The Therapist
3.5 Stars!

I love B.A. Paris books so I was super excited to get my hands (or ears since it was an audiobook) on this one. The blurb had me totally intrigued. A bit different than others I’d been reading lately I was ready for an intense ride. Unfortunately that isn’t really what I got.

My main difficulty with this story came down to Alice, I couldn’t stand her. Truth be told, I absolutely hate her. She was the kind of character I wanted to reach in and throttle. She’s absolutely obsessed with Nina who had been murdered in the house before they’d bought it. But it was why she was obsessed with her that annoyed me. Alice had a sister named Nina who’d died years ago. Now Alice is obsessed with anyone named Nina.

She’s obsessed and yes I’m using that word again because this woman seriously needs therapy for her obsessive behaviors, with becoming friends with everyone in their little neighborhood. She inserts herself in the group of wives that seem to do everything together. She gets frustrated when one of the women doesn’t seem to like her or want anything to do with her. Of course this doesn’t stop her from incessantly finding ways to get them all together.

Even when she discovers the woman who doesn’t like her was best friends with the dead woman she presses the women to tell her about Nina. She continues to ask questions and probe for information. Even when people ask her to leave it alone she continues to investigate. And don’t get me started on the many times Alice overlooked something important or put herself in a situation that made me want to scream. It’s maddening!

Aside from that though I enjoyed it. I had to tamp down my anger at Alice and just go with the story and see where it went. I kept thinking it was obvious who the killer is and then I’d wonder if it was someone else. It was easy to look at all the characters as a suspect because B.A. Paris has a talent for keeping things moving while tossing in a red herring or two. In the end though I can say I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied at the end.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for both the ebook and audiobook versions of The Therapist! I really enjoyed both reading and listening!

I haven't read a B.A. Paris novel that I haven't loved and The Therapist is no exception! I typically don't love when a book starts out slow, but with this one, I could tell that every detail was intentional so it easily kept my attention even though there wasn't a lot of action at the beginning.

In this book, Alice and her boyfriend Leo move into a gated community called The Circle. They had been in a long-distance relationship prior to moving in together so they're both excited about a fresh start and becoming friends with their new neighbors. Alice learns a dark secret about the previous owner of their house and becomes obsessed with learning more, eventually getting herself into trouble by trusting the wrong people.

I loved the gated community setting that felt safe and secure, yet secretive and at one point or another I was convinced that each neighbor in The Circle could be a suspect! I loved the pace of this thriller and I was satisfied with how everything wrapped up in the end. I'd definitely recommend this book and author to others!

The plot, a woman moves into a house her boyfriend bought without telling her that a woman, who happened to have the same name as her deceased sister, was murdered in the house, was very good. The ending was unexpected but not far-fetched. The characters were well-written and it clipped along at a good pace. I listened to this as an audiobook. Even at double-speed (my normal audiobook speed) the reader did a good job.

I liked this a lot, will recommend it by name to several friends, and will look forward to more from this author.

Great new read from B.A. Paris. The Therapist is a powerful read that centres around the secrets that can hide in a house, relationship, and within friends.
When Alice and Leo move into a new house, Alice immediately feels there is something amiss in the house and with the neighbours. When she finds out a woman was Murfreesboro in her house, she struggles to piece together all of the lies and secrets before it is too late.
I simply couldn’t put this book down and enjoyed the twists and turns right up to the end. Highly recommended. The narrator was great!

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an audiobook arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story about a couple moving into a new house that holds a mystery and secrets that everyone is trying to keep from the protagonist. The audiobook itself was done really well--I enjoyed the narrator and found that they were easy to listen to. As for the story, I was honestly bored. I don't know if I would have made it through the book if I wasn't listening to it.

It's a pretty standard thriller/mystery novel but doesn't get too thrilling closer to the end. I enjoyed the plot twists but they weren't surprising. I figured out a lot of the twists early on but I think if you haven't read or don't read a ton of mystery/thrillers then you would enjoy it more.

This was just middle of the road for me.

Alice and Leo have high hopes moving into their new home in The Circle, a small, tight-knit gated community of beautiful homes and friendly neighbors. Soon after moving in, Alice starts to realize that the odd stares and hidden whispers of the neighbors aren’t just about the new couple moving in. In fact, there are hidden secrets about the too good to be true home, and everyone else seems to know more than they are letting on. Alice dives head first into finding out more about what happened in the house before they moved in, and sometimes when people go digging for answers, what they find is not what they expect.

