A Thrilling Journey Through Love and Deception

The novel follows Stella, who embarks on a dream European vacation with her husband, Adam. Their trip takes a dark turn in Paris when Adam disappears after a devastating explosion. As Stella searches for him, she uncovers shocking secrets about Adam’s involvement in the illicit trade of rare antiquities.

The author crafts a narrative filled with suspense and unexpected twists. Stella’s transformation from a trusting wife to a determined woman seeking the truth is both compelling and relatable. The vivid descriptions of Parisian locales add depth to the story, making the city’s charm juxtapose the unfolding danger.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Paris Widow was an intriguing thriller about a young married couple caught up in a mystery. I enjoyed this book, but parts of it became a little overcomplicated for me. All in all, a good read!

This is fast pacing, smart espionage, action packed thriller you truly enjoy! It gave me much thrill than most of the action moves I scroll through Netflix. I highly recommend you to read it as I grade it with my 4.5 stars rounded up 5 Parisian stars!

Overall, this was an enjoyable read …. However, it turned out to be rather predictable and I found the plot dragging at times. I did really like the Paris setting which was what initially drew me to the book.

A dream vacation that turns deadly. When Stella met Adam , she thought she finally found a good guy. But when Adam goes missing, everything is not what it seems. Was Adam a target or was he a random victim? Stella knows she can’t leave until she finds out everything. It took a couple pages to get into this book but then I found it to be fast paced. Such a wild thriller! Thank you NetGalley, Kimberly and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

Stella and Adam, seemingly the perfect couple, find their lives upended when Adam vanishes in Paris after a bombing. As Stella relentlessly searches for her husband, she soon discovers that she must confront everything she believed about Adam.

From the outside, Stella and Adam’s life appears idyllic. They’re on a luxurious vacation when they’re separated—first by a deadly bomb blast and then by Adam’s apparent disappearance. Stella’s relentless search uncovers shocking lies and secrets. Who is the man she married, and why is she now being followed?

Determined to find answers, Stella refuses to return home until she uncovers the truth about Adam’s identity, the reason behind the bombing, and the person still after her. She goes to any extreme measure necessary, willing to risk everything to find the answers she seeks, even if it means sacrificing her own life.

While this electrifyingly fast-paced book was impossible to put down, the danger aspect that permeates the pages adds to its suspense. Additionally, the blood antiquities theme evokes Raiders of the Lost Ark vibes, especially as Stella delves deeper into the truth.

The Author’s Note at the end of the book further emphasizes the seriousness of the heinous crime, solidifying the historical aspects of the story. This is my fourth book by Kimberly Belle, and she certainly didn’t disappoint. In fact, this book just might be one of my favorite books of 2024.

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

This one was meh for me. It started off interesting but got kind of predictable and was a little bit of a boring read

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle. Stella and her husband Adam are on a vacation in Europe, following a business trip for him, when Adam suddenly is caught up in an explosion and disappears, presumed dead. Stella is blindsided and slowly realizes that Adam is not the innocent art dealer that she thought he was, he actually dealt in blood antiquities-stolen archeological artifacts. It is a very dangerous and very lucrative business. This is a thriller-as she tries to figure out what happened, which of the lies are actually true, and if her husband is actually dead. Fast moving and definitely kept me reading! #thepariswidow #kimberlybelle #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #lovetoread #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of ”The Paris Widow” in exchange for my honest opinion. I am a big fan of Kimberly Belle books and was thrilled to get a copy of her latest book. This story starts very close to the action and it doesn’t take long for tragedy to strike. The problem is that I didn’t have time to get to know the characters enough to really care about them. The plot seemed to stick at points and was fairly predictable. The chapters that went back in time weren’t super helpful in keeping the plot moving. I found myself wanting to finish so I could move on to my next book. I will still read future books by Belle, this one just wasn’t able to capture my interest.

“𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮? 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝. 𝐈’𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬.”

I was excited to dive into Kimberley Belle’s latest, a thriller set in Paris, especially after devouring her co-written novel Young Rich Widows earlier in the year.

Belle drew me in right away a pulse pounding first few chapters that start with married couple Stella and Adam enjoying their last morning in Paris that immediately leads to an explosion and its immediate aftermath, with a missing Adam and a frantic Stella. I enjoyed having both Stella and Adam’s points of view, especially since Adam isn’t in a lot of the present day action, due to being missing, allowing the reader to get to know his secrets from his perspective. Even though they both make choices that endanger the other, I felt like Belle did a solid job at making their love for each other apparent, especially when considering the motivation behind some of their decisions. Paris really shines here - Belle’s descriptions had me reminiscing of my time in the city - it made me want to go back (although without an explosion and people chasing me please). The real life inspiration drawn from the underground world of art trading was incredibly interesting (and slight unnerving!) Belle also introduces a lot of shady characters, which allowed the story to read a bit like an adventure/spy thriller, with Stella unsure of who to trust and wondering just who was watching her. It made for quick page-turning, with some reveals that I didn’t see coming.

