I’m stepping off a nine hour flight when it happens.A white van. A dark hood. Every woman’s worst nightmare.“Diamond in the Rough is masterfully written, sinfully sexy, and utterly addictive! Skye Warren proves why she is the queen of dark and delicious romance.” – Giana Darling, USA Today bestselling authorNow I’m trapped in an abandoned church. The man who took me says I won’t be hurt. The man … won’t be hurt. The man in the cell next to me says that’s a lie. I’ll fight with every ounce of strength, but there are secrets in these walls. I’ll need every single one of them to survive.
“Five glowing stars! Diamond in the Rough is the dark and dangerous world that I love from Skye Warren. You will be completely caught up in Elijah and Holly’s story from the first page to the last.” – New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH is a new dark romance from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren. Finding yourself has never been so dangerous…
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The dark + dangerous new romance from Skye Warren is now LIVE! DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The tension, the lust, the excitement began to build in Hidden Gem. Now Diamond in the Rough leaps 8 years ahead and brings our characters together in different and drastic ways.
I loved the connection to North Securities that we became familiar with in Overature’s North Security Trilogy.
2 warnings readers: 1.The mystery, tension and questions are mounting as the book ends in a cliff hanger that will leave you anxious for more. 2. Don’t start this book before bed – you won’t be able to put it down!
Well done, another winning series from Skye Warren!!!
I have two words that describe “Diamond in the Rough” Elijah North. I loved everything Elijah. The way Skye wrote this complex character branded my soul. His edginess, his manner of survival and his interests in Holly made me all giddy. The connection these two have under tuff circumstances is raw and intense. Their story is packed with emotion of first love. 4 stars for Skyes’s signature writing of dark romance.
The dark and dangerous new romance from Skye Warren is now LIVE! DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Yes! This first book of Skye Warren’s latest trilogy was set up perfectly in the scintillating taster, Hidden Gem. We are now on to the first delicious, action packed course. And it is fabulous. Filled with jeopardy, revelations, very hot times, questions, suave, ruthless baddies, reunions with old friends, and the undeniable, intense attraction between Holly and Elijah.
Holly goes through so much in the book, and, I am sure, there is more to come (hurray!), as we are left with one hell of a nail biting cliffhanger. Elijah is a fascinating, complex hero, who I cannot wait to meet again!
Get it now and spend some well deserved time in one hell of a good read!
The Diamond in the Rough by Skye Warren is the First book in The Diamond Trilogy. There is a previous Prologue Novella book called Hidden Gem that gives a back story to Holly and Elijah along with setting a background theme. So you may want to read that first. This book starts their story about 8 years later where Holly is kidnapped when she goes to find her sister. Holly is taken where she is put in a cell with Elijah. Who she thinks looks familiar but has made the connection yet that she knows him. Both are working to figure out what is going on but Elijah just wants to keep Holly safe and get her free. This book ends sitting us up for the next installment into their story. This is a dark romance read but one that kept me turning the pages. Can’t wait for more!
I have to admit that when I began HIDDEN GEM the prologue novella of this book I had no idea this was Elijah North’s story, I should have expected it but because it wasn’t mentioned I thought we still had to wait for it but thankfully NO the wait is over and we are now being gifted with his story. If you have read NORTH SECURITY Trilogy or AUDITION you’ve met Elijah’s brothers. Their stories do not have to be read in order to enjoy this one but for readers that have read them they will not want to miss this trilogy!
The prologue was a great way to introduce us to Elijah and Holly and get readers geared up for their story. Diamond in the Rough starts off with Holly flying back to Paris to find her sister whom she hasn’t heard from in two weeks, her sister is a travel Influencer and is always posting so for her to drop off of Social Media for this long has her warning bells going off. Only when she gets to Paris things don’t go as planned and she is abducted.
You have no idea how bad I want to tell you a little twist to this story but I won’t because I never give spoilers but just know this is not a Stockholm Syndrome Romance. DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH is a dark romance that readers of Skye Warren will love and if you haven’t read any of her books before I would recommend starting now! This story had me at the edge of my seat with anticipation of what was happening and wondering just how Elijah and Holly were going to survive it all. Elijah and Holly’s story will continue in GOLD MINE which is expected to release in September.
Happy Reading!!!
Wow Elijah and Holly are hot! They have chemistry that just won’t quit! The sexy times were super hot and Elijah always knew what to say when times got tough.
Elijah is quite the mystery and he unknowingly gets Holly into quite the jam.
There is also a sweet story throughout of the bonds of sisterhood.
I can’t wait for more.