I have become quite the fan of B. A. Paris. She does a great job grabbing readers attention early on, having a slow build throughout the middle, and ending with a quickened, twisty pace. I especially enjoyed the alternative perspective chapters which are spread throughout the novel and add a different insight into the storyline.

While I enjoyed the story, I had a hard time connecting with the main character, Alice. I found her to be a bit naive and I couldn’t help but get frustrated with her decisions and risky behaviors. I think I felt a bit of pity for her also, throwing herself into trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Nina, almost as a way to avenge the death of her sister. The issues she encounters with her husband, Leo, left me with this sense of loneliness for her.

I love when I get the opportunity to both listen and read a book simultaneously. I thought the narration was fabulous in this audiobook, which made for very seamless listening. I appreciate the opportunity to read an advanced copy for my honest review! Thank you to NetGalley, B. A. Paris, and St. Martin’s Press!

Wow. What an awesome thriller. Literally was on the edge of my chair the entire time. This is going to be a huge hit for all those thriller book lovers out there.

Alice is moving in with her boyfriend. New city, new life, new friends. Until she finds out some disturbing news about her new house. Between this and her past, Alice doesn’t know if she can keep going.

Thank you Macmillian Audio, St Martin's Press, and Netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows Alice, who just moved into an exclusive neighborhood with her new husband Leo, called the Circle. She moved into a home that has been unoccupied for some time, because it was the site of a previous murder. The victim was a woman named Nina, the same name as Alice's deceased sister, and based on that connection she feels compelled to investigate Nina's murder. Almost immediately she hits resistance, as the entire Circle is convinced that the man who was arrested - Oliver - was truly the perpetrator. But Alice meets a private investigator, Thomas, hired by Olivia's sister, who is not so convinced.

I don't like giving negative reviews, but this was just mediocre. The narration is excellent of course. But the story is just boring, and for a story that's supposed to a thriller, that's just disappointing. Had I not been listening to give this an honest review, I likely would have dropped it. It's not that there's anything wrong with it necessarily, I just wasn't interested.

There were some twists, but they came too late, in my opinion. The last 10% is solid, but again, far too late..

Clearly a winner for me. The characters pulled me in. I will definitely read more books by the author. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review the book.

I’ve not read B.A. Paris before and therefore was excited to pick up The Therapist when it was a read now on Netgalley. I was also was able to listen to an ALC. For me, the story started out strong but over the course of it I became frustrated with the lead character and the decisions she was making.

I wanted suspense and there were definite elements of it but the ending wasn’t surprising and the relationships within the book felt flat. I guess, overall, I was expecting more and ended up reading a story that felt similar to others I’ve read before. We were just not a fit.

This book was super intriguing. I was so entangled in all of the ideas of who done it and why! Which I love books like this but in this one the main character was just so dumb and I wanted to shake her at some parts and be like you can not be that stupid!

This was a pretty slow moving book and not one of my favorite B.A. Paris novels. It was like the letter “U”, it started off interesting and set up the suspense quickly. The middle fizzled and dragged a little bit and the last hour of the audiobook was fast pasted and engaging as everything started to unfold. The narrator of the audiobook did a good job, but I started to lose interest and space out in the middle of the book. Overall, an average read. It was well written, but the middle could have moved a little faster to maintain reader interest.

*I received a free audiobook copy from netgalley.com for my unbiased opinion.

from B.A. Paris has done it again! I devoured the book fairly quickly as it kept my interest and I did not want to put it down. I think that I have now gone through all of Paris' books and have yet to be disappointed. This one had a bit of a twist that I did not suspect. Generally I am able to hazard a guess as to the criminal and I did have a suspect in mind fairly early on. But the suspect was such a lovable character, and there was so much about the character that I did not suspect, that I still ended up being surprised when it all unfolded in front of me. In the end there was the general suspense that Paris is well known for, and an unraveling that leaves you winding through emotions with the characters. The mystery may be obvious to some readers but the journey is always worth it. I highly enjoyed the characters, and felt a strong connection to their lives, experiences, and relationships.

The audiobook narrators were a treasure. I felt as though the book was well read, with all the emotion that fit the novel, and the end male narrator was a nice addition. Highly recommend this audiobook!

This story is about a couple, Alice and Leo, who have recently decided to purchase a home and move into together. Their relationship seems strong and they look toward their new life together. Unfortunately their new home has a secret, as do the neighbors in this tightly knit community. Alice becomes obsessed getting to the bottom of the secret and risks losing everything trying to uncover the truth.

