Kimberly Belle is one of my favorite thriller writers, so I am especially excited to be sharing a review of this book.

The tale is told from multiple points of view: Jade, Cam, and the unnamed intruder. Cam’s on the outside trying to get in; Jade and the girls are on the inside trying to get out.

I loved the inside peek into the restaurant business, and the lavish lifestyle of the Lasky family. They are very relatable yet enviable (up until the home invasion). The desperation and helplessness of Cam Lasky is palpable, and kept me reading. I wondered how this family would get through this ordeal.

I loved Jade being portrayed as a strong woman whose acts of bravery are a wonderful example for her daughters. I loved how the secrets unfolded slowly as the story progressed, and we found out everything by the end.

I loved the concept of this book. The back and forth between the husband, wife, sebastian, and the interview was wonderful. My problem was with the ending. I expected to be more surprised- I feel like the ending was given away too early, and I wanted a twist at the end that never came to fruition. I expected the interview to have more of an impact than it did.

Cam and Jade Lasky are married with two children and live in Atlanta, Georgia. Cam is a celebrity chef and the Laskys have their own lucrative restaurant businesses... or do they? One afternoon as Jade returns home with the children, they are confronted by an armed, masked, home invader who threatens to kill the children first, then Jade unless Cam comes up with a very specific ransom that means something. The masked guy knows a lot about the Laskys, their business and their finances. But can Cam come up with the $734,296 dosh?

Set over a period of a few hours the story switches seamlessly between narrators, Jade, Cam and the intruder (Sebastian) and snippets of a social media interview with Cam after the incident as Kimberly Belle takes the reader on a terrifying journey. The scenes from Cab are mostly centred on his frantic attempts to liquidate assets and raise ready cash, whilst trying to keep under wraps his secrets and nefarious activities. Jade primarily concerns herself with ensuring her children, Beatrix and Baxter’s safety. My Darling Husband has a thrilling premise and it is doubtlessly a spine-tingling story. With some breakneck pacing, Kimberly Belle did a sterling job of exploring the theme of motherhood and the lengths a mother might go to protect her kids.

If you've enjoyed Kimberly Belle's previous books, or if novels with oodles of secrets, intensity, extreme tension, high stakes, excitement, and nailbiting moments about families and parenting dripping from the pages give you a buzz, then look no further than My Darling Husband!

A special thank you to Park Row Books, the author, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Domestic thrillers are probably one of my favorite types of thrillers to read because, let’s be honest, people are crazy! There are always good stories of secrets, and lies and everything in between. Kimberly Belle nailed it with all that. I have never read a book by Belle before, but now I will be on the lookout.

When I first started reading this on day one, I honestly was a bit confused. It jumps back and forth in time from current to past and also between individuals you are reading from. I’m not a huge fan of a layout such as this because it can be hard to keep things straight. So, my first day was a bit slow on the pick up because I was trying to keep everything straight and I took frequent breaks from reading.

Then I hit about the 20% mark in the book and all holds were removed. I read the rest of the book in one day. I finally fell into a groove of who I was reading and if it was past or present. It’s really not as confusing as I probably make it sound. It just took me a few to catch on. The central part of this book is definitely lies and deceptions between family. While it may not seem that way, that was what I took at the end. While the thrilling part throughout is definitely center stage, there are a lot of underlying lies that led to where you are in the book.

My favorite character was hands down Beatrix. That girl is feisty! She was fun to read and you just want to high five her a lot. I think she brought the book up a notch because I want a kid just like her. There were a lot of twists and turns as the story goes on that literally had me gasp out loud as I read it. Then there was the ending. MIND BLOWING. All the pieces literally fell together all at once and I caught myself saying “oh my god” out loud. Fun and interesting characters, a unique and twisty story to keep you hooked, and a truly shocking ending. I can’t wait for more from Kimberly Belle.

Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book just sucks you in.
Jade sees the same man while doing errands - she calls Cam to let him know, give a description. Cam is currently dealing with a fire at his most profitable restaurant - so far in debt there is no way he can afford for this location to be down.
Taking it all in stride, Jade picks up the kids and goes home. Only to have a man leap from the shadows, holding her family hostage. Forced apart, Jade calls Cam to let him know they are being held hostage at gun point for the ransom of over $700,000.
This multi-narrator plot is fast paced, keeps you engaged and the suspense is nail biting to the end.

I enjoyed this book!!! I loved the fight the wife had in her, the success of her husband. Till it all came crashing down and boy did it crash. I did predict one part of the book, but I don't the author intended on hiding that twist. Great, fabulous book!!!

If you’re looking a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, this is it! This was such an addictive and gripping book. The suspense and tension keep you invested and guessing until the end.
This is a multiple POV book with changing perspectives including snippets of a social media interview after the incident. That’s not normally something I enjoy but it was very well done. This was a new to me author and I’m definitely now a fan.

#MyDarlingHusband:

Y’all know I love a good ole Georgian story. This was no exception. From Inman Park to the dreaded Roswell Road traffic, it’s home. There is discussion of why the sitdowns of Atlanta are cashless, and the connection there was so familiar. I remember the shooting at Barcelona. These small connections make the story come alive for me.

I am a fan of mixed media, and I felt the interview part was done well to break it up. Juanita Moore sounded a bit too much like Jovita Moore, and it brought a smile to my face to remember such an icon in Atlanta’s news.

I will say, There’s only so many ways you can say this couple is rich by appearance. I mean the Jonathan Adler chair used is over $1,300. I got the point about halfway through and did a bit of skimming at any additional details about their lavish lifestyle. Y’all come off as rich, he wants money, gotcha. Honestly, just sell all your furniture and there’s your $700K 😂

While I did feel the plot paced pretty slow, I do think that it being a GA based book helped me connect with My Darling Husband. Thank you so much for the gifted copy!

First review of 2022 is a five-star thriller 🔪🥩

Thank you to HTP Books and Park Row Books for my gifted eARC of “My Darling Husband” by Kimberly Belle. It came out Dec. 28, and it’s absolutely the perfect book to jump start your 2022 reading.

“My Darling Husband” is Atlanta steak king Cam Lasky, celebrity chef and proprietor of multiple high-end restaurants. But as he’s working hard to build his fine dining empire, his wife and children are taken hostage by a masked home intruder. As the story unwinds, it’s clear that the intruder has been watching them for months, and there are some fantastic twists.

This book hooks you and flies right by. I was a huge fan of Belle’s “The Marriage Lie,” and I loved this one even more. As a reporter, I cover restaurants in Tampa, and through Cam Lasky’s story, Belle really nails how the business can feel like pressure-cooker. I really appreciated her author note, in which she said she was inspired by Atlanta’s high rate of home invasions. I love a little peek behind the curtain into an author’s inspiration.

This is wild thriller but it’s not overly dark in my opinion. I really think this will get you over a reading slump if you’re in a rut.

Cam Lasky is a famous chef in Atlanta with a few high-priced restaurants. He arrives at his biggest restaurant to find that it’s burned down. While he’s dealing with the insurance, his wife, Jade, is confronted with a masked intruder who has trapped her and her two children in their home. The kidnapper is asking for a specific amount in ransom, which Jade thinks won’t be a problem for her successful husband to put his hands on in a few hours. However, Jade doesn’t know about the secrets her husband has been keeping from her, that could determine if anyone gets out of this situation alive.

This was a fast paced and suspenseful thriller. There were great cliffhangers at the end of chapters that made me keep reading. It was really hard to put down because I needed to know how it ended.

There were a couple of surprising twists at the end of the story. However, some of the subplots weren’t related to the main plot. I won’t mention them and give them away, but they were really good subplots, yet they didn’t really add to the main plot. I would have loved it if all of these plot threads came together at the end.

