B.A Paris has gone and done it again! With this new release, The Prisoner, my time was hers and I could not stop to put this book down. Do not wait to pre-order this book or request from your local library. You will not want to miss this.
This is the story of a young woman, Amelie, orphaned by the loss of her parents, who becomes swept up into the life and fortunes of Jed Hawthorne. This edge of your seat thriller is dark, twisted and will leave you guessing on who can be trusted.
I received this NetGalley advanced book copy for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley & St Martins Press for allowing me to provide this review.

This book had an incredibly intriguing premise, and such a strong start. The beginning chapters of The Prisoner will immediately reel you in as you are thrust right in to the action of the book. It begins with the kidnapping of Amelie, a young woman married to a billionaire that may be more trouble than he is worth. We get to know Amelie through alternating timelines of the current situation and her recent past leading to the kidnapping. Part one was gripping, but for me part two of the story went a little bit off track.

The story is told in Amelie’s point of view and in very short chapters, which keep you reading to find out what will happen next. I liked Amelie’s character but found parts of her life to be too far fetched, like her friendships with the women who she initially works for. I also found the explanation at the end to be incredibly long winded and thought some of the motive was still a bit unclear. I do enjoy B.A. Paris’ writing style and look forward to reading more in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

My thanks to both Netgalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this thriller by the international bestselling author B. A. Paris.

Life in the world today means dealing with a lot of fear. Fear of getting sick, and the fear of losing all your wealth and belongings from getting sick. Fear of the other and the different. A fear of being alone and yet at the same time being around people you think are friends. A fear of those who claim to love us, and that we in turn start to love. The media cycle is full of fear. Twitter is called doomscrolling for a reason. Not many authors get convey this feeling of fear, the claustrophobia that makes dealing with the fear so limiting and enveloping. B. A. Paris is one of those writers. The Prisoner is a a book that will make readers doubt everything they know, checking the locks on the doors and windows, and giving the side-eye at that person on the train, in the coffee shop, and sharing the same bed.

Amelie lost everything once her father died, most of all her trust and reason to go on. Leaving Paris for the London scene Amelie is lucky to find care and comfort from a group of women, who offer her shelter, training and even mentoring in the ways of the world and business. Amelie meets Ned Hawthorne a billionaire, with looks, charm, connections and a secret. Ned makes an offer to Amelie, marry me for a month just to get some pressure off me, and your tuition for law school will be handled. Amelie agress. However both of them are kidnapped, and keep in separate areas, and Amelie slowly comes to the realization that maybe this wasn't the worst thing that has happened to her.

B. A. Paris has a gift for tacking odd ideas and selling them to the reader, and instead of the reader going oh come on, the reader just asks for more. Paris can keep the tension going even through shifts of time and narrators without losing the story or the flow. That said there are a few, huh moments in the book, but the rest of the writing and ideas make up for that. The ending is a twist as expected and there are plenty of red herrings to keep the reader locked in. The characters are not as well drawn as in previous books, but still are interesting enough for the reader to become involved in the solution.

A good story with lots of turns and twists, with a interesting ending. Fans will definitely enjoy the book, and new readers will too. A nice book for the winter season, perfect for gift giving.

I feel like it is hard to write unique thrillers these days but B.A. Paris did just that with this book. I loved the short chapters. I was hooked from the beginning and the short chapters made it easy for me to devour this book quickly. Its more of a slow burn thriller but there are still alot of twists and turns I didn't see coming. Its told from alternating timelines. I would recommend this book if you like kidnapping/psychological thrillers with satisfying endings. I love a good thriller where everything falls into place at the end. I loved the reveal. There were only a few things I didn't like- I felt like it was a little over the top at times and I felt like it lacked character development. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loved thrillers.

Another great book by B.A.Paris. This one was a hit. I loved the two timelines still taking you on a thrilling emotional roller coaster from the beginning. The ending was a little lighter than I thought it would be but it was still a exciting read. It still had me up reading late.
The pace of the book was really fast until about 3/4 in and then it slowed a bit for me. The characters were very well developed and writing like other B.A. Paris books were really good. Release 11/1/22
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with a arc in return for my own honest review.

I knew after reading the first few pages of this book that it was going to be a good one and it did not disappoint me. This book has a very interesting and complex dual timeline that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. B.A. Paris is one of my favorite authors and this was another hit out of the ballpark. I liked the female protagonist, Amelie, who I found to be gutsy and brave.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this page-turner that I really enjoyed.

I want to start out by saying that you will not find a bigger B.A. Paris fan than me. After devouring Behind Closed Doors in one sitting, I proceeded to read every other book she every wrote over the course of one long weekend. It therefore pains me to say, I did not like The Prisoner. I was happy I chose to listen to the audio and I think that improved my view of it to a small extent.

