Book Summary and Reviews of Bring Me Back by B. A. Paris

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Betty Taylor

Suspenseful but the twist didn't work for me
I loved B.A. Paris’ first book “Behind Closed Doors”. I thought “The Breakdown” was really good. So I was really eager to jump into this book. Twelve years ago Finn and Layla were in love. But returning from their vacation one night, Finn stops at what Americans know as a rest stop -- the story is set in England -- to use the restroom. When he returns Layla is gone. For twelve years there has been no sign of Layla so he moves on and is now engaged to Layla’s sister Ellen. What happened to Layla? Is she dead? If she is alive where has she been for twelve years? Did Finn have anything to do with her disappearance? Remember that the past always seems to come back to haunt you at the absolute worst time. Low and behold, once Finn and Ellen’s engagement is announced there is suddenly a sign that Layla may still be alive.

Once I started reading I quickly became lukewarm to it. Where was this going? After the initial “grab you” moment, it seemed to lag. But then probably two-thirds of the way through it grabbed me. I could not put it down. It was suspenseful. The short chapters kept me reading “just one more chapter”, just one more, just one more… I didn’t know who to love and who to hate. So many lies, so many secrets kept from those supposedly loved. Their emotions reached out from the printed page, one moment tugging at my heart, the next like hands wrapped around my throat choking me. I was along for the ride.

But then the ending – it just did not work for me. I love thrillers - especially those with a good twist. But that twist has to be plausible. It has to pull me along with it. Instead I dug in my heels, shook it off, and detached. I felt like throwing the book across the room.

Even with that emotional reaction I give it 4 stars. Why? Because it did elicit a strong emotional reaction. I cared about some of the characters. I wanted things to work out for them. I feel I have to rate the book on its entirety, not just on its ending. The writing was really good – character development strong. The author is unquestionably talented. I just hope for more believability with her next book.