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

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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. 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. Hope comes in the form of Carolyn Blakely who finds Amelie in her now homeless stage. Carolyn invites Amelie to be her housekeeper after Carolyn's husband left her. Coincidences will line this novel like wallpaper. Amelie will soon become friends with Carolyn's friends who are all in their 30's and work at the exclusive magazine, Exclusives. I loved the short chapters in part one, which really added to the rising tension. You will be rooting for Amelie!' PRIMA All the male characters were practically indistinguishable from one another. I was almost at the end and one of them was mentioned and I thought, who the hell is that? It took me completely out of the story. I'm still confused about who he was and he played a pivotal role in the plot.

The novel is a fast paced story, divided between the past of Amelie being orphaned as a teen and making her way to London where she eventually marries Ned, and the present day where she and Ned have been kidnapped and are being held prisoner by unknown people. I’ve read a couple B.A. Paris books at this point: Behind Closed Doors and The Breakdown. Maybe they were overhyped, but both just fell flat to me. When I saw The Prisoner on NetGalley, I thought I’d give her another shot. Was it worth it? Keep reading! The Story Likable heroine: Amelie, 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. Amelie begins the novel as a naïve young woman, just looking for a way to escape her life, and when the oppourtunity presents itself, she can’t be blamed for jumping at the chance. Even when it appears too good to be true. Ned is quite obviously a despicable creature, right from the start, but it isn’t until the story begins to unfold that we see his true devious nature.

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The Prisoner is all action! I read this book in a span of 24 hours I think. It’s short and suspenseful and Paris is not afraid to kill off characters. Amelie is kidnapped with her husband and kept a prisoner in a dark room with no idea why or who is behind it. The short chapters and alternating timeline kept the pace of this novel clipping along and the narrator of the audiobook was great. I also liked the spunk and bravery displayed by Amelie as the story progressed.

So far I’ve read B.A. Paris’ The Breakdown and The Dilemma. I enjoyed both of those but I think I liked this one better! However, the storytelling, the one-dimensional characters and the implausibility let it down and it became a struggle to finish. Captivated - absolutely not. But that’s not the worst of it. As Amelie slowly begins to discover the real reason for Ned’s offer, she finds herself caught in a waking nightmare. Her friends attempt to rescue her but are rebuffed. Soon, she becomes convinced that Ned is out to kill her. Her terror increases. The kidnapping, brutal as it is, almost feels like a respite from her new husband’s malicious intent, as Amelie and Ned are held in separate rooms that are close enough to allow them to hear each other’s shouted protests at their treatment: I would say that if you’ve already read some of Paris’s books, I don’t think your opinion of those will necessarily be indicative of whether or not you like this one.

So it’s almost a dream come true when she’s hired by billionaire Ned Hawthorpe for an entry-level position at his glossy magazine. Her other closest friends work for him too, ensuring that she feels even more comfortable in the position than she ordinarily might. When Ned asks her to travel with him as his assistant on a glamorous trip to Las Vegas, Amelie is both dazzled and flattered. She’s never even been on a plane before, and is eager to prove her professional worth to her boss of several months. The other criticism is that Lina, Justine, and Carolyn are really important people in Amelie’s life. But because of the nature of the book and the first person POV we don’t really get to know them at all. Their absences in the story feels abrupt. Which considering the reason for their absence makes sense, but as a reader we don’t get much closure and are left unsure if we need it. Perhaps my expectations were set too high for this title, and I look forward to listening to this author's future releases. Things happened to Amelie were too tough. I actually felt too sorry for the girl. Even the ones have good intentions around her circle didn’t come to her help. A wave of sadness flows through me. If we were another couple, I might have put my mouth against the hole [in the floor] and called quietly to him, let him know I was nearby, tell him we could find a way to escape together. But we are not that couple, and when I escape, it will be to get away from him, not just our abductors.

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