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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You’re in for a mystery ride! I seriously have no idea who is saying the truth. Lol like what is going on. I thought it was going to be a dark read, but it’s not. u2063
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In this trilogy, you meet Elijah North, the youngest North brother. You’ve already met Liam and Joshua. I didn’t even know that until I was reading. Lol Holly (16) met Elijah when her family went to Paris for a family trip. 8 years later, she went back to Paris to go look for her sister. When Holly got to Paris, she got kidnapped. The man in the cell next to her was Elijah. I won’t say much, but just know that I’m loving Elijah. He’s so mysterious, protective, possessive. My kind of book boyfriend. Lol it ends on a cliffhanger so you know the drill. I can’t freaking wait for book 2!!u2063
I cannot get over this book.
It is savage passion, dark dangers, and a devious suspense plot around stolen diamonds. Fascinating.
The prequel, Hidden Gem, lays an intriguing foundation of risky rendez-vous, the Louvre, and promising romance on the wrong side of the law. This first novel? It’s an attack on the senses! Sisterly love takes Holly to Paris only to throw her into every woman’s hell. There she falls down the rabbit hole between two men on different sides of iron bars. I loved her smart bravery, her angelic compassion, her relentless logic.
I relished the odd pleasure of that life-threatening situation where survival clashes with secrets, guilt, thirst, and sacrifices. Elijah is one hell of a duplicitous hero that you are afraid to trust, but fall head over heels in love with anyway. He should come with a warning: he will make you sweat and moan, but he will use like an animal in heat while planning terrible missions.
It is wonderful to see the connections with another amazing trilogy by the author with Elijah’s brother. T
he suspense evolves in tightening knots while the mystery thickens and involves more than Holly could have ever imagined. Brace yourself for primitive mating, harsh realities, and a heroine with a uniquely obscure imagination.
Wow. Just an exhausted, well-used, utterly trembling wow.
I love the North brothers and was so happy to see Liam’s Brother Elijah.
Holly meets Elijah where she least expects, at a family vacation. She falls instantly and Elijah realizes he could only use her for his needs and nothing further. He realizes she’s not your ordinary girl, she’s different, she’s special.
Several years goes by and it seems Elijah is up to his old habits but this time there seems to be more players involved and one of those may be Holly’s sister.
This is a dark romance full of steamy scenes and unexpected twists.
Looking forward to the continuation – Gold Mine!
Skye Warren continues to keep me on edge and in suspense with another sexy dark romance that has me begging for more!! Declious darkness in the best ways!
First of all it took me a few chapters to realize who Eijah was and then when I did my mind ran into a million places! He is a broken, ruthless Alpha who has one weakness!
Holly is such a wonderful character and I love how we get glimpses of her through her writing! She’s been in love since she was a teenager (Read Hidden Gem) and views herself in comparison to her sister and family which makes for a very interesting dynamic
The chemistry and passion between these two are HOTTTT!! Elijah bring all his darkness and demons into the bedroom which makes prim and proper Holly melt!
With everything that is going on between Elijah and Holly, there is a diamond heist, so many bad guys, and so much mystery!!
With that cliffhanger I need book 2 NOW!!!
We got Liam and Josh’s story and now we got Elijah’s story and it did not disappoint! I loved Elijah and Holly’s story there’s started out when they were just teenagers. I can’t wait to read the next chapter in there story.
Holly has always been the socially awkward girl who always preferred to be alone that is till she meet Elijah at 16 he changed her world even if it was just a short amount of time. When Londan doesn’t answer Holly she goes in search of her and little did she know that she would be tossed into a world of evil men out for blood.
Elijah is on a mission and he’s right where he wants to be except he never intended to see Holly ever again. Now that he knows who this beautiful girl is and the world of trouble she will be in if she stays where she’s at his mission changes. Can Elijah save Holly from the danger she’s in and once she realizes it’s him and the secrets he’s hiding will she still feel the same way?
Find out in this wonderful book but it does end in a cliffhanger!
I loved this book! It was dark and gritty, suspenseful and full of action! And the ending definitely came as a surprise!! Can’t wait for book 2!!
Omg…the ending…and the middle part! And everything in between! I was fully immersed into Holly and Elijah’s world. What an adventure. So much suspense, steam and intrigue. I really have no clue how this will all turn out. From being taken captive to fearing for her sister’s safety to falling in love with a man she doesn’t trust…what will Holly do? I cheered Elijah on…hoping for his healing emotionally and physically until…I just don’t know. Where will this story take us next? I’m really on pins and needles waiting impatiently. I need answers!
