This was just OK for me....it was a page turner, but too much detailed filler in between, I found myself skimming to get to the meat of the story. I think I am in the minority on this one, so I will chalk this one up to “ it must be me”, as I have enjoyed other books by Kimberly Belle.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I have loved Kimberly Belle since I read The Marriage Lie (read if you have not!!)! This did not disappoint. I was hooked from the moment I started reading My Darling Husband. The connections, lies and twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat!! I look forward to reading more of Kimberly's books and I recommend this one! Thanks again to NetGalley!

Jade and Cam are a happily married couple... or so it seems from the outside. Cam owns several successful restaurants and they have 2 kids - Beatrix and Baxter. Of course things aren't always what they seem. When a home invader take Jade and the kids hostage, darling husband Cam is ordered to bring over $700,000 for their safe return.

There are a lot of twists in this fast-paced story. Everything plays out through different POV's (Jade, Cam and the home invader) as well as an after-the-fact interview that Cam is giving about the ordeal the family went through. The book is thrilling, entertaining and a quick read as the story moves very quickly over just a few hours.

Cam is a chef known as the Atlanta Steak King, who is also kind of a jerk is happily married to Jade and they have 2 kids and a seemingly happy life. Jade and their 2 kids are kidnapped and held hostage in their home while Cam scrambles for the ransom money. Cam has to come up with over $700k in a matter of hours to save their lives. Except Cam has money problems and his best money making restaurant just burned down. In the meantime, we find out more about Jade and Cam and why this might be happening to them.

Be prepared to be amazed by another gripping thriller by Kimberly Belle. My Darling Husband hits the ground running from the first chapter, does not let up. I was immediately invested in the story. It’s told in 4 POV’s: Jade, Cam, the kidnapper, and the Interview. Belle excels at keeping things tense and moving right along. Once I started reading, I could not put it down. There are heart stopping moments involving Jade and the intruder that will have you holding your breath. The reader is left wondering who is the intruder and why they’re targeting Cam and Jade’s family. During the time Jade and the kids are held hostage, numerous revelations come to light and the reader wonder’s how the kidnapper knows so much about them, their routines and their home. The real hero and best character of the book was Beatrix. She’s a strong willed, tough child. Her bravery outmatched the intruder’s and they weren’t prepared for her. She was such a fantastic addition to the story. The moment when you figure out who the kidnapper actually is and realize that the main clue was there early on was masterfully done. This story will make you wonder how far one will go for their family. I would highly recommend this to all thriller fans. Many thanks to Netgalley, Park Row and Kimberly Belle for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, this book just didn’t keep me interested. The storyline was unique but I felt like it didn’t have anything that sparked. The twist and turns were anti-climactic and the ending was lack luster. I really felt more sorry for the perpetrator than the family.

Sadly, this book did not do it for me. It may have been Belle's weakest link so far. Jade and Cam Lasky are an Atlanta power couple. While Jade stays home with their two children, Cam runs a successful steakhouse empire in the posh areas of Atlanta. At least, Jade always thought the empire was successful. However, she is about to find out that there are myriad secrets her husband is keeping hidden.

It's an ordinary day when Jade returns home with her children. only to find a masked intruder in her home. For the next four hours, the intruder holds Jade and her two children hostage, demanding a ransom of three-quarters of a million dollars in order for them to be released. While Cam frantically tries to obtain the money from his fledgling businesses, Jade is determined to keep her children alive, as well as uncover the identity of her captor.

Honestly, this book dragged on for me. It was pretty much just the family being held hostage for the whole story, and while there were some twists and turns throughout, I basically found them to be anti-climactic. The perpetrator was not very nefarious, and I ended up feeling pretty badly for his situation. I wasn't dazzled by this book, or the story, or the ending. This was a three-star for me.

Domestic suspense novels are my absolute FAVORITE and Kimberly Belle writes them like a pro (because she IS a pro at these books!). I'm always itching to read her latest releases and just like this one, it didn't disappoint! I was RIVETED. I couldn't stop reading and frankly, I didn't want to. This is going to be a HIT when it releases!

