5 stars!

Pulse-pounding from start to finish!

Jade comes home with her two young children to find a masked gunman waiting. The gunman has Jade call Cam, her celebrity chef husband, demanding $750,000 by 7pm. Jade and her children are held hostage while Cam has three hours to deliver the money and save his family.

This was addictive, gripping and tension-filled. The suspense and tension starts from the very beginning and doesn’t let up AT ALL! I was on the edge of my seat for this entire book. Perspectives change from Cam, Jade, the gunman and snippets of a social media interview with Cam after the incident. Each perspective was done brilliantly keeping me completely consumed and not wanting to put the book down.

I’ve read most of this authors work and am a huge fan. I’m excited to say that this is her best yet! Highly recommend!

Thank you to Park Row for my review copy!

A thriller that comes to life with palpable tension and electric atmosphere that immerses the reader into this terrifying novel. Kimberly Belle’s “My Darling Husband” will become an instant hit among readers who love her instinct driven style. Belle’s novels have a tried-and-true formula with exceptional results that leave readers guessing right up to the final page. Twisty and twisted, with heart-stopping cliff-hangers at the end of chapters give you no choice but to read one more. Heartbreaking while also being heartfelt that shows no bounds when it comes to a mother’s love. Next time a patron asks me for a book recommendation, this novel will be at the top of my list. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC, all opinion are my own.

Favorite Quotes:

Maxim’s lungs sound like a rock tumbler filled with gravel, a noisy in and out that makes my own chest seize in sympathy. Maxim smokes like a chimney. He doesn’t exercise or sleep. He eats fried potatoes and red meat drowning in butter sauce, which he washes down with booze. But he’s trim and energetic and when he’s zipping around town in his convertible Maserati, he looks like a million bucks. Maxim is like one of those deep-water sharks—he’ll live to be four hundred.

And all those things I used to care about, the restaurants and the real estate and the houses and cars, I’d give it all up. Because here’s what happens when your family’s lives are at stake. There’s this… white-light moment of clarity, a lightning-bolt realization that you’re an idiot and all that shit you’ve spent so much time and effort accumulating is worthless. The banks can have everything. I don’t want any of those things anymore. Without Jade and the Bees, it’s worthless. I’m worthless.

My Review:

My shoulders are still in my ears and my cuticles are ragged from my incessant gnawing while I read this intense tale. Kimberly Belle is a wily one and steadily ratcheted up the pressure and strain for her realistically flawed and battling characters with the reveal of the increasingly disquieting revelations they were experiencing. I had a hard time putting my Kindle down and cursed its weak battery for forcing an untimely stop.

I marveled at the perceptive and insightful inner musings and observations this cunning wordsmith deftly implanted into her narratives. Each character was acutely defined and well-honed by the end of the book, while most bore little resemblance to how they had initially appeared. The little pea in my brain bounced and rattled as I pondered the significance of various odd clues but I would never have put this heart-squeezing and brilliantly contrived puzzle together. I felt for them all and prized the unexpected levels of empathy and wisdom each gained for the others by the final page.

Jade and Cam Lasky look like the perfect Atlanta couple, he is a "celebrity" chef and they have two wonderful kids. A masked home invader holds Jade and the kids hostage and Cam must gather the ransom and save them while secrets are coming out and the perfect personas are unraveling.

For me this book moved so quickly and the minute one chapter ended, I had to jump into the next to find out what would happen. I loved how the author built the story and unraveled the clues - it just worked so well. I often judge a mystery/thriller book by the final suspect and this one did not disappoint. I loved the finale and how it unfolded and how the author revealed who it was and their motive. Kimberly Belle gives the reader the pieces to the puzzle at just the right time.

AND these characters! I will always love a couple unravelling story. I appreciate when they are both presenting the perfect life and keep secrets from each other and the outside world and then the dominos fall! While I got frustrated with, I think, all of the characters at one moment or another, I was sitting on the edge of my seat to find out the final resolution.

I have read about half of Kimberly Belle's books and have loved all of them so much. I would love to catch up in 2022 and complete her backlist!

Kimberly Belle has written another winner here! It’s an exciting, intense, un-put-downabe nail biter! The story takes place in just a few hours and keeps you turning the pages from the start.

Jade Lasky thinks she has a perfect life--a beautiful home, a wonderful and handsome chef husband, Cam, who owns a chain of successful restaurants, and two lovely children. But all that changes when a masked man springs on her and the children in their garage. He terrorizes them and demands a large amount of ransom from Cam. As Cam rushes to gather the money, Jade tries to decipher clues about this man and begins to wonder if their lifestyle is really as good as Cam was telling her.

