***3.5 Stars***

Is it a bad thing that I found myself more interested in the mystery and suspense side of things and Pascal, than I was in Seraphine and Blaise?

It’s probably a “No.” when it comes to the mystery/suspense side and an eyebrow raise when it comes to Pascal, but truth is truth.

I didn’t not like Seraphine and Blaise, I actually did like them. Seraphine is strong and determined, even when her insecurities rear their ugly heads. I didn’t always agree with some of her choices, but I could never fault her for wanting to find out all that happened with her father. Blaise was an interesting one. I liked seeing him finally find his backbone when it came to his brother and father, something he didn’t have for awhile ~ though I understood why he chose the path he did ~ so I was pleasantly surprised when he did find it and became the man he truly wanted to be.

As for their relationship/journey to their HEA. First thing:the fact that they were cousins, Seraphine was adopted, didn’t bother me in any way. I did like that they attempted to not step over that line, but as the flashbacks showed, they were inevitable. But outside of that obstacle, I just found their journey to be a little flat. Not boring per se, it just couldn’t out do the suspense aspect for me. I liked them together and I like that they got their HEA in the end.

Then there is the mystery surrounding Ludovic’s death. I have to say, I’m good with how things played out for the most part. Nothing is resolved and a ton more questions are needing to be answered, but I liked how there is a lot more gray at play now.

This may not be my favorite book of the author’s, but it still has me intrigued enough to see how everything comes together in Disavow ~ especially when it comes to Pascal. So, here’s to hoping that the finale will bring me the closure I want.

~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Disarm as much as I enjoyed Discretion, the first book in this series, and overall, it was a pretty boring read.

While I read Discretion in two sittings, it took me more than two weeks to finish reading Disarm. I really loved Seraphine and Blaise in book one and was so excited to finally read their story. Since they've known each other for many years, this novel was a mixture of flashbacks to their childhood/teenage years and scenes from present day. The flashbacks were okay but overall very boring and made me kind of lose interest in Seraphine and Blaise. Furthermore, the present day scenes weren't really any better. Most of them really dragged on and I often found myself skimming passages of the novel. The scenes that were supposed to be a little more suspenseful and exciting felt pretty unrealistic, over the top and it was quite easy to predict how those scenes would unfold.

However, one of the reasons I kept reading this novel even though I wasn't really enjoying "Disarm" was that I was hoping I'd begin liking it a little more after Seraphine and Blaise had gotten together. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The way the two of them ultimately got together was pretty weird and quite disappointing. Also, when they finally admitted their feelings, they ended up having sex in an abandoned apartment and that whole scene in my opinion, was just very gross and they deserved better. So once they'd gotten together, I pretty much lost all interest in this novel. I mostly skimmed the rest of the book and was once again disappointed when the ending of this novel also wrapped up a little too easily.

I love Karina Halle's writing and will definitely keep reading her other books, but I won't be continuing this series.

i need to read the dumonts #1. I listened to this book and it was very good with the narrators chosen. I think this book was quite unexpected for me and i really need to keep reading this author. I say that every time i finish one of her books and somehow i havent read her entire backlist yet. I think her story was quite unique in this and i did not expect nearly half of the shenanigans this books entails. I reccomend this audible as it is a short one and enjoyable.

This is another great book in this series. I look forward to the next one.
I recommend this author and this series.

This series just keep getting better. Karina Halle is a must read author for me. Get ready for a roller coaster ride. This book was packed with scandal and secrets.

I am loving the Dumont family and all the complications that come with them. Seraphine was adopted into the Dumont family when her father died. She is looking for answers and won’t stop until she gets them.

Blaise was hard character for me to like at first but he quickly turned that around. He was going to make sure Seraphine was protected. I liked these two.

I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait for more in this series.

I have been getting a little bored with Romantic Suspense lately … same stories, different characters. But, Karina Halle wrote an interesting story that may not be for everyone but it was definitely for me. I enjoyed the storyline. I enjoyed the characters. Blaise marched to his own drummer. Seraphine wanted to follow the drum beat but was a little too suspicious until he proved to her that he was the one Dumont that could be trusted.
What may have started out as a family rivalry ended up with people dead. Family secrets unveiled. Who can be trusted? Who can’t? Will Seraphine be able to unravel the mystery or will she end up totally out of the business and possibly the next fatality? If her “Uncle” has his way, she’s gone. But, she will fight up until the bitter end, no matter the outcome. Seraphine had tenacity. She knew, deep down, that her father was murdered and her Uncle either did it himself or had it ordered. What she didn’t know was who was in on it all. Her brothers, no matter how much love was between them, abandoned her. She knew she couldn’t go to them with her suspicions, they would just want her to go to California. She was on her own. Blaise always wanted to be on his own.
He didn’t like his family. He didn’t trust his family. He was the black sheep that would never live up to his father’s expectations. He knew that early on in life and accepted it. His mother brought him back into the fold. But, at what cost? He has always been obsessed with his “cousin” Seraphine. She was different. She was always caring, compassionate. She was one of the few people who knew. Then he messed things up. Now, he has to tell her the truth, get her to trust him so that he could protect the only woman who he has ever loved.
I truly enjoyed the intrigue that was laid out in this story. Karina Halle did a great job of holding my interest in the story. She had me trying to figure out Blaise’s angle and I loved how she showed his true colors. And, those of his father and brother. Maybe there is some salvation for Pascal. I didn’t like how Oliver and Renaud couldn’t be relied on … that was a bit disappointing. And, I definitely didn’t like Blaise in the beginning but, he won me over. Actually he had me going in several directions … feeling sorry for him, then despising him, then loving him. And that is one of the reasons why I enjoyed this story.

