From New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle comes a seductive novel of riches, romance, and redemption.In the Dumont fashion empire, no heir has a reputation as decadent, arrogant, and ruthless as that of Pascal Dumont. Every transgression, an indecent pleasure. Every woman, a conquest. And none is more challenging than his new personal assistant, Gabrielle Caron. She’s defiant, alluring, … She’s defiant, alluring, and a mystery Pascal can’t wait to solve.
A former family servant and daughter of the head maid, Gabrielle’s returned as suddenly as she left eight years ago. No longer an awkward teen, the ethereal young beauty has amassed a wealth of resolve. She’ll need it. In hire to the devilishly charming scion, she’s come back for one reason only. And she dare not whisper why.
But as the nights grow more intimate at the Dumont maison, Gabrielle realizes that the last man she believed in is the one man she can trust with her secrets. For Pascal, falling in love means more than his own redemption. It could mean saving Gabrielle’s very life as they confront a dark and scandalous past…together.
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4.5 STARS!
Disavow, the final installment to the Dumont series by Karina Halle was wickedly thrilling, sexy, and truly the perfect ending to this lavish story!
Gabrielle and her mother came to the Dumont estate when she was just a young girl. As the years past she soon became Gautier’s personal maid. Though he was a predator who he hurt and abused her, she managed to escape when she was eighteen. Eight years later, Gabrielle is back in Paris and she wants revenge.
Pascal Dumont is the anti-hero of the story. He’s in need of a personal assistant/maid. When he sees Gabrielle he’s momentary struck by her unique beauty. She’s quick to put him in his place and not bow down to his every whim. With the chance to return to the Dumont estate, Gabrielle can finally seek justice, but what she never expected was to fall for Pascal.
Pascal and Gabrielle are two damaged souls who seek comfort in each other. Pascal sees redemption and hope with Gabrielle. He soon realizes he isn’t the villain but a tool, a puppet that was used by Gautier for his own personal gain. If it wasn’t for Gabrielle’s courage, Pascal wouldn’t have changed and grown so much. This, was so wonderful to witness.
The Dumont series was a ‘dynasty’ royals collection filled with scandal, deception, lies, drama, and above all sexy, edgy, and romantic moments that will leave you at the edge of your seat! I’m looking forward to what else Karina has up her sleeve.
4.5 Stars
Book 3. Pascal. After the last two books we kind of thought he would always stay the bad guy. But now he’s getting his chance for his own happily ever after.
And I loved it! I loved getting a look inside his head and his heart.
Gabrielle used to live in the Dumont mansion years ago – as the daughter of the maid. But bad things happened with Pascal’s father and eight years ago she was finally able to run away.
But now she’s back. And she’s out for justice and revenge. And help comes from the last person she ever expected it to come from: Pascal. But she can’t tell him about her plans – and she can’t fall for this very bad bad guy, right?
Pascal is fascinated by this beautiful girl. He feels himself soften – he feels his frozen heart getting warmer. He doesn’t want to end up like his father. He’s not like him.
Let’s hope Gabrielle and Pascal can stop this horrible man before he hurts anymore people!
Great romance. Suspensy, exciting, dangerous, sexy, adorable, heartbreaking. I loved reading it! I adored the epilogue!
I didn’t think it could be done, but Karina Halle proved me wrong in a big way. Pascal Dumont has been redeemed. But holy wild ride! Disavow was dark and dangerous, devious and downright delicious.
I adored Gabrielle from the start. Her will and grit. Her kindness. Her willingness to put her own happiness and peace of mind on the line to protect her mother. Her fear. It was palpable, a live pulsing thing that I could feel pouring off the page. But there was something about Pascal that calmed her. Centered her. Made her feel safe when she didn’t know what was lurking around the corner. It was why she opened up to him about the tragedy of her past.
But it was truly Pascal who shone in this book. How hard he worked. Not just at his job but at himself. To be someone he could be proud of. To mend fences and build bridges with his family. To be worthy of someone as lovely as Gabrielle. It was the moments that he was tender with her that made me melt. How he didn’t look at her as ‘the help’ but as a person who deserved to be cherished and protected.