I love Kimberly Belle and was super happy to receive this ARC! Once again, she did not disappoint. Cam is a celebrity chef who is sort of a jerk. He is married to Jade, who seems oblivious to this. Jade and their 2 kids are kidnapped and held hostage in their home while Cam scrambles for the ransom money. In the meantime, we find out more about Jade and Cam and why this might be happening. This made for an exciting fast-paced read. The moment when you figure out who the kidnapper actually is and realize that the main clue was there early on was masterfully done. I did have a few questions at the end, but nothing major. Overall a REALLY good read and I cannot wait for more from Ms. Belle!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Kimberly Belle and Harlequin for this ARC!

Belle’s latest depicts a terrifying home invasion in which the wife learns in the most horrific way possible that her husband is hiding deep, dark secrets. The scenes alternate between the wife and her children with the masked invader in their home and the husband outside the home, who is frantically trying to raise money for their release. Belle successfully portrays the frantic terror of a home invasion in which the fate of one’s family is in a precarious balance of an unstable stranger with a gun. Fans of psychological thrillers will devour this.

A very suspenseful, fast-paced thriller that I finished in less than 24 hours. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jade and Cam Lasky have a chain of very successful high-end restaurants. They have two young children, a boy named Baxter and a girl named Beatrix; they live in a mansion and seem to have everything going for them. Jade returns home, drives into the garage and closes the door. When she turns on the garage light, they are confronted by a masked man dressed all in black who has a gun. He forces them into the house and so begins the home invasion. This was a quick, easy read told by multiple narrators and in my opinion was just an ok read. I was left with a lot of unanswered questions.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC of this interesting book.

I'm a bit torn on this book. On one hand, I am from South Atlanta and I loved hearing about areas that were familiar. I also really enjoyed the actual writing style of the author. This book mostly takes place over the course of one afternoon, switching narratives a few times along the way. As I said, I liked the book, but I think I was just expecting the transgressions of the husband to be a little....More? It's still a solid novel, I just was expecting the husband to be waaaaay worse than he actually was, if that makes any sense. Still plan to recommend this to our customers, and I look forward to seeing what Ms. Belle writes in the future. 4&1/2 stars, but I'm rounding up for this review.

My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle is a fast-paced, riveting read that you will want to consume in one fell swoop for maximum impact. My heart was in my throat early, and remained firmly lodged there throughout.

Jade and Cam Lasky are living the American dream. Cam is a successful chef and restaurateur, while Jade dotes on their two adorable children, Beatrix and Baxter. The dream quickly becomes a nightmare, though, when Jade and the children are taken hostage at gunpoint by a masked intruder in their own home. Demanding of Cam a significant ransom, and setting a firm deadline for delivery, the captor is clear that Jade's life and those of her children hang in the balance. This is not a random invasion, but why have the Lasky's been targeted? As the tension escalates, you too will be desperate for answers.

The nail-biting suspense was almost palpable as I raced through the pages. As previosly mentioned, I would recommend devouring this one all at once because you will not be able to put it down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN - Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for an ARC.

3.5 STARS

Payback?

Wife calls darling husband with a shocking statement.

Husband responds that if she is joking, it isn't funny.

She isn't joking.

We get an AFTER the scenes peek throughout the novel as the husband, Cam is interviewed by a news reporter. The crime is over and he is commenting on the various aspects. These chapters are interspersed as the kidnapping is unfolding.

This gave the story a little pizzazz.

There is a lot of action with a fast-moving plot, but not much suspense for this reader. Maybe because I only saw one way it would end and it did?!

This one will have you checking your webcams and double bolting your doors!

A quick read!

Wow! I sure am glad I started this book when I had time to read it in one sitting. I loved the way it was told alternating between a journalist’s interview with famous chef Cam Lasky, the Atlanta Steak King, 6 months after a home invasion in which his wife, Jade, and their two young children were held for ransom by a masked gunman, and from the time frame of the abduction. We see from Jade’s point of view, from Cam’s point of view during the time of the abduction and a little bit from the abductor’s point of view. No matter the outcome you know it can’t turn out good you just don’t know who will end up paying for things from the past or how much it will cost.

The book opens with an interview chapter between Juanita Moore of Channel 7 Action News and Cam Lasky-Atlanta’s Steak King and the brains behind the Lasky Steak restaurant empire.🥩

Juanita is giving Cam the opportunity to “set the record straight” on what happened on August 6th-the day that his wife Jade, and their two young children, Beatrix and Baxter (affectionately called the Bees!) were held hostage in their own home, by a masked invader.

