This is my first time reading Kimberly Belle officially even though she has been on my radar, and I do have a book or two of hers already waiting in my TBR pile ready to be read and now have extra anticipation for when I dive into those! The narrative is told between Alex the instamom who has become a household sensation with "Unapologetically Alex" gaining 1 million followers looking through the social media window of her life, Patrick who is Alex's already wealthy husband and the sensible numbers guy who has more secrets than can be so easily added or subtracted, and AC the assistant that seems to just be the help who no one really bats an eye at until she goes missing in the middle of the scandal that becomes Alex's life imploding from instamom to insta-NO!
A post goes viral while at the same time AC goes missing so what else is Alex to think except that AC is behind it. She starts to dig into AC and finds more than she planned on who AC really is or better yet.... really isn't. Threats to her family, a dead body found murdered at her home, the trail of AC cold, and then the doting husband who seems to have more answers to the mystery than he is letting on! There is suspense throughout and it kept my interest until the end. I liked the whole social media scenario that is so relatable to real life and definitely not a life I would want dealing with scandal, online mobs with threats, and social media trolls while fighting through a public ousting! The ending went a little stale for me since it seemed more drawn out than what it needed to be, but overall I enjoyed this read and look forward to more Belle books.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley for an honest review based on my own opinions of this book.

This is a great read! Wonderful thriller leaving you anxious for one more page. Add this to your holiday gift lsit

Author Kimberly Belle describes The Personal Assistant as a story about happens "when online threats turn real" and says her inspiration for the story came from her experiences as an author. "One of the job requirements is to put myself out there on social media," she notes, "which means I’m constantly walking a fine line between sharing snippets of my life and holding back on personal, private moments." It is impossible to predict with certainty how followers will react to photographs and captions. "One wrong word can blow up in ways you don’t always anticipate which got me thinking," Belle observes. "What if the people on the receiving end of these posts don’t have the best of intentions? What if the animosity on Instagram and Facebook turns all too real?"

Indeed, as The Personal Assistant opens, Alex has an unbelievably bad morning. She has a raging hangover after spending the prior evening celebrating a significant milestone with tequila shots: one million followers on her Instagram account, @UnapologeticallyAlex. Admittedly, she developed her online persona accidentally. One post urging women to "live unapologetically" went viral and other women began looking to her as an example of living live one's own way instead of striving to be a perfect wife, mother, friend, lover, hostess, etc. After that, Alex "wanted a piece of the Instagram pie" and secured it by monetizing her account. Ad placements, brand ambassadorships, and an auction for a book proposal rendered her devoted husband, Patrick, amazed and somewhat perplexed by the power of social media. After years as a single mother, struggling to raise her twelve-year-old twin daughters, Gigi and Penelope, without any support from their father, Alex met and married, Patrick, the money guru of Atlanta, Georgia. On a local television station, he dispenses financial advice, assuring viewers that, like him, they can become financially independent. A self-made millionaire since he was in his 20's, Patrick is generous, loving, and adores the girls as though they were his own biological daughters. Alex and her family live happily in a stately, historic home with Patrick and the twins starring, along with Alex, in carefully curated Instagram posts about creating and maintaining a perfect life.

But with internet fame comes at least a few trolls who spew negativity on Alex's account. She is accustomed to the occasional naysayer who criticizes Alex's posts. But as she peruses the notifications popping up on her phone, she is horrified to see many hate-filled comments originating from account names she recognizes. Alex has a hard-and-fast rule: she does not post until her trusted personal assistant, AC, has reviewed a draft. And she never posts when she has been drinking. She has no recollection of posting a video to her account the previous night, but . . . A video was reposted to her Unapologetically Alex account from the account of an actress, accompanied by commentary from Alex critiquing the young woman's appearance, partying, and talent (or lack thereof), and calling her vile names. The message is wholly inconsistent with Alex's brand and philosophy, and her followers are quick to deem her a hypocrite. Even though Alex is confident "there's not enough tequila in the world to make me upload a post that damning," it is rapidly going viral. And the vitriolic post sounds eerily like the opinion Alex actually voiced . . . within the privacy of her own home. Did AC surreptitiously record Alex's commentary and post it? Why would she sabotage her employer? Or could Alex's account have been hacked? Her career is evaporating as quickly as the number of views of the video climb and many of those one million followers abandon her. Patrick advises her to simply delete the post, but Alex knows the damage cannot be repaired that easily because posts can be downloaded and preserved via screenshots. "Perception is reality, Patrick. No one understands this better than an influencer."

