the setup…
Alex Hutchinson is the mother of twin 12-year old daughters Gigi and Penny, and married to successful financial whiz Patrick who her girls love dearly as if her were their biological father. A few years ago, she began posting about her family and inspirational messages as Unapologetically Alex and it soon propelled her into the world of influencers. On the day her account reached one million followers, she and Patrick go out to celebrate with her trusted right hand assistant, Anna Claire Davis (AC) and it turns into a night of tequila and shots. Alex doesn’t remember much but when she awakens to an online nightmare, she’s clear she didn’t have a thing to do with the awful post that’s gone hopelessly viral. Her continuing efforts to reach AC fail and she soon suspects that the suddenly missing assistant may be behind it all, even though the message correctly matches her true feelings. Alex is helpless as her carefully crafted world spectacularly crashes down around her.

the heart of the story…
If you’ve ever watched someone famous be taken down by a viral post, you have a clue as to what it looks like. However, this story provides unique insight into the reality of how it impacted Alex and her family, how dangerous it can become and what an overnight fall from grace can mean financially. But there’s a lot more going on here as Alex tries to figure out why AC might have it in for her, slowly realizes she really didn’t know her assistant and her husband emerges as someone with his own set of secrets. The story is told from the points of view of Alex, Patrick and Anna Claire, which made this even more intriguing. Things escalate when the body of a woman is found on the family property and the police become more deeply involved. I was glued to this story as I desperately tried to assemble the clues and figure out what was going on and how this family could ever emerge whole again.

the narration…
If ever there was a story that required multiple narrators, this one was it and all three adeptly voiced their respective characters. They did them justice and were wonderful storytellers. If you have a choice, opt for the audio version!

the bottom line…
It didn’t take long for the story to get my attention and keep me in its clutches through the final climax. I never was able to figure out all of the dynamics in play but it didn’t really matter because I liked having it be splashingly revealed. I must admit, though, I still have questions and the ending was a bit curious, one I’m still mulling through. But it was quite the journey getting there and typical of the author’s storytelling style, one that keeps me coming back to her books.

Alex is an Instagram influencer who wakes up one morning to see a post, that she’s sure she didn’t post herself, blow up her page, but not in a good way. On top of that, her personal assistant, AC has seemed to disappear. Could the two be related?
This was an interesting thriller, told in multiple points of view. I was very invested in the beginning of the book because I really needed to know what happened to AC and how this instagram post would affect Alex and her family.
I found it interesting to read a book about an influencer, and the affects that career can have on their family members. With social media being so popular, it felt timely and relatable.
The storyline with Alex, her husband Patrick, and AC was interesting although predictable. I could see where it was going and would have loved a big twist that I wasn’t expecting.
This was my first Kimberly Belle book, and I found it fast paced and hard to put down. The ending was lacking a bit, but overall I enjoyed the story. I look forward to reading more from this author.

The Personal Assistant by Kimberly Belle

S.U.S.P.E.N.S.E. I loved it.

An influencer's life is turned upside down when a drunken post of her raging about a female celebrity goes viral, but who posted it and where did her personal assistant go? But things keep getting weirder and more dangerous.

The Personal Assistant released tomorrow, 11/29, make sure you pick it up!

Thanks to @netgalley and @parkrowbooks for the advanced reader!

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Suspenseful! This definitely had my heart racing. Something is constantly happening. It’s easy to relate to the MC as someone who posts on social media and how crazy it can be at times. Social media can be overwhelming and consuming and you definitely feel for this family. But question so much too. I really wanted to know what the husband was hiding and exactly what was AC up to?!

There were some definite shocks and things i didn’t see coming. The ending for some reason wasn’t my fav. It’s just not what i expected which is good i didn’t guess it. But for some reason, i didn’t love the ending. It made the other timeline seem less cohesive. Still a great read and definitely entertaining.

Featuring ~ multiple 1st person POV, influencer, money guru, secrets, murder

Having 3 narrators was a good choice and they are Alex ~ our blogging influencer, Patrick ~ 2nd husband of Alex, famous TV money guru and AC ~ the personal assistant. As the chapters alternate we slowly learn more and more about each of them and some characters are not going to like what they learn about each other. None of the characters are particularly likable really. I thought the 12 year old twins had a bit more freedom than they should, or maybe I just have more of a smother parenting style.