My Darling Husband is a fast paced thriller!

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book.

What a thrill ride! This one kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I absolutely loved this one, and definitely recommend to thriller lovers!

Kimberly Belle outdid herself with one of the most suspenseful books that I have ever read. This entire book takes place in about a five hour span of time, minus the interview scenes that take place after the events, which only serve to enhance the tension of the story. Belle firmly entrenches us in the minds of Cam and Jade but also the home invader and the constant shifting between narrators was intoxicating. From Cam’s terror and intensity of trying of secure the ransom money and Jade’s fear and plotting on how to save herself and her kids, I couldn’t get enough. Speaking of the kids, Beatrix and Baxter were some of my favorite kids in books. Most of the time I’m not a fan of how author’s write kids since I find them flat and infantilized. I was happy to see that Belle chose to portray them in a way that I felt accurate and lifelike. Beatrix, in particular, was a great addition to the story and helped Belle keep the fear and intensity well balanced. I had no clue how Belle would end this story and she didn’t disappoint. From early on I found it terrifying for the fact that this could easily be a true story. And I was sorry to hear from the ending author note that this book was inspired by what friends of hers went through. I think this book will appeal to all kinds of readers as long as you are in the mood for a fast paced suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through.

Bestselling author Kimberly Belles says that My Darling Husband is "a story rooted in truth." A significant number of violent crimes occur in Atlanta, Georgia every year, including many home invasion robberies. It happened to someone she knew. A woman found two armed strangers waiting for her in her garage when she came home. Holding her and her two young children at gunpoint, they forced their way into the residence and demanded "a very large and strangely specific ransom from her husband." They tied her to a chair and broke her jaw. Eventually, she was able to escape and get help by flagging down a passing motorist. But it was not a random crime. "The ransom amount was a number they’d gotten off a bank statement pilfered from the mailbox," according to Belle.

Belle says the ordeal that woman and other crime victims survived "wouldn't leave me alone." She asked herself, "What would I have done in that mother's shoes? How far would I go to save my children?" Her musings provided the structure for Jade Lasky's experiences in My Darling Husband.

There are few crimes more frightening than home invasions and Belle takes readers on a horrifyingly realistic journey with Jade, who is enjoying a pretty charmed life. She enjoyed a meaningful career designing offices and boutiques before marrying, but has used her skills and experience to create a beautiful home for her family and design the restaurants owned and operated by her handsome ("six and a half feet of big, Mediterranean man"), charismatic husband, Cam. A celebrated chef, Cam is known as Atlanta's Steak King. Beatrix, their nine-year-old daughter is a sassy, energetic, and perfectionistic violin prodigy, while Baxter is an adorable six-year-old. Cam has branched out, opening several restaurants but the flagship store is critical to the enterprise's financial survival.

As the story opens, Jade observes the same "skeevy" man dressed in all black with a distinctive "comb-over man bun" in the parking lot of Beatrix's music school that she has previously seen at the gym and grocery store. She calls Cam to tell him that the man has appeared yet again, seemingly following her, and learns that there has been an electrical fire at the flagship restaurant, caused by faulty wiring right next to a giant tub of cooking oil. When she asks Cam how bad the fire was, he responds, "On a scale of one to ten? Four hundred and fifty-seven."

But Jade's day is about to get much, much worse.

Belle employs a first-person narrative from Jade to relate her experiences. In terrifying detail, she describes pulling into her garage with Beatrix and Baxter in the car and finding a "black figure in the shadows." Her first thought is, naturally, of her children. "This is parenthood in a nutshell: utter terror for your children's welfare, always." She quickly confirms that there is, in fact, "a man, looming in my garage. Breathing the same air." He's wearing a mask and wielding a gun. And from that point on, Belle takes readers on a hellish journey with Jade as she attempts to learn who the man is and why he has targeted her and her children. Things only become murkier when he orders her to call Cam and tell him to bring $734,296.00 in cash to the house . . . and not alert the police. The specific ransom demand is puzzling, and the man smiles when he instructs Jade to "'tell your darling husband seven o'clock or else.' Almost like a dare."

