I enjoyed the premise of this book. Wasn't a hard read. It had family dynamics in addition to the murder mystery. There were some unexpected twists. Some parts of the book moved faster than others. I appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC and offer my honest opinion. Thank you again to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Kimberly Belle.

Divorce can having you out here doing ANTHING‼️One wild night can turn into CHAOS AND DRAMA!!!!!! Had me biting my nails !😂 I loved it !!! Murder secrets lies everything you want in a thriller ! I wanna go to Amsterdam 😩willow and Reyna will be on my mind for a lil while Thankyou Net Galley & harlequin for the Arc and the realization that I like this author !!! Make sure you put this one on your TBR guys !!! Kimberly I'm looking out for you now.

Book: The Expat Affair
Author: Kimberly Belle
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing
Pub Date: June 3, 2025

One thing about this author is she writes fast paced easy to read books. Her stories are simple and easy to follow and while there aren’t any huge plot twists they are just very enjoyable reads. This story is told from two perspectives - Willow and Rayna’s and presents a fairly exciting cat and mouse game. This is one of those books that could easily be read in one sitting.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is June 3, 2025.

Murder, Secrets, lies, unreliable characters- this book has everything you need for a suspenseful, action packed read that will have you reading well into the night. Kimberly Belle never fails to deliver an edge of your seat, action packed story. Five stars. Definitely add to your TBR list.

I love her books so knew this would be a good one! Rayna awakens after a date to find new man, Xander dead in the shower with his throat cut! Of course his wealthy family is concerned but being diamond moguls, there are always competitors to be worried about. Then we meet Willow, whose husband, Thomas works for this family and she discovers he hasn't really been out of town where he claimed he was. How are these all connected? It's a wonderfully convoluted story of the diamond industry and what people in power will do to stay there!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This novel is told through the perspectives of two different female expats. Rayna, who is recently divorced and has moved to Amsterdam to start a new life and Willow, who is married to the heir to the Prins diamond house. After a wild night out with successful and handsome Prins diamond creator Xander, Rayna awakens to find him murdered and his safe full of diamonds empty. Now she finds herself not only a suspect in a murder investigation, but also being hunted down by whoever murdered Xander. Meanwhile, Willow Prins learns of Xander’s death and is concerned her husband may have been involved in the killing of his ex-employee. Both women don’t know who to trust in this foreign country as they strive to find who is behind the killing and theft. As the story progresses, the two find they may have to trust each other to try and stay alive and solve this murder and find the diamonds before it is too late.

Kimberly Belle has quickly become a go-to author for me. She’s so good at writing twisty, pulse-pounding thrillers that grip you from the very first page. Her book, The Paris Widow, was one of my favorite books last year, so I was pumped to get the chance to read her newest book, The Expat Affair, early.

This one takes place in the diamond trade industry in Amsterdam, and the story begins with a brutal murder. A couple of the twists were predictable, but my jaw hit the floor a couple times, too. It’s fast paced, and could easily be read in one sitting. There were a couple times I had to put it down to go be an adult and I was sorely disappointed I couldn’t keep reading.

I loved this book, and highly recommend checking it out when it hits shelves on June 3rd! I’ll definitely be snagging a physical copy for my own shelves.

Big thanks to @netgalley, @htp_hive, and @htpbooks for this #gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was the best Kimberly Belle book in a long time. The characters were interesting and the plot kept me guessing the whole time. The ending was a little bit disappointing to me but overall, a really fun read.

I enjoyed this one. I wasn't sure if I would because of the diamond market. I have no knowledge at all, but I still found it really interesting.

Rayna and Willow are both somewhat likeable, but it was hard to know how they really were. There were secrets and flat out lies. It's honestly hard to trust everyone except for Willow's son. I really liked that the book took place in Amsterdam and that not all the characters were from there. I could understand some of the frustrations with language and just basic laws, etc. The main family is hard to like. At all. Some were worse than others. The pacing was good and there were some twists.

I gave this book 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

The Expat Affair: A Murder Mystery with a Strong Female Protagonist in Amsterdam's Diamond Industry by Kimberly Belle is a fast-paced thriller set in Amsterdam with a diamond house family as the center point of attention. Rayna is an American who thought she was leaving a bad relationship to have a fun time in a new city far from home. Who knew so much trouble would find this American so quickly with just one date with a gorgeous man? You'll find out how much trouble found its way as you continue to read the story. Many twists within the story weaving its branches between the family and the American Expats. Yes, two! You will enjoy this book right to the end holding your breath as you turn page after page - eating the story raw! Put all your plans on hold until you finish this book! I give this book 5 STARS!!!

Great story. The characters are believable. Love the twists. Plot was interesting. Kimberly Belle does another great writing job.

You can always count on a Kimberly Belle book to be engrossing, twisty, and action packed. This book was all of those things and more! Two American women living in Amsterdam, a shocking murder, and lots and lots of missing diamonds. Be prepared for what I think is the best first chapter ever! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The Expat Affair is fast paced, action packed read that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens.

