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
I was not sure what I was getting myself into with this book. I have never read this author but I was totally intrigued by the blurb of this book. Let me just say that this story is a dark ride that will take you to places you never thought. It was raw and gritty, passionate but intense. There are moments you want to yell at Maxime. There are moments you want to love the alpha in him. Your heart will shatter for Zoe but you will cheer her on as she gives as good as she gets throughout this story. I absolutely love the concept of it and that ending… I am dying for more. It leaves you begging to have answers! The countdown is on till the second book! I really enjoyed the flow of the authors writing as well as the character build with seeing the changes in both Maxime and Zoe as this book flows. If you like something a little dark, a little twisty and a whole lot sensual, this book is for you!
This was a brillant start to what I can tell already will be a amazingly gut wrenching trilogy.
As soon as I realized who Zoe was I was immediately invested in her character and rooting for her.
I think we still have many layers of Maxime’s character before we can make a solid judgement.
Definitely recommend.
This book is so good you won’t realise you reached the end.
This is the kind of book that I live for. Sexy, hot, mysterious, intriguing, easy to read, detailed descriptions of scenes and a story that just flows… another great read from Charmaine Pauls!
As a lover of possessive alpha hero with a gentle heart for the heroine, Charmaine is one of my go to author. Even though some of her heroes are not the typical good looking ones, she still manage to make me think passed the physical appearance. Her heroines are delicate but clever and you’ll find yourself loving them.
I’m giving this a 4 cause I think this can be improved more. I just notice a few of the sentences are missing some words, had the wrong spelling and one that just doesn’t make sense. Even though I can look pass through them, other’s may not.
Another thing is the hero’s appearance is not described as well as the heroine. It just says that he’s unattractive which doesn’t match the cover of the book. I don’t know if I just missed it but the only thing I know and can remember are the colour of their eyes. Only minor things but still makes a difference.
Overall, I love the book and I can’t wait to read the rest of it!
Holy Shit!!! What did I just read. That ending!!! my god. I don’t think I will ever recover from this book.
Diamonds in the dust is a perfect combination of hate and love , and let me tell you , the way the author had portrayed the story line will just blow your mind. Those major characters were just so marvelous. Specially Maxime. He was such an asshole. But let me warn you, no matter how much of an asshole he is, you will definitely end up falling in love with him. That is the thing about all the anti-heroes of Charmaine. No matter what they do , you will love them!!
The way the tension is built in the book is so amazing. I knew that I was going to get blasted by a cliffy in the end, but I still couldn’t stop reading. The way the book sucked me in even surprised me!
My heart really broke for Zoe. The way she was so innocent in the starting of the book, but then life taught her some harsh lessons and slowly she saw that life is indeed not a fairy tale and she had to harden herself.
Both Maxime and Zoe suffered so much and I just can’t wait for the next installment of the trilogy!!!!
When the ending came, I was just screaming at the author for being so cruel and leaving me at that cliffhanger!!!! How could she do that!! Charmaine pauls, you really are a little devil!!
This book is recommended to all those dark romance lovers whose twisted minds can handle this book and can accept the best-cliffhanger I have ever read!!!
Dark and gripping! It had me at the very beginning. It didn’t let me go. It is a story that was stunning in all of its glory. Maxime is one that you can’t help but fall in love with. He is dark and protective but oh so honorable. He is one that is all alpha male and has you addicted to him. Zoe is feisty and strong with such a loving personality. She is another that you can’t help but fall in love with as well. This story has magnificent characters with twists and turns throughout the story. It is like an aphrodisiac to the soul with all its pain and misery that our characters have endured. It is a story that has you glued to it so you can see what happens. It’s descriptions are vivid and easily able to be pictured. It is definitely a must read that doesn’t disappoint!!!!!
Diamonds in the Dust by Charmaine Pauls is the first in the Diamonds are Forever trilogy. It also serves as a prequel to the Beauty in the Broken story, which for me, was a surprising benefit.
This book is about dominance, as is a common theme by Charmain Pauls. For this reason, it will most likely not appeal to everyone. But what I love about her work is the emotional journey the characters traverse while coming to terms with their desires. Her characters fight a battle of wills, but in the end, complement one another. Once I start, I cannot put them down.
