A DIAMOND MAGNATE DARK ROMANCE NOVELSix years ago, Harold Dalton framed me for theft and sent me to jail to steal my diamond discovery. He gave his daughter to Jack Clarke in exchange for the excavation rights. Today, I’m walking free, and I’m coming for him with a vengeance. Six years of cruelty make beasts out of men. I’m going to take back what he stole from me, and more. I’m not interested in … interested in his properties or shares. I don’t want his small change. I want his biggest asset. Beautiful, mentally unstable, Angelina Dalton-Clarke.
Worth billions, she’s the wealthiest widow in the country, and also the craziest. Her self-harming tendencies had Jack declare her incompetent before he put a gun to his head and blew out his brains. Lina isn’t allowed to touch a cent of her riches. Her father manages her finances. He has all the signing power. As her husband, that chore will fall to me. But if she thinks I only want her for her money, she’s sadly mistaken.
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An epic dark romance with heart-breaking depth and sizzling sensuality! I loved it so freaking much! I was supposed to be writing, but I started reading this book and I couldn’t stop until I devoured the whole thing! Wow, just wow! I loved everything about this story—it’s hot and deep, tragic and uplifting at the same time. I’m simply blown away! Oh, and it’s crazy long and satisfying, 2 books in 1. Highly recommend!
Damian is a man betrayed and will stop at nothing to have his revenge. He wants to take back all that was stolen from him, and no one will stop him from taking the most precious asset of his enemy, the beautiful Angelina. She’s a wealthy widow and mentally unstable, or so people believe. But as Damian claims her as his own, truths will be revealed and Damian and Lina must face their enemies if they want to have a future together! Damian has rage in his heart but he can’t resist his feelings for Lina! Lina is a strong woman, who’s been through hell but she’s determined to fight for her right to love and happiness. Damian becomes a better man through his love for her! This book is dark and a true page turner, filled with passion and so much emotion! The characters must struggle to get to the light but their love becomes stronger! Damian and Lina’s story is unforgettable!
I LOVE all of Charmaine Pauls books and everytime I read one I say that is her BEST so far…well Beauty in the Broken is her BEST so far and the best book I have read this year!
Lina has such a tragic and broken life. She has endured so much. And now here comes Damian back in her life. He treats her, and their marriage, brutally and dreadfully. Anger can make a man do unthinkable things.
All Lina wants is her freedom and rights. Is that too much to ask for?
Bad things keep happening to Lina and through it all she stays true to who she is and what she wants.
And I must say here that Damian avenges the wrongs that have been done to Lina in his own way. I just wish Anne and Zane would have been punished severely.
I absolutely recommend this book!!
Beauty in the Broken by Charmaine Pauls is a standalone, contemporary dark romance. Told in dual POV from an extremely possessive anti-hero and a heroine who is a true survivor, this book was absolutely phenomenal! The plot was great, the writing was excellent, truly a GREAT read! Charmaine Pauls is a new-to-me author and I must say I am blown away, where has she been hiding?! Oh and the best part, NO cliffhanger!
Six years ago a twenty-two-year-old boy walked into a dinner party with an idea and hope. That same night he met a young girl that he would never forget, she was kind to him when no one else was. But that night was also the catalyst to his downfall. That young girl’s father, along with his high-dollar friends, set him up.
Damian Hart just spent six years in prison for a crime that he didn’t commit. Now he’s out and he wants revenge on the man that put him there and anyone else who was involved.
Harold Dalton, had Damian arrested for a theft that he didn’t commit. Damian plans on taking everything that Harold holds dear, including his mentally unstable daughter.
“I’m not the twenty-two-year-old man who walked through this door in a threadbare shirt. I’m a man in an eighty-thousand-rand suit, a man with a vendetta.”
Angelina Dalton is left a widow when the man her father traded her off to for mineral rights dies suddenly. Angelina inherits Jack Clarke’s money but she can’t touch a single dime of it because she’s been declared mentally unstable. With Lina’s money and all access to it as her husband, Damian will be able to get back his diamond mine AND end Harold for good.
Lina remembers that boy from all those years ago, but the man before her today isn’t that same boy. Now he’s cold, ruthless, and unreachable. But what Damian doesn’t know is a lot has happened in those six years while he was away, and he’s not the only one who’s changed.
