From New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle comes a delicious saga of wealth, luxury, and scandal—and the wicked secrets of success behind an envied family dynasty.The Riviera means indulgence—if you’ve got money. For Sadie Reynolds, a down-on-her-luck student, the Riviera means dingy hostels and back streets. When a wrong turn puts her in jeopardy, the last thing she expects is to be … she expects is to be saved by the most handsome stranger she’s ever locked eyes with. When she later wakes up in a luxury suite with a Mediterranean view, she’s in the tender care of her rescuer: Olivier Dumont, France’s most eligible bachelor, billionaire hotelier, and heir to the Dumont fashion fortune.
Olivier also owns his reputation for scandal. But Sadie is unlike any woman he’s ever met. Her humble persona and wild innocence promise real passion. He’s promising Sadie something too: anything she wants. From Bordeaux to Cannes to Paris, Sadie’s past in America is swept away and replaced with a fantasy too good to be true.
Pulled into Olivier’s orbit of wealth, glamour, and excess, Sadie discovers that the Dumont dynasty comes with a legacy of wicked secrets. And Olivier’s secrets may be the most damning of all…
more
dis·cre·tion
– The quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information
Filled with suspense and intrigue from the very first page, Discretion is the first book in a brand new series by Karina Halle.
Sadie Reynolds is an American college student backpacking through Europe. She broke up with her cheating ex and her funds are low. Now, Sadie is off to her next destination–Spain. However, on her way to the train station, Sadie gets mugged and is soon saved by a very handsome Frenchman named Olivier.
Olivier Dumont comes from riches whilst Sadie barely has even a dollar to her name. Two opposites from two different worlds embark on a whirlwind affair filled with passion and lust. With time, feelings begin to blossom between them and Olivier brings her into his lavish life… but at the same time he needs to keep her safe from his vile and manipulative uncle and cousin.
The Dumont name is very prestigious in France. The description sets the tone accurately “a delicious saga of wealth, luxury, and scandal—and the wicked secrets of success behind an envied family dynasty.” Olivier is hiding a secret that could not only shatter his relationship with Sadie but bring shame to his family.
Though low on the angst, it is not a big deal because I have a feeling Disarm, book 2 will bring it. Overall, Discretion was romantic, sexy, and sweet with a stunning location at its center. You’ll definitely be on the edge of your seat wanting more. I know I am!
I’ve been meaning to try a Karina Halle book for some time now and I enjoy her writing style. I will definitely be trying more of her books. In Discretion, the characters were good, the story kept me engaged and I love the poor girl/rich guy trope.
The only reason I liked, but not loved this story was because the blackmail against the hero just felt weak, and it made the hero come off really weak. That’s a struggle for me since I like my big strong heroes.
Now, the things we learned towards the end? That made sense to fear the consequences. While this is a standalone, there is more to come in the series and that overall plot did not get satisfied in this book and will continue on to Seraphine’s book.
4.25 Stars
The South of France.
Sadie is traveling through Europe. She’s about to leave for Barcelona, but on the way to the train station she almost gets her purse stolen by a creepy guy – and maybe something even worse would’ve happened. But she’s saved by a mysterious, sexy stranger.
Olivier takes Sadie to the hospital and then home with him to his luxury hotel. Yup. His hotel. He’s one of the Dumont siblings/cousins. THE Dumonts.
He’s pretty happy with his bachelor lifestyle and his hotel business … But ten years ago he made a stupid mistake and his creepy uncle is about to call in the debt … that’s why it’s not a good idea to fall for this sweet American girl …
Well. I liked that! I really did.
I loved the whole french, sunny, billionaire-y atmosphere.
Olivier is adorable. The typical poor rich boy. One with a past that will come calling soon.
And Sadie. She wanted out of her life for a while and Europe was amazing, until she found out that her idiot boyfriend cheated on her. But then she met Olivier and life is looking really good again. But she can’t stay. She has to go back home. Her mom needs her.