I was very interested to see how it would all play out with AC. Especially who is she and where she disappeared to. I had my inklings and I was correct, but I'm not mad I figured things out. One thing though about the twins father (view spoiler)

Overall, an enjoyable thriller that had some edge of the seat moments. There was a bit too much oversharing on social media for my liking, but that all led to the growth of Alex throughout the book.

My God, can Kimberly Belle write a page-turner.

"The Personal Assistant" is the story of Unapologetically Alex, an accidental influencer with more than 1 million followers. Her assistant, AC, is her righthand woman for running her Instagram account — and AC disappears the same day Alex goes viral in the worst possible way. When a murdered woman is dropped in Alex's guesthouse, it's immediately clear that there's more going on here than internet subterfuge.

"The Personal Assistant" managed to weave together two absolutely wild plotlines in a way I never saw coming. This is the second Kimberly Belle book I've read this year and I'm always looking forward to her next one.

I thought it was fun that the MC was a social media influencer because that is so relatable these days. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the alternate timelines. This was a fast and exciting read, although I felt that the ending was a little bit underwhelming.

Thank you @netgalley @parkrowbooks and the author for the gifted e-arc of this book.

An entertaining, suspenseful psychological thriller about the dangers of over sharing on social media. The author expertly weaves together the three narrators in alternating chapters between pov's of Alex, her husband Patrick, and Alex's personal assistant, the mysterious narrator known as AC.

Though I wasn't awed and shocked by the ending, overall it was a satisfying read. I wanted to keep reading to find out how it would all come together in the end.

3.75/5

I liked this one way more than I thought I would. It took me a bit to figure out the alternating viewpoints and timeline; but, that also made it more mysterious. The characters were strong and interesting to read about. I was excited to go to bed each night to curl up with this one. I did not predict the ending accurately, which is a sign of a good suspense/thriller book. It wasn’t the strongest ending in my opinion, but still good enough to get 5 stars.

Belle is incredibly underrated. I devoured this book in a day, and I cannot wait to recommend it to all my friends. Nice pacing, good twists, and I was totally invested!

In the world of influencers, nothing is as it seems. The Personal Assistant by Kimberly Belle is a thrilling exploration of the dark side of the digital world, as experienced through the eyes of an influencer whose personal assistant goes missing. Suspenseful and unpredictable, this gripping story follows Alex and her husband as they attempt to uncover their assistant's true identity and protect themselves from the greatest threat in their own living room. With alternating perspectives between the couple and the mysterious assistant, this page-turner will keep you guessing until its shocking conclusion.

I had high hopes for this one because I typically enjoy this author’s books, but unfortunately this one was a miss for me. The book was told through three different POV’s and two different time periods. I enjoyed the multiple POV’s. I liked the concept that one of the main characters was an influencer and you got to see the realities of internet trolls. The pacing was way too slow for me, and I at times I really struggled to picked it up. I felt like the suspense was lacking and the ending was just ok.

Thank you to the publsiher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Personal Assistant starts off strong and continues to twist and turn in directions the reader can't begin to guess. I'm a huge fan of Kimberly Belle books. I've read every single one and I must say, this one is a top read.

Alex has married the man of every women's dreams. She has twin daughters from a previous relationship but their father isn’t in the picture. Her handsome, charming, and wealthy husband has welcomed them into his life and the girls have returned the fondness, as much as 12-year-old girls can. They moved into his home and he
drives the girls to school every day too. Sounds perfect, right?

Much to her daughters’ humiliation, Alex has become a social media influencer. She has a huge following and posts family pictures, special moments, and inspirational messages. But it all comes crashing down overnight when a controversial post goes viral. One she didn’t post. And now her PA is MIA and things go from bad to worse.

This story kept me guessing through out and I couldn't put it down. I kept thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it. This novel was quite literally the best thriller I've read of 2022. Bravo Kimberly Belle!!

Alex has just hit a huge social media milestone, which obviously calls for a celebration. Her assistant, AC, played a major role in the achievement, so of course they must celebrate together. The next morning, Alex realizes she maaaaay have overdone it in the booze department. Her phone starts blowing up as she's reeling from a major hangover. Someone - who is NOT Alex - has posted a video of her going on a tirade and let's just say that it's not a good look. To add insult to injury, AC is nowhere to be found. Things then start to spiral completely out of control. Where is AC? WHO is AC??

