When I pick up a book by Kimberley Belle, I know I'm in for an entertaining read with a great plot, fun twists and interesting characters.
Suspenseful, tense and a unique story.
If you’re looking for a twisty, atmospheric thriller with an international flair and a strong emotional pull, The Expat Affair delivers. It’s the kind of book you’ll fly through in a weekend and think about afterward, especially once the final pieces fall into place.
I loved every second of this book. Another 5 by Kimberly Belle.

I loved this diamond mystery thriller!! such a fun and engaging read! The female MCs were great and loved the plot. I also loved Sem, because I can relate to him as a deaf child.

I would recommend this book to others👏🏻

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for the digital eARC.

Though I didn't love The Expat Affair as much as the Paris Widow, I was riveted by the story. A one-night stand, a dead body and millions of dollars of missing diamonds make for a thrilling story. Who can be trusted?

Internationally bestselling author Kimberly Belle, a long-time favorite among thriller fans, returns following The Paris Widow with her latest, highly anticipated, dazzling thriller, THE EXPAT AFFAIR.

Belle's previous works have been praised for their intricate plots, compelling characters, and intense suspense, and her latest fast-paced offering is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

A chilling look at the lives of two women: an expat in Amsterdam ready for a new start and the woman who seems determined to ruin her, all set against the backdrop of this glamorous city and the dark secrets of one of the world's most prestigious diamond industries. This unique blend of international intrigue and personal drama in THE EXPAT AFFAIR is sure to captivate you.

About...

RAYNA DUMONT is trying to make a new start from America to Amsterdam. When she gets caught up in a one-night stand with the handsome and successful Xander, she is thrilled and even posts on social media with a diamond necklace.

However, her glamorous night turns into a nightmare when the morning after, he is dead and millions of dollars worth of diamonds are missing from his safe. Now the world has seen her photo.

WILLOW PRINS is married to Xander's former boss and heir to a diamond house. Their marriage is not so great. When she learns of the murder, she wonders about Rayna. But little does she know how far she and Rayna will be submersed into the dark underbelly and web of secrets of the diamond market.

Who killed Xander?

My thoughts...

ELECTRIFYING... What an intense thrill ride!.

Kimberly Belle's expertise of her beloved Amsterdam is evident in THE EXPAT AFFAIR, where her glamorous, sharp, and tenacious women are thrust into dangerous situations as they are pulled deeper into the perilous underworld of the illicit diamond trade.

Belle is at the TOP of her game! Highly impressive, prime for the big or small screen. I want a front row seat.

The strong character development will make you feel deeply connected to the story, keeping you engrossed in this action-packed murder mystery suspense thriller with a glitzy international flair.

From the high-stakes diamond industry, murder, stalking, and an inside look at a famous family dynasty crumbling, with two heroines for a propulsive thriller with a riveting action-packed international game of cat-and-mouse.

From exploring female friendship, motherhood, marriage, trust, and dark secrets. Amsterdam is a character all its own with its beauty and glamour.

I am a huge, long-time fan of Kimberly Belle and adore her, having read all her books since her debut. With each book, she continues to wow, with fresh, new, creative ways to keep her fans coming back for more. I highly recommend her latest work and all her backlist; I'm sure you'll be as impressed as I am. A must-read for your summer reading.

Thanks to Park Row and NetGalley for a gifted advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 3, 2025
My Rating: 5 💎💎💎💎💎Diamonds/Stars
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Kimberly Belle is an auto read for me and The Expat Affair just cemented this even more for me!
Diamonds, death, wealth and family drama. This suspense thriller will have tearing through the pages!
I love the character of Rayna and the dynamics between her and Willow. Kimberly just has a way to make the characters mesh and bring the story to life on the pages.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This starts off so exciting! An American woman in Amsterdam wakes up in the bed of the man she spent the night with, and finds that he's been murdered in the shower. Talk about hooked! Unfortunately the rest fell off a bit for me. I still very much enjoyed reading it, but it was a little far-fetched, and there were a couple twists that I don't quite understand. I'm not sure if they're plot-holes or were just too convoluted for me to follow. But a good popcorn thriller!

Oh my goodness I LOVED this book.

