This was an incredibly tense, edge of seat thriller. Particularly as a parent, this story line had me gripped! I truly felt as if I was in the room with Jade, trying to work out a way for her to get out of the terrifying closed room situation. At the same time, I was infuriated by Cam more with every chapter! Twist after twist, one more diabolical than the last.

This was an ok thriller. Since it all happened in one day parts were really fast paced and then other sections seemed to really drag on. It was kind of like the main characters kept saying the same thing over and over again. I kept with it to see where it ended up. It was bad but wasn't my favorite.

This book kept me interested throughout! I loved the multiple-POV writing style, and piecing together what happened really kept me going. I liked the reasoning behind the hostage situation, and all the little details that the author used to build suspense, like the nanny cams and the neighbor.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Jade Lasky and her two children are being held captive by a masked man who invaded their home. He issue instruction to Jade's husband Cam to have a very specific ransom amount gathered with a very tight deadline. Will Cam be able to gather the large amount demanded in time and save his wife and children? Who is the man that broke into the Lasky home? Why their family, why now and why so much of a ransom amount?

Cam is a successful restauranteer and is known as the steak king. His restaurants should be profitable enough for him to gather the money. Right? Or are things not as they seem?

All while Jade is being held captive, she worries for her children. And for Cam. However, as the day wears on questions begin to plague her regarding the family's finances.

In this riveting story by Kimberly Belle the character development is spot on, as is the incredible tension. Tension that never lets up for one second. Jade's strength and bravery shines though, as does that of her daughter. Cam struggles fast and furiously to liquidate his assets. This is definitely a pulse-pounding read from beginning to end.

Many thanks to Park Row and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I loved Belle's last book, Stranger in the Lake, so I had high hopes for this one but it just didn't do it for me. It starts off strong, with a lot of tension but then we start getting too many POV's and the middle scenes seem to drag on. I didn't like the wife's POV and wished there had been more of the husbands view point. I also didn't think the twist at the end was very, well, twisty. Here's hoping her next book is a better fit for me.

3.5 rounded to 4 for Goodreads.
This book was definitely a good quick thriller. Although I didn't LOVE LOVE it, there were some good things about it.

What I liked: I loved the characters in this book. Cam was a great husband and father, despite his many flaws. Jade was a kick ass mom who packed a punch when it came down to protecting her kids. Beatrix was a little firecracker and very protective and smart, and Baxter was just so cute and innocent, even in danger. Even Sebastian (who was holding them hostage), who was a good Dad behind the mask who just wanted to help his daughter. The chapters were quick which is always great, and they were alternating POV between Jade, Cam and Sebastian. I also loved she added the Interview with Cam post invasion. I loved the overall message of the book too... how far would you go to save the ones you love??

What I didn't like: the ending left me sooo frustrated. I wanted to know more. The whole book was super quick and like edgy, and then the end just felt cut off... like there should have been more !! I want more !!! What happened after the home invasion? what happened to both families ? are they still together? what happened to Cam's restaurants... I just wish there was a LITTLE more to end the story.

Overall, a quick thriller. Good story, just wanted more at the end. This book would be perfect for readers who don't like all the intense, gory thrillers... easy domestic thriller.

Another hit from Kimberley Belle. This one kept me awake during night feeds, just one more chapter! Fast paced page turner than kept me guessing to the end!

My Darling Husband is the tale of the seemingly perfect family. Jade and Cam and their children are living a picturesque life when masked intruders come into their home. Cam is then scrambling to find money to pay a ransom and undercovers dark secrets along the way.
The beginning of the story has some tension but about midway through the story, it starts to cool off and struggles to find the right pacing. The ending was not surprising either.
This is a fun, fast read if you keep your expectations reasonable.
#MyDarlingHusband #NetGalley. #Harlequin #ParkRow

Thank you so much @ParkRowBooks & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 08 March 2022)

SYNOPSIS | A mother & her two children are taken hostage at gunpoint in their home by a masked intruder. Her husband (a renowned celebrity chef) is tasked with delivering the ransom of $734,296 in only a few hours.

WHAT I LIKED:
- initially a fast-action story that started off super intriguing
- an easily bingeable popcorn thriller

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- I wanted more chapters from her husbands perspective
- the masked intruders chapters didn't really add anything to the story
- I really don't like a villainous monologue where they explain the motivations behind their actions & this book had a lot of that
- the middle of the story fizzled out & the ending was unfortunately exactly as expected

2.5 stars.

This book was unfortunately mediocre. I actually found myself zoning out a bit and speed reading a lot, hoping for things to pick up. It was “just fine”, but largely forgettable. The format was kind of interesting, but the plot was a bit predictable.