Maxime is dark, assertive, and seductive. Zoe is struggling to come to terms with the severe changes in her life and her altering desires. By the end of Diamonds in the Dust, Zoe and Maxime have a long way to go, I look forward to their journey. e
Zoe used to be a little girl dreaming of a Prince Charming to come take her away from her horrible life. The only good in her life was her older brother, Damian, who was the only brother to care about her, to try to make her feel better when their parents fought. Now in the present, she’s still dreaming of Prince Charming, while at the same time knowing he is just that – a dream, not someone who will ever exist. Her brother’s in prison, and it’s because of this that her not so charming not such a prince, Maxime, comes into her life.
Maxime isn’t a prince, nor is he charming. No, he’s cruel, cold and numb inside, thanks to a life in organized crime of South Africa. But when he takes Zoe, who was just supposed to be a transaction, she sparks feelings in him. Will those feelings end up being his savior, or what could be his downfall?
Holy mother of God, but this first part of Zoe and Maxime’s story is intense! I wanted to cry as these two circled around each other, as they fell for each other, even as they held anger and distrust inside for the other, especially poor Zoe. Dang but I feel for that woman! And last but not least, that cliffhanger is quite possibly the most crazy, wtf just happened cliffhanger I’ve ever read. As far as I’m concerned, Diamonds in the Rough cannot be released fast enough!!
I’m definitely stunned!! Exciting book!!While reading along and not paying any attention to where i was, i was slammed and thought OH shit that can’t be the ending!!! Surprised is an understatement!!Need the next installment!!
I love this author’s writing style because in one chapter the reader is quickly drawn into this life or death battle between good and evil and I could not look away. Maxime is a ruthless and unpredictable predator who will get his way no matter who dies because violence is the cost of doing business in the French Mafia. He might be rich and well dressed but his clothes can’t hide the menace in his soul. When Zoe is forcibly dragged from her seedy apartment against her will she has no choice but to submit to everything Maxime wants or pay the brutal cost. She tries her best to stay strong but when her pride and dignity are ripped away with a brutal attack she sees only one way out. I’ve never been a huge fan of cliffhangers but this one is deliciously Machiavellian and it totally blew my mind. Best. Cliffhanger. Ever. I read an early copy of this book and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.
Oh hell nooooo!! That cliffhanger ending just leaves you gobsmacked!
Diamonds in the dust is the first installment of the Diamonds are forever trilogy and what a start to the series. This book is a page turner, one you just can’t put down. You will love to hate the characters, but their passion is hot! This book may contain triggers for some as it had dark aspects. Can’t wait to see what Charmaine delivers in the next installment.
5 stars all the way!
Don’t think just click buy!
One of my favorite reads of 2020. I couldn’t find anything to hold my interest until received this book. I had even started rereading some of her other books just get my fix. Everything Charmaine Pauls writes is our of this world good, but this book is by far one of my favorite. I cannot wait to read the next book!
Reviewed honesty for the ARC
WARNING! THIS BOOK CONTAINS TRIGGERS!! You don’t get any further warning because you should be adult enough to make an informed decision. So no wallowing in self-denial and most certainly no whining about how you didn’t know because I just told you now. Right?
I’m not sure why I bought (yes, I did) this book when I don’t read, let alone buy, mafioso stories because virtually all of them have been so unrealistic. Why would I buy something that will never ever willingly suspend my disbelief? I mean, that’s the whole point of romance novels — to sweep your imagination off its feet and take you to a new and distant land and… If you believe that crap they serve up as mafia romance, I pity you because life isn’t like that. Yes, I’ve set the bar high compared to that of sci-fi romance and other PNR, but there is a higher mark to overcome.
So when I read the first few chapters, I knew I was in deep trouble. Someone had taken me up on my challenge and ran with it.
And I mean RAN with it.