The Expat Affair follows two women who are American Citizens living in Amsterdam. It was really interesting that the author used her own experiences with that process to give dimension and life to the characters!

The characters were intriguing and kept me hooked as they unraveled the mystery of who killed the first victim.

I was not expecting the turn of events in part two, and I absolutely loved how everything tied together so neatly. Highly recommend!

"The Expat Affair" follows the lives of two expat women who's lives cross after the tragic death of a common "friend", Xander, a diamond "businessman".
Rayna, wanting a new start after a divorce, tries to recreate herself as "Rayna 2.0". She makes a Tinder, goes on a date and sleeps through a murder she is then accused of.
Willow, married into the richest diamond houses in the world after an unexpected pregnancy, is struggling through a strained marriage with Thomas, Xander's prior boss.

I loved every second of this book. I was constantly trying to guess who killed Xander and I was very wrong and happy about it! I have never read a story by Kimberly Belle, and I will be looking for another!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Kimberly Belle for the opportunity to read an ARC of "The Expat Affair"!

This one starts out with a bang with a dead body right off the bat. There were two female points of view, both expats, and I could not stop reading as I was trying to figure out how everything was related. Both for the two women and the supporting characters as well. I stayed up past my bedtime to finish this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this months ago and was denied. A few days ago (end of May) I was granted the opportunity to read it. I have a rule to read/review before publication date. I felt rush to read “The Expat Affair.”

My rating is based on it started out with a bang. I was intrigued. As the story moved forward, my interest in the story died and some parts didn’t hold my interest.

Let’s be clear, I am a Kimberly Belle fan, period. I strongly encourage readers to read it for themselves. It could just be me this time.

The Expat Affair is an absorbing and entertaining read that feels just right for the summer. The plot, settings and characters all come together in a page turner. Diamonds, Europe, Murder, Intriguing Characters-take a look. There is fun in this read.

I was originally denied this book but was later offered a widget and in that moment the book Gods shone down on me! What a great book! I love Kimberley Belle's writing style, the way she layers in the plot and the twists. The characters in this book were well-written and it kept me turning the pages.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this arc.

Kimberly Belle is one of my favorite authors, and The Expat Affair is yet another well written novel.
The beginning had me hooked. Waking up to a dead body and not even hearing the intruder or murder taking place next to her? I ate that up.
Once the jewel heist stuff started getting deeper I felt myself losing interest a little. The pace was just a little too slow for me.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of The Expat Affair by Kimberly Belle.

I have now read quite a few of Belle's books, and I've liked most of them, but not all of them. Unfortunately this was a miss. But the reviews for the book are good, so maybe I'm the one who missed something.

This is the story of two women, both tangled up in a dangerous diamond heist, one through family, the other through circumstances. I can't put my finger on why, but I never got into this story. The characters were uncompelling, and the plot felt thin.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5

I can’t believe this was my first @kimberlybellebooks it definitely will not be my last!

This was such an interesting thriller set in Amsterdam. I have visited twice and absolutely loved the city. I thought the author created such an interesting backdrop to this mystery, I was hooked!

The story follows two expats living in Amsterdam, and their lives start to intertwine after the shocking death of famous gemologist- Xander. Rayna, fresh from America, is looking to start over and goes on a date with Xander and wakes up to him murdered in the bathroom. Willow on the other hand married in the wealthiest diamond family in Amsterdam. Her husband Thomas was Xander’s boss, and the company is on alert trying to figure out the mystery. After Xander’s death, willow begins to receive threatening messages.

I absolutely love thrillers that depict the lives of the ultra rich. It’s one of my favorite sub points, and this book showcased that. Overall, it was a fast paced thriller that kept me hooked the entire time. I thought it was creative and I liked learning about the diamond field, it was a good backdrop. I loved seeing how Rayna and Willow’s lives begin to come together. I will say I think there were too many details about diamonds. After sometime, it did become a little repetitive.

Thanks to @htp_hive for an advanced copy! This book comes out tomorrow. Highly recommend!

