What do you think?
Rate this book
The Personal Assistant
USA TODAY bestselling author Kimberly Belle returns with a deeply addictive thriller exploring the dark side of the digital world when an influencer’s assistant goes missing.
When Alex first began posting unscripted family moments and motivational messages online, she had no intention of becoming an influencer. Overnight it seemed she’d amassed a huge following, and her hobby became a full-time job — one she couldn’t manage without her sharp-as-a-tack personal assistant, AC.
But all the goodwill of her followers turns toxic when one controversial post goes viral in the worst possible way. Alex reaches out to AC for damage control, but her assistant has gone silent. This young woman Alex trusted with all her secrets, who had access to her personal information and a front-row seat to the pressure points in her marriage and family life, is now missing, and the police are looking to Alex and her husband for answers.
As Alex digs into AC’s identity — and a woman is found murdered — she’ll learn that the greatest threat isn’t online but in her own living room.
When Alex first began posting unscripted family moments and motivational messages online, she had no intention of becoming an influencer. Overnight it seemed she’d amassed a huge following, and her hobby became a full-time job — one she couldn’t manage without her sharp-as-a-tack personal assistant, AC.
But all the goodwill of her followers turns toxic when one controversial post goes viral in the worst possible way. Alex reaches out to AC for damage control, but her assistant has gone silent. This young woman Alex trusted with all her secrets, who had access to her personal information and a front-row seat to the pressure points in her marriage and family life, is now missing, and the police are looking to Alex and her husband for answers.
As Alex digs into AC’s identity — and a woman is found murdered — she’ll learn that the greatest threat isn’t online but in her own living room.
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2022
871 people are currently reading
28161 people want to read
About the author
Kimberly Belle
19 books5,218 followersKimberly Belle is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author with over one million copies sold worldwide, with titles including The Paris Widow, The Marriage Lie, a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Mystery & Thriller, and the co-authored #1 Audible Original, Young Rich Widows. Kimberly’s novels have been optioned for film and television and selected by LibraryReads and Amazon & Apple Books Editors as Best Books of the Month, and the International Thriller Writers as nominee for best book of the year. She divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 1,877 reviews
September 20, 2022
Riveting but Too Similar to My Darling Husband
3.45 stars
The Personal Assistant is a psychological thriller about an influencer and her personal assistant who has gone rogue.
When Alex, an influencer, finally hits 1 million followers, she hosts a drunken celebration with her husband and personal assistant, A.C. However, she awakens to find she made incendiary remarks about a 16-year-old female celebrity. All of the sudden, she is under fire. To make matters worse, her personal assistant, A.C., has gone missing, resutling in Alex’s picture-perfect life spiraling into craziness.
The narrative alternates between Alex, Alex’s husband Partick, and A.C. The characters are one-dimensional and not wholly likable--good thing this is not a character-driven story.
The timeline alternates between the present and 1994. Who is connected to whom and how they are connected might be surprising to some readers.
I found the first 70% compulsively readable. This was a solid 4-star read, but when all of the pieces began to click into place and events played out, it was all too familiar -- a combination of My Darling Husband with shades of Mother May I. My reading experience and rating spiraled from this point on.
The ending is over-the-top, and there are two major plot holes that I can’t move past.
The good news is that I enjoyed this more than My Darling Husband . This is a fast-paced, action-packed read with event after event exposing the cracks in Alex’s life.
The Personal Assistant scores high on the entertainment factor but low on plot development and execution.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin/Park Row in exchange for an honest review.
3.45 stars
The Personal Assistant is a psychological thriller about an influencer and her personal assistant who has gone rogue.
When Alex, an influencer, finally hits 1 million followers, she hosts a drunken celebration with her husband and personal assistant, A.C. However, she awakens to find she made incendiary remarks about a 16-year-old female celebrity. All of the sudden, she is under fire. To make matters worse, her personal assistant, A.C., has gone missing, resutling in Alex’s picture-perfect life spiraling into craziness.
The narrative alternates between Alex, Alex’s husband Partick, and A.C. The characters are one-dimensional and not wholly likable--good thing this is not a character-driven story.
The timeline alternates between the present and 1994. Who is connected to whom and how they are connected might be surprising to some readers.
I found the first 70% compulsively readable. This was a solid 4-star read, but when all of the pieces began to click into place and events played out, it was all too familiar -- a combination of My Darling Husband with shades of Mother May I. My reading experience and rating spiraled from this point on.
The ending is over-the-top, and there are two major plot holes that I can’t move past.
The good news is that I enjoyed this more than My Darling Husband . This is a fast-paced, action-packed read with event after event exposing the cracks in Alex’s life.
The Personal Assistant scores high on the entertainment factor but low on plot development and execution.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin/Park Row in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2023
4.5 stars —- After laying a colossal egg in her previous book, “My Darling Husband” Kimberly Belle returns with a much better offering in “The Personal Assistant.” I have to admit early on, I saw some similarities between the two books, but Ms. Belle does a much better job in this book revealing the plot and backstory in a manner that kept me very interested in the book. The story revolves around Alex who is a social media influencer whose life falls apart after she blacks out drinking and a nasty Instagram post causes her fans to turn on her. At the same time, the number one suspect (besides herself) in posting this damaging material goes missing. The book then alternates between the stories of Alex, her husband, Patrick, and the assistant, A.C. I felt the author did a wonderful job of devising a complicated plot that came together at the end with an intense final scene that didn’t defy logic. I know this book has taken a beating as far as reviews on Goodreads, but I would highly recommend it. I never felt like the book veered into “My Darling Husband” territory of being ridiculously over the top and unrealistic , and instead, was a good page turner that was consistent throughout. I rate it as Ms. Belle’s best book that I have read.
August 31, 2022
An entertaining thriller even if it doesn’t offer anything startlingly new.
Alex is a social media influencer who has just hit 1 million followers on Instagram. She shares things about her husband and two children, and the public immediately latched on to her honest view of motherhood and being a woman in this day and age. Alex is doing so well that she recently hired a personal assistant named AC.
All is fine and dandy until Alex wakes up one morning to find that a controversial post under her name went viral overnight. Now her followers are turning on her and AC is nowhere to be found. Is AC who she said she was? Is someone else behind this dark situation that’s quickly becoming dangerous?
Author Kimberly Belle always writes enticing thrillers that are easy to fly through. No exception here. Although nothing really surprised me and the conclusion was lacking a bit, I was nonetheless entertained throughout and wanted to know what would happen. There’s still plenty of intrigue, and I have to give Belle credit where credit is due.
This is a great one to pick when you just want to curl up on the couch and read for the day.
Thank you to Park Row for a widget of the ARC through NetGalley. Expected Publication Date: 11/29/22.
