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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book’s saving grace was that it was short. I was a little disappointed since I loved Behind Closed Doors and The Breakdown and I expected to love this too. It was just kind of...boring? I didn’t dislike it, but I also didn’t really care what happened. And I also kind of figured out the ending, so by the time I got to the end I was like, yeah, that’s pretty much what I thought the whole time. If you haven’t read the author, I highly recommend reading Behind Closed Doors. If you have read this author I would skip this one.
Rating:
So...I have just finished writing this review and it got way more lengthy and ranty then I was expecting. You're welcome.
I am going to have to agree with my fellow reviewer here......this book was pulled straight from a daytime Soap Opera...and it wasn't even done particularly well.
12 years ago, Layla disappeared. She and Finn had been returning from a blissful and romantic ski trip in France when he pulled to a rest stop to use the restroom, leaving Layla alone in the car, and when he returned.... she was gone. At least, that is what he told the police.
After struggling to move on and let go, Finn found comfort and love with Layla's sister, Ellen, and they have just announced their engagement. But shortly after, little Russian nesting dolls start showing up, an item of significance to Layla, and Finn is starting to receive emails from a stranger, claiming that Layla is alive.......but is she?
Deep Breath.
Okay.
Let's do this.
First, I must say that this was almost compulsively readable. I was immediately captivated and drawn in from the very first page as Finn recounts the night Layla disappeared. I enjoy the way B.A. Paris writes stories, so it was no surprise that I was instantly intrigued and found this to be an easy read overall.
I was also pulled into the relationship dynamics and the alternate timelines. We begin with Finn in the present, engaged to Ellen, but never fully letting go of Layla, and what happens to him and their relationship when it starts to seem as if Layla has returned. We also get brief glimpses into the past, as Finn goes over his very brief time with Layla.
However, as the plot went on, I found myself having to suspend disbelief more often than not and the technical issues compounded upon one another that by the time this ended, I was utterly baffled.
Let's start at the beginning. Note: There are some spoilerish comments here.
When Layla and Finn meet, she is 18 he is 27, and he finds her looking like a lost puppy in London. It is New Year's Eve, she has just run away to London and is not used to the big city. He tries to help her as best he can, almost instantly becoming infatuated with her, virtually upending his entire life and sacrificing all other people to be with her. They move in together, Finn footing the expenses and living a life of almost bliss. Then...not even 2 years later, Layla is just on the cusp of 20 and she has disappeared. Her disappearance has basically consumed Finn and his entire life.
I found it very hard to connect with this relationship, not simply because of the age difference, but because of how quickly it escalated. Within 13 months, she is still a teenager, they had been living together, and POOF! Layla is gone. I didn't find this realistic or relatable and because of that, I did not care about Layla or her disappearance. I also found both her and Finn to be very unlikeable, and this didn't really change as the plot went on.
And then...we get to the first "twist." I have this in quotations because only one of two things can happen: Either she going to be alive or she is not. So after a very "Gone Girl" moment, you are shown the truth and then what is supposed to keep the story going, are the whys, the hows, and the what nows?
But really....it just leads the reader further into "What in the Actual Fuck" territory.
And can we talk about the characters? Finn is not overly likable. He has a hairstring temper that does come into play within this story and as soon as there is even a possibility of Layla being alive...he is ready to straight-up ditch his fiance and starts admitting that he never truly loved her. Oh, and his fiance is pretty bland and one-dimensional. Shit, even Finn notes this himself several times throughout the book by noting how she never disagrees with him, how she always wears black or greys, how she is just always so......routine. She seems to have very little personality overall. In the end, you find out why that is...but still.
I do have to hand it to B.A. Paris. There were some avenues I thought she was going to take and she put those into the story and then squashed them. The ultimate reveal was decent, but it required an entire suspension of disbelief.
So, while I did think this was an entertaining read...entertaining in the way of trashy daytime television, it wasn't of much substance or merit. This, by far, is my least favorite of B.A. Paris's work. I will definitely give her another shot as I enjoyed far more her other two works. But this...was just not very good.
So...I have just finished writing this review and it got way more lengthy and ranty then I was expecting. You're welcome.
I am going to have to agree with my fellow reviewer here......this book was pulled straight from a daytime Soap Opera...and it wasn't even done particularly well.
12 years ago, Layla disappeared. She and Finn had been returning from a blissful and romantic ski trip in France when he pulled to a rest stop to use the restroom, leaving Layla alone in the car, and when he returned.... she was gone. At least, that is what he told the police.
After struggling to move on and let go, Finn found comfort and love with Layla's sister, Ellen, and they have just announced their engagement. But shortly after, little Russian nesting dolls start showing up, an item of significance to Layla, and Finn is starting to receive emails from a stranger, claiming that Layla is alive.......but is she?