THE EXPAT AFFAIR is the latest gripping thriller from Kimberly Belle. I’m a big fan of this author and her new book is a winner. After a nasty divorce, Rayna Dumont moves to Amsterdam for a completely fresh start. But her new adventure takes a shocking turn after a Tinder date with the handsome Xander, a successful diamond merchant. After a night of heavy drinking, Rayna awakens to discover Xander’s dead body in the shower and diamonds worth millions missing from his safe. Who killed Xander and why was Rayna left alive? Is there anyone she can trust in her adopted city? News of Xander’s death quickly reaches Willow Prins, another American expat, married to Thomas Prins, the heir to the famous House of Prins diamond empire and also Xander’s former boss. The scandal draws unwanted scrutiny to the Prins family, exposing secrets, lies and bitter family rivalries. Both Rayna and Willow are pulled into the dark underworld of the diamond industry where they will have to band together to survive. The fast-paced story is full of twists and turns that I never saw coming. I loved the atmospheric setting and the suspenseful plot. I enjoyed this entertaining book and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Thank you, @KimberlyBelleBooks, @htp_hive, @htpbooks, and @htpbooks_audio for my gifted copies. #HiveInfluencer

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Expat Affair by Kimberly Belle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 313 / Genre: Murder Mystery
Release Date: June 3, 2025
🥳#HappyPubWeek!🎉

Now divorced after walking in on her husband in bed with her best friend, Rayna is rebuilding her life as a travel writer in Amsterdam. Feeling she’s earned a bit of fun and debauchery, she wakes up one morning to find the guy she just spent the night with murdered in his shower. What follows is a twisty maze of events that involves diamonds, greed, and a complicated web of relationships.

I really enjoyed this murder mystery. I especially loved that it’s set in Amsterdam and shown from an outsider’s perspective, which adds a layer of complexity to this twisty thriller.

The Expat Affair by Kimberly Belle is a fast paced mystery featuring murder, theft and the diamond trade. Rayna, a recent transplant to Amsterdam, goes out with a handsome gemologist and ends up finding him dead in his bathroom. While she is being threatened for the missing diamonds, she befriends Willow, the wife of one of the famous House of Prins diamond traders. Both women try to figure out how to navigate this unusual situation and escape with their lives!

This is the second or third Kimberly Belle novel
I have read and I really enjoyed it. The intrigue of the diamond trade really drew me in. This would be a great summer beach/vacation read! I look forward to the next novel by Kimberly Belle!

Rayna, a new resident of Amsterdam, discovered her one-night stand, Xander, dead in the shower the following morning. Clearly murdered, she was shocked and terrified, and fled the scene immediately. Xander was a gemologist, and it was soon discovered that millions of dollars worth of diamonds were missing from his safe.

Then there’s Willow Prins, the wife of the heir to a diamond house. The Prins family certainly didn’t need any scandal, and Willow’s unhappiness in her marriage provided enough of one. As it turns out, Xander was recently employed by the Prins family, and his murder was connected to them.

The Prins house, their diamond empire, has come under intense scrutiny, and a game of cat and mouse ensued. At some point, Rayna and Willow would connect, and danger would follow both of them.

Initially, Rayna fled the scene, but she eventually decided to work with the detective investigating the murder. She soon found herself drawn into the dark and dangerous world of the diamond market, determined to uncover the truth about Xander’s death while trying to stay alive herself.

The title is intriguing because it turns out that both Rayna and Willow are expats, something I learned about while reading the book. Kimberly Belle has done an exceptional job of drawing me into the lives and pressures of both women, all while revealing intense family drama behind the scenes with the Prins family. This is definitely another engaging read.

Many thanks to Park Row and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

A real page turner! This starts with a pow, when Rayna finds Xander, the guy she just met, dead in the shower and herself in danger because someone thinks she has the diamonds from his safe, diamonds he might have stolen from Pims in order to grow synthetic ones. And then there's Willow, the American wife of Thomas Pims who is struggling as a housewife in Amsterdam but who is devoted to her small son Sem. This moves back and forth between them to tell a propulsive story that sees both women look for answers not only about Xander but also about Thomas. Someone is tracking Rayna but who? The two meet up and build an alliance. Who to trust? Well, no one as it turns out. This has good twists and surprises-no spoilers. I liked learning a bit about the diamond business and the Amsterdam atmospherics (the bike!). And I found myself rooting for both Willow and Rayna. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this.