This was a tough one for me - as a rule, I'm a fan of her books but this missed the mark for me. From the start of Amelie, a teenager, being taken under the wing and offered a home and job by the older woman, welcomed into their social circle if was just too far a stretch for me to go.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. (Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Amelie has lived a tough life. Mom lost during the birth of the baby brother (along with the baby), a father who insists the hospital was at fault for the death. He dealt with the pain via the bottle leaving Amelie to raise herself, and then he dies before she is an adult. She flees Paris and heads to London determined to be successful. She has big dreams, she just needs help getting there. A chance meeting with a lady in a coffee shop turns out to be the break she needs and she her luck starts turning around. Then she meets Ned Hawthorne, billionaire and bad boy in the business world.

One night Amelie wakes up and realizes she is being kidnapped. Where is Ned? Who are these people? Where is the bodyguard? So many questions, no answer.

The story weaves back and forth in time, past and present, to weave a tale you have to read to believe.

I loved this book. It was the perfect read to get me out of my head and give me a puzzle to figure out. FYI - I did not figure out the puzzle and still loved this book.

After loving The Therapist, I was anxious to get my hands on The Prisoner by B. A. Paris. While not my favorite of her books (that title will always be held by Behind Closed Doors) The Prisoner was a juicy novel of suspense where absolutely no one was who they were originally thought to be. The mystery and the plot twists keep the reader guessing. Even the very ending is a bit messy and leaves the reader unsure of just what the main character's next steps will be.

Will definitely look forward to my next B. A. Paris book.

Who are these people and is any single one of them telling the truth?
“The Prisoner” unfolds in the first-person present tense narrative of Amelie Lamont. It is immediate, chilling, and uncertain. Amelie is a victim, but much, much more than that. Her life is filled with guilt as dark as the hood that covers her head and as paralyzing as the tape that covers her mouth. They brought her food, so they don’t want to kill her – or do they? And it is not about her alone, there is also Ned.
The story continues in Amelie’s first person narrative, alternating between her past and present with chapters conveniently labeled. Readers learn a lot about Amelie, and a lot about Ned; slowly their relationship evolves. There is, of course, that terrifying present and her desperate attempts to escape -- her planning, observing, and evaluating. What she does not perceive, however, are the truly grim events that brought to that dark room.
Readers are along for the wild ride as Amelia’s story unfolds. The laughs are so ordinary; the marks on the wall are so optimistic; the sound of the gun being cocked is so dreadful. However, things are not what they seem to be; danger is everywhere, but not from where it first seemed to be.
“The Prisoner” is filled with guilt and uncertainty; it is fast and frightening. There are a lot of complicated story threads to tie up, and the end is unexpected. I received a review copy of “The Prisoner” from B.A. Paris and St. Martin's Press.
“The Prisoner” is available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries, and anywhere you get your books.

Wowza, this book was a wild ride!

Sprinkled through with extremely short chapters, this book reads very quickly, in part because of chapter length and in part because of the reader's desperate desire to know what in the world is going on and why. Readers will need to suspend disbelief for a large amount of the plot, and may feel frustrated by the feeling of confusion as they read, but they should know that all is revealed in the end. Perfect for fans of Behind Closed Doors and No Exit, the drama of this story is sure to shock, disturb, and thrill readers, and the ending will inspire strong opinions. You'll remember how the end of this story made you feel!

The Prisoner was a fascinating read, Amelia lost her parents when she was a teen and she meets and falls in love with Ned a rich man who could help her fulfill her dreams. The book goes back and forth between that timeline and we feel for her character and why she stays with Ned when he happens to not be what he says he is. One day she wakes up and finds herself in a dark room. This I feel is a metaphor for her life because she has been in the dark with what Ned’s been up to. Will her captures convince her he isn’t a nice man or will she stand by her man? The reader is kept in the dark till the very end. Great ending and characters. Reading the book was intense and thrilling but most satisfying.

3.5⭐️

This book had me right away.

Amelie and her husband, Ned, are kidnapped and she doesn’t know why or where they were taken. She is stuck in this dark room where the only light she gets is in the attached bathroom. She can hear her husband and the kidnappers through the walls talking about ransom. Ned’s father needs to pay the ransom and they would release them but he never pays.

This book bounces from the present (kidnapping) to the past (within the last month). There we find out that they only recently got married and only for money. Amelie also found out Ned isn’t the guy she thought he was.

This book started off with me on the edge but it fell flat in the end. The reasonings for everything were very lackluster.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

THE PRISONER By BA Paris

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-arc! I love BA Paris and immediately requested it. This book is out now!

