A thriller set in paris? IM SOLD! This was my first Kimberly belle book and I found it to be quite interesting. There were many twists and turns making me keep my interest throughout most of the book. I did find some parts to be slower than others but overall a good read

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Paris Widow!

I enjoyed this one! It was fast paced and enjoyable. The book centers around characters Adam and Stella. They are on vacation in Europe, and after a tragic incident in Paris they get split up. Stella discovers that her husband may not be who he says he is, and she starts to uncover secrets her husband kept from her. This book is full of mystery and thrill. I couldn’t put it down!

“A dream vacation turns deadly when secrets from the past catch up to a married couple in Paris.”

Personal review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

First things first, thank you @parkrow and @netgalley for the advanced review copy, in exchange for my honest review, this book publishes on June 11.

Being a Paris-ophile, this book had me from the absolute start. Stella and Adam seemed like the perfect jet setting couple, adventures galore, glamorous vacations - until a bombing hits a Paris cafe and their world comes crashing down. This book was full of suspense, mystery, intrigue, adventure, and above all, character development, one bread crumb at a time! Diving into the world of underground, black market, stolen antiquities, I loved the plot of this book. The connection of the characters held my interest the entire time. I really enjoyed this thriller!

Synopsis: When Stella met Adam, she thought she had finally found a nice, normal guy—a welcome change from her previous boyfriend and her precarious jetsetter lifestyle with him. But her secure world comes crashing down when Adam goes missing after an explosion in the city square. Unable to reach him, she panics.

As the French police investigate, it’s revealed that Adam was on their radar as a dealer of rare and stolen antiquities with a long roster of criminal clients. Reeling from this news, Stella is determined not to leave Paris until she has the full story. Was Adam a random victim or the target of the explosion? And why is someone following her through the streets of Paris?

Thank you so much to HTP Books for the gifted e-book!

This book was a blast! It gave me National Treasure vibes but make it Paris and I had to know how it would end!

When Stella and her husband are vacationing in Paris, he suddenly disappears after an explosion! Her story hits the Paris news quickly and she becomes known as "The Paris Widow" as everyone assumes the death of her husband, but she's not convinced! Where did he go? Did she really know him as well as she thought she did? Can we even trust her? You'll have to read to find out! I was pleasantly surprised by all the twists and turns this book took!

This was told in present day perspective by Stella and past tense perspective form her husband Adam's perspective. The back and forth helped keep the story interesting and kept me on my toes guessing what would happen next!

I also loved the author's note at the end and the explanation about how realistic so much of this wild story actually is today! If you have any interest in ancient archaeological artifacts, blood antiquities and the black market surrounding these treasures, this book is definitely for you!

I'm thankful that while there was quite a few sentences in French that the author went on to explain the English translation afterwards for the most part.

3.5 stars rounded up for GR

This will be available for purchase on June 11th!

A delicious, wild ride. Kimberly Belle takes us on a heart-pounding wild goose chase through the sun-dappled streets of several European capitals, holding our breaths until the last second!

I approached this book with a bit of trepidation--though Belle is well known as a thriller author, I'd never read anything by her, AND, I find Paris to be such an overdone genre in the setting. However... having RACED THROUGH THIS BOOK... I can tell you, it is fantastic. The setting isn't your typical, thriller-set-in-Paris--it's sprinkled with authentic details, bits of reality that make you feel as though you're really there, rather then looking through the eyes of someone who once visited the Eiffel Tower back when they were in college. Beyond that, the plot is intricate and detailed and pulls you along on one heck of an adventure.

In the present, you see Stella and Adam sweetly and wholly in love--until there's a terrorist attack (they think!?) and he disappears without a trace. Stella is nearly convinced her husband is truly dead, but she still holds out hope--and begins investigating. She soon learns Adam is not just the sweet guy she thinks he is--that he's in a heck of a lot deeper. This timeline is separated by chapters in the past in Adam's perspective, and I so enjoyed trying to figure out how this would all come together. I will spare you more details (I suggest you pick up the book and discover them for yourself!), but I would suggest this thriller to anyone who likes international intrigue, characters with dark, mysterious backgrounds, as well as books you could easily see being turned into amazing movies!

I had a really hard time getting into this book. This is not the typical type of thriller I read or enjoy. I didn't fully realize that before I requested it, so that's on me. I did, however, enjoy the Paris setting. Seeing all the sites through the characters eyes was fun.

The Paris Widow was a thrill seeking page turner that had me interested since the prologue! I thought this was going to be more thriller but it ended up being more mystery (which I’m not mad at). The blood antiquities aspect was very interesting and I’ve never read a book about something like that! The dual pov I felt wasn’t really necessary seeing as the husbands pov didn’t really add anything to the story (for me). The game of cat and mouse is always interesting and the fast pace of the book meshed everything well together.

Kimberly Belle does a fabulous job immersing the reader into the dangerous world of black market art and antiquities, set upon the lush glamorous Parisian scenery. The Paris Widow focuses on Stella and Adam enjoying a European vacation, until the unspeakable occurs and there is a bombing at a cafe where Adam goes missing. Throughout her frantic search, Stella uncovers many secrets and lies and soon realizes her husband isn’t the person she thought he was, and discovers his connections to the unsavoury underworld of stolen art.