Kimberly Belle is one of my "Must Read" authors and she didn't disappoint with My Darling Husband.
Jade and her two children arrive home to find a masked man with a gun in their garage. He holds them hostage demanding ransom from Jade's husband Cam, a well-known celebrity chef with numerous renowned restaurants. With only a few hours left Cam frantically tries to raise money for his family's release while Jade learns of her husband's deep, dark secrets.
Told in alternating chapters between Jade, Cam, and the kidnapper the author also instills chapters of Cam being interviewed after the fact.
I enjoyed this domestic thriller but was perplexed by the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin - Trade Publishing/Park Row for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 rounded up to 5...

Kimberly Belle is one of my auto buy drop everything for authors, I was lucky enough to read this one back in September and it surpassed my expectations! My favorite book from her is The Marriage Lie and I loved this one just as much as that one or even more!

This book centers on a family caught up in a home invasion. If you are a fan of hers and love books that keep you turning the pages you have to read this one! I enjoyed the multiple POVs and she did a great job of keeping the reader on the edge of their seats for the entirety of this one. I read a lot of thrillers and this one managed to do a great job at standing out and feeling unique. She also did a great job of writing the characters in this one including the children.

This book is fast paced with a lot of drama and action! It is a book you will want to binge and read in one sitting so be prepared. I loved the dual timeline and multiple POVs. This was a great domestic thriller that I highly recommend.

Kimberly Belle has been on my radar for a while now. So when her latest novel, My Darling Husband, came across my dashboard, I was too tempted to pass it up! The same author wrote Dear Wife and The Marriage Lie, which I have heard great things about.

They say that looks can be deceiving, and Jade is about to find out just how true that statement is. By all appearances, she and her husband have a perfect life – two beautiful kids, a lovely house, and a budding business. But all it takes is one horrible moment for that to all come crumbling down.

When a home invader targets her family, Jade's eyes are opened to the secrets her husband has been hiding all of these years. And it turns out that the assault was less than random, as the home invader also knew of these secrets.

“People are more open to a proposition if they’re part of the solution.”

My Darling Husband was a fast-paced and chilling read – and that was before I saw Kimberly Belle's note on the book. According to her, My Darling Husband is "a story rooted in truth." Did anyone else get chills there, or is it just me?

I think it's safe to say that this book made me incredibly tense. If there was an award for freaking me out, I would grant it to My Darling Husband. Seriously, I was so anxious for the characters within this book.

A lot is going on in this book, and I think that's part of the reason why it was so dang tense. Every minute or two, there was something else for my anxiety to latch onto. That probably wasn't too great for my mental health, but it did make for a thrilling experience. I'll give you that much!

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

Wow what a great book
This one drew me right in..such great writing and a great story thr way it's laid out and told you can't not be pulled in by it.
I loved it!!!

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Okkkk! Listened to the audio and it was so well done. I loved the different but perspectives. This was fast paced and captivating.

My Darling Husband is an intense read from start to finish. It is a heart-thumping, meal-skipping sort of story. The synopsis of Author Kimberly Belle’s latest novel intrigued me, and the actual book absolutely floored me.

The present-day story is told from Jade’s perspective as she and her children, Beatrix and Baxter (AKA “the Bees”) live through a home invasion. Her horrific story is interspersed with snippets of an after-the-fact interview with her husband, Cameron. The effect is to create great foreboding and worry for Jade and children. Late in the story, their terrorist’s point of view is added in as Sebastian’s victims go off script and make his mission more challenging. Sebastian’s narration did not add much to the story for me in terms of plot tension, however, it provides the big reveal in terms of Sebastian’s motives and brings a lot of shades of gray to an otherwise "black and white" story arc.

As the story reaches an intense zenith, it is clear that there are more characters to dislike than to like. Even though I didn’t like the adults and couldn’t forgive their multiple errors in judgement, as a parent, I could empathize with their motives. At the zenith, readers learn of Sebastian’s motives. At the story’s denouement, Cameron’s motives are reiterated. They, of course, have one thing in common. They are parents who are motivated to provide what their children need or they believe their children need.

Ms. Belle’s thriller, My Darling Husband, is a nearly perfect read for me. The story slipped a bit for me when the author used it to preach about insurance reform and socialized medicine (and used the wrong character to convey her message, in my opinion). I have no issue with the message, I just don’t think the heavy-handed delivery is necessary. Readers are smart enough to read between the lines.

A little preachy, and a little too much forgiveness at the end, but otherwise a highly entertaining thriller with good twists, a big reveal, and a somewhat satisfying and yet open-ended, conclusion.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com

4.5 stars

Since the success of 2019’s Dear Wife readers have eagerly anticipated Kimberly Belle’s next domestic suspense thriller. My Darling Husband has a provocative opening—a man calls a journalist and says he’s finally ready to talk. Talk about what? Then the POV switches back in time to his wife Jade.