Once again, Karina Halle delivered a stunning and HOT book cover. The first book was not for me so I was a bit on the fence about reading Disarm but with such a cover I had to. I was not disappointed!
Seraphine is a great heroine and I love her determination to get answers . Seraphine and Blaise 's chemistry was so palpable and despite his family, their bond was stronger and stronger.
This book was full of angst and suspense, what a ride!!
I could not put it down.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Karina Halle is truly talented. I adore her writing style completely.
Disarm was no different. It was well-written, easy to follow, and such a great read.

A romantic thriller where the protagonists are ill-equipped to save the day, “Disarm” unveils the diabolical secrets of a privileged French family that can rival the Borgias in their notoriety.

Meet the Dumonts. For several generations their name rivals Chanel and Hermes when it comes to fashion, Lucien Barrière when it comes to luxury hotels and Moet & Chandon when it comes to wine.

Currently, the maison was in disarray. With the sudden death of Ludovic Dumont, the family’s patriarch, the Dumonts were in a state of flux. The two older children of Ludovic had gone to California where they are expanding the Dumont fortune.

Left in France are the other half of the Dumonts – Ludovic’s brother Gautier, who now had the majority stocks of the company which he got via a subtle hostile takeover, his two sons Pascal and Blaise, and Seraphine, the adopted daughter of Ludovic who believed that her father was murdered.

But, no one would believe her. So, taking matters on her own hand, Seraphine did some sleuthing on her own and found a few things that are questionable. So, she hired a private investigator which put Seraphine in the direct line of fire of shady characters.

Finding herself in danger, she had to trust someone or die. Her only choice was Blaise, whom she had a history. Their relationship as cousins since she was adopted had been tumultuous. And her knight in tarnished armor (instead of a shining one) was more complicated than she thought.

But before they could pursue whatever they were discovering about each other, they have to save their own lives first or they would not have any future.

As a romantic thriller “Disarm” gives you a different kind of adrenaline rush, the kind that reminded me of John Le Carre’s novels wherein the hero hurt and made mistakes. Though the pacing is not slow, it is not fast either like “The Fast and the Furious.” Halle feeds the story slowly, allowing readers to savor it before giving the punchline, thus the timing is perfect.

Narrators John Lane and Zara Hampton-Brown voiced Blaise and Seraphine perfectly. I love it that Lane gave Blaise that sexy French accent. Hampton-Brown was incredible as Seraphine. The English accent inner voice and the French accent for the speaking voice gave me clear indications of when Seraphine was in her head or when she is speaking with someone.

“Disarm” is Rated M for Mature due to violence and some sexual content.

Seraphine is grieving from the death of her stepfather and she doesn't believe it was an accidental death. Blaise is part of the Dumont family and the only one she can trust. He has an obsession with Seraphine and watches from afar. The twists and turns in this story were numerous and shocking. A really enjoyable read.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and am leaving a review.

My response is warmer than book one of the series however I still found it only mildly enjoyable. The past/present dual POV narrative is to blame for my tepid response. I don't believe I will continue on with this series should it be written.

Disarm is the second book in the series "The Dumonts" by author Karina Halle and I liked this book a lot more than the first.

Although this book tells the story of another couple, the narrative of the story itself continues from where the first book now stopped with Seraphine willing to discover and unmask his uncle. And I must say that I found the story more solid here than the first book. The conflict and suspense here really made sense of the story and was my favorite part.

The romance between Seraphine and Blaise worked here. Maybe because they already have a past and we can see what happened to them I liked to see the relationship dynamics between them, although I think that romance was not the central point here it was in the background and was a little run in the end I think it worked

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well written, the pilot had meaning and purpose and the chemistry and dynamics among the protagonists worked perfectly. And come the next book in this series to see what will happen next.

Happy release day to Disarm by Karina Halle! This is the second book in the Dumont series (the first was Discretion, which I reviewed here back in August). Halle is one of my favourite authors as she writes such great romances that are real, raw, and pretty addicting to read. I enjoyed Discretion and the story she set up but something about this particular novel that just didn't thrill me. And I'm so upset about that.