Read this if you like:
-face paced thriller/mystery of international intrigue
-glamorous European setting of Paris, Malta and Italy
-questionable characters which leave you wondering who to trust
-multiple timelines with intersecting storylines
-clever twists and turns with a satisfying ending
- seeing a glimpse of the ultra wealthy, criminal underworld of stolen antiquities as well as the work of people who are part of the repatriation process
-novels that would make an excellent movie or series due to it cinematic appeal

My rating 4 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing Park Row for this eARC that will be released June 11 2024.

THE PARIS WIDOW by Kimberley Belle.
On sale June 11/24

Stella and her husband, Adam, are enjoying their last day in Paris before they fly back to Atlanta. They have a wonderful lunch at an out of the way bistro and on their way back to the hotel, Adam says he has left his sunglasses on the table. They agree to meet back at the hotel.

As Stella is wandering back to the hotel, a huge explosion happens and she knows it came from the direction of the bistro, and Adam. Rushing back she is met with the horrific scene, with people bleeding, covered in debris and some lying dead on the grass. She screams for Adam, over and over, but cannot find him. A journalist sees her and films her and asks if she has a photo of the missing husband….

What follows is a thriller like no other thriller… Stella is followed through the streets of Paris, she is approached by police, a man from the American Embassy and she finds out her husband is not the person she thinks he is..

The Paris Widow is a thriller about a woman who, while on a trip to Paris, finds out her husband and life isn't exactly the truth.

Stella and Adam, a married, couple are on a European vacation. While in Paris, Adam is a victim of a horrific accident. As Stella tries to put the pieces together of what happened to Adam, she finds herself caught up in a dangerous world built on deceit, lies, and murder.
The book goes back and forth between Adam's and Stella's POV, Stella is the more dominant character, and she has more chapters. She is also a more developed character. Adam’s chapters were flat and not necessarily needed. Stella is a strong lead and when her past is finally revealed things start to move quickly. There were a fer plot holes, but the overall feel of the book and the art black market were really fascinating, and I was left wanting to know more about that world. I loved the acknowledgements, definitely read those.

This is my first book by Kimberly Belle and I would definitely read another. I think this would be a great summer, or any time of year read. It was definitely a quick read that caught my attention and I did not want to put down. I would highly recommend it to my suspense with plot twist loving crowd.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the digital arc copy.

Thank you NetGalley, Park Row Books and Killer Crime Club for an advanced copy of the Paris Widow.

I love Kimberly Belle's books and this one did not disappoint.
The Paris Widow is a must-read summer thriller! This fast-paced novel has it all: stunning Parisian scenery, romance, and tantalizing secrets. With its gripping plot and vivid descriptions, it’s easy to imagine this book being adapted into a movie or limited series, evoking the sophisticated intrigue of "The Thomas Crown Affair."



Thank you once again!

Happy Reading!

I received at complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the author and the publisher.
This book hits the ground running with action right from the very first page. Stella spends the whole book running around Paris trying to figure out if the love of her life was actually killed in a bombing at a cafe. The questions keep piling up and after several warnings she just doesn't know who to trust. There is lots of action and international intrigue and I flew through this book!

A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

Another winner from Kimberly Belle! I've come to really love her writing style. Her books read quickly, are fast paced with just the right amount of action, have some clever twists and turns, and have a good amount of mystery.

I liked that this was a thriller that also dealt with some art history. It was really cool the way the story came together and while I don't know much about the art world, it felt very well researched to me. This was an excellent and entertaining read that I recommend picking up!

Stella Knox's life is shattered when her husband, Adam, goes missing during an explosion in Paris. But what she uncovers while searching for him in the aftermath will send her on the trail of blood antiquities dealers, money launders, ruthless assassins, international law enforcement, and the ultra-wealthy.

The Paris Widow is a cinematic thriller that I devoured in the space of an afternoon and which I barely put down. Set across some of Europe's most beautiful scenery, Stella's search for Adam makes your heart race. As the story unwinds, you learn that no one is who they seem and that no one has their hands clean. The intersecting storylines help paint a picture of the shadowy underground of antiquities smuggling and the lengths that dealers and buyers will go to horde priceless artifacts.

When I say cinematic, I mean it. It's hard not to picture this book as a movie or limited series. The stunning locales, the rich tapestry of characters, the action and suspense--it is all tailor-made for a blockbuster, and I would definitely be the first to watch it.

This is my first Kimberly Belle book and I'll be hard-pressed not to devour her back catalog now.

* Thank you to Park Row and NetGalley for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

I would read this womans grocery lists if given the chance. One of my favourite suspense novel authors. Everything she writes is a masterpiece.

I enjoyed the way the twists unraveled in this entertaining and atmospheric mystery. I really loved how the ending wrapped up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Park Row and Kimberly Belle for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Paris Widow.
I love the settings presented in this new mystery/thriller. The descriptions of Paris, Malta, and Italy put me in travel mode on a delightful romp around Europe.
Basically, this type of story is not for me. The characters are unlikeable, flat and untrustworthy. I was not rooting for anyone, no matter what they said or did. I am not interested in the validity of historical artifacts. I know it can be controlled by deceitful, dishonest people along with those that are truly committed to their careers. This story contained so many deceptions, lies and convoluted stories that I lost interest early and didn't care who was telling the truth. Most decisions seem to be made for acquiring tons of money which gets very repetitive,
I felt removed from the story as it continued; more telling than showing and just wanted it to end. I am a character driven reader and just needed more in the beginning to encourage me to feel invested.

Adam travels quite a bit for his job as an antiquities dealer, and sometimes his wife Stella joins him. They are in France when there is an explosion and Adam is missing. Stella tries to get everyone to look for him but she is met up various unseemly characters. What is really going on.