My favorite book this year. The Paris Widow is my first by this author, and wow, was I impressed! I found it wonderfully immersive from the get go. It crosses genres seamlessly with intrigue, romantic suspense, and thrilling scenes that have your heart racing. It would make a wonderful movie, as it has all the right components moving along at a good pace. The unique plot with unexpected twists has the reader totally hooked as to what is truth, what is not and who is who.

Read the publishers description. It says it all much better than I can. The author has based her subject matter on the illicit trade of blood antiquities, evidently a booming multi-billion dollar trade business from all over the world on the black market, which funds wars and terrorist activities. Who knew? The authors notes gives us factual information on this topic of which her novel is rooted. This is an eye opener to those of us who knew little about this matter, such as yours truly.

The main attraction of the novel is the relationship between husband and wife Adam and Stella, together 4 years and passionately in love. Viewpoints from both tell this story, so we know what each is feeling, thinking and what has transpired previously, going back to how they met. She a former airline hostess, and he an antiques dealer. They are vacationing, wandering throughout Europes most inviting locales with very descriptive settings one can easily envision, while they search for antiques that Adam can supply for his clients back home. He has his own small local business.

The story gets going when they have just left a quaint Parisian cafe after lunch and were walking back to their hotel when Adam realizes he has left his sunglasses at the cafe and runs back for them, telling Stella he’ll meet her at the hotel so they can check out. Before she reaches the hotel there is a big explosion talking down a whole city block that includes the area of the cafe. In the mayhem that follows Adam is nowhere to be found and doesn’t answer his cell phone.

From this point on you won’t want to put this book down. I read the first 30% of this in one sitting and whizzed through the rest shortly afterward, begrudging any interruptions. Kudos to author Kimberly Belle. I loved it and loved finding an author I will follow for more.

Release day coming right up June 11th. Pick this up, you won’t regret it.

My thanks to the following for my review copy.
#netgalley
#harlequin trade
#kimberlybelle

Can you trust the person you love the most? A fast paced trip across Europe full of secrets, lies and antiquities. Great summer read!

Wow! This book was an exhilarating ride from start to finish! If you crave mysteries brimming with unexpected twists and turns, then this is the book for you! I always dive into books without reading the blurb, and I chose this one specifically because it is set in Paris—a city that holds a special place in my heart. The author's vivid descriptions instantly transported me back to my time in the City of Light, making every scene come alive in my mind. The intricate plot and the rich, atmospheric writing kept me hooked until the very last page. I could almost smell the fresh croissants and hear the bustling streets of Paris. I am not going to give the details away with this book…you will just have to read for yourself! Truly, this book is a masterpiece that mystery lovers and Paris enthusiasts alike will devour with delight!

Main Characters:
-- Stella Knox – former flight attendant, high-end caterer to A-list celebrities, married to Adam for the past three years
-- Adam Knox – owns a shop in Atlanta that sells reclaimed antiques to builders and architects
-- Ben Sully – Stella’s former love interest, she met Adam shortly after leaving him, works in international finance
-- Arnaud Collomb – lieutenant colonel on the Paris Police Force
-- Lucas Fournier – from the Citizens Services department of the U.S. Embassy

I discovered Kimberly Belle last year when I read The Personal Assistant through a book club, so when I saw The Paris Widow on NetGalley, I immediately requested it. You’ll want to pick this one up.

The Prologue introduces us to someone smuggling something in her luggage while passing through France, and then the story cuts to the present day with Stella and Adam in Paris on vacation with a little work for Adam mixed in. The story proceeds through a dual timeline alternating from Stella’s point of view in the present and Adam’s point of view beginning 18 days prior. Stella’s timeline consists of trying to figure out what happened to Adam. Adam’s timeline explains how we got to the explosion.

This story contains a lot of players, twists, deception—all the makings of a great thriller. I had a lot of questions as I worked my way through it, and the deeper I got into the story, the more questions surfaced. Not only did I question what exactly happened to Adam, I started to question Stella and her past.

I do not want to give anything away here because I really enjoyed getting to the ending. This is suspenseful all the way through. It is easy to get lost in all of the developments, and I’m still not convinced that I know all the good guys from the bad guys. That’s all I’m going to say. I will look for Kimberly Belle again and again.

The Paris Widow should not be started if you don't have much time to read. It is one of those books that is so gripping that you can't put it down! I absolutely devoured the book reading it in 1 day. The Paris Widow is one thrill and twist after another. Imagine you married a man 4 years ago who checked all of your boxes and you've been happy ever since. Stella met Adam when helping her friend look for a rare book. Adam was filling in for the owner of the shop and he and Stella had an immediate attraction and connection. They fell in love quickly and married. Adam is an antiquities seller and operates a shop in town..

