Characters weren't as developed as I'd have liked, and the pace was a bit to slow, in my opinion, for a book in this genre. I'd anticipated more "ah-ha" moments, and they just weren't there. The premise was interesting, but it just didn't hit the mark for me.

I was interested in reading this as I loved The Marriage Lie, Dear Wife and The Last Breath.

I enjoyed the characters and their interactions but I felt they could have been fleshed out more, especially Scott and Charlie's relationship prior to her marriage to Paul. It would have helped explain the animosity more between the characters besides the same story that was repeated throughout.
The flashbacks as told by Jax also felt rushed at times. Overall, it was a good story with lots of twists and turns which might be just enough for some readers.

It was good but it wasn't great in comparison to her other books. I received this as a digital ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

This book was a mixed bag for me. There were parts that I enjoyed but I found other aspects underwhelming. To be honest, I was surprised that this book didn't hit me in the bookish feels more than it did.

The book's blurb had me eager for a psychological thriller in a remote Appalachian town. An awesome choice of setting and Belle excels at portraying the dark, atmospheric feel of the secluded town and, more specifically, the gorgeous lakeside mansion where not one, but two female bodies have washed ashore just years apart. The story is told using two POVs - Charlotte, the rags-to-riches new wife of Paul, a successful architect and Jax, a childhood friend of Paul's. The story also pivots from the current murder investigation to two decades earlier when Jax and Paul were teenagers. But unlike some of Belle's previous books (like Dear Wife) which have a distinct psychological thriller feel, I felt the suspense was lacking and felt disappointed that I guessed the culprit early on. I wanted to feel more drawn into this slow burn story and its characters but felt that connection was just out of reach for me.

Overall, this was a good read but not as twisty and dark as I have come to expect from this author. While this book wasn't a big hit with me, Belle continues to be an author that I eagerly look forward to reading.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for my advanced copy given in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a huge fan of this author and enjoyed Stranger in the Lake. The setting is one of my favorite things about the book. The way the author describes the lake and the tension between the rich and poor in the town create an interesting setting. The internal conflict that the main character, Charlotte, has trying to navigate her past and present is also intriguing. I recommend this book if you’re into thrillers. I couldn’t put this down!

This is going to be brief because I think the reader should go into this book totally blind. Kimberly Belle has put out another interesting, fast-paced, exciting book. This was full of surprises and suspense with many old and new reveals. I didn't want to put it down and I finished it in two sittings. The twist at the end was well thought out and executed, though I did see coming. This did not take away from the enjoyment of the writing, though. Very well done Kimberly Belle! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

“ Stranger in the Lake” is the first book by this author I have read. While the beginning was a tad slow, once it picked up I was so drawn in to the story line that I couldn’t put it down. Great writing and the characters were well developed. It took me less than a day to read. I will look for other books by this author.

This is my first Kimberly Belle book.. i really enjoyed her writing and the characters in this book. At times this book was a bit slow but once I was hooked I couldn't put it down.


Charlie has secrets but not as big as her husband's.

Paul has secrets from long ago. He was married before to Katherine. And unfortunately a few years ago she was found under their dock. Now with another body under the dock people start to talk.

Paul takes off leaving Charlie to deal with the police. Even more speculation happens.

But when the truth is revealed all the secrets are come to light.

Thanks #netgalley

I have always enjoyed Kimberly Belle’s books she writes complicated characters, who aren’t always likeable but you appreciate them all the same. This book is no different whether it is the close relationship ship of three friends, a mother and father who would do anything for each of their sons and a woman who believes she has found her way out of poverty and the reputation of her mother.

I had my suspicions early in the book about who the murderer was, but Belle surprises me with twists and turns that kept me guessing.

I only wish Charlie had something else in her life that was outside of her marriage to mKe her a well rounded protagonist.

Regardless, it kept me turning pages and was a perfect quarantine read.

