Set in Paris, we follow Stella as she navigates the mysterious explosion that might have killed her husband Adam. She finds out Adam was involved in stolen antiquities and might have been the target of the explosion. This was fast paced and the ending seemed too good to be true but it was entertaining. I can definitely see this as a movie!

I recently read a captivating novel by Kimberly Belle that tells the story of Stella and Adam's idyllic vacation in France, which takes a harrowing turn when a deadly explosion leaves Stella's husband missing. As she grapples with this sudden disappearance, Stella uncovers shocking truths about Adam's involvement in the illicit trade of stolen antiquities, leading to a dangerous situation where she becomes the target of someone who wants her dead.

This gripping tale of mystery and romance kept me enthralled from beginning to end. The intricate plot and suspenseful narrative had me guessing at every turn, and I found myself completely absorbed in the story until the final page.

What I particularly loved about the book was the way it intricately wove in details about French landmarks and historical art pieces, creating a vivid and immersive experience for the reader. The exploration of the underground world added an extra layer of depth to the story, making it feel even more compelling.

In my opinion, this book deserves a solid five-star rating, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a thrilling and immersive read.

I just reviewed The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle. #TheParisWidow #NetGalley

This was a thrilling story that kept me reading all day. It starts out as a beautiful holiday for a young couple in love and turns into a world of lies, deceit, secrets, and so much more. Every time I thought I had figured things out, the plot had.another twist and turn. A truly thrilling story, fast paced. A must read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun action packed love story!
A dream vacation turns deadly when secrets from the past catch up to a married couple in Paris. When Stella met Adam, she thought she had finally found a nice, normal guy—a welcome change from her previous boyfriend and her precarious jetsetter lifestyle with him. But her secure world comes crashing down when Adam goes missing after an explosion in the city square.
This was absolutely unputdownable which is exactly what we look for in a thriller! So many twists and turns and trust no one mentality. The perfect summer vacation read. I loved this one and can’t wait to read more from Kimberly belle!

Thank you Netgalley, htpbooks, the hive and author Kimberly belle for providing me an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review.
Release date: June 11th

While mystery isn't a genre I usually dabble in, I was intrigued by the plot of "The Paris Widow" - and needless to say, didn't regret my decision.

Stella's life seems to be picture perfect at first glance; she's married to the love of her life, Adam, and the two are in the midst of a multi-week trip across Europe, primarily to support Adam's work as an antiquities dealer. Stella currently works at a catering company, but her previous life as a flight attendant means she's had a fair amount of travel experience under her belt as well, and she's enjoyed taking her husband so some of her favorite places and hole-in-the-wall spots across Capri, Malta, and currently: Paris. However, their plans are completely derailed when an explosion erupts in the middle of Paris - right when Adam ran back to the cafe they just left to pick up his lost sunglasses, leaving Stella stranded and searching for her missing husband.

Stella's determination to find her husband's whereabouts lead to more questions than answers, and the novel begins alternating between Stella's and Adam's perspectives across both the past and present. The novel does a great job of building up the suspense in the present as Stella is forced to question who is friend or foe, and reveals, little by little, stories and aspects about both of their pasts that converge in the present.

I enjoyed "The Paris Widow" far more than I thought I would - Kimberly Belle is a skilled writer and did a great job crafting a strong female protagonist; I'm not typically a fan of novels written from a first person perspective, but I think it really helped tie in the suspense and mystery across the chapters. The novel centered on a topic (black market antiquities) I knew very little about as well, and her afterword notes some of the historical figures and items she based her story on. I thought the pacing was well done with just the right number of characters introduced, and some surprises about each of the main characters I wasn't expecting.

I finished this novel over a weekend and would recommend to anyone who appreciates a well-crafted mystery!

Thank you publisher and net galley for this ARC. This is the 2nd book I've ready by Kimberly Belle and I enjoyed it. This book moved quickly and I enjoyed the twists. I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys this genre.

Stella and her husband Adam are on the last leg of a three week, whirlwind vacation in Europe. At their final stop in Paris, the couple dines at an out of the way cafe before heading to the airport. After a terrible explosion, Stella cannot locate her husband and fears the worst. When the French police come to investigate, she is shocked to find that her husband had a secret life that he hid behind his antique dealer facade. Now her life is in danger and unsure if Adam is still alive, Stella tries to uncover the truth behind her husband’s deception. This was a fast paced thrill ride that I could not put done! I highly recommend this novel!

What a thrilling ride this book was! An absolute page turner. I went into this book blind and was completely surprised by the twists that were thrown at the reader.

The Paris Widow was a fast paced thrilling read. Stella and her husband are on a Europe trip. Her husband goes back to get his sunglasses at a bistro table when all of a sudden there is a bombing. Stella is frantically searching for husband. However, what unfolds leads her to question everything and everyone.

Bingeworthyyyy. I think this could definitely be read in one sitting! Same vibes as The Last Thing He Told Me 🤔 Fast paced and the writing style was easy to get through. I loved that Stella was so smart and resourceful - usually women do stupid things in books 😂 I skimmed through some of the art history stuff but other than that I thought this was entertaining!