I have so many issues with this book, from the lack of character development to predictable and the actual plot line. First and foremost, I found it to be a little too much of a slow burn. This is the outlier opinion as most readers find it to be quite bingeworthy, so take this with a grain of salt if you will.

One thing I love most about Paris’ writing is the depth and breadth of her character development. I always connect to her characters, whether they are locked in a room by their husband, witness a murder that has left them slowly going insane, or fear that their daughter may have been killed on a downed plane. In each and every story she writes, it is this connection to the characters that helps to propel me through the story and often leaves me on the edge of my seat.

I found this level of character development to be lacking in The Prisoner. As the conclusion of the story neared, I realized I did not care in the least about any of the characters in the book. Not. One. And as a result, everything that happened in the story felt very surface level. What you see is what you get, with no underlying themes or message, nor any aspect to analyze or dig further on. I also could not understand why the characters functioned the way they did. They themselves seemed like caricatures of thriller characters, void of emotion or heart that are usually present in her characters.

If you are on the fence as to whether or not to read this one, I would say start with her earlier work, but do give this one a try if you have wanted to. This book is getting very mixed feedback and you may find yourself on the side of those who love it. Paris remains an auto-buy author for me and I look forward to reading her next novel.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and the ACL of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What can I say? I LOVE B.A. Paris’s writing and she has delivered once again! Not that I had any doubt that she would. I love books that leave you guessing and at the end you’re like “ahhhh” and shaking your head like wow. This one did not disappoint!

Amelie has moved to London to put the sadness of her father's death behind her. After finding those friends that are even better than family, she finally feels like she has found her happy. So how did she wake up kidnapped and locked in this completely dark room and why?

B.A. Paris delivers again, I became a fan after reading "The Therapist". This book is an even twistier psychological , mystery, thriller and delivers exactly the type of escape the reader is looking for. I read this one in 1 day ,kept me up all night - a suspenseful page turner.

Thanks to Netgalley.com and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

In B.A. Paris' latest thriller, The Prisoner, Amelie thinks her luck has finally changed! After being orphaned as a teenager and becoming homeless, she finally has friends that are like family, a promising job, and wealthy boss, Ned, has promised to pay for her dream to attend law school in exchange for a sham marriage! What could go wrong...?

A lot! Ned is not who he claims to be and when Ned and Amelie are kidnapped and held prisoners,why does she feel safer than when she had been in Ned's home? Who are her kidnappers? Are they friends or foe?

The Prisoner will keep you wondering and guessing and you'll love most of the characters but be prepared for their hearbreak! It is a bit slow at times but an entertaining read overall.

CLAUSTROPHOBIC, UNEXPECTED and SUSPENSEFUL 👀 B.A. Paris’ “The Prisoner” is a psychological thriller that will keep you feeling unsettled throughout the entire book and desperate for finding out answers!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Amelie flees to France after the passing of her father to start a new life on her own. She goes from living on the streets to working as a live in housekeeper for a wealthy woman named Carolyn. A friendship blooms and Amelie becomes a part of a wonderful life and a close knit group of friends.

Amelie gets introduced to a wealthy businessman named Ned who has a life changing proposition for her: marry him for one month and she will receive the money she needs to go to Law School. She takes him up on his offer, but the excitement of the arrangement doesn’t last long. She soon comes to find that she has made a deal with the D E V I L 👺

Amelie and Ned both get kidnapped for a large ransom and the story flips back and forth between the days and years leading up to her abduction AND the abduction period (Part One) AND then post abduction and the seek for revenge (Part Two). WHO is holding them captive and WHY??

Thank you kindly to @baparisauthor @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases November 1, 2022!

3.5 stars. This book started out STRONG. I was instantly hooked. By the time I got the last quarter of the book and things were starting to unravel, I was reading it more to finish than to find out what happened. The ending, for me, did not live up to the beginning. I was expecting this ‘Oh My Gosh did that just happen’ moment and it never came. I really, really wanted to love this book because all the other books that I have read by B.A. Paris were amazing. This one just fell a bit short for me.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this ARC for an early, honest review!

I’ve read a few B. A. Paris books over the years. I intend to read them all. She always sucks me right in. I gotta admit… I am a little surprised at the mixed reviews for this one! I really enjoyed it and flew right through it. I probably could have finished it within a day, but being a full time, single mom, & a part time student… it’s just wasn’t possible. But I was constantly waiting for my downtime so I could keep reading!

The Prisoner was a fast-paced, domestic thriller. The story pulled me in instantly. It flowed nicely between the past and present story lines. As I usually do, upon starting it I completely forget it starts as a Part 1…. Until I get to part 2. Lol! Does any one else do this?

