Definitely not what I expected. I really like that the author included the "past" and "present" perspectives. I wished we spent more time getting to know the main character, Amelie. Through out the book, I had a lot of questions about her and it felt like I just got glimpses of her personality, motivations, etc. The ending was a little weird, but I would read another book by B.A. Paris.

I really enjoy B.A. Paris's books and was excited to receive an ARC of The Prisoner from the publisher. It did not disappoint! The Prisoner opens with the kidnapping of Amelie and her new husband, Ned. Like many books, the chapters alternate between the present and the past, gradually filling in the blanks about how Amelie ended up in her current situation. Paris does an excellent job of doling out just enough information in each chapter to keep you reading--I finished the book in a day because I absolutely had to find out what happened next! No spoilers, but I did really enjoy the last part of the book--it wasn't what I had expected, but it was very satisfying. Fans of domestic suspense novels will enjoy this well-written and innovative take on the genre.

I've read most of B.A. Paris's books and really thought I was going to love this one. The main character, Amelie, is a young girl whose father dies and she is left orphaned. She ends up marrying a real jerk for money so she can go to law school and they end up getting kidnapped. It was very slow and despite the short chapters, I thought the first half of the book during the kidnapping was repetitive and dragged...how many times can you walk around the room and feel the walls, count the steps, and describe getting your food each day. It started to pick up after the kidnapping was over and I really thought it was going to get interesting, and parts of it were. But then it started to drag again, just too much description about the reason behind the kidnapping and no real character development throughout the story. And the ending was a real disappointment for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I’ve been on a thriller binge all summer and this is by far the first one that I read in one sitting and can’t stop thinking about. It kept me engaged and needing to see what happened next . I’ve read other B.A. Paris books and this one certainly didn’t disappoint!

3.5 rounded up.
I think I’m still chasing the thrill of Behind Closed Doors and nothing Paris has written since then has hit quite the same sweet spot.
Some of the plot had me quickly turning pages because I was eager to learn more about what was happening, but it felt like there were a lot of other random bits of tidying that felt inauthentic. The biggest twist felt very obvious from about a third of the way into the book, but the extent of the deeds of the villain was expected and yielded a high body count.
While the ending is mostly tied up in a bow, there are still a handful of questions, but given that it was a summer read for me, I’m willing to ignore them in favor of a great suspension of disbelief.

This book was amazing. You could really feel the terror the characters felt while they were kidnapped and being held. The story flowed well and kept me guessing the whole time. I never saw the ending coming!

Thank you to B.A. Paris, the publisher, and to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Amelie is lost in life until she finds a great group of friends. She gets mixed up with the rich Ned who has more sinister plans for her then she could ever believe. She and her new husband Ned get kidnapped, and she doesn’t know who or why she was kidnapped.

This book started off strong but fell flat for me. Thank you netgalley for the early read in exchange for a honest review.

The Prisoner is B.A. Paris's most twisty thriller yet. I read most of the book in a single sitting because I had to know what was happening.

Amelie is a twenty-one-year-old young professional who is kidnapped by an unknown abductor soon after enters a marriage of convenience with her wealthy boss. Nothing is as it seems, including her marriage, and the first half of the book is a roller coaster of suspense. The short chapters alternate between the past and present, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Then, halfway through the book, the story takes a sharp turn. I won't say much about this twist because I don't want to spoil anything for readers. The story remains interesting, but the end of the book was something of a letdown. The last several chapters include some long exposition that diminishes the tension that was steadily building for the first seventy-five percent of the book. In the end, the plot was just too complicated to hold together. But it was still a lot of fun to read, and I look forward to Paris's next thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an early advanced reader's copy in exchange for my opinions.

3.5/5. Given the premise, I was expecting this book to be more engaging, but it just didn’t do it for me. The writing of the main character lacked depth and didn’t seem authentic, and the ending seemed rushed rather than strategic.

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris was a fantastic read! I really enjoyed it! I was invested in the story and it kept me guessing the entire time. I never saw the ending coming. This was my first book by this author but definitely will not be my last! 4 out out of 5 stars for me!

What would you do if you were trapped in a pitch black room with no recollection of going there? B.A. Paris crafts the tale of Amelie trapped in a “prison” and her escape out in her latest thriller, The Prisoner.