The only problem is, the more Damian gets to know Angelina, the more torn he becomes. His feelings for her are getting in the way of his need to punish her for the sins that he feels her family committed against him.
“You married me for money and sex. If you have both, why not let me go? What more could you possibly want?” “For you to need me like food and water.”
Damian is the guy you will love to hate. He’s dark, dangerous, and extremely possessive of Lina. My favorite kind of anti-hero Damian does enjoy BDMS play and he does “punish” her using these methods. At times it may seem he goes a little overboard but I think he was well aware of her limits and even though he may have pushed them, he didn’t cross them more than once.
Lina, God that girl is a survivor, her determination is something worth mentioning for sure, she will and would do absolutely anything for that one single piece of information. It broke my heart reading about all the suffering and abuse that she’s been through, the one good thing is that even though we KNOW about it, it’s mostly in the past tense.
There was a little bit of OM/OW drama, both of whom were lusting after Damian but luckily, he wanted no parts of either of them.. yea it’s definitely an interesting story and the way it plays out… WOW!
That ending, I most definitely shed a few tears, especially right after the rooftop scene…
I absolutely loved this book, I would totally give it more than 5-stars and I rarely ever say that! Again, this is my first read from Charmaine Pauls and I was blown away, I have no idea how I’ve been missing her but I plan to rectify that ASAP!
If you are looking for a dark, angsty, slow burn romance with a totally possessive anti-hero hell-bent on getting vengeance and a heroine who’s a strong as hell survivor, then PLEASE check out Beauty in the Broken!
I HIGHLY recommend!!!
I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book.
This is what I call one hell of a story. Love reading this couple story Damian and Lina has gone through so much pain so much betrayal. But even in their most dark moments they found a love that was all kinds of beautiful all kinds of possessive that they just made me fall in love with them. This was a beautiful broken journey this couple have to take to find their happy ever after. I love every single moment of this story.
OHHH MY !!! Excellent !
In Johannesburg, South Africa :
Damian Hart just got out of prison.
For ten years he has been fine-tuning his revenge : to eliminate Harold Dalton, the man who sent him to prison.
But before that, he’s going to make him suffer slowly and take everything from him, starting with his only daughter : Angelina Dalton-Clarke…
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A FAVORITE for this unique and beautiful dark romance !
The author’s writing is detailed, hypersensitive, addictive, very enjoyable to read.
The story is absolutely captivating , even breathtaking, with many twists and turns.
And the “ice on the cake” are the main characters, Damian and Lina, absolutely perfect in their respective roles : bubbling, hypersensitive, tortured, twisted, on the nerves…
And above all, a dark romance in the image of the couple : blubbling and twisted… but in all this, Love has invited itself…
A UNIQUE reading that takes your breath away and takes you into an emotionally incredible story !
I loved it ! What a reading !
An absolute MUST-READ
Damian Hart was framed 6 years ago for a crime he didn’t commit. The man that framed him Harold Dalton is the father of Angelina Dalton-Clarke. Damian is out and ready for revenge and the first step is making Angelina his wife.
Wow!! I’m completely in love with this book!! This was my first book by Charmaine Pauls and I will say I’m impressed!! She had me hooked from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down! I was on a rollercoaster of emotion throughout the whole book and I have to say it had the perfect ending for me!! I totally recommend it!!
The darkness of Lina & Damian’s story consumed me. Damian’s possessive character is what I love to read about. Although this story was heartbreaking and tragic at times the way it was written did it justice. My heart ached for Lina so much, her past and present situations were just so dark and twisted to believe. The intensity and suspense of “Beauty in the Broken” just draws you in until the very end. I look forward to reading more books by Charmaine Pauls in the future.
Damian Hart was a man who learned to be strong in the hardest way possible: he had his freedom stolen when he went to jail for a crime he did not commit.
Six years later, he was free, with great connections he had made and with a vengeance planned.
Harold Dalton had stolen a diamond mine from Damian.
Now, Damian would steal Dalton’s daughter.
Angelina Dalton-Clarke – or Lina – would once again be used by her father as a part of a game.
The first time Lina married a man who was old enough to be her father. Now, when forced to marry Damian, she loses all hope that she could have a better future.
To Lina’s surprise, Damian becomes his avenger, and a closely guarded secret comes up, changing the game. But, perhaps, there are still losses… until both learn the meaning of the word trust …
An amazing story with a divine ending.
