4🍒🍒🍒🍒popped!

I enjoyed the beginning of this book with the secrets and the angst between Olivier & Sadie.

The storyline in the beginning had me intrigued and wondering what was going to happen.

Author Karina Halle gives us a picturesque world that I felt come off the pages as I read.  IT was stunning and all the love that poured off the pages from the main characters came alive.

I will say I found Sadie to be such a bad ass and Olivier at first a bit Alpha but then I feel he got a little to mushy for me.  I wanted him to stay his strong self like he did in the beginning of the book.

Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to what comes next in this series.

I liked the descriptive tones and measures used by the author throughout this book. And I applaud the author for and her ability to totally absorb me into the world that she has created but I cannot 100% say that I was in love with the story.
Olivier Dumont has a secret although you wouldn’t exactly know it most of the time has the capacity to weigh heavily on his soul at times, he has spent a decade secure in the knowledge that it was only a matter of time before the events of his past would make its presence known. But until that time he refuses to give in to the underlying uncertainty and lives his life as best pleases, relishing in his reputation. But when he meets Sadie Reynolds, everything was going to change, and he had a lot of thinking to do about just what that impact would mean.
Sadie has recently separated from her partner and is navigating her way across Europe – a trip that should have been a happy one as she and her now ex, experienced the culture and sights of the continent at its best but that has been spun on its head and now sees her embracing it as a solo venture but when she meets Olivier, all rational consideration is omitted and she quickly becomes swept away but everything Dumont…after all Olivier and his family take a lot to get your head around, they are far from ordinary.
This had everything I have come to expect from the author with regards to her writing style but the whole secret bit just left me puzzled. I was confused as to the emphasis placed on it as I didn’t believe it was warranted and felt a little cheated once it was revealed. A tad over-egged, in my opinion, I am sorry to say.
BUT and it is a big but, this was actually the main issue I had, Sadie was a nice character and she worked well with the intensity that was Olivier, she almost pacified everything that was so highly strung about him. I would have liked him to have had a little more “alpha” going on and couldn’t help but sneak the odd shake of the head at my screen as his apathy at time floored me…come on man grow a pair!!
There was a great secondary cast of characters in the story that I have no doubt will make for some sensational books in the series, they have very colourful lives!
As the first book in a series I might not have loved every page, but I will read the next book, so it wasn’t all bad!

Stay discrete. 

Interesting set up of a world of intrigue and deception. Somewhat shy, insecure girl meets rich older boy who keeps himself hidden. Cue the instalove.

While I loved the set up, and the later weaving of the family ties and where it is all linked, the main romance fell somewhat short to me, being much too insta-lovey, without ever diving into what they truly loved about each other.

"The Dumont brand took a hit on the CAC 40 today. The Heir apparent playboy was seen leaving a restaurant while a fight broke out. It's said that the Dumont bad boy was the cause of the incident.  More news after a word from our sponsors... 

Dumont luxury line..."

They run it all. Clothes. Handbags. Suits. Hotels. Dumont is the name to wear. Too bad it's too rich for my blood. Now Olivier, I would take him for a spin! Lol. Sexy, charming, and French...ohlala!

I may have forgotten most of my 4 years of Frnech but this naughty Frenchman had me wanting to learn it all over again
 
Discretion has it all. Conspiracies, romance, and danger. A sexy savior and a free vacation in France...what's not to love!?!

Remember Discretion for the sake of our clients. No photographs in our lobby.  Dumont is a name you won't forget.  We look forward to captivating you. Just beware of your surroundings. It's about to get bumpy.

With a bit of a mystery and a lot of family drama, Discretion  will keep the pages turning.

4.5☆
I love the drama, the high society and insta passion of Discretion. I love the world Olivier comes from and all that twisty family drama that comes with it. He such a swoony frenchman it's no wonder Sadie is immediately smitten. He is a good man and such an interesting one. I love how far apart him and Sadie are yet thet have this instant connection. Sadie is cute and enjoyable and I love how she fits with Olivier.
The storyline was fantastic, I love that high society drama! It fit well with all the romance and heat of Sadie and Olivier. I am really excited to see more from the Dumont world!

