The Paris Widow has found its place in the list of my favorite books of 2024 so far (it releases on June 11th so you'll have a bit of a wait on your hands). The story centers around Stella and Adam and occasionally jumps to the beginning of their European trip. Stella, a former flight attendant has finally found a nice normal guy, or so she thinks. When their Parisian getaway turns tragic and her husband is presumed dead, she finds out that her husband might not have been who he said he was, and there is no one she can truly trust.

You can finish this novel from beginning to end in a couple evenings of dedicated reading, and trust me you won't want to put it down! Definitely in my top 5 of 2024!

Thank you to @netgalley and @HarlequinTrade for this ARC. Stella and Adam are traveling around Europe on the tail end of a his business trip. When he leaves his sunglasses at a cafe, she decides to head back to grab their bags so they can quickly leave for the airport. On her way, a bomb goes off in the direction of the cafe and Adam is no where to be found. Over the next few days, she learns that Adam has been involved in some kind of illegal trade that she knew nothing about. Though she has done her own wrong in the past, she can't believe any of that could be true. She needs to get to the bottom of the investigation and find out what happened to Adam. Kimberly Belle is awesome! #TheParisWidow #KimberlyBelle #June2024 #HarlequinTrade

Fast paced fiction at its finest. This mystery is a love story involving the blood antiquities market and the persistence of a woman. Never, never underestimate a woman in love who has been told to go home. I’m recommending this one to my book club.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade for providing me with this review copy.

Wow this thriller is such a journey! The Paris Widow is such a whirlwind the moment you start this book you won’t want to put it down. You’ll be on the edge of your seat the entire time, get comfortable because this is one of those books where you start and finish the same day. This story follows Stella as she finds out the truth about who she is really married to and the best part this that it’s set in beautiful Paris! It’s extremely fast paced and action packed including topics of embezzlement, betray, greed and lots of dirty secrets! The twists and turns are absolutely worth the read, I highly recommend this to all my fellow thriller readers!

Thank you @parkrowbooks, @htpbooks, and @netgalley for the eARC of The Paris Widow by @kimberlysbelle in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 I always get a flutter in my heart going through customs but I never have anything to declare. The Paris Widow opens at the airport with a mysterious woman transporting a gold-illuminated manuscript and right away, the reader is hooked! Stella and Adam are enjoying their summer traveling around Paris, hoping to immerse themselves in the local food and culture. When Adam goes missing after what appears to be a terrorist bombing, their perfect Parisien vacation disappears in the blink of an eye. Stella is a bright and quick-thinking female main character, someone I would absolutely want to travel with and have around in case of an emergency. And so it’s no surprise when she realizes there is a lot more to her husband’s story than she ever knew. Gripping, fast-paced, and an absolutely thrilling adventure of a novel that you will not want to put down!

4.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date!

I usually do my reviews on Amazon (barbarawr), but this one isn't eligible to be reviewed (probably because it hasn't been published yet. But I watch my NetGalley books to make sure I review them as soon as they are published.

I really liked this book. I was wrapped up in the story from the very beginning, and I was sorry when it ended. I loved how the people in Paris actually spoke French, and that it was simple enough French that I could understand most of it without reading the next line where it explained what it meant in English. Being in such a magical place when the unthinkable happened made it seem even more horrendous than it would have if it had been set somewhere else. Stella was totally likeable, making it easy to feel the ups and the downs with her, and I thought it was very smart of the author not to tell us about her past until we already liked her, at which point it was easy for me to say that the past is the past and people can change. I liked that there was enough information about blood antiquities that I was able to fully understand what it was all about, but not so much that I felt like I was back in school being forced to take a class that I had zero interest in. And the ending was very satisfying, which is always a plus for me. I highly recommend this book.

I rather enjoyed this story. It had several twists I didn't see coming, and kept me entertained. The "blood antiquities" angle was interesting -- I'd never really thought about it before. My one criticism about the book would be the plot turn relating to Stella's past - it wasn't an issue for 75% of the book and now it's important? It didn't add up to me. That aside, I liked this, and will read more from the author.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

A Paris Widow is a suspenseful read about a married couple, Adam and Stella, on their European vacation. Adam is an antiques dealer and they are traveling throughout Europe making purchases. In Paris, an explosion occurs and Stella can no longer find Adam. What results is a story of double lives, dangerous life threatening chases, bad guys and good guys, bad guys pretending to be good guys. Lots of twists and turns until the final conclusion. It gave a great action movie vibe so if you are into that genre, you will enjoy this read.
I really enjoyed the European settings, perhaps because I was recently in some of these cities and I feel they were authentically represented even in the minor details. I liked the timeline jumping from present to past, feeding the reader just little hints along the way to guess what happens. I thought it was fairly believable as well. I was a bit disappointed by the lackluster conclusion (who the final villain was, the reason for the whole escapade to happen) though I’m not sure what and who would have been a better choice. This will be a great summer read and I thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my ARC.

Another great thriller from Kimberly Belle! This one was filled with the lots of mystery/suspense and kept me guessing the whole book. I did figure out a few things along with way, but I enjoyed how this story unfolded. I really enjoyed the flashbacks and that this was told in both the voices of Adam and Stella. I really could see this book being turned into a movie! Very action packed and throughly enjoyed this read!

