A DARK MAFIA ROMANCEMen like us, we see things.We do things, things that make us unfeeling.That’s the price of power and money, of living la belle vie and running the French mafia. Then she came along like a pretty wildflower pushing through the cracks on a dirty pavement – fragile yet resilient, a breath of beauty among the filth. She was supposed to be just another job, a nameless person I was … another job, a nameless person I was to pluck from her life and hand to my brother, nothing but a pawn in the gamble of our diamond business.
There’s a psychological label for men like us.
We lack empathy and guilt.
We do things to have what we want, things that make flowers wilt.
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Dark Romance Readers LOVE this Dark and Twisted Romance! See what they have to say about Diamonds in the Dust:
“This book and what is to follow is a thing of beauty, in my opinion. I don’t think there is a better way to describe it.” Jessica Alcazar, Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Charmaine Pauls delivers her most complicated anti-hero and most adorable heroine to date in this very dark and twisted modern fairy tale romance.” Buffyanna, Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Diamonds in the Dust ends in a hell of a cliffhanger,plunging me into the abyss…. I need Diamonds in the Rough more than my next breath!” Cécile Smits, Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Charmaine Paul’s writes stories that capture the reader from page 1 and then gently weaves the story until the devastating end.” Kelly, Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
* Diamonds in the Dust is Book 1 of the Diamonds are Forever trilogy. The story continues in Diamonds in the Rough (Book 2), and concludes in Diamonds are Forever (Book 3).
Other novels in the Diamond Magnate collection:
Standalone Novel:
Beauty in the Broken
Diamonds are Forever Trilogy:
Diamonds in the Dust (Book 1)
Diamonds in the Rough (Book 2)
Diamonds are Forever (Book 3)
more
This is the first book in the Diamonds Are Forever Trilogy. If you like dark romances, you’ll love this book. Maxime is quite a complicated psychopath who is quite taken by Zoe. He has a multi-faced and deep personality and he lets Zoe peel his many layers back like peeling an onion. The story is incredible and one that you won’t easily forget. An emotional roller coaster for sure. You will not be able to put this book down once you begin. I read it in one sitting and am still hanging by the cliffhanger. Can’t wait for the second book and the continuation of this amazing story. I read an arc and voluntarily chose to review.
Diamond in the Dust is dark, hot, angsty and will keep you on the edge of your seat until you finish. Oh how I love this author!
Zoe is poor seamstress who longs for her prince charming to come rescue her from this life. She only has her brother Damian who’s in jail and just has put Zoe in the clutch of Maxime.
Maxime is the underboss of an old French Mafia family. He’s ruthless and no one stands in his way or undermines him. He definitely keeps to his words. He is a complex character who I’m very interested in learning all about his past.
Now that cliffhanger!!! I knew it was going to end with one but really literally!! wtf Charmaine! You’re devilishly brilliant with that ending!
I’m dying to know what happens to Zoe and Maxime! To know more about Damian and Maxime’s family.
I will anxiously be awaiting for book 2 and thank you a million times over for this ARC I love being part of your team and look forward to every new release! And Diamond In The The Dust did not disappoint.
You will love every second of it!
Let me just say this to begin this review, look at the cover of this story. Maxime, sigh, big sigh. Isn’t he gorgeous? And just the way I pictured him from reading the story. Okay, that out of the way, now onto the story. Holy crap is this story intriguing, enticing and sexy. I am usually pretty good at figuring out what is going on but in this story, I cannot imagine what the real story behind Maxime taking Zoe is about. This is a mindf*ck of trust and more trust. I am not a huge fan of multiple books covering a storyline but I cannot wait for the next book in this series. The cliffhanger…wow! Did not see that coming either. Ms. Paul writes in such a way that you sometimes do not know where it is heading and I like that about her books.
I received a complimentary copy from the author.
What a head spinning, dark, twisted, crazy good and non stop omg moments. Love Charmaine’s mind.
Dark mafia romance. You had me right there. Diamonds in the Dust is book one in the Diamonds are Forever trilogy and wow! I was enraptured from the start. This book grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Dark, sexy, erotic, intriguing. I loved it and can’t wait for the rest of the series.
3.5 STARS!!!!
This was a good steamy and suspense filled read. Zoe and Maxime will leave you wanting more of their story especially with that cliffhanger ending. There is so much going on with their family that needs to unfold and I can’t wait to see where it leads. Everything still feels a bit of a mystery. Maxime is “heavy handed” when it comes to Zoe but there’s no doubt that he cares for her in his own way. His family is something else, especially his mom Cecile. I’m glad Zoe’s character spoke her mind and I hope that she doesn’t lose that strength along with way. His brother Alexis definitely has a dark side and I have a feeling he will show more of it. This story was good and I found the flow of it a little slow at times but I enjoy the characters and that ending left me wanting more.
