What a decadent start to a new series by Ms. Halle. She is able to write words that create such visual scenes that I feel I am there with her characters.

From the south of France to Paris you get to experience the rich and famous life of Olivier.  The middle sibling of the Dumont family.  This is his story.  He is born into privilege and family secrets that would haunt him for years.  He is struggling to keep his secrets from those he loves the most.  He is a true Frenchman and boy is he swoony....I could almost hear his accent and just wowza.

This is also Sadie's story.  A gal that doesn't let her circumstances bring her down.  She is brave.  She is also loyal to those she loves and struggles with her insecurities when it comes to her budding relationship with Olivier.  

This story is in the style of the prince and the pauper, which I really enjoy! But you also get mystery, intrigue and you get an introduction to the other players in this world.  While I was reading I felt like Ms. Halle was dropping hints at how her next story in this series will play out.  It kept me guessing until the very end.

I absolutely flove Ms. Halle stories and this one is no exception.  I cannot wait to see what the next story in this series brings us next!

It was a good book . It made me cry and some times a little angry it was a really nice book. I like all of the books that Karina Halle has wrote.

I don’t even know where to start. I have read just about every book Karina Halle has written. I’m a HUGE fan. I’m telling you, she did not disappoint. Discretion was phenomenal and letting me wanting more. Sadie is the type of woman that women can cheer for. You want it all for her. Her life is difficult but she doesn’t complain or feel sorry for herself. She perseveres. Now Olivier, I’m torn. I loved him. He was everything a hero should be. Hot, rich and extremely masculine. However, he needs bigger balls. I feel like he was too much the victim. He really needed to man up and take control of the situation rather than succumb to it. There’s hope for him though. I hope through out the remainder of the series we see glimpses of that. I’m also really looking forward to Seraphine and Blaise’s book.

I'm a bit at odds as where my feelings are with this story. While on the one hand, I enjoyed some parts, but on the other I was disappointed. I did like how the story started off. It had some action, was intense, and had steamy sexy scenes. I even liked the bit of suspense/mystery that had been thrown in...until it fell flat and nothing came of it. Why? I don't know. Perhaps she'll "solve" it in the next book. I didn't care for the insta-lust/love with no real development of their relationship.

Sadie was an alright lead. She was sweet, practical, self-aware, and had a good head on her shoulders. I liked her courage in following her heart, even going so far as to protect Olivier at one point.

Olivier was also an alright lead. He was charming, protective, and a gentleman. I liked that he wanted to help Sadie from the get go and wooed her. His drama (the prologue and hinted at throughout the story) was a bit silly, dragged out, and just thrown in there for the sake of having some drama. I felt it could've been resolved faster and better.

All in all, this was just an alright read for me. I think it'll be one of those that I won't recall much about now that I've finished reading. Will I read the next one (Seraphine's story) in the series? Perhaps. She intrigued me. I suppose it'll all depend on my mood. Thank you NetGalley for this copy. This is my honest review.

3.5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this one. Karina Halle does a nice job creating a complex story. The wealthy Dumont family owns a clothing empire that rivals Chanel. But the family is divided in how to manage the company and that leads to a lot blackmail, tension, backstabbing, and maybe even murder. Olivier Dumont is the family heir. He is harboring decade old secrets and is torn between his father and his uncle...two men struggling over how to lead the company. One night he rescues American tourist Sadie Reynolds from an attack. He's immediately attracted to her but is reluctant to let her into his world because his secrets are closing in on him.

I didn't really understand the hold that Olivier's uncle had on him. Sure, he made mistakes when he was younger but his youthful indiscretions don't seem to warrant what happened with his uncle. I found the end of the book to be very chaotic with a bunch of plot lines that don't get wrapped up. Maybe there is another book in the series? I was also disappointed in how the book ended with Olivier just up and leaving without making any attempt to work through the chaos going on with his family in France.

I have very mixed feelings about this book, for one, I know I enjoyed it quite a bit, but at the same time I'm not sure I would be able to remember much a few days from now.

I think the thing I liked most was the writing, and by writing I don't mean plot and such, I mean the writing style. I'm not sure it was anything jaw-dropping, and the french phrases felt very google translate but still, I liked it.

Now onto the things I have mixed feelings about the most, the first thing I wanna mention is the romance. I don't know how I feel about it, although I know I enjoyed it, it didn't really do much for me. I wasn't attached, I didn't care all that much, it felt very "insta-love" with no real development or depth that made their falling in love or inability to part make sense to me. I didn't feel it at all, but for some reason, after they declared their love I found myself quite... content. Nothing that would set my heart ablaze with joy but... it was cute.