Jade and Cam live in Atlanta where Cam is a wildly successful restauranteur and his wife is a stay-at-home mom. Jade keeps busy chivvying her kids Beatrix (8) and Baxter (6) from one lesson to another. She has noticed a man showing up in her space—at Starbucks, passing her a stevia packet (unasked) and now slouched against the Westmore Music Academy sign where Jade takes Beatrix for violin lessons. She calls Cam.

Now I say to Cam, “He’s here.”



“Who’s where?”



“That guy. The skeevy one I told you about, with the glasses and the comb-over man bun. He’s here at Westmore.”



“Well, maybe he has a musically gifted kid.”



I roll my eyes, lift my hands from the steering wheel. “Right. And he just happens to go to the same gym as me and shops in the canned goods aisle at Whole Foods whenever I walk through their door.”

Jade has a stalker. Hold on, is he stalking her or is he trying to get to her kids? Cam scoffs at that notion because many families in Atlanta are much wealthier. Jade points out that he’s on the cover of Atlanta Magazine. She thinks to herself that “Going to a restaurant with Atlanta’s Steak King is like dining out with a rock star.” Cam pushes the problem back at Jade—perhaps she should speak to the security folks at the music academy.

Cam has other fish to fry, telling Jade “I’m at the shop on Bolling Way. There was a fire.” The tension flies off the page—stalkers, fires, what’s up with this family? Bolling Way is Cam’s signature restaurant—his house of cards will collapse if fire investigators suspect there’s something untoward in the fire’s origins.

Jade is very upset and her tension spills over to Beatrix and Baxter, tussling over packages of Goldfish in the backseat of the car. When they finally arrive home disaster awaits them. A masked man is hidden in the shadows of her garage. He points a gun at Jade and tells her and the children to get inside the house. The scene is gut-wrenching.

Kimberly Belle brings in another character—Sebastian, the masked gunman. He knows Jade, knows everything about her, her routine and her neighborhood. Sebastian tells Jade they shook hands once at a restaurant opening. Why is he there? What is his object? Jade offers him money, jewelry, the keys to her car but none of that interests him.

Suddenly we throttle forward in time. Journalist/interviewer Juanita is a tough questioner.

Juanita: Why don’t you start by walking us through your version of August 6.



Cam: ‘My’ version?

What a pointedly skeptical question. Juanita accuses Cam of leaving a door open so the invader could get into the garage, implying she doesn’t believe him when he says they never locked the door in question. Cam takes umbrage at her statement.

Cam: And why would you accuse me of such a thing? Are you insinuating I had something to do with the kidnapping of my own family?



Juanita: I wouldn’t be the first to suggest it. In the months since the home invasion, there’s been a great deal of misinformation floating around about you, both online and in print. Most of the stories accuse you of some kind of wrongdoing.

Predictably, Cam calls the rumors “fake news.” By meeting with a journalist, does he hope to clear his name? But what happened in the months before Cam is interviewed by Juanita; to Jade, Beatrix, and Baxter, trapped in their home and to Jake, confronted with the collapse of his restaurant empire. He admitted it to himself at the time: “So there it is, ladies and gentlemen, the truth. Cam Lasky is broke.” The interview technique fleshes out the horror of the home invasion and the restaurant fire. We learn that when Jade and Cam met, he was dead broke—his “first restaurant was deep underwater.” He tells Juanita he owes his success to Jade, that she’s the designer behind the Lasky signature look and brand, something she did on a “shoestring budget.” So why doesn’t he want to revive his empire?

Perhaps the Lasky marriage cannot survive the unspoken lies between Cam and Jade: “Lies and secrets, they are like a cancer in the soul. They eat away what is good and leave only destruction behind,” Cassandra Clare. Cam was losing his shirt, Jade mourned her former life—and the ever-widening gap between them leads inexorably to tragedy. Like Dear Wife, My Darling Husband reverberates with “riveting twists and a breakneck pace;” it’s impossible to put down.

When your husband is the King of Steaks and owns 5 supposedly successful restaurants the last thing that you think will happen to you is that you will be kidnapped in your own home and be held hostage for an odd amount of money. But that is exactly what happens to Jade and her two children. With their lives on the line can Cam her husband who has been hiding the fact that they are broke, pull together a miracle and find the money requested to save his family before they find out the truth?

This is a fast pace book that bounces back and forth between three different perspectives and main narrators. The story perfectly builds upon itself to revel more and more of the truth as you read. There are twists and turns that you will never see coming, and you will not want to put this book down.

Thank you so much to HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing and Netgalley for letting me read an early copy of this title.