Plus the whole Dumont family and their money and secrets are really scaring her … But of course we all know that love has other plans… But Olivier and Sadie have to fight for their happily ever after…
I really adored reading this. It was sweet and funny and exciting and heartbreaking.
I didn’t really love-love the whole bad guy thing. No, it was more that I didn’t understand the why of it. Why were the bad guys bad? The uncle. Why??? He’s not a poor guy … why is he so creepy and power hungry? There’s really no obvious need for all that in my opinion – but there had to be a bad guy for the story-line. It wasn’t really logical, but it was ok for the story.
I also wish Karina would’ve asked a non-american french person to go over all her french sentences, but pff – who cares.
Great romance – can’t wait to read the book about Olivier’s sister next!
I’ve read some of Karina’s books and I’ve never had any complaints about her writing or her style.
This won’t be the exception.
I was extremely intrigued by the blurb and that feeling didn’t die while I kept reading each chapter. In fact, I was more determined to read until the last page. Even the acknowledgement. And I’m happy I did because now I can understand why the story turned out to be the way it was.
You see, we, as readers only see the easiest part of being a writer. We definitely don’t get to see the behind the scenes or how all the process takes place. We just see the final results and go from there to give our opinion about the story. That’s why, I have to admit that at some point I really wished Oliver and Sadie’s story could have had a second book instead of just one. I really saw A LOT OF potential for this story. Especially with the talent that Karina has. But I also get why this was just one book. I felt the struggles of this author while reading the book and before I made any conclusions about the story, I decided to read till the end. And I wasn’t wrong in the least.
I think this author did an excellent job overcoming all the obstacles she found in the way and that’s one of the main reasons, aside form the fact that the story was amazingly written, that I give this book 5 well deserved stars.
Oliver is for sure one of my favorite characters of this 2019. Not only because he was deliciously described lol but it’s also because he was not the typical billionaire who only look at you under his shoulder. He was kind, empathic and loyal till the end. But let’s not forget about Sadie. A woman that even with the adversities she had to face in her life, she never took the easiest option. She found with teeth and nails for what she believed and the people she loved.
I will definitely read the next book in the series because I know there is more of this family we have to discover. I don’t think this will be the end.
Money, family drama, mystery, and steaminess all set in France. I was intrigued by the blurb and the moment I started this story I was completely hooked. I read this book in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down.
Olivier is a wealthy French hotelier, also a member of the famous Dumont family. A fantastic hero. He is protective, caring, 100% sexy alpha male. Sadie Reynolds is an American college student backpacking her way through Europe, until she has a run in with Olivier and everything changes for the both of them.
The Dumont family is at war with each other and Olivier is right in the middle of it all. There is LOADS of family drama and of course it always revolves around business and money. There is so much mystery and suspense to this story. That is what truly got me hooked. I had to know what was going to happen next!!
It did take me a bit to warm up to Olivier and Sadie’s relationship. I felt there was some missing chemistry in the beginning but definitely started feeling it between them the more I kept reading and by the end I was completely in love with them. Olivier is seriously swoon worthy.
With all the crazy family drama, the suspense and the steaminess I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!
I fell in love in Paris. Olivier was living the typical playboy lifestyle. The heir apparent to a fashion house that rivals Chanel, he’s a leading hotelier who happens to have a lot of secrets. Secrets that prevent him from fulfilling his dreams. Secrets that hold him back from true happiness. But something about Sadie has him willing to take a chance, risking it all for the potential for more. Sadie is a college student backpacking through Europe. On the night she’s leaving to catch a train to Spain, she’s about to be mugged (or worse) when a gorgeous stranger saves her. He even steps it up a notch by taking her to the hospital and then putting her up in a hotel. She’s moving up since all she’s known for months is the hostel life. But who is this guy? Hot or not, what does he want from her?