Alex is a social media influencer who has just hit 1 million followers on Instagram. She shares things about her husband and two children, and the public immediately latched on to her honest view of motherhood and being a woman in this day and age. Alex is doing so well that she recently hired a personal assistant named AC.
All is fine and dandy until Alex wakes up one morning to find that a controversial post under her name went viral overnight. Now her followers are turning on her and AC is nowhere to be found. Is AC who she said she was? Is someone else behind this dark situation that’s quickly becoming dangerous?
Author Kimberly Belle always writes enticing thrillers that are easy to fly through. No exception here. Although nothing really surprised me and the conclusion was lacking a bit, I was nonetheless entertained throughout and wanted to know what would happen. There’s still plenty of intrigue, and I have to give Belle credit where credit is due.
This is a great one to pick when you just want to curl up on the couch and read for the day.
Thank you to Park Row for a widget of the ARC through NetGalley. Expected Publication Date: 11/29/22.
December 4, 2022
Remember the nursery rhyme “Sticks and Stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me”?
How untrue those innocent words are now that Social media exists!
When Alex’s blog, “Unapologetically Alex” reaches one million followers, she pops the bubbly, 🥂, and drinks much too much while celebrating with her husband, Patrick and her personal assistant, AC (Anna Claire).
But when she wakes up the next morning, the party is definitely OVER, as a POST made the night prior, has gone VIRAL-and not for the right reasons.
Apparently Alex has made some very unflattering remarks about a 16 year old Actress, who is more of a celebrity than she is-and the TROLLs are out for blood in her defense.
She doesn’t remember posting but the words sound like her own, and they are very hypocritical of her brand.
The repercussions come quickly-and they don’t stop with her-the POST has also brought unwanted focus on her twelve year old twin girls and her TV financial guru husband, who the trolls feel are all fair game.
Are the trolls as dangerous as they are nasty?
Alex reaches out to AC for damage control-but she is nowhere to be found. Did she write the POST? And, if so, WHY?
The main POV as the book opens is that of Alex, with some alternating chapters from Patrick, but about midway, details are filled in with the added POV of AC. This is where the book lost me-becoming increasingly OTT as the story went on.
The twist didn’t THRILL me.
Of the SIX books, I have read by the author, this is MY least favorite, though many reviewers have enjoyed it more than I. “Dear Wife” remains my FAVORITE, with “The Marriage Lie” a close second.
I am looking forward to seeing what comes next from this author!
Thank You to the Chandler Public Library for the loan!
AVAILABLE NOW!
How untrue those innocent words are now that Social media exists!
When Alex’s blog, “Unapologetically Alex” reaches one million followers, she pops the bubbly, 🥂, and drinks much too much while celebrating with her husband, Patrick and her personal assistant, AC (Anna Claire).
But when she wakes up the next morning, the party is definitely OVER, as a POST made the night prior, has gone VIRAL-and not for the right reasons.
Apparently Alex has made some very unflattering remarks about a 16 year old Actress, who is more of a celebrity than she is-and the TROLLs are out for blood in her defense.
She doesn’t remember posting but the words sound like her own, and they are very hypocritical of her brand.
The repercussions come quickly-and they don’t stop with her-the POST has also brought unwanted focus on her twelve year old twin girls and her TV financial guru husband, who the trolls feel are all fair game.
Are the trolls as dangerous as they are nasty?
Alex reaches out to AC for damage control-but she is nowhere to be found. Did she write the POST? And, if so, WHY?
The main POV as the book opens is that of Alex, with some alternating chapters from Patrick, but about midway, details are filled in with the added POV of AC. This is where the book lost me-becoming increasingly OTT as the story went on.
The twist didn’t THRILL me.
Of the SIX books, I have read by the author, this is MY least favorite, though many reviewers have enjoyed it more than I. “Dear Wife” remains my FAVORITE, with “The Marriage Lie” a close second.
I am looking forward to seeing what comes next from this author!
Thank You to the Chandler Public Library for the loan!
AVAILABLE NOW!
November 22, 2022
This is a decent read--as a reminder 3 stars means "liked it". There are a couple of good twists that I didn't see coming, but mostly I figured it all out ahead of time. Will I remember it in a couple of weeks? Probably not, but it provided me with entertainment while I was reading.
The book alternates between three points of view: Instagram influencer Alex, her husband Patrick, and Anna Claire. It opens with Alex waking up the morning after a drunken celebration for reaching a million followers. A scathing post is up on Alex's account, skewering a very popular young celebrity--the opposite of the positivity her account typically promotes. The trolls are out in full force. Alex doesn't remember posting anything, and her personal assistant, AC, is nowhere to be found. It quickly becomes apparent that everyone is hiding something and it could turn deadly.
Although this is a fast paced read, I honestly did not care about any of the characters. None of them seemed authentic, and the ending of the book wrapped up too quickly. I still had some questions in the end that weren't answered. There are also a lot of similarities here in this book to her previous book My Darling Husband--as I was reading I started feeling like I had been there, done that with this plot.
Overall, it's worth a read for the entertainment value and a couple of twists, just not very memorable.
I voluntarily read a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
The book alternates between three points of view: Instagram influencer Alex, her husband Patrick, and Anna Claire. It opens with Alex waking up the morning after a drunken celebration for reaching a million followers. A scathing post is up on Alex's account, skewering a very popular young celebrity--the opposite of the positivity her account typically promotes. The trolls are out in full force. Alex doesn't remember posting anything, and her personal assistant, AC, is nowhere to be found. It quickly becomes apparent that everyone is hiding something and it could turn deadly.
Although this is a fast paced read, I honestly did not care about any of the characters. None of them seemed authentic, and the ending of the book wrapped up too quickly. I still had some questions in the end that weren't answered. There are also a lot of similarities here in this book to her previous book My Darling Husband--as I was reading I started feeling like I had been there, done that with this plot.
Overall, it's worth a read for the entertainment value and a couple of twists, just not very memorable.
I voluntarily read a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
December 7, 2022
I received a free copy of The Marriage Lie through Snag A Read for Free and heard Dear Wife is really good and they are both on my TBR. When The Personal Assistant was there to borrow on Libby, I hastily snatch it up.
Alex is an influencer with over a million followers. Her personal assistant is Anna Claire or "AC". Alex's husband Patrick is also successful in his own right, a perfect guy. She has twin daughters from her previous marriage.
It was probably not the best idea to read this as my first Belle's book because I'm not big on social media influencer trope. However, it does get interesting when Alex posts a non-PC comment about a popular sixteen-year-old that she doesn't remember doing. The responses were tons of negative reactions and unfollowing. I can only imagine how devastating it was for Alex. I was very intrigued, to say the least! Then a body and a missing assistant! This is a twisty one that I thought there was no way I would guess it wrong... I was wrong. 🤣
This is my first Kimberly Belle novel. I thought it was fun if just a bit too much going on in the second half. I'm looking forward to reading her other two books on my kindle.
