Disavow (The Dumonts #3) by Karina Halle-a review

Disavow (The Dumonts #3) by Karina Halle-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N paper / Chapters Indigo paper /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 25, 2020

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, 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.

•••••••••

REVIEW:DISAVOW is the third and final instalment in Karina Halle’s contemporary, adult THE DUMONTS erotic, dark romance series focusing on the Dumont dynasty. This is Dumont fashion heir Pascal Dumont, and PA Gabrielle Caron’s story line. DISAVOW can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and history.

SOME BACKGROUND: Several months earlier Ludovic Dumont, of the Dumont fashion dynasty died under mysterious circumstances, and in the aftermath his brother Gautier has all but removed any trace of Ludovic’s heirs from the family business. But all is not well in the Dumont family, with the return of Gabrielle Caron, the long-time maid’s only daughter.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Pascal and Gabrielle) DISAVOW follows the return of Gabrielle Caron to the house of horrors she experienced in her youth. Eight years earlier Gabrielle’s life was destroyed by Gautier Dumont, and in the ensuring years Gabrielle went to college, and planned for the future. Fast forward to present day wherein Gabrielle’s return forces Pascal to look at the bigger picture, a dysfunctional family whose own members can not be trusted, and have been destroyed by sins of the past. What ensues is the slow building romance between Gabrielle and Pascal, and the potential fall-out as Gautier Dumont is determined to destroy what’s left of our story line heroine.

The Dumont family has been torn apart by secrets and greed. With the mysterious death of Ludovic Dumont his own heirs have been shoved to the side but have managed to succeed on their own. With the return of Gabrielle Caron, Pascal Dumont’s struggles with issues of trust, but none more so when Gabrielle reveals the truth behind her unexpected return.

The relationship between Gabrielle and Pascal begins as a business arrangement when Pascal struggles to keeps a PA and maid. Gabrielle is reluctant to take on the position that places her in the direct line of fire, but a position that can also ensure close contact with her mother who continues to work for the Dumont family. Pascal’s slow seduction of our story line heroine forces Gabrielle to struggle between head and heart knowing that what she is about to do will destroy them all. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

All of the previous story line couples return in cameo roles, as well as the return of Gauthier Dumont, his long suffering wife; and Gabrielle’s mother Jolie Caron.

DISAVOW is a story of extreme family dysfunction; of secrets, lies, power and abuse; of forgiveness, acceptance, murder and love. The premise is entertaining and engaging; the characters are energetic, ruthless and desperate; the romance is seductive and captivating.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Discretion
Disarm

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Goodreads /Website /Twitter /Facebook /

Karina Halle is a former travel writer & music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author of The Swedish Prince, The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Bad at Love & over 45 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her adopted pup Bruce, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by Root Literary and is both self-published and published by Atria Books/Simon & Schuster and Hachette. Her books have been published in France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel and Croatia.

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Disarm (The Dumonts 2) by Karina Halle-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway tour

Disarm (The Dumonts #2) by Karina Halle-Review, Excerpt, Q&A, and Giveaway tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 19, 2019

Seraphine Dumont seems to have it all: she’s gorgeous, brilliant, and part of one of France’s most illustrious dynasties. But underneath the facade, Seraphine struggles to hold it all together. Besides grieving her adoptive father’s suspicious and sudden death, she also shares a tenuous role in the family business with Blaise, her in-name-only cousin. As tumultuous as their history is, he may be the only member of the deceptive Dumont family she can trust.

Seraphine is a temptation Blaise can’t resist. The torch he’s carried for years still burns. It’s his secret—a quiet obsession just out of reach. Until his brother demands that he spy on the increasingly cagey Seraphine, whom their father considers a dispensable Dumont outlier. But the more Blaise watches her and the closer he gets, the more he sees Seraphine may have every right to be suspicious. And she could be the next one in danger—from his own family.

As blood runs hot and hearts give in, Seraphine and Blaise have only each other. But can their love survive the secrets they’re about to uncover?

•••••••••

REVIEW:DISARM is the second instalment in Karina Halle’s contemporary , adult THE DUMONTS erotic, romance series focusing on the wealthy Dumont family of France. This is twenty-nine year old Blaise Dumont, and twenty-six year old Seraphine Dumont’s story line. DISARM can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and cohesion.

