THE NEW TWISTY, GRIPPING READ FROM B. A. PARIS, THE AUTHOR OF THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING NOVELS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND THE BREAKDOWN “We’re in a new Golden Age of suspense writing now, because of amazing books like Bring Me Back, and I for one am loving it.” –Lee Child “[An] outstanding Hitchcockian thriller.” –Publishers Weekly (starred review) She went missing. … thriller.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
She went missing. He moved on. A whole world of secrets remained–until now.
Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone–never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.
Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him…even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.
Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla–hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive–and on Finn’s trail–what does she want? And how much does she know?
A tour de force of psychological suspense, Bring Me Back will have you questioning everything and everyone until its stunning climax.
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This gripped me from page one until I put the book down finished. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen – I had to change direction! I was enthralled! The only thing was about halfway through, I got a little lost with all of the alternating timelines, but as long as you read this in one go, you should be good.
Wow, I loved this book. I was a fan of the author’s first two books so I was really excited to read this one. and then …. I finished it in one day. I could not put the book down. Through most of it, I didn’t know how to feel… this book had me all over the place! 4.5 stars for this psychological thriller. I’m a fan B. A. Paris!
B.A. Paris is known for her twisty psychological thrillers and I am happy to report that Bring Me Back was no exception. While this was not my favorite book of hers, I thought it was an overall entertaining read.
When Finn’s girlfriend goes missing on a trip in France, his world falls apart. Over time, he puts it back together and ends up dating and proposing to his missing girlfriend’s sister. After ten years of settling back into a happy life, a couple incidents cause him to question his sanity. As things continue happening around him that remind him of his lost love, he ponders if its possible his girlfriend is still alive.
As the tension ramps up, Finn finds his relationship with his current fiancé strained and tries to keep her happy while attempting to find out if its possible his girlfriend could still be out there somewhere. As you can imagine, this does not bode well for his current relationship. Things get crazy weird and twisty as the story progresses and the book ends with an unexpected turn of events.
I have seen many mixed review on this book. So, here is my candid take on it. I was a little put off by the ending. It seemed a bit farfetched and did not end the way I would have imagined it to end. That said, I have to honestly say that up until the last ten percent or so, I was hooked, scratching my head and successfully deceived, and isn’t that what the goal of psychological thriller is? While people may be disappointed with the ending, I think it is fair to give credit where credit is due. This is a well written, easy to read, suspenseful story that held my attention from page one, entertained me and left me satisfied. Because the majority of the story was excellent, I think it is only fair to give this book a 4.5 star review, taking off half a star because I was not in love with the ending. I am still a fan of B.A. Paris!
Review by Amy, Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night with Books Blog
Bring me Back by B.A. Paris a five-star read that you won’t forget. This is my first read by this author and it won’t be the last, my mum kept telling me I should pick her up and I’m so glad I finally listened. This is such a thrilling read, there are twists and turns that will turn your head. The way the book is told by the two main storytellers telling alternate chapters has been done before but this author has done it and as I was reading it I could hear each voice telling me a different part of their story. Each voice builds the tension and pulls you deeper into the story, as each secret is revealed you get sucked more into the story. Finn and Layla will tell their story and you won’t want to put it down, as characters they had so much going on your brain was constantly running in the background like oohh what about this and that and did that mean anything.
What a story, you won’t be able to put it down. I can’t say more without ruining the drama, you need to check this book out.
A very suspenseful book and it keeps you guessing until the very last page. The story was creepy with so many secrets and lies you don’t know what is the truth. I received an advanced readers copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and all opinions are my own.
Well didn’t see that coming. Another good thriller/mystery book by B.A. Paris. Was she still alive, was she kidnapped, did she run away? All very good questions. These are questions you want to know the answers to as you are reading this book. I want to feel bad for Finn but at the same time I think he got what he deserved.
