Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced reader copy of The Prisoner. This is my 3rd book by her, and I had a different feeling once I was finished. It was not a quick read like the others, more detailed, and this one had a varied storyline. Interesting plot as it kept me wondering, yet it was a tad predictable.

This was weird and fun and twisty and weird again. I enjoyed reading the two parts, but the first part was so much better! The second part got weird, but then it was over explained, in boring terms, how it all went down. The entire story was great, and I read it pretty fast, but I wish the second half wasn't so boring.

4/4.5

I loved this book. I loved the short chapters. I felt connected to Amelie. I liked the past and present and could easily jump back and forth. Im obsessed and can’t wait to read all other BA Paris books!

*Spoilers*
I did guess that hunter wasn’t dead immediately. It was a little odd that he was talked about so much in the beginning and then just gone? And that he was new to the security job. I wouldn’t have put together that they were brothers and that Carl dated Lina so I’m happy whenever there’s a twist I didn’t catch!
The ending I was torn. He did still keep you in a black room for weeks idk if her feeling comfortable with him was stolkholme or because she knew him or if it was a weird ending.

The first half of the book absolutely sucked me in. The flipping between the past and present was so good. The entire concept was great but in the end it fell flat. Everything in the second half of the book felt so forced and weird. The twist at the end was good but honestly didn’t make a ton of sense. I also thought the part about her father magically leaving the inheritance felt unrealistic. I’d rather the “Mr. Smith” have helped set her up somewhere without her knowledge. And the abrupt ending was not my favorite, to say the least. I wish this could’ve wrapped up better but overall it just wasn’t for me.

Wow! Another stunner from B.A. Paris! From the first chapter, I was invested in Amelie and rooted for her through the whole book (which I devoured in two days). My heart aches for her loneliness and admires her will to endure the unfair pieces life deals her.
The author paints her as someone relatable and so when she makes mistakes, you forgive her because you understand.
The twists had me gasping and left me hoping for a sequel!

Another standout from B.A. Paris.

I really enjoyed how this book was split into two distinct sections and I loved the back and forth nature of the first half. The writing style had me enthralled from the first chapter.

I enjoyed the storyline very much and was especially surprised by the ending.

I have read other books by this author and this one did not disappoint. The Prisoner was pretty fast paced, and kept my interest until the end. I did feel like there should have been more to the ending, all of a sudden the chapter was over, and that was it. But all and all, I thought it was a interesting story. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Paris has always been an auto read author for me but I see I generally only give 3⭐️ so I may need to reassess the auto status.

This book had a lot of potential and I actually really loved it until about 75%. I strongly dislike when authors do information dumps the last couple of chapters and this was exactly that. While the information was necessary to the conclusion of the story, it absolutely could’ve been incorporated much better.

The kidnapping kept me interested and the doubling aspect was also pretty unique. I liked that we slowly learned what a bad guy Ned was and how he so successfully duped Amelie. Some of the murders felt a little unnecessary and I get that Ned is rich and privileged, but come on, you can only get away with so much.

Amelie was pretty obnoxious. She was so naive and rash. Her whole life seemed like one bad decision after another and it was annoying how well they all seemed to work out for her.

I’m really disappointed with how the final 25% or so of the book was written because this really should be at least a 4⭐️ but I just can’t go there.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

The Prisoner was another fantastic thriller by B. A. Paris. It’s a slow-burning ride through Amelie’s sad, then happy and fulfilling, then terrifying and turbulent, then almost happy again life.

Amelie’s mother died in childhood and her father died when she was a teen. She ran off to London to avoid being swept up in the foster care system. She makes some wonderful friends and ultimately ends up marrying a millionaire. Things happen. Bad things. She witnesses a murder, she’s abducted, she ends up alone, probably suffering from something akin to PTSD, but Amelie is a survivor.

I found this book to be just the right amount thrilling to keep me endlessly turning pages, just the right amount mystery to keep me guessing, and just the right amount interesting to keep me thinking about what a fantastical imagination Ms. Paris has.

I give it five stars and eagerly anticipate the next book by this author. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Thank you to B.A Paris, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of a digital advanced reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review!

PLEASE CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS PRIOR TO READING THIS BOOK.

Claustrophobic. Breathtaking. Quick.

This book follows Amelie who has had anything but an easy upbringing. She was orphaned at the age of 17, where she struggled on the street to have food and shelter with what money she did have. She is taken in by a wealthy woman who just got divorced and needs someone to complete the tasks that her husband used to do, while giving Amelie a home, meals, and a newfound friendship. Fast-forward, Amelie moves onto a new career where she is invited to a work trip in Las Vegas with her billionaire boss, Ned Hawthorpe. During the trip, Ned discloses the ulterior motive for inviting Amelie on the trip, Ned wants to prove to his father that he is a family man by marrying Amelie in exchange for paid tuition for her schooling. After a month married together, they could separate ways. Not too long after the marriage, Amelie wakes up blindfolded, alone, and trapped in a dark room. Who did she really marry?

