The Paris Widow is an absolute blast! I'm a huge fan of books set outside the US because they transport you to a whole new world, almost like taking your own mini vacation. The story was set in Paris, but the characters took you on a journey through Capri, Malta, and a few other charming coastal European towns. The picturesque scenery alone made this book a delightful read, but it was the non-stop action that really made me love it. It felt like watching a blockbuster summer thriller. The plot was filled with secret past lives, the allure of blood antiquities on the black market, a heart-pounding motorcycle chase, covert communication with burner phones, chance encounters with the mafia, and murder! I started reading this book on a plane ride home and found myself finishing it the next day. It's been quite a while since I devoured a book so quickly, but this had me hooked from the very first chapter. Is it the best book I've ever read? Definitely not, but it's undeniably fantastic, incredibly fun, and moves at such a fast pace that I couldn't put it down. I'd recommend it to anyone, and I can’t do with even some of my most beloved stories. A huge shoutout to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eArc of The Paris Widow. Official pub date is June 11th!

This is posted to Goodreads and instagram.com/devonreads

Very interesting and different premise. Intriguing and mysterious. Felt like part of the time, later in the book, that the same facts were repeated too often. Though, did make me want to keep reading to see what actually would happen.

This was such a fun fast paced thriller. This was a turn pager, I finished this book in one sitting, BINGEWORTHY. A great book for the summer.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes fast paced thrillers.

What starts out as a whirlwind trip for a married couple takes a devastating turn when a bomb goes off and the husband goes missing. As Stella searches for her husband, she begins to unravel a web where it seems Adam is not who he said he was. Stella becomes tangled up in trying to figure out what her husband did and keeping herself alive. When she finds out how connected their lives actually are, it leaves the reader wondering who is telling the truth. This book kept me on the edge of my seat.

"If anything happens to me know you always have my heart."

I know I've been doing movie comparisons alot but I have an obsession with the tourist with angelina jolie and Johnny Depp. This was such a similar vibe with a different plot and I loveeeeed it! It was fast paced, action packed, and drama filled! I loved the way it starts out slow and then BAM!

I went into this book completely blind and didn't even read the blurb so it caught me completely by surprise and it was perfect! I swear I could see everything playing out and it was like a movie in my head.

This arc was a delight to read and I'd read from this author again anyday!

I really enjoyed this book. The story kept me interested and the twists were fun and sometimes unexpected. I loved Stella and Adam and their love story. Even as more and more was discovered about the origin of their relationship, it was obvious they truly love each other.

My one nit about this story is that it was told from both Stella and Adam as narrators. I personally did not think Adam's chapters added anything new to the story and felt they were unnecessary. Stella's chapters more than told the story.

Regardless, it was a great thrill ride and I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Paris Widow in exchange for my honest review.

This was sooooo good! What a crazy adventure. Nice to read a book where a wife actually loves her mate. All the secrets, skeletons in their closets and a foreign setting make this a true page turner. Sucks you in and doesn’t let go until the very end. Easy to promote!

The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle was a fast paced action packed read. I was hooked from the first few chapters. I loved the deep love shared between the two main characters, the aspects of the underworld, and the beautiful descriptions of Paris. These elements were just the right ingredients to have me hooked until the very end. I loved everything about this book and I hope to see it at the theater soon. You won’t regret reading this one.

I was really intrigued by this book from the getgo. There were a lot of twists and turns in this book that I didn't see coming and I loved how I did not guess the ending. Always makes for a good thiller in my book.

What a ride! I was kept on the edge of my seat from start to finish with this one. The story starts with a bang (literally) and the main character, Stella, is left trying to determine what happened to her husband while navigating a foreign country. This book has it all; history, suspense, a bit of romance, and, the thriller twists that we all love. Grab it for a fast-paced read this summer!
Thank you to Net Galley, Kimberly Belle, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me the pleasure of reading this advanced reader copy. I cannot wait to recommend it to my friends, family, and followers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher HTP/TheHive for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own. #HTP #HTPTheHive #Partner #HTPInfluencer #TheHiveInfluencer #HTPHive

I thought that The Paris Widow was a decent and quick read. It was unfortunately not one of my favorite books, but it was far from the worst book I have ever read. I think I will try this book again later on audio, once it is released. The whole time I kept thinking about the movies Before Midnight and Murder Mystery, so if you like either of those movies I think you will enjoy this book.