Such an intriguing story that took me by surprise which is all the more reason to scream at that cliffhanger. I was so wrapped up in the story and waiting to see what was around the corner and knowing that there was just not enough time in the book to get the full story that I so desired to get. AGHHH!!! I have to know what will happen next. I loved everything about this book….well….except maybe that cliffhanger, but then again at least I have something to look forward to. I am loving the characters. Elijah and Holly’s story is not only full of mystery, but the hot chemistry between them is hot af. My brain is working overtime trying to figure out just where the author is going to take us to next. I can’t recommend this book enough. It has everything that I look for in a great enemies to lovers, dark romance. You’ll want to one-click this one now.
Happy Reading Everyone!!!
“Maybe if the prison is warm and comfortable enough, the captive learns to enjoy herself.”
Diamond in the Rough is a captive romance mixed up with what is also a sort of diamond heist suspense. Honestly all I can say is that Holly the heroine we met in Hidden Gem is back in Paris looking for her sister, London. She’s taken by someone she thought she could trust, and thrown in a cell, and yeah. There are some new players and she isn’t sure who to trust and who not to trust. There’s some steamy bits, some suspenseful bits, some questions are answered and some are obviously left in the air. I really don’t want to say too much, because this is only the first part of the story, BUT I can say that where this one ends I definitely never would have seen coming at the start.
That is all, can’t wait for the next book.
*the prequel novella, Hidden Gem, is included in DitR prior to the story starting, so you can either read it now for FREE or just wait until this book is out!*
Diamond in the Rough, starts eight later after the meeting in Hidden Gem.
Holly is looking for her sister London so she decides to travel to France which is her last known location. Then a bomb is dropped: Holly is kidnapped at the airport. I never saw this one coming!
The story goes from there, Holly finds herself a prisoner in an abandoned church with a cellmate. This man turns out to Elijah, who we met if you read the novella Hidden Gem. They both remember that kiss from eight years ago.
Skye Warren lives up to her title as Queen of Dark Romance! This book had me on the edge of my seat and I could not put it down. The twists and turns in the story I never saw coming! Lol!
I can’t wait to read the next book Gold Mine.
I loved this story, it was dark, intriguing and so awesome! Miss Warren has become one of those authors I need to read if I want to be out of my comfort zone! page turner for sure!
This was interesting, intense, different, and captivating. I couldn’t put it down because you just didn’t know where it was going to go. Elijah and Holly are explosive together but this book is more about them being help captive. It’s a different take that I loved so much. I only wish I didn’t have to wait for another book as it ends in a cliffhanger.
Diamond in the Rough by Skye Warren
I am voluntarily reviewing this ARC.
After reading Hidden Gem, the teaser, novella that is the prequel to Diamond in the Rough, I was totally hooked and could not wait for this book to be released.
This book finds our characters 8 years older, which was a relief because, honestly Holly being 16 in the first book made me anxious.
Elijah is a gentleman and just about as swoon worthy as they come.
In this book, Holly is in route to find her sister who’s gone missing. Before she can get to her, Holly is kidnapped and thrown in a holding cell with none other than Elijah North.
This book is paced beautiful has steam and heart and the edge that I’ve come to love in Skye Warren books. Warning…this book ends on a cliff hanger. I need the next book, like right …this…second!!!
I’m beginning to wonder if there is anything that I wouldn’t like by this author. This is the type of book that if you have anything else to do in life, like work, or take care of your family, or sleep, you won’t be able to because you will just be thinking…just one more page!!!
What a captivating heart pounding story that will have you on edge the whole way. Elijah is on fire hot and demanding along with Holly who was sheltered is innocent no more I loved these two together as they wade through what’s coming for them and I can’t wait.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
I’m stepping off a nine hour flight when it happens. A white van. A dark hood. Every woman’s worst nightmare. Now I am trapped in an abandoned church. The man who took me says I 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.
This book will have you one the edge of your seat from the very beginning to the end. I loved this one. It is dark and full of stolen diamonds, missing sister and one who is coming to her rescue. What would you do if your first kiss is suddenly in front of you again in the cell your being held captive in? You do everything that you can to save each other is what you do. All while worrying about your sister. This book is amazing and will have you one the edge of your seat. I loved every second of it and I so need the next book in my hands right now.
4.5 stars
This is my first book by Skye Warren, and i wonder why?!
Diamond in the Rough is a thrilling addictive story
But lets start with Hidden Gem: this little prequel
tells us about the first time Elijah and Holly’ streets cross in Paris. Their meeting means much more than they understand, but Holly thinks that Elijah had only used her, and it is partly true but underneath there is much more than what appears….
Eight years after (in Diamond in the Rough), we find Holly on a plane to Paris; but once at the airport, she is kidnapped and locked in a cell with a man …. Elijah.
