Diamonds in the Dust

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.

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.

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). It was a pleasure to review this book and I will definitely recommend it to friends when it is released. The author gifted me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review but all of her books are “one-click” purchases anyway. ;)

This my introduction to this author and I’m in love! Maxime and Zoe’s story is far from being over and I’ll be here for every bit of it! Great writing. Great storyline. Sex was off the charts! The cliffhanger at the end was mean lol but understandable. I’m hooked and decided to start on her back catalog of books. This book is everything! I can’t wait for the second book!

I'm feeling a bit like I just took a couple of rounds in the ring. My boundaries were pushed, and I had to sit on this and think about how I really felt. I'm conflicted, but hopeful. Maxime is my main cause of this conflict. He sees the treasure in Zoe, and his true aim is to protect her from a far evil than what he thinks he is. He's not exactly wrong, but his way of teaching her is why I struggled with him. Although, I can see that part inside of him that would show a different man if they were in a better world. Maxime is like a man with two personalities. One personality is the knight in shining armor and the other is a soft nightmare. I say soft because even when he becomes the nightmare, his intention are always to protect Zoe. See? It's very conflicting. It's also the reason why I think I'm going to love this series when it's all said and done. I'm very pleased with Zoe and how she handled an impossible situation. She's had such hard life and she is only 21. She's escapes the rough world by being a dreamer which makes people underestimate her. She's a fighter and I loved it. I want to see that fight even if the situation is helpless. This ended on a big cliffhanger and for once I was glad to see it. I think it will be a turning point for the next book. **This is a dark story and there will be triggers for some readers.

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.*

I’ve read plenty by this author. I’m a fan. The hero Maxime is everything anti-hero. I LOVE anti-heroes. Your torn between loving and hating him. The heroine Zoe is a little too naive and a dreamer. It’s hard to believe she is Damians sister. The families backgrounds are tumultuous. She’s from the wrong side of the tracks and he’s the dark, mafia prince. I had a hard time believing how fast she capitulated. The dark boat punishment scene was just all kinds of wrong. I was drawn into the story. I’m intrigued and want to see what’s going to happen next.