"Mayday, mayday," Alex texts to AC. But she neither responds nor appears, and hours tick by during which Alex's unanswered messages become more desperate. After hiring AC, Alex quickly became dependent upon her to manage nearly every aspect of Alex and her family's lives. Alex granted her unfettered access to their home, electronic devices, and digital accounts, even though Patrick has never been fond of AC but has never explained why in terms that make sense to Alex. Patrick insists that the last time he saw AC was the prior night when she left in the Uber her summoned for her. But disturbing footage of Patrick and AC arguing was captured by a security camera on the property.

Alex's fast-paced first-person narrative is one of several, including that of Anna Claire, a young woman employed as a hotel maid in rural southern Georgia. When a truck forces her dilapidated Honda off a narrow country road onto the narrow shoulder, shredding one of the car's rear tires. She has no spare tire, so her only option is to begin walking the five miles between her and the hotel, upset that she will not only be extremely late to work. She cannot afford a new tire because she has not finished paying the local junk yard for the last used tire she purchased. Just then, her savior appears in a sleek black sedan, handsome and about twenty years older than her. He offers her a ride to the hotel . . . and much more. Is she AC? If not, who is she? How is her story connected to what is happening to Alex?

Belle quickly reveals that Patrick has secrets and they involve AC. In his first-person narrative, he frets, "I can't think of anything but AC. what she's doing here, how she found me, how to get rid of her when she's attached herself to my wife like a barnacle." Was Patrick the handsome older man who offered Anna Claire a lift?

The Personal Assistant is a compulsive and very cleverly imagined mystery populated with fully developed and fascinating characters. At the center of the story is Alex, a woman who is devoted to her children and determined to protect them. She is also very much in love with her husband, Patrick, as well as their success, the opportunities they have been afforded, and the life they have created. When AC does not materialize -- and Alex discovers the body of a murdered woman in the cottage that serves as her office -- Alex gradually realizes that she and her family are in danger. She is determined to discover the source of the threats, the truth about AC and how she came to apply for the job as Alex's assistant, and the real reasons why Patrick has always been uncomfortable around her. She wants to salvage her career as an influencer but learns that exposing the details about her own life, and her family's, is a risky endeavor and once information has been disseminated, security measures are of limited value. She will not be deterred, however, until she not only understands all of the events and players that led her to this point in her life, and once all secrets are revealed, she exhibits tenacity and courage. Patrick is a complicated and somewhat ambiguous character. Belle wisely leaves it to readers to draw their own conclusions about his motivations, ethics, and emotions. Belle's depiction of prepubescent Gigi and Penelope, and their angst about being unwilling inhabitants of their mother's online universe, as well their fear about the fallout from the unfortunate viral video, is credible, believable, and at times heartbreaking.

Belle deftly injects clues about Anna Claire's identity, as well as how and when her path intersected with Alex's family, at judiciously timed junctures. But she keeps readers guessing, slyly withholding key pieces of the mesmerizing puzzle, as she accelerates the narratives' pace and the dramatic tension, right up to the shocking conclusion of her tautly constructed and engaging story.

Unlike My Darling Husband, which Belle drafted during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, she recalls having a tough time drafting The Personnel Assistant because she found it difficult to concentrate on a tale about an Instagram influencer while the world was shut down and the virus continued claiming victims. Because she grew up in a small Tennessee town, Belle says Anna Claire's voice came to her the most naturally. So even though her aspect of the story is the most tragic and wrenching, Belle found it the most enjoyable to write. The rest of the book fell into place once Belle conceptualized the moral of her characters' struggles, "the whole point of the story. When Alex’s world becomes a dumpster fire, it puts things for her into perspective. It forces her to stop and adjust, to reassess her priorities. People. Her family. As Alex learned in her story -- as we learned in ours -- the rest is just noise and fluff." Belle's telling of Alex's journey to that realization is riveting, entertaining, and emotionally compelling. It is also likely to make readers -- especially parents -- think carefully and consider the potential consequences of sharing personal information on social media.