This was a fast paced thriller that is very typical of Paris' style. Almost everyone in the book is a suspect at one time or another. Alice was a frustrating character, she continued to put herself in danger and made many poor choices. The supporting cast of characters were also very bland to me. The ending was a little over the top and unrealistic, but enjoyable all the same.

I listened to the book and found the narrating very good, and would recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for providing me with an audio copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. #Netgalley #TheTherapist

B.A. Paris has crafted another terrific novel that I received from NetGalley. Before going into The Therapist, I thought I knew exactly what the book was going to be about but boy was I wrong.

Our main characters, Alice and Leo, a London couple plan to move into Leo’s dream home in an exclusive gated community. Alice is very excited to meet her new neighbors and possibly make a new friend or two. However, nothing really goes the way Alice planned for it to go.

First, she finds out about the death of a young woman who used to live in her new house, and she becomes obsessed with finding out exactly what happened to her. Alice’s Nancy Drew sleuthing of course does not sit well with her neighbors, and she finds her life is in jeopardy, but she has no idea who is stalking her.

The Therapist was such an engaging novel, but it was quite slow at the beginning. I was a little worried at the pace, but once it picked up it was a wild ride that I thoroughly enjoyed. Just when you thought you figured out who the killer was you were stymied. I believe this book deserves 4 stars because I had so many shocked out of my mind moments that once the book finally came to an end, I simply could not believe it. There have not been many times where I did not guess early on who the killer was but this one, I was totally in the dark. I highly recommend The Therapist to everyone who likes psychological thrillers over the age of 16.

I love B. A. Paris and have read all of their books and I was so excited to read the Therapist. I really enjoyed the narrator and how she brought each character to life. This is a domestic thriller that I think is going to appeal to a lot of readers. The ending was great and I loved the twists. There are a lot of characters and it was a bit difficult keeping everyone straight. The pacing was a little slower that I prefer for a thriller, but the ending was definitely a hallmark of a great thriller.

Great audiobook. This really kept me guessing til the very end. I was convinced the culprit was every single person in the book at one point or another!!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio arc of this book, all opinions expressed here are my own.

The Therapist by B.A. Paris is the first book I have read by this author. Unfortunately the story wasn’t really to my taste, but I will definitely try the author again in the future as I’ve heard lots of great things about them.

I felt the story and the narration to be slow paced so didn’t really feel the build up of tension. The characters weren’t really engaging either. A very average two star read for me, hopefully others will find it more enjoyable.

The Therapist by B. A. Paris is available on the 13th of July.

2 1/2 stars rounded up to 3

I feel like I continuously rate B.A. Paris books 3 stars so maybe she's just not the author for me. The Therapist felt really promising to me and it got off to a great start. My main issue with the book? I found that I just didn't care about the outcome.

When Alice her her boyfriend Leo move into "The Circle," a gated neighborhood with just 12 houses, Alice soon finds out that the last woman who lived in her house was murdered. And that her boyfriend knew and he didn't tell her. Alice becomes very invested in figuring out who murdered the woman. But me? I had trouble caring. I guess because we weren't there for the incident and didn't have much background, I wasn't super invested and I didn't get why Alice was either. Of course, it would be horrible to learn a murder took place in your home, but her obsession seemed odd to me, as did her supposed reason for the obsession.

It's one of those books where you learn a little bit about everyone in the neighborhood and suspect each character in the book, along with Alice. I definitely didn't guess the ending, but I also felt like it seemed really far-fetched and odd. The book just didn't seem to come together naturally for me.

I know it's probably really hard to write a thriller/murder mystery these days, but I just can't with books that have no mention of security cameras. If this book takes place in present time (which I believe it does) and is in an exclusive gated neighborhood (which is is), how are there not security cameras everywhere?? Again, I get that this makes it tough for authors, but I feel like they need to be realistic and use some creativity for factoring this in.

If you're a B.A. Paris fan or just a big thriller lover in general, you'll likely still want to read this and may really enjoy it. I should mention that for whatever reason, I'm hyper critical of thrillers and it takes a lot for me to truly love them. But I was definitely less into this one than I generally am into others. I did think the narrator did a good job and it was enjoyable to listen to!

3/5. I am such a fan of B.A. Paris' writing, The audiobook was very enjoyable to listen to. Though I did find this book was quite predictable.