Amelie had been through so many struggles early in her life. She lost her mother at young age and her dad before she turned eighteen. After losing her father, she had no where to turn and was left an orphan in pursuit of fulfilling her dreams. She traveled to London in hopes of building a better life for herself. She started out homeless and trying to find jobs to save money for school. One day while sitting in a cafe, she met Carolyn who took her under her wing and into her upscale lifestyle. Carolyn introduced Amelie to her world which led to Amelie making friends and new opportunities. It also led to her meeting her husband and getting herself kidnapped in a plot of revenge.

This books comes out on November 1, 2022! Be sure to grab a copy! I’d love to hear your thoughts, too!

BA Paris is a hit or a miss for me. Unfortunately, this was a miss. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Orphaned in her teens, Amelie journeys from Paris to London on her own. She forms a friendship with a woman named Carolyn, who gives Amelie a job and helps her learn to survive. Amelie eventually meets Ned Hawthorpe through Carolyn's friends, who work at his magazine. The two marry, but before Amelie knows it, they are kidnapped and held for ransom. Who has taken them--and will they ever escape?

The first half to three quarters of this thriller flew by like gangbusters. I was fascinated to know why Amelie was kidnapped and what was going on. The book is told from Amelie in captivity and also explains the past in snippets. We learn how Amelie came to London and how she wound up married to the wealthy Ned.

Honestly, I read a lot of bad reviews for this one before I picked it up, and they actually helped me, because while this is in no way the world's best thriller, it wasn't as bad as some had made it out to be, ha. Sometimes it's the books that get the glowing reviews that turn out to be disappointments to me! Now, yes, the plot is going to be a bit ridiculous here. It's B.A. Paris after all. And what dropped this a star or so for me, after the book started off so well, was the ending, which sort of turned things off course. It was odd and dragged things down. It also seemed to leave some loose ends.

Overall, this is a page-turner of a thriller that will probably be easy to forget in short time. It's a quick and crazy read. Please note a trigger warning for sexual assault.

I love kidnapping stories so I was incredibly disappointed by this one. The past timeline felt contrived and the present (kidnapping) storyline was honestly boring. However my big complaint was the plot twist which didn't feel like a twist. It just didn't make sense to me.

Huge thank you to netgalley, st martins press and BA Paris for an advance copy of this book!
BA Paris is an auto buy author for me. Everything is solid and this does not disappoint!
Amelie wakes up alone in a dark room. She doesn’t know where she is, why she’s been taken, or who took her. The whereabouts of her rich husband are less concerning for her, since she feels safer away from him.
While Amelie awaits her fate, we learn how and why she got here and why she doesn’t want to be reunited with her husband. She plans for escape and what follows isn’t what I expected at all.
Again, solid writing that kept me reading well into the night.
Publication day is November 1st!

At first I was immediately drawn into Amelie's story and history. The two conflicting story lines - one of a captive in pitch black, and one of a very sad story of Amelie becoming an orphan and living on the streets.
I loved her meet cute with her new friend and being brought into such a loving community. The importance put on those relationships led me to believe they would turn on her or be more vital to the story.

The actual reason and background of the kidnapping/prisoner aspect was not interesting and totally lost me at that point.. I didn't care about all the rich people in the story and their manipulations. The Hunter storyline was interesting but came too late in the story.

The Prisoner By B.A. Paris

When I first started to read The Prisoner I thought it started off well it pulled me in fast. Amelie the main character in this twisted thriller has grown up an orphan. She was rescued off the streets by a women who gave her a job, home and friendship. Fast forward to present day and she is starting a new job for a wealthy billionaire who gives her the opportunity of a lifetime. The opportunity is a marriage proposal that will pay her a sum of money after 30 days. The rich billionaire is Ned who wants to get his father off of his back so he suggests a quick marriage in Vegas. Off they go to get married. Ned wants to show the press that he can be a good family man.

Fast forward to the twist in the story the pretend married couple gets kidnapped and Amelie finds herself locked up in a dark room wondering what she got herself into. Who is behind the kidnapping? Why? Will Amelie and Ned survive the kidnapping?

To figure out this plot twist you need to read to figure out why all this happened to Amelie and Ned. I found myself conflicted as I read the story not sure what to think the premise of the story is good but somewhere along the way the execution to me fell flat. The story wasn't overly complex it was simple and quick to read.

I thought the ending is what pulled this book apart for me. It was over explaining the kidnapping and it just went to far with that. I felt like the story was good on its own until the ending came where the explanation of the kidnapping. Amelie was such a likable character I found myself rooting for her and wanting her to get out alive. She was offered a deal that lots of people would take a 30 day marriage with money at the end. What possibly could go wrong with that scenario well B.A. Paris gives you a tale of what could go wrong with that scenario.

Thank You to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a free copy of this book for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

B.A. Paris has done it again! I was hooked from the beginning and the short chapters and dual timeline make for a quick, suspenseful read! I definitely recommend adding this to your fall TBR pile. Thanks to St. Martins Press for this Arc. Get your copy this November!