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A FORMER FLIGHT ATTENDANT 😉

Stella’s husband Adam, is a dealer of rare antiquities- a job that takes him all over the World.

Stella was able to join him on his latest shopping trip, and with stops in Capri, Malta, and finally Paris and it has been like a vacation of a lifetime for the newly married couple. .

But when Adam has to return to the cafe they had just left, to retrieve a favorite pair of sunglasses left behind, her world comes crashing down around her.

A possible terrorist explosion has taken out much of a city square, including the cafe, and Adam appears to be missing among the rubble. His phone goes straight to Voicemail.

Wanting to get his face out there, Stella agrees to be interviewed by a news reporter with Global reach-and her tear stained face becomes known as “The Paris Widow” around the World.

But, as the French police investigate, she learns that the antiquities that Adam deals in, may be stolen, and they suspect that HE may have been the actual TARGET of the bomb.

Reeling from this news, and wanting to prove Adam’s innocence, Stella refuses to leave Paris until she gets answers, even when it appears that she is being followed, and that she could be risking her own life, if the accusations are true.

But, as a former flight attendant, Stella is familiar with these streets, and has a few contacts of her own. Despite
a few initial missteps, she eventually finds her footing, determined to right all that is wrong.

This book is an entertaining “CAT AND MOUSE” adrenaline thriller, which I could easily imagine translating to the BIG SCREEN. I’m betting it will be brought to life brilliantly in the audiobook format as well.

I enjoyed Kimberly Belle’s latest page-turner-and I think you will too!

Available June 11, 2024

A big thank you to Park Row for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

A heart-pounding, tour de force that I devoured in a single day.

On the tail end of a charming European vacation, Stella and Adam are sitting in a quaint Paris Cafe enjoying each other's company, until a powerful explosion rocks the area, reducing the Cafe to suffocating clouds of dust, flying debris, injured patrons and utter chaos.

Adam, a modest antiquities and architectural salvage purveyor has gone missing. Could he be severely injured? Dead? No....perhaps he's just waiting back at the hotel....?

Stella, alone, terrified and not sure where to turn and who to trust, must untangle the harrowing mystery before something even more sinister unfolds.

Sometimes things aren't always as they seem.

This was a great book! I gave it 4 stars. I really loved the love story but also the intense drama and emotion. I had no idea what was going to happen and it kept me interested til the very end. The back and forth time frame was a bit confusing at times but was necessary to tell the whole story.

I could not put down the Paris Widow. This was an amazing book with all it’s twists and turns. Thank you for the opportunity as an ARC.

Well, this is certainly not the kind of Paris vacation I would dream up for myself but Kimberly Belle has entertained me with her latest thriller!

This novel is fill with twists and turns - just when I thought I figured something out...NOPE! Stella learns a whole lot more about her husband Adam than she ever knew. So good!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Felt like I was on a face paced European tour with elements of espionage, theft and murder on the side. I really enjoyed Kimberly Belle’s style of writing - this was a first read for me by this author - and enjoyed the diversity of characters. The ending was a wee bit too Hollywood for me but I would definitely read and search out another book by this author! Overall a well developed and entertaining read. Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to review.

This was a fun one! Same sort of premise as “The Marriage Lie,” which I liked (a female protagonist whose husband becomes a victim of a tragic accident, which then sends her down a mysterious path leading to a dangerous cat & mouse game). It was a book that definitely kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat! And I liked that it didn’t feel *too* unrealistic because Belle pulls from situations that could actually happen in real life, as well as real places and things (in this case, it’s blood antiquities and the dark underbelly of the art world, which made for a fun story). It’s something I really like about Belle’s storytelling. Though I do wish the ending of this one had been a little less “neatly wrapped in a bow,” I really enjoyed it all in all! Look forward to Belle’s next!

Thank you to Harlequin Publishing & NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure about a thriller, but it was interesting and different than stuff I’ve read before. A little predictable in some areas, but others kept me hooked. Over all the story was okay and I liked how it ended.

Thriller with twists that just keep on coming,
Stella and Adam seem to have a perfect marriage; he deals in antiquities and she works as a caterer. They travel
and have a good life and a genuinely happy relationship.
Or so she believed.
On a combined work and vacation, an explosion rips through the cafe and surrounding area where they
had just eaten and where Adam had headed back to, to retrieve sunglasses he had forgotten. Stella
rushes back to the area to look for him, only to find him listed as missing.
And the nightmare begins.
As Adam's past unfolds around her and her own checkered past comes roaring back, she goes on the
run looking for the truth about her husband,
Is he a mastermind thief of treasured relics as the police insist that he is.
Was her life with him a complete lie?
From the opening pates, you are pulled into the story that takes shape quickly.
Not a big fan of "back and forth" in stories but these were well defined and helped bring the characters clarity and
placement in the present.
Good suspense, intriguing characters and a well paced story.
Vous avez fait du bon travail!!