Release Date: August 6, 2019
Montlake Romance
The Dumonts #1
Romantic Suspense
Review copy provided by publisher

Nikki's Review:

Nothing says romance and sexy times like a whirlwind romance in Europe. I was so excited that this book took place in France!

I really liked both of the characters. Olivier and Sadie were both likeable people. Their characters were thoroughly developed, and the dialogue between them was always entertaining.

The two things that made my eye twitch in this book really stole something from the story. The reasons behind Olivier being blackmailed by his uncle were ridiculous. I couldn’t figure out why he thought the information his uncle was lording over his head was all that destructive. 

The other thing that bothered me was the fact that there was zero conflict between the hero and heroine. There wasn’t any tension that was building to that climatic moment. They just fell in lust and then love, and then they lived happily ever after. Honestly, it was disappointing. I liked these two so much, but I wanted them to have to work for it. Don’t get me wrong, I need a definite HEA in my romance, but I also like the road to their happiness to be a bit bumpy. 

This was an ok read, but because of those two things mentioned above, it just fell a bit short for me.

A stunning and exciting new series from an author that captures emotions and human nature like few others and paints a vivid picture of a family fraught with lies, deception and hate and even a touch of evil at its core, where one side will stop at nothing to have it all. Against all odds, the other half inspires goodness and at its core wants to keep the family business as its always been, wholesome, family oriented and of the highest standards one would expect to see in a French designer company. Olivier has unbeknownst to his father and siblings been keeping a secret, one that will cost him, them everything if he does not do what his evil uncle says. As his time to make.a decision draws nearer he stumbles upon a woman being robbed, and everything changes. Sadie oozes goodness and charm and all that is good in the world. He can't help but want to soak in every minute of it. Sadie is taken by this charming  Frenchman that shows her a world of opulence she never could have imagined. But time is running out, danger lurking at every corner, and things will never be the same for any of them. A new family full of lovable characters and even a few you want to hate so bad, full of potential and everything you've cone to expect with a Karina Halle book. I cannot wait for the next one and all the deliciousness it's sure to bring.

It is just about impossible not to get lost in a story of Karina Halle's, and Discretion was no different. From the South of France to Paris, these characters and settings took my breath away at times. 

I will say that it took me a bit to really get into the story of Sadie, a broken-hearted college-age backpacker in Europe, and Olivier, a French billionaire. At first I thought their relationship/attraction was too contrived - too instant; but then you get to know both of their stories and backgrounds, and you will fall for these characters! 

Sadie is your typical college girl who was swept up in the idea of traveling Europe with her boyfriend. I admired her tenacity and bravery for continuing on her trip solo when events happened to separate them. Her travels took me back to a time when I, too, traveled across Europe backpacking with my college friends. K Halle paints the picture and scenes so well that you feel you are a part of them! When Sadie meets Olivier, their connection is instant but does not seem that it is ever-lasting. But as their story unfolds, and different characters come into play they begin to rely on each other for more than a hot fling. 

I was captivated by Olivier and the life he led - the Gala balls, billion dollar company deals, and of course, his family. The secrets and twists that played out kept me glued to the pages, and falling for Olivier more and more. I felt almost protective of him at times, and desperately wanted him to set the truth free and end up with the girl of his dreams, Sadie. 

The side characters in this book play a big part in keeping this story moving, and will keep you guessing who is loyal and who is not. I was swept up in Sadie & Olivier's love story and how it bloomed - the circumstances that drew them closer together, and how their initial attraction eventually turned into true love. 

This is an easy read that will allow you to escape to France and experience family drama, love and loyalty. Well done once again K Halle!!

I’m always eager for a new Karina Halle read, and was eager to dive into Discretion. I was more than ready for a new series from the author, one to devour, and The Dumonts sounded like something I would adore.