Elijah is a real bad boy. He is an alpha male who knows what he wants and takes it no matter what the consequences. He acts like he doesn’t care but then I think that’s because he doesn’t want to care.
Holly is a wonderful protagonist. She is strong and fragile, fierce and gentle. She is loyal and compassionate and I love that she is a writer. She has doubts and insecurities which makes her more likeable and relatable.
The two of them together are pretty steamy. Holly looks at Elijah as a hero but he wants her to view him as a villain. She doesn’t realise his plans until he finally states the facts outright. A cage is still a cage no matter how pretty. I did approve of her actions after the truth was forced out. There are still so many secrets being kept from Holly and the story doesn’t end here. It is just the beginning. I loved seeing another North brother in this tale. The interactions between them was fantastic. The story overall was brilliant. I look forward to seeing where the story will go from here.
This diamond captivated me! 4 stars
This review is going to be short, because if I write about too much then it will be spoiler filled! Yes, Holly is kidnapped but there is a reason and that’s all I can say. Once I realized who Elijah is, I was shocked then elated! Again, that’s all I can say, but that might even be a spoiler! I just wanted to hug him for certain reasons. He is damaged, powerful and commanding, and I would let him ensnare me like Holly did. Holly is stronger than she realizes, and I totally felt for her. They have a connection which starts in Hidden Gem (the prequel novella), so I suggest you read it. She is the light to his dark, and that always fascinates me. The world building enveloped me, and the twists and turns that happened from beginning to end captivated me. This is definitely Skye Warren at her twisty, intense, dark romance best! I loved it, recommend it and cannot wait for the second book!
*I received an advanced copy of this ebook for my honest review.*
Diamond In the Rough by Skye Warren is this intense, captivating and thrilling romance read. This is Holly and Elijah’s story. We met them in the novella Hidden Gem and this story picks up 8 years later in present time. We find Holly’s been kidnapped and thrown into a cell with Elijah. Holly has traveled back to Paris to find her missing sister, London. Holly doesn’t know that it’s Elijah from 8 yrs before, just that he’s very familiar to her as well as wounded.
This is a story that takes Holly and Elijah on a journey of trying to figure out what is going on, keep each other safe and for Elijah, make sure Holly gets out alive even if he doesn’t. This story has a dark, dangerous and gritty feeling about it. I enjoyed the plot, the chemistry between Holly and Elijah, and the descriptions of the backgrounds where everything was going on. The secrets, twists, angsts, drama , heartbreak , chemistry and betrayal has me counting down til book 2 is out.
My Rating: 4.5 stars *********
Diamond in the Rough was a thrilling and captivating read that intrigued me from the start and held my rapt attention until the last page.
Elijah North was tortured, protective, possessive and pretty much embodied the commanding and take charge alpha persona I’ve come to love. Holly was smart, strong and the complete opposite of Elijah but the fiery, intense and instant connection between them was undeniable. Their shared past along with their unexpected reunion enthralled me.
With plot twists, action, suspense and lots of feels I didn’t anticipate Elijah and Holly commanded my attention with their thrilling journey. Though in all honesty I was an all to willing captive of theirs. Gritty, intriguing and steamy Diamond in the Rough kept me on my toes until the very end. Now I’m left rather impatiently waiting to see what amazing and wild ride I’ll be taken on with this action packed and addictive series.
One of the best dark romantic suspense books I’ve read in awhile. Elijah and Holly kept me on the edge lf my seat, I didn’t know what was going to happen next! Congrats to Skye Warren on this fantastic book!
Wow! What a fantastic story!!
Diamond in the Rough is my first read by Skye Warren and holy smokes, did it keep me on the edge of my seat. After reading the prequel, I wasn’t sure where this story was headed. The blurb sounded so promising and dark, yet I was a little thrown off. But I pushed through and I’m so glad that I did.
I love a dark, twisted romance and this is exactly what I got from Warren. Holly and Elijah’s story was intense with turns I never saw coming. And the chemistry between them is explosive. Holly is the good girl and Elijah was the complete opposite, but together these two have a spark that is off the charts. The story itself is very deep, with a diamond heist and all, but the roller coaster ride makes the intensity so worth it.
I’m super excited that there’s going to be more and can’t wait for the next installment. Fair warning, Diamond in the Rough does end in a cliff hanger, but knowing there is more to come makes it totally worth it.
Addicting that is what this book was! It was intense, dark, fast paced and had a slightly different spin then other gritty stories. I loved Holly, she was strong and fierce and wasn’t going down without a fight and Elijah is my future baby daddy lol!!
