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 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…
Title : Discretion
Author : Karina Halle
Series : The Dumonts #1
Format : eARC
Page Count : 288
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Montlake Romance
Release Date : August 6, 2019
Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★
2.5 -3 stars
I have to admit, requesting this arc was somewhat influenced by the cover, that guy just had some appeal and when I read the blurb it was definitely interesting. I mostly enjoy Karina Halle’s books but this one was a bit of a miss for me and I will try and explain why.
The Dumont family were alluring French designers and hoteliers. They were a rich and entitled set of two sides, one side of inscrupulous types and another side with some integrity. Olivier was a rescuer with a great accent when Sadie needed a knight. Their meeting had all the potential and promise. I really liked how they were from opposite sides of the track.
I could buy into their insta-attraction for a time but I didn’t buy into the emotional attachment that ensued rather quickly. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy or feel their connection when reading their physical relationship. I felt outside of the situation and not drawn in. I struggled to connect with either Olivier or Sadie on an individual level and so I felt separate from them as characters, with neither love nor hate.
What I did appreciate was the suspenseful element to the storyline although I do feel even that went a little far sometimes with the evil side of the family.
I think this will appeal to those seeking a quick, hot romantic suspense but unfortunately this wasn’t to my taste. Nevertheless, I know that Karina Halle is likely to write another book or series that will be.
Thank you to Montlake Romance and netgalley for the early review copy.
A Take from Two Cities 