Alex is an influencer with over a million followers. Her personal assistant is Anna Claire or "AC". Alex's husband Patrick is also successful in his own right, a perfect guy. She has twin daughters from her previous marriage.
It was probably not the best idea to read this as my first Belle's book because I'm not big on social media influencer trope. However, it does get interesting when Alex posts a non-PC comment about a popular sixteen-year-old that she doesn't remember doing. The responses were tons of negative reactions and unfollowing. I can only imagine how devastating it was for Alex. I was very intrigued, to say the least! Then a body and a missing assistant! This is a twisty one that I thought there was no way I would guess it wrong... I was wrong. 🤣
This is my first Kimberly Belle novel. I thought it was fun if just a bit too much going on in the second half. I'm looking forward to reading her other two books on my kindle.
September 27, 2023
The first half was suspenseful and mysterious as we got to know the main characters and their perspectives; everyone had a secret to hide. Tidbits of information were parceled out at a nice pace and dramatic happenings kept the story flowing nicely.
The tone changed when the main perspective switched from Alex to Patrick and the story went in the weeds starting with his involvement in investigating the video/audio details. There were definitely twists to take this to unexpected places, but those twists also changed the framework in a way that couldn't allow the story to regain the solid footing it began with.
The tone changed when the main perspective switched from Alex to Patrick and the story went in the weeds starting with his involvement in investigating the video/audio details. There were definitely twists to take this to unexpected places, but those twists also changed the framework in a way that couldn't allow the story to regain the solid footing it began with.
November 7, 2022
3.5 stars for this quick, easy and entertaining domestic suspense novel.
Alex is a social media influencer. Her motivational messages and real life shared family moments have earned her a huge following. Her social media success demands more than she can manage and she hires a personal assistant. Things quickly turn against Alex when a controversial post goes viral — a post that Alex did not create or know about.
This storyline is a current hot topic and was easy to fall into. It was interesting to get an inside glimpse into a social media influencer perspective. I liked Alex immediately and felt invested in her situation. This authors writing grabbed me from the start and kept me curious to the very end. The multiple perspectives kept the story fresh and multi-layered. I did find pieces of this story similar to this authors’ last release which was a bit disappointing.
My connection to the characters and storyline did lessen in the last third of the book as the plot believability wasn’t there for me and some of the writing felt rushed and overdone. The intensity was lacking near the end, however, the suspense kept me intrigued throughout and curious to see how it would all come together. I love that I can always depend on this author to throw in lots of twists.
Overall, a fun, current and intriguing book that kept me entertained. It lacked the “wow” and shock factor I usually expect from this author but was fresh and unique. I look forward to what this author comes out with next!
Thank you to the publisher for my physical review copy!
Alex is a social media influencer. Her motivational messages and real life shared family moments have earned her a huge following. Her social media success demands more than she can manage and she hires a personal assistant. Things quickly turn against Alex when a controversial post goes viral — a post that Alex did not create or know about.
This storyline is a current hot topic and was easy to fall into. It was interesting to get an inside glimpse into a social media influencer perspective. I liked Alex immediately and felt invested in her situation. This authors writing grabbed me from the start and kept me curious to the very end. The multiple perspectives kept the story fresh and multi-layered. I did find pieces of this story similar to this authors’ last release which was a bit disappointing.
My connection to the characters and storyline did lessen in the last third of the book as the plot believability wasn’t there for me and some of the writing felt rushed and overdone. The intensity was lacking near the end, however, the suspense kept me intrigued throughout and curious to see how it would all come together. I love that I can always depend on this author to throw in lots of twists.
Overall, a fun, current and intriguing book that kept me entertained. It lacked the “wow” and shock factor I usually expect from this author but was fresh and unique. I look forward to what this author comes out with next!
Thank you to the publisher for my physical review copy!
March 20, 2023
Belle is a go-to author for ‘me when I’m looking for a fast read that will capture my attention no matter how distracted I am. Her writing is to the point and uncomplicated. Her plots can be a bit OTT sometimes, but it usually doesn’t bother me. I loved the influencer angle in this one, since we need to be reminded of how destructive social media can be. It had decent twists, and though it was a bit OTT, it was surely interesting.
January 14, 2023
3.5🌟
"Tequila is pure evil"…at least that’s Alex's opinion after a night of hard partying!
Alex is an influencer. She sends out motivational messages. And her following is growing exponentially! After celebrating reaching 1 million followers she wakes the next morning to a barrage of hate messages as her followers jump ship! What could have happened?
One single, negative post that’s what! Generated from Alex’s account over-night, her friends and followers have all turned on her. But wait a minute…Alex never posted the message!
How can she prove to everyone that it wasn’t her? Will anyone believe her? And oh yeah… who sabotaged her career and why?
It’s amazing (frightening actually!) how someone can go from loved to loathed after one posting… but sadly that’s our world I suppose.
Listening to the audio version, I thought it was a good solid thriller. As a devoted fan of Kimberly Belle I am already looking forward to her next!
A buddy 🎧 with Susanne
"Tequila is pure evil"…at least that’s Alex's opinion after a night of hard partying!
Alex is an influencer. She sends out motivational messages. And her following is growing exponentially! After celebrating reaching 1 million followers she wakes the next morning to a barrage of hate messages as her followers jump ship! What could have happened?
One single, negative post that’s what! Generated from Alex’s account over-night, her friends and followers have all turned on her. But wait a minute…Alex never posted the message!
How can she prove to everyone that it wasn’t her? Will anyone believe her? And oh yeah… who sabotaged her career and why?
It’s amazing (frightening actually!) how someone can go from loved to loathed after one posting… but sadly that’s our world I suppose.
Listening to the audio version, I thought it was a good solid thriller. As a devoted fan of Kimberly Belle I am already looking forward to her next!
A buddy 🎧 with Susanne
November 26, 2022
You could not give me enough free stuff to get me to live the life of Unapologetically Alex. While Alex is riding high with a million followers, her family is looking for the ejection seats. Her self-made millionaire husband Patrick has his own TV gig as a financial guru. Her thirteen-year-old twins want to live their own lives out of Mommy's spotlight. It all blows up one day with a cringe-worthy post that does not promote her brand. Meanwhile her personal assistant is missing. The two have to be connected, right? Now the trolls are out in full force. The fallout is horrendous. Belle gives us a compelling narrative with dual POVs that it takes a bit to connect. There is much more to this whole fiasco than you might at first assume. The pace drags a bit in the middle and there seemed to be a good amount of unreasonable dilly-dallying, but still a four-star read for me. Reminded me of Chloe Cates Is Missing by Mandy McHugh.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
November 12, 2023
When Alex Hutchinson, an Instagram influencer who focuses on cheerleading her followers and encouraging them to “live unapologetically,” reaches an unbelievable one million followers, she and her personal assistant AC celebrate with tequila. Lots of tequila.
