I liked the quick, short chapters and was able to read this pretty quickly. It's told in alternating chapters of past and present. The first part of the book was very strong and I was really invested in wanting to know what happened to Amelie. Part 2 wasn't as exciting. The explanation for the kidnapping seemed too convoluted and was over explained and lost me at some parts. I enjoyed the book but I didn't love it.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot is interesting and has a lot of unexpected twists and turns. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great.

Amelie is kidnapped from her bed in the dark of night. She wakes up in a completely pitch-black room with no idea where she is or how she got there. Her captors never speak to her, and the only sounds she hears are those of her husband. She knows whatever is happening must be related to her recent marriage to the uber-wealthy and mysterious Ned Hawthorne. Amelie is no stranger to surviving tough situations, and she is determined to emerge alive.

The Prisoner is divided into two sections, The Kidnap and The Reckoning. The Kidnap is about exactly that, and this part of the book is really well done. The author does such an amazing job of scene-setting that I felt like I was in that dark and chilly room, right next to the frightened and angry Amelie. I also thought the dual timelines of present and past were very effective to draw the reader into the events leading up to the marriage and kidnapping. The Reckoning is about the aftermath, and then I really couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen. Sadly, that all came to an abrupt halt for me near the end of the book though. The big reveal is very much a case of telling instead of showing, a big dump of narrative rather than a more organic, interwoven reveal. On top of that, some of the details were so far-fetched that I just didn’t buy them.

It's a quick and suspenseful read, and I would recommend it to friends, but it did leave me shaking my head a little bit too. This is a 3.5 star read for me, but on the low side so I rounded down to 3. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I was very excited to be able to read this book ahead of its pub date. I have loved all of the B.A. Paris books I have read in the past.

The Prisoner has two parts to the book and I felt as though they were almost 2 completely different books. The first section, during Amelie's kidnapping was very fast paced and was a great page turner! But I felt like when it switch to life after the kidnapping I was just waiting for it to end. About halfway through the second part, I had thought I concluded who was to blame for the kidnapping and I did really enjoy the last few chapters and finding out all of the happenings of the kidnapping and who was behind it and whether or not my conclusions were correct. Overall it was a good, fast read and I recommend if you are a fan of her other books, especially Behind Closed Doors.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
A suspense novel with twists and turns that shows just how vulnerable some can be in trying to make a better life for themselves.

BA Paris is super hit or miss for me - I loved The Breakdown, The Therapist, I was not a fan of Bring Me Back and Behind Closed Door was just ok for me. I was really excited by the premise of The Prisoner, but, this one just not for me. The ending made me want to scream following a pretty slow burn of plot leading up. However, this was a pretty short and quick read which was redeeming.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Yeahhhh this just isn’t my favorite BA Paris book. The plot felt very half-baked and the characters really lacked substance. This will not deter me from reading other BA Paris books but this one just wasn’t for me.

The Prisoner by BA Paris was an exceptionally engrossing and quick read. I read an egalley of it and it seemed short, so I checked GoodReads and it says it is 302 pages. I think it was a nearly perfect length. I loved the character of Analiese from the beginning of the novel and her story made me root from her right out of the gate. Her mother died when she was a young child and her father died when she was just 17 which left her without family and nearly penniless to make it on her own. She ran away to London to avoid being taken in by child protection and was ultimately living on the streets when the kindness of a stranger led to a beautiful friendship and eventually a decent job for a magazine owned by an obnoxious billionaire.

The book starts with Analiese and her husband having been kidnapped and held for ransom. The chapters then flash back and forth between Analiese's backstory and her current predicament. While I was totally addicted to the story as I read it, when I stepped away from it and gave it any thought, I do realize it is a very unlikely (though not impossible) plot. As other readers have said, the ending was problematic. Possibly by the time the novel is published, the ending can be tweaked some? Without giving away spoilers, I will just say I didn't feel the ending did justice to the nightmarish situation that Analiese had been through in her life up to that point. There was just too much bad and not nearly enough good and the small bit of good and possibility of good that was hinted at at the end was not what the reader would want for a heroine.

