3 stars?

This one was a bit of a disappointment for me, and I’m not sure if that was the story itself or if it was more about the files that were accessible. I know there were missing pieces from the ARCs (definitely from the audiobook version, and it seems like from the ebook edition as well) that were available for download, so it’s tough to get the full picture of the story. That being said, I liked the protagonist, and much of the story (before it got a bit confusing and then cut off) was interesting and twisty in the usual style of this writer. I think I’ve read all (or most) of the novels from her; I liked this one, but it wasn’t my absolute favourite. I’m still looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next, and I’ll have to consider revisiting this one in the future, maybe after it’s published.

I loved the dual timeline of the story, flipping between Amelie’s past prior to meeting Ned and her current situation as a prisoner. The chapters are short which makes this book a quick read. Additionally the author does an excellent job at sprinkling in little bits here and there to keep you guessing what happened. Although you might think this is your typical locked room read…the story takes some turns I was not expecting which kept me wanting to know more.

I loved it but the ending made me scream. I was like wtf? Why did it end that way? *see the edit.

I loved the main character. I somewhat understood her and her weird motives. I am very much looking forward to some discussions about this one. I think I need some explanations about the ending. That's what this author does best, she writes endings that have me wanting to reread the entire book. Or relisten. I listened to this. It was a great performance.
The book scared me and made me nervous. I could feel the disorientation.
I couldn't understand why our protagonist didn't run the second she could but it wouldn't be a good story if she had some boundaries.
Plus young people tend to make poor decisions.

Thank you for ARC. I don't think I have ever wanted anything more than the chance to be one of the first reviewers of this book.

Edit:
It turns out I was confused about the ending because there were many missing chapters in the version of the book I downloaded. Luckily that was caught and I was able to read/listen to the actual ending. With the actual final chapters it is a much better book. It is a 5 star book now.

I really enjoyed this book by B.A. Paris, it was intriguing but not quite a thriller to me. I received a free copy from NetGalley for my honest opinion. I felt the narrator did an excellent job at the different voices and accents. There was a goof around chapter 39 but because of this being on NetGalley I couldn't go back to re listen. I hope they will fix this before the publication date.

I personally like the present and past chapters. It gives you background information that helps with the book. I REALLY appreciated how the author tied everything up in the end. We actually got to know who did what and why. That helped a lot.

The protagonist has gone through a lot in her life for only being in her very early twenties. I couldn't imagine being alone at 16 and living in London by myself. However, I could relate to her as I have been homeless at one time.

All and all I would say this is a really good book, it only took me 3 days to read/listen to it.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to listen to this book.

The Prisoner was a typical B.A. Paris book which means it was an interesting psychological thriller, with well defined main characters and twists throughout the story. I liked the vast majority of the book. The chapters are quick, and it is an easy read book. The use of past and present in the story telling kept this reader engaged. What I didn’t like about this book was the way it ended. The ending was a bit plodding and after all the explanation, there were still unanswered questions.
I continue to be a B.A. Paris fan, but this was probably my least favorite title.
On the plus side, Georgia Maguire did an excellent job in the narration of this title.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for the opportunity to listen to this title in exchange for my honest review.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕣 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: November 1st 2022

𝑺𝒚𝒏𝒐𝒑𝒔𝒊𝒔:
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?

𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 💭:
This is a very quick audio! The suspense built at a decent pace and goes back and forth between past and present timelines. The short chapters and the way the past and present collide kept me engaged. I wanted to know why someone kidnapped Amelia and her husband Jed.

While this was a quick read, most of the characters lacked depth and there weren’t enough twists to make me love this book. However, I did connect with Amelia so it was a solid 3 ⭐️.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 & 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥

Thank you @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for the advanced audio of #theprisoner #netgalley

I have to say, I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris's previous works, but this one did not cut it for me and I am shocked by how disappointed I was with this. I am left with so many questions and just very confused after reading this one. I felt that this was way too short and is seriously lacking in character development. There are so many character names thrown in at the end that I could hardly remember who they all were and why the ending was supposed to be dramatic and shocking. The complete lack of any character development for a single character really just left me feeling zero emotional attachment to these characters and not really caring what happened to them one way or another. When I first started this, I was intrigued by the premise and the beginning POVs but quickly became confused on why the story was organized in the manner it was. I also found myself wanting more of the POV of the beginning of the "marriage" but hardly got anything. I felt like this came completely out of nowhere and there was just no proper build up to anything in this. I am left with so many questions still and am very disappointed because this was so different from the style of Paris' past books. I will still look forward to her next releases but I would skip this one if you are a fan of her work. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Edit: It has now come to my attention via a follow up email from the publisher that the file for THE PRISONER on NetGalley was missing multiple chapters. This is probably why I was left so confused and why I didn't enjoy this nearly as much I would have hoped. However, it would be nearly impossible for me to determine which chapters were missing on my first read through so I will not be going back and listening to the chapters I missed. Very disappointed in the publisher for not realizing this before putting it on NetGalley. I'm sure I'm not the only one who had this unfortunate experience and it will likely hurt the early popularity of the book.