However, the thing I wasn't really a fan of is the whole drama. The big secret Olivier had was stupid and didn't really justify all that it lead to. I feel like it could've been resolved way differently and way faster. It felt very much like a cope-out just for the sake of creating drama, but it was very much a miss.

Gautier and Pascal are officially on my "I just hope they die painfully list." Especially Pascal. What a twisted, pervert, sick fuck. I was so disgusted and creeped out every scene he was in, I just want him dead.

On a final note, I'm intrigued by Seraphine and Blaise's story, although the family tie they have makes me a bit uncomfortable (I'm well aware they're not actually related), I can't help but be excited for their book, especially with the whole "I hate that I feel something" vibe they have going on and ESPECIALLY because Seraphine is a WOC.

All in all, this book was very enjoyable, albeit, not that memorable down the line.

I honestly couldn't believe my luck when I got the email to say I could read and review Karina Halle's latest novel.

I've always been a huge fan and I'd requested to read it as soon as I saw it was available.

Pleased to say it did not disappoint.

Now what I will say, is that if hot and steamy sex scenes aren't your thing then perhaps this isn't the book for you however if you like a good romance with a bit of lust thrown in then you're in for a treat.

Discretion follows Sadie as she embarks on the rest of her trip around Europe, a vacation that she started off with her boyfriend and appears to be ending as a single lady. That is until once fateful evening when she finds herself being followed by a strange man and almost mugged....

In steps Olivier Dumont.

Handsome, heroic and ridiculously rich. But is there more to this bad-boy bachelor?

A whirlwind romance and family drama make this novel sexy and mysterious. I devoured it in one sitting and now I cannot wait for more in the series. I'd really like to see where Olivier and Sadie end up next!

A story full of romance, passion and intrigue, all wrapped up in a new family drama series following the Dumonts, a family with no love lost between them. As much as I enjoyed this story, I wasn’t invested in the characters. I couldn’t find it in myself to really appreciate tall, sexy, multi millionaire Olivier Dumont, who didn’t have an alpha bone in his body. I like my leading men a little more take charge, and Olivier was a little bit too nice for my taste. Sadie however was more my cup of tea, dumping her cheating boyfriend whilst they’re backpacking around Europe, and still she continues on her journey, not even thinking about running home with her tail between her legs. As the story progressed it did become more and more addictive, and I was curious as to the outcome. I’m definitely thinking about what book 2 will add to the mix. This family is entertaining to say the least. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this one. When Karina Halle announced the series, I was so excited. As I read along, it was as it should be, with the glamour of the rich, the mystique, the air of beautiful, gorgeous people, erring and loving.

Yet, without being able to pinpoint it specifically, some things felt forced and over-the-top. The level of drama didn’t match the outcome. I believed in the instant connection between Olivier and Sadie however their communication was a rollercoaster. Things left unsaid were puzzling at certain times. This felt soap opera-ish and maybe I wasn’t in the mood for such stuff.

The positive- The crumbs left for the next book, which is about Seraphine, Olivier’s sister, and her cousin-in-name, Blaise, sounds delish.

I’m somewhat unsatisfied at the end because this is Karina Halle and I LOVE her writing. I will not lower my expectations because I know what she is capable of.

*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review*

Discretion is the first book in Karina Halle’s new The Dumonts series and color me intrigued. This had all the elements of a great romantic suspense. It was scandalous, sexy, romantic, and had Karina’s insanely talented writing.

When Sadie finds herself alone backpacking through Europe, the last thing she expects is to be mugged. And even more surprising is the man that saves her. Oliver Dumont. Oliver and Sadie couldn’t be more different. Oliver is rich, french, and from an influential family. Sadie is a broke college student from Seattle who just went through a breakup. They shouldn’t work. But the heart wants what the heart wants.


What starts out as Oliver helping Sadie get back on her feet (quite literally) turns into Oliver and Sadie having loads of hot sex to Oliver and Sadie having true and real feelings for one another.

If only love could be so simple. But Oliver’s family isn’t simple. There are people in his family he loves and truly cares about, and there are others. Those that are deceitful, manipulative, and have something big they’re holding over his head. Something he wants no one to know about.


The only thing I didn’t necessarily love about this one was the original reason Oliver had been blackmailed… I felt it a little weak, like that’s something that wouldn’t have been taken quite so seriously with his family if he had just came clean all those years ago. But I also understood his pride and how he wanted his father to see him in a certain light so I got it to an extent I was just expecting something bigger.