Although I had a lot of fun with this one, I’m going to be honest and say it’s not my favourite Karina Halle read. There is no denying I was hooked on it – I devoured it in a single sitting, unable to put it down – but it didn’t wow me in quite the same way as some of the author’s other books.

With this one, even though I enjoyed the relationship between the main characters I never felt the intense connection between them that they seemed to. A lot of it felt like it was surface level stuff, rather than the intense connection I’ve felt in other books by the author. Another thing that got me was the ending. It felt a bit too quick, with things coming together too easily. The story didn’t quite go in the way I’d expected, which was great, but I felt the payoff wasn’t quite there. I’m hoping this is due to this book being the first in the series, and that answers and explanations will come with the future books.

Without a doubt, I’m eager to see what book two brings.

Three out of Five Stars

One sentence summary: While on vacation, Sophie is saved from an attack by French designer royalty- Olivier and if you believe in love at first sight, the rest is history- kinda. 

 

First thought: This book is exactly how Karina Halle advertises it: Insta-love, travel, and like a modern day soap opera. I'm not sure that I ever read an insta-love story and there were parts that I really liked and others that weren't for me. 

Why I read it: I seriously love Karina Halle's My Life in Shambles. I was hoping for something as swoony...

POV: First Person Present Tense, Alternating M|F

Setting: France & Spain- Present Day 

 

Tropes: Damsel in Distress, Insta-Love, Vacation Romance, Billionaire Hero 

Our Heroine: Sophie. I really like that she's an adventurous student backpacking through Europe. That's super awesome and I'm not sure that I could ever do that myself. What I thought was strange is that after Olivier saved her- she just STAYED with him. Uh girl, don't you know about stranger danger? Maybe this is where I realize I don't love insta-love, but that just seemed strange to me. I think that also goes along with Karina's soap-opera description. 

Our Hero: Olivier. I like a good broken hero, but his damage was all wrapped up in a family mystery. I felt sad for him more often than not. I also love a good billionaire hero, but I did not get the insta-love vibes from him that I needed for this vacation romance to work for me. I know that he's guarded, but I guess I wanted to see that guard let down during Sophie and Olivier's solo scenes.  

Overall thoughts: This story was okay. I like Karina's writing style, but I think the tropes in book two of the Dumont series are going to be more my style, so I'm looking forward to it!

The sexy scenes: The cover model for this book made Olivier one of the most handsome men I've read this year. I mean.. who is he?! 

The best part of the book: Karina Halle's settings are by far my favorite. 

Worst part of the book: Insta-love is not my jam, I need to watch my characters really fall in love- not already be there.

TLDR:  I love Karina Halle, but these tropes were not for me and that's totally my fault. 

How I read it: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I have read a few Karina Halle books prior to this one and was intrigued by the cover (lets face it, covers draw us in and this one did it job well) and had high hopes. Unfortunately this book fell short for me.  I had trouble connecting with the characters, the characters love story fell short, and the big secret was a little weak.

I feel this story had great potential but for me fell short.

Olivier is French and part of the book is set in France. 

So, sign me up.

Twice.

Olivier meets Sadie when he rescues her from an attacker and finds it appealing that she does not know who he is...as, he is a Dumont and one of the most well-known and richest men in France. This allows for her to experience the most expensive parts of France, the best hotels, cars and experiences...which was also fun for the reader.

Ignoring that he is French (ok, I can't, I admit it) he is also incredibly appealing, and you like him, and you believe in the attraction between them, even though they are from very different worlds.

There is a bit of a suspense element, some secrets that he has with his family and some things that happen that, possibly, need some explanation and leave you with questions, although as this is the 1st in the series, I am guessing that this will all be dealt with by the last story in the series.

I also liked that, while this is the 1st in the series, you didn't feel like it spent too much time introducing other characters who will be the focus of future books.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

I had no idea what to expect going into Discretion but it was just delicious. And dark and twisted and dangerous and romantic. Karina Halle roped me in right from the start. And while there were a few bumps along the way, I didn't want to put it down.