Amelie seemed to always have bad luck following her; parents deceased, lost job, lost home. Luckily, she has made some good friends on her side that are working with her in London. The best thing? Meeting and marrying the illustrious Jed Hawthorne, billionaire with a controlling father.

In the blink of an eye however; Amelie wakes up in a pitch black room with no memory of being placed there. She thinks that Jed is somewhere upstairs but cannot get to where he is captured. Leaving her with countless questions and in time, a brighter future than living with her new husband.

I found the premise for The Prisoner captivating and was yearning to know instantly why Amelie landed in the “prison.” The books beginning chapters made me want to continue reading and rooting for our main character. However; the story soon became confusing with the back and forth present and past chapters. The flow wasn’t happening and I soon discovered the mystery of Amelie’s location. The ending chapters wrapped up everything in a way that could have been shortened into a one chapter length epilogue. However; I do see that many readers who enjoy B. A. Paris’s other books and mysteries may take to her latest.

I just finished reading The Prisoner by B.A. Paris. This book was a slow starter for me. At 20% into the book I just couldn't maintain interest. At 40% it finally picked up for me, and at that point I didn't want to put it down. I liked the story, but it just wasn't relatable enough for me. It felt as though it dragged through the first part, picked up in the middle and again dragged at the end. I just couldn't find rhythm in reading it.
I'm grateful to #NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC, and hope to read more of B.A. Paris books.

Like most BA Paris books, this one started off with a bang that keeps your attention throughout.

The book has a lot of pros:
A strong female lead with a survivor instinct.
Quick moving plot with short chapters to match.
A unique spin on the imprisonment (at least from what I thought it would be like given the rest of the context of the marriage)
A little glimmer of hope at the end.

But the book also has some cons:
I felt like the kidnapping storyline didn’t tightly wrap up.

The ending was so rushed. And then confusing. Is it a no or a maybe, and if it’s a maybe can we get one more chapter to finish that off?

Besides Amelie, the characters were lacking. We focused a lot on her past and how she got to be who she is but I couldn’t tell you the difference between Justine and Lina, I want to know why Ned is the way he is, I’d like to know exactly what happened to Caroline because I felt of all the characters, we were at least given more details on her. A chapter from her POV after leaving the news conference at Ned’s house to her death would have been a great edition in my opinion. A way to wrap up her story as well.

Either way, I think this was a solid action packed read. It goes quick, it keeps your attention, it’s written well. I feel it’s just another solid from B.A. Paris, which is a win for me!

Oh the choices we make...... Amalie has had a very hard life. From the loss of her parents to being alone and homeless. Things really look up with she finds new friends and a job. Life is good.

Until it is not. The book starts with a bang with Amalie being kidnapped with no idea of who is doing this or why. The book is a roller coaster as it works back in time and unseals all of the layers that got us where we are.

It is a fast paced read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What an entertaining read. Once I got past the first few chapters I couldn’t stop. Amelie seemed a bit weak at first, but her strengths came to the forefront. I found the tie up a bit confusing but felt it didn’t matter to the crux of the story. I would recommend this book for a day at the beach or rocking chair on the porch sort of experience. To take your worries away, read it.

This was a head twist from the first page. Just as you figured what was happening, bam it went a new direction. So very very good.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book in advance!

I loved the premise of this book. I was hooked in the beginning, but that excitement started dying down. The ending was missing something. I felt like everything was just thrown all at once. Information overload!

Regardless, I love this author and I am excited for all future books!

I thought the premise was SO intriguing but this just didn’t hit the mark for me…it felt like the same concept as Behind Closed Doors but with different characters.

Thank you to the publisher for ALC and ARC of The Prisoner. The book started with a bang and I was curious what led Amelia to this situation. It was intense and the flashback sort of slowed the story down. The second half of the story was basically the writer telling us how the kidnapping happened and why rather then leading us it. This made it a little less entertaining. Amelia friends were not developed enough and they were interchangeable. I did enjoy the narration.

I really enjoyed this book! I normally don’t reach for thrillers because I get creeped out easily, but I thought this was “thriller” enough because it left you guessing. I felt bad for Amelie and could not figure out how Ned fit into this kidnapping. I thought for a bit that he was faking the whole thing for some reason. I don’t know why it was necessary to kill off so many, but it was still enjoyable. Really easy read that was entertaining and left you guessing!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!