4.75*
Oh wow. I knew this ended on a cliffhanger but I didn’t expect that. Now I know why I avoid them.
The book opens with 5 year old Zoe. And her 10 year old brother Damian (Beauty in the Broken) hiding away from fighting parents.
It moves on and Zoe is now twenty-one. She’s still poor. Working in a sweatshop and dreaming of a better life.
She wants Prince Charming and what she gets is a mafia prince.
Maxim is cold, hard and desensitised. But Zoe brings something to life in him. She makes him see and feel. And he wants her. But what chance do they have. He’s kidnapped and blackmailed her. Plus he doesn’t explain so she doesn’t understand.
And that cliffhanger…wow.
Bring on the next book.
I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by the author.
This dark mafia story is a real page-turner. It’s explosive and unpredictable with intriguing and complex characters.
Full of passion and suspense. I can’t wait to read more …I received an advanced copy of this book from the author.
“Make your choice Zoe, my lover or my whore”
Taken from her homeland Zoe unwittingly finds herself with Maxime , kidnapper or protector?
This is a page turning ride that you most definitely don’t want to get off.Zoe is a tough but naive young women dragged in to a world that is mafia scary and yet she fights her corner and picks her fight.
Maxime is the son and heir but this man has layers you have not yet seen and it is obvious that there is lots more to know. Do you like him or is he not what he seems? There’s a real chemistry but there’s a cruelty that comes with his life that slips in to their relationship.
You are warned there’s a cliff hanger but literally my heart stopped and I couldn’t speak.
Hot,steamy,scary and that ending . 5 easy stars.
So, I love Charmaine Pauls but I hate trilogies so I wasn’t sure about reading it. But I couldn’t resist so I picked it up and couldn’t put it down. It lived up to my expectation of Pauls. Excellent characters, excellent plot, and a wonderful Cliffhanger. I will definitely read the next two in the series. She has set up the plot well and it keeps moving throughout the novel. It’s not really a mystery, you know from the beginning why Maxime takes Zoe. What is unexpected for Maxime is how he feels about her. But even those emotions don’t let him move the novel over in to a romance. Once again Pauls has given us an extremely well written Dark Romance. Now we just have to wait for part 2!
I love dark romance and this book is definitely a great one in this genre. From the start I was hooked and couldn’t put it down till I finished it. This is the first book in the Diamonds are Forever trilogy and I can already see that Zoe and Maxime story is going to be epic.
Zoe is just twenty, naïve and sweet but from a young age has learnt that life and family aren’t a fairy tale. She is going to meet Maxime in the worst possible way and her life is going to change forever. For better or worst? That’s something she needs to decide. She is going to be given an extreme choice and the consequences are going to be unexpected.
Maxime is a bad man in every sense of the word. He’s jealous, possessive, not the usual handsome guy either and and Zoe isnt’s attracted to him at all. This is not love at first sight but isn’t slow burn either. I liked their conflict and the hidden feelings and cravings they awake in each other.
I enjoyed the word building, the pretty good plot and all the interesting characters, not only Zoe and Maxime, which makes me keep on reading to find out more about them and their relationships. Extremely hot scenes between the main couple and be prepared for violence and twisted situations.
The book ends in a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the next book!
*I voluntarily reviewed this book for an honest review*
4.5 stars
This author has been on my watch list forever. I live, love, and breathe dark romance, it is my weakness. So when, I discovered that this author is one of the best, and then I saw this blurb, I was ALL IN. I am mentally kicking myself that I had not read any of her other works now because if it is anything like this then shame on me because I have been missing out.
For Dark romance lovers, this book will check off all the boxes. Cruelty, mind games, mixed signals, not knowing who is friend or foe, second-guessing characters, a female that isn’t meek but also isn’t stupid, a hero that is both soft and gentle, a bigger game at play and not having all the facts, and secrets galore. I would be remiss if I didn’t also bring up the almost lyrical way that this author constructs some of her sentences or the fact that Zoe and Maxime are incredible. The setting in France made my inner French girl want to stand up and scream, c’est fantastique!
I normally hate cliffhangers. I read fast and also a lot of books and therefore trying to keep up or remember what has happened or where I left off is hard. However, in this case, I will not forget where this book ended. It was that intense and pivotal. I am invested now and I really need my answers. Knowing that this is a trilogy is a bit bittersweet, but it is also nice to know that this masterful and amazing book has so much to go because I am not reading to be done with these characters.
From the very first page with a little Damien taking care of his frightened little sister, Zoe, I was hooked. Enter Maxime- the hard to love, easy to hate, but wait maybe not so hard to love man who steals a now grown Zoe. Pauls crafted two deeply complex characters who are both facing their own demons. I knew this was the first in a series, I knew there was a cliffhanger, but for the love of all things holy the ending has me speechless. This story shows the beauty in the broken.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Warning, while I try my best to make sure there are no spoilers in my review, there is always a chance that something any review says could count as a spoiler for you. If you want to just know my overall opinion on the book, and if I recommend it, please skip to my Overall and Would I Recommend It section.