For me, this story was all about Olivier. Sadie was just a supporting character and I wasn’t all that interested in anything to do with her unless it directly related to something about him. Sorry, not sorry. It’s just that Olivier was larger than life and yet ever so humble. He was family-oriented, warm, generous, loving, and extremely hot. From the first moment between him and Sadie, he stole the show. My heart went out to him when it became apparent that he was struggling with something from his past. Although I personally think his secret was lame AF, I don’t know what it is to be in the spotlight or have to live up to not only my loved ones expectations, but to have what I do effect a brand’s reputation. While I think the secret should have been something more fatalistic, other than that bit of a let down, everything else about this story fed my soul.
As the first book of a new series, I can honestly say I’m sold on continuing with it. I love the idea of the good Dumonts versus the bad ones. I’m a greedy girl for wanting the next book to be Olivier’s as well and I’m hoping to have this wish fulfilled. The author did a fantastic job of bringing the romance of France to life and making me fall in love with this hero and I want more!
Discretion est le nouveau roman VO de Karina Halle et le héros est un célibataire français riche et héritier d’un énorme empire . Quand il va rencontrer notre héroïne , elle va chambouler sa vie et y apporter une fraîcheur et une sincérité qu’il n’a pas connu depuis très longtemps .
Olivier Dumont a tout pour être heureux : il est beau , les femmes se jettent à ses pieds et sa fortune est intarissable. Pourtant dès le prologue , on sent que sa vie n’est pas aussi idyllique qu’il n’y paraît . C’est d’ailleurs pour cette raison qu’il a fui la capitale pour le sud de la France . Dans cette ruelle , il va venir sauver cette jeune femme qui ne parle pas français et qui s’est blessée . J’ai aimé découvrir ce personnage car il est plein de surprises et il saura nous charmer au fil des pages . Il a ses failles et il va payer un lourd tribut le piteux choix qu’il a fait . Pourtant quand Sadie va entrer dans sa vie, il va devenir un autre homme et son entourage en aura très vite conscience . Son père Ludovic a beau lui mettre la pression pour reprendre les rênes de l’entreprise , il sentira que son fils pourrait être enfin heureux. Sa sœur Seraphine est aussi un sacré numéro et elle saura pointer du doigt les évidences . Pourra t il affronter ses cousins et son oncle pour enfin laisser le passé derrière lui ?
Sadie Reynolds est une jeune femme de 23 ans qui a décidé de faire le tour de l’Europe avec seulement un sac à dos . Le plan de départ était de le faire avec son petit ami Tom mais quand elle découvrira que son honnêteté à son égard n’a pas été à la hauteur de ses espoirs , elle va tout de même continuer seule . Elle va faire face au danger mais telle une princesse en détresse elle sera aidée par un preux chevalier qui va mettre sa vie sans dessus dessous . Elle va découvrir un univers qui est à des années lumières du sien et pourtant elle saura trouver sa place. L’alchimie entre elle et Olivier est évidente et elle prendra des risques en restant à ses côtes . Non seulement sa vie est pleine de danger mais son cœur pourrait lui aussi connaître des rebondissements incroyables. Pourra t elle tout laisser de côté et sa vie à Seattle pour vivre son conte de fées ?
Bref , j’ai passé un bon moment de lecture avec ce premier tome de la saga des Dumont . Le prochain tome se focalisera sur Blaise et Seraphine et je suis donc sûre que nous passerons un excellent moment au cœur d’une intrigue aussi palpitante que celle ci .
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.
I’m a huge fan of Karina Halle and I couldn’t wait for this new series to come out. The Dumont Series starts off with a bang!
Karina has delivered a book with so many emotions, so many twists and turns, mysteries and two people falling in love.