Alex becomes a popular influencer by posting inspirational messages and photos of her twin daughters and husband. At first, it's just for fun, but soon, as her followers grow, it becomes a full-time job. She hires a personal assistant, AC, to help her manage the posts and everything that comes with maintaining a social media presence. When Alex hits a coveted follower count, she's thrilled, but things change overnight when she posts something controversial and her followers turn against her fast. She needs AC's help, but she's nowhere to be found. Alex isn't even sure she made the post and the more she digs into things, she can't help but wonder who AC is and if she's responsible for Alex's crumbling life.

This is an exciting, page-turner of a tale. Will it stick with me forever? Probably not. But it's captivating while reading thanks to its format, which is told from Alex, AC, and Alex's husbands POVs. The whole story keeps you on your toes--talk about the dangers of social media! We see how Alex is on top of the world one day and the subject of complete scorn the next. Her followers turn against her, sweeping her teenage daughters and husband up in their hatred. A body turns up and things get interesting quickly!

I loved the then & now format, with the snippets from Alex, AC, and Patrick, Alex's husband. The book has great insight into the power of social media and family. The ending was a little wild, but I enjoyed being kept guessing!

This domestic suspense novel is a riveting read that feels very timely for today's culture. It's a page-turner that kept me interested and the climax, though somewhat reality-suspending, was a fun ride.

The Personal Assistant was an interesting read. While slow at times, overall it kept me engaged and interested. I thought I had it all figured out... but then it twisted in a completely different direction! I love Kimberly Belle's books, so I certainly look forward to more by her.

By now, you know that social media thrillers are becoming my favorite, and this took a dive in the behind the scenes of an influencer. Alex as a whole wasn’t that likeable, but I did feel empathy for her as things started to escalate into real scary offline threats. Patrick in my eyes was trash. I felt he was fake, borderline narcissistic, and knew when to turn on the charm. Not to mention he was a liar who kept secrets from his wife. AC was a complete mystery, and I did find it odd that Alex allowed her into her home without knowing much about her. The differrent perspectives realky tied the story together, and I had to know if this was AC’s doing. When the reveal happened, I did not see it coming.

Kimberly Belle truly kept me engaged in the story, and wondering who posted the very controversial post to bring Alex down. I enjoyed the insight about social media, influencers, and how easily you can be canceled. I also really appreciated that the storyline seemed real, and it showed how being an influencer effected Alex as well as her family. In particular, I liked that it did show how Alex’s twin daughters were deeply effected by hurtful words said online. Something about a domestic thriller that peels back the cracks of a “perfect family” just does it for me. Add in a social media plot, and I’m sold.

Thank you, Park Row/Harlequin Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy to review.
Alex is a popular influencer on Instagram and wakes up after having a wild evening, to discover that she has sent out a post from her account criticizing another female on Instagram.  She doesn't recall posting it and doesn't understand what happened. She can't quite believe that she would post something so critical but can't be certain she didn't do it. The post takes off and the reaction to her post is incredibly negative and she's about to be cancelled.   Her husband Patrick is a financial expert and her post it's starting to affect his reputation as well.  Her business is going down the drain,  threats are coming in and they are on a downward spiral and their lives are in danger.
I read this book going in mostly blind to it and was glad I did.  The book was written from  few points of view.  I enjoyed reading this book and it captured my attention as I eagerly read the book.  I wanted to know where the storyline was going next and wanted to find out how everything pulled together.  As the book progresses there were a few plotlines that came together in a predictable way which I believe the author wanted the reader to put together.   If you enjoy thrillers I would recommend this one, I would suggest starting it on the weekend so you can devour quickly and not  have it mess up your sleep.

This story is for those who love social media. The fickle nature that is hanging onto each like and comment like it’s a trophy. Our main character, Alex, has built a strong following from a one-off post that went viral, and on the evening she surpasses one million followers, she drunkenly posts a video taking aim at a fellow influencer. She wakes to a backlash of hatred from her once loyal following; and her social media manager has disappeared. As Alex tries to move forward through the controversy, she begins to piece together all she didn’t know about her perfect personal assistant. It’s a wild ride, and while I enjoyed it, Alex was a bit grating. A solid three-and-a-half stars.

Review of The Personal Assistant by Kimberly Belle

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another absolutely fabulous thriller from one of my fave authors. I flew though this book and enjoyed the ride. There were many twists and turns and I guessed a few snd were blown away by others. Definitely a solid thriller for those who love the genre as I do.

