The Paris Widow follows a newly married couple on the trip of a lifetime. When they’re enjoying their vacation in Paris, there’s an explosion and Adam, the husband, goes missing. His wife Stella is left in a foreign country trying to piece together what’s happened. I don’t want to give away spoilers but once I figured out where this was going I was very intrigued. This book wasn’t very long but some of the writing felt a bit clunky which is why I bumped down my rating. Usually thrillers of this length just seem to pass faster than this one did.

What kind of business was Adam in? How could his wife Stella not know?

Adam and Stella were taking a three-week European vacation that ended in Paris.

As they were ready to head back to the hotel, Adam said he forgot his sunglasses at the restaurant and heads there. Stella heads back to the hotel. A few minutes after he leaves Stella, an explosion rocks the entire area.

Was leaving his glasses an excuse to get back to the restaurant to do something more sinister than pick up the glasses or did someone spot him and caused the explosion which was for him?

Stella is stunned but unharmed, but where is Adam?

Will she be alone in a foreign country to deal with all of this on her own?

Is she in danger now?

But the main question is what has Adam been up to for all these years?

You will find out as Ms. Belle beautifully describes Europe and keeps your attention with the tension and unraveling of all that's going on.

Readers are never disappointed in a Kimberley Belle book, and the surprises will have you saying what??

Don't miss it. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to netgally for the advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed it. Stella and Adam's story and how it unfolded. Neither were honest with each other and both had their reasons. I enjoyed Stella's narration and point of view throughout the story. There were a lot os twists that I didnt see coming, and I like that she called upon her ex boyfriend for help because he owed her for the time she spent in prison for him. This is a title I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was hooked on this book from the very first chapter. I love how the book opened up with what happened to Stella before she met Adam. There were a lot of twists and turns in this book that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed Stella and Adam's story and how it unfolded. I couldn't believe that Adam wound up being a bad guy. I really thought he was going to have died in the explosion. This is the 3rd book Ive read by Kimberly Belle and it has been my favorite yet!

Book Title: The Paris Widow
Author: Kimberly Belle
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing ~Park Row
Genre: Espionage, Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
My Rating: 3.5 rounded up
Pages: 320


When Stella Knox meets Adam, an antique dealer she believes she has finally found the man of her dreams; she has made terrible choices and is not going to let that happen again.

Now Stella and Adam have been together for four year and decided to celebrate with a tagalong European vacation attached to Adam’s work trip. On their last day in Paris, while touring, Adam left his sunglasses at the café and insists on retuning to get them. He no soon leaves when Stella hears what she think is an earthquake (those of us living in California would think the same) however, it is an explosion. Now Adam is missing!
Later Stella is interviewed and given the name “The Paris Widow.

It appears Adam has been doing illegal activities Stella had no knowledge of and he made enemies that may have target him. Was the bombing a café necessary? The police believe Adam was the target of the bomb. Hmmm?
Stella has to find the truth, and is not leaving Paris until finds out the truth about Adam.
I did like the ending.

I also enjoyed reading Ms. Belle’s ’Author’s Note’.
She tells us that much of this story is rooted in truth. A Google search will connect you articles about the illicit trade of blood antiquities and archaeological artifacts not just France but virtually every country.
Here is one of the many links ~ as well as a Wikipedia description ~
https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/jil/vol49/iss1/8/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_antiquities
.
Want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing~ Park Row for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 11, 2024.

I finished this book almost a week ago, and I am still thinking about it! For me, it was a balanced blend between clues you understood and clues you missed, suspense without going too far over the edge, and twists and turns that still provided a satisfying ending. It would make a perfect beach read for someone who wants something other than a rom-com.

The book does employ a dual POV structure, but the MMC’s chapters did not add much to the story for me. I would have enjoyed getting just the FMC’s POV the whole time and getting to know her deeper as a character.

I did appreciate getting to learn more about the art world and how wealthy families use art to maintain their wealth. I also thought the author did a good job of capturing how some people think they are “saving” these artifacts when they are stolen from their original culture. It’s a fine line to walk, and I thought the author did an excellent job with it.

All in all, an enjoyable read!

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

This unique thriller takes place in Paris where Stella is on vacation with her husband Adam. An explosion occurs and Adam is presumed dead. From there, Stella questions everything about her husband who she realizes can't be trusted. The perspective of the art black market made for an intriguing storyline.

The narration in the book felt off; Adam's chapters were minimal and did not contribute much to the plot. In addition there were some plot holes, but I still enjoyed reading this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, just wow. Despite some wonky formatting issues that made it a bit of a struggle to get through this, I could not put it down. I was hooked right from the prologue and the story grabbed me by the throat and did not let me go. I love a cat-and-mouse thriller and this one really made it impossible to put down and I ended up staying up all night just to read this. Another aspect I loved was how atmospheric the writing was – it really set me right into the middle of the plot and kept me on the edge of my seat.

I'll be highly recommending this one upon its release and will also be purchasing a copy for myself so I can enjoy re-reading it without the formatting issues on my kindle!

Stella and Adam, very much in love, are on vacation in Europe. When separated by an explosion in Paris and police start asking Stella lots of questions, she wonders if she really knew her husband. Could he be involved in what the police are telling her his business really entailed? Stella refuses to leave Paris until she has answers as to what happened to her husband. This thriller will have you wondering and guessing right along with Stella. Kimberly Belle has another suspenseful novel you will not want to put down!