Murder, secrets. lies, intrigue and scandal hook the reader from the first to the last page.

Rayna and Willow are two expats living in Amesterdam who's paths cross when a friend of Willow's and a man Rayna had a one stand with is murdered visciously.

Diamonds are missing since Rayna was known to be there she is in danger.

Prime suspect for the murder and theft of diamonds.

Kimberly Bell writes so descriptively you feel that you are biking the streets of Amerstdam and all the characters are so well defined.

Characters we love and characters we love to snarl at and I trusted no one.

Highly recommend you grab your copy of The Expat Affair, clear your calendar because this bookis hard to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harelquin Trade Publishing/Park Row for the privilege of reading and reviewing The Expat Affair.

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. This book had some twists and I turns I didn't expect.

Once again, Kimberly Belle upped her game and took me on a journey through Amsterdam that had me turning pages faster than I thought possible. This author has a way of tempting readers to get lost within the pages of her books and not realize the time until you're waaaaayyy past your bedtime. A must read for any reader who likes getting lost within a story and likes destination books.

Book review 📖

📜The Expat Affair
✍️Kimberly Belle
📠Harlequin/ Park Row
📚Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: June 3, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @parkrowbooks for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to @kimberlybellebooks who always knows how to write a sparkling gem of a book!

✨After a nasty divorce, Rayna Dumont, decides to start a fresh life in Amsterdam. She’s not one for one-night stands but finds Xander irresistable, as he’s handsome, wealthy, and up for some fun.

✨After spending the night with Xander, Rayna finds him dead on the shower floor and an empty safe that had previously been full of diamonds.

✨In another extravagent home across the city, Willow Prins has heard of Xander’s death. Willow’s husband is Xander’s ex-boss and now heir to a diamond house. Willow and Rayna are then dragged into the dark and dangerous underbelly of the diamond trade and must find the truth to the murder in order to survive.

✨I’ve always been a huge fan of Kimberly Belle’s writing, and this one certainly did not disappoint. If you’re looking for a suspenseful, cat-and-mouse chase, The Expat Affair will be right up your alley!

#netgalley #theexpataffair #kimberlybelle #parkrow #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #springreleases #thrillerfiction

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Park Row for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Expat Affair was a hugely enjoyable mystery that reminded me of a modern take on classic suspenseful films. Transplant to Amsterdam Rayna (who is trying to put distance between herself and a painful divorce) is our main character, though we also get the perspective of Willow, who is also a transplant hiding a huge secret. When Rayna’s one night stand is murdered while she’s asleep and diamonds go missing, Willow finds herself feeling drawn to helping her, possibly to hide her own involvement.

What follows is a lot of threads that you just know where will be satisfying to follow and a hugely shocking discovery to not only the murderer but what’s going on behind the theft. I absolutely adored this and hope Kimberly Belle has more mysteries in this style as she will become a fast favorite.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an adrenaline pumping, gripping story that tells the story of two expat women both weaved into the dark and deceitful web of the diamond world in Amsterdam .

"𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒓𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅."~𝑫𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒐𝒏

Much like her last book THE PARIS WIDOW, the setting was so artfully done, I felt like I was physically in Amsterdam. The opening scene immediately engages the reader--Rayna, who has come to Amsterdam for a fresh start, is enjoying her 'morning after' glow courtesy of Xander, her one-night stand. She hears the shower running and decides to join him, but when she walks into the bathroom, she's greeted by an absolute horror show. Xander has been brutally murdered, and Rayna flees in terror.

Once she gets a little distance from the vicious murder, she begins wondering how she slept through it and why she was spared. Everything changes after she finds out that Xander is in the diamond business and works for a renowned family, the Prins. She realizes that not only is she the prime suspect in the murder, but she's also under suspicion of theft as she posted a photo of herself on social media wearing one of his diamond necklaces that is now missing. Even though she deleted the photo, once it's on the Internet, it's there forever, and it begins circulating.

Worried that the killer will think she's in possession of the necklace, Rayna doesn't know where to turn, and when members of the powerful Prins family reach out to her, she questions if their motives are pure.

This was a fast-paced, thrilling inside look at the illicit diamond trade set in the stunning vistas of one of the most beautiful countries in Europe, its history and culture skillfully woven into the prose. Captivating, entertaining, and exciting, THE EXPAIT AFFAIR is set to publish June 3, 2025. Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing for this stunning early copy.

I haven't read many books set in Amsterdam, and I absolutely loved the setting. The author did a great job at being descriptive of the surroundings. The story starts out with quite a bang- Rayna wakes up to find that her date from the night before has been murdered in his shower. The plot has a lot of depth to it and a satisfying amount of twists and turns. The ending was shocking and unexpected. Overall, this is a suspenseful and entertaining thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.