The Paris Widow is a story of love, money, betrayal, and change. It is a lot of fun, easily bingeable, and has the elements to make a great movie (think of Stella running through the Paris streets!). Thank you to Park Row Books, Harper Collins Canada & NetGalley for the ARC!

Such an entertaining thriller! The Paris Widow -- despite being centered around the seedy underbelly of the art world in Paris -- made me desperate to go back to Paris as soon as possible. I loved all the descriptions of the city and I couldn't put this story down. Full of twists, suspense, and shocking moments, Kimberly Belle's latest book doesn't disappoint.

A married couple check out of their hotel in Paris with the husband (Ben) running back to retrieve a left behind item … after an explosion rocks the city centre… Ben disappears without a trace. Told from duel POVs, short, riveting chapters and brilliant, ingenious twists, this book will keep you flipping those pages at super fast speed. Overall conclusion — Loved it!! 🤩

Many thanks to NetGalley and Park Row for an advanced reading copy 🙏

The Paris Widow kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing until the very end. Incredibly fast-paced and twisty. I highly recommend checking this one out. I easily binged it in 24 hours and couldn't put it down. This is one to add to your TBR pile!

Thank you HTP Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
4.5/5 stars

This was a very fun thriller that I read in only a few sittings. Though I did find it mildly predictable, there were a few surprises thrown in as well. The main character was well-written and I loved the combination of stewardess next door and international femme fatale. I love a good cat and mouse game and this definitely delivered. Nothing mind-blowing or new but nonetheless entertaining and fun.

3,5 stars

Read my full review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6438281212

I'm always a fan of a Kimberly Belle thriller, and this one was no exception. Stella is married to Adam, who she believes to be a nice, normal guy and enjoys a stable and secure life until there is an explosion in a town square in Paris, and Adam goes missing. As police investigate, it appears that Adam was involved in the illegal dealing of stolen antiquities and has many criminal associates. Stella is blown away by this realization and can't move on and leave Paris before knowing the full story of Adam and what happened. This was fun ride! This was incredibly fast-paced and I ate it up- finishing it in one sitting during a cozy afternoon. I enjoyed the twists, however a few seemed a bit far-fetched to be plausible, however if you suspend disbelief, this was highly enjoyable. I'd give it 4/5 stars and recommend to anyone wanting a fast-paced and addictive thriller.

🔪𝕋ℍℝ𝕀𝕃𝕃𝔼ℝ 𝕋ℍ𝕌ℝ𝕊𝔻𝔸𝕐🔪

"𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒖𝒑. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒉 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏. “𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒆, 𝑰 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆.”"

Special thanks to @kimberlybelle #parkrowbooks & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ [4.25]

How is this my first solo Kimberly Belle book?!

This one was a fast paced cat and mouse story of a wife just trying to find her husband, uncover secrets, and not get killed. Seems simple right?! Especially after they were just enjoying a 21 day vacation across Europe. Then 💥BOOM💥 everything is shattered. What you thought you knew , is no more.

This was such a good read, I need to read the back list of Kimberly, because this was great.

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
June 11, 2024

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻 ❓️⁉️❓️ Have you ever been to Europe? If so, where have you been? If not, where is your dream vacation?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #kimberlybelle #thepariswidow
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A thrilling dual time line book! Adam and Stella are at the end of their trip when something horrific happens and Adam is feared dead. As Stella soon finds out Adam is not who he says he is she finds herself in danger. I love Kimberly Belle’s books because they always offer the unexpected. No one is who they say they are and nothing is as it seems. I devoured this book in a few hours!

3.4 rounded up
Stella and Adam are married. They tell each other everything right

Adam is an antique dealer
There's nothing to hide there

Everything is going well, and they are in love in Paris. That is until Adam forgets his sunglasses at the cafe and runs back to retrieve them, and then the cafe blows up
Adam was hiding something, and Stella soon found out that he wasn't who he said he was
Now Stella is left in Paris trying to figure out what she is going to do without the love of her life to go back home to
But Stella isn't who she has always known to be either
And she was definitely hiding a past from Adam he never knew about

This book started off okay but I feel like there was just too much going on. It felt overly dramatic to me for being a thriller book.

Excellent mystery. I loved the premise and the surprises throughout. Great character building and plot development.