I’m not gonna tell you anything more because honestly this story is more complicated than i thought and you have to read it to understand what i’m talking about.
The dual pov allows us to have a complete vision of the story, and to get to know the main characters better.
Elijah North is a rough man, almost emontionless, if It wasn’t that he actually feels something, that binds him to Holly. But his past has left deep scars on him and love is something that’s not for him.
Holly Frank is a sweet insecure girls, who doesn’t see her real potential. She always felt different from her family, and certainly not as beautiful as her sister. But she would do anything to protect them.
Now all i can think about is that i NEED “Gold Mine” because i have to know what’s gonna happen !!
Meanwhile I’m gonna read about the North brothers
This is a romantic suspense filled with action, plot twists, and suspense that kept my attention rapt and had me hanging on the edge of my seat. The passion was hot and it has all of the feels. I couldn’t get enough and the ending had me hanging by a thread! I can’t wait to see what happens next! This is Skye Warren at her best! I highly recommend reading it.
***ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.***
After reading Hidden Gem, I couldn’t wait for this story to be out. This book was action packed, suspenseful and downright captivating all at once. Elijah and Holland have explosive chemistry! Skye Warren has created such amazing characters once again that leap off the page and grip your heart and soul. Now I can’t wait for the rest of the story!!
Sharp, intense, gripping- this story sucked me in with the captivating prequel novella and gripped me tight to the last page. Diamond in the Rough, the first of a new Skye Warren trilogy, is a sexy and addictive captive thriller, laced with the perfect combination of danger and darkness. Much about this story subverted my expectations of a captive romance in a great way, while also delivering on the sensual desire that no one does like Skye.
The prequel novella (which is included in this story and is also available for free)- really caught me off guard with just how gripping it was. The story was focused, narrow, just a few fleeting moments, but moments that deeply impacted our characters. We meet young Holly, a sixteen year old vacationing with her family in Paris who meets a yummy boy in a museum- they flirt, they spend a few hours together over the course of a day, she gets her first kiss, and their intense emotional connection surprises them both. Holly is crushed to discover said boy is a diamond thief, who used her to snuggle a super expensive diamond out of the Louvre. Was anything between them real? This is a short and sweet novella- nothing racey, but man, it SIZZLES with romantic chemistry- and lays the groundwork for the character chemistry to come.
The story itself then flashed forward 8 years- Holly is searching for her sister, a travel influence who has been missing for 2 weeks, she was last seen in France. She never gets to look for her- she’s immediately abducted by some shady men upon arrival, whisked away to a dark cell inside an old church. And this is where everything you come to expect in the captive trope ends- and Skye rewrites the rule book.
Because we find quickly that our leading man is not in fact her captor, he’s a fellow captive. North (the brother of Liam from the North security series) sees Holly as his angel, drawn to though they can’t see each other straight away. He’s injured, clearly involved in some dangerous business, and is somehow entangled with the dangerous men he’s now being tortured by. Holly’s big heart can’t take his pain, so she helps him, a connection forms, and they discover they may have a deeper connection than they realize.
Outside of the fun, suspenseful story and the scorching dark, dominant, and dirty steamy times, what I thought was so strong about this was the narrative focus. The story is tight, contained, focused. We don’t get lost in a bigger world or side characters or weaving story line- 100% of this story is about Holly and North being in captivity, their attraction, and trying to get out of the mess they are in. The pacing is perfect for me- lots of action, ample steam, quick progression but we linger just enough in each section of their journey to immerse ourselves in their minds and emotional reactions. The characters are pretty focused, too- but we start to get more depth as they connect, and since this is a trilogy, I know we’ll get a ton about them. North is intriguing- a possessive, mysterious alpha with a troubled past. Holly is a sugary sweet, slightly naive, but incredibly loyal and caring heroine. And together, they are hot.
Just when I think the story is going in one direction, Skye surprises me yet again with a shocking final scene that I definitely did not see coming. This series is shaping up to be a twisting and intense action packed ride. Looking forward to seeing where these characters end up in Book 2.
Diamond In The Rough is a dark, steamy and sensual story of two people who always find themselves in the most unlikeliest of circumstances. Elijah and Holland share a moment from the past that reflects on their present relationship. This book is filled with so much action, mystery and intensity that I flew threw the story in just a few short hours. And just in case you’re wondering, you’ll be pleased with all the sexy goodness that happens between our two main characters.
I love Skye’s work and was ecstatic to jump into this dark romance. As this is only the first book in the Diamond series, I was left flustered and now I just want more, more, MORE! I’ll be counting down the days for Gold Mine.