Quick synopsis: Alex is an IG influencer and a very popular one who just hit one million followers. After a night of celebrating with her assistant AC and her husband she wakes up the next morning first hungover then horrified. A post has gone viral where she criticizes a celebrity and she is rapidly losing followers. She doesn’t remember writing the post and when she reaches out for AC she is nowhere to be found. This starts a domino effect of unfortunate events and Alex begins to investigate AC and stumbles upon an unsolved murder. She then realizes she is in real danger … not just from social media damage.

The Personal Assistant brings the social media culture to thriller status. Sometimes, it’s not good to go viral! Twists and turns and a good bit of mystery brings this popcorn thriller to life. I really enjoyed the twist with the social media bringing the plot full circle to 25 years prior. Great quick read!

Patrick and Alex have the best marriage. Both of them are successful in their businesses and Alex runs a very popular Instagram page with thousands of viewers. One morning, Alex wakes up to a disaster on her Instagram page. She has supposedly bashed Krissie Kelly on Instagram and people have commented on her rude and daring act. Alex immediately tried to contact her personal assistant, Anna Claire, because she is the only other person that has access to her social media account. Alex immediately thinks that her assistant has tried to sabotage her.

Anna Claire is pronounced missing and Alex's social media account goes awry. The police get involved trying to find Anna Claire. As the investigation continues, the reader finds out that everything it not as it seems.

Belle has intricately woven a deep plot together that includes betrayal, secrets, and murders. The reader will not be able to put down the book for all the twists and turns. This is the ultimate domestic thriller.

Alex Hutchinson is a very lucky woman; she has gorgeous twin daughters, a husband who is a handsome and dynamic local news anchor, a competent and devoted personal assistant, and a thriving career as an influencer via her Instagram account, Unapologetically Alex.
When a post goes live from her account slut-shaming and ripping an underage celebrity to shreds, Alex's luck takes a sudden and dramatic downward turn. Suddenly, her fickle homespun celebrity is turned on it's head and instead of outpourings of love, Alex finds herself being ostracized by the vehicle that was once the key to her successful life.
Violence, death threats, and a missing assistant that is more tightly connected to her family than Alex realized until the last minute all paint the kind of suspenseful picture Kimberly Belle is known for. The flashbacks and seemingly disconnected subplot make for a few moments of bewilderment, not because the subplot is confusing but because for a good long stretch it can feel like it's never going to to reveal the thread that connects one part of the story to the next.

Kimberly Belle is always a must read author so you know I was excited for this book!

However, I found the first half of the book quite slow and I had trouble getting into it. It almost felt silly. The second half picked up and I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t guess the ending. Still only a 3 star read for me though.

This is my fourth Kimberly Belle book and unfortunately my least favourite.

The Personal Assistant is recounted from the points of view of Alex, her husband Patrick, and her personal assistant A.C. Kimberly Belle is a genius at injecting the exact right amount of tension and suspense into each chapter. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down.

One thing I didn’t love was the social media aspect of the book, which unfortunately was the majority of the book. The author was adept at slipping into the role of an "Influencer," showcasing the highs and lows of fame, but it’s so unfathomable to me that I couldn’t relate and found it kind of annoying.

It wouldn't be Kimberly Belle novel if there wasn't a twist, and it's every bit as powerful and shocking as you'd anticipate. Belle did a fantastic job of neatly tying up all the loose ends after keeping me guessing the entire time. I am a major fan of Kimberly Belle, and despite the fact that this is my least favourite book of hers, I will still continue to read her books!

Rating: 3.75
Author: Kimberly Belle
Available Now!

I found this one to be good! It wasn’t my favorite thriller but it was still an enjoyable read. The author did a great job writing a book that kept me guessing. Some things were extremely obvious which made me sad but others I had no idea. The pacing was a little all over the place and because of that it took me about a month to finish reading. I didn’t care for any of the characters which is my main issue for why this one was just good and not great. But that is just a me thing and they probably won’t bother everyone. Overall, I would definitely recommend this one and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you so much @ for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In this domestic thriller from Kimberly Belle, Unapologetically Alex, an Insta-Influencer celebrates her millionth follower with her husband Patrick and her personal assistant. A.C. When she wakes from a tequila fueled evening, she discovers that her life is about to explode.. and not in a good way. I found the influencer aspect of the story and what it had to say about the perils and promise of being a social media influencer interesting and worth examination.