And in the midst of two people falling in love for the first time, was all the lies and half truths that had been waiting to be exposed. When all was revealed, my head was spinning at the maliciousness of it all. Hats off to Karina Halle for keeping me guessing on how everything would pan out to the bitter end. Holy heart pounding, that final showdown left me breathless. And the way it all ended, sigh…no loose ends and nothing but hope and promises of a happy future.
*** I received an advanced copy and chose to review it ***
** 100% spoiler-free review **
* 4.5 stars *
Karina Halle wraps up The Dumonts series with Disavow and she goes all out with this one! Pascal Dumont has been a dark character in the series but he finally finds his salvation in Disavow. While this book reads as a complete standalone, I highly recommend you read the first two books as the story will flow better and you’ll get the full backstory on Pascal and his father, Gautier as well as the rest of the Dumonts.
Pascal is a complex character. He was raised in a cold household with an evil father and an uncaring mother. His father molded him into the man he has become but he never seemed to care before. Cold and calculating, he didn’t care who he hurt as long as the consequences came out in his favor. That is until he met Gabrielle. She returned to the Dumont mansion to work as his maid with ulterior motives. She also suffered a traumatic childhood but she’s come out stronger and is ready to fight for her future. Gabrielle brings out the best in Pascal and I loved watching him slowly change for the better. I wasn’t sure how Halle would be able to redeem Pascal but she pulls off this feat perfectly! By the end of the story, I was completely in love with him!!
Disavow is a story of love, lust, power and revenge. It’s emotional and raw and will suck you right in. It’s full of secrets and suspense and will have you on the edge of your seat as the story comes to its climax. Disavow is my favorite book in The Dumonts series and I’m sad that it’s come to an end. Halle did a great job wrapping it up and giving her readers the perfect ending to the series. 4.5 stars
What a finale! Ms. Hale saved the best for last. The character you loved to hate in the previous stories in this series, Pascal, gets his moment to tell his story.
Pascal Dumont the villain, the hated Dumont. He gets his chance at redemption in this story and Ms. Hale amazes me with her ability to take such a reviled character and bring him to heroism.
This story of Pascal and Gabrielle brings the Dumonts full circle. Secrets are revealed, mysteries are solved and the devil is forced to pay his dues.
This was a beautifully written story, set in the beautiful country of France and Spain. Ms. Hale has such a talent for bringing vision to her words. You can see yourself on the cliffs of Mallorca to the historical beauty of Paris.
The love between Pascal and Gabrielle is hard-fought. It was fragile and vulnerable until it needed to be strong. And it so was! Both Pascal and Gabrielle’s pasts were fraught with ugliness and scars but they fit each other perfectly.
If you are looking for a lush, beautiful story, get your hands on this. In fact get your hands on the whole series.
Karina Halle will have you mesmerized by this trip of books. They aren’t like her other novels…be prepared!
***4 ‘Sprite’ Stars***
Ever since meeting Pascal in Discretion I’ve been fascinated by him and just how he can do all that he does and I gotta say, I thoroughly enjoyed getting inside his head and watching him brought to his knees by his sprite, Gabrielle.
I loved Pascal and Gabrielle. While I was fascinated by Pascal, I didn’t necessarily like him. But watching as Gabrielle gets under his skin and things start to shift in him, well the man that comes out of that experience is one I wouldn’t mind getting to know. As for Gabrielle, she is strong, intelligent and determined. I loved her spirit and how genuine her heart was, despite all that she’d been through.
Gabrielle and Pascal’s journey was definitely an interesting one. I loved how, despite all their intentions, they got under each other’s skins and ended up truly seeing who the other was and finding that they actually liked them with all their bruises, edges and demons. I have to say it was a lot of fun to watch them dance around each other, regardless of the darkness that surrounded them, and I loved that they got their HEA.