Charlotte is a young woman from the wrong side of the tracks. She meets wealthy older widower Paul at her job at the gas station. They fall in love and get married. There are lots of whispers about their marriage as Paul's first wife was found murdered in the lake behind their house. When a new body is found in the lake, lots of secrets come floating to the surface of their new marriage as well! This book kept me guessing until the very end. I loved Charlotte. She grew up in the worst circumstances but tries to not let that define her. She has her brother Chet during this nightmare, but who else can she trust? This book is filled with murder, mystery, and tons of secrets. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

3.25*
After last year's fantastic read of Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle, I was anxious to get my hands on her latest release. But.... agghhh! As it so often seems to happen when my hopes are set high, it didn’t quite hit the mark.

Charlie, now known as Charlotte was born on the other side of the tracks. Growing up in a trailer park, she also had to assume responsibility for raising her younger brother. She had no choice. Her own mother was mostly absent...or worse.

Fast forward several years. And what a difference a few years can make! Charlotte finds herself married to one of the most successful, wealthiest men in their lakeside town. A life she could have only dreamed of. She never has to worry about money or having enough food on the table again

Her husband Paul lost his first wife to a tragic accident he refuses to discuss. Other than... she was found floating under their private dock!! Now a second woman has been found drowned under the same dock. Hmmm...

The premise of this book was so tantalizing but unfortunately failed to hold me. The suspense I was hoping for was just lacking. And even though my detectives’ cap🕵🏻♀️ has been collecting dust lately, I had most of this plot figured out early on.

I just had higher hopes for this book than what it delivered. That said…you know this won’t stop me from reading her next release! I know Kimberly Belle writes amazing suspenseful thrillers!

A buddy read with Susanne

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing - Park Row and Kimberly Belle for an ARC to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley And Harlequin Books for the ARC of Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle. I have read all of Belle’s books and love her psychological thrillers.

Charlie is newly married to Paul, a real estate mogul with money. She can’t believe that he fell in love with her because she grew up in a trailer on the wrong side of town. She feels so lucky and happy with her new life without worries. However, when a dead woman washes up under Paul’s dock for the second time, she wonders if things are as they seem. Is Paul really a murderer?

This book starts out really strong. Belle spends a long time characterizing Charlie and it draws the reader into the plot. However, about halfway through, I figured out most of the twists and was left wondering if there would be any signature surprises like in The Marriage Lie. There were not. Unfortunately, because Paul is missing for 3/4 of the book, It was difficult to pull for him as a character one way or the other. This book was just okay for me. I am still a fan of Belle and will continue to read her thrillers.

3/5 stars

This was my first book by Kimberly Belle and it did not disappoint. Who is the stranger in the lake and how did she get there? ⁣
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This was a fast paced story filled with secrets and lies that come to surface throughout the story with so many twists and turns they you aren’t quite sure who did it!⁣
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When not one, not two, but three bodies are found in the lake, Paul has no alibi, Micah is a crime diver and Jax has lost it, and Chet seems to get into trouble often; you aren’t quite sure who the culprit is until the end.⁣
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Charlotte or Charlie... depending who you asked, was strong willed, smart, and always one step ahead of the cops. I really enjoyed her character. This story had you on the edge of your seat at times. I would definitely recommend this read.⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for an ARC for my honest review. ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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#bookstagram #books #thriller #StrangerInTheLake #netgalley #booklover

3.5 rounded up for great writing and conclusion.

I loved Dear Wife. I really liked this as well but it moved more slowly for me. It reads well and has interesting characters but it took a while to get there and with everything that’s happening nowadays I find my patience more tested than usual (my issue, not the book’s fault).

I liked the weaving of the past and present and how that connected some of the characters. It’s does present a series of twists and red herrings that were unexpected and quite fun. The ending was satisfying.

If you like a thriller you should check out this author. I don’t think you will be disappointed one bit. Look forward to the next!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Harlequin - Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for a copy in exchange for a review.

Charlotte is from the wrong side of the tracks. She marries Paul, a wealthy widower who has rumors swirling around him regarding the suspicious drowning death of his wife. The town thinks she got too big for her britches and, ya know, married a murderer, so they don't really like her much. Another woman's body is found in the lake and Paul lies about knowing the dead woman, which starts Charlie down the path of doubting her new husband. Strangers in the Lake was overall a bit of an underwhelming read. There's basically three mysteries here - the body washed up in the lake, Paul's dead wife, and secrets from Paul's past. I've enjoyed and often recommend Kimberly Belle's other books, so I was disappointed to feel a little bored reading this. I never quite cared about any of the characters, and thought the secrets-from-the-past story line didn't really work. The final twist was a pretty good one but overall a kind of humdrum read.