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
We meet Finn, a young entrepreneur who’s dating Layla, a young beautiful woman. One night, Layla disappears without a trace. 12 years later, Layla is still missing. Finn has moved on with Ellen, Layla’s sister This book was my second of Ms. Paris’s. I loved all the characters especially Finn, Harry and Ruby. This book had so many twists and turns that it kept me guessing til the end. That ending was OMG
Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris tells the story of Finn, Layla and Ellen and is a thriller that will leave you in suspense until the very end! Finn and Layla are happy and in love. While travelling, Finn stops to use the bathroom and when he returns, Layla is gone, never to be seen again.
Years later, Finn is ready to move on and is now engaged to Ellen, Layla’s sister, who bonded through their shared grief. Even so, there is something off about Ellen, but Finn puts that aside.
When things seem to finally settle into place for Finn and Ellen, things begin to happen that indicate Layla may still be alive. Someone claims to have seen Layla. Then lost items belonging to Layla begin to appear close to Finn. Then the emails start. Could Layla truly be alive and if she is, where has she been?
Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris takes you a thrilling journey full of mystery and suspense. What is real and what is not? That ending was unexpected and will leave you reeling!
Happy reading!
BA Paris doesn’t disappoint. I was hooked from page one. She keeps you on your toes while reading the book. You think you’ve figured it out & then you don’t.
This was a wild ride and quite a twisty psychological thriller. I wasn’t quite sure what to believe, wasn’t really sure I liked Finn or Ellen…and Layla? Hmmmm…. I truly didn’t see the ending coming so it was a deliciously shocking surprise. I never came to like Finn, but that didn’t stop my enjoyment of the tale.
This was my first read by B.A. Paris, and I am intrigued by the writing style, so I will definitely seek out more of her offerings.
@stmartinspress @BAParisAuthor #BringMeBack
The beginning had me entranced, but it began to get a little boring by the middle. I pushed through the boring area and surprisingly it did get better. There is a twist that I didn’t see coming, but it did make for an entertaining read!
Finn and his girlfriend Layla were returning home from a skiing vacation in France, when he decided to make a quick bathroom trip at a secluded rest stop, Layla decides to wait for him in the car. But when he comes out of the bathroom he discovers that she is gone, which leads him to think she must have changed her mind about using the bathroom, or maybe getting out to stretch her legs a bit. But after several minutes of waiting he realizes something is wrong, so a search ensues, and he comes up empty handed, she has simply vanished in thin air. He notifies the authorities, they do their own investigation, but she was never to be found.
Now twelve years after the incident, Finn has moved on and found love once again with Layla’s sister Ellen. They share a home together, and are planning their wedding, and you could say everything for them is perfectly falling back into place. Then Russian dolls appear on their doorstep, mysterious emails are received, and sightings of Layla start happening and their world is once again turned upside down. Now as they try to determine if it is in fact Layla making a return, or someone playing tricks on them, the two of them begin to realize that their happily ever after just hit a big snag. Someone wants a little revenge, and they will stop at nothing to make it happen…
Bring Me Back is a riveting tale that will grip you from the first page and not let go until the last! This was my first read from this author, and must admit I was quite thrilled with what I found, the plot was engaging, exquisitely crafted, and riddled with twists and turns that had my jaw dropping more than a few times. Just when I thought I knew where things were headed, Ms. Paris, would pull the rug out from under me and leave me stumped all over again. I thoroughly enjoyed this clever work of art, it had everything I look for in a suspenseful read and so much more… highly recommend you get your hands on this one it’s sure to boggle your mind and keep you on the edge of your seat!!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed.
3.5 stars
I am not entirely sure how I feel about Bring Me Back and what to write for my review. I find myself wondering if I am forever ruined from being able to read anything by B.A. Paris and NOT compare it to Behind Closed Doors. Behind Closed Doors was unlike any book I have ever read, ever. I have never been so captivated or flipped the pages so fast in a frenzy to find out what the heck was going on. I may have read that entire book in less than 24 hours.
Now I find myself continually wanting to read books by Paris and expecting that same intensity I felt when I read her debut novel. And yet, I find myself disappointed when that doesn’t happen. Maybe it’s not fair, actually, it isn’t fair. Because Paris is one heck of a storyteller, she weaves such a story that you can’t trust, that keep you guessing and keeps you turning pages quickly. One book should not influence the review of another, yes?