This was definitely an interesting series with all kinds of crazy ~ both the good and the bad ~ going on. I have to say that I really liked how the author dealt with all the various family issues both in the last chapter and then the epilogue. She didn’t make things rose colored, it was real but hopeful and I couldn’t have asked for a better ending for the Dumont clan.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
WOW–Its been a long time since I read within this series which was probably a good thing since in the previous books I HATED Pascal. However, Karina really does the almost impossible and that is to make you really love the villain or at least the villain in the other previous books. He really turned a leaf in this book and I honestly loved it!
Great conclusion to the Dumont family series! The whole series was inspirational showing that people can change their outlook if they are determined.
I loved Karina Halle’s “Disavow,” the third and final book of the Dumont trilogy. It was a compulsively readable and suspenseful story, and I finished the whole thing in a single afternoon. I didn’t want to put it down because I was so anxious to know what was going to happen next.
The main characters of this book, Pascal and Gabrielle, were very complex and well-developed. They were each flawed, but seemed incredibly true-to-life and surprisingly relatable. In the first two books of the series, Pascal came across as kind of evil, so I was surprised by how much I liked him in this story. He came to realize that his temper and past behavior were problematic, so he made a genuine effort to change his ways. As for Gabrielle, I was impressed by her strength, independence, and tenacity, especially after having to overcome a childhood history of abuse. I really enjoyed the way Pascal and Gabrielle’s romance blossomed over the course of the story and how they seemed to make each other whole.
Overall, each book in the Dumont series has been better than the last, and “Disavow” served as a perfect ending to this family’s story. While each of the books stands alone, IMO it is better to read the series in order. The events in each story build on the ones that came before, and the reading experience will be much richer for those who have a complete understanding of how all of the events and characters are connected.
I highly recommend the entire Dumont trilogy and can’t wait to see what Karina Halle writes next!
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
This series just keeps getting better with each book. I was a little nervous when I first started this book, I didn’t see how Pascal could be likeable. I am so glad I was wrong.
Pascal is his father’s right-hand man, he’s arrogant and does what he wants. Gabrielle is now working for Pascal as his personal assistant. Her mom was a maid for the Dumont family. These two didn’t expect there to be any chemistry between them. She has a way of breaking down his walls and seeing the softer side of him.
Gabriele has plans and is hoping to see them through. She didn’t expect to fall in with Pascal. These two have intense chemistry and make the pages sizzle. I really enjoyed this book and happy that Karina was able to make me like Pascal. If you are looking for a series that is intense, sexy and will pull you from page one look no further.
This is a amazing conclusion to the Dumont series. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Pascal’s story since he has not been portrayed as a likable character in previous books. I knew Karina wouldn’t disappoint with this antihero and she didn’t. Pascal was still his arrogant self but we see more of what made him that way. This story will pull at your heartstrings and can be very emotional at times. The ending was exciting and fast paced with a perfect happily ever after.
This author did something that I didn’t think was possible–she actually redeemed Pascal Dumont! I loved this series so much–each of the three books were unique and enjoyable in their own right, and until I read Disavow, Discretion (Book #1) was my favorite, but I can honestly say that Disavow surprisingly knocked it out of first place for me. This was the perfect conclusion to this alluring, mysterious, scandalous trilogy! I loved Gabrielle’s strength and resilience, but it was her ability to bring out the redeeming qualities in Pascal that really made this such an enjoyable read. Watching two broken and damaged souls find redemption and salvation in each other made this a winner for me. I definitely recommend this trilogy if you like reading about mysterious, dysfunctional family members who become better versions of themselves. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.
Disavow by Karina Halle is book Three in The Dumonts Seires. This is the story of Gabrielle Caron and Pascal Dumont. I have read the previous books, which did add to my enjoyment of this one. I have been waiting to see how they would play out Pascal who hasn’t been so nice. I do think you could make this a standalone book but this is such a good series you might just want to read them in order. Gabrielle was once the daughter of the maid for the Dumont house hold. But when she was a teenager she left the house but now she is back years later looking to get revenge for the wrong that she feels was done. Gabrielle ends up taking a job as assisting Pascal. Gabrielle didn’t count on the feelings of attraction she would have with Pascal. Pascal has never felt just a feeling as he does with Gabrielle…she starts to melt his ice heart. Enjoyed this book and hope to read more from this author!!