Here's the synopsis:
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?
I never like it when I don't like a book (does anyone?) and it's especially frustrating when I can't pinpoint why and it's by an author who I normally adore. This leads me to believe it's a weirdly personal reason that it didn't mesh with me which also makes it a really hard review to write. Most of the time I know why I don't like something or why a particular element throws me off and I've been at this long enough to not let it colour my review. This time? I don't want to keep you from reading the book but I also want to give my opinion. That's why I'm here in my little corner of the internet, after all.

I can say it wasn't the "forbidden" romance aspect of the novel that bothered me (as I anticipate it bothering other people but maybe I'm wrong). Seraphine and Blaise are cousins but not by blood and Seraphine didn't come into their family until she was nine or so (all the boys - Blaise, Olivier - who is featured in Discretion, and Pascal, Blaise's older brother and the focus of the third book - are all older than her). There was an attraction in Discretion that I picked up on and it continues into the second book. Some people might be put off by it but I rolled with it. So, no, that was not the issue.

It could have been the way it was written. The novel goes back and forth in time and also between points of view. We get Seraphine's and Blaise's perspectives in both past and present. It was a lot of back and forth and I found it a bit jarring. And while the jaunts into the past shed some light on a few things - like how Seraphine came to be adopted by the Dumonts' and one particular summer when they were in their late teens - I'm not sure they really added a whole lot.

Even though I wasn't totally head-over-heels in love with Disarm I still feel the need to finish the series because I want need to know what's going to happen with the family problems that have been the thread that ties the series together. I think I might be in the minority with my weird feelings on Karina Halle's latest so if you're intrigued by the storyline, check it out!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributors, Thomas Allen & Son, and an e-galley by Montlake Romance, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

I am a super fan of Karina Halle so I was beyond excited to see another book in this series!
Karina does not let down with Blaise and Seraphine’s story. I love these two!!! Not only is this book filled a steamy storyline there is a mystery plot twist that had me glued to my kindle.
I can not wait to read more from Karina!!!

Disarm is the second book in this interconnected series and what a suspenseful ride it was!

The story started with a bit of a background of Seraphine, when she was adopted to the Dumont family. It touched my heart how at a young age her need to belong in a family was finally answered. It makes me think that no wonder she is very loyal to her adopted family, they have never treated her badly and made her welcome. This loyalty extended until to the present time. She is now alone in a company that was founded by her father, now run by her villainous uncle and his sons, and it is up to her to fight to maintain the family’s legacy. Her two brothers were practically run out of the country by their uncle. She must keep her wits about her, as she suspects that her uncle had a hand on the demise of her father. Blaise, her cousin divulged his hatred for his father but can she trust him? Where does his loyalty lie?

OMG! What a ride! It was packed with more suspense as we get more embroiled with the Dumont family’s secrets, lies and betrayals. I loved the chemistry between Seraphine and Blaise. I was rooting for them so hard to finally be together! I didn’t think I’ll like Pascal, but I must be screwed in the head because I’m intrigued by him. Can’t wait for his book! Highly recommend this!

Another great read from Karina Halle. The “forbidden” trope and slow burn romance all tied into one. I continue to look forward to this series

I need more

Honestly, I like Disarm better than Discretion. It has a whole lot more intrigue and mystery. It also has a lot of forbidden love and I AM HERE FOR IT!

Seraphine and Blaise had chemistry up the wazoo and the way that Karina Halle introduces the history of Seraphine and Blaise was absolutely perfect. Seraphine was so strong in the face of danger. She knew herself and wouldn’t let anyone convince her she was wrong.

Blaise was sweet and protective without being stifling. He was willing to stand up to an abusive family for Seraphine even though she never gave him the time of day. The Dumont family was exposed entirely in this book. Disarm read more, a little bit anyways, like a mystery romance rather than a romance. It was intriguing and captivating and romantic and steamy and holy crap tell me there’s more.

Another book in this installment where I fell in love with the characters Author Karina Halle has created.
I loved Blaise & Seraphine's story.
It had just enough angst, love, mystery, and sexy times to keep me entertained.
This story vividly had me feeling like I was living the suspense that the characters were going through. I also love a good forbidden romance which this book delivered.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book.

I liked this one a little bit more than the first one. The only thing that I wasn’t to crazy about were all the past flashbacks. Some were kinda dragging for me, but all the present day stuff was good.

Seraphine and Blaise.......book 2 in The Dumont series.

I'm actually so intrigued and captivated by this family! No way I'd want to be a member of said family......but love reading about them!

Seraphine's Dad died and in mysterious circumstances, and she wants answers and who better to protect her than Blaise!

When I read they were cousins, I was feeling a bit ick, but felt better when I realised one was adopted!!!!

A slow burn romance with sweet moments. There was only one eye roll moment (which for me is good!) with the celibacy bit which I found a bit hard to believe. But Pascal....I wonder how that is going to turn out?!