SOME BACKGROUND: Several months earlier Ludovic Dumont, of the Dumont fashion dynasty died under mysterious circumstances, and in the aftermath his brother Gautier has all but removed any trace of Ludovic’s heirs from the family business.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Blaise and Seraphine) using present day and memories from numerous timelines in the past, DISARM follows the forbidden relationship between cousins twenty-nine year old Blaise Dumont, and twenty-six year old Seraphine Dumont. Adopted at nine year’s old Seraphine was welcomed into her new family but felt like an outcast when it really mattered. Over the course of several years and several face to face confrontations, Seraphine would discover that her cousin Blaise was the only member of their extended family who accepted Seraphine for who she was, until the day her pushed Seraphine out of his life. Fast forward to present day wherein, Seraphine, the only member of her immediate family still employed by the Dumont Fashion House of France, begins a search for the people she believes killed her father, and betrayed the family. Enter Blaise Dumont, the man with whom Seraphine will fall in love. What ensues is the search for the truth, and the potential fall-out as Serpahine has caught the attention of everyone involved.

The Dumont Fashion House of France hides many secrets behind the illustrious parties and fashion line debuts. From illicit affairs to murder the Dumonts are no strangers to controversy but Seraphine Dumont is front and center when secrets and lies force our heroine to take matters into her hands. Blaise Dumont has loved Seraphine Dumont since the day his aunt and uncle brought her into the family. A forbidden love that forced Blaise to step away when his secret is discovered by the brother whose own actions and allegiance is questionable and wrong.

The relationship between Blaise and Seraphine struggles in the face of the forbidden. With her brothers now living in America, and her parents dead under mysterious circumstances, Seraphine feels abandoned when she needs them the most. Several attempts on her life including threats from an unlikely source find Blaise protector and guardian of his cousin Seraphine, a young woman who stole his heart, years before. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Seraphine’s ruthless uncle Gauthier, and arrogant cousin Pascal. Her brothers Olivier (Discretion#1), and Renaud are more or less absent from the ongoing story line. Pascal’s story line is next in Disavow.

DISARM is a story of family, betrayal, secrets and lies; of vengeance and murder; power and control. The premise is engaging and captivating; the characters are energetic and colorful ; the romance is seductive. DISARM is story of dysfunctional family dynamics in the face of public perception, and private h*ll.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one DISCRETION

Copy supplied by Netgalley

reviewed by Sandy

 

“We can never be together, Blaise,” Seraphine says, like frustration is rolling through her. “I know you understand that.”“But it doesn’t mean we can’t try.”

“No,” she says and suddenly gets up to her feet, walking out of the room. “No. I can’t do this. I can’t handle this,” I hear her cry out as she heads down the hall.

I get up and run after her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her right up against me, and she opens her mouth to protest and then my mouth is on hers, swallowing her words.

I kiss her with everything I have, every bit of anger and frustration and the years of lust and pining and wanting. I should be more gentle after the night she’s had, but I can’t help myself; in fact, I think I’m seconds from turning into an animal as I hold the back of her head and press my hand at the small of her waist, keeping her pressed as close to me as possible.

Her tongue slides across mine, hot and fevered and—

She pulls back, gasping for breath, and slaps me across the face.

Whack.

That hurt.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she says. “What are you doing? What am I doing?”

Her face is red with anger, perhaps even shame. I mean, my cheek is stinging from her powerful wallop, but even so, I expected it. She’s always been the type of woman to put you in your place. But I didn’t expect her to slide so easily back into hating me.

“Don’t pretend you haven’t been dreaming about that,” I tell her, trying to control myself. “Don’t pretend that you haven’t wanted that, wanted me, all these years.”

“The only thing I’ve been dreaming about, Blaise, is getting justice for my father. That’s it. That’s all that matters. And as far as I’m concerned, you’re no better than the rest of them.”

Anger pokes at me, building up inside. “Hey,” I say, my inflection razor sharp. “I risked my neck tonight for you. I saved you from a bad situation. And more than that, I let you know the truth. I chose you over my family.”

