. In her interviews she seems engrossed in paranoia and is determined to actually live in the life of her characters. It seems to me that she tries a little too hard in “Bring Me Back” and actually cooks delusions into a muddled pudding that’s difficult to swallow. I can’t garner enough positives to really praise her work but am hesitant to pan it because I think the talent is there. So I’m lukewarm here and encourage you to read it with kind eyes to form your own opinion.

Tragic ending to a twisted tale. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Finn McQuaid's one fault, his temper, has led him to unwise actions more than once.

Falling in love with Layla was fast, Her disappearance a mystery. Falling in love with her sister, Ellen, twelve years later seems odd yet right.

When Layla reaches out to Finn after his wedding announcement to Ellen, Finn is led on a twisted psychological trail.

Strong characters with chapters going between then and now, as well as between Layla and Finn, kept the story moving quickly.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the loan of an ARC through Net Galley.

B. A Paris did not dissapoint.. I repeat: Did -definitely- not dissapoint. We're following Finn; who - about a decade ago- went on a holiday with his then-girlfriend Layla who suddenly went missing and who -nowadays- is getting ready to be married to Layla's sister Ellen. When all of a sudden russian dolls start appearing and emails start coming Finn's way, he first thinks it's someone playing a cruel prank on him, until he figures out it can't be a prank..

Paris is great in storybuilding, the tension you feel towards the end of the story when everything is about to be revealed is crazy. I've been on the tip of my seat for a good 3/4 of this book. The charachters were as real as they get, a few days after finishing this book I wasn't sure I've read this or if I've dreamt about this book.. Everything just clicked so perfectly, I can see this turning into a movie.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a page turner from start to finish and kept me guessing. I did not love the ending which is why I only gave it 4 Stars. It was just a little too far fetched and unjust.

Oh my goodness!! Author B.A. Paris has done it again. This will be another bestseller. Loved her last two books, Behind Closed Doors and The Breakdown.
If you love psychological thrillers this will not disappoint.

Finn and girlfriend Layla stop at a gas station. Finn goes inside, upon his return to the car Layla is gone. No sign of Layla. He goes back into the gas station and searches outside...she is missing. What has happen to his girlfriend? Has she been kidnapped, murdered?
Fast forward 12 years. Finn starts to make a life for himself. Finn starts a relationship with Layla's sister Ellen. They share the grief and loss of Layla. Finn falls in love with Ellen and starts to build a life together.
After the announcement of there engagement Finn starts to receive emails and items that only Layla would know about. Finn begins to believe Layla is still alive.
Where has Layla been for 12 years? So many questions.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Bring me Back by BA Paris, St. Martin Press, Pub date 06/2018..

This was a good book. The book grabbed me immediately but got a little slow in the middle. Not my favorite B.A. Paris book but still worth reading.

I was immediately attracted by the cover and these phrases: "the disappearance, the suspicion, the fear"

It all starts when a young couple goes on vacation and stops for gas, when it comes back it has disappeared. Ten years later, he became engaged but one evening he finds his fiancée sitting on the sofa with something in his hand. He knows this thing. There are a lot of questions about the disappearance of his ex-wife.

A captivating story with endearing characters, I immediately hooked on the story.

Great beginning....
.... mediocre middle....
Psychological thriller with Russian Dolls? A little goofy....but I was a willing reader.
While there was suspense...there was also something silly too. Silly sentences sneak into the dialogue..., but I was still a willing reader. The addictive quality was there too.
Finn is the guy entangled between Ellen and Layla.
It wasn’t a lip-smacking great...nor nail-biting haunting...but the twist at the end was carefully constructed and pretty good!
I trusted none of the characters from beginning to end.

To me — this book can be compared with a meal that satisfies your hunger.. not bad.. ‘good enough’.

It’s has some shrewd distinctive mysterious moments.
I think most B.A Paris fans will enjoy this ‘enough’ too... and some fans more than I did.

Thank You St. Martin’s, Netgalley, and B.A. Paris