Waking up the next morning to an awful hangover, she has no idea that her morning is only going to go downhill. Fast. Because when she checks her Instagram account she sees thousands of vitriolic comments on a post she doesn’t even remember posting. She’s gone viral, but in the worst way possible.
Desperate for help, she calls and texts AC, but they go unanswered and unread. Where is she? Is it a coincidence that she’s gone AWOL at the same time that her account is blowing up? Because AC has had a front row seat to Alex’s life complete with social media access. And she knows all of her secrets. And when the police start looking at Alex and her husband Patrick for answers to AC’s disappearance, she knows she needs to find the answers herself.
Determined to find out what has happened to AC, Alex begins to look into the young woman she thought she knew so well. The more she learns, the more she realizes that what is being said online isn’t the only place she should be focusing her fear. Because there is danger much closer than Alex knows. Maybe even inside her own home.
Fast-paced, riveting, and addictive, The Personal Assistant is exactly what I would expect out of a Kimberly Belle novel. From the feeling of terror and panic that pulsates from the pages to the real and authentic character of Alex, it grabbed me from the first page and never let go. A ripped-from-the-headlines story of learning to appreciate what you have, it shined a spotlight on the dangers of social media while weaving an intoxicating thriller to boot.
Told in multiple points-of-view and two timelines, this fun, easy read is domestic suspense (with a twist of psychological thriller thrown in) at its finest. Centering around the very real world scenario of social media trolls and doxing, it actually gave me a nightmare of being in Alex’s shoes. Terrified and completely without control, the Hutchinsons’ worlds unraveled leaving a family to self-implode from the inside out while also facing the naked hostility of an anonymous mob online.
The only thing I didn’t love about the book was the relatively over-the-top ending, specifically the last 40 pages. Perhaps because the rest of the book is so realistic, the climax required just a little too much suspension of disbelief. Don’t get me wrong, I could still see the scenario playing out in real life, but something about it, that I can’t put my finger on, didn’t ring true. Even this, however, didn’t spoil what I thought was a top-notch thriller. Bravo, Ms. Belle, I found myself truly spellbound by your latest novel! Rating of 4 stars (was 5 stars until the climax).
Trigger warning: rape, doxing, internet bullying, drugs
Waking up the next morning to an awful hangover, she has no idea that her morning is only going to go downhill. Fast. Because when she checks her Instagram account she sees thousands of vitriolic comments on a post she doesn’t even remember posting. She’s gone viral, but in the worst way possible.
Desperate for help, she calls and texts AC, but they go unanswered and unread. Where is she? Is it a coincidence that she’s gone AWOL at the same time that her account is blowing up? Because AC has had a front row seat to Alex’s life complete with social media access. And she knows all of her secrets. And when the police start looking at Alex and her husband Patrick for answers to AC’s disappearance, she knows she needs to find the answers herself.
Determined to find out what has happened to AC, Alex begins to look into the young woman she thought she knew so well. The more she learns, the more she realizes that what is being said online isn’t the only place she should be focusing her fear. Because there is danger much closer than Alex knows. Maybe even inside her own home.
Fast-paced, riveting, and addictive, The Personal Assistant is exactly what I would expect out of a Kimberly Belle novel. From the feeling of terror and panic that pulsates from the pages to the real and authentic character of Alex, it grabbed me from the first page and never let go. A ripped-from-the-headlines story of learning to appreciate what you have, it shined a spotlight on the dangers of social media while weaving an intoxicating thriller to boot.
Told in multiple points-of-view and two timelines, this fun, easy read is domestic suspense (with a twist of psychological thriller thrown in) at its finest. Centering around the very real world scenario of social media trolls and doxing, it actually gave me a nightmare of being in Alex’s shoes. Terrified and completely without control, the Hutchinsons’ worlds unraveled leaving a family to self-implode from the inside out while also facing the naked hostility of an anonymous mob online.
The only thing I didn’t love about the book was the relatively over-the-top ending, specifically the last 40 pages. Perhaps because the rest of the book is so realistic, the climax required just a little too much suspension of disbelief. Don’t get me wrong, I could still see the scenario playing out in real life, but something about it, that I can’t put my finger on, didn’t ring true. Even this, however, didn’t spoil what I thought was a top-notch thriller. Bravo, Ms. Belle, I found myself truly spellbound by your latest novel! Rating of 4 stars (was 5 stars until the climax).
Trigger warning: rape, doxing, internet bullying, drugs
October 8, 2022
“Find her—before she finds you.”
Alex, the online personality of the mommy blog, “Unapologetically Alex,” is out celebrating reaching her goal of one million followers. However, when she wakes up the next morning with a horrible hangover, a damning post going viral on her account, and her personal assistant, AC missing, her whole life is turned upside down.
Did AC create the post that has turned all of her followers against her? Who is Mr. Fluffles? Does her husband, Patrick know more than what he is telling her?
Alex and Patrick must find AC before she ruins their family’s lives and protect their 12-year-old twin daughters at all costs.
Who is AC and what does she want?
Kimberly Belle always writes fast-paced thrillers that keep the reader engaged from cover to cover. The Personal Assistant stays true to this formula and exposes the dark side of social media and the dangers it can cause in one key stroke. She also demonstrates how fickle the world is and how easily people can turn on a social media influencer.
Written in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, she reflects in her acknowledgments, “When your world turns into a dumpster fire, it forces you to stop and adjust. To reassess your priorities and drill down to the very essence of what’s essential in life. People. Family. As Alex learned in her story—as we learned in ours—the rest is just noise and fluff.”
While this book is similar to her previous book, My Darling Husband (AC even calls Patrick Alex’s “darling husband”), I still enjoyed this plot. Much of it is definitely OTT, but I still had fun with it.
My only critique is that characters intermittently break out in a southern drawl and then magically lose their accents.
However, I can’t wait to read what Belle comes up with next!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 11/29/22
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing - Park Row for the ARC of The Personal Assistant in exchange for an honest review.
Alex, the online personality of the mommy blog, “Unapologetically Alex,” is out celebrating reaching her goal of one million followers. However, when she wakes up the next morning with a horrible hangover, a damning post going viral on her account, and her personal assistant, AC missing, her whole life is turned upside down.
Did AC create the post that has turned all of her followers against her? Who is Mr. Fluffles? Does her husband, Patrick know more than what he is telling her?
Alex and Patrick must find AC before she ruins their family’s lives and protect their 12-year-old twin daughters at all costs.