THE PRISONER started on an intriguing note, and as the story progressed, I was interested in the overall concept. However, despite short chapters and the fact I finished this in 24 hours, it still felt drawn out in all of the wrong places (the dark, stuck-in-the-bedroom scenes). As we flip between the past and the present, the story just becomes so far-fetched and unbelievable. I didn’t really feel any tension with the kidnapping after the first chapter.
I think part of my issue is that in the beginning, you feel like Amelie is clever, or has some insight, as she answers the whole ‘1 million pounds now, or 1 pound then that amount doubles every day for 31 days’ with her dad. She's a scrappy girl who has been dealt a rough hand in her childhood, but is starting to overcome it. When she is kidnapped, she seems to be observant and trying to figure out what to do or how to escape. But how the book ends, makes it feel like she’s not really that clever or observant, as she admits she doesn’t even know the pound a day doubled, etc, calculation and when she finally gets answers, she doesn’t seem to have worked out anything and it feels like an interview as a conclusion, more telling than showing. I didn’t find any of the characters really had any growth (or the intriguing ones were killed off) and I didn’t feel that connected to anyone.
I wasn’t shocked by any of the twists, which isn’t necessarily a problem if the journey is enjoyable, but I found that this book seemed to force a love interest in order to come to the conclusion it did, and I just didn’t buy it. I wish we had more character development and experiences between Amelie and Hunter. Maybe if they went on a date or two before she went to Las Vegas with Ned, I don’t know.
I did really enjoy Georgia Maguire's narration and felt like she made it enjoyable to listen to.
I have enjoyed BA Paris’s writing in the past and am sure to pick up another but this particular plotline just wasn’t for me.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book started off as a five star read. I was hooked immediately, loved the short chapters and thought the past/ present timelines built the perfect amount of suspense. However, once the second part hit, the book took a turn for the worse, and I lost interest completely. The execution of the plot was long and drawn out, there was little to no character development, I had zero emotional attachment to any characters and the story was totally unbelievable.

Chapters were missing form original audiobook and was too impatient to wait for updated! Listened to some of the chapters as I alternated with reading and thought the narration was great.

Thank you to NETGALLEY for the audio advance reader copy of this book. After reading Behind Closed Doors, I’ll read everything Paris writes hoping for something as good. This story comes close.! Lots of twists and turns and speculation in the beginning of the book. However, toward the end Paris begins explaining everything to the reader. While it’s nice to understand why and how everything is happening, very little is left for the reader to guess and imagine. 4 stars!

Amelie has been a survivor from day one. After losing her parents, she has made a life for herself in London with help from Carolyn Blakely a kind woman who took her in. Shortly after marrying billionaire, Jed Hawthorne, she is kidnapped and held in a dark room. Who has kidnapped her and why does she feel safter there in that dark room than with her husband? Pretty bad when you feel better being held captive.

I enjoyed the short chapters that helped move the book along at a nice pace. The two timelines were also enjoyable and kept me invested. The book started strong and instantly grabbed my attention and had me wanting to know more. It was obvious from the beginning, that her husband was not the nicest of fellows, and I wanted to know more of his motivation and why both were taken.

I had both the kindle and audiobook versions of this book. I was nice to go back, and forth which was nice as my audiobook was slightly over 4 hours, I notice other reviewers of the audiobook are mentioning the glitch in shortened time with the audiobook. Thankfully I had both. When I started listening, I thought, wow this is a short book, only 4 hours listening time, but having both copies, I was able to read/listen to the entirety of the book. I did enjoy the narrator.

While I enjoyed the book, I didn't quite love it. I found it to be entertaining and was invested in it all the way to the end. Amelie was a character to root for which I did. Like other reviewers, I found the ending to be what dragged my rating down. The ending lost a little of what made me enjoy the book in the beginning. The book was a solid 4 for me going into the ending.

Although this was not my favorite by B.A. Paris, I will happily read more of her books in the future.

3.5 stars


Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Behind Closed Door was the only other book I have read by BA Paris, and I LOVED it, so I was so excited to get an advanced copy of this book.

The Prisoner started off very interesting, but then I began losing interest. There was very little character development, so I didn't have any sympathy for the characters when they were kidnapped or for the events that followed.

After this point, the second half of the book was pretty far- fetched and I lost track of the characters and why the events were even occurring

Overall, the book was a miss for me after the love I had for her previous novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, McMillan audio and the author for an ARC of this book.

So I received an ARC Audio from NetGalley and it was missing Chapters and especially the last 2 chapters. So it left me confused and on such a cliffhanger with unanswered questions. Fortunately for me I won the book on Goodreads and was able to read the book! So it went from 2🌟 to 4🌟
The Prisoner by B.A. Paris is a quick easy read. The story is told in 2 timelines… The past before Amelie was kidnapped and The present of Amelie being kidnapped.
I enjoyed the story.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and also to Goodreads for the ARCs.

