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.
—————————————————————
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
4-Stars
Holy Smokes, Maxime is going to be LOVED by so many anti-hero loving readers. I love dark and dirty fiction and Diamonds in the Dust was deliciously dark. Although Maxime won’t be for everyone, I thought he was great.
“Someday, she’ll long for me to touch her like this. There will come a day she won’t have to simply tolerate my touch. When I am done with her, she’s going to need it like a drug.”
DITD is one of those books where you first crack it open in the morning and then the next thing you know, it’s late in the day and the book is finished. The pace was perfect, the character/world building was spot on and I really enjoyed the book.
Charmaine Pauls did a phenomenal job on book 1 of the Diamonds are Forever Trilogy, I cannot wait for book 2 – Diamonds in the Rough that releases July 14, 2020!
Sexy, dark and somewhat ruthless with a French accent, well yes! And I’m picturing the guy on the cover to be my Maxine while I read this. As a fan of Beauty in the Broken and the whole Diamond Magnate world, this was a must read for me. Sister to Damian, Zoe has had it rough, she’s poor yet full of hope, and dreams of someday being a Fashion designer when she is kidnapped. The reasons behind the kidnapping are a unique blend of shock and OH.WOW. The plot is good and the detailed descriptions are written extremely well, you get caught up in this book quick. The heat and tension that develops between these two are both erotic and dangerous. The cliffhanger is killing me, but I know it will be worth the wait. Great start to this trilogy and I would highly recommend.
I have found a new favorite author! This book Was AMAZING! From the storyline, to the romance, the danger, and that damn cliffhanger! Maxime is giving my other book husbands a run for their money. I hope they survive this.
Readers beware this is not your average sweet romance. Diamonds in the Dust (Diamonds are Forever Trilogy #1) is dark, brutal and oh so flipping deliciously good. I could not put this book down and ended up reading into the wee hours. Charmaine Pauls has quickly become one of my all time favorite authors. If I could give this more than 5 stars I definitely would.
Zoe’s is such a strong character in this book. She reminds me so much of myself, in the sense that she is a daydreamer and she believes in that fairy-tale love. While some of it is naivety, it is also a survival mechanism that protects her from the harsh realities of growing up in poverty and all the things that come with it. I absolutely love that she has a backbone and will stand up for herself even to her own detriment. Maxime is very dark and controlling and has a bit of a sadistic streak. There are some extremely dark themes in this book that may be triggers for some. I find myself cringing on certain scenes, but I still find that overall it is an enjoyable read. I hope we find out more about Maxime’s past and why he is so dark and, I hope we get a story for Zoe’s brother. I am anxiously awaiting the second installment. I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This series is getting better and better!!! Maxim is to die for!!! And sweet Zoe is in the middle trying to figure a way out. That ending just leave you wondering!!!!! Just Wow Fabulous!!!Crazy good
This book is a great start in the Diamonds are Forever Trilogy. It’s sexy and intense. It’s the kind of sexy that makes me a little squirmy lol. It’s uncomfortable sometimes, but damn if it isn’t hot af. Maxime is the perfect alpha asshole. I can’t wait to learn his secrets throughout the series. If you like darker reads and dubious consent, you definitely will enjoy Diamonds in the Dust!
5 Dazzling Diamond Stars for Diamonds in the Dust, the first instalment in the Diamonds are Forever trilogy by Charmaine Pauls.
This book had everything I look for in a dark romance…
Brooding anti-hero
Sharp and fiercely independent heroine
Hard lessons to be learned for both H&h
Intricate storyline
Steamy Smexy Scenes
Charmaine Pauls is a one click author for me and I’ve been waiting for this story to come since she started the Diamond Magnate world with Damian and Lina’s story.
Diamonds in the Dust is set during the time of Damian’s imprisonment and follows his sister Zoe’s life in poverty. The reader gets insight into the childhood Damian and Zoe were raised in and Zoe’s whimsical musings of being whisked away by a fairytale prince where she will live happily ever after.
And Zoe gets a variation of her wish… she is whisked away from poverty, brought to a castle befitting a queen, and her prince? Well, who said Zoe would get it all? Zoe has a choice, she can obey’s Maxime’s requests and he will treat her like the gem she truly is or she can fight him at every turn and risk the safety and well being of herself and her brother.
Caught in a world where she best serves as a pawn, Zoe will obey all of Maxime’s requests if she is to protect her brother.
And the generous benefactor of this world only wants one thing…
Zoe’s compliance.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!