In any case, I am a longtime BA Paris fan and will continue to read everything she writes the moment I can get my hands on it! I have loved her most recent books that have more of a family theme to them. The Prisoner is less moody and more straight thriller, but it works as a popcorn-thriller that the reader can just sink into for a few hours and enjoy.

Like all of B.A. Paris' s novels, the short chapters and thrilling subject matter make this a quick and propulsive read. Amelie has had a hard life, orphaned as a teenager she flees to London and becomes part of a group of women who become like family to her. In the present she is kidnapped and taken prisoner along with her extremely wealthy husband, Ned. Through chapters that flip between past and present we learn how Amelie got into this position and why she actually feels safer locked in a dark room all alone then she felt with her husband. Though the end of the story did answer most of the questions you'll be left asking, some of them are quite far fetched and will probably leave you with more questions. Overall a fun and fast paced read, but not Paris' best.

Amalie is absolutely amazing! I love her strength and resilience throughout the book and what a fighter she ended up being. This was a great, fast paced book that I truly couldn’t put down. The characters were so well written and the only complaint I have is the way it ended because I really had hoped for a happy ending for Amalie and a certain male character. Highly recommend this book!!

B.A. Paris always does an excellent job of crafting thrilling, nail-biting mysteries, and "The Prisoner" is no exception! Amelie is all alone in the world except for a small circle of friends. So when the mysterious and wealthy Ned sets his eyes on her, she is flattered. However, quickly after the wedding, she begins to realize that he is not a knight in shining armor, but rather, a monster. When his criminal dealings get both of them kidnapped, Amelie has to fight to survive -- or does she?

This book was hard to put down, and highly enjoyable. The twist at the end was one I didn't see coming! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: November 1, 2022
After the death of her parents, Amelie finds herself living on the streets. To her astonishment, she is taken in as a housekeeper to a woman named Carolyn, and Amelie is enjoying a life she has never experienced or thought she deserved. So when billionaire Ned Hawthorne puts a proposition forward- Amelie marries him so he can avoid an arranged marriage to someone else, and she can get all the money she needs for law school- Amelie jumps at the oppourtunity, hoping to extend her good luck. But when she and Ned are captured and held for ransom, Amelie begins to have doubts about what kind of person her new husband is, and what he’s really capable of.
From the author of “The Therapist”, “Behind Closed Doors”, and others, B.A. Paris returns with “The Prisoner”. B.A. Paris has quickly become one of my favourite psychological suspense writers, and I was thrilled to get the oppourtunity to review her new work. As I expected, she did not disappoint!
The first part of the story is told by Amelie, and takes place in two time periods; the years and days leading up to her abduction, and the abduction period itself. Each section is clearly marked, and the story flowed well. The second part occurs after the abduction, and the plot follows Amelie in her quest for revenge. With short chapters and a gripping plot, “The Prisoner” captured my attention from the first page!
Amelie begins the novel as a naïve young woman, just looking for a way to escape her life, and when the oppourtunity presents itself, she can’t be blamed for jumping at the chance. Even when it appears too good to be true. Ned is quite obviously a despicable creature, right from the start, but it isn’t until the story begins to unfold that we see his true devious nature.
Of course, Paris does not hold back on the twists and turns, and “The Prisoner” had plenty of unexpected surprises! The ending itself was somehow both satisfying and disturbing, but it also holds some realism, which only added to the overall plot.
Paris has written a novel that I found to be completely page-turning, and the plot will carry you away if you let it! I’m a huge fan of this author and cannot wait for her next work!

So much promise with this one, but the ending kind of ruined it for me. There are two timelines in this book, I like this kind of writing as I feel it adds more suspense, and it did here. However, once the ending came, I was disappointed. It seemed kind of ridiculous and out of nowhere. I am thankful for the ARC and I'd be interested in reading the author again. I loved Behind Closed Doors!

Thanks!

<b>Note:</b> I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

Amelie has always been a survivor, from losing her parents as a child in Paris to making it on her own in London. As she builds a life for herself, she is swept up into a glamorous lifestyle where she married the handsome billionaire Jed Hawthorne.

But then, Amelie wakes up in a pitch-black room, not knowing where she is. Why has she been taken? Who are her mysterious captors? And why does she soon feel safer here, imprisoned, than she had begun to feel with her husband Jed?