Adam and Stella take time off to travel around to some of the spots they've always wanted to go.. Towards the end of their trip they are enjoying a meal at a cafe' that Stella remembered from another trip. She was able to find it and Adam loved the food as much as she did. As they're walking back to their hotel to pack up for their trip to the airport, Adam realizes he forgot his sunglasses at the cafe'. He tells Stella to go ahead and get everything packed up and he'll meet her in a few minutes. As she is on her way back to the hotel, the ground shifts and there is a huge explosion coming from the area that Adam just walked toward. Once Stella realizes what has happened she runs back towards the smoke.

When Stella rounds the corner, the building that the cafe' was in is now gone. Rubble from the building is everywhere and there are bodies all over. Some people are injured and others are dead. Stella looks quickly at the people she can see, but doesn't see Adam anywhere. She keeps walking around and looking at the people. Adam is not there! Where could he be? She gives her name and a description of Adam to a police officer. Adam's name goes on a list of missing people. Stella is terrified and in a panic. She can't stop shaking. A tv reporter wants her to go on tv and tell people about her missing husband. She can't think of any reason not to as it might help if people are looking for him. Adam is nowhere and Stella is sick with worry.

When the police come to Stella's hotel room they tell a different story of who Adam is. They tell Stella that Adam has been on their watchlist as a person who sells stolen goods to criminals. Stella has no idea what they're talking about. The Adam she knows runs an antique shop in town and makes his living doing that. They also tell her that the bomb was set to take Adam out as he has made some very serious enemies. If the people who wanted to kill Adam think Stella knows about his other work, is she in danger? She begins to notice people around her and is sure she's being followed. When her hotel room is broken into, Stella knows she's got to take action.

Will Stella find Adam? Did Adam die in the explosion? Will Stella be able to find out about Adam's other work? Stella has also hidden something from Adam about her past. Should she go back and try to get help now? Will Stella be able to find out who's behind the bombing and help clear her husband? Did Adam really love her or was she played from the beginning? This book will have you putting your life on hold as you race to finish it! I rate The Paris Widow 5 stars with my very highest recommendation! Kimberly Belle has done it again and I can't wait for her next book! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of The Paris Widow in exchange for a fair review. #TheParisWidow

Fast-paced thrillers are my jam. The Paris Widow is just that.

Married couple Adam and Stella Knox are on a part work part pleasure European vacation. Adam works in the art industry and is traveling Europe to find additions for his shop. Stella, a former flight attendant, comes along for the ride. What’s been a whirlwind three week vacation comes to a shocking end when tragedy strikes. Adam and Stella are separated after an explosion. Stella’s desperate journey to find her husband, dead or alive, uncovers disturbing and troubling secrets.

I love that this book starts off with a bang. The alternating chapters flip back and forth between the earlier days of their vacation and the present. After starting off with mostly Stella’s perspective, the chapters begin to incorporate snippets of Adam’s. This method of storytelling always makes my heart happy. The slow release of secrets and suspense kept me flipping the pages.

If you’re looking for a quick read that incorporates a love story, suspense and the illicit trade of blood antiquities, you’ll find it here.

Thank you to NetGalley, Park Row Publisher and Kimberly Belle for this digital reviewer copy.

Blood antiquities are archaeological artefacts that have been plundered during conflicts and have been used to fund these wars. ~ Wikipedia

At the center of this new thriller set in Paris is the reality of 'blood antiquities.' We catch a glimmer of the operation in the Prologue.

Then we meet Adam and Stella. Hopscotching around the EU, they are living their best life. Finding the nooks and crannies off the beaten path. The galettes at the tiny French restaurant are 'to die for.' The explosion that follows lunch destroys a city block and detonates the nicely curated life that we thought they had.

Is Stella a widow? What about the accusations being made about her husband and his antique business? Who can she turn to for help?

This is a riveting read with high stakes. Dead or alive, Adam may not be the man Stella thought he was. Where does she go from here?

Ready for an exciting, virtual trip to Paris? Ça a l'air parfait. (That sounds perfect.)