This book shows how every influencer's dream can soon become a nightmare. I really enjoyed the build-up to the reveal of AC's true colors and what led her to do the things she did. The story alternated between the past and present through different characters' points of view (always something I love). I figured out a couple of things, but the author tricked me on some other points. The Personal Assistant is full of drama, twist and turns, and big surprises! I've read other books by Kimberly Belle and love the way she tells a story!

Well, Ms. Belle has done it again with The Personal Assistant. I was a total lemming when it came to making some assumptions on who the guy was that Anna Claire involved with. I ate up all those clues just the ways she wanted. This one kept me turning the pages until the very end. I loved how she made the female protagonist a social media influencer because it's pretty relevant to how the story unfolds. I'm not sure that there were many truly likable characters other than the twins. Alex wasn't bad but she got caught up in the gratification of having followers online which made her a little more self-obsessed.

This one ends with quite the last paragraph. She likes to leave you hanging or making your own conclusions, that is for sure.

This thriller is taunt and encompassing until it starts to drag three-fourths of the way through.

Alex is the come-as-you-are queen of Instagram. The curated pictures in Unapologetically Alex get a million views and sponsors are knocking on her door. But that night when she, her husband, and her personal assistant celebrated that millionth follower? Everything Alex has built comes crashing down.
One controversial post goes viral and leaves people calling for Alex's head. She reaches out to her personal assistant who knows everything about her and has access to everything Alex has. But when she contacts her about damage control, Alex never hears back from her and learns that her PA isn't who Alex thought she was.

The fear in this book is all-encompassing. Alex must not only deal with threats to herself but to everyone around her. Her husband and his job are taking hits. Her twin daughters are being threatened. Her home is doxed and there is a parade of people every day of people who don't like that she supposedly called someone a slut.

The novel looks at what it's like being an influencer and how fans can be easily swayed. This example is extreme but whoever created the Instagram post keeps fueling the fire. A story of mock-fame and dealing with what happens when that fame goes south. Unfortunately. It's rather sexist. Kimberly Belle's work claims that only women hate follow and troll other women. This woman has never been in any forum especially one for the Marvel Cinematic Universe where men hate watch, hate follow, hate comment, and hate meme these movies they claim to love. Anyone can be an influencer and anyone can be a troll.

The thriller becomes long in the tooth. In an effort to allow Alex and the readers to question whose story is true, the secret the book has been hiding for so long is a compact with versions from both people involved and no real truth given. There was a twist but by then I had stopped caring. Regardless of what really happened the perpetrator of Alex's media hoopla is really just some kind of crazy.

Had Belle edited down the novel and given the readers truth, The Personal Assistance would have been an awesome thriller.

When you choose to open your life to people through being an Instagram influencer, you don't get to choose when to close that door is probably the biggest life lesson learned from this book. This was my first book by this author but it most definitely will not be my last. I loved the pace, kept me turning the pages long after I should've stopped for the evening! So many twists and turns that I really enjoyed. Will definitely be handselling to anyone looking for a thriller for someone on their gift list this holiday season!

This seemed aggressively fine for most of the book. Between the social media influence aspect and the husband keeping secrets it felt like pieces of other books the author has written in the past. Then the last quarter of the book was completely OTT and took me out of the book completely.

The Personal Assistant
By: Kimberly Belle

A social media mother has millions of followers until one day a post goes viral! She had an assistant to help her since her social media and life became hectic.

When Alex discovers the post and looses tons of followers she realizes she was hacked. Her friends, followers start to question her ethics. She cannot get ahold of her assistant and she is the only one who has access to all her accounts/images.

Written in multiple perspectives between Alex, her husband and former assistance AC. This novel takes you on one wild ride! Who is lying? What secrets will come out? The past hardly ever stays in the past. What could each of them be hiding? Sometimes what seems to be perfect if far from it!
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#thepersonalassistant:

Thank you so much @mira for the gifted copy!

The Personal Assistant was my third Kimberly Belle book, and I do believe it was my favorite so far. As always, if there’s an author writing about anything Georgia that has person, places, things I know, I cling to that connection and really enjoy the story. Now we have this connection AND it’s about a blogger? Sign me up y’all!

I really enjoyed how Belle described the darker side of social media. While it can be a fun place (what up Bookstagram) it can also be a constant battle of comparison and keeping up with the trends.

This was such a fast paced read and I felt like I flew through this so quickly. I also may or may not have compared these characters to real life mommy bloggers 🫢😂

Thank you again Mira for the gifted copy! The Personal Assistant is out now!