SUMMARY:
Amelie is alone in the world, and when she meets Carolyn, her life is changed for the better. Carolyn and her friends welcome her, and Amelie can't believe the luck she's had by she's fallen into these friendships. Through Carolyn and her friends, Amelie meets Ned, successful millionaire, and that's how she ends up married in a whirlwind weekend in Vegas. Just weeks later, Amelie finds herself locked in a pitch black room alone and her captors won't speak when they drop off food.

MY THOUGHTS:
I didn't have a lot of feelings about this book. It was entertaining, I wanted to know what happened to Amelie, but I didn't really feel very attached to it. I definitely didn't feel attached to the characters. I should have hated Ned, but didn't really care. I wish Amelie and Hunter had gotten more involved, I think it might have given some insight into her, so that I loved her more and gave me a reason to root for her.

I did like the ending! I did not see it coming and I thought it was a good way to tie everything together!

This was not my favorite by B.A Paris as I struggled to really get into the story line and truly believe what was happening. The short chapters made this a book that I was able to absolutely fly through which made it quite an easy read. I think the quick chapters might have also had a play into the storyline feeling really choppy and not something or believable. This was definitely not a top read for me.

I usually try to read everything by B.A. Paris. I was a little skeptical the way things started off but that quickly turned around and this became the typical first-rate thriller we're used to by the author. Good plot, character development, and enough twists to keep you guessing until the end. 4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I really enjoy B.A. Paris’s writing so I was looking forward to reading The Prisoner and it did not disappoint! The only con is that I wish there was a little more to the ending.

This started off with a bang. But the ending had me so confused and didn’t know who was who. The novels are hit and miss me with and this one was a miss.

I have read all of B A Paris and this was my lease favorite book. The whole plot was confusing and I do not recommend this book. I really was let down. As I said before I have read all of her previous books but this book does not feel like it was written by the same author. What a let down.I have read all of B A Paris and this was my lease favorite book. The whole plot was confusing and I do not recommend this book. I really was let down. As I said before I have read all of her previous books but this book does not feel like it was written by the same author. What a let down.

This book, 1.5 stars.

I have enjoyed other books by B.A. Paris. This one was not it. The main character was so naive and stupid that it made it very hard to listen to. Everything was the most dramatic for no reason and the plot of the book was very basic.

Someone else described this book as a B-rate Lifetime movie and I truly think that's being too generous. This...was just not good.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced e-copy of this book.

The first part of this book hooked and I was devouring it, however the second half of the book fell flat for me. I didn't feel like it was anything I haven't read before so I was left disappointed and wanting more. There were also quite a few plot holes and things that were just a bit hard to believe.

I love books by B.A Paris and was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of this one. I was not disappointed. It was fast paced and had me hooked until the very end. I enjoyed the plot and all of the twists and turns. Highly recommend.

B. A. Paris quickly became one of my favorite authors after reading Behind Closed Doors. However, The Prisoner in my opinion was not the author’s best work or my favorite. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, the kidnapping and days captive kept me interested. Even the beginning of part two with the detail instructions kept me interested. This storyline just fell flat. There wasn’t a big OMG moment, the ending was weird, and I just think it’s odd that every likable character dies. That’s just too convenient.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars

I’ve been a B.A. Paris fan for years, so I was super excited to read her latest book, The Prisoner. It gave similar vibes to Behind Closed Doors, which I loved!

Amelie is alone in the world until she meets Carolyn. Carolyn gives Amelie a job, a home, and friends that feel like family. Soon Amelie becomes swept up in Carolyn’s world and is given an opportunity that could change her future. And it does, but not in the way Amelie thought.

Alternating between a past and present timeline, in the present, Amelie and her husband are kidnapped and held as prisoners. Who has taken them? And why are they being kind to Amelie? Will they release her?

***SPOILERS BELOW***

I liked the alternating timeline and all of the twists. I do wish that more time had been spent on Carolyn’s story, and I just KNEW that her ex-husband would have something to do with everything. I kept thinking that she would still be alive and it was some big plot involving her and her ex. I was a little disappointed when that wasn’t the case. I also felt like what Amelie saw happen to Hunter would be hard to fake. So I had to suspend my belief a little on that front, but overall I enjoyed how everything played out and didn’t want the book to end.

I don't even usually have to read the plot of the newest B.A. Paris book to know that I will absolutely be reading it. This one delivered an excellent plot, characters, the whole thing. I loved it! 5 Stars.

After hearing excellent reviews of previous titles by Paris, I had high hopes for this title. I picked this book up multiple times over a period of two weeks and it couldn't keep my interest. At the beginning, I felt like nothing was happening. I liked the short chapters, but it just didn't click with me. I kept waiting for more and to be hooked, however, I ended up putting the book down a couple months ago and never picked it back up. I have made the decision to DNF this book.