Title: Bring Me Back
Author: B.A. Paris
Publisher: HQ
[Synopsis]
A young British couple are driving through France on holiday when they stop for gas. He runs in to pay, she stays in the car. When he returns her car door has been left open, but she’s not inside. No one ever sees her again.
Ten years later he’s engaged to be married; he’s happy, and his past is only a tiny part his life now. Until he comes home from work and finds his new wife-to-be is sitting on their sofa. She’s turning something over in her fingers, holding it up to the light. Something that would have no worth to anyone else, something only he and she would know about because his wife is the sister of his missing first love.
As more and more questions are raised, their marriage becomes strained. Has his first love somehow come back to him after all this time? Or is the person who took her playing games with his mind?
[My Review]
Well, this kept me reading all day and all night, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! I hugely enjoyed The Breakdown, also by B.A. Paris, so had high hopes for this one too – and it didn’t disappoint.
As well as the addictive plot (what really happened to Finn’s girlfriend Layla, who really knows what, and how on earth can she still be alive – if indeed, she is?) and the constant feeling of unease around Finn with his questionable temper, I also felt that the fact that I really couldn’t being to guess what the outcome would be made this such an addictive read.
The story itself focuses a lot on Finn’s life today as he has seemingly moved on, and is happily coupled up with none other than Layla’s sister Emma! However there are also flashbacks to that night, and chapters which reveal the thoughts of the person leaving these mysterious Russian dolls – could it be Layla herself, and if so where has she been all this time? I liked the characterisation B.A. Paris provides, making you care about what’s happening even though I really didn’t like Finn himself. It’s obvious he’s supposed to be a bit of a questionable character, as the reader never knows if he actually knows a lot more than he let on, and his attitude in general towards both Layla, back when they were together, and in the present day with her sister Emma, jarred with me – particularly his constant comparisons between them. This made me want him to get his comeuppance in some way, whether he did do something awful all those years ago or not! I always like reading about ‘questionable’ main characters, and here the author has effectively created some truly strange people, and people I really enjoyed reading about!
There’s plenty of mystery throughout Bring Me Back, with some red herrings along the way, and although some parts were perhaps a little unbelievable I still raced through it, right until the rather satisfying ending! I feel that this is another riveting read from B.A. Paris and would definitely recommend it.
[Rating: 4.5/5]
Many thanks to HQ for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.