Read this new success of Charmaine Pauls.
5 stars
Wow, this really was a fabulous read, one that from the instant I started I just couldn’t put down.
Uniquely set in South Africa this one is a standalone story taking place within the powerful world of Diamond mining.
At the centre of the storm here we have Damien and Lina.
So the latter’s father set Damien up sending him to prison and then stealing his diamond mine.
Damien is now a total badass with the criminal connections to match after his stint behind bars,
so It’s inevitable that Damien is now out for blood when he is finally released.
Emerging from his incarceration a totally changed man there are only a few things now that Damien desires and at the top of his list is his enemies daughter Lina followed by the total annihilation of her dirty dealing father.
So this was at its heart a revenge and forced marriage trope.
Damien himself I found to be very controlling and though his behaviour at times really bordered on the extreme this was more because of his own internal jealousy rearing its ugly head.
The man was really his own worst enemy when it came to dealing with Lina totally escalating situations beyond what is actually normal
With his penchant for punishment and pain, this could have gone badly astray luckily Damien’s inner darkness and intensity was slightly tempered by the fact that it was quite apparent from the start that rather than make Lina pay what he really wants is her regard and ultimately her heart.
He just has a really crap way of accomplishing his ultimate goal.
In this regard a totally obsessive and rigid alpha male So if this is your jam then you’re in luck as this is totally heavy in that direction.
Lina herself is extremely damaged and all think her crazy because of her supposed past actions.
She also doesn’t do herself any favours either her lack of sharing really doesn’t help her overall situation: though I could hardly blame the poor girl for playing her cards so close to her chest considering her past history, a truth that Damien himself seems overly oblivious to despite the many clues heavily dropped less than subtley in his direction.
Despite Damiens extremely dark mood swings and somewhat cavalier attitude I actually didn’t find this one that dark.
Maybe because of just how much this showcased to me Damien’s inner turmoil and feelings I could deal.
He also was really aware of showing her the respect she has lacked in the past in regards to other people and the public and he doesn’t want her humiliated publicly in any way, I really liked that fact about him that he cared enough to draw himself in slightly.
Don’t mistake me he still put Lina in some awful situations behind closed doors which were at times hard to get a handle on his whys.
This was also so heartbreakingly tragic in places and my heart hurt at times for poor Lina past treatment especially when the full extent of her past finally became apparent here.
This book just has so much going for it and it is one that I recommend highly.
well written and with a style that makes for such ease of reading this one was a definite page-turner straight from the start.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Beauty in the Broken.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
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DARK, TWISTED AND 100% DELICIOUS!!!
I’ve only read one other Charmaine Pauls book and I feel like I was reading two different authors here. Catch Me Twice was AWFUL for so many reasons but something told me to give Pauls another go with Beauty in the Broken and I am so happy I did. She completely sucked me in from page one, I felt like my heart was in a vice through every twist and turn.
”Even monsters can be kind if you give them reason to be.”
Damien is possessive, dangerous and quite the damn asshole to put it lightly. After being in prison for six years Damon is after two things: revenge and Lina. Damien is taken with Lina from the moment she offers him kindness before he was sent to prison. Now that he is out, he plans to get revenge on the person who sent him there as well as the person he wants more than anything. Damien is the epitome of a tortured soul. There were so many times I was ashamed and horrified by the things Damien did to Lina but the real treat in this story is you seen Damien change before your eyes. It isn’t an instant change; it is slow and heartbreaking but totally worth it.
Lina has been through more than one person should ever have to endure and then some. She as been abused constantly for years but not just physically. The scars form the physical abuse are very present but the scars from the mental abuse are even deeper. Lina just wants to reach her goal and isn’t about to let anything stand in her way least of all her new husband Damien. She is timid, shy and afraid of what could happen if she doesn’t reach her goal but just as you see Damien change you see Lina change just as much.
Beauty in the Broken is not really a romance until the very end. This story has more secrets, misunderstandings and heartbreak than most trilogies have which made sweet moments that much more to cherish. There is so much at stake for both Lina and Damien but even through the tears, heartache and anger you are left with a beautiful story that ripped my heart apart in the most delectable way.
Please anyone who reads this book be cautious for the trigger warnings, they are not to be taken lightly. This book is seriously dark and while I loved it as much as I did some people might not be able to handle it or might not want to and I just want every person to know exactly what they are getting into.