It is hawt, steamy and dark. Maxime is not suave or handsome or even charming, but he sees something in Zoe that he wants to protect from his cruel world. The problem is, who will protect Zoe from Maxime’s harsh and even brutal lessons?
I haven’t read this kinda dark from Ms Pauls since Gabriel and Valentina in Dubious Consent! Maxime is direct and almost dispassionate. His lessons are calculated to be hard and his emotions run cold. Zoe has some tough lessons ahead of her with a cruel lover and even crueler family. But for Maxime, Zoe is his diamond in the rough; it’s now only a matter of time for Zoe to realize this and flip the script.
I’m desperate to see how this sexually charged yet loveless affair will transform into something sustainable. At this point their is no telling if Maxime’s tether on Zoe will erode their arrangement to dust or fashion it into a brilliant diamond.
Charmaine Pauls is definitely one of my favorite dark romance authors. She can write a dark, complicated and emotional tale like no other. I fell in love with Beauty In the Broken, so I was really excited about a new trilogy set in the same world. Diamonds In the Dust is book one of The Diamonds Are Forever trilogy and it introduces us to a tortured yet delicious french mobster Maxime and Damian’s (the hero of Beauty In the Broken) sister Zoe. This book has a distinct Beaty and the Beast feel to it. Our hero is a complicated man scarred by a difficult past and facing an uncertain future. Zoe starts out as a pawn but quickly becomes so much more. While an innocent at first glance, she possesses layers of her own. Their story is dark and hot and set against the backdrop of complicated family relationships and sinister organized crime. It ends on quite the literal cliffhanger, and I can wait to see where Ms. Paul’s takes it next.
Diamonds in the Dust
Diamonds in the Dust is a take on the modern fairytale with a very dark and gritty twist. Where the main characters aren’t aren’t a damsel in distress and a saviour riding in on a white horse, but a fiercely proud and independent female who finds herself in an impossible situation and a stoic, brute of a man being her only hope of survival, regardless of his motives.
Maxime is cruel and unfeeling, until Zoe steps unwillingly into his brutal and unforgiving world. Zoe changes everything and unknowingly, becomes a pawn in a game she doesn’t even know the stakes in. Now she must learn to set aside her ideals of a fairytale life in order to survive.
I really enjoyed this gripping, thrilling and decadently dark read. This book ends on a cliffhanger and so now we wait *impatiently* to see what is in store for Zoe and Maxime!
This book has intriguing. Excited to get to know these characters. Max is so back and forth with Zoe, with good reason. I think Zoe has a good head on her shoulders, but she needs more to understand what she is being put though.
Love the dark romance Charmaine Pauls brings. Diamond in the Dust bring just perfectly that.
A poor orphan, Zoe only have her brother Damian who’s in jail now for the crime he didn’t commited. Leave alone and struggle to get ends meet, one night she was kidnaped by one scary looking man in expensive suit.
Maxime is the underboss of an old French Mafia family. He’s the brain that control the underworld and the traffic for Diamond. And when his bussines is threaten, he must take collateral in his little flower.
One thing I love about Charmaine’s anti hero is they really are bad before they become the hero.
Maxime isn’t only look scary, he is scary. He doesn’t treat. He make promise he will keep. He punish who ever Cross the line, including Zoe. He’s a mean a-hole and and doesn’t have problem with that fact.
But lawwwwd this man can do bed sport into Olympic sport and win!
Hot dang the steamy scenes!
And Zoe… Yes, she have it tough with Maxime. But this girl is strong. She’s brave enough to speak her mind. She’s smart enough not to Cross the line when she know it’s not worth it.
I love their interaction.
I love Maxime being mean villain
I love Zoe strength and smartness.
I love the darkness in this book.
And I finish it in one sitting
I received an ARC copy of this beauty and let me tell you it doesn’t disappoint. In this story we get to meet the handsome and broken but we don’t know that at first Max. He comes along and scoops up unsuspecting Zoe. To say she is naive is a little of an understatement. Yes she knows some of the horrors of the world thanks to her wife beating dad but she still believes there’s good in the world. Boy does max come in like a wreaking ball and show her some hard truth. When he first comes into contact with Zoe he knows he’s got to keep her for himself. This may seem selfish but he’s saving her from much worse. Zoe gets to see a side of people that she didn’t want to believe was true but she also loses a part of her heart to this cold man (or so she thinks). Ms. Pauls leaves the story on cliffhanger for sure. I can’t wait to see where she takes us next with Max and Zoe story!