Wow – Disavow is not only romantic but its also about a journey of redemption for both main characters. Gabrielle and Pascal are complex characters that go on amazing journeys that I loved.
Pascal Dumont has turned his back on his brother and cousins all for the family business and his evil father. By putting his head in the sand he can pretend that all the bad things his father has done doesn’t mean anything to him – that is until Gabrielle Caron comes home. Gabrielle the maid’s daughter left the Dumont house 10 years ago and now she is back – more beautiful and definitely more memorable then what Pascal remembers. Gabrielle though has her own broken past and has an agenda to kill the man that hurt her all those years ago. Neither Gabrielle nor Pascal count on following for each other as well.
I have to say that Disavow is not only a fantastic ending to the Dumont series it, in my opinion, is the best book of the trilogy. The story hits home hard and I for one fell in love with Pascal – his redemption doesn’t come easy and the payoff, in the end, is perfect. Ultimately The Dumont series is about family and how it comes all together. I would recommend that the books be read in order just so you can get the full picture but Disavow is fantastic on its own.
This was another great book in this series. It was a wonderful series. I recommend this series and this author.
4.6 stars
How in the holy hell did this author make the bad guy a good guy? Furthermore, How and WHY did I fall in love with him? Pascal, oh sweet Pascal, how I wanted to shake you to death, slap you, and also hug you and keep you forever.
I was not expecting this level of suspense, even though there had been so much in the previous books. I am not sure why that is other than the fact that it seemed to really escalate in this book and was taken to a whole new level. This book had it all, an anti-hero, a likable heroine, off-the-charts chemistry/steam, suspense, action, mystery, plausible storyline, and a whopper of an ending. I highly recommend this entire series.
First of all, let me say that I’m sad that this trilogy is over. I started reading it last summer when Discretion came out and it’s followed to 2020. I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen to everyone, especially the evil Gautier. And I wanted to know how the author would redeem Pascal, since he always acted like he was going to be brutal as his father and he did some despicable things (although not as disgusting as what his father did).
Well, I am sold, and I think there wasn’t a better way to conclude this series than with this book.
You need to read the first book, Discretion, and the second book, Disarm, if you want to know what happened. Theoretically, you could read Disavow alone, but you would live half the story. So I suggest you start from the first book.
We finally get into Pascal Dumont’s head in this one. Pascal is the oldest of Gautier’s sons, and the one his father has always tried to shape him into becoming a sort of his clone, a ruthless man with only money in his mind and hatred for those who wanted to have control of what he deemed as his own brand. If you read Discretion, you’ll know that Pascal’s father took over the company who initially belonged to Olivier and Seraphine because it was their fathers’, and he’s keeping his oldest son as the CEO God knows why. He doesn’t even trust Pascal, yet, it’s Pascal who is running everything after more than a year from the events in Discretion. Pascal is able, but at some point even he questions if work is all there is in life and if this is his destiny, since all that his father does is being disappointed by him.
Enter Gabrielle.
Gabrielle used to work for the Dumonts 8 years before. She’s the daughter of their maid, Jolie, and we discover why she decided to leave not only the mansion, but also France, to go abroad to live and study. Gabrielle was raped. This alone is terrible, but the astonishing (well, not really) fact is that it was Gautier Dumont, Pascal’s father, who raped her several times. If you hated Gautier already for the disgusting man that he is, you’ll surely want him dead after finding this out. Well, Gabrielle has that covered too, but we know that it won’t be easy, especially after she starts to work for Pascal.
Pascal knew Gabrielle and didn’t know the reason why she left, and he notices that something must have happened to her that made her run away from their mansion. He proposes her to work for him, and she accepts despite she doesn’t like him. After all, Pascal is Gautier’s son, and even his cousins and brother believe that he and his father are cut from the same cloth. As Pascal and Gabrielle get reacquainted with each other, she finds out that the man actually has a conscience and he seems to reflecting on the things he did (like threatening his cousin Olivier or mistreating his brother Blaise) and slowly, Gabrielle makes him see things differently. Is this worth it? Pascal suspects that his father may be a murderer, but the problem is that he doesn’t have evidence to prove it.