Belle also relates Cam's story via a first-person narrative that reveals how deeply Cam loves his wife and children. But Cam's business dealings have been, unbeknownst to Jade, quite complicated. In fact, they are a dangerous house of cards that Cam feverishly tries to keep from collapsing as he frantically scurries about town trying to borrow money and liquidate assets in order to pay the ransom and save his family. Even as Belle deftly exposes Cam's nefarious motives and affiliations, not to mention his downright despicable choices, she manages to endear him to readers by also examining the reasons for his actions, his emotional struggles, and acknowledgment of his mistakes. Cam is cornered and shamed, but he is committed to his family.

Easily the most effective literary technique used by Belle is her inclusion of alternating chapters detailing, in salient chunks, an interview of Cam being conducted by a local television reporter months after the home invasion. It is the first time Cam has spoken to the media and is occurring at his request because he has decided it is "time to set the record straight." Belle cuts away from the interview to the aforementioned time-stamped narratives of Jade and Cam without revealing whether Jade and the children are still alive or if their assailant was captured, compelling the story forward in an almost cinematic manner. Interestingly, she drafted the entire story before deciding to add the chapters depicting the interview which she "thought . . . would make it a little more interesting." Indeed it does.

My Darling Husband is a fast-paced, wholly believable thriller into which Belle injects shocking revelations at expertly-timed junctures. Her characters are fully developed and sympathetic -- especially "the B's," Beatrix and Baxter, who quickly make their way into readers' hearts and remain there for the duration. Jade is intelligent and resilient, and confronted with horrific, unimaginable choices. But she heroically remains observant and calculating as she works to outsmart her abductor. Belle's story is cleverly plotted and scarily plausible. Once again, she explores a marital relationship with compassion and finesse, as readers ponder how many lies and deceptions it can sustain . . . assuming that Jade and her children survive.

Once again, Belle proves her storytelling prowess by creating empathetic and credible characters who find themselves in ghastly, terrifying circumstances. It is a heart-pounding, harrowing, and brilliantly drafted thriller. One of the best books of 2021.

Set aside plenty of time to read this pulse-pounding thriller! Order pizza and prepare to hunker down in your favorite reading spot until you’re finished. The ending of each chapter coerces a peek at the next chapter and we all know how that turns out!

I was glued to the pages as I read about the unraveling of Cam and Jade’s perfect life. One minute you’re on top of the world, worrying about trivial life issues, and the next minute your fighting to stay alive. The thought of being in Jade’s shoes, the fear of being totally out of control, and the emotions brought on by watching my children traumatized, made my chest ache for her. Jade is the definition of Mama Bear!

Another outstanding thriller by this author! Preorder this one or be ready to run to the bookstore on release day.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Park Row books for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Jade and Cam Lasky are a happily married couple with two adorable kids, daughter Beatrix and son Baxter (the Bees), a spacious home and a rapidly growing restaurant business. Cam is a celebrity chef and a "darling husband" and father, but he is hiding something from Jade, something that puts her and their two children in danger. One afternoon as Jade returns home with the children, they are confronted by an armed, masked, home invader who threatens to kill the children first, then Jade unless Cam comes up with a ransom, a very interesting number that means something, but what? The masked man seems to know a lot about the family, their business and their finances. What has Cam done to this man to make him resort to this?

I am not going to say anything else about the story, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. The story is told in an interesting way. We get an after the crime peek throughout the novel as the husband, Cam is interviewed by a news reporter. The crime is over and he is finally opening up and commenting on the various aspects. These chapters are interspersed as the kidnapping is unfolding. There are three POVs during the situation, Jade's, Cam's and the kidnapper. The kidnapper (Sebastian) was chilling. He didn't seem to care whether they lived or dies, he terrorized and scared them throughout, but in the next minute, he helps Baxter when he has an accident. I could feel Jade's fear, it was palpable. I absolutely loved Beatrix, she was one gutsy nine year old. Everytime I thought I knew something, I didn't. This book had me on the edge of my seat with all the tension. I recommend you pick this book up, I am sure you will enjoy this thriller.