I liked Sadie and her sense of adventure. Her cautious free spirit but soft heart. Her first meeting with Oliver was unexpected in the worst kind of way, but thank goodness he was there. Holy hot Frenchman! Oliver was a force. A good guy under all the expensive clothes and fancy one-liners. There was no denying the attraction between these two. They were flirty and funny and trying so hard not to give into what their bodies and hearts were telling them.

But, and I hate to say this, about two thirds of the way through, things started to fall apart for me. As the mystery started to unravel a bit, the danger kicked up and things became a tad predictable. And the connection that Oliver and Sadie had been building came to a stalemate.

Overall, I found Discretion a decent start to an interesting series. There was betrayal and alliances and blackmail and possibly murder...The Dumont family has a lot of issues (and that is putting it very mildly). There were still a lot of unknowns when this one ended and I hope Karina Halle will answer them going forward.

Discretion wasn't what I expected if I have to be honest. The premise gave me a feeling that this book was going to be dark and that's what I also felt when I read the prologue. However, this book was actually just a family feud that's been going on for a long time and there may have been some bad blood between the members thanks to greed and power but yeah, it wasn't dark. Though the book wasn't marketed as such anyway so that's on me.

Another thing I didn't expect was Olivier. He's this guy whom I thought would be a closed off dude with a cold aura like a lot of rich male characters with family drama. He's surprisingly a nice guy and a generous one too. The only thing that wasn't really that appealing for me is that he was too trusting. There's a certain scene where I'm just "LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER" because my gosh, things were bad and he needed to see the other picture.

Sadie was a charming female lead but she didn't stand out to me that much. I do like her bravery and how she could stand her ground. I also admire her for being able to sort out her priorities when she was caught up with Olivier in France when she also had a life in America. 

Overall, the story was okay. There were certain scenes where I feel like I was left hanging thus the rating for this book. Either they're going to be discussed in the next book or not but a part of me wished these events were tackled more in this book because they played a part in the lives of both main characters.

This book really wasn’t for me. I struggled And had a hard time with it holding my interest. I’m not going to post a review on any retailers or reader sites. 

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I am normally  a pretty big fan of Ms Halle but sadly this one failed to reach me.

I adored Karina Halle's "Discretion." The love story between Sadie and Olivier was romantic, sweet, and oh-so-sexy, and there was plenty of intrigue and family drama to keep me turning the pages quickly. I hated to put the book down when real life intruded!

What I love the most about Karina Halle's books is the emotion that is present on every single page. The characters are so real and relatable, and I can go from laughing with them one minute to crying with them the next. That was particularly true of this book and its main characters, Olivier and Sadie. I found both of them to be well-developed and incredibly likeable, and I couldn't help but root for them to find a way to outsmart Olivier's uncle and end up together.

You wouldn't expect Olivier, with his wealthy, privileged background, to be such a genuinely good, nice guy, but he is, and he's exactly what Sadie needs after what she went through with her mom in her childhood and later with the terrible way her ex-boyfriend Tom treated her. But Olivier needs Sadie too. She's like a breath of fresh air for someone in his position, because he is used to being surrounded by models and socialites who just want to use him for his money and position. Sadie doesn't want any of the trappings of Olivier's wealth; she just wants HIM.

Sadie and Olivier certainly faced their share of challenges in this book, but I appreciated that they never doubted each other or their love. They just kept moving forward, adjusting to things as they happened, until they finally found a way to make their relationship work.

I am very much looking forward to the second book in this series to see what happens next with the Dumont family. Surely this can't be how things end with Olivier's uncle and cousin Pascal! Somebody really needs to bring those guys down...

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really wanted to like this story but there were just too many holes and things that defied rational logic. The biggest problem is there was absolutely no reason found for Olivier and Sadie's love. What did he see in her? What was the attraction? All the reader gets is he rescues her, sets her up in a hotel, lots and lots of sex, undying love. Somewhere there needs to be some understanding of where the actual feelings came from!