“And I’m choosing not to trust you,” she says. “You’ve given me no sign over the years that I mean anything to you at all. Why should I believe you now? Why do that when it might derail everything I’m working on?” Something comes over her, a flash in her eyes, as she’s realizing something. “This is all a setup, isn’t it? This is just something that Pascal is having you do, just like you followed me. You’re supposed to tell me all this nonsense about wanting me and staying celibate like some joke and waiting for me, and it’s all a lie to get my guard down. If you’re telling me I’m in danger, it’s because you’re putting me there.”

I knew she’d go this route at some point, but even so, it stings. “That’s not it at all. Seraphine, please, I’m serious.”

“You just want me to back off because I’m close to the truth,” she says, shaking her head wildly as the idea takes over. “For all I know, every single thing this evening that’s come out of your mouth has been a complete lie, all to throw me off.”

I run my hands down my face, trying to squash my frustration. I knew this was coming, and yet that tiny coal of hope was always burning inside. “That’s not true,” I mutter into my hands, but I know when she gets like this that there’s no changing her mind.

“Get out,” she says.

I look up to see her opening the door and gesturing for me to hurry up.

“You’re making a big mistake by not trusting me,” I tell her.

“And I don’t take threats very well. Get out, and if I see you around me again . . .”

I almost laugh. “You will see me again. At work tomorrow.”

“Right. I almost forgot that you’re taking over my job.” She runs her fingers under her eyes and sighs so defeatedly that leaving her feels like a crime.

“It’s not like that,” I tell her.

“Just go,” she says quietly, holding open the door and looking away, like she can’t be bothered to face me.

“You know where to reach me, if anything happens,” I tell her as I walk past and out into the hall.

“If anything happens, you’ll be the first one I’ll blame,” she says to me.

Before I can say anything in response, she closes the door in my face.

 


 

NOTE: Q & A supplied by the publisher

1. To start off, can you tell us a little about your main characters from Disarm. Seraphine and Blaise have quite a history (not to mention they share the same last name!)

Seraphine and Blaise Dumont are (gasp) cousins. But not to worry, they aren’t blood-related. Seraphine is actually from India and was adopted by Ludovic Dumont when she was a young girl. Even though she was brought into the “nice” side of the family, she has always had trouble fitting in. Her looks, her accent, the fact that she was born poor and discarded like trash, gives her a very different perspective to life than her affluent family. This POV has colored her into the very outspoken, vibrant and feisty woman she is today – she is definitely one of my favorite female characters I’ve written.

Blaise, of course, belongs to the bad side of the family, though there were hints in the first book, Discretion, that he’s not as bad as you would think. In fact, he’s a lot like Seraphine, a bit of an outcast and the black sheep of his family. As we read Disarm, we also discover the history that Blaise and Seraphine have together which sets up for the angst, tension and hate for each other that they have in the present day, especially as Seraphine thinks Blaise has something to do with her father’s death.

2. They live in a world of privilege that most of us cannot fathom. What are the biggest pluses and some minuses of living with fabulous wealth?

The biggest plus is the material things: houses, cars, clothes, jets, vacations. You name it, they have it. You would also think a great deal of freedom comes with money too and it does but with that sort of wealth, it makes you go to great lengths to keep it. So that freedom still ties you to the wealth, in maintaining it and getting more of it. Of course, it breeds some pretty out of touch and unscrupulous characters, too, and you can never know who to trust when your world (and family) revolves around money instead of love.

3. What about Blaise makes him totally unique and different from all other book boyfriends?

The torch he has carried for Seraphine for so many years. This man is the epitome of yearning and pining for someone you can’t have, more so than most book boyfriends you’ve come across (and I won’t spoil exactly how but you’ll find out in the book just how secretly devoted to his cousin he is). He’s also an anti-hero, a man who has done some crooked stuff but still tries to do the right thing, even if it comes at the expense of his own family.

4. Seraphine has faced many difficulties during her life, but one of her toughest challenges is thinking Blaise abandoned her. How does she deal with this heartbreak?

She deals with it the way that Seraphine deals with any hardship—she tucks it away deep down inside and rises above it. She’ll force herself to be strong – her pride is very powerful – and she’ll trick herself into thinking she never cared about him to begin with. It’s much easier to paint Blaise with a villainous brush, that way it doesn’t hurt so much.

5. Extreme events are said to bring out a person’s true character. What harrowing situations do Seraphine and Blaise get entangled in and what does this say about them?