I just finished it, and I don’t know how to react. Even though it ended in the worst and most unexpected cliffhanger I’ve read in years, I can’t wait for Book 2 to come out in June, that’s how good it was!! But I will warn you, this isn’t for the meek or pure-hearted. This ain’t anything Pollyanna. You will read about cruelty and violence to both men and women, and, yes, it might not seem fair, but when is real life fair? If you’re dealing with the bad guys, you will be dealing with unfairness. I will admit that so far, there is no infidelity discussed or enacted between our (anti)hero Maxime and our heroine Zoe, but even a smart man as Maxime knows when his plate is too full with his love life plus his family. So if you must have happy endings or you have a problem with Stockholm Syndrome, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!! If you have a problem with violence, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK! You have been warned AGAIN! What more warning do you need? This ain’t your normal dom/sub relationship.
Maxime is a product of his environment and upbringing. From what little we discover about him in this book, he suffered some grievous injury earlier in his life involving fire (and maybe arson) which caused him some serious bodily harm on his chest/abdomen. He must have had been very physically fit to begin with, or he would not have had survived his incredibly stressful life had he not been able to convince to the rest of his warped world that he could not adequately fend for himself. He may not be as perverse as his younger brother, but that does not mean he is pure of heart (as some mafia romances would suggest is possible). You can’t have a heart of gold though you may have less sins to atone for. He does like to afflict pain and suffering, be it physical or emotional or both. But it does seem to go along the lines of that one song “You Only Hurt the One You Love” because that’s what happens here. Not to say he won’t even pause to exact out pain and suffering if that’s what is required because he can and he does. But before your mind convinces you that he is a misogynistic psychopath (that’s his brother), he does have some redeemable qualities. He is handsome in a billionaire bad boy sort of way, and he is elegant and highly intelligent. He prefers brains over brawn when it comes to affairs of business and self-indulgence, but he truly has never really loved anyone, at least what has been revealed so far in this book. He does know how to manipulate others to do his bidding as this usually works better than pure violence. He reminds me of Livia, Augustus Caesar’s third wife in that all the bad she ever did (and believe me, she did bad BAD!), it was all for la familia and of the Roman empire (not necessarily the republic). Maxime’s brother Alexis, however, was more like Claudius’ third wife Valeria Messalina who was only out for herself, not la familia. Yes, we know Maxime gives Zoe a choice: become his lover for the duration of his brother’s prison term or become a victim to his brother Alexis’ bloody and frenzied version of lechery. Not pretty at all. Why the manipulation game with Zoe? Is he hiding a deep agenda like a Cardassian? Or is he just doing what he must with the disturbed family he has just to survive just as Zoe uses her imagination and fantasy to survive her reality?
Zoe is an innocent who knows how to conceal herself well within her environment. She works in a sweat factory as a seamstress, barely making enough to survive while indulging herself in books involving her fantasies including Venice and fashion. She may had been the brunt of her older brother Damian’s reality shocker, but she somehow survives with her maidenhead intact, hoping against hope that she might actually meet her own Prince Charming she’s grown up to believe in. After all, it was her copy of fairy tales that helped her survive the violence of her parents’ relationship. (They fought while she hid in a closet, reciting from heart the exciting passages of “The Frog Prince”.) Her ability to survive her hard life is shown by how she found an almost dead remains of a geranium while dumpster-diving that she managed to revive. She is that flower that grows from the crack in the sidewalk midst the cement jungle of Johannesburg, South Africa. Uncultured but not uneducated. The butt of every snide comment from Maxime’s family members. But is she Maxime’s lover or whore? That is the big question. So much of her life is rooted in her sense of freedom and pride. She isn’t too dumb to live. She’s too stubborn to survive the world she finds herself thrust into when she chooses to become Maxime’s lover in Maxime’s attempt to protect her from his brother (or maybe him??). But really now! She didn’t have that much of a choice unless choosing a very painful death is a choice!
Nonetheless, I find both the hero and heroine to be extremely compelling as well as sympathetic. I can understand where Zoe is coming from. Even her reasons behind her actions are logical though sometimes I think she could have come to the awareness that she no longer had the freedom to be as foolhardy as long as she had become. Of all people, she knew what reality was. No one remained a virgin as long as she did without knowing who to avoid and why. There are times in which I could shout at her to just shut up and endure until she found herself in better position to do otherwise, whenever that happened. Sometimes when you think you’re about to be rescued from drowning, you find yourself without a rescuer, just a better position to drown without the long, drawn-out agony that usually accompanies it.