There are also so many situations and decisions that make absolutely NO sense whatsoever that I can't even begin to list them all. From the absolutely absurd blackmail device (seriously? A 20 year old who has a very close relationship with his loving family would rather destroy everything than go to his father over a mistake... huh?) to Sadie's decision never to say anything about the threats, to Olivier hiding her and making her show up to events by herself and pretend they don't know each other, to refusing an autopsy when every single thing points to foul-play. And, the really big one at the end where NOTHING is resolved and his decision makes him look like a complete and utter wimp who hides his head in the sand while Rome burns.

Since this is only the second Karina Halle book I have read and I really liked the first, I'm hoping she just had a freakishly bad run so I won't give up completely.... just with this series.

I’ll spare the recap of the blurb. Discretion was another great read from Karina Halle. She definitely has a way with building characters, flaws and all. One aspect I also thoroughly enjoy in her books are the sub-plots, which Discretion has nailed.  I can’t wait for more of this series.

My Thoughts:

I have read a few books by Karina Halle and really enjoyed them, so when I saw that she was coming out with a new series, I was so excited!!!  Needless to say, Discretion moved to the top of my TBR and was featured on my Waiting on Wednesday Post.  

Sadie Reynolds is down on her luck.  While traveling through  The French Riviera, her boyfriend Chuck dumps her.  Then when she is running to catch her train to Barcelona, Spain, she gets injured when a thief is trying to steal her pack and purse.  A gorgeous, sexy, and sophisticated frenchman rescues her, and just like that, her luck changes!  

Olivier Dumont comes from wealth, privilege, and power.  His family dynasty owns some of the most luxurious hotels and high-end fashion house's synonymous with Chanel.  Unfortunately, there is a lot of family drama, feuding, and a major power struggle taking place in his life.  On one end of the battle line, there is Olivier, his adopted sister, Seraphine, and their father.  On the other end we have Olivier's Uncle Gautier, and his cousins, Pascal, and Blaise. 

Uncle Gautier made a "bargain" with Olivier, for an indiscretion he made ten years ago, when he was twenty; and now Olivier is backed in to a corner.   Unfortunately, time is running out for Olivier on his deal/blackmail bargain.   When he see's Sadie, he feels an instant attraction, and offers her a place to stay, food to eat, and luxury at her fingertips while she recovers.

Sadie begins her adventure with Olivier by staying in a beautiful villa in one of his family's luxury hotels.  She is in awe, as she has lived in a small trailer with her mom all her life, and money has always been a struggle.   Sadie is only on vacation for a few more weeks, and then must return to the states to attend college and take care of her mom, but what happens when she falls head over heels in love?

I enjoy stories with travel, where I get to "visit" places that I've never been before.  I was excited to "explore" France.    Sadie was a likable character, and Olivier was sexy, sophisticated, debonaire, and very attentive.  He treated Sadie like a queen, and I swooned every time he spoke French to her.  My one conundrum with the story is that I enjoy a slow-burn romance, and Sadie and Olivier had a whirlwind insta-love type relationship.  I would have liked more substance and believability to their love.   

The passion these two shared was intense, and beyond scorching hot!  The love scenes were amazing!!!  There was no doubt in my mind that these two couldn't get enough of one another.  I loved the way that Olivier attended to Sophie during her injury, the way he wined and dined her, and dazzled her.  

The family dynamics kept my eyes glued to the story, and I want more!  Seraphine was a wonderful secondary character, and I can't wait to get her story next in Disarm!   If you enjoy a story full of steamy sexiness, family drama/feuding, and power plays, you should check out, Discretion!

A great start to a new series by an author I love.  Karina Halle is one of my go to authors.  

Oliver is a sexy French man who is a Dumont and most people know him. Sadie is back packing through Europe alone and never expects to get mugged. Thanks to her sexy hero Oliver she gets out of the situation only a little hurt.  She is a college student fresh off a breakup. Oliver helps take care of her until she is back on her feet. 

Things shouldn’t work between these two because they are so different and come from different worlds.  I really enjoyed these characters and their story. I can’t wait for more in this series.