So with that, Bring Me Back has everything that a psychological thriller should. Suspicious characters, unreliable narrators and the feeling of what is actually going on??? I read this book pretty quickly and I was engrossed. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat as you delve deeper and deeper into Finn and Layla’s past and as Finn slowly starts to unravel.
Bring Me Back is fairly short, and probably could have used another 25-30 pages to allow for deeper character development. We really see into Finn and Layla, but it would have been nice to get a little deeper connection with Ruby and Harry. I felt that there could have been more there for us and that the secondary characters were a little glossed over. However, the story being told is still a darn good one.
In the end, I settled on 3.5 stars. I highly recommend this book, and I absolutely will be keeping my eye out for anything new that B.A. Paris writes. I am a fan. And I will read anything she puts out there for us.
Thank you to St. Martins Press for my copy of this book via NetGalley
So your girlfriend disappears and you think you’ve moved on, but then what if she came back? What happens to your life plan? If you enjoyed Gone Girl this is a great book to check out. I found it fast reading and engaging. Kept me guessing til the end
kept me reading all into the night. very suspenseful & a pager turner.
A psychological thriller with so many twists! You just won’t believe it!
Layla was Finn’s love. The one who got under his skin. When she disappears he can’t imagine living life without her. Fast forward twelve years and slowly Finn has made a new life for himself when he meets and falls in love with Ellen.
Ellen happens to be Layla’s sister. They are so different, but they love each other and plan for their wedding.
This is when things begin to “happen”!
Whose doing these things and what is the motive?
This is the second book I have read from B A Paris. LOVE! LOVE!. My first book romance with B A Paris was, Behind Closed Doors. Another 5 Stars. Now, I need to go back and read The Break Down.
Finn’s girlfriend, Layla went missing twelve years ago, but he can’t remember for sure all the details of that night. Only the ones he fabricated to the police. Now, twelve years later, he’s receiving signs from Laya that only he and she would know that it is indeed…Layla.
There’s one major problem…he’s now engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen.
Ellen has also been receiving messages from her missing sister. However, Finn decides to keep his messages, emails and purposely place tokens of Russian dolls, to himself. Emails that tell Finn he has ten days to get rid of Ellen.
This book kept me on edge as I was building my own suspicions of what was really going on. There were times I felt Finn was guilty of something, and then other times I felt Ellen was hiding more.
Great read! Great thriller up to the end. Another Great Job, B A Paris.
I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this book. I couldn’t put it down. But I’m having a hard time with the end of the book. I can’t wait for some of my friends to read it so we can discuss the ending.
Received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
B.A. Paris did not disappoint me yet again. She knows how to write a first-rate psychological thriller! Grabbed me from the first page and once I started reading it, was very hard to put down.
Full of plot twists, the story line is excellent and is so very well written. The characters are very flawed, which in this case makes me really like them.
I have to admit I sort of had the “mystery” figured out about 80% in but it was still fun riding along to the end to see how Paris solved it.
This one gets a 5 star because Paris had me riveted from the first paragraph and kept me there.
Bring Me Back puts the reader on edge from the opening chapter. The pages contain an underlying sense of doom and you know that the story is not going to end well. Part one of the book tells Finn’s story in flashes of now and in the past. Layla disappearance weighs heavy on Finn but the reader is never quite sure what actually happened. Part two and part three begins Layla’s side of the story while flashing to Finn currently. With a growing sense of anxiety, the pages flow quickly as the reader realizes not everything is as it should be. Finn begins to doubt everything and the reader does right along with him. You wait for the other shoe to drop because you know it is going too as the psychological cat and mouse game unfolds. With twists and turns like a curvy mountain road, the story unfolds differently than first predicted but like a big flashing sign of danger that is just ahead. I started out just knowing where this story was going but by Part three I had to throw those notions aside and embrace the truth of the end that was coming. Finn is overall not a very sympathetic character but neither is Layla. Even though I did not like them much the story compelled me to know the ending. Nail biting and nerve racking, the story does not disappoint. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.