I quite enjoyed this riveting page turner; it's quite impossible to put down, honestly. The story is told from Jade's POV as the invasion unfolds, interspersed with an interview from the Cam after it happens and a few snippets from the "bad guy's" perspective. It's an amazingly effective format, propelling the story forward in an action-packed format. Why on earth is that man torturing this family? Is it random or personal? The family's young children are involved, as Jade feels she must do anything to protect them.

As a reader, you can't help but wonder what would you would do in this horrible situation. It's a dark and twisty read, with secrets popping up around every corner. While it's very much a thriller, there's also a lot of emotion and family trauma involved as well. Definitely an excellent page-turner.

This was a great thriller that I read fairly quickly. Although I didn't love it quite as much as Dear Wife, by the same author, it was still a strong read. The protagonist was complicated, which I love. The kind that does something awful for the most noble reason. The women in the book were so unbelievably strong.

I was a little disappointed in the ending, but I'm still glad I took the time to read My Darling Husband.

My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle is a suspenseful thriller novel. The story in this one is told by changing the point of view between the various characters to show the different sides to the ongoing story within.

Another case of things not always being as they seem from the outside. Jade and Cam Lasky on the outside are happily married with two wonderful children and quite well off. However when an intruder takes Jade hostage demanding a hefty ransom Cam has to scramble to obtain money he does not have with his celebrity chef image being just a mirage.

My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle was a thriller that pulled me in right away and kept my attention. The story flowed well while changing between the various characters to give all sides to the action going on within the book. I wouldn’t go as far to say this had likable characters but ones that you suspect all along and don’t dislike either that go well in this type of read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I love Kimberly Belle’s books and I think “My Darling Husband” just took the top place for me out of all her books… it was so good!

Right at the start the story picks up and gave me chills! I didn’t want to put it down!

The book is written with duel timelines and multiple perspectives. It flashes back and forth between the past and present. The present is set up like a TV interview which I really loved and added to the suspense and drama!

While reading I kept feeling “No Exit” vibes, different storyline just same feeling! The story unfolds all within a day and has your heart racing while reading the entire time. I was just wondering how the suspense was going to end!

It was so well done and I absolutely recommend to any thriller fans!

🥳Pub Day: December 28/2021

Thank you so much Kimberly Belle, Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Kimberly Belle does what she does best again. Great Thriller/Mystery, fast paced good story.
Thank you to Net Galley,
the author and publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

I just love @kimberlysbelle so I was really excited to jump into this one. As per usual it did not disappoint. This book as multiple POVs and two timelines which really helps keep the feelings you have throughout the novel tense and anxious. She does such a good job of making you feel in it and apart of all that is going on. There is also an “interview” narrative which is told “after the fact” which kind of helps fill in the blanks without spoiling anything.

Even though Cam is portrayed as a bad guy, I couldn’t help but feel for him. He may have some questionable morals but he does love his family and I cannot imagine being in his position. I think Kimberly did a good job with shading him gray that way. Jade was a strong women who would do anything for her children and I felt her ferocity. The star of the show in my opinion is Beatrix. She is literally a genius and incredibly smart. I will say no more as I don’t want to spoil this for anyone.

This was an entertaining edge of your seat kinda story. Its fast paced and quick!

Kimberly Belle has done it again! She has penned another amazing thriller that had my heart racing. Who wouldn't be super stressed when a masked man invades your home and keeps you and your children hostage? And as I was reading this book, I felt like I was there with Jade, just trying to keep the kids safe and figure out a way to escape. Whew!

I have loved all of Ms. Belle's stories and this one has to be right up there at the top as one of my favorites. It will keep you on the edge of your seat as, in the midst of all the drama, the real truth of Jade and Cam's lives comes out. Things are not what they seem.

My Darling Husband is a book that you will not be able to put down once you start, so be prepared! I highly recommend it!

Cam and Jade Lasky are the picture of success. He’s a celebrity chef and owner of five restaurants in Atlanta, known as the steak king, and she’s the beautiful stay at home mom to daughter Beatrix and son Baxter (the Bees). They live in a beautiful home in an affluent neighborhood so what could be wrong? Life for them changes when Jade comes home with the kids and is confronted by an armed, masked intruder.

This story gave me some serious heartburn! I kept shutting off my headphones because I couldn’t stand the suspense but then turning them back on as I had to see how the next scene turned out. The points of view are provided by Cam, Jade and the intruder (Sebastian) who I came to loathe. What makes things even more intriguing is Cam’s narrative being delivered through an interview with a reporter who’s not going easy on him. It’s obvious he’s doing the interview in the aftermath but there’s not one single clue about the outcome until the end.