This is one of those books that hooked me from the start. I loved the dynamic of Sadie and Oliver’s relationship and enjoyed this book a lot. If you’re looking for a romantic suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat, pick this one up. I can’t wait to read more of these books. So many of the secondary characters piqued my interest and I can’t wait to read more about them and Sadie and Oliver as well!

I love Karina Halle and will read any book that she writes. But to be honest, this wasn’t my favourite book from her. It is still worth reading, but it wasn’t a must read for me.

I loved the couple at the centre of the book, Olivier and Sadie, they were HOT. And if the book was just about their relationship, I think I would have liked it more. But I think my problem was that the conflicts in the story were frustrating instead of suspenseful, the characters just needed to talk to each other.

This book doesn’t end in a cliffhanger, the next book is Olivier’s sister’s story. I would recommend not reading the second book’s synopsis because it contains spoilers for the first book (I made that mistake!).

Again, if you’re a Karina Halle fan, I would still read Discretion, especially since it is the first in the series about the three Dumont siblings. And I will still be reading the next book in the series!

ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: DISCRETION BY KARINA HALLE- releases 6th August 2019 💚
Sadie is a 23yr old American student backpacking across Europe. On her way to catch a train she finds herself in a scary situation and is rescued by Olivier Dumant, who, as one of the heirs to a fashion empire and a billionaire hotelier is practically French Royalty. But Sadie doesn't know any of this and Olivier finds that he likes that. But what should have been a light holiday romance turns into something deeper and secrets that had been buried for ten years are about to be exposed. This was an enjoyable read I liked Olivier and Sadie. Despite the short time frame their romance was believable. This book is definitely a good start to the series and it has me very curious to what will happen next. It does not have a cliff hanger ending, but there are plenty of questions that I need answers to. This did not leave me frustrated rather, it left me excited to see what happens next. I want to know more about Olivier's siblings and I hope his sister Seraphine gets a book too. It will be great to see how certain people get their comeuppenace, though I am intrigued over one that maybe redeemed? I think? I hope?! @karinhalle has written an engaging romance full of intrigue, greed and possible foulplay with wonderful characters. The author has done an amazing job with the start of this series I can't wait to see where she takes us from here!
A Solid 4⭐/5!!! 💚
Discretion by Karina Halle comes out 6th August 2019. 💚

I have a new appreciation for French dudes named Oliver. Damn he’s hot! This was a super twisty journey with lots of ups and downs. I liked the flow of the book and was very easily sucked into it. Karina’s books are always good! This story I had a harder time connecting to the heroine. For some reason I didn’t click with her but it didn’t make me like the book any less. Overall the book was great and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I have loved many books by Karina Halle and I will continue to pick her books without hesitation, but I have decided to put this one down at 70%. The writing itself was fine, and I wouldn't expect anything less from this author, but it came down to character development for me. The main characters and the antagonists felt one-dimensional to me. As a couple, I didn't feel the chemistry between Sadie and Olivier, It was too fast, too soon, overwrought. Individually, Sadie also fell flat. There wasn't anything about her that I particularly disliked, nor was there anything about her that I particularly liked. She seemed to float about wherever the plot took her; reacting about as incredible (literally, not credible) things happen around her, but she could have been more interesting if were the driver of the plot at times. Then, there was Olivier. I could see where his character was supposed to go: sexy, charming, rich guy with a mysterious past; but I didn't feel it. What I saw was a character who made a mistake a long time ago, and allowed the super-villains in his life to manipulate and control his life from that point forward.

Thanks NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4+ stars

A story of sex, intrigue, scandal and family secrets. How could I not like this book? And set in France? Bonus. It had all the good bones of a story that would capture so much of what I enjoy and in a setting that is rich and full of history.

The story starts with a prologue that sheds a little light on Olivier in his past. Just a small clue of what's to come with the Dumont family and I was interested.

Then it's about Olivier and Sadie. These two characters meet under some bad circumstances, but we get a feel for who Olivier is and what he stands for right from the beginning. And Sadie? She's a backpacking American girl traveling through Europe. I could've been her (20 plus years ago and minus the rich Frenchman ;) ). Obviously they were two different people from two entirely different worlds. How would their story fit in with the Dumont life we already got a taste of?