Sadie Reynolds is backpacking through Europe, she started off with her boyfriend, but after finding out he was a cheater she was alone. One night she is saved by a handsome Frenchman. As these two start to learn about each other, outside forces make it hard for them. Olivier has a secret he’s hiding and he’s being blackmailed by his Uncle and cousin. (I felt like the reason for the blackmail wasn’t as big of a deal than they make it out as. That’s just my opinion.) All hell breaks loose and we watch as these two pick each other over everything.
These two main characters have such great chemistry and their sexy scenes are hot! I really enjoyed this book and was glad that these two got their happily ever after.
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.
Very good Romance with a bit of drama and suspense
I liked the thorough background and build up of the characters and storyline as well as the romance between the two main characters. This starts out with a forewarn ten years prior where the main character Olivier Dumont, a rich playboy does something terrible that his uncle finds out about but Olivier doesn’t want the rest of his family, especially his father to know. He seems afraid of his uncle like he is some sort of Mob boss or fearsome guy, so he agrees to sign some sort of contract for his uncles silence.
Forward ten years and Olivier rescues a girl, Sadie, from a mugging. Sadie is backpacking through Europe on her own after being finding out her ex was cheating on her. She is nearly broke and has hurt her ankle. Olivier takes her to the hospital and since she missed her train, he puts her up at one of the hotels he runs for his family’s business.
The budding romance between Olivier and Sadie is set against the background of France and Olivier’s family issues as the time to make a decision on the contract he signed ten years ago is up soon. His uncle is pressuring him and he is feeling guilty. The book was very good, but some of the problems in the book seemed blown out of proportion in my opinion. It seemed like the uncle’s blackmail on Olivier was sort of weak and if I were the guy I would have just told my father and family. The uncle was also saying it would destroy the company reputation, but in this day and age that also seems pretty weak.
Other than that, I think the book was pretty good. It seems like it is set up for a possible sequel and I would read another because both the writing and the storytelling are good and inventive.
I’ve read one other book by Karina Halle–My Life In Shambles–and in my heart it’s going to be hard to surpass that one since it is one of my favorite romances ever.
But this book is good, don’t get me wrong. It’s a romance and there are personal journeys taking place, but it’s also about intrigue and deception. It has action, mystery, exotic settings and completely lovable main characters. Olivier is yummy and Sadie is resourceful and totally relatable. My favorite scene is in the Mediterranean on the boat. I won’t ruin it for you but it’s pure romantic fantasy.
Although this story is complete and can be read as a standalone, I feel compelled to read the second book in the series in order to dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s.
If you want a love story that you can embrace, mixed with some action and intrigue and fabulous settings, you should enjoy this one.
A chance encounter that turns into a whirlwind romance. This was not what I was expecting but once we got to know Olivier and his dysfunctional family we realize he has some skeletons in the closet and there are reasons for everything.
Wonderful book! I can’t wait to read the sequel.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read by Karina Halle. The storyline was unique and intriguing, the characters were wonderful and the ending had me with heart eyes.
I really liked Olivier and Sadie together. I loved their chemistry and banter. Everything between them was raw and natural and unapologetically honest. They were able to be their true selves around one another. Something Olivier hadn’t has the pleasure of experiencing his entire life.
This read had a ton of drama and suspense. The family feuds were ruthless. I couldn’t stand a single person in Olivier’s extender family beyond his father and siblings. They were all so self absorbed and merciless.
Sadie’s story was not only heartbreaking but deeply emotional and traumatic. Her past made her who she was and built her into the strong and independent woman she’d grown to be. Her love and compassion for her mother who was mentally ill, proved what a good person she was to her core. I felt a connection with her character and wanted to see her find true happiness.
I can’t wait to read the other books in this series! I became quite enamored with Olivier’s siblings and their thriving family business.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Avid Reader –
2.5 stars
M/F Romance
Olivier comes from a loving family. However, he also comes from a family that is so wealthy, that greed within his extended family is prevalent. With a mistake he made when he was very young, Olivier has been living under a cloud since then. Despite his success as a hotelier, he knows that his family’s true business – clothing and fashion – is something that he will never truly want. Olivier isn’t sure of anything he wants. He whines a lot of the story.