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a solid thriller about a woman on vacation in Europe with her husband, who restores and sells antiquities. One sunny day, there is an explosion and Stella can't find her husband, who was in the cafe where the explosion happened. This is the beginning of the unraveling of their secrets and lies, histories revealed, and a cat and mouse chase through Paris. I couldn't stop reading once I started, and thoroughly enjoyed the story. It's very plot-based, and more could have been done to develop the personalities of all of the characters, but all in all it was a winner for me. Thanks to Netgalley and Park Row for the advance digital copy!

This book is filled with twists and turns. The pace is fast right from the start. Readers will fall in love with trying to solve the mystery of what really happened to Adam. Life is never as clear cut as we think it is. We all have a past. I can’t wait for readers to get this book in their hands. This is the perfect summer read, or great for your next book club.
Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

I love a good mystery or thriller. So many I've picked up recently did not hit the mark because it read as though the plot was copy-pasted from the author's previous work. This is not the case with The Paris Widow. I absolutely loved it and could not put it down. I will definitely be recommending this to people in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Paris Widow. While it might not be a traditional thriller, it is certainly rich in mystery and suspense! From the very beginning, the book is packed with action, keeping me on the edge of my seat as I tried to unravel the various mysteries. Despite my efforts, I only managed to guess one of the twists! This book is a wild ride filled with intrigue and excitement, making it a true page-turner. I highly recommend it! A big thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Paris Widow has everything that I look for in an escapist read. There are the setting, characters, storyline, suspense along with the inherent desire to just keep turning the pages until there are no more.

You won’t forget Stella and Adam. Suspend disbelief and dive right in.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HTP for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book will be released on June 11th, 2024.
I was invited to participate in the Book Tour. My choice was to do an Excerpt Post. Below is the Link for it.

https://wendyreadsandwrites.blogspot.com/2024/06/blog-tour-paris-widow-novel-by-kimberly.html

I've been a fan of Kimberly Belle over the years, and she once again proves why she is the queen of domestic thrillers! From the plot to the setting, I was instantly hooked on The Paris Widow. Despite a few fantastical elements, Kimberly Belle somehow made the plotline realistic enough to be plausible. A must read for this summer!

This was a fun fast paced read with a writing style that kept me pulled into the story from the beginning. Nothing was quite what it seemed and I enjoyed following Stella as she tries to put together the pieces of just who Adam really is - which slowly had me wondering was anyone or anything how it seemed?

The book is a combination of present day in Stella's point of view and flashbacks earlier into their vacation from Adam's perspective. I really enjoyed Adam's perspective and it helped the feeling of a net closing around Stella and the book goes on.

I really enjoyed the story, the writing style, and the pacing in this book. It was a fast paced read with suspense but not so scary it had me wanting to double check the locks or jumping at shadows. This was my first book by this author but it won't be my last.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. Stella's dream vacation turns into her worst nightmare. No one expects a bomb and your significant other to disappear when you're on vacation. This was nerve wracking and I like the two point of views. Definitely fast read and high suspense!

The Paris Widow takes you on a journey through love, loss and the search for truth. Everything Stella thought she knew about her husband, Adam, is a lie. After he is missing following an explosion in Paris, Stella must uncover clues to find the truth. If you like psychological thrillers you will enjoy The Paris Widow.

Stella and Adam are on vacation in Paris. When Adam goes back to a cafe to retrieve his sunglasses a bomb explodes and they are separated. Stella spends the rest of the book searching for her husband and hoping he made it through. Along the way she discovers some secrets he has kept from her. Is he who he really says he is? I enjoyed this book a lot. It made me not want to put it down.

I was totally loving this book right up until the 50% mark. Things at that point turned just way too unrealistic for me to get into.

I think maybe I didn’t realize that this was an art heist book? Which I don’t dislike, I just wasn’t expecting it and maybe wasn’t prepared for it? I loved Woman on Fire which had similar art theft/blood artifact vibes so I’m not sure why this one just didn’t gel for me. I thought Stella was just a little naive and I couldn’t get a read on her personality enough to be rooting for her.

I also think it could be that the build up was so big that in the end the tie in just didn’t do it for me. I would pick up other books by Kimberly Belle in the future, but this was just meh in the post-50% stage for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. The Paris Widow releases on 6/11!

I once read three Kimberly Belle books in a row; I love her writing that much. She is a domestic thriller queen. The ones I’ve read are entangled in slow story-building with character development, with Dear Wife being my favorite.

However, The Paris Widow is non-stop action which is reminiscent of a Mission Impossible movie and similar in vibes to The Last Thing He Told Me. Stella is on the last day of a Parisian vacation with her husband, Adam when a city center explosion blows up a million little details that make up the story of her marriage and the man she loves.