Castles, white knights, and a prince with an offered diamond is almost always every little girl’s fairytale dream, but as we get older we find we need a little more spice in our lives than all that. However, this heroine never expected her prince to have armor made of pure onyx that would swallow her life in a sea of confusion she never wanted.
Wow, I have to say, I went into this one with my guard up a bit. I have read a collaboration that Charmaine Pauls had done with Anna Zaires as well as one of her other books, but I am not too familiar with her writing. To top it off, dark romance, more than any other sub genre in romance, can be a very hit or miss. However, this book sucked me in and had me flipping through the steamy pages as though that could put the fire it created out.
I think the first thing I wanted to point out is how much I loved the way it started. This story starts out with our heroine Zoe as a child, giving us an idea of her backstory, and her closeness with her brother. The story then moves to her as an adult when the train that is Maxime comes crashing into her life. I really loved how sudden and unexpected this whole thing was. I had no context on why he was doing this, or what was going on and I loved that. Getting to experience the confusion and suspense with Zoe made the all important start of the novel so perfect and gripping.
Zoe herself was also super relatable as a character even in the beginning moments. She is scared, fighting, and going through fits of panic, but she uses her head and realizes doing irrational things will not only not help save her, but might just make things worse.
I also loved how real of a character she was as far as her hopes and dreams. It happens so often that a main character has one main goal, or one main ideal that is really pushed, like the ideal of fighting, or the importance in teaching elementary school, but the rest of what makes us human is simply left out. This wasn’t the case with Zoe. By the time this book was through, I felt like I really knew Zoe on a personal level because I knew so much about her. What’s more, I loved the personality that showed through with all of this. Zoe has been through a lot growing up, and yet she is still extremely kind and compassionate. She can’t stand the thought of any living creature being left alone to suffer, or being thrown aside, and I really felt that more so than anything else is what drew Maxime into caring about her so quickly.
Maxime is a confusing guy to start with, and that is actually a good thing in this story. As I mentioned above, you get to experience a lot of this as Zoe does, so his secrecy is a really good thing, and yet it has this mysterious air to it that I almost can’t describe.
Another quality of Maxime’s that I liked was how smart he was. He really knows how to think on his feet when he needs to. The most amazing thing I noticed about this is that most of the time, he is using that quality to help Zoe. His position within the story isn’t as easy as one might think. Without spoiling it for anyone, let’s just say he doesn’t get to make all the decisions and he has to stand up to his family in order to keep this woman he has fallen for safe.
I really love how fast he falls for Zoe and the reason why he does. Sure there is a bit of a dark obsession mixed in there, but his deeper feelings are for the right reasons. There was so much of him that was craving real unconditional love, the kind that i think he didn’t even fully realize he saw her giving the things she put her heart into, and when he decides to make that love his own, he goes for it in a delicious mix of dark passion and swoon worthy heart winning romance.
As the story moves on, and Maxime takes her back to his home, he becomes even more protective of her. I adored these moments when he stands up to the people he is closest to in order to keep her safe as well as make sure she isn’t being verbally put down. He treats her like the beautiful little flower he sees her as and I really did love that part.
Now, to all the dark romance lovers out there, don’t be disappointed, this is through and through a dark romance. Zoe is 100% there by force. She does not want any of this and there are many moments when Maxime’s harder side shines through.
One of the very best things I think there was about Zoe in this story was her unbreakable resilience. Even during the moments when I would have sunken in on myself and cried or thought about running, consequences be damned, this girl finds a backbone of pure steel and shocks the heck out of me. There is never one moment during the harder parts of this story when she truly gives up, and I loved that. I also enjoyed the way in which her mind was at war with itself. Her natural developing emotions mixed with what she knows she should feel was beautifully done.
Now for Maxime’s part in this dark adventure, I really loved how he goes about his idea of breaking Zoe down. He does engage in moments of punishment (which by the way were hot as heck) but he also pushes trying to make Zoe truly happy. Deep down he wants her love, he wants her to crave him like no other and the way he goes about making that a reality is beyond amazing. His tactics further push his love and desire for her as well, which was a swoon worthy thing to see.
I will say this book ended in one heck of a cliff hanger, but it is the first book in the trilogy so I personally am not mad at it…. I just want the other books, like now. However, if you are one who can’t do with a cliffhanger then please consider waiting for the rest of the books before getting this one. They will be out very soon.
Overall:
Diamonds In The Dust was a dark romance that was hotter than sin on a Flaming Hot Cheeto. I loved how relatable and realistic the characters were, and how much the story made me swoon.