World-building: This is at a minimum as if the writer was expecting the reader to fill in the majority of the blanks. But as I go back to the very beginning, the exposition was there, just not that obvious. That’s pretty daring of a writer to do so, but in this case, it worked. I do see the reality of her mafioso family/world. There is no safety for the innocent. Anyone who gets sucked into this black hole cannot escape without becoming tainted. I just wonder how tainted Zoe will be by the end of this tale. I don’t expect her to ingratiate herself with his version of family. I was very surprised that she did manage to snag the attention of the only person (a cousin of Maxime’s) the least damaged who could quite possibly become a confidante of sorts to Zoe considering that the housekeeper at Maxime’s place is a former lover of his and is still smarting from Maxime’s apparent rejection and her reassignment! I’m trying to connect all the dots to his family’s blood diamond business and figuring out who might be trustworthy… NOT! No one is trustworthy. Least of all Maxime because we still don’t know what he’s scheming. I certainly hope he operates at the level of the main protagonist in The Lady and the Orc. (If you haven’t read this, you must! Talk about an emotional rollercoaster!)
There are two points of view in the creation of this story — Maxime’s and Zoe’s. Though we may believe we know the whole of Zoe’s mind, I doubt we will know the true lengths of Maxime’s ambitions, let alone psyche. It’s disturbing without being entirely too disturbing.
Editing-wise, it’s pretty decent. Not perfect. I don’t see much problems in terms of continuity which is fine for a change. There are times I get frustrated with how Zoe is just barely traipsing along this side of not too smart-assed for her own good. An intelligent girl should be able to see when it’s time to lay off the insults lest she ultimately condemns her own personal safety. After all, she may not have had much of a choice when her existence was discovered by Maxime, but she should know when to keep her mouth shut if she wants to stay alive. If later she finds herself in a position of power, then do something about her situation, not before. If she’s that much enamored in her imagination of her Prince Charming, she would not have survived this long as an untouched virgin. It does surprise me at times that after all Zoe’s been through, she should have learned something about the reality of the world… just as her brother Damian warned her. It just smarts me from time to time, wondering if Zoe can be believable as a character. Even Maxime is far more believable in the reality department.
The author has an uncanny way of getting into the heads of her characters which then gets sucked into my own psyche. She writes with such intensity that, at first, is quite insidious until it’s too late. There is no way I could read the entire story in one book, there is just way too much storyline to be absorbed. I think I’ll be ready by the time June comes around, keeping in mind that, if Charmaine does keep to her schedule (as much as I hate deadlines as a writer), I will be ready in September to finish the entire trilogy. (And she better finish it!!) I can forgive her to resorting to a cliffhanger this time, but that’s under the proviso she’ll finish!!
Diamonds in the Dust: A Diamond Magnate Novel (Diamonds are Forever Trilogy Book 1) – Charmaine Paul
This book is a prequel to Beauty in the Broken (highly recommend this as another amazing read), part of the Diamond magnate series. It is captivating, hypnotizing, emotionally draining, empowering even in the face of imprisonment. This is a very dark story with the romance becomes buried under the emotional push and pull of the characters needs. If you have any triggers with forced consent , violent scenes and abuse then this series is not for you.
There is amazing character development between the two main characters, Maxime and Zoe, which is not only told throughout the book but also in their narratives. The story is told from both perspectives.
Zoe has been kidnapped by Maxime in an attempt to control her brother, Damian, who is in prison after being set up. Maxime is part of a French Mafia family who deals a great deal with mining diamonds. His initial plan to turn her over to his family changes when he decides to “keep “ Zoe, by making her his mistress. Somehow Maxime makes Stockholm syndrome work for their relationship. He has studied Zoe to the extent he knows her almost better than she knows herself. Maxime is an expert at controlling Zoe and finds himself falling for her,perhaps even “keeping her.
Zoe wrestles with trying to sort out Maxime who fluctuates between trying to make her dreams become reality and psychological /physical control. Although Zoe has submitted to her captures conditions to save her brother, she is slowly becoming drawn into the dream. This heroine though is no pushover and finds how she holds her own power over Maxime.
