Put put put put toot ( my heavy breathing effects) I’m congratulating myself to finish this book after suffering panic attacks at least 7 times, biting my nails, scraping my nail polish, stress eating three bags of hot munchies, 5 pints of ice cream, biting my cushions ( no food left and eventually I had to channel my anxiety to somewhere), swallowing feathers ( damn cushions! I have to order new ones), coughing up, falling down from couch, rolling up ( that’s the only way I can still hold my ereader and move my numb body through the direction of bathroom at the same time) ! But mostly I congratulate myself to finish it without risk of possible heart attack !

Argh! This is tense! Tenser than any random L. A. woman’s forehead who has been injected Botox at least hundred times!

Think about the movies Panic Room meets Funny Games: home invasion by dangerous intruder who threatens a woman and two children’s lives while her darling husband shared secrets bigger than my grandiose TBR list!

The story starts with a tv interview between Channel 7 reporter Juanita Moore ( second cousin of Julianne Moore, okay I lied, let’s continue )and Cam Lasky who was shunned by media for months, portrayed as one of the biggest grifters, most hated behind Pharma Bro, Martin Shkreli. We learn that Cam was once upon a time a top chef, owner of 5 highly appraised restaurants. But the reason behind public hate is not he has same treats with Gordon Ramsey. Hell, no! It’s connected to his family who suffered a big tragedy and the reason why they suffered so much connected with his tremendous lies he kept from them.

Cam and his wife Jade seem like power couple, having all including two adorable children in private school , spacious home, fancy cars, designer clothes, luxurious vacations! Such a dreamy life which turns into a nightmare with the web of lies crack the deceiving facade of their lives.

Pacing is incredibly heart pounding, minute by minute you’re observing the action packed, extremely disturbing interactions between the masked home invader and Jade who is smart, connecting the dots so fast, getting enough clues about the motivation and plan of their kidnapper, calculating everything to save her two children. But their intruder are always few steps ahead of her. Why? How can he know too much about their lives? How can he know so many details of their house and their daily habits? Was he spying on them before?

At the same time we see how Cam tries to find the ransom money , watching the footage of his home, witnessing how his family suffers under control of a villain!

Overall: this is intense, extremely high tension, exciting, breath taking , absolutely best book of the author earned my five unlawful entry, parenting, high tension, nail biter, mind bender stars!

Absolutely one of the best and most anticipated thrillers of the year!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin / Park Row for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

This is a fast paced domestic thriller that speeds along from the very first chapter. Kimberly Belle ratchets up the suspense and never let’s go. It’s a home invasion with a twist that grabs us by the throat and doesn’t let go. The wife is being followed by a suspicious man and the husband has a fire at one of his restaurants. The storylines converge as we follow along throughout the day. The chapters are told by the various characters with the time of day posted. My one complaint is that the marriage could have been a little more developed at the beginning of the book. The tension is high throughout the novel and it is very appropriate for the time we are now living in. This is an author that I always enjoy and she never disappoints! #MyDarlingHusband #KimberlyBelle #NetGalley

When I started this book, I was riveted. The home invasion caused me to check my own house alarm system and panic and police buttons. Then, as the story unfolded, although I wanted to know what would ultimately happen to the family, and although there were twists and revelations, I was left more and more unabsorbed. I do not want to add any spoilers, and as I did read this novel in 2 1/2 days, I’m not fully satisfied with the ending. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

MY DARLING HUSBAND is another winner from Kimberly Belle. The suspense begins immediately with an "after the invasion" interview with Cam and then Belle takes us straight to the day of the home invasion with Jade and the kids. The kids are so darling and their inclusion ratchets up the suspense.

In terms of Jade and Cam's marriage, we only see a quick glimpse in the first chapter prior to the home invasion --a phone call in which Jade tries to tell Cam someone is falling her, but he's consumed with a recent fire at a restaurant, which he hadn't told her about. Given the importance of the marriage as the story develops, I wish we had seen more of the "before" instead of merely one phone conversation prior to the invasion. I would have felt even more drawn into their world if I had more time with the family before the big dramatic event.

Also, because the home invasion occurs so early in the book, the pace drags a tiny bit in places.

Finally, I wish the author had been a bit more cinematic in her approach. I wanted to be able to visualize the house -- again, it plays an important role. But other than getting the sense that it's very nice/expensive, Belle doesn't describe what it actually looks like in the first chapter.

The ending of the book is satisfying and wraps things up the perfect amount.

Overall, this is a fun, suspenseful story that kept me turning the pages. The idea of a home invasion is a great set up and, apart from the minor quibbles mentioned here, Belle executes it well.

I seem to be in the minority with this one, although I really thought - before I started reading - that this would be one of my favorite reads of the month!

This was an okay read for me - a quick invasion thriller with very weak suspense. As I kept reading, there was never anything major happening, and the intruder didn't sound that threatening and he never revealed his intentions for so many chapters.

And then came the end. However, I'm glad to see others have enjoyed it more and I definitely am interested to read what she writes next.

My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle So many secrets that Cam and Jade keep from each other that threatened to destroy their family. Ms Belle fans are sure to enjoy the book with it twists and turns and surprises.. Interesting premise, however had trouble connecting with any of the characters except for the home invader, ironically. No one came across as very likeable .