Without spoiling anything, let me say that this was a believable journey to me. Pascal’s story didn’t start in his own book because we saw it begin in Discretion. After the events of that story and Disarm, which I think cover about 2 years or so, Pascal changed a lot. I think it’s redemption is acceptable because it took years to complete. He’s always been under his father’s thumb and did all he could to please him, believing that was what he had to do, until his father committed the oldest of sins: he killed his own brother. Pascal never had the physical evidence to prove the murder accusations thrown at his father by his brother and cousins, but in his heart he knew that they weren’t wrong – his father was indeed a killer and he did the unthinkable, and he was sure that he didn’t want to become a psychopath like him. Pascal could save himself because he still had a conscience, but it was also thanks to Gabrielle. Sometimes other people get in our lives to show us a different side to our story. Sometimes, even the people we consider strangers at first (in this case), may give us better advice than old friends and make us see things in another light. I think that’s what Gabrielle did with Pascal. She came to the Dumont mansion with the worst opinion possible about Pascal but he ended up being awoken by that opinion. Pascal didn’t want to be a life-less, greedy, human being and he pushed himself to be a better man and to change to stop the never ending cycle his father created when he murdered Ludovic Dumont. Had Gabrielle not come back into his life, at this time Pascal would have probably been as ruthless as his father. Heck, he would have been his father’s hunting dog, a slave. Somebody his father “owned” just because Pascal was “his” son.
I love Karina Halle’s books and she is really good at writing suspense romance. Of this series, I think I loved Blaise and Pascal’s books more than Olivier’s, maybe because the first book is always the one that does the groundwork for the future. Or maybe because I don’t know, since Olivier and Sadie didn’t have “history” like Blaise and Seraphine and Gabrielle and Pascal, perhaps I found their romance too quick for my tastes.
Anyway, I highly suggest this series and it’d be better if you read it in one go to have the complete timeline of events more clear.
“The sins of the father don’t determine the sins of the son.”
“If she’s not my salvation, if she’s not my redemption, then she’s something better and greater than that.”
“He opens his eyes and looks at me. There they are. Those saturated blues, that gaze that could launch-or destroy- a thousand ships.”
Disavow is the third and final installment in this interconnected, stand alone romantic suspense novel from the author. I’m really looking forward to Pascal’s story. From the start of this series, he is the character that you love to hate and I did. I loathed him for being such a ruthless, manipulative man to his family, to further his goal. But through all of it, I was intrigued and drawn to this seemingly merciless man. I know that there is more to him and this book told his devastating past.
Gabrielle used to work as a maid to Pascal’s family until the day she mysteriously disappeared. Now, she’s back to right a wrong and to take her mother from the evil clutches of Pascal’s father, Gautier. The chemistry between the main characters is instantaneous, magnetic and inevitable. Looking closely, these two are more alike than they will ever know. I never thought that Pascal will fall in love, but I guess it will take another strong willed person to turn him around and make him realize that he is more than his father’s lackey, more than his Dumont name.
To be honest, this is my favorite out of all the books in this series and I loved how the author wrapped it all up realistically, with a happy ending for everyone. I’m really sad that this has come to an end and I will surely miss the Dumont family. I loved it and I’m looking forward for more of this author’s work.
I have consumed this series in the past two days and enjoyed this one the best. Maybe because Pascal was his father’s Golden child until he wasn’t. He had gone along with his father’s schemes and went against his cousin and brother and now he is seeing what his father has become and now threatening notes are coming to the house. Are they for him or his father? Gabrielle has come back to France with revenge in her heart and with the goal of getting her mother out of the house of Dumont. She did not plan on going to work for Pascal but it gets her closer to her goal. These two were perfect for each other. Perfect ending to this series!