Deep Breath.
Okay.
Let's do this.
First, I must say that this was almost compulsively readable. I was immediately captivated and drawn in from the very first page as Finn recounts the night Layla disappeared. I enjoy the way B.A. Paris writes stories, so it was no surprise that I was instantly intrigued and found this to be an easy read overall.
I was also pulled into the relationship dynamics and the alternate timelines. We begin with Finn in the present, engaged to Ellen, but never fully letting go of Layla, and what happens to him and their relationship when it starts to seem as if Layla has returned. We also get brief glimpses into the past, as Finn goes over his very brief time with Layla.
However, as the plot went on, I found myself having to suspend disbelief more often than not and the technical issues compounded upon one another that by the time this ended, I was utterly baffled.
Let's start at the beginning. Note: There are some spoilerish comments here.
When Layla and Finn meet, she is 18 he is 27, and he finds her looking like a lost puppy in London. It is New Year's Eve, she has just run away to London and is not used to the big city. He tries to help her as best he can, almost instantly becoming infatuated with her, virtually upending his entire life and sacrificing all other people to be with her. They move in together, Finn footing the expenses and living a life of almost bliss. Then...not even 2 years later, Layla is just on the cusp of 20 and she has disappeared. Her disappearance has basically consumed Finn and his entire life.
I found it very hard to connect with this relationship, not simply because of the age difference, but because of how quickly it escalated. Within 13 months, she is still a teenager, they had been living together, and POOF! Layla is gone. I didn't find this realistic or relatable and because of that, I did not care about Layla or her disappearance. I also found both her and Finn to be very unlikeable, and this didn't really change as the plot went on.
And then...we get to the first "twist." I have this in quotations because only one of two things can happen: Either she going to be alive or she is not. So after a very "Gone Girl" moment, you are shown the truth and then what is supposed to keep the story going, are the whys, the hows, and the what nows?
But really....it just leads the reader further into "What in the Actual Fuck" territory.
And can we talk about the characters? Finn is not overly likable. He has a hairstring temper that does come into play within this story and as soon as there is even a possibility of Layla being alive...he is ready to straight-up ditch his fiance and starts admitting that he never truly loved her. Oh, and his fiance is pretty bland and one-dimensional. Shit, even Finn notes this himself several times throughout the book by noting how she never disagrees with him, how she always wears black or greys, how she is just always so......routine. She seems to have very little personality overall. In the end, you find out why that is...but still.
I do have to hand it to B.A. Paris. There were some avenues I thought she was going to take and she put those into the story and then squashed them. The ultimate reveal was decent, but it required an entire suspension of disbelief.
So, while I did think this was an entertaining read...entertaining in the way of trashy daytime television, it wasn't of much substance or merit. This, by far, is my least favorite of B.A. Paris's work. I will definitely give her another shot as I enjoyed far more her other two works. But this...was just not very good.
The definition of a book that exists and I read it. This book was fine. The ending was kind of predictable, and none of the characters were very likable. It's a very standard thriller.
I can't believe I'm giving this book only 1 star. This was so stupid and disappointing. The way the story was told was such a missed opportunity because I feel like the idea and the big twist at the end have a lot of potential but it was very poorly executed. Characters were flat and boring and Finn is a complete idiot. The whole "villainous" POV was stupid and riddiculous and the ending with that 6-page essay was a lazy way to reveal everything and end the book. And on top of all of this, I was incredibly bored the whole time. This is probably the worst thriller I've read so far.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am honestly shocked that this book has as low of a average rating as it does. Yes, it was pretty predicable the last few chapters, but it took a whole lot of fun and crazy turns to get there. The characters are all so unlikable, but I LOVE that.
As someone who isn't a huge fan of most of the domestic thrillers out there these days, this one actually surprised me! I loved the flashbacks to young Layla, and how vivacious and lively she was. That image compared with the main character's personality was so stark, and really sets the tone for the current day in the book.
Honestly, it was good, good fun. I listened to the audiobook and I would recommend it-- it's well read and the writing works well in spoken form. I will likely pick up the hard copy soon, just to have a copy of it.
As someone who isn't a huge fan of most of the domestic thrillers out there these days, this one actually surprised me! I loved the flashbacks to young Layla, and how vivacious and lively she was. That image compared with the main character's personality was so stark, and really sets the tone for the current day in the book.
Honestly, it was good, good fun. I listened to the audiobook and I would recommend it-- it's well read and the writing works well in spoken form. I will likely pick up the hard copy soon, just to have a copy of it.
fast-paced