5* Paranoia Stars

This story centers around Finn who is a successful businessman, Layla his missing girlfriend and her sister Ellen who is now Finn’s fiancée.

The story alternates between the past when Layla disappeared and the present, where Finn is now engaged to Ellen and his life is beginning to unravel and his paranoia is setting in due to unforeseen events.

This book was full of deception, mystery and lies. There were some good twists and turns that kept the reader engaged.

I am a big fan of this author and her writing as it “keeps you on the edge of your seat” the whole time. This was a fast paced, page turning thrilling read.

Thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I just couldn't get into this book, even though I went further than my usual 50 page stopping point. I found the Russian doll connection really tenuous and played out and just didn't like the book as a whole.

I love this author! this book kept me on the edge of my seat - Highly recommend!

"Aren't you too old to read thrillers?", my co-worker asked me yesterday while I was struggling with this one. I felt almost insulted because the question didn't make any sense. What did he mean - too old for some books? But after finishing this, I think I can understand. This genre is like a fairy tale, unbelievable, unrealistic and most of the time, without any weight to it. Rarely it makes my brain spin and push it into frenzy. B.A. Paris is not my ideal writer, she can be so over the top with her solutions and her characters are bland. Now that I think about it, I haven't enjoyed any of her books, maybe The Breakdown was slightly entertaining, but nothing else. This book though, takes the cake for the silliest mystery of the year.

The premise was just OK. A guy's fiancee goes missing and presumably, she's dead, twelve years go by, he is now engaged to her sister and the fiancee is back and wants him again. If we disregard this mind-blowingly crazy fact that he is engaged to the sister of his former girlfriend, dead or not, this story is not so unusual after all, we've seen it many times. Boo hoo, your former flame is alive and now you have to choose. The book is basically revolving around this and Finn's obviously unstable feelings toward both of these girls. Don't get me started on the twist that happens somewhere around the middle of the story. When I figured it out, I couldn't wait to finish this book and forget about it, it was just so... silly! Childlike almost! Without spoiling the book, I can't explain what happens, but I can explain that this one is just not worth it.

I got my ARE from my favorite publishing group, St. Martin's Press through NetGalley and I am very grateful for this reading opportunity!

Ok, so the first thing I have to say is, “I knew it!” Now that was a darn fine book! So well read, well-rounded, believable characters. A tension that slowly builds throughout and an excellent ending. I will look forward to more from this author.

I really enjoyed the book! It’s starts off with a bang and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The twist at the end was really unexpected. This is a great read!

At the beginning, we see Finn and his wife Layla returning from a holiday in France. When Finn stops at a secluded rest stop, Layla disappears. The next time we see Finn, he is engaged to marry Layla’s sister Ellen. Then, his plan to move on with his life is disrupted when he begins to get strange emails and receiving Russian nesting dolls from a set that belonged to Layla. The plot gets twisted from now on, with the book focusing on the past, the present and Layla, who may or may not be out of Finn’s life. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot twists and the short chapters with a question that segues well into the next chapter and the next time we see Finn. It was annoying that many of the questions left you hanging until close to the end of the book. I did enjoy this tension that was artificially created by the author and the end was one that was satisfactory, the kind that makes you nod and say, “Ah, now I understand all the clues.” Paris does a good job of leading the reader to the desired end, with a lot of drama in the middle.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Finn's girlfriend Layla disappears from their car whilst on a trip to France. Finn is investigated but never charged with any crime and he returns to England. Ten years later he has a new life engaged to Ellen who happens to be Layla's sister.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually did. Unfortunately the characters are basically unlikeable, Finn is a bit of a selfish jerk and Ellen is just weak and rather insipid. The whole Russian doll plot line was interesting to begin but just dragged on. I guessed the ending very early on and the ending was weak.

A tale with a twist. The naïve young lass meets the less than perfect mate. Although a seemingly idyllic match at first, an often-violent temper leads to a separation that proves to be the incipient provocation for a series of devious plots. A superb effort by the author to be of two mindsets, the aggressive male and the passive if devious female, while lending authenticity to the story without the usual plethora of meaningless words common to the inhabitants of the UK. The remaining cast of characters are well spliced into the story and while the story seems to lag at times as the “what if” thoughts are spelled out it is an overall engaging scheme.

B.A Paris has nailed it again with another great book. Really enjoyed and couldn’t put it down. Well done.

3.5 stars. This really kept my attention and I was really intrigued with the mystery.

After a while, the story did become a bit repetitive. It also became somewhat predictable. The big twist didn't really work for me.

So all in all, not my favorite of Paris' books, but still worth the read.

WOW! A great psychological thriller/mystery. Where did Layla go? There has been no sign of her and no body has been found. Twelve years later, Finn is getting ready to marry Layla's sister, Ellen. But wait, there are now signs that Layla may be alive. The book will keep you guessing right til the end.

Ten years after his girlfriend, Layla, disappeared from a rest stop, Finn has finally moved on with his life. He is engaged to be married (to the sister of his first love). Things seems to be going well for the couple until Finn begins receiving email messages and random gifts .
Is someone trying to prevent Finn from moving on with his life?

Bring Me Back by B. A. Paris. St. Martin's Press. Mystery & Thrillers. Publication date set for 19 Jun 2018.  Archive Date 03 Jul 2018. Great, fast-paced read. A bit formulaic tho keeps you guessing-in case you were wondering what happens to dark people when they fall in love. Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ebook for review.

#BringMeBack is a suspense novel that you just have to finish just to find out what’s really going on. The characters and circumstances are a bit strange right from the get go so it gets you interested. I read it pretty quick, guessing fairly close to what was really going on, but the final details given at the end were . . . even more shocking and sad. If you liked Gone Girl or Sinner then this is the book for you.
Thank you #NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

A disappointment. The book started out strong and drew me in immediately. Then, towards the end, it ran out of steam. A big reveal explaining how it was all done was just too much. The characters were seemingly well drawn out up to that point so the ending was a major let down. Skip this one.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

I enjoyed this book and found myself turning the pages quickly. I found the ending though a bit tedious only because of the long letter. Sometimes stories like these either leave you hanging or tie up everything too nicely- a happy medium of these two is probably my favorite. I think I am a hard person to please when it comes to this genre (I think it must be one of the harder genres to write well), but I am always willing to read more! Overall a fun book to read.

Thank you St Martins Press for the arc. I was totally enthralled with what happened that night 12 years ago. Half way thru it appeared the mystery was solved and I was confused what was left. Glad I stuck with it. The last 20 % was stunning if not unrealistic.

B. A. Paris does not disappoint. If you're looking for a page turner, Bring Me Back is the one to read.

I REALLY enjoyed this one! I will admit that I basically saw the Big Reveal coming (not in its exact detail, but the gist) from about the mid-point, but that did nothing to lessen the enjoyment I found in watching things play out. In the post-Gone Girl era, this type of thriller is starting to get more predictable - there are, after all, only so many ways secrets can unfold and only so many twists that are even remotely plausible... But in the hands of a talented writer, I don't think that matters. It's like horror - you basically know what's coming, but the twists and turns are no less horrifying because you know they'll involve blood and guts. So too, I think, a Secrets Thriller. B.A. Paris has a knack for balancing the pacing to keep you slightly off-kilter; it keeps things interesting and fresh-feeling, because you're never quite sure where anyone/anything stands.

Sometimes it's fun to read books that don't have to be analyzed - to just fall into a story that keeps you turning pages, half-afraid of what will happen next but dying to see it happen nevertheless. This was that kind of book for me. It didn't change my life, but it was a very entertaining and enjoyable read and I'll definitely look for more from Paris...