Paul, who has lived through the tragic death of his past wife, finds new love with Charlotte. While many think that she is in love with his money, she vows that she adores him. In addition, some people think that he may have had a hand in his past wife’s murder. While Charlotte refuses to listen to those rumors, another women shows up dead in the exact location of his first wife. Now, all of the sudden, suspicions of Paul are resurfaced, and Charlotte is determined to learn of the entire truth surrounding both deaths. What she slowly uncovers is unexpected, hidden secrets that have laid dormant for years.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. There were twists within the plot, but none that had my jaw dropping. For me, it was a little slow at times, but once it picked up, it kept a steadier pace until the end. Thank you to @netgalley and for @parkrowbooks for providing this copy to me for an honest review. 🌟🌟🌟💫/5
#fiction #quarantinereads #psychologicalthriller #bookstagram #books #readersofinstagram

Married couple Charlotte and Paul appear to have been mismatched from the beginning. While both were born and raised in the same town, Charlotte is much younger than Paul and she was born on the wrong side of the tracks of their small town. Paul has a tragic past and he's still recovering from the unexpected drowning death of his wife Katherine. Since you can't explain love, many of those close to them both have more or less come to accept the strange pairing.

When another woman turns up dead under Charlotte and Paul's dock, the proverbial can of worms is opened. As Charlotte digs deeper and deeper in to the mysterious circumstances surrounding this woman's death she comes to discover that there is much about her new husband that she didn't know and didn't necessarily want to find out.

I definitely enjoyed this book. It was well-written and full of suspense and I was drawn to characters that I definitely wasn't expecting to be drawn to. "Batty Jax" as they call him, a crazy former friend of Paul's who lives in the woods, was someone that I wasn't expecting to like as much as I did, but I continually found myself drawn to both him and to his story.

As the truth comes tumbling out, through flashbacks as well as information discovered in the present day, I found myself predicting what would happen and found myself to be mostly correct in my hunches. This is a great story, one that kept me guessing throughout and the author skillfully kept me reading.. I appreciated the ending which was unexpected, and will definitely recommend this to both fans of psychological suspense as well as fans of Kimberley Belle. This book is well worth picking up to read!

Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle was a great read. Charlie lives with her wealthy, architect husband Paul in a huge glass house on the edge of Lake Crosby in North Carolina. They haven’t been married very long. Charlie grew up poor in a trailer park, practically raising her baby brother because their mom was a drug addict. She met Paul while working in a gas station and they fell in love and got married much to everyone’s chagrin. Charlie’s best friend Sam is a policeman in town and he was very upset with her for marrying Paul. It seems four years ago Paul‘s wife, Katherine, was found floating in the lake by his dock. Paul had been out for a run and didn’t really have an alibi. Sam has always believed, along with most people in town, that Paul killed his wife. What another woman, that Charlie had seen talking to Paul in town, turns up dead floating by their dock she doesn’t know what to think. Is Paul guilty? What is going on? This story has many twists and turns. It takes place present day, investigating the recently killed woman, and in 1999 with Paul and two of his best friends when they were teens. It seems the past is tied to the future. I really enjoyed the character of Charlie. I thought I had this figured out but I was wrong. I have enjoyed all of the author’s previous books so I knew this would be good also. You should definitely read this one! Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Stranger in the lake will grab you from page one. The characters are intriguing and will keep you guessing, then second guessing. Lots of twists. Start reading early as you willn't be able to put it down until the end.

This book was awesome! I thought I had it figured out but there were many twists and turns. I love the fact that the woman here, Charlie, is strong and faces her mistakes.

Thank to netgalley for an early copy for a review.
I love Kimberly Belle she is a new favorite of mine. Stranger in the lake was very suspenseful and intriguing. You never know who you can trust .great job