Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris was my third book by this author. Of course, I started with Behind Closed Doors, then devoured The Breakdown and finally got Bring Me Back delivered to my doorstep. Sans yellow Russian dolls, I already had a bunch of those laying around. You’ll get it when you read the book. Anyways, this book delivered a great story with many twists, although it wasn’t quite as good as the other two by B.A. Paris.
Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris Synopsis
“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.”
Goodreads
What I Loved
I can’t say I loved this book, but I did like it. I found the plot really interesting and the twist at the end made me glad I read the book. It also made me wonder if re-reading it would give me a better appreciation for it. I enjoyed the writing and I liked reading the story from different character points of view. Although I liked the book in general, it’s hard to pinpoint why. Especially since I have quite a few criticisms.
What I Didn’t Love
The twist that I found amazing was quite unrealistic. There was a lot in this book that wasn’t quite believable and I did have trouble reading it at my usual fast pace. Finn and Ellen are supposed to be in love but you can’t tell from him constantly leaving the house and barely spending time with her. Yes, this is part of the story, but it made me feel disconnected from the characters. There really wasn’t much depth to any of them.
We do find out a lot about Finn, the protagonist, but his personality is confusing. On one hand he is this ladies man with a violent temper who acts before he thinks. But then he doesn’t take important steps with women and lets them do all the leg work. I guess I’m extra hard on him because I didn’t like him or relate to him. I feel like I’m being a little harsh here, because overall I enjoyed the book and I would consider rereading it. It seems like the kind of book where I’d get more out of with every read.
Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris Summary
This was a good book with many things that I didn’t like. However, overall it was enjoyable and the twist was unique and unexpected. I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t head over heels for this as it got 3.48 stars on Goodreads. Normally, I find the reviews overly critical, but in this case I kind of agree with them. Especially since B.A. Paris’s other books were so much better so the bar was set high. Grab a copy of Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris on Amazon. I am looking forward to reading The Dilemma next!
Her other books include:
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Bonus Jewelry!
The reason my house is even more littered with Russian nesting dolls is because I sell them as earrings in my store! Some background about them:
Nesting dolls are a popular Russian toy that has become iconic all over the world. They are also known as matryoshka dolls or babushka dolls. The typical nesting dolls come in sets where one fits into another and another until you go from a very large doll to the tiny one inside. These earrings do not contain any hidden secrets, but they are made with wood and delicately painted in various styles.
No two dolls are exactly the same. If you order a pair, they will have the same primary color but the hair color of the doll, her features and the other details may vary!
If you’d like to show off your love for reading via jewelry, check out these fun earrings on Everyfelt!
Great post 😁