3.5 rounded up



—


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

********


If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here <3:

https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)

If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

What if everything you thought you knew and loved was gone in a moment? For Stella, her dream vacation with husband turns into just that. But then she has doubts and she realizes NOTHING is what it seems. But then Stella has a past no one knows about either. As both Stella and Adam's pasts collide in her attempt to find out what has happened to him, and why there was a bomb in Paris, you'll be turning the pages as quickly as you can, to see how this story unfolds! Part thriller, part mystery, part chick-lit, it's a book you'll be telling your friends about!

Wow I LOVED this book. I could not put it down, and I appreciated how layered it was. It had me on the edge of my seat. If you love thrillers and/or art history, you MUST read this! Thank you to Park Row for the ARC!

It took me some time to really get into this one, but once I found a rhythm, I was hooked. Dazzling European locales. Art theft and blood antiquities. A stubborn, naïve, plucky protagonist. Altogether twisty-turny and great fun.

Many thanks to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6445719288

https://www.instagram.com/stories/sldowney/3381215401829744896?igsh=emJyazZpZzRkcmU2

Imagine being on a Parisian vacation with the love of your life - visiting historical landmarks, eating amazing food, and laying out in the sun. One day, on your way back to the hotel from the restaurant, your husband goes back to grab the sunglasses he left at the table and an explosion goes off - and the restaurant, along with the entire square, has been blown up.

Stella Knox is a caterer who was once upon a time a flight attendant with a hisotry of dating terrible men. When she meets Adam, she thinks she's finally met a normal man, and agreed to getting married after a whopping 4 months of dating. Wanting to celebrate 4 years together, they set off to Paris where she inevitably gets the nickname, "The Paris Widow."

This book is told primarily in Stella's POV in the present with a few chapters of Adam's POV in the past (a few days before the explosion). In the days after the explosion, Stella tries to piece together what went wrong with Adam while interacting with the French lietenant Colonel, a man from the embassy, and a sudden man who has been following her around town.

This book kept me wanting more because honestly - where the f is Adam??? Does her past have to do with anything? Is she in danger due his other secret job? If you want a 'who done it/where are they' type of mystery, this book is for you! 4.5 stars rounded up :)

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Paris explodes. Stella Knox, once a carefree soul, finds herself thrust into a heart-pounding cat-and-mouse game on the city's vast streets. Her husband, Adam, vanishes after a bomb blast, and a dark truth surfaces – the charming antique dealer she loved might be a criminal mastermind.

Betrayal stings, suspicion burns, and secrets spill like blood in the City of Lights. This isn't your average vacation thriller. Strap in for a high-octane chase through Parisian alleys, where Stella races against time to uncover the truth about Adam and clear her own name.

Forget dinner, forget your phone – this novel demands your full attention. Twisty revelations, building pressure, and a pulse-pounding climax will leave you breathless. It's a gem that deserves a dedicated reading session, preferably on a comfortable couch with snacks at hand.

Stella joins her husband Adam on a work trip in Paris. They’re heading back to the hotel when Adam realizes he forgot his sunglasses at the cafe. During the brief time they are separated, there’s an explosion and now a frantic Stella can’t find her husband. As she searches, things start to come to light about Adam’s work. Stella is determined to get answers.

I feel like parts of it were a little convenient and unrealistic for me personally. I also hate when rationale for everything is just blurted out abruptly in conversation between characters to wrap up a story and I felt like this did that a little bit. I did really enjoy the read and it definitely kept my interest.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley, Kimberly Belle and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for the ebook! This book had my head spinning trying to figure out what happened and where it all went wrong! A twisty tale of love and deceit. The question is how much can you forgive?

A bit of the classical “you don’t really know your spouse” trope, but I ultimately liked the premise of this story. A working dream vacation takes Adam and Stella throughout Europe until it is cut short after an alleged terrorist attack. Stella finds herself in the midst of a nightmare. Not only is she unable to find out if her husband is dead or alive, but she has become a target of one of Adam’s most notorious and deadly clients.

Stella’s character is a little flat in the beginning and it is very hard to sympathize with her naivete over Adam’s profession. This becomes a bit more entangled when we are queued into the fact that this is not her first foray into black market artifacts. However, I did find this story to be a fast and thrilling read. Stella really began to grow on me when she got her affairs in order and started to take control of the situation.

This is a fast paced thriller about a strong woman seeking the truth about her husband. An explosion and a missing husband who may be dead or alive sets the stage for this page turner. Stella, the wife, refuses to leave Paris until she finds out the truth about her husband Adam despite all the danger and nefarious people she encounters. Kimberly Belle does an excellent job writing about the many facets of marriage. The storyline is intriguing and keeps you turning the pages.
Thank you to Park Row and NetGalley for an advanced eGalley of this book.
#TheParisWidow #KimberlyBelle #NetGalley