Thank you to B.A. Paris, Publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, twists, and overall writing. The book kept me on my toes the whole way and it was hard to put it down. Split into two parts, I needed to know what happened with Amelie and why she was abducted after everything she had been through! Also wondering if her husbands name was Jed (referenced on Amazon) or Ned in the book!

Ever since her debut, the genre defining classic Behind Closed Doors, B.A.Paris has been a must read author for me and many others.

Told through a Past and Present narrative we meet Amelie. The Present sees her locked in a dark room, by unknown kidnappers. The Past tells the story of how she got there, including marrying her rich and handsome husband.

I thought it started very well, and I had high hopes. The locked in the dark captive scenes are full of fear and dread, especially earlier on.

The plot is quite involved, and while I would have liked more threat and tension, I have to say I quite enjoyed it overall.

Not a classic or a must read, but entertaining enough and I applaud B.A.Paris for doing something different every novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and St.Martin's Press

5 huge stars!!!! I am a huge B.A. Paris fan and this epic thriller is a perfect example of why! Knowing B.A. Paris is AWALYS a sure thing, I went into The Prisoner completely blind and honestly, I am so glad I did! After a couple chapters I mentally put my seat belt on because I knew this novel was going to take me on a white-knuckles, insane ride! The pacing was lightening fast and the well-placed twists and turns has their own twists and turns!! I feel like I had been in a little bit of reading rut lately, but this 5++++ star gem cured me of that problem! The Prisoner is a novel I will be shouting from the roof tops as one of my 2022 MUST READS!!! If you haven’t yet gotten a chance to read any of B.A. Paris’ novels, do yourself a solid and read The Prisoner, it will not disappoint!!!

I feel like this was three different books. I loved the first two books and hated the third. Part one and two were full of tension and suspense and it kept me reading for hours. But the last section of the book was almost all dialogue and it lowed everything down way too much. I’m not sure if the story ended too early and so the author had to go back and add pages? But whatever the reason, it changed the whole rating if the book for me from five stars to three.

I cannot believe that BA Paris wrote this...

The short chapters made it a quick read but unfortunately I cannot think of one positive thing to say.

Small cast of poorly written characters: There's zero character development so I never once felt emotionally attached to anyone and couldn't care less what happened to all of them. The protagonist is Poor You, the antagonist is So Evil, everyone else is unmemorable and exist just to be plot devices.

Messy and badly crafted plot: The author tried (too hard) to be twisty but it just ends up all over the place and becomes one big, awful mess. The story is super unbelievable with gaping big holes, yet the reader is supposed to just accept them. It's also very predictable and easy to guess who the captor is early on. Suspense is minimal and the twists are lacking.

Pay-off was not worth it: The book introduces themes that it doesn't handle well and the ending felt abrupt. Overall, it's a very flat read and the emotional depth is non-existent.

This is my 6th BA Paris novel and also my least favourite. Yes, it ranks below the much-panned The Dilemma. I don't think The Prisoner is slow, boring or badly written at all. I actually started out liking it so imagine my own horror when I realised it would be a 1-star read for me. 1 stars and BA Paris just don't exist in the same world... until now.

I've loved BA Paris' books, so I was thrilled to get this advanced copy. This book started off slow, picked up some in the middle, and fizzled out at the end. I guessed the "big twist" early on and while I was eager to wrap everything up, it's definitely not on my favorites list for this author.

3.5 stars rounded up for the benefit of the pre-release sneak peek.

I was so excited to read this newest release by B.A. Paris! I’ve loved all her previous novels, and The Prisoner was a fast paced, page turner just like the rest of them!

There are two parts to this book. There is Part One- The Kidnap, which goes back and forth between past and present. Then there is Part Two- The Reckoning, which basically tells us what happens after Part One (which is the kidnapping). Both parts of the book also revolve around our central character of Amelie. I liked Amelie’s character very much and I felt deeply for her and I was rooting for her from the get go. We also learn a lot about that of Ned Hawthorpe’s character. Ughhh! He was despicable.