The psychological play between the characters had me drawn into the story from the beginning. As a reader you are confused how to feel about Maxime as the borders between good and bad become blurred.
This is a very hard book to put down, the story is fast paced, exciting , frustrating, thrilling, filled with this authors hypnotic speciality of dark sexy romance.
I loved that the book is told from both POV’s and although I knew this ended with a cliffhanger , omg didn’t see this one coming.
Charmaine Paul’s knows how to write a dark sexy romance that makes you love and hate her alpha antihero! Maxime is all kinds of yummy. At times kind and cruel to Zoey he can not get enough of her and she can’t help but want him. The chemistry is off the charts as the magnetic pull of these enemies and lovers draws them achingly together in lust and hate. I love the Zoey! She is no doormat allowing herself to be pushed around! She wields her tongue like a sword and cuts Maxine deep. Their exchanges are powerful and passionate. I can not get enough of this book! Patiently waiting for the second one! Ms Paul you have wrecked me with your yummy darkness once again!
“Life isn’t a fairytale…”
This first wildly addictive installment in the DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER trilogy was BEYOND BRILLIANT! Charmaine Pauls puts her own unique spin on the fairy tale trope and this novel truly has everything I dream of in a gritty mafia romance—a dangerously depraved, achingly tender, dark mafia prince you can’t help but secretly covet for yourself, a brave, beguiling, and enchanting Cinderella who brings her iron-hearted captor to his knees, an action-packed plot chock full of hot, blistering passion, peril and suspense, and at its core, a tortuously beautiful love story that enthralls you from page one!
Where to BEGIN expounding on the numerous virtues of this spellbinding story? Well, I guess it’s only fitting to start with Maxime. Oh how I loved this deliciously diabolical antihero with EVERY QUAVERING BREATH I TOOK! As the ruthless underboss for the Belshaw family empire, his job is to control the diamond traffic, and when his lucrative business is compromised, watch out! Maxime’s led a very violent life, and as such, he makes no apologies for doing what needs to be done to preserve his family legacy. Yet while he is HARDLY Zoe’s savior, he is also not the true villain of this story either. Even so, he can he be so exquisitely caring in one moment and unbelievably cruel in the next. Which raises the question….. Is he a cultured gentleman or the monster of her nightmares?
“I want her. I want her fear and pleasure. I want her happiness and submission.”
All, we know for sure is that he’s “a dangerous cocktail of mixed signals.” And as the story unfolds, Maxime’s little flower, who was initially used as tool to pull her brother’s strings, miraculously begins to warm his ice-cold heart. He has never targeted an innocent like Zoe before and his malevolent actions toward her begins to chip away at his conscience, while at the same time he goes to extraordinary lengths to protect her from his vile family. I love how Zoe brings out the softer side of Max, shining her pure radiant light into his dark, desolate world, and giving us glimmers of the humanity that lay dormant in his tarnished soul. But has he already inflicted too much damage on her for true redemption to ever be possible? Gah! There are SO MANY fascinating layers to this gloriously sinister alphahole, and much more to be unveiled I am sure as the series progresses.
As for Zoe, what’s NOT to adore about this endearing heroine? She’s sweet and feisty, a dreamer, and a true romantic at heart. And despite all the hardship she’s suffered in her life—and the venomous snake pit she’s now traversing—she is a woman of “hopeless faith and quiet resilience.” She lives inside of her head, escaping into her fairytale fantasies to endure what she’s facing in the real world, but as hard as she tries, she cannot desensitize herself to Maxime’s sweet wrath. Because as much as she is repelled by his brutality, she is also magnetically drawn to her formidable master as well. For his furious, unbridled lust, breathtaking tenderness and dark depravity unleashes fierce forbidden yearnings inside of her that turn her world asunder.
“There’s something about being held like this by a man. It makes me want to submit to his possession, to be dominated by his strength and protected by his power.”