This is the first book of B.A. Paris' that I have read and I cannot wait to dive into the others now. This book is very twisty and very tense. Behind every chapter, there was a new set of surprises that I didn't see coming. I do appreciate that the book was split into two parts to really differentiate the character development. Parts of this book left me feeling just the like main character, claustrophobic and trapped. If the reader can feel the same intensity as the character, that's a great accomplishment by the author.

I always enjoy the twists and drama that BA Paris brings and watching everything unfold. This story had so many side plots it was fun watching everything finally come together in the end and I really enjoyed this story.

I have been a huge fan of B.A. Paris since her first book Behind Closed Doors. I was part of the advanced reader club for the first three of her books and she immediately became an author I follow and blindly buy her books no matter what they are about! I definitely plan to buy the book when it comes out to add to my shelf!

This book was a great storyline that you want to follow and find out what happens. Great characters that you are invested in and care for their well being. The reader feels bad for main character Amelie because of the loss of her parents, she obviously has had a really hard life and living homeless on the streets until she meets Carolyn. Carolyn is the best friend everyone wishes they had. As you bounce back and forth between the past and present you wonder how she became married to the billionaire Jed! The whole story is a wild ride and the twist is a good one and leaves you on the edge of your seat until the end! A must read for all thriller lovers and B.A. pros lovers.

3.5 stars

The prisoner is a physiological thriller about a young woman getting caught up with a dangerous man.
The first half of this book was really exciting; going back and worth between current POV to the past. This let you see the terrifying situation the main character was in, and slowly building to how she got there.
The characters problem solving skills, and ability to adapt to her surroundings kept me hooked to see how she would get out of her situation.

However about half way through the book, the past POV has caught up to the present and the story climaxes . The rest is just a slow dragged out ending. It’s meant to tie up all the loose ends and show closure/explain what happened. But I just found a lot of the explanations didn’t fully make sense and we’re thrown together and predictable.

Overall, it was a good read, and I’ll still be reading every book this author puts out!

*Honest review given in exchange for advanced digital copy.

3.5 stars rounded down!

I don't typically listen to thrillers, but the narrator and story worked so well on audio! I would call this more of a mystery than thriller, but it was well done! This was a super quick audio read. I enjoyed the dual timeline and secrets throughout. However, it did feel like this was missing something and the ending was abrupt.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and MacMillan Audio for advanced copies in exchange for an honest review!

This book was intriguing! I was hooked and had to keep listening to the first half but the second half lost its pace. I loved the past and present POV as it added to the complexity of the story line! In my opinion there were to many secondary characters that made it difficult to keep track of everyone. The plot was great and the ending was tied up neatly but overall it was kind of a disappointment, as I was expecting more thrilling/unexpected twists.

***** Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, St Martins Press, BA Paris, and NetGalley for the gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.

Rating 3.5 stars but rounding up on Goodreads

This book was not for me, which is unfortunate because I loved Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris.

This book follows Amelie who is being held Prisoner against her own will. The book basically has three parts: Amelie's life before the imprisonment, during, and after. Much of the plot hinges on Amelie's business marriage to Ned, who turns out to be nothing like she thought he was. The book was immediately interesting but it really dragged and I found there was an excessive amount of backstory. I also thought that the plot twists were a little over the top and it got to the point where not much of it was believable. I would not recommend reading this book but would probably still read other books by BA Paris. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advance copy.

3 🌟

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I feel as if I’ve just been mind-floofed. 😳

positives - I could not put this book down even when I was getting a bit bored with the kidnapping scene. It kept you captivated and wondering what would happen next.

It gives you an interesting perspective of Stockholm syndrome and all the complexities that entails.

Negatives - the storyline became a little bit repetitive in my opinion and the characters (especially the main character) weren't captivating enough to make me vested in their lives.

I was a bit disappointed by the dramatic and drastic ending.

ARC Review: The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

publication date November 1, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars

Part 1 was fast paced, with many page turning situations that is what I am used to with B.A. Paris. Part 2 took a completely different turn. It wrapped things up and was less thrilling and more just going through the motions. I felt extremely sorry for so many of the characters and did still really enjoy the book, even if it slowed a bit toward the end.

Part 1 is The Kidnapping. This introduces you to all the players, sets everyone up, and then a kidnapping takes place. You realize that the kidnappers are treating the main characters better than her actual husband… and you wonder why.

Part 2 is The Reckoning. This is what happens after the kidnapping. The struggles that the main character goes through and also the kind of Stockholm syndrome she develops from being kidnapped. In the end, most questions are answered, and you are left with a sense of fullness.

The Prisoner will be available on November 1, 2022.

Thank you NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and B.A. Paris for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Although I did enjoy this book overall, I did find it a bit far fetched. The way the characters wound up being connected seemed unlikely as well as how the main character turned from poverty stricken to u knowingly rich. It did keep me on the edge of my seat when while main character was "prisoner"

What started as a fast paced exciting read turned into a slow drown out story. This had so much potential with the kidnapping storyline, but unfortunately the second half of the book just fell apart. Other books by this author are a hit or a miss and this one is definitely a miss. AND the ending! Ugh.