What I didn’t care for was Part Two of this book. After Part One being so suspenseful and keeping me on the edge of my seat, I felt a bit let down by this “reckoning”, and conclusion. What started out as what could have been a five star rating for this book, I dropped it down for the dragging on of Part Two.

Regardless, I still recommend reading this book as B.A. Paris is one of my favorite go-to authors. I also love the title and cover for this book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book. Publication Date: Nov 01, 2022

4.5 stars. B.A. Paris’ The Prisoner is a quipping psychological thriller. The unique plot glided smoothly back and forth between the past and the present centering on the kidnapping of Amelia. So many questions went through my mind as I read this story as to what was really going on. This kept me reading to the end in anticipation of the answers.
This is definitely the best B.A. Paris book I read. I had trouble finishing two of her previous novels.
Thank you NetGalley and St.Martins Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was a quick read for me. The short chapters made it easy to read “just one more” over and over. Like Paris’ other books this one kept me guessing; however, the ending is very abrupt and I would have liked to see it fleshed out a little more. There are quite a few characters involved so it was difficult to develop a strong connection to any of them. Overall the book was very entertaining. I would recommend it to others.

I don't care what anyone else says, I loved this one. It's right on par with Behind Closed Doors in my opinion. It was such an emotional, nail biting read that I read it in one day which is rare for me. Told in alternating timelines, this story comes together in a brilliantly, tragic way. I highly recommend this one to all my fellow readers.

Another great novel by Paris! The story builds in pieces and perspectives, but you experience it all through Amelie. She is a fighter that is determined to come out on top, despite being put in an awful position first by her marriage, then by her kidnapping. As her life seems to spiral out of her control, she digs in and finds little victories that keep her going. When she finds that not everyone is against her, her efforts to survive are renewed. She is an exceptionally strong woman that commits to not only survive, but also to find out what truly happened. And there is even a very thin cord of romance that can help her rise from the ashes. Amelie's determination will hook you and keep you on the edge of your seat! This story has hope, deceit, murder, envy, suspense, money and revenge - what more could you ask? Leave yourself time when you start this one because you won't want to put it down until you turn the last page!

I was so excited for this one until I started it. This one was a huge miss for me.

Words to describe this book:

S-L-O-W
Boring
Predictable twists

⭐️⭐️

I've been in love with B.A Paris since her first book Behind Closed Doors hit shelves and was extremely excited when I got an early read of her newest work!!

Amelie had a rough time growing up due to her mother passing during childbirth and recently losing her father to cancer, since she has no family left she decides to flee to London for a new life and to pursue college to be a lawyer. After reaching London she battled homelessness and unable to keep her job, Amelie she stumbled into a friendship with a wealthy woman named Carolyne who offered her a job as a live in housekeeper and thats when she saw a glimmer of hope to get her life started. Carolyne worked for a man named Jed Hawthorne who also offered Amelie a job for his magazine, Amelie not knowing Jed's background decided to take the job and winds up in a really tricky marriage and immediately realizes it was a mistake. Fast forward Amelie wakes up in a pitch black room and realizes she has been kidnapped, what do her kidnappers want and why did they take her?

This book was definitely an easy read and very exciting, however I wish there was some back and fourth chapters with what was going on in Jed's mind.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a fan of B.A. Paris since the author's first book blew me away, so I was very excited to read another one of her twisty, psychological thrillers! The story starts out full-throttle, just as I like. Mystery, some confusion...the story moves along, switching from Present Day to the Past to tell the story of Amelie and how she came to be held prisoner with her husband Ned. Of course, all is NOT really as it seems, which we learn quickly enough, and then again and again, as facts surface, new information is revealed, and several "wait...what?" moments occur. These are the aspects of the book I loved and held on to throughout, waiting for answers just like Amelie.