There isn’t anything more extreme than fighting for your life, and the two of them have had to do that in this book. Literally. But they willingly walked into those situations as a way to put an end to the tangled web they’ve been caught in. It says they would rather face it and fight than flee. This is especially true for Blaise, who, at the end of the book, choses to confront his loved ones face to face, even if it potentially means making some difficult choices.

6. What scene from the book do you think readers will enjoy the most and why?

Personally, I love the scene at the end, a nail-biting showdown between Blaise and his brother Pascal (and his father, too). That was a blast to write and read, I basically just watched it all unfold in my head and it had my heart pumping as if I was watching a movie. It’s DELICIOUS. Romance-wise, I think the flashbacks are pretty special, particularly their first kiss in Italy. There was something about that scene that felt so real.

7. It is often said that writing is re-writing. What were some things that didn’t make it into the book that you were hoping to add?

Nothing. It’s all in there, baby! If anything, scenes were added during edits.

8. What did you learn about yourself while writing this book?

I learned a lot about Muay Thai fighting moves haha.

9. What do you want readers to take away from reading this book?

That family isn’t just through blood, and that sometimes in order to do the right thing and be your own person, you musn’t be afraid to stand up to your family, even if it means tension or separation down the line.

10. Who is the next Dumont on your list to receive their own story?

The infamous Pascal. And believe me when I say, this villain’s story will both wow and win people over. His book is even more thrilling and dramatic than Disarm and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

Follow: Goodreads /Website /Twitter /Facebook /

Karina Halle is a former travel writer & music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author of The Swedish Prince, The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Bad at Love & over 45 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her adopted pup Bruce, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by Root Literary and is both self-published and published by Atria Books/Simon & Schuster and Hachette. Her books have been published in France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel and Croatia.

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Discretion (The Dumonts #1) by Karina Halle-Review & Excerpt Tour

Discretion (The Dumonts #1) by Karina Halle-Review & Excerpt Tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 6, 2019

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

•••••••••

REVIEW: DISCRETION is the first instalment in Karina Halle’s contemporary, adult THE DUMONTS erotic, romance series focusing on the wealthy Dumont family of France. This is thirty year old, eldest son Olivier Dumont, and twenty-three year old, American college student Sadie Reynolds’ story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Sadie and Olivier) DISCRETION follows the building romance between thirty year old, eldest son Olivier Dumont, and twenty-three year old, American college student Sadie Reynolds. Sadie Reynolds found herself alone in Europe after discovering her boyfriend Tom had cheated back home. By herself, struggling to make ends meet, Sadie will come face to face with her future following an attempted robbery wherein our heroine is rescued by the man with whom she will fall in love. Enter billionaire hotelier and heir to the Dumont fashion house of France, Olivier Dumont. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Olivier and Sadie, and the potential fall-out as the dysfunctional Dumont family forces Sadie to run to protect the man that she loves.

Sadie Reynolds was on vacation in Europe with her boyfriend when her best friend called to say she discovered Sadie’s man had been having an affair. Alone, and without support, Sadie travels from hostel to hostel until someone attacks leaving Sadie injured, and in need of help. Olivier Dumont hides a secret that is about to implode his well-organized world, a secret that will affect his relationship with our story line heroine- the woman with whom he is hoping to spend the rest of his life. A scandal that could potentially split the House of Dumont; a blackmail scheme that could have easily been nipped in the bud years before is about to come to fruition and upend Olivier’s life.

The relationship between Sadie and Olivier is one of immediate attraction but Sadie struggles with the difference between the haves (Dumonts) and the have-nots (Sadie). When Olivier offers Sadie the opportunity to remain in France until it is time to go home, Sadie jumps at the chance only to discover that all is not well within the Dumont dynasty. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Olivier’s sister Seraphine and brother Renaud, as well as their father Ludovic Dumont; Uncle Gautier, and Olivier’s cousins Pascal and Blaise.

DISCRETION is a story of family, betrayal, power and control. The premise is intriguing and entertaining; the characters are colorful, energetic and dynamic; the romance is steamy and hot. DISCRETION is a dramatic and interesting tale but several scenarios were not quite believable, and could have been dealt with in other ways.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

“Care to go for a swim?” Olivier asks, his tie now loose, his hands deftly unbuttoning his shirt.Oh God.