These diamonds dazzle! 5 stars
Wow, what a captivating book! Zoe was “plucked” from her life by Maxime because of his business dealings. I can’t say more than that. She struggles with her new life, and I would too. She had anger, rage and pride. She hates him, but he makes her feel pleasure. This was where she feels shame and disappointment in herself, and I could understand that too. Maxime was fascinated with her, and I was fascinated by him. He was a complex man with which we were just scratching the surface of in this book. He can be caring then turn cruel, yet he can disarm her and me. He was numb and unfeeling until Zoe, and I loved that. She was his light in the darkness. But how much can one woman take? Read this dazzling book that I highly recommend and find out!
*I received an advanced copy of this ebook for my honest review.*
Very dark read. Maxime stands out I had a hate/like relationship with him. Zoe, spine of steel or rather a strong core. She most definitely needs it with that man. I liked this book . Looking forward to the next in this series.
Charmaine Pauls is back with a new series! This may actually be the best news that I have gotten in a long time and if this first book is any indication of what’s to come, you can be sure that we’ll be having a super hot summer!
If you haven’t read a Charmaine Pauls novel yet, you are going to be pleasantly surprised. In my opinion she is the queen of dark romance. She creates the most complex characters and takes you on a journey of passion. Calling her books merely a “love story” would be a grave injustice. They are journeys of self-discovery, trust, passion and obsession with a chemistry so intense that you will be left breathless and blushing 😉
In this new series we are introduced to Maxime Belshaw. He’s the underboss and brains of his family’s crime business. He is a man who doesn’t make idle threats and isn’t afraid to mete out punishment to those who do him wrong. He has been tasked to kidnap the sister of one of his family’s enemies and hold her hostage to keep her in line. But there’s something different about Zoe. He is instantly drawn to her innocence and naïveté. He needs to keep her away from his violent and psychotic brother Alexis and the only sure way to keep her safe is to tell everyone that they fell in love at first sight and are now lovers. But in order to make everyone believe this they have to take the next step and actually become lovers. Maxime is more than happy to play the part, but will Zoe be just as keen to surrender to her captor?
Those of you who are fans of Charmaine will be familiar with Damian Hart, Zoe’s older brother who is now in prison and forging strong ties with criminals of the diamond business. Zoe has grown up in a violent house and the only thing that has kept her standing was Damian and the fairy tales that she read. Although she is aware that with her meagre income she may never be able to wear beautiful clothes or see Venice, she has held the belief that she will one day meet her Prince Charming. All her dreams and hopes come to a crushing end when she is abducted by Maxime Belshaw. She hates him with all her heart and can’t wait to escape from his clutches. But it seems that her body has a mind of its own because when he touches her she forgets who he is and why she hates him and finds herself drawn to him.
I have to admit that there are quite a number of instances where I hated Maxime, but like Zoe, I also found myself being drawn to him bit by bit. His alluring French accent may also play a tiny part in this too 😉
This book ends on a cliffhanger and I am going through some serious withdrawal right now so I can’t can’t wait for the next book!!! A mesmerising read!!!
Thanks to Charmaine Pauls for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Be forewarned Diamonds in the Dust is the first book in what will be a darkly addictive series that you won’t be able to put down. When you finish reading this first book, you will want more. Diamonds in the Dust is the first book in the series Diamonds are Forever Trilogy. To make this book more addictive, as if that is possible, it ends in a cliffhanger- but don’t worry, the next book, Diamonds in the Rough, will be available July 14, 2020, so we don’t have to wait too long. Diamonds in the Dust is set in the same beautifully dark world as Beauty in the Broken, but if you haven’t read this book, you can still enjoy Diamonds in the Dust. However, I recommend that you read Beauty in the Broken.
In Diamonds in the Dust, we are introduced to the beautiful, spunky, resilient heroine Zoe Hart. Zoe has not had an easy life; growing up with an abusive father and a weak mother, her brother Damian has been her only savior. Unfortunately, he has been imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, leaving Zoe to fend for herself. Living amid poverty with barely enough to eat, Zoe clings to a childhood dream. Zoe is a dreamer, and this makes her vulnerable, but she is also a survivor. Ms. Pauls has created a near-perfect heroine full of depth and surprises.
“One day, I’ll find my prince, and marry him, and be a princess, and live in a castle, and we’ll live happily ever after.”
