Have you ever read a book where you think "It was okay. I liked it." and then find yourself thinking about it and then realize that you enjoyed it much more than you initially thought? I had that experience with this book. Upon reading it, I kept thinking about it and the plot and realized that B.A. Paris pulled her plot twist off in a clever way. I also realized that there was a clue or two thrown in and although I read the words, I missed it but then had my "AHA!" moment a couple of hours after finishing the book. This is also a book, I thought I had figured it out, and was wrong. I love when this happens. I really enjoy when an Author surprises me. There are three Queens in my Emotional Romance castle, sitting on their thrones side by side in all their power and glory: Colleen Hoover, Brittainy C. Cherry and Kristen Granata. Thanks to Kristen Granata for generously providing me with an advance copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review. Soon... this dark web starts to emerge with Russian dolls everywhere. Finn is starting to get messages from an unknown person that reveals herself to be Layla. After all these years... could it be true?

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! Phoenix muffles a sob and follows me into the hallway. “Wait. James, please don’t leave. Let’s talk about this.” If you're not prepared to be with someone with a mental health issue is one thing, if you have traumas related to anything and the other person triggers that in you and you have to keep your distance is also fine. BUT WHAT'S NOT EVER FINE IS YOU TREATING THE OTHER PERSON LIKE COMPLETE SHIT AND SAYING A BUNCH OF REALLY HURTFUL THINGS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE DEPRESSION. This book has a compelling premise and a strong start. I thought the first half was interesting enough even with some inconsistencies. I was still invested enough to keep reading to see how the story played out and I even had a theory about what was happening.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. the Russian nesting dolls were supposed to be creepy but they were not. They were mostly annoying and pointless However, I must admit, I am harder on Psychological Thrillers than on almost any other genre. This category requires the author to mess with the reader’s mind, to leave them totally in the dark, second guessing everything, word or deed, along the way. There aren’t many props an author can rely on to pull this off, and I’m sure it’s a real challenge, but I seem to really need that challenge. I get bored easily, otherwise. What I have noticed about B.A Paris' writing style is something I'm not too fond of. I feel like every character has a "paranoia" style. I'm not even sure how to describe it... It's constantly "what if this" or Omg what if this..." This gets on my nerves... a lot.

Well.. people welcome to this sh.t show party of three lol. Ironically, this was actually quite entertaining and it was a super fast read for me! James, our male lead, lived with a horrible trauma and when learning about phoenix, it brought up emotions he never dealt with. Seeking help, talking and having faith helped this character grow in his relationship with family and the girl next door. So what really happened the night Layla disappeared? Could she really be alive after all of these years?CW: mentions of depression, anxiety, cancer, parental death, disowning of children, mentions of suicide and self harm When she's not teaching or writing, Kristen is reading, tripping over something, indulging in her messy love affair with popcorn, and annoying h Kristen Granata is a bestselling romance author known for writing inspirational, emotional stories with realistic characters who struggle through the darkest parts of life and come out stronger on the other side. I stab the air with my finger. “You could’ve done better. You could’ve tried harder. Anything! You could’ve done anything except for killing yourself. How could you even think of doing that?” My own cheeks are wet now as I toss the words at her like daggers. “Phoenix, I can’t be with someone like you.” 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. Kristen openly shares her mental health struggles with depression and anxiety with her readers. Her message is a beacon of hope to anyone who is suffering: You are not alone. She delicately weaves this theme into her writing, and her stories demonstrate the ability of love to heal after tragedy.