“Um,” I manage to say feebly, “I don’t have a bathing suit.”

“Go in your underwear.”

“I’m not wearing a bra.” He smirks. “I’ve noticed.” Then he shrugs off his jacket and shirt until he’s topless.

Even in the dim light, he’s a sight to behold. Wide, firm chest, rigid abs, those lickable Vs on the side of his hips—all wrapped up in a smooth golden package.

Speaking of package, now his fingers are undoing his belt, and I’m not sure I’m ready for what’s next.

“I’m going in,” he tells me. “You’re free to join me. I highly advise a dip in the Mediterranean. The sea salt here is good for your soul.”

I’ll tell you what else is good for the soul: watching Olivier Dumont take off his clothes, that’s what. The sound as he undoes his zipper is so loud it seems to bounce off the waves.

I quickly avert my eyes, even though the temptation to stare is overwhelming, and then he moves into my vision: his perfect shoulders, back, and, yes, one hell of an ass, all lit by the soft moonlight.

He stops just at the stern of the ship, climbs over the railing, and with one quick smile back at me over his shoulder, swan-dives naked into the sea with barely a splash.

I get up and scramble over as quickly as I can with my ankle and peer over the side.

He’s swimming and grinning up at me, his wet hair pushed off his face. But that’s not the only thing that’s taking my breath away.

The water around him is lit up, like the moon’s glow has saturated it. The light continues out from around him along the dark waves, like cool white trails snaking through the sea.

“It’s called une mer de lait,” he says. “The sea of milk. It’s bioluminescence from a type of Mollusca.”

“It’s magical,” I say breathlessly, trying to soak it all in. “We have something like this in the Pacific Northwest, but it’s more blue and green. This is like . . . you’re swimming in the Milky Way.”

“Doesn’t it make you want to jump in?”

It does. And so does the fact that he’s so effortlessly bobbing in the waves.

“Is it safe?”

“Very much so.”

“Warm?”

“Bien sûr.”

I think about it for a minute. “What about my ankle?”

“You can use the steps and platform at the back, just there. Unwrap your ankle so the bandage doesn’t get wet, and we’ll put it back on you after.”

“And my lack of bathing suit?”

“I just went in naked.”

“I didn’t see anything,” I tell him quickly.

“No? That’s a shame. It was the whole point.”

I smile, feeling extremely giddy all of a sudden, like everything inside me is fired up and ready to go. Fuck yes, I’m going in.

“Okay,” I tell him, walking around to the back, where there’s a step leading down to a wide wooden swimming platform. I sit down on the step and start unwrapping my ankle. “But you have to turn around when this dress comes off.”

“You do know by now that most women in France swim and sunbathe topless anyway?”

“And you know by now that I am not a Frenchwoman, nor am I most women,” I tell him, pulling the rest of the bandage off and setting it aside before easing up to my feet. “Okay, turn around now.”

He sighs but pivots in the water so he’s facing the shore. I quickly reach down and slip off my underwear, not wanting to get them wet, then unzip my dress and pull it over my head. I toss it back on the deck and look to see if he’s peeking.

To his credit, he’s not, but he is letting out a sly whistle of sorts as if he might have been earlier.

“You better not have seen anything,” I warn him as I hobble over to the edge.

“My imagination is pretty good at filling in the blanks,” he says, and I can hear the grin on his face. “Though I have no doubt it won’t do it justice for when I see the real thing.”

“When?” I repeat with a dry laugh, but inside a million fireworks are going off.

Time to take the literal plunge.

There’s nothing as nerve-racking as the moment before you’re about to jump, when something goes from a concept that you’ve talked about and considered to a real, actual thing. It’s scary. It doesn’t matter if it’s taking your first trip overseas or jumping into the Mediterranean Sea at night. The abstract becomes your reality, and it’s happening.

So I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and jump.

 


 

Follow: Goodreads /Website /Twitter /Facebook /

Karina Halle is a former travel writer & music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author of The Swedish Prince, The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Bad at Love & over 45 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her adopted pup Bruce, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by Root Literary and is both self-published and published by Atria Books/Simon & Schuster and Hachette. Her books have been published in France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel and Croatia.

 

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