I’ve delved into a handful of Kimberly Belle’s novels before and they were all pretty good, but none captured me as much as the Paris Widow did. Hard not to be instantly hooked—as it kicks off with a literal bang.
Stella has been away from her husband Adam for all of two minutes after enjoying their last afternoon at a Parisian bistro’s terrace when the ground suddenly shakes, and chaos erupts—people screaming and running for their lives. An explosion. Soon, the word “bombing” is on everybody’s lips. And Adam, who was heading in that very direction, is nowhere to be found.
What follows is an international plot that will lead you through the couple’s previous stops across Europe, unveiling a cast of shady characters. According to the French police, Adam himself is rather shady. It appears he may not be who Stella believed him to be. Yet, has Stella been entirely truthful with him, or even with herself?
I genuinely loved how this story, with its main characters, so easy to like, kept me wondering while also taking me to all these amazing places.

This book didn’t turn out to be the page-turner I had hoped it would be. It held my attention for the most part, but there were a few scenes that seemed extraneous to the plot that slowed me down. The main character didn’t seem to be totally consistent throughout the book and toward the end she seemed stronger – I won’t give details on this as to spoil how she seemed to change in my view. Sometimes the main character made me very frustrated with how she viewed her husband and what she wanted from him after he disappeared. Both main characters could have been nuanced. I enjoyed the setting in Europe and the art/antiquities’ theme, but overall this book rates 3.5.

This was such a fast paced read full of so many twists!! I absolutely devoured this thrilling ride in one sitting!

I was very excited to read this via netgalley as I truly enjoy Kimberly Belle. (Shout out to Killer Author Club!) However, this book was a tough read for me. It starts as an intriguing mystery with a beautiful backdrop. The mystery unwraps bit by bit as we go along. Sadly, so did my patience with the main character. The classic "how far would you go for the man you love?" trope is tired. I can't say too much without giving it away, but by the end I was full on rolling my eyes. I'm still giving it three stars because I finished it and I really love the author as a person.

I went into this book completely blind, and I am blown away by how much I loved it! Kimberly Belle has mastered the art of captivating storytelling, and I devoured this in a day!

Full review to be posted closer to pub date.

Thank you for the opportunity to read The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle through NetGalley! This is a fast-paced international thriller that kept me engrossed from the start of the first page. While on a vacation in Paris. Stella's husband Adam is missing and presumed dead after an explosion. This event begins the unravelling of Stella's past, as she also starts to question everything she thought she knew about Adam. The characters start to unveil a world of blood antiquities and the underworld associated internationally. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends looking for a fun, whirlwind of a reading ride!

I went back and forth with my final thoughts on this book. To be honest I might still not be completely confident in how I feel.
We meet married couple Stella and Adam who are on a trip to Paris. I will note all the details and information about Paris I thoroughly appreciated. After a bombing and Adam goes missing Stella is shattered and is not leaving Paris until she finds him. Is he dead , alive , running ? A victim or a target ? Because she quickly finds out she is not the only one looking for Adam… so are the police and some extremely sketchy people. Ohhh because she also finds out her husband is involved in the trade of stolen antiques. ….. although we quickly learn Adam is not the only one with secrets and we learn about some of Stella’s. The chapters alternate between Adam and Stella.
Overall this was an interesting read, but I found a lot of the stories that unravel are very unrealistic and very far fetched. I also saw a lot of the “twists” coming. This book is worth the read as I enjoy this author, but not one of my favorites.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.

Super quick read about the illicit trade of blood antiquities; a subject I knew nothing about. I have read a few Kimberly Belle books and like this one, I found it very entertaining. Book suited for 16+ age group.

It took me less then 24 hours to read this face paced, story of love, espionage and the dark world of blood antiquity.
How far will you go to hide your secrets from the person you love? To live a double life that could take you both down! How much do you really know the business your husband is in.
Imagine being on a vacation with your husband enjoying the sights the sounds of Paris. Until the unthinkable happens a bomb goes off and you aren’t able to find your husband. Only to find that your husband isn’t who you thought, and now your life could be in jeopardy, and exposing secrets you thought you had hidden.
If you enjoy fast paced keep you on your toes novels this one is for you.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

Great beach read! Fast paced, lots of despicable characters, and alas pretty easy to figure out what was going on. I’d say this is more for people who like a fast paced thriller that doesn’t have a lot of substance-like I wrote a perfect beach read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stella and Adam are having a wonderful weeks long trip throughout Europe, wrapping up in Paris, about to head back to Atlanta, when a terrible explosion occurs and Adam may have been a victim. Stella is searching for Adam and ends up doing a TV interview which makes her a bit of a celebrity. Then she starts to understand that Adam may not have just been an innocent victim but possibly the target.

This plot is my absolute favorite plot in the world. I really liked this book but I didn't love it quite as much as I should have. I am not sure why. It had international intrigue, which is my favorite. It had secrets in a relationship, which I love. I loved the Europe travel aspect so much. Somehow the secrets maybe weren't as sinister as I had hoped they would be. Regardless, I liked it, I just think my expections were too high but I do enjoy this author's work and I look forward to her next novel.