My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle, Narrated by Natalie Duke, Seth Podowitz, and Charlie Kevin

Expected publication: March 8th 2022 by HARLEQUIN (Park Row), December 28, 2021 by Harlequin Audio

Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological

352 pages,

About the Book: Bestselling author of DEAR WIFE and THE MARRIAGE LIE, Kimberly Belle returns with her most heart-pounding thriller to date, as a masked home invader reveals the cracks in a marriage.

Everyone is about to know what her husband isn’t telling her…

Jade and Cam Lasky are by all accounts a happily married couple with two adorable kids, a spacious home and a rapidly growing restaurant business. But their world is tipped upside down when Jade is confronted by a masked home invader. As Cam scrambles to gather the ransom money, Jade starts to wonder if they’re as financially secure as their lifestyle suggests, and what other secrets her husband is keeping from her.

Cam may be a good father, a celebrity chef and a darling husband, but there’s another side he’s kept hidden from Jade that has put their family in danger. Unbeknownst to Cam and Jade, the home invader has been watching them and is about to turn their family secrets into a public scandal.

With riveting twists and a breakneck pace, My Darling Husband is an utterly compelling thriller that once again showcases Kimberly Belle’s exceptional talent for domestic suspense.

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4.5 Stars:

Jade and Cam Lasky are a happily married couple with two adorable kids, daughter Beatrix and son Baxter (the Bees), a spacious home and a rapidly growing restaurant business. Cam is a celebrity chef and a “darling husband” and father, but he is hiding something from Jade, something that puts her and their two children in danger. One afternoon as Jade returns home with the children, they are confronted by an armed, masked, home invader who threatens to kill the children first, then Jade unless Cam comes up with a ransom, a very interesting number that means something, but what? The masked man seems to know a lot about the family, their business and their finances. What has Cam done to this man to make him resort to this?

I am not going to say anything else about the story, because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. The story is told in an interesting way. We get an after the crime peek throughout the novel as the husband, Cam is interviewed by a news reporter. The crime is over and he is finally opening up and commenting on the various aspects. These chapters are interspersed as the kidnapping is unfolding. There are three POVs during the situation, Jade’s, Cam’s and the kidnapper. The kidnapper (Sebastian) was chilling. He didn’t seem to care whether they lived or dies, he terrorized and scared them throughout, but in the next minute, he helps Baxter when he has an accident. I could feel Jade’s fear, it was palpable. I absolutely loved Beatrix, she was one gutsy nine year old. Everytime I thought I knew something, I didn’t. This book had me on the edge of my seat with all the tension. I did a read/listen with this story, more listen than read. It was narrated by Natalie Duke, Seth Podowitz, and Charlie Kevin. I loved their performances and each of the major characters had their own voice which was wonderful. This was an outstanding audio presentation and I recommend that you listen to this one if you enjoy audiobooks. Whether you choose to read it or listen to it, I am sure you will enjoy this thriller. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

Purchase Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Bookshop – IndieBound – Books-A-Million – Kobo – Apple Books – Google Play – Libro.FM – Indigo

Q & A with Kimberly Belle

Q: Your cover really draws you in. Are you involved with the cover process? What do you hope this cover tells potential readers?

A: Thank you! And I agree; the designers at Park Row really nailed this one. Typically, I don’t have a lot of involvement with the cover until it’s nearly finished, which means it’s already gotten approval from my editorial team as well as the folks in sales and marketing before I get to see it. That moment when the email lands in my inbox – A sneak peek at your cover! – is always so exciting.

In my mind, what makes the My Darling Husband cover so strong is that it gives us a view of Jade’s face but none of her husband Cam’s, only a slice of his shoulder. For me, this makes Cam feel somewhat elusive, and it hopefully puts the reader on alert that things with him may not be what they seem. Especially in combination with the title, the image lets the reader know that the husband in this story may not be so darling after all.

Q: What research did you need to conduct for this book and how did you do it?

A: I did a lot of research around a couple of plot points that if I mentioned them here, would give a big chunk of the story away. What I can mention is my research around raising a child prodigy and the kinds of stresses that degree of talent can put on both the family and the child. Beatrix is nine and has played violin since she was a toddler, when she picked up one in the toy aisle at Target. As amazing as her talent is, it’s also a daily hurdle. Lessons, practice time, the drive to succeed, the pressure to not “waste” your talent by frittering away your time with normal childhood pursuits – it can all feel very isolating. She’s a brilliant, brave kid who is much more mature than she should be, as illustrated with this line: “Most parents want their children to grow up. Cam and I should have spent more time coaxing Beatrix to grow down.” 

Q: What is your elevator pitch for My Darling Husband?

A: My Darling Husband is the story of a mother held captive with her two children in their own home while her husband scrambles for the ransom, and the masked invader who’s about to turn their family secrets into a public scandal.

Q: Which came first, the story or the title?

A: I turned this book in as “Book #7” so definitely the story came first. Seven books in, and not one of my titles has ever stuck, so I’ve stopped worrying about what the story will be called when I’m writing it. My publisher has a fabulous team of experts who are so much more versed in the process than I am. While I’m only thinking of the story, they’re looking at big-picture items like comparable stories, market trends, which words are hitting a collective chord (remember all the books with “girl” in the title?). All this goes to say, they know what they’re doing, and I am happy to let them work their magic!

Q: What is your favorite season and why?

A: My favorite season has always been fall. I never mind the shorter days and cooler air, all the more reason to light a fire and wrap myself up in an oversized sweater. For me, fall has all the bests–the best fashion and the best food (soup season!) and the best festivities, ones that are centered around family. That’s hands-down my favorite part of fall, when all my people are gathered under one roof.

About the Author: Kimberly Belle is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of seven novels, including her latest, My Darling Husband (December 2021). Her third novel, The Marriage Lie, was a semifinalist in the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Mystery & Thriller, and a #1 e-book bestseller in the UK and Italy. She’s sold rights to her books in a dozen languages as well as film and television options. A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Belle divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam.

Social Links: Author website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Goodreads