I’m deliberately omitting more details because you should read/hear them firsthand. Sebastian was chilling and I took his threats seriously, as did Jade, which made things more ominous given the two children involved. And speaking of the children…I came to adore Beatrix, the true hero of this story. I think you will, too. Thank goodness multiple narrators were used for the audio version as it was important to give the main characters their own distinctive styles and voices. It mattered and they were outstanding. There are twisty turns and bends throughout and the ending felt right, leaving some things to my own imagination. This turned out to be much more than I anticipated (a good thing) but I’m glad it’s over! Put on your adult pants because this is an uneasy ride. 4.5 stars

Review of My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another great book by Kimberly Belle. I loved this one and read it in just 3 days during crazy holiday time. It was fast paced and super tense.

Quick synopsis: Jade is married to Cam who owns many high end steak restaurants and they have two children, Beatrix and Baxter. She comes home one day to be accosted in the garage and she and her children are taken hostage. A ransom demand is set for Cam to meet that day. He rushes to get the money while Jade struggles to protect herself and her children.

A big thank you to @netgalley and @parkrow for the advanced copy of this one!

My Darling Husband was a super fast read for me. I kept sneaking away from the festivities to read a snippet here, a few pages there. The alternate narrators and the interview transcripts help to keep you guessing. Whose story can be trusted? With whom are we the reader supposed to sympathize? The harried husband? The kidnapper?

I spent over 13 hours doing "laundry" while Kimberly Belle kept me captivated with drama and tension.

My Darling Husband is pulsing was energy. I highly recommend. And it's available in bookstores December 28th. Just in time for you to treat yourself to one more gift this holiday season.

Ok, this was awesome. Kimberly Belle is always a sure bet when it comes to suspense. Her domestic thrillers are like none other and she did it again with My Darling Husband. All of the scenes with the home invader and Jade were top-notch. Personally, my favorite character was the daughter, That kid had moxie.

My Darling Husband brings to mind the question, how far will we go for the ones we love?

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Cam Lasky is Atlanta’s Steak King. With several restaurants, you’d think this chef is swimming in his fortune, but that’s not the case. His wife Jade is clueless, and when a masked intruder holds her and their two kids hostage in their own home, it all comes down to relying on Cam to bring the money the intruder has asked for.

This was a tense and fast paced read that kept my attention throughout but the ending was lacking and disappointing to me.

Thank you to Park Row Books for my copy and letting me join this blog tour.

I truly loved this book and is sure to be a top seller in 2022.. As always, Kimberly knocked it out of the park with this.. The book was set up in a different premise, part of it is is told in the present with his wife, Jade's POV., in "real time" and also another character's POV. The other, in her husband's in the future on live television in an "interview" format.

As Jade is on her way home after picking up her kids, she parks in the garage and this is where things go downhill for Jade and her kids, She becomes a prisoner in her own house, basically tied up. We find out a lot about the kidnapper throughout the book and why he did this, there is a reason for everything.

Meanwhile, rising star Cam, owner of multiple restaurants has no idea anything is going on, until a ransom is demanded, however, Cam has no idea how he will come up with that kind of money, Cam will go to any length to save his family, but will he be able to?

At home, Jade is trying to stay calm and try to figure a way out of this. Her 2 children are terrified, but her daughter is resilient! I loved her little shenanigan's.

Cam had been hiding behind the camera's for a very long time, this interview is his way of telling his side of the story. Do NOT miss this!

From my blog: Always With a Blog:

Kimberly Belle has become a favorite for addicting, thrilling reads and this latest one is definitely her best one yet. She has managed to deliver a pulse-pounding, edge-of-your seat read that is completely binge-worthy and full of suspense.

There is no one who tells a story like Kimberly Belle. She has this way of pulling you into her stories right from the start and keeping you completely engaged throughout. Her pacing is whip-smart and quick so that there are literally no lulls the entire time and as a result, this is easily a one-sitting read because you just cannot put it down.

I loved how the story was told, alternating amongst a few different points of view and timelines. Because of this, the layers of the story are slowly revealed at just the right time, further hooking you into what ultimately becomes quite a complex plot. Many times I thought I knew where things were heading, only to have to rethink things with each new reveal. I was all over the place with how I felt about each character, which is truly the sign of fantastic writing I always think – I really didn’t know who the good guys were here until the very end.

This book is ultimately about how far one goes to protect their loved ones and what secrets they will keep hidden at any cost. It is such a wild ride and I cannot recommend it enough! Kimberly Belle has proven once again she really is the master of her craft and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!!!

INSANELY INTENSE!!

Powerhouse international bestselling author Kimberly Belle returns following Stranger in the Lake with her 7th novel —MY DARLING HUSBAND, a tour de force suspense thriller of greed and revenge—her best since Dear Wife!

Psychological thrillers do not get any better than this scorcher! What goes on behind closed doors is not always pretty. Sins of the father (husband) come back to haunt—in ways you cannot imagine. Saddle up. Get ready for the ride of your life.

One of my favorite authors, I would not miss a book. I love all the KB babies, but these two titles: My Darling Husband and Dear Wife, are my absolute favorites! (those nasty husbands keeping their wives in the dark), but lookout, they are more powerful and more intelligent than they know.