However, there were also aspects of the book that made me struggle to stick with the story (never good). The Prisoner had such a strong beginning--until it didn't At a certain point, nothing new seemed to be happening for another 1/4 of the book, at least not enough. I found myself thinking: I can't read an entire book where she is in this room doing the same thing all the time! The "Past" section of the story was also not entertaining at this point, and felt just to be providing mostly background information. So I did struggle to stay with the book. However, I read on, and the story did pick up again, with many twists and turns. But then came my second issue with the book: some characters that were two-dimensional and pretty unbelievable, even with the far-out plot. When this happens in a book, I am transported outside of the story and cannot immerse myself in the same way as before. Nevertheless, the story finally moved forward in an interesting, often twisty way until the end, when the third thing happened I was disappointed with: right before the conclusion, a character dumped a load of information in a speech to sum up what had REALLY occured throughout the story. This is a big turn-off for me.

So, all in all, I have mixed feelings about The Prisoner. Off to a great start, the storyline and some of the characters could have been tightened up, and the ending less rushed. I loved the twists and turns, especially one of the later ones, though, so I will still be recommending it to anyone who loves this style of book!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Normally I like B.A. Paris' books, but this one fell flat. I didn't feel it was suspenseful. It seemed very long and drug out. hard to get through. I ended up skimming it. Just feel very short this time.

I always enjoy B.A Paris’ writing. I really felt like I was in the dark with Amelie. She is always so good at making you feel like a fly on the wall in her stories, feeling and experiencing ALL THE THINGS.

Amelie was an emotional character that DRAINED me. But she was very young and completely get why she was that way. I really wanted a different resolution when it came to her 3 friends but this isn’t a fairytale is it? The writing nonetheless is captivating and I finished this book in 2 days.

Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for this Advanced Reader Copy of #ThePrisoner by @baparisauthor she never disappoints!

Pub Date November 1st 2022
Add it to your calendar!

I’m a big fan of BA Paris and have read all of her books (most of which I’ve given 5 stars and regularly recommend to family and friends).

The Prisoner had a promising premise - I was so excited to get started! Unfortunately this one was just a big miss for me. The characters were unlikeable. The plot was unbelievable. There’s very few books that I don’t but I almost put this one in the DNF pile.

I’m still a huge BA Paris supporter and will wait with baited breath for her next release.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Amelie Lamont comes to London after her father’s death. Despite a shaky start, she makes some friends and finds her way into a comfortable existence; in a moment of wishing for a way to make her dream of becoming a lawyer come true, she agrees to a somewhat shady proposition made by her billionaire boss, Ned Hawthorpe.

And then the kidnappers come.

=========

Told from Amelie’s point of view, this absorbing melodrama alternates between Present and Past [to provide the necessary backstory]. Filled with intrigue and uncertainty, the unfolding story quickly pulls readers into an absorbing study of human behavior.

An undercurrent of uneasiness permeates the narrative; several unexpected plot twists are sure to surprise readers. Unfortunately, the events that occur in the telling of this tale are rather unrealistic . . . eventually, readers may find the implausibility of the unfolding story becomes a bit of a stumbling block despite its penchant for unpredictability.

Although it feels a bit like an information dump, answers do come as the narrative draws to a close. But the denouement is sure to leave readers wondering.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#ThePrisoner #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the copy of The Prisoner. I usually love this author's writing and the beginning of this book was great. It was intriguing and kept me wondering what was going on. The story got implausible and none of the characters were likable or relatable so I really couldn’t care about what happened to them. The biggest disappointment was the ending - it was all one person explaining what had happened and why. This book was not for me, but if you’re looking for a quick read and you’re willing to suspend belief you might really like this one.

This book is exhausting mentally and weirdly physically and I reminded how useless I would be at saving myself if I was ever in a scary situation! Amelie is a prisoner in so many ways all of which require her to use her wits as well as her physicality to save herself but when it is all over will she finally be free? Her marriage to the wealthy Jed Hawthorne should solve many of her problems but with money comes more problems and the ability to hide them better. This book was fast paced and fraught with twists and turns that keeps the reader in the edge of their seat!