Who is AC and what does she want?
Kimberly Belle always writes fast-paced thrillers that keep the reader engaged from cover to cover. The Personal Assistant stays true to this formula and exposes the dark side of social media and the dangers it can cause in one key stroke. She also demonstrates how fickle the world is and how easily people can turn on a social media influencer.
Written in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, she reflects in her acknowledgments, “When your world turns into a dumpster fire, it forces you to stop and adjust. To reassess your priorities and drill down to the very essence of what’s essential in life. People. Family. As Alex learned in her story—as we learned in ours—the rest is just noise and fluff.”
While this book is similar to her previous book, My Darling Husband (AC even calls Patrick Alex’s “darling husband”), I still enjoyed this plot. Much of it is definitely OTT, but I still had fun with it.
My only critique is that characters intermittently break out in a southern drawl and then magically lose their accents.
However, I can’t wait to read what Belle comes up with next!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 11/29/22
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing - Park Row for the ARC of The Personal Assistant in exchange for an honest review.
August 15, 2023
A captivating and propulsive thriller about the dark side of social media. The Personal Assistant is smart, original, and twisty. Prepare to be addicted!
November 29, 2022
First off… @kimberlysbelle is one of my very favorite authors.. in fact her book The Marriage Lie was one of my first thrillers ever…. 😍😍😍I blame her and one of her Killer Author Club besties for my LOVE of thrillers! ❤️🤷♀️ Once again… @kimberlysbelle KILLED it!! 🔥🔥🔥 👏👏👏 If you don’t believe me… run 🏃♀️ to Goodreads… 4.06 rating booksta peeps!! 😉
Oh Alex…you have become quite the fancy pants 👖 of Instagram…with a MILLION followers😳… you finally decide.. okay you need a little help… maybe an Assistant? 🤷♀️…You can’t believe how lucky you are to have her… until you don’t…because… well… she is missing… and you my friend… might be a suspect..😉😳😬🙄 Umm WHAT?? Ohhh social media… you can indeed have a dark sinister side… and Alex is about to find out just how dark it can be! 🤐🤐🤐
🔥🔥🔥 Is this one your list? Do you have a favorite @kimberlysbelle book? Is this cover intense or what?? I love it! Although she is scaring me a bit.😂 😳
Oh Alex…you have become quite the fancy pants 👖 of Instagram…with a MILLION followers😳… you finally decide.. okay you need a little help… maybe an Assistant? 🤷♀️…You can’t believe how lucky you are to have her… until you don’t…because… well… she is missing… and you my friend… might be a suspect..😉😳😬🙄 Umm WHAT?? Ohhh social media… you can indeed have a dark sinister side… and Alex is about to find out just how dark it can be! 🤐🤐🤐
🔥🔥🔥 Is this one your list? Do you have a favorite @kimberlysbelle book? Is this cover intense or what?? I love it! Although she is scaring me a bit.😂 😳
June 19, 2022
Kimberly Belle is one of my favorite authors. So, I was very excited to get a chance to read THE PERSONAL ASSISTANT. Alex is an Instagram Influencer with a huge following. One day after a night out she posts something controversial that she can't remember posting and things take a turn for the worse. Alex has always had the help of her assistant, A.C., but it turns out that she has now gone missing. When a body is found, Alex and her husband Patrick become involved in the case.
THE PERSONAL ASSISTANT was a twisty story, one you never really know who to trust or believe. I loved the alternating points of view of each character and the flow of the story. I read this one quickly, as it was hard to put down. I will be recommending this one to my friends.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
THE PERSONAL ASSISTANT was a twisty story, one you never really know who to trust or believe. I loved the alternating points of view of each character and the flow of the story. I read this one quickly, as it was hard to put down. I will be recommending this one to my friends.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
November 6, 2022
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Nov. 29, 2022
Best-selling author Kimberly Belle tackles Influencer fandom, step parenting and marital secrets in her newest domestic thriller, “The Personal Assistant”.
Alex is a mother of twelve year old twin girls, and Patrick, her husband and the girls’ stepfather, completes her life. But when her Instagram feed fandom skyrockets, she is soon an Influencer, and is reveling in the fame and attention her feed brings her. When she hires beautiful, brilliant A.C as her assistant, Alex feels relieved to have some of the professional weight lifted from her shoulders. But when a nasty post is shared on her feed, one Alex is convinced she never posted, and A.C disappears, Alex is certain that her assistant is responsible. But when the police show up to investigate A.C’s disappearance, and her husband is brutally interrogated, revealing secrets Alex never knew, she begins to fear for her career, her marriage, and her life.
“Assistant” is told from various POV’s, including Alex, her husband Patrick, and her assistant, A.C. Belle scatters just enough tension and suspense through each chapter to make it impossible to stop reading, and I was pulled into the plot from page one. Belle steps into the shoes of an “Influencer” easily, highlighting the ups and downs of life in the spotlight. Even though Belle presents a life and “career” that is almost completely foreign to me (“Instagram influencer”), I was still able to relate to Alex and root her on from the beginning.
Of course there’s a twist (it wouldn’t be Belle if there wasn’t), and it’s just as unexpected and powerful as you’d expect. I love how Belle closely tied all her loose ends after keeping me guessing throughout. I am a huge fan of Belle, and although this genre has exploded as of late, making unique and entertaining books a dime a dozen, I always know I can rely on Belle for some suspenseful reading. “The Personal Assistant” brings domestic suspense into the modern world, with genuine and relatable characters, a feat Belle pulls off with ease.
Expected publication date: Nov. 29, 2022
Best-selling author Kimberly Belle tackles Influencer fandom, step parenting and marital secrets in her newest domestic thriller, “The Personal Assistant”.
Alex is a mother of twelve year old twin girls, and Patrick, her husband and the girls’ stepfather, completes her life. But when her Instagram feed fandom skyrockets, she is soon an Influencer, and is reveling in the fame and attention her feed brings her. When she hires beautiful, brilliant A.C as her assistant, Alex feels relieved to have some of the professional weight lifted from her shoulders. But when a nasty post is shared on her feed, one Alex is convinced she never posted, and A.C disappears, Alex is certain that her assistant is responsible. But when the police show up to investigate A.C’s disappearance, and her husband is brutally interrogated, revealing secrets Alex never knew, she begins to fear for her career, her marriage, and her life.
“Assistant” is told from various POV’s, including Alex, her husband Patrick, and her assistant, A.C. Belle scatters just enough tension and suspense through each chapter to make it impossible to stop reading, and I was pulled into the plot from page one. Belle steps into the shoes of an “Influencer” easily, highlighting the ups and downs of life in the spotlight. Even though Belle presents a life and “career” that is almost completely foreign to me (“Instagram influencer”), I was still able to relate to Alex and root her on from the beginning.