Set in Atlanta, we meet a married power couple, Jade and Cam Lasky. A handsome couple, they live in the exclusive Buckhead area, gorgeous house, and meticulously decorated.

Cam is quite the celebrity chef. If you live in Atlanta, you know how they love their upscale steak and seafood restaurants.

They own numerous restaurants for the elite with long waiting lists. They also have two perfect children, Beatriz and Baxter who attend the best schools.

Beatrix is a child violin prodigy (one smart cookie, independent, and sassy) and would love to see a movie or TV series based on this novel. (I see someone like Mckenna Grace). She was one badass little girl. (great job, Kimberly)

Jade was a top designer, and how they met, but after she had the kids, she left her job- busy with the kids, husband, and their lives.

It starts when Jade suspects some man is following her in Whole Foods and sees him everywhere she goes around town, running errands. What does he want? She worries about the kids.

Then one afternoon, after picking up the kids from school, they pull in the garage, and there is a masked man with a gun. Her worst nightmare. She does not think it is the same man. They are trapped. A scared mother with her two children. How will this end? What does he want? He can have anything he wants as long as he does not harm the kids or her.

Being their house has lots of glass, he forces them into the kitchen, preparing the kids snacks and making friends with the little boy. He threatens Jade that if she tries anything, the kids are dead right in front of her.

He then gets them in the media room, which has no windows. They do have a security system, but he forces her to disarm it. Next, there are the nanny cameras. (lots of run and drama around these). This person seems to know a lot about their house, and Baxter is naive and funny.

All the while, the man demands a specific amount of money. $734,296 in cash, which is odd. At the right time, he will tell her to call her husband and have the money brought there by 7 pm or else they are dead.

Cam is not having a good day. One of his best money-making restaurant kitchen caught fire, with a wiring problem and pretty much destroyed, and now no income coming in from that restaurant with one hundred thirteen employees to deal with. Millions of dollars and now an investigation expecting foul play.

Of course, his wife Jade is unaware they are in debt. The restaurants have investors and partners, plus they have no liquid assets, and they live above their means. So Jade thinks this amount will be no problem. They have plenty. Wrong. They have no money!

Cam is sweating and running all over town, trying to gather as much money as he can on credit cards and calling in favors. He cannot allow anything to happen to his family. He has to turn to some shady characters in the wrong area of town, but not his first visit. Cam has hidden things from everyone, and now karma is coming back around.

Belle racks up the tension and suspense in a race against time and a countdown from the early afternoon to evening with a deadline of 7:00 pm. From Beatriz escaping, some other tricks Jade tries, and then the nosy neighbor comes to the door!

These plot twists are absolutely nerve-wracking! Jade tries to give her hints and wants her to take the little boy to keep him safe. Something is off. So good!

Who is this guy, and why is he targeting their family? They are not allowed to call the cops, or they are dead.

As the riveting countdown continues, we slowly learn about some of Cam’s underhanded business dealings. He is on his way fighting traffic but does not have the amount of money requested.

The gunman shows his face on camera to Cam while he is in the car, and it is heart-pounding tension at breakneck speed and action from here on out to the explosive ending! A great wrap-up.

Tense and compulsive, who knew a home invasion could be so enthralling!. Do not read this adrenaline-fueled thriller before you go to bed. You will not sleep. Highly creative and cleverly executed, with characters to die for —trust, me you will be glued to the pages. I read this in one day and finished it in the wee hours of the morning. WOW! I loved this book.

Kimberly Belle has outdone herself with one of the hottest thrillers of the year! There is never a dull moment, nor does she take you down a subpath. It is full throttle all the way, and the character development is superb!

Beatriz, Jade, and Baxter make quite the team. At the first of the book and sprinkled throughout, there is an interview between a news media anchor and Cam. But at this point, we do not know what happened to Jade and the kids keeping you guessing how this will end.

Fans of Harlan Coben, Kaira Rouda, and B.A. Paris will find a lot to like here. Action-packed, no one does marriages, greed, and domestic suspense better than Belle.

The book world saved the best to the last. Get this one before the new year begins. Comes out on Dec 28, 2021.

I have been an avid fan of this extraordinary author since I read her first book back in 2014 when I started my book blog. Having read every subsequent novel, all seven have been on my top books of the year and all five stars. Check out all my KB book reviews on my blog.

Look for my #AuthorElevatorSeries Interview with Kimberly on pub day where we will go behind the scenes of the book and author.

Blog Review:
@JudithDCollins
#JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Top Books of 2021
Pub Date: Dec 28, 2021

This was my special birthday gift read back in Sept! Thank you #NetGalley and #ParkRow for an early reading copy. Also pre-ordered the hardcover.