Zuky the BookBum's Reviews > Bring Me Back

Yep, that’s right! This seriously popular and loved book was a DNF for me. Why can’t I be normal and like what other people like? I managed to read 70% of this before I couldn’t take it anymore and skim read the rest… so you can’t say I didn’t give it a good shot!

From just a couple of pages in, I could already feel this one was going to disappoint. Behind Closed Doors was clearly a one-off for me, and I have resigned myself to never be sucked in by the hype of a B. A. Paris novel again. We just don’t gel.

I’ll start off by saying that right from the start, the whole story didn’t excite me, and maybe that was a telling sign for me not to pick up this book, but I hate missing out on something that’s potentially mind-blowing! I mean this book came with the slogan ‘#FORGETSLEEP’, so it certainly sounded like it was going to be gripping and exciting. The plot sounded super samey for a dedicated crime thriller reader like me, and once I actually got into the story, everything became super cheesy.

The chapters are told through alternating POV’s and from different times. First of all, we just hear from past and present Finn, but later into the story, chapters from Layla start appearing too, and that’s when things started getting really sickly over-the-top. The chapters are all very short, and so it’s definitely a quick book to get through because of this. Each one ends in it’s own mini cliff-hanger, which is clearly used to build tension to make you want to keep reading, but I was rolling my eyes at each one. It was almost painful at how cliche they were! For example: “YOU HAVE TEN DAYS” – OK Samara 🙄

But look, sometimes I can get on-board with a novel that’s got a samey plot and is cliche when the characters are interesting in a likeable or dislikeable way. Unfortunately for me, the characters in this novel were simply uninteresting in every way. Finn, for starters, is horrible person. Within a couple of pages you can already tell he’s arrogant and full of self-pity, not to mention, naive as anything. Then there’s Layla, who’s horribly selfish and childish, and at times like a comical Disney villain. As for some of the other characters, like Ellen or Harry, you don’t ever get to know them well enough to grow any attachment to them.

I skim read the ending, as said earlier, and it was an unoriginal ending to an unoriginal story. There was one particular plot device planted right near the beginning of the story that was such an eye-sore, it was almost a relief when Paris used it at the end. As for the “twist”, I could see it from a mile off. Not to mention, it didn’t make much sense? (view spoiler)[If Finn was really so in love with Layla how could he not see her in Ellen all along? I thought the whole point of Finn's character was basically to be obsessed and in love with Layla all the way through yet to believe that she could walk back into his life as another woman and him not even notice... well it didn't add up in my mind... (hide spoiler)]

Overall, this novel was overly frustrating and boring for me. I didn’t like any of it. What happened to B. A. Paris? Her first book was so well written, filled with creepiness and tension, and had an amazingly clever story… and now we’re here.

I’m clearly in the minority for this novel, and just because I didn’t enjoy it, doesn’t mean you won’t. Hence why I did a giveaway with my copy (congrats to Misty @Misty’s Book Space for winning) so someone else can enjoy it!

Thanks to HQ for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Sorry I didn’t like it!