Of course there’s a twist (it wouldn’t be Belle if there wasn’t), and it’s just as unexpected and powerful as you’d expect. I love how Belle closely tied all her loose ends after keeping me guessing throughout. I am a huge fan of Belle, and although this genre has exploded as of late, making unique and entertaining books a dime a dozen, I always know I can rely on Belle for some suspenseful reading. “The Personal Assistant” brings domestic suspense into the modern world, with genuine and relatable characters, a feat Belle pulls off with ease.
December 7, 2022
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.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Harlequin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
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.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Harlequin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
December 2, 2022
Review written for our blog Penny for Our Thoughts and I have combined Lindsay and my thoughts.
https://travelingsistersbookreviews.com/
Kimberly Belle, who has often been referred to as the queen of domestic suspense, is back with another thrilling, entertaining twisty story not to be missed!! However, I think Belle is the queen of women in trouble twists!! No matter what she writes, I am on the edge of my seat, turning the pages as fast as I can.
What is going on between the covers
This storyline is a current hot topic and was easy to fall into. It was interesting to get an inside glimpse into a social media influencer perspective. Alex is a social media influencer. Her motivational messages and real life shared family moments have earned her a huge following. Her social media success demands more than she can manage and she hires a personal assistant. Things quickly turn against Alex when a controversial post goes viral — a post that Alex did not create or know about. ~ Lindsay
Themes
Revenge, betrayal, putting things in perspective, reality versus fake, and the dark side of social media. Somewhat darker than I expected from Belle, with themes of revenge and betrayal, but that’s the thing about her stories, you can expect the unexpected. ~ Brenda
Twists and Pay off
Belle does have a favorite trope that makes her book feel similar to each other, but the twists are all in that trope. The suspense and tension increase with new information as questions are answered, and new ones are opened up right up to the explosive climate and unexpected rewarding ending. ~Brenda
Belle’s writing grabbed me from the start and kept me curious to the very end. The multiple perspectives kept the story fresh and multi-layered. I did find pieces of this story similar to this her last release which was a bit disappointing. ~ Lindsay
Believability element:
It’s an entertaining read that sometimes felt over the top, and I needed help to buy into the plot itself. However, Belle is a thoughtful writer as she quietly layers in takeaways with the character’s motivations and themes to her stories. ~ Brenda
I liked Alex immediately and felt invested in her situation. My connection to the characters and storyline did lessen in the last third of the book as the plot believability wasn’t there for me and some of the writing felt rushed and overdone. ~Lindsay
Overall
A fun, current and intriguing book that kept me entertained. It lacked the “wow” and shock factor I usually expect from this author but was fresh and unique. I look forward to what this author comes out with next! ~ Lindsay
While the timing is a bit off with the whole social media plotline, I thought it was an easy, entertaining, and thought-out story with a fantastic takeaway!! ~ Brenda
https://travelingsistersbookreviews.com/
Kimberly Belle, who has often been referred to as the queen of domestic suspense, is back with another thrilling, entertaining twisty story not to be missed!! However, I think Belle is the queen of women in trouble twists!! No matter what she writes, I am on the edge of my seat, turning the pages as fast as I can.
What is going on between the covers
This storyline is a current hot topic and was easy to fall into. It was interesting to get an inside glimpse into a social media influencer perspective. Alex is a social media influencer. Her motivational messages and real life shared family moments have earned her a huge following. Her social media success demands more than she can manage and she hires a personal assistant. Things quickly turn against Alex when a controversial post goes viral — a post that Alex did not create or know about. ~ Lindsay
Themes
Revenge, betrayal, putting things in perspective, reality versus fake, and the dark side of social media. Somewhat darker than I expected from Belle, with themes of revenge and betrayal, but that’s the thing about her stories, you can expect the unexpected. ~ Brenda
Twists and Pay off
Belle does have a favorite trope that makes her book feel similar to each other, but the twists are all in that trope. The suspense and tension increase with new information as questions are answered, and new ones are opened up right up to the explosive climate and unexpected rewarding ending. ~Brenda
Belle’s writing grabbed me from the start and kept me curious to the very end. The multiple perspectives kept the story fresh and multi-layered. I did find pieces of this story similar to this her last release which was a bit disappointing. ~ Lindsay
Believability element:
It’s an entertaining read that sometimes felt over the top, and I needed help to buy into the plot itself. However, Belle is a thoughtful writer as she quietly layers in takeaways with the character’s motivations and themes to her stories. ~ Brenda
I liked Alex immediately and felt invested in her situation. My connection to the characters and storyline did lessen in the last third of the book as the plot believability wasn’t there for me and some of the writing felt rushed and overdone. ~Lindsay
Overall
A fun, current and intriguing book that kept me entertained. It lacked the “wow” and shock factor I usually expect from this author but was fresh and unique. I look forward to what this author comes out with next! ~ Lindsay
While the timing is a bit off with the whole social media plotline, I thought it was an easy, entertaining, and thought-out story with a fantastic takeaway!! ~ Brenda
December 5, 2022
4⭐
Featuring ~ multiple 1st person POV, influencer, money guru, secrets, murder
Having 3 narrators was a good choice and they are Alex ~ our blogging influencer, Patrick ~ 2nd husband of Alex, famous TV money guru and AC ~ the personal assistant. As the chapters alternate we slowly learn more and more about each of them and some characters are not going to like what they learn about each other. None of the characters are particularly likable really. I thought the 12 year old twins had a bit more freedom than they should, or maybe I just have more of a smother parenting style.
I was very interested to see how it would all play out with AC. Especially who is she and where she disappeared to. I had my inklings and I was correct, but I'm not mad I figured things out. One thing though about the twins father
Overall, an enjoyable thriller that had some edge of the seat moments. There was a bit too much oversharing on social media for my liking, but that all led to the growth of Alex throughout the book.
*Thanks to Kimberly Belle, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
Featuring ~ multiple 1st person POV, influencer, money guru, secrets, murder
Having 3 narrators was a good choice and they are Alex ~ our blogging influencer, Patrick ~ 2nd husband of Alex, famous TV money guru and AC ~ the personal assistant. As the chapters alternate we slowly learn more and more about each of them and some characters are not going to like what they learn about each other. None of the characters are particularly likable really. I thought the 12 year old twins had a bit more freedom than they should, or maybe I just have more of a smother parenting style.
I was very interested to see how it would all play out with AC. Especially who is she and where she disappeared to. I had my inklings and I was correct, but I'm not mad I figured things out. One thing though about the twins father
Overall, an enjoyable thriller that had some edge of the seat moments. There was a bit too much oversharing on social media for my liking, but that all led to the growth of Alex throughout the book.
