The Prisoner: The bestselling Richard and Judy Book Club pick for 2023

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I thought Paris' book the Dilemma was implausible...and it is. However, this one took the word 'implausible' to a whole new level. This is the sort of book that not only requires a suspension of disbelief, but a complete willingness to forego logic ENTIRELY...and a willingness to be okay with the fact that about 75% of it doesn't really make any sense. There's zero character development so I never once felt emotionally attached to anyone and couldn't care less what happened to all of them. The protagonist is Poor You, the antagonist is So Evil, everyone else is unmemorable and exist just to be plot devices.

The Prisoner — B.A. Paris The Prisoner — B.A. Paris

I liked Amelie’s initiative to try to gain some control of the situation when she was in captivity. Although the first half of the book was stronger than the book's second half, overall, the book was too S-L-O-W burn for my fastidious palate. It really pains me to have to write yet another (The Dilemma) less than raving review of one of Paris' books. I really enjoyed this author's debut, and enjoyed her follow-up, The Breakdown, even more so, but then something happened and her subsequent releases have left a lot to be desired. The first half of this book was super compelling, but the rest went on longer than it probably needed to. It felt like some parts were spoon-fed to the reader.No question, Amelie has had a rough life. Orphaned at the age of 17, she was rescued off the streets by a woman who would give her a job, a home and friendship. But after moving on to a new job with tycoon Ned Hawthorpe, her life once again is about to spin out of control. The beginning portion of the book (with Amelie's imprisonment) was supposedly the more fast-paced and interesting part of the story... but I found it mind-numbing and once some reveals occurred, beyond silly. It reminded me of the sort of over-the-top dramatics you see in a bad action movie revolving around a hostage situation, and those are certainly not my cup of tea. The second part of the book was EVEN LONGER and didn't lead me to any sort of interesting takeaway. Amelie is a bit of a naive MC on top of everything else, so not only was it hard to feel sorry for her, but frankly they probably should have just left her in the room from part one. I'm sure she would have figured out what was going on....eventually. 🙃 And even after all the extended commentary on the kidnapping I was still left with unanswered questions!🤷‍♀️ Carolyn, the woman who takes her in, ends up befriending her, and she is welcomed into her Worldly circle of friends, where she will eventually meet her husband, Ned. (Really?)

The Prisoner: The bestselling Richard and Judy Book Club pick - WHSmith The Prisoner: The bestselling Richard and Judy Book Club pick

As I got further in, however, the story started to get a little outlandish, and disbelief set in. You all know I'm not good at suspending disbelief, lol, and well, that was that. Then when I got to the end. Waah waah.While I still struggled with some inconsistencies, partially predicted the reveal, and didn’t love the open ending, a few surprises along the way helped raise my rating to a 3.5. While this is a true 3.5 star book for me, Goodreads forces me to round one way or the other, so I will give this one the benefit of the doubt since I mostly enjoyed it. We move on, climb stone steps, I count them, twelve in all. Then, at the top, the worn stone under my feet becomes warm wood, softer against my skin. A door is opened, I’m moved forward. Regardless, I still recommend reading this book as B.A. Paris is one of my favorite go-to authors. I also love the title and cover for this book! I enjoyed the short chapters that helped move the book along at a nice pace. The two timelines were also enjoyable and kept me invested. The book started strong and instantly grabbed my attention and had me wanting to know more. It was obvious from the beginning, that her husband was not the nicest of fellows, and I wanted to know more of his motivation and why both were taken.

The Prisoner - Macmillan The Prisoner - Macmillan

It all started with the loss of her parents: her mother at a young age, and Papa more recently, to a terrible illness. After moving from Paris to London, Amelie tries to forge ahead with her adult life and process her grief...until she happens to meet a woman named Carolyn (quite randomly) who THEN gets her somehow entangled with playboy billionaire Ned Hawthorne, whose father has a well-known foundation. When Ned presents her with an interesting proposition that will end in marriage, it seems like all of Amelie's dreams are coming true at once and a new and exciting life is just around the corner...so why now does her imprisonment seem like her ONLY hope for escape? Likable heroine: Amelia, orphan, trying to survive in England to find her way, is naive, good hearted girl evolving into a bold, damaged, tough woman. The character development of Amelia is great and she’s easy to connect with.BA Paris is a talented author who is highly skilled in masterfully orchestrating compelling psychological thrillers.