This is one I was excited to dive into. I’ve read a few Kimberly Belle books, and they were all excellent, so I had high hopes with this one. The synopsis looked promising, and while it was an interesting story, I thought it lacked some punch. There were no twists and turns like other books by this author. I was looking for the WOW moment to happen, but even the ending wasn’t spectacular. I still binged read it in a weekend, and I will read her future work. I did skim through some of the art antiquity stuff, but with well-developed characters and an atmospheric setting, it sure will keep readers with a passion for mystery and art on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.



Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for my digital ARC. As always, my reviews are my own and unbiased opinions.

Wow. “The Paris Widow” by Kimberly Belle was full of twists and turns. Stella and Adam are on a 3 week European vacay when he disappears during a bombing in Paris.
Stella believes he is still alive and searches endlessly for him, meanwhile attracting many nefarious characters that put her in danger. Overall, this was an extremely quick and entertaining read.

I was fortunate to receive early access to The Paris Widow through NetGalley and it certainly did not disappoint. Stella and Adam are a young married couple on the international trip of a lifetime. They have saved tirelessly in order to travel to amazing destinations in France, Spain, Malta, and several more. I was immediately taken in with Belle’s descriptions of Paris and the other locations that are featured in the book. The action really ramps up when Stella and Adam are ready to leave Paris and head back to the United States, but after briefly separating on the return to the hotel, Adam is caught in a horrific explosion at the place where he and his wife last lunched. Stella is frantic with worry, as she tries to figure out what has happened to Adam. Although, things become much more complicated after Stella is contacted by French authorities and alerted that her husband may be involved in antiquities theft. I thoroughly enjoyed The Paris Widow and look forward to Kimberly Belle’s next novel!

First of all A Big Thank You to Net Galley for allowing me to review this book in its early format.

A fantastic read! Kimberly Belle does not disappoint in this fast paced story that takes place in France and primarily Paris. Stella and Adam are winding up their holiday in Europe with a stay in Paris. Adam an antiquities dealer, is cherishing these last few days in Paris before heading home to the United States. A last minute lunch before heading back to their hotel, to head to the airport is further derailed by Adam as almost arriving at their hotel, Adam realizes he left his sunglasses at the bistro. Urging Stella to hurry on, he quickly returns to the bistro to rejoin her at the hotel.
The story begins here, as an explosion occurs as Stella is but several minutes away from her husband en route to their hotel. Adam does not answer his phone as Stella slowly begins to realize he might have been caught in the destruction. Enter Police, FBI, Govt Representatives….no one is quite as honest or reliable as they seem.
I could not put this book down. I followed Stella’s journey as she questions and tries to stake out the truth about her beloved husband Adam and where is he…and hopefully still alive.

Well that was a bit of a crazy ride! I really liked the way this one began and the twists and turns were, if not entirely unpredictable, very entertaining. It felt a little far-fetched as the revelations piled on, and the deus ex machina in the form of a Turkish billionaire felt a little too convenient, but still this was an engaging and quick read that highlighted a massive iinternational problem in blood antiquities, and make for an interesting read on the whole.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!!

I am by no means a history buff, but the descriptions of antiques and the history linked to them in this novel was beautiful. I felt the book overall was a slow burn, but such a good story line and an amazing ending.

I really enjoyed this cat and mouse chase across Paris. Not a lot of twists and turns but fast paced and kept me engaged!

Thank you to Kimberly Belle, Net Galley, and Park Row Books for this arc copy of The Paris Widow, which will be out June 11,2024!

Stella and Adam are on a three week European vacation. Even though they’ve been married for four years, they act like newlyweds and are enjoying all the beautiful places Europe has to offer. Descriptions of the places are breathtaking. As someone who has a fear of flying and would love to travel, I really enjoyed traveling through their eyes. So many beautiful places, albeit some were scary, but loved how the author portrayed their trips.

Stella, a former flight attendant with some secrets of her own, knows her way around the cities in France pretty well. Adam, her husband who deals in art sales, is there to look for some beautiful and rare pieces. When there is an attack on the city, her husband seems to disappear, and is classified as missing. As she tailspins, she refuses to leave the city. Now, I know I don’t know what I would do if I was in this horrific position, but I would never be as wild as I felt she was. I felt like I was yelling at her through the book, like I would if this was a movie!

She finds herself entangled in so many webs and lies. As the heat picks up, she continues to put herself out there and refuses to go home, even when the Embassy tells her some horrible news. I felt anxiety for her, I felt anxious watching her make decision my scared little self would never make.

The novel is told in an alternating point of view, with more of a focus of Stella. Adam has his own chapters as well, but not as many. I loved how their story unfolded and I really tried to figure out the whole story but didn’t piece together every little thing. Some of the aspects of the twists I could guess or anticipate , but it didn’t take away from the story or the writing, which I really enjoyed!

First novel by this author, but won’t be my last!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

I really enjoyed The Paris Widow. All the twists and turns and the mysteries and trying to solve who did what.
The characters were really nicely developed while not being overwhelming with details.
I'd definitely recommend this book to my book buddies :)

This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time! I really couldn’t put it down from the moment I started reading it! There are so many twists, turns and exciting parts to this book! I would definitely recommend it if you love suspense and a little bit of romance.

Wow!! Kimberly Belle way to keep me at the end of my seat. It is one of those books that you seriously can’t put down. You can’t wait to find out how it ends but then you don’t want it to end. It takes Place in Paris where a couple goes on a dream vacation. To say this vacation is full of unexpected events is an understatement. There is an explosion whe the husband goes missin. The plot thickens when he is presumed dead. Oh and there is so much more to this story. Did he die or not?? You don’t want to miss this one. Thank you NetGalley for read and review this 5+⭐️book.