Overall Grade:
How do you begin a Skye Warren review? That’s a good one. For one, her books guarantee some of the darkest romance: dangerous, dirty $exiness, a hero who is so freaking broken that it seems like hope is lost for him, a heroine who is seemingly innocent and vulnerable but who shows her moxie when confronted with the hero and his disaster, and a story that grips you and grabs you all the way through to the end. Guess what? Diamond in the Rough is. All. Of. This.
You should know (I didn’t realize this before reading this book) that Diamond in the Rough is a book 1. It ends on a cliffhanger. I don’t know if that’s a spoiler, but as a reader, I tend to like to know that. Personally, for authors I love such as Skye Warren, I don’t particularly care. I will read their works when they release, but I know some readers plan, so keep that in mind when deciding to read this book.
And two…the hero is familiar. I don’t want to spoil it, so I’m not going to. Just know, that you will SCREAM (at least I did) when you realize who you’re dealing with.
Now, what is to love about this book?
It’s quintessential Skye Warren. If you love her books, you will absolutely love Diamond in the Rough.
I want to really talk about the hero because he comes from a family of seriously f-uped dudes. This family needs a HUGE hug. Like now. With that, there are all types of complications between him and her heroine, Holland aka Holly. This causes all the drama and complication you can muster, but again, this is Skye Warren storytelling. The struggle between Holland and her hero pulls you in, makes you feel that borderline discomfort where the gray area lives, and then guts you as nothing is easy between these two. Up and down you go the Skye Warren rollercoaster of romance. This is all here in Diamond in the Rough.
The story. It’s captivating, edge-of-your-seat storytelling. Here’s the thing I love most about Warren’s brand of romance. She plays with the idea of “good hero” or “bad guy.” Those lines are blurred. You are never quite sure who the true villain is because Warren illustrates a truth about human nature in her romance: there is both good and bad in all of us. This idea is woven into Diamond in the Rough’s story, and it keeps you glued to the page. It also causes you to hope when it seems ridiculous to do so, as everything can seem pretty broken. That type of storytelling grabs me and compels me forward to the final page, and Diamond in the Rough does this brilliantly.
I know dark romance isn’t for everyone, but if there is anyone whom you should read, it is Skye Warren. Either I wasn’t paying attention enough to her Facebook page or what, but she surprised me with this book. And I love surprises in books because it reminds me that each story is special and unique. Sometimes, certain authors lose that surprise, and reading their stories feels like putting on the same socks on a different day. Not with Skye Warren. The most common tenet of her books is that they are dark. She tends to deal in anti-heroes and sometimes dubious consent. Yet, even with those terms to define some aspect of her romance, she finds ways to keep it fresh and surprise expert readers such as myself. If you want to be entertained and challenged in your ideas about morality, read Skye Warren’s Diamond in the Rough. You should know that this reader is READY for the next book, Gold Mine.
5 HOLD ON TIGHT STARS!! OMG….I was holding on tight through Elijah and Holly’s story, these two took me on a crazy sexy ride. I am so hooked on this series….I need more. Their story has it all for one memorable story, so buckle up and listen to them. You must read this book…Skye Warren has done it again with her storytelling.
If you love dark romance with a very suspenseful and thrilling romance, read this book now because I loved every second of it. It’s darker than I thought but I couldn’t stop reading till the last page.
I need more of Holly and Elijah especially since I found out who he really is and can’t wait to read the next books in the trilogy.
It’s steamy and stormy beautiful and more than suspenseful.
Wow….what an exciting start to a new trilogy. Diamond in the Rough was intense, suspenseful, gritty, emotional and steamy and I could not put it down. Every chapter had me more and more hooked and I was feverishly turning to pages to know more. Elijah and Holly’s story is packed with emotions, secrets, danger and tension and I enjoyed every moment of it.
I went into this book blind and the moment I realised who Elijah was I gasped in surprised and got even more consumed with these characters that I was before. Elijah and Holly were two complex flawed individuals who will grab your attention. The chemistry between them was downright sizzling and they had an intense connection that could not be ignored. Their steamy scenes were raw and explosive and will definitely set your kindle on fire.
The story will have you at the edge of your seat, it was action packed and mysterious, with twists and turns you won’t see coming and an ending that will leave you anxious for the next book. It was well-written and layered and worthy of a five star status. I would highly recommend this novel to all lovers of dark romance.
Hidden Gem was great, but Diamond in the Rought was brilliant, Elijah and Holly’s story was fantastic, intense, dark and suspense full of twists that I love from Skye Warren, this book got me hooked and on edge throughout it all, I can’t wait for Gold Mine, I need it now, this cliffhanger is not going to let me go until I get answers. Fantastic read!