Sadie is a roaming student who has found herself wandering alone, rather than with her boyfriend. Even though she isn’t the most experienced traveler, she wants to continue on with her adventure, despite her cheating boyfriend. I really enjoyed her outlook on things. But when Sadie finds herself in danger, when those little hairs stick up and she realizes that it might have been a mistake to travel alone.
When danger brings Sadie into Olivier’s circle, neither of them realize how much they will grow to mean to each other. They also don’t realize that Olivier’s family is even more dangerous than her original situation.
This book was not a great romance. Sadie started out a strong female character and after she hurt her ankle, her personality change threw me. She became less the woman who began the book and more a star-struck young adult character who can’t figure out how to think for herself.
Olivier was supposed to be this worldly man who owns his own business, but he really came off as someone who was so sheltered, that he didn’t really understand the world. It felt that this book was more about people finding themselves and in that, maybe figuring out where they fit into the world. I think this would have been more successful as a mystery rather than a romance. The family mystery gave the story a more dangerous feel to it and made the story much more interesting. I do hope that in the next installments, we find out answers to some of the questions that were left hanging in book one, but this is in no way a cliffhanger.
Possible Triggers: Cheating, Blackmail, Attempted Murder, Attempted Rape, mention of mental health issues
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This book as many twist and turns snd covers a very wide range of issues families deal with no matter their social status. It have poverty, depression, wealth, love, scandals, traditions, crazy family members, throw in some organized crime connections for a whirlwind read. You never know what the characters will be going through as the book progresses. The love scene are steamy and making you want more, you can feel the connection when they finally open their hearts to each other with no walls or secrets.
You go a journey with Sadie as she starts her backpacking trip through Europe with her college boyfriend, who she dumps during the trip.. She continues are travels alone staying at hostels and learning to be alone and surviving for the reminder of her trip on a very limited budget. She falls literally into the path of Oliver Dumont (she has no clue who he is), he rescues her in many ways and in the many ways she resuced him right back. They have trust issues, which with their past is understandable and time is not always on their sides. Their connection is beyond words, they have this feeling of being long lost lovers almost, like destiny put them on this path to find each other. They don’t have the easy path ahead but that doesn’t seem to stop their love.
This is the first on the Dumont series, I can’t wait to see what Karina has in store for the next one. I can only hope for a good girl bad boy love story. We will have to wait and see.
This was a great way to start this series. I recommend this book and this author. I look forward to the next book in this series.
I enjoyed Discretion right off the bat, but I didn’t really FEEL Karina in this book, if that makes any sense.
Sadie and Olivier had a whirlwind romance, that I’m sure many of us have dreamed of. I mean, who wouldn’t want a handsome, rich French man to sweep you off your feet? Even though it felt a little rushed where their relationship was concerned, I really liked Sadie and Olivier. Their chemistry was pretty steaming too!! I would’ve liked if there were more moments of them getting to know each other better and me falling in love with them even MORE.
Those two were pretty much the only likable/redeemable characters I thought. I wanted to see some of the “bad guys” get what was coming to them. Maybe it’ll happen in the future books? Here’s hoping!!!
Even though Discretion ended with a lot of my questions and wonders unanswered, I’m still anxious to see how the rest of the books will play out!!!
I ADORE Karina Halle. Her stories are always so swoony and the settings never fail to be anything but perfect. That is no less true with this story! How can you NOT fall in love when you’re in the Riviera?
Oliver is a perfect book boyfriend, despite his secrets and past. Maybe because of them? Is that what makes them so lovable sometimes? Probably. Sadie is having a really rough time and has been backpacking around Europe. Oliver ends up as her White Knight because of some circumstances in her travels. Enter DRAMA, adventure, more drama and intrigue with a side of steamy love scenes and heavy romance.
As always, I enjoyed the ride! Recommend!