The Personal Assistant

The Personal Assistant is a suspense read with a modern twist. The story focuses on social media influencers and combines tense situations and family dysfunction while illustrating the darker aspects of social media and the danger of letting someone into our lives on-screen and off.

When popular mom-influencer Alex wakes up one morning, she learns one of her social media posts has gone viral - in the worst way possible. She didn't write this offensive post, so who did? As her well-planned life unravels, Alex suspects her personal assistant, A.C. who has suddenly disappeared.

Told in two timelines - 1994 and current day - with three POVs - Alex, her husband Patrick and Anna Claire (A.C.), everyone seems to have secrets to hide, and readers witness the effects and power online trolls have on Alex and her family. Belle includes relevant topics and the story started off strong, but it waned for me in the last half when the story began to feel convoluted. This slow burn story had a twist or two, but I wish I had felt more invested in the story and the characters who could have benefited from more depth. The ending wraps things up nicely (a Kimberly Belle trait), but it required me to suspend disbelief.

In the end, this was an okay read but not one that will stay with me for long. This author is hit or miss with me and while it wasn't the 'edge of my seat' read I was hoping for, it does drive home the importance of spending time on the things/people who are important to you instead of focusing on social media stats and followers.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Kimberly Belle

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Publisher: Park Row

First Published: December 6, 2022

Book Description from GoodReads: USA TODAY bestselling author Kimberly Belle returns with a deeply addictive thriller exploring the dark side of the digital world when a mommy-blogger’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 that was impossible to manage without her sharp-as-a-tack personal assistant, AC.

But all the good-will 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 front row seats 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 find the greatest threat isn’t online, but in her own living room.

Written in alternating perspectives between Alex, her husband, and the mysterious AC, this juicy cat and mouse story will keep you guessing till the very end.