Ahhh, Zoe be careful what you wish for; you may get your prince but not precisely what you expected. Maxime Belshaw is defiantly not what she expected. Maxime is a hard, cruel, and dominant man who takes what he wants. He is an integral part of his family’s business – and that business is controlling the diamond trade. He plans to dominate the diamond trade by any means, including kidnapping Zoe. By kidnaping Zoe, Maxime plans to manipulate her brother, who, even from prison, has significant control of the diamond business. He was supposed to turn Zoe over to his brother after he kidnaps her; however, he becomes obsessed and fascinated with her innocence and goodness, and he can’t seem to let her go.
“She’s a pretty little daisy that pushes through a crack on a dirty pavement, resilient and beautiful, surviving against all odds.”
“Maybe, just maybe, if I know her secret, I’ll know how to be happy.”
There are times in this book where you can feel Zoe’s goodness having a positive effect on Maxime. I had the feeling he wants to be a better man and let Zoe see not just his hard side but all of him, but he is so afraid to let his tenderness be seen.
“The man I’m about to accept as my lover is harsh, unfeeling, unattractive, and a kidnapper. I don’t understand why he went to so much trouble for me…”
So, he falls back to his old habits again, creating a delicious push and pull between them. The intense feelings that Maxime has for Zoe are palpable throughout this book.
“Someday, she’ll long for me to touch her like this. There will come a day she won’t have to simply tolerate my touch. When I am done with her, she’s going to need it like a drug.”
Through the beautiful writing of Ms. Pauls, we feel the stark difference between Zoe and Maxime; Zoe is warmth, light, and grace; Maxime, in contrast, is coldhearted, dark, and crude. This difference makes their relationship explosive, but it’s not just their sexual attraction. Ms. Pauls perfectly develops these two characters; they are complicated and intense, full of pain and desires, and they fit perfectly together.
Ms. Pauls has done it again; Diamonds in the Dust is pure dark perfection. From the first page, Diamonds in the Dust goes from zero to one hundred miles an hour and doesn’t let up until the last word. A story that keeps you swooning over this antihero and, most importantly, keep you hoping for the that happily ever after that, this beautiful heroine so richly deserves. Ms. Pauls, as usual, writes beautifully, immersing the reader in a world full of exquisite darkness that will test your limits and have you asking for more. Diamonds in the Dust is action-packed, and before I knew it, I quickly finished this book. Diamonds in the Dust goes to the top of my 2020 list for romance books. I highly recommend you put this at this book at the top of your must-read book list.
* Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is
published. *
** I kindly received this book from Charmaine Pauls. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. **
4.5 on the edge stars!!
This is book one of the “Diamonds Are Forever” trilogy. It ends in a cliffy but don’t fret the next book will be here soon enough.
Wow!! This book started with a bang. Had me hooked from chapter one. I wanted to hate Maxime but damn it he grew on me.
Zoe has had it hard her entire life. She went from shit to more shit. Then out of nowhere comes Maxime and to be honest here is more shit. Yes reading it I’m like girl embrace it. But I know as a hard headed woman I would never embrace it.
The shit storm has only began in Maxime’s family. Alexis was just the cherry on top I am sure. I can’t not wait to see what happens in book two.
I hate cliffhangers like everyone else but I have learned to cope. Lol. But what I will say is this cliffhanger doesn’t seem to ruin it all. Like I am ok where we left off.
This book is hot, tragic, exciting and scary all in one. This is a book you don’t want to miss it on!!
**I received this book as an ARC and in return gave my honest review**
Diamonds in the Dust is a big tease. I know it’s the first book in a trilogy. I knew that. And yet…I’m both angry and insulted that it ended. I don’t like unfinished business. I don’t like cliffhangers. Especially this one. Literally!
Charmaine Pauls gives you a taste. A romance, a date, a choice. She wants you to embrace the possibilities. The ways this could be and then she shows us the consequences of our mistrust.
We need to be very careful with our “choices” because Diamond in the Rough is coming…just not soon enough. (I’m an instant gratification kind of girl!)
3.5 stars
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
Men life us, we see things. We do things, thins 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 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 me like up. We lack empathy and guilt. WE do things to have what we want, things that make flowers wilt.
This is the first book in the Diamonds are Forever Trilogy. This is also a dark book and it might hold some triggers from some people so you need to read with caution. I will go ahead and warn you that when you pick up this book you are not going to want to put it down. This is the story of Maxime and Zoe and these two are characters that you are going to love and hate in equal measure at times. While this book is dark too, it has a really emotional tone to it too. So you’re going to be all over the place while you’re reading this book. I don’t want to give anything about this story. Just go in blind and love it as much as I did. There is a cliff and I do mean a huge one at the end of this book. However you do not have to wait to long for the next two books as Diamonds in the Rough releases July 14 and Diamonds are Forever on September 15.