*Thanks to Kimberly Belle, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
January 14, 2023
3.5 influencer stars
This is my fifth book by Kimberly Belle. I like that her books are consistently easy to read with some good twists. I think I am just tired of influencer books, that world just doesn't interest me.
Alex has just reached one million followers, thanks in part to her personal assistant AC. AC keeps everything organized for her. There's a big celebration for the milestone and in the morning a hangover along with outrage over a post that Alex doesn't remember writing. Could AC be to blame? Now she's missing.
Alex's husband seems to know more than he's sharing, and things get tense at home. Alex's daughters are tired of being featured in Alex's online world and they really don't like the vitriol with the latest post. Should Alex apologize for something she didn't write?
We get pieces of the story from Alex, AC, and her husband. Just what is going on and what will be the price they all have to pay?
Thanks to my local library for the copy of this one to read.
This is my fifth book by Kimberly Belle. I like that her books are consistently easy to read with some good twists. I think I am just tired of influencer books, that world just doesn't interest me.
Alex has just reached one million followers, thanks in part to her personal assistant AC. AC keeps everything organized for her. There's a big celebration for the milestone and in the morning a hangover along with outrage over a post that Alex doesn't remember writing. Could AC be to blame? Now she's missing.
Alex's husband seems to know more than he's sharing, and things get tense at home. Alex's daughters are tired of being featured in Alex's online world and they really don't like the vitriol with the latest post. Should Alex apologize for something she didn't write?
We get pieces of the story from Alex, AC, and her husband. Just what is going on and what will be the price they all have to pay?
Thanks to my local library for the copy of this one to read.
August 31, 2022
I know I’m posting this review super early but this was one of the best thrillers I’ve read in awhile so I wanted to make sure to get it on your radar ASAP! I’m a sucker for any storyline involving an influencer and this takes a look at the dark side of social media. More followers means more creeps, trolls and weirdos and when Alex hits a million followers on Instagram she’s thrilled. But not for long when a post of hers goes viral for all the wrong reasons and her fans turn on her in a vile way. Besides Alex you get the POV of her husband, Patrick who seems perfect on paper but….Then there’s AC who has been Alex’s assistant and godsend for months but she’s missing right when the shit hits the fan. I could not put this one down, it was so gripping and as the layers of lies and betrayals were peeled back, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I thought things were going to take an obvious (albeit entertaining route) but I was wrong and thrilled to be wrong! No one does domestic suspense better than KBelle, if you like tense thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat this was SO good!
May 25, 2023
This was a pretty good fast paced thriller. I thought the first 75% was really good and then the ending was just ok for me. I loved the writing and felt like the characters were likable and believable (well mostly likable). It’s a really small thing but the book switched between characters and times (which I love!) but if a character told more than one chapter only the first one was labeled with their name and this frustrated me. If I put down the book and picked it back up it took me a minute to re-orient and I would have preferred every chapter to have a label of whose perspective it was from. Alex is an influencer with over a million followers. That is until she wakes up from an evening of celebration to find a post she doesn’t recognize berating a young starlet and the whole internet turns against her. As strangers are threatening her, her assistant is missing and she starts to realize that there are things her husband has been hiding.
November 14, 2022
This is my first Kimberly Belle thriller, and while there were a couple of aspects I didn’t love/was confused by, I found it to be a bingeable and entertaining thriller that I couldn’t put down. I wound up finshing my immersive ebook/audio read in under a day.
As an influencer myself, it is so much fun for me to read books about social media celebrities, espcially the darker and more distrubing side of the business. While this story is ultimately a whodonnit, an overarching plotpoint is about the consequences that can occcur when a post has gone viral. Let’s just say, I would never, ever, want to find myself in Alex’s shoes.
There is such a fun twist to this book, that although others may guess what it is earlier on, I did not. That twist alone increased my enjoyment of this book quite a bit, and I would recommend it soley on that alone. When I think of my top three thrillers, they all share this very unique twist.
My main critism of this book is that the ending was not as clear and cohesive as I would have liked. I found myself a bit confused as to what was occuring and had to go back and reread/relisten to make sure I understood it correctly. Utlimately you must suspend disbelief quite a bit, but then again, we have to do this to an extent with all thrillers don’t we?
I think this is a solid, entertaining thriller and would recommend it especially for the social media aspect and that great twist. I cannot wait to go back and read Kimberly Belle’s backlist.
One final note, I listened to this on audio, while reading the ebook, and have to give a shoutout to the audio narrators. There was a different narrator or each of the three main characters, Alex, Patrick, and AC, and I think this helped to make each of the them stand out in their own right. I think this would be fun to read in any format, but the audio might outweight the others by just a hair.
Read if you like:
• domestic suspense
• whodunnits
• social media/influencer life
• dual timelines
• multiple povs
Thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the ARC, and Harper Audio and Libro.fm for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to Ali @exercise_read_repeat for buddy reading it with me.
As an influencer myself, it is so much fun for me to read books about social media celebrities, espcially the darker and more distrubing side of the business. While this story is ultimately a whodonnit, an overarching plotpoint is about the consequences that can occcur when a post has gone viral. Let’s just say, I would never, ever, want to find myself in Alex’s shoes.
There is such a fun twist to this book, that although others may guess what it is earlier on, I did not. That twist alone increased my enjoyment of this book quite a bit, and I would recommend it soley on that alone. When I think of my top three thrillers, they all share this very unique twist.
My main critism of this book is that the ending was not as clear and cohesive as I would have liked. I found myself a bit confused as to what was occuring and had to go back and reread/relisten to make sure I understood it correctly. Utlimately you must suspend disbelief quite a bit, but then again, we have to do this to an extent with all thrillers don’t we?
I think this is a solid, entertaining thriller and would recommend it especially for the social media aspect and that great twist. I cannot wait to go back and read Kimberly Belle’s backlist.
One final note, I listened to this on audio, while reading the ebook, and have to give a shoutout to the audio narrators. There was a different narrator or each of the three main characters, Alex, Patrick, and AC, and I think this helped to make each of the them stand out in their own right. I think this would be fun to read in any format, but the audio might outweight the others by just a hair.
Read if you like:
• domestic suspense
• whodunnits
• social media/influencer life
• dual timelines
• multiple povs
Thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the ARC, and Harper Audio and Libro.fm for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to Ali @exercise_read_repeat for buddy reading it with me.