Fast paced with tons of action and drama! Be prepared to read this in one sitting! Rating: 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Given the number of 4 and 5 star reviews, it seems I'm in the minority here. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the novel, but my expectations for it were higher. I appreciated the claustrophobic feel and found the story engaging enough, but I didn't fall in love with it and it save for the cook little kids, it took me too long to start to thaw a bit for the characters. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but something about it just felt trite. Could've been me, could've been the audio, could've been a book - probably a bit of all three. That said, it moves fast and is entertaining enough. Would be a popular beach read and there's definitely an audience for it.

What’s it about (in a nutshell):

My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle is an edge-of-your-seat kidnapping ransom story that reveals so many secrets that my head is still spinning.

What I Enjoyed:

I loved the story format with Cam, the husband, telling his story through an interview in the future and Jade, the wife, and Sebastian, the kidnapper, telling their stories as events unfolded. This combination of points of view and different time points kept the tension high and kept me guessing throughout the story. It is done in such a way that there is absolutely no confusion between the points of view or the moments in time, which I think is genuinely commendable.

I also loved the simplicity of the plot. I can’t say a lot to avoid giving away spoilers, but the plot stays focused on the story, which takes place in just a few short hours. This keeps the pace incredibly high throughout the tale. My review has been tough to write because of this aspect, but it also makes the story as wonderful and thrilling as it is.

Lastly, the characters are well developed, especially considering how focused the story is. I will tell a little more about each under characters, but the ones that need to be sympathetic are sympathetic, and the ones they need to be much less so are just that.

Characters:

Cam is the husband in the title. He is a chef of some renown in the Atlanta area. He comes across as caring about his family while also being a victim of his fame and all that comes with that.

Jade is the wife of Cam and mother to Beatrix and Baxter – ages 9 and 6, respectively. When a man holds her and her children hostage in their own home, her momma bear comes out as she tries to protect her children.

Sebastian is the kidnapper who held Jade, Beatrix, and Baxter at gunpoint, demanding over $700,000 of Cam in just a few short hours.

Each has a compelling story that helps build their character to make it reasonably easy to understand their motivations and reactions.

What I Wish:

The only wish I have is to know more about what happens after the story is concluded. I can’t say much about this either, but you learn some aspects while others are not addressed, and I would love to know about those aspects that aren’t addressed.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller with surprising twists, My Darling Husband is just the story you are looking for.

I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting thriller about a mother, Jade, and her two children who are taken hostage in their own home by a masked intruder. Jade learns that the man who invaded her home wants an oddly specific amount of money from her very rich husband, and the man wants the money in an almost impossible amount of time. Jade begins to wonder if her husband is hiding terrible secrets all while trying to find a way to keep her children and herself safe.
This author did a great job of ratcheting up tension while letting the story unfold. Jade had enormous rooting value and Cam was a compelling character, despite all of the mistakes he made. I enjoyed the way the story was told through Jade's point-of-view, Cam's point-of-view, and a TV interview after the fact.
This book really reminded my of another book, Mother May I. If you like domestic suspense, thrillers, and mysteries, I would recommend this book.

After reading The Marriage Lie in early 2021 and being blown away, I wanted to love this one. I hated how the main character was written as a helpless victim who needed her husband to come to her rescue. It was painful to read her dialogue because she wasn't standing up for herself or her kids, but rather just begging for the captor not to hurt them. I would have much preferred to read that she took matters into her own hands and tried to save her and her children herself. I also found the plot to be pretty predictable, which took away from the story as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Canada for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

CW: home invasion, hostage situation, violence