Dark romance with a beautiful and satisfying ending
Warning: This is a very dark and sometimes disturbing story of a woman who has been demeaned, abused and damaged for a good bit of her adult life with a bountiful dose of BDSM but there will be love. Hang in there and you will be rewarded.
After six years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Damian Hart has come for his revenge! He wants the daughter of his persecutor, Harold Dalton, the man who tricked him and stole six years of his life. Damian fell in love with Angelina Dalton the night of his betrayal so he blames her as well. What he does to her in the name of revenge is damning but along the way we see another side of Damian. Maybe Damian sees another side to himself as well. Lina overtime has shifted from one bad situation to another. How will she cope with this new and very different Damian?
Oh. My. Word. Dark. Disturbing. Wonderful! I personally like dark romance but it is your choice to read or not. If you like explicit passionate and intense romance with dubious consent, at least in the beginning, read this book. Beautiful ending. I will admit there were moments I hated Damian and others I cried for him…and Lina. This will be a book that haunts me. In a good way…
Excellent!
Beauty in the Broken
A Diamond Magnate Novel
by Charmaine Pauls
Narrated by Adara Stevens, Lee Turner Smith
Beauty in the Broken is the perfect title for this story. Lina is the daughter of a billionaire who traded his daughter for excavation rights. Declared crazy, she is widowed and now taken by Damien to be his wife. Falsely accused of diamond theft by her father, he is not only taking her, but control of her money. But little does anyone know the reason Damien has done this. Dark, tantalizingly brutal and delicious, this book kept me up all night….listening. I couldn’t stop. Just when I thought I was getting to a place I could turn off the player, I became enraptured again. Damien is a deep, dark man, full of layers and his love is like no other. There were times I was cringing and other times my heart was full. Lina is so much more than meets the eye. Stronger than we think, she endures so much to find her happiness. It’s action packed, steamy, frustrating, loving, and all the things I love to listen to. Charmaine Pauls is a master at this type of writing.
Not only can she write amazing stories, but she chooses amazing narrators. Adara Stevens and Lee Turner Smith are fantastic. I love their South African accents and they truly understand the characters so well, you would think it’s their story to tell. They bring the story to life and create a dark, mysterious, sensual world you don’t want to leave.
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/beauty-in-the-broken-1
Charmaine Pauls’ Beauty in the Broken has the tart flavors of Dubious, the first of her work I read, Dubious, The Loan Shark Duet. It includes a lot of elements that I love in a dark story, betrayal, insurmountable obstacles, lots of filthy, panty wetting, dirty talk, reluctance, and the highs and lows of a tenuous relationship.
The main characters, Damian and Lina, pulled at my heart from the first chapter. It’s a story of two young people, who were broken by treachery at the hands of Lina’s father.
The sexual tension scorched off the pages from the first. Each encounter, a combination of punishment and reward, took its toll on Lina. Damian demanded more than she could give, and when she couldn’t, Damian took what he wanted. The poor girl was under a man’s control from the moment she was born, her father, first husband, then, Damian; they broke her. But in that brokenness, she was strong and beautiful.
Charmaine wrote a story that will leave you thinking about it long after you’ve finished. I loved the story and recommend it. It’s a standalone romance.
Loved it! Could not put it down. Definitely a page turner.
Talk about a diamond in the rough…
This is for sure a book that will leave you wanting more, and will stay with you long after you are done. I could actually feel what each character was going through. My emotions were in a constant tug of war. I want to hate Damian, but found myself on he side. I want to save Lina, but I prayed for her to find the strength to save herself. This book causes the sweetest agony and painful relief. Fantastic!!!!
This book was a great read. Angst and emotional.
Wow! This book is so intense. It’s a slow-burn, dark and angsty read, with an antihero that will you will love to hate! Beauty in the Broken had me on the edge of my seat, chewing off all my fingernails. I couldn’t read it fast enough! If you like dark, twisty reads that leave you questioning your morals, you’ll definitely want to check this one out!
if you like emotional, dark, sexy, and everything in between then this is the book for you. Damian and Lina’s story consists of beauty, heartbreak, strength, pain,revenge and passion all in to one. Lina’s fight only fuled Damian to want her more, their battle of wills and possession, this is love at its core.