October 5, 2022
Kimberly Belle really is a domestic thriller queen. All of her books are a fun time, whether this genre is for you or not, you know when picking up her books that you will be entertained. I really enjoyed Kimberly Belle's upcoming popcorn thriller / domestic suspense novel, THE PERSONAL ASSISTANT. This book dives into the world of influencers and social media with the domestic suspense you've grown to love from Belle's books. I won't give you a synopsis of this book, because the publisher really tells you all you need to know. I loved the dynamics between Alex, mommy-blogger, and her husband Patrick while dealing with a social media crisis. Alex's social media has spurred outrage and controversy for the entire family (my worst nightmare, but also my dream), with each member having to figure out how they're going to forge ahead. I thought the storyline was great for a popcorn thriller and fun ride, but really let yourselves enjoy this one. Don't play detective and let the chaos envelope you. Kimberly Belle has become a staple in my thriller reads and THE PERSONAL ASSISTANT just continues to cement her in this genre.
October 20, 2022
the synopsis had me very excited for this one and it start off good—i really enjoyed the first 70%ish percent… until the ending 🫠
this was a mix of FOLLOW ME, THE HERD and ONE OF US IS DEAD. a woman with 1M followers wakes up to her worst nightmare—she’s going viral for a terrible reason and her assistant has vanished. where did she go? is she behind this? did she sabotage her? and if so, why?
again, it started off strong and it was interesting. this plot has definitely been done before so it was a bit hard to love the influencer side of things but parts were funny and relatable. it was a suuuuper slow burn so i was hoping for a big/good payoff and i was left very confused and let down 🥲
it flip flopped POVs from past to present and you were trying to figure out how they were connected (as well as where the assistant went). besides the resolution, the biggest miss for me was in the character development. it was plot heavy and a strong one, but i couldn’t connect or care for really any of the MC’s.
i’ve read all this author’s work and really enjoyed them, so this seems like a one-off miss for me! i prefer STRANGER IN THE LAKE or MY DARLING HUSBAND. those are more tried and true thrillers vs. popcorn thrillers and i think that’s more of my sweet spot.
thanks to Park Row for the #gifted early copy! this releases next month.
this was a mix of FOLLOW ME, THE HERD and ONE OF US IS DEAD. a woman with 1M followers wakes up to her worst nightmare—she’s going viral for a terrible reason and her assistant has vanished. where did she go? is she behind this? did she sabotage her? and if so, why?
again, it started off strong and it was interesting. this plot has definitely been done before so it was a bit hard to love the influencer side of things but parts were funny and relatable. it was a suuuuper slow burn so i was hoping for a big/good payoff and i was left very confused and let down 🥲
it flip flopped POVs from past to present and you were trying to figure out how they were connected (as well as where the assistant went). besides the resolution, the biggest miss for me was in the character development. it was plot heavy and a strong one, but i couldn’t connect or care for really any of the MC’s.
i’ve read all this author’s work and really enjoyed them, so this seems like a one-off miss for me! i prefer STRANGER IN THE LAKE or MY DARLING HUSBAND. those are more tried and true thrillers vs. popcorn thrillers and i think that’s more of my sweet spot.
thanks to Park Row for the #gifted early copy! this releases next month.
January 22, 2023
4.5/5
Kimberly Belle is one of my favorite authors, and I know that every time I read one of her books, I am going to get a quick, pacy read. The Personal Assistant completely held true to that and just like the others I have read, I LOVED it!! Alex doesn’t always make the best decisions, but I actually couldn’t help but like her, and I know after this book she will never again make the mistake of not checking references. AC seemed like the perfect assistant and did everything right, up until she completely disappears after something very polarizing goes up on Alex’s social media. I loved watching as everyone’s secrets unraveled and as everything eventually came to the light. I really enjoyed the focus on social media in this story and how it can turn on someone in an instant, because sadly I know that is exactly the way the world works these days.
I’ve listened to all of Belle’s books on audio so far and was happy to find out The Personal Assistant was just as great on audiobook as the rest. The narrators Chelsea Stephens, Chris Andrew Ciulla & Megan Tusing all did an excellent job, and while I especially love Tusing, they were all perfect for the story. It’s always nice having a full cast for the audio, and these 3 were chosen very well for their characters. The end of the book does get pretty crazy and over-the-top, but I love books like that, and I thought it fit just fine with the rest of the story, so it wasn’t an issue for me. There is a bunch of action, and the pacing is on point, so if you are looking for a quick read that you can get lost in and not think too hard about The Personal Assistant just might be for you.
I received an advanced listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Kimberly Belle is one of my favorite authors, and I know that every time I read one of her books, I am going to get a quick, pacy read. The Personal Assistant completely held true to that and just like the others I have read, I LOVED it!! Alex doesn’t always make the best decisions, but I actually couldn’t help but like her, and I know after this book she will never again make the mistake of not checking references. AC seemed like the perfect assistant and did everything right, up until she completely disappears after something very polarizing goes up on Alex’s social media. I loved watching as everyone’s secrets unraveled and as everything eventually came to the light. I really enjoyed the focus on social media in this story and how it can turn on someone in an instant, because sadly I know that is exactly the way the world works these days.
I’ve listened to all of Belle’s books on audio so far and was happy to find out The Personal Assistant was just as great on audiobook as the rest. The narrators Chelsea Stephens, Chris Andrew Ciulla & Megan Tusing all did an excellent job, and while I especially love Tusing, they were all perfect for the story. It’s always nice having a full cast for the audio, and these 3 were chosen very well for their characters. The end of the book does get pretty crazy and over-the-top, but I love books like that, and I thought it fit just fine with the rest of the story, so it wasn’t an issue for me. There is a bunch of action, and the pacing is on point, so if you are looking for a quick read that you can get lost in and not think too hard about The Personal Assistant just might be for you.
I received an advanced listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 10, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an egalley in exchange for an honest review
I enjoy a good Kimberly Belle thriller and this one had an intriguing premise. A social media influencer, Alex. finds herself in hot water after a sensational post. In addition, her personal assistant goes missing, her husband is acting strange and her children seem to be going through hell because of it.
I read this in one sitting despite the fact that I hated most of the characters, had a lot of questions and figured out the story connections early on.
Expected Publication Date 29/11/22
Goodreads Review 10/10/22
#ThePersonalAssistant #NetGalley.
I enjoy a good Kimberly Belle thriller and this one had an intriguing premise. A social media influencer, Alex. finds herself in hot water after a sensational post. In addition, her personal assistant goes missing, her husband is acting strange and her children seem to be going through hell because of it.
I read this in one sitting despite the fact that I hated most of the characters, had a lot of questions and figured out the story connections early on.
Expected Publication Date 29/11/22
Goodreads Review 10/10/22
#ThePersonalAssistant #NetGalley.
June 27, 2022
Warning: Kimberly Belle’s latest knock-out thriller will make you turn the pages so fast, your fingers might catch fire.
The Personal Assistant
is a breath-taking tale of lies, deceit, and revenge, mixed with buckets of intrigue and careful-what-you-wish-for fame. Masterful, brilliant, and sure to make your spine tingle, it’s an absolute must read. Superb!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 1,877 reviews