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris.

First I just want to thank netgalley for the ARC Ebook and AUDIOBOOK version of this book.
I LOVE listening to the book while I read it. However, The audiobook version I got had MANY missing chapters. So not sure if that was just my version or what.

This book Started out with a BANG!!! It hooked me from chapter one... THEN part 2 happened. I Love B.A. Paris but What was that part 2? It started off decently enough then all of the sudden we had multiple locations. and like what felt like 900 characters to keep track of. Had part 2 been different maybe but this is def my least favorite by her. But everyone has a fail now and again right?

2.5 Stars rounded to 3 ONLY because I enjoyed the first half so much.

The audiobook narrator was great (for the chapters I had) so SUPER happy to have been approved for both the Ebook and Audioversion. Otherwise not sure how I could of even rated it.


#NetGalley #ARC #ebook #audiobook #essentiallyakara

Maybe 3 and ½ Stars ✨?

Y'all I don't know 🤦‍♀️. I really don't. I have mixed feelings.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my advanced audio copy of The Prisoner.

What I Enjoyed-

✨ The Audio- The Prisoner was narrated by Georgia Maguire. She did an awesome job.

✨ The Premise- Very Intriguing. It's what made me request an early copy.

✨ The Dual Timeline.

✨ Amelie- B.A. Paris made me really care about this character.

Why This Book Lost Stars-

As much as I enjoyed Amelie- I could have cared less about anyone else. They lacked substance. There were two female side characters and they felt interchangeable.
A couple years ago I read The Dilemma by this author and I'm coming out of this book with similar feelings. She writes well enough to keep me hooked but by the end I'm left feeling underwhelmed.

Overall- Not a bad book. I just wanted more. I've heard B.A. Paris's backlist is much better than her most recent published works. I look forward to giving them a go.

This audiobook starts at full speed and kept me guessing about everyone's intentions. I loved the narrator and found Amelie to be a resourceful, intriguing main character as the narrative moves back and forth through time giving us clues to the people and events and how they intertwine to lead to the kidnapping which gives the book its title. I was completely sucked in for most of the book and wanted to find out all the answers and see Amelie prevail; my only problem is the number of coincidences and easy fixes after such a hard life - Carolyn giving a stranger a job and home so easily then introducing her to her friends at a trendy magazine and the billionaire owner, Ned, who gives her a job and marries her and then the weird way that everything is wrapped up at the end. I would still recommend the book at 3.5 stars rounded up for the suspenseful ride up front.

A big thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early listen.

I binged this in one day! I couldn’t stop listening. I loved the narrator. I loved the plot. That ending though.. ummm is there gonna be a second 2?! Cliffhanger alert! I need answers! So many twisty dark turns. I loved it. This was my first book by Paris , but not the last!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to The Prisoner in exchange for my honest review.

I want to start by saying I love B. A. Paris and have now read all but 1 of her previous works. I wish this book lived up to the standard that I had expected from B.A Paris.

This book starts off so fascinating— going back into the past and present in short chapters that kept the page turning. A mysterious kidnapping, a marriage between two people but is everything as it seems? Amelie has had a tragic past and Ned has had the life of opportunity with his wealthy family connections. Why were they taken? Why doesn’t he seem to care about her? Why is she happy about his suffering? Is this actually a kidnapping?

I felt no connection to Amelie or any other character. The twists and turns and plot points could have been interesting but felt rushed and fell flat somehow and it ends with the most unsatisfactory meeting with no real answers. And after the half-hearted plot and story line I felt as a reader the very least we could have gotten at the end was all the answers not a disappointing cliff-hanger. Overall, B.A. Paris, I love your work. Just not this book. To anyone reading this, do yourself a favor and pick up Behind Closed Doors for a satisfactory thriller.

So I read the actual book and attempted to listen to the audiobook as well and I kept thinking I was crazy and that things were skipping around. Then I realized there are chapters missing from the audiobook. No wonder I was getting so confused. Definitely want to fix that asap.

The prisoner — 3.5 STARS — The Prisoner by B.A Paris will surely have you hooked from the very beginning! But unfortunately, by the end I was still waiting for explanations and finished this feeling confused. I finished the first 3/4 so quickly and by the end, I was indifferent. It just didn’t leave me with the ‘wow’ feeling like I had when I read ‘behind closed doors’.

Amelie is young, good hearted, determined, and completely alone. After losing all of her family she moves to London to pursue a career and hopefully a better future. It was there when she met the son of a billionaire, Ned. Eventually Ned proposes a “business deal” to Emily– they are to get married in Vegas. Everything happens so quickly and after marrying, she learns things about Jed that frighten her… and then, they’re kidnapped.

Chapters are short, told in past and present timelines, the story will keep you wondering what the heck happened to them and why. Again, it was missing that wow factor for me but I’m excited to read more from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy in exchange for a honest review.