“Knowing what you know now,” Juanita asks, “if you could go back and do things over, what would you do differently.”

Cam’s answer- EVERY SINGLE THING!!

The book then unfolds with alternating chapters of “the Interview”, Cam, Jade, and even a few from Sebastian-the masked invader who isn’t asking for a cool million-just $734, 296…by 7 PM!

Jade’s POV is from inside the house, as she and the children are being held hostage.

Maybe because this is my third book in as many months with this same scenario, I was NOT QUITE on the edge of my seat, as I should have been considering the circumstances?

Sebastian’s POV takes place during the crisis as well.

But the pace IS fast, as Cam finds out about a catastrophic kitchen fire in his best performing restaurant and the hostage situation, in the span of a few short hours, and he races to gather the ransom money.

And, you thought you were having a bad day?

The interview chapters are “after the fact”-filling in all of the blanks for us. Time runs out with the answer to ONE question, left unanswered…..no spoilers, but I think, the answer is YES.

What will you think?!

Although for much of the book I WAS engaged but WASN’T finding anything particularly fresh-towards the end, Kimberly Belle managed to surprise me with a couple of the reveals-showing once again why I auto-request her books! She is CONSISTENTLY entertaining!

“Dear Wife” remains my favorite, but I have enjoyed them all, including this one!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

Thank You to Park Row for my gifted copy provided through NetGalley. This title is scheduled for publication on December 28, 2021.

It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Mr. Lasky is being interviewed by Juanita Moore. After denying this same interview many times, Mr. Lasky has finally decided to give this interview as he wants to finally set the record straight. Many months ago, there was a home invasion which painted Mr. Lasky as a villain and an aggressor, and now he wants to tell his story, in his own words.

Parts of the story are told from Jade's POV. She is married to Cam, Mr. Lasky. One day when Jade arrives home with her two children, there is a masked man in their garage, and thus begins a home invasion. Terrified for her children as well as her own safety, Jade is confused as to why their family has been targeted, and will do anything to save her children from this masked stranger. Parts of the story are told from Sebastian's POV. He is the man holding Jade and her two children hostage in their own home. We learn about his life, and the decisions leading up to the home invasion.

A gripping novel that had me hooked as I read through the chapters until the shocking ending, with several twists, turns, and revelations in between.

$734,296.

That’s the amount that Cam Lasky, famed chef and restaurant owner, will have to pay in cash if he wants his wife and two children to live.

His wife, Jade, is already on edge when she makes her way home with the children...only to face a masked intruder with a gun. The intruder ties the three of them up and eventually makes his demands known. His implication is crystal clear as well. Cam needs to pay up, or they’re all dead.

While the clock ticks, Cam races around town trying to get the money. Jade tries to figure out a way to save her children and herself. She also asks herself some questions:

Who is this home invader?
Why the specific amount of money?
Why did he choose the Lasky family?

My Darling Husband hits the ground running from the first chapter, and rarely lets up. I was immediately invested in the story. Told from multiple POVs and two timelines, author Kimberly Belle excels at keeping things tense and moving right along.

Initially, I was more interested in the chapters with Cam trying to figure out how he was going to get so much money in so little time, but did end up warming up to the scenes with Jade and her children...along with the home invader.

I was hoping for a major twist at some point, and while that didn’t come to fruition, I have to say the intensity in the second half really increased, giving me feelings of dread and anxiety. I also found it to be thought-provoking and emotional at times.

While there may not be any major surprises, this book manages to entertain throughout...and at a fast pace to boot. This is also a situation where I would’ve greedily liked one more chapter...and yet, I also think the ending is perfect.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Park Row for providing me with a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 12/28/21.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

It’s a no brainer when a new Kimberly Belle book comes out, I run to get it. All of her books, to me, are always ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This one is no different. Who doesn’t love a great home invasion story that involves not just the mom but her 2 little kids too. Can you even imagine???? This had me hooked from the very first page and I stayed up several nights into the wee hours not being able to put it down! Can the hubby come up with the ransom? You gotta get it to find out. Kimberly Belle's best book to date!! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published December 2021.

This was okay. A little eye-rolling I guess. Just too unrealistic. Characters responding in insane ways. But entertaining nonetheless.