He said he saw her standing outside the cottage and that when he went to speak to her, she ran off” Problem is, it's all a bit like a slightly comical (though unintentionally so) B-movie. Every chapter ends with some really cheesy line that is supposed to be ominous. Like: So what really happened the night Layla disappeared? Could she really be alive after all of these years? So although there were a few things that bothered me about the story, overall I still enjoyed it. In my opinion, this was another clever psychological suspense novel from B.A Paris, and I am excited to see what she comes up with next. After surviving a suicide attempt, Phoenix Bridges has been given a second chance at life—one she isn't sure what to do with. When she's released from a psychiatric treatment center, she moves into her family's old shore house in New Jersey, to figure out how to start over. She expects the town to be desolate in the winter months.

I will say the story seemed to lose steam in the final chapters and the ending was off the rails (in my opinion). Still enjoyed it immensely and I think fans of this author will too! In general, I prefer more carefully-crafted plots with more complex characters than Paris offers up here, but I can definitely enjoy pulpy, nasty thrillers like her Behind Closed Doors. Unfortunately, though, I don't think this book was particularly clever OR fast-paced and enjoyable. I guess her first book might have been a one-off for me. I related to Pheonix a lot more than I would have liked to, but life happens & i’m grateful to be here, still living this life while reading many books! Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Librarians Group is the official group for requesting additions or updates to the catalog, including: Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to readers of thrillers, mysteries and contemporary fiction. I also recommend the author's previous books The Breakdown and Behind Closed Doors.What about your family? Did you think about how they would feel after you died? No wonder your family doesn’t want anything to do with you.” You don’t recognize the strength you possess. But I see it. It’s who you are. Your soul is a phoenix, whether you believe it or not. And one day, you’re going to burn your demons to the ground and rise above it all.”

For quite a while I was pretty sure I had it all figured out. But the author tossed in a few red herrings as well as some twists and turns that threw me off. I may have been right about a couple of things but I didn't see everything coming…ESPECIALLY that ending!! Authors, if you are a member of the Goodreads Author Program, you can edit information about your own books. Find out how in this guide. All of that said, I read this in less than 24 hours, which is rare, and a solid testament to this author’s capabilities. True talent, and I look forward to more! But, as I’ve said before, there are too many books in this category competing for readers attention, and many of them who did not have the benefit of a big publishing push could easily hold their own against this book. The psychological thriller category is too saturated, in my opinion, and Paris is going to have to really step it up a notch to stay relevant in this genre. This one is okay, but it failed to wow me. Will Phoenix fight for the life she never wanted, or will James lose the one he loves all over again?Mine. I will do everything in my power to protect her, to never let her feel an ounce of pain ever again. She’s mine, and I’m hers. Nothing will change that, and nothing will take her from me ─whatever may come.” It's pretty obvious by now, how much I love Kristen's writing and storylines. I love that she always has a good balance between romance and mental health awareness in almost all of her books, but this one hit different.

After surviving a suicide attempt, Phoenix Bridges has been given a second chance at life—one she isn’t sure what to do with. When she’s released from a psychiatric treatment center, she moves into her family’s old shore house in New Jersey to figure out how to start over. She expects the town to be desolate in the winter months. Even though I suspected the secret, I had hoped that there could be a plausible explanation for how everything transpired. An explanation that let us know how this could take place in a way that seems understandable. But instead, we get a resolution that is full of holes because I do not think that what took place could be so easily carried off. Anything more I say would spoil the book but the book gave no reasonable explanation for what happened to have actually worked for so long, or at all. Overall I really enjoyed this book and despite the heavy subject matter it was a fun story to read. The characters were interesting in their own way and I thought it was great how we got to see the heroine and hero each having their own struggles and dealing with them in different ways.Then Finn also begins to find more Russian dolls and receives messages from an unknown person who later reveals herself as Layla. the Russian nesting dolls were supposed to be creepy but they were not. They were mostly annoying and pointless