It was interesting as a reader to try and figure out what was really going on and how Amelie fit into everything. I really do not think I would have been as calm as Amelie was, but maybe that was just her personality. I also did like how the ending of the book went, however, it dragged on a little longer than it should have.

Thank you for this ARC. I have enjoyed several BA Paris books, but this one was not for me.

The beginning started out interesting. However, the novel felt predictable but also boring. I found myself skimming and then eventually being underwhelmed by the ending.

3.5 stars. While I love this author so much and couldn’t wait to pick this one up, it was not my favorite book by her. It was a good mystery but also very predictable. You kind of knew what was going to happen before it happened. Overall I would still recommend because I saw mixed reviews. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of this book.

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

Interesting concept ...Amelie is being kept a prisoner...why? Going back and forth from present to past we get an insight on her life and what has led to this moment. The second part of the book starts to fit all the pieces together. I wish the conclusion hadn't been so rushed. All in all did keep my interest.

Thank you for the ARC! B.A Paris is new author to me and I was excited to give in as I have heard great things about previous books. This book sucked me in right away with quick chapters. It’s definitely unlike any other book I’ve read in the concept of it. However, the second half seemed to drag on for me and I found myself saying “let’s just get to the point”. Yet the ending also felt really abrupt and far fetched. I would have loved more character development on the side characters to feel more invested in the story. Overall enjoyed and will be working on my backlist for this author.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an hones review!

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars on here)

We follow Amelie who became an orphan at a young age and moved to London from Paris by herself after her father passed away. She starts to meet new people and build her own life with a new job and friends. However, she meets a handsome billionaire, Ned Hawthorne, where she is swept into a luxurious lifestyle. She is quickly learning that not everything is what is seems though. She wakes up in a dark room, has no idea where she is or why she was brought there, and she can’t seem to shake the feeling that she feels more safe in this pitch black room than she did before she got there.
*
I was so freaking excited when I got approved for this ARC. I absolutely LOVE B.A. Paris’s writing and have read everything that she has written. I love how her stories just draw you in and don’t let you go until the very end. I stayed up past my bedtime trying to read more of this book because I just didn’t want to put it down. Paris is the queen of psychological thrillers that just leave you stunned and not knowing what is going on. I loved how fast paced the novel was as well as the development of the characters. Overall, B.A. Paris continues to be an auto-buy author for me and one that I will always recommend!
*
This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Prisoner by B. A. Paris starts off with a young girl, not yet of age, whose father unexpectedly dies. Now an orphan, she flees from France to London in the hopes of making a living for herself, and escaping the notice of any type of agency that would force her under a guardianship until she is legally an adult. Unfortunately Amelie has a difficult time of it, until circumstances cause her to cross the path of a very kind hearted and lovely young woman named Carolyn. Carolyn takes Amelie into her home as a live in chef, and under her wing, Amelie slowly begins to build a caring and close knit friend group of several supportive and career driven women. One of the women works for a popular magazine owned by a wealthy but disreputable playboy Ned Hawthorpe.

As time goes on, Amelie moves out on her own, and begins working at the magazine. One innocuous seeming business trip will change Amelie’s life forever. Something goes very wrong, and within a few weeks of that business trip, Amelie is kidnapped and taken prisoner in an unknown location. Who has kidnapped her, and what is their motive? Most of all, why does she want to help her captors?

I don’t want to give away any spoilers. All I will say is that The Prisoner had some twists and turns. It was compelling. But I felt the book could really use some serious reworking to make the story better.

There were issues with characterization; the main players were not well fleshed out and felt one dimensional.

The biggest issue I had was the ending. When all the puzzle pieces are revealed, it wasn’t much of a surprise - not a good thing for a thriller. The most egregious fault was how the puzzle was revealed. It all takes place over a rather long and dry discussion between two characters. It’s a classic example of an author telling us instead of showing us, and it made the ending quite lackluster.

I can only give this a 3 out of 5, and that is being very generous.

Overall, The Prisoner felt like an unpolished first draft, not a book ready for publication by a best selling author. I hope some of these issues can be reworked for a better quality read.