I liked the premise and where it started. I loved the setting in France (I've been to most of the places mentioned, so it was like I got to return there...Antibes!). But then I felt like the story got lost a little in the sex and romance. Don't get me wrong. Sadie and Olivier had some chemistry and I liked their romantic scenes, I just wanted more of the mystery surrounding the Dumont family at the beginning half. I wanted more of the secrets and lies and how that played all into Olivier and his history with his family. We got that, but it almost seemed anticlimatic. Plus, it wasn't until the last quarter of the story. AND call me a glutton for punishment, but I wanted more of the mystery. More of the suspense. Just something MORE. It seems like we got a taste of it in book one and we will get more in the next books. I can only hope for that.

As for the characters, Olivier and Sadie have an instant chemistry and are hot almost from the get go. They just fit in a way that is comfortable. It was an automatic feeling for both of them and not sure what exactly set those feelings aflame, but it was fun watching it grow. Then there is his family. They already have given us a taste of their lives and I can't wait to hear more from them. The men/his cousins and uncle, along with his sister are absolutely intriguing. I don't know how to feel about any of them right now, but THAT is what is going to set this series on fire if we can get more of them and more danger (ahem, that car chase) and mystery.

We got a taste of mystery and intrigue and I hope we get more in the books that follow. The story still left a good beginning for a series and I really enjoyed watching Olivier and Sadie set the ground for more. They were hot and sexy and I loved being brought back to France. A well told story with characters that have a history and are fleshed out just enough to get us set for more in this world. I can't wait!

I wanted to like this. It's been a minute since I indulged in a Karina Halle book, but she's an author I have quite enjoyed in the past. This one just wasn't clicking for me. Something about the dialogue and the pacing was off for me, and I wasn't particularly drawn to, or curious about either of the main characters.. I found myself putting it down and not feeling very motivated to pick it back up. I'm not sure if it's the storyline or the storytelling, but in the end, it was a DNF for me at 20%.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

Another hit from Karina Halle. This one brings a woman traveling through Europe who has been stranded by her cheating ex-boyfriend, and the hotel mogul with a family full of status and drama.

Olivier Dumont, part of the Dumont designer house, stumbled on Sadie as she was attacked while making her way to the train station. He swoops in to help her, and ends up keeping her with him in one of his hotels so that she can recover. The two give in to their attraction, but as with any good story, they will face some obstacles along the way.

His family secrets come to haunt them, and this first in this new series is without a doubt a must read!

Ohhhh this book was good! So so good! But, really anything by Karina Halle is always good to read!

The characters pull you in immediately and take you on a wonderful (sometimes a little suspenseful) adventure. The dialogue is well written and the imagery makes you want to hop on a plane to France! Definitely looking forward to more from this series!

Discretion is everything the blurb promises it will be: a fun, angsty, soap opera-ish escape. This fast paced novel features the perfect concoction of love and sex and intrigue--there are good guys and bad guys and a promise of several more book that will explore who is guilty of what. In this first stand alone novel we meet Sadie and Olivier--a couple whose story seems part fairy tale and part nightmare.

Sadie is the doing what many college kids dream about doing--backpacking through Europe--when a series of unfortunate events puts her in the path of Olivier. Olivier is living what to the outside world appears to be his best life when he happens upon Sadie...and thank goodness for him showing up right when she needed him. He saves her from a very bad situation and from that point on, their love story begins. It's a love story that's fast and feisty and filled with a lot of swoony romance from Olivier and sass from Sadie (I really liked her) and lots of mysterious and nefarious happenings with his sketchy family. France is our backdrop which just seems to elevate the mystery and romance of it all...and man does Karina Halle have a way with describing places she obviously loves--she makes me want to visit every place she writes about.

I devoured this novel and am so very eager for the next book in the series; it looks to be equally fun, sexy, and will give us more clues as to what in the actual world is going on in the Dumont family. Pick up Discretion for a fun escape from the dog days of summer; we don't think you'll regret it (except that you'll want the next novel in your hands immediately).

Karina Halle whisks readers away to beautiful French locations where love, sex, and intrigue take center stage. Having never been to France myself, I loved getting a taste of it through Halle's writing. Olivier Dumont is as sexy of a Frenchman as you can possibly get. Romantic, adventurous and wealthy beyond imagination. When he stumbles upon destitute American Sadie Reynolds, he rescues her and whisks her into the center of his crazy, exciting world. The story is full of steam and swoon coupled with angst and emotion. The story progresses at a quick pace and danger and intrigue takes hold for the second half of the book. It's a rollercoaster of emotions but in the end, there's an HEA that's worth the wait. I can't wait to see what's next in the second book!