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

My Darling Husband is a fast-paced thriller about a courageous mother and her two young children, being held at gunpoint in their own home for ransom. I very much liked it, especially the way the story, told minute by minute, is intertwined with an interview of the husband, a famous chef. It’s very entertaining. My only regret is that it held no Belle-signature mind-blowing twist, rendering it predictable enough. However, I’ll keep following Belle because her novels never disappoint.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

How is your Tuesday going? I hope it was fantastic! Did you know it was #EmbraceYourGeeknessDay?

Do you embrace your geekness? If reading endless books means being a geek then I am embracing it!

Lucky me, I got a sneak peek and just read Kimberly Belle's book, Darling Husband. After a bunch of books that I was feeling kind of "Meh" over, this broke the streak! I loved it and was glued to the pages.

"Jade and Cam Lasky are by all accounts a happily married couple with two adorable kids, a spacious home and a rapidly growing restaurant business. But their world is tipped upside down when Jade is confronted by a masked home invader. As Cam scrambles to gather the ransom money, Jade starts to wonder if they’re as financially secure as their lifestyle suggests, and what other secrets her husband is keeping from her.

Cam may be a good father, a celebrity chef and a darling husband, but there’s another side he’s kept hidden from Jade that has put their family in danger. Unbeknownst to Cam and Jade, the home invader has been watching them and is about to turn their family secrets into a public scandal."

If you see Kimberly Belle has written a book, you can assume that its going to be entertaining and a real page turner! You don't even need to know what its about, just dive in.

This comes out in December BUT she has several other excellent novels that you should read ASAP!

Which book of hers is your favorite?

What a great read. The book was fast pace and had me hooked from the beginning to the end. Some parts had you guessing about the characters history, which was not explained much in the book. I still enjoyed the book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I jumped on this one and it didn't let go. What a ride! This may just be my favorite Kimberly Belle book yet!

Cam and Jade have a seemingly perfect life, complete with a beautiful home, children, and a successful business. The book opens as Jade and their two children are victims of a home invasion and are held for ransom, and Cam is given a few short hours to come up with an oddly specific amount of money. The narration alternates between Jade, Cam, the kidnapper (who is connected to the family in surprising ways) and snippets of interview transcripts.
This was my first of Kimberly Belle's novels, but I've added her earlier books to my TBR. I read a lot of domestic thrillers, and I often find that because I read them so much, I can see the plot developments coming, and I can predict the twists before they are revealed. That was not the case here, Belle kept me guessing all afternoon. This is a one-sitting book for sure, and I think it would be really excellent as an audio book. I would suggest it for fans of Megan Abbott and Tarryn Fisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for access to a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book really kept me turning pages with the author’s ability to prevent the reader from making predictions. This book has one secret and twist after another, though all of them are not fully explained.

Cam and Jade seemed like a perfect couple. They were happy and affluent until their world exploded both fiscally and emotionally. As a result of business dealings, a vengeful contact invades their home and holds Jade and their children hostage.

Thank you Netgalley for this exciting book.

This book was like a freaking roller coaster ride! I couldn’t stop squirming in my seat because of the intensity of the story! Non stop action from the first page that ended with a bang! I’m a huge fan of Kimberly Belle and this one didn’t disappoint with the holy f*cks! Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this early copy in exchange for review!

This was such a suspenseful book that kept me on the edge of my seat. Kimberly Belle really knocked it out of the park with this one. Make sure you have plenty of time to read because you won’t be able to put this down. My heart was pounding while reading and I had to know what would happen to Jade and the kids.

A must read thriller you don't want to miss out on. I stayed up way to late finishing this gem because I wanted to know what happened. Secrets, lies, business troubles and a hostage situation OMG!! what a story. Cam and Jade are living the dream life with numerous Steak Restaurants in the Atlanta area, two kids and a house of everyone's dream. What could go wrong? The plot twists from start to finish was executed perfectly, it kept you thinking. on your feet. Great story and plot driven.

I absolutely loved this book! I am a huge fan of Kimberly Belle and this book did not disappoint. This is the kind of mystery that should be out there, it isn’t one of those 2 chapters in I know who did it. Nope this writer keeps on the edge of your seat until the last few pages. I knew when I started this book before bed that I would be up late, and I was but when I finally put it down I dreamt of Jade and Cam (it was a little weird I have to say). If you love a good mystery don’t be afraid to try this author. I’ve got my entire family hooked on her books

Jade and Cam are happily married, they have two young children and a highly successful restaurant business. Things take a turn one day when Jade arrives home and a man is in their home. He holds them hostage and demands a significant amount of money for ransom. Cam is forced to come up with the money but is he hiding secrets? Are they as successful as Jade thinks they are?

Be prepared to be amazed by another gripping thriller by Kimberly Belle. She really knows how to grab the attention of her readers. From the very beginning, this book takes off. I was quite invested and finished the book rather quickly. I would highly recommend this book to all thriller fans, it will definitely keep you guessing until the very end!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Park Row for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Kimberly Belle has a suspenseful, thriller just waiting for you. My Darling Husband has the twists and unexpected turns you’ll enjoy if thrillers are your thing.

Heart pounding, gut wrenching. Some parts made me cringe and cry. Others made me cheer. Girl power and no greater love than a mother’s love. Redemption. Belle raises the bar

This is the first time in awhile I've felt something was compulsively readable. Without exception, everyone behaved in a way that didn't strain reason. On a related topic: Though I didn't necessarily want everything to work out for the best for each character, I did kind of see each of their points.