Zoe is a heroine most women can relate to in the way her hopes and dreams are as well as her being an everyday woman rather than a warrior woman, yet she is still an amazing force of nature. Maxime is a surprising dark hero that really pulls you in and makes you unable to do anything but fall in love with him.
Would I Recommend It:
This is a dark romance so if you are triggered by anything like that then I would recommend you take that into consideration before buying this book. However, if you are a dark romance lover then yes, hands down this is a must read. I finished this book in less than a day. It was that good and pulled me in that much.
want to see some of my favorite quotes, fun pics, and more for this amazing novel? Check out the original post on my blog.
Another brilliant read from Charmaine Pauls. I seriously love everything that she writes, her stories seem to get better and better! In this book we are introduced to Zoe and Max. Both are opposites with Zoe from a poor background, struggling to live and Max, who comes from Wealth and the French Mafia. I think i fell for Max from the very first scene we meet him, I love how dominating and in control Max is, and how Zoe seems to always break through his shell. You can see how much he is fighting his feelings for her however his actions speak louder than anything he could ever say, their chemistry is off the charts, the sex scenes are hot as hell!!!, i can just sense that this is going to be an epic love story where both characters are going to go to hell and back before they get their HEA. If you like books with a darker edge, strong Alpha heroes and heroines who make them re think everything and give as good as they get then this is definitely a book for you!! I couldn’t put this down!!!
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Charmaine Pauls is a master at dark romance, finding the delicate balance between darkness and humanity. Diamonds in the Dust is the first book in the trilogy for Maxime and Zoe. To further his company’s interest in the diamond trade, Maxime kidnaps Zoe, offers her to be his mistress to protect her, and finds his damaged heart begins to fall for her. Zoe is a strong woman who questions all that she is because she has taken on this role. Together they are intense. There is so much more to both of these characters. I can’t wait to read the rest!
Holy Mother Of Cliffy on the Sea! Charmaine has me dumbstruck. I’m equally aroused and flabbergasted at the liberties Charmaine takes in etching these characters. I’ve loved and hated them at various points in the book with equal fervor.
A sensational story which races towards an explosive ending like a ride on a Runaway train, where you can see the crash coming but can’t close your eyes or get off. Violent & addictive, it’s a pulse pounding marathon of pain & pleasure. Passionate love at war with passionate hate and you don’t get to choose sides.
“Nothing we’ve shared is real,”
“The kindness isn’t real. It means nothing, which means this means nothing, too.”
“You mean nothing to me, and you never will.”
She gives a peek into a meticulously planned power playacting, that is a starter of the Diamond Trilogy. The first books sets the stage for an explosive story to come. She builds the tension from page one, violence and abuse open the plot with a bang…literally.
A girl child- Zoe Halt, victimized and scared hides in her fantasies to escape.
“One day, I’ll find a prince, and marry him, and be a princess, and live in a castle, and we’ll live happily ever after.”
But as her brother Damian says- life is NOT a fairytale, the successive years teach her that harsh lesson
On her last bit of luck and pennies, she’s abducted as a collateral by Damian’s nemesis- Maxime Belshaw.
Her life is filled with pretty, fancy things and she pays for them by her freedom.
“Sinful things happen in the dark. Prey is hunted and monsters thrive, but vows must be honored, no matter if dreams are destroyed.”
Maxime is seemingly cruel and heartless….but why did I fall in love with him then?
As the story progresses, Charmaine uncovers his personality, one layer at a time and he comes across as a man fighting war on ALL fronts. His legacy, his inheritance, his family, his industry and of course his heart. It’s daunting and exhaustive battles he’s engaged in and I wanted him to set down his weapon and just breathe.
“There’s more blood on my soul than on the hands of a soldier. I suppose I do scare children, and puppies, and pretty little innocent flowers, but I’m neither coward nor fool.”
His numb heart Starts to show signs of life for Zoe, his “Little Flower”.
She’s everything pure and innocent in the book. Her radiance lighting up his life and his world.
“My own daisy, in a vase on my table. I didn’t steal it from someone’s garden. It was growing wild on the pavement, right there for the taking.”
The mood shifts to aggression and vengeance in the story, the pace gets fast and slick. I fell down the rabbit hole with Zoe and kept tumbling headlong into the chaotic world of Diamond wars. It thrilled me, my senses were heightened and adrenaline rush was full on raging. At no point was I able to take my eyes off. The “Cliffy” just dropped a bomb and I legit screamed Noooooooooooooo! My hand outstretched and jaw hanging open, I was like WTF Charmaine!
How can she sit all smiling and poised and then write a cruel story like this, I’m astounded!!
I’m till shaking my head at what I’ve just read and you will too.
5 stars for The Cliff