By golly! This unconventional love story is NOT your typical whimsical fairytale by any stretch of the imagination—and some of the despicable things that Damian does to gain the upper hand made me cringe—but holy intensity are the sizzling erotic interludes and scintillating power exchanges ELECTRIFYING! But eeek…some of these encounters in which pleasure and punishment are doled out in equal measure are NOT for the faint of heart. So, you HAVE been warned!
Ultimately, this dark and gritty, scorching hot, emotionally charged tale does not sugarcoat the bloodshed that goes hand in hand with the mafia world. But wrapped up within all the violence and vengeance and twisted manipulations is a glittering, gut-punching love story that took my breath away! Danger and treachery, passion and pathos vibrate off of EACH page and the full throttle tension keeps mounting until the pulse-pounding finale where I was wracked with so much nerves my heart nearly burst at the seams!
But, alas, we will have to wait a bit for this fabled couple to ride off into the sunset together because it ends on a SCREAM-WORTHY cliffy that leaves us BEGGING for more! However, while this ending WRECKED me, the beautifully wicked sorceress of an author brilliantly set the stage for the next book in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER trilogy, which is guaranteed to be equally astounding!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Charmaine Pauls is one of my automatic one-click authors as she has never disappointed me and Diamonds in the Dust was no exception. This is the first book in the Diamonds are Forever Trilogy and is set in the same world as Beauty in the Broken. This heart-pounding tale will have you at the edge of your seat feverishly turning the pages. It was dark and gritty with excellent character development, hott, steamy scenes, angst, mental manipulation and so much more. Then there was that cliff hanger ending that will leave you anxious for the next book. Diamonds in the Dust was well written, descriptive and layered and it will evoke a range of emotions from you. It was an excellent start to this trilogy and I would highly recommend it to all lovers of Dark romance.
I was in a reading funk for several weeks and had no idea that the thing I needed was Diamonds in the Dust by Charmaine Pauls. Her books never disappoint. Like all books I have read from this author, the book has a fast, action packed start. Within the first couple of chapters, you’ve met both Zoe and Maxime and they have met each other, albeit not how normal people meet. 😉
The daisy is a wishful flower and Zoe does have dreams but I found her to be very rooted in reality. She’s not naive and sees the irony in situations. She’s very perceptive. This is something I like and look for in female characters. She’s overcome so much and is a strong female character, given her circumstances. I liked that she didn’t back down in the world of the powerful families. I personally find it refreshing how eyes wide open she is. Maxime did do some things in the book that had me saying “you jerk” (only with a different word that begins with a b and ends with a d) but he never wanted Zoe to bear all the pain.
Charmaine did warn us there would be a cliffhanger and she certainly meant it. It was more like stepping off a cliff into the unknown… which will come out in 2 months.
That being said, I loved this book. I will probably read it multiple times before the next book in the trilogy comes out. I have already started re-reading Beauty in the Broken which takes place in the same “world” (Damian from Beauty in the Broken is Zoe’s older brother).
Thank you Charmaine for the ARC. It was a pleasure to review this book and I will definitely recommend it to friends when it is released.
**As always with an ARC, the author asked for an honest review.
I love Maxime and Zoe! They are both tragic and beautiful people that come from completely different types of worlds! I can’t wait to see their story unfold
“WOW“ Charmaine Pauls certainly knows how to get your attention with this powerful erotic mafia suspense romance that keeps you guessing as you dive deeper into the world she has created. This book was awesome, the writing and storyline flow seamlessly, there are twists and turns some I saw coming others not, this book has everything you would want in a mafia romance, deception, secrets, violence but a lot of heat to. Zoe and Maxime have a complicated relationship but you can’t deny their chemistry in the bedroom. I can’t wait for book two in this thrilling series to continue this epic journey. I was given this as an ARC by the author in exchange for a voluntary honest review which I was happy to provide.
Diamonds in the Dust is the first book in the Diamonds are Forever trilogy. This book does come with a trigger warning because of some aspects in the book. When Zoe unwittingly becomes a pawn in the French Mafia’s game, it turns into sacrificing one life for another. Maxine isn’t exactly the the hero in this story. As Zoe’s captor she’s serving a purpose while he keeps those who are truly dangerous away. This book ends on a cliffy that left me breathless. Thankfully we won’t have to wait long to find out what happens.