Things escalate to dead bodies and death threats, missing guns and lots of finger pointing. There is one clear suspect, but it all seems unlikely. But is it? After Alex starts doing some investigating of her own, she learns a lot about connections and starts to see there is more going on than just a missing personal assistant.

I liked this. I was hooked on reading it in the first few pages and things moved along at a very nice pace to keep things interesting. The prime suspect isn't hard to figure out, but the details were all very sketchy until the end of the story. I really didn't see that ending coming, so that was satisfying too!

There's lots to keep the reader guessing in The Personal Assistant as to what is going on and who is doing it. There are multiple points of view and each thread of the story pulls you along until the very end which challenges the reader to put the clues together. I liked the way this story was presented.

Overall, a very entertaining and satisfying domestic thriller. Kept me guessing until the very end.

the setup…
Alex Hutchinson is the mother of twin 12-year old daughters Gigi and Penny, and married to successful financial whiz Patrick who her girls love dearly as if her were their biological father. A few years ago, she began posting about her family and inspirational messages as Unapologetically Alex and it soon propelled her into the world of influencers. On the day her account reached one million followers, she and Patrick go out to celebrate with her trusted right hand assistant, Anna Claire Davis (AC) and it turns into a night of tequila and shots. Alex doesn’t remember much but when she awakens to an online nightmare, she’s clear she didn’t have a thing to do with the awful post that’s gone hopelessly viral. Her continuing efforts to reach AC fail and she soon suspects that the suddenly missing assistant may be behind it all, even though the message correctly matches her true feelings. Alex is helpless as her carefully crafted world spectacularly crashes down around her.

the heart of the story…
If you’ve ever watched someone famous be taken down by a viral post, you have a clue as to what it looks like. However, this story provides unique insight into the reality of how it impacted Alex and her family, how dangerous it can become and what an overnight fall from grace can mean financially. But there’s a lot more going on here as Alex tries to figure out why AC might have it in for her, slowly realizes she really didn’t know her assistant and her husband emerges as someone with his own set of secrets. The story is told from the points of view of Alex, Patrick and Anna Claire, which made this even more intriguing. Things escalate when the body of a woman is found on the family property and the police become more deeply involved. I was glued to this story as I desperately tried to assemble the clues and figure out what was going on and how this family could ever emerge whole again.

the narration…
If ever there was a story that required multiple narrators, this one was it and all three adeptly voiced their respective characters. They did them justice and were wonderful storytellers. If you have a choice, opt for the audio version!

the bottom line…
It didn’t take long for the story to get my attention and keep me in its clutches through the final climax. I never was able to figure out all of the dynamics in play but it didn’t really matter because I liked having it be splashingly revealed. I must admit, though, I still have questions and the ending was a bit curious, one I’m still mulling through. But it was quite the journey getting there and typical of the author’s storytelling style, one that keeps me coming back to her books.

Alex is an Instagram influencer who wakes up one morning to see a post, that she’s sure she didn’t post herself, blow up her page, but not in a good way. On top of that, her personal assistant, AC has seemed to disappear. Could the two be related?
This was an interesting thriller, told in multiple points of view. I was very invested in the beginning of the book because I really needed to know what happened to AC and how this instagram post would affect Alex and her family.
I found it interesting to read a book about an influencer, and the affects that career can have on their family members. With social media being so popular, it felt timely and relatable.
The storyline with Alex, her husband Patrick, and AC was interesting although predictable. I could see where it was going and would have loved a big twist that I wasn’t expecting.
This was my first Kimberly Belle book, and I found it fast paced and hard to put down. The ending was lacking a bit, but overall I enjoyed the story. I look forward to reading more from this author.

The Personal Assistant by Kimberly Belle

S.U.S.P.E.N.S.E. I loved it.

An influencer's life is turned upside down when a drunken post of her raging about a female celebrity goes viral, but who posted it and where did her personal assistant go? But things keep getting weirder and more dangerous.

The Personal Assistant released tomorrow, 11/29, make sure you pick it up!

Thanks to @netgalley and @parkrowbooks for the advanced reader!

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