I am always anticipating for some authors to release new books, and Charmaine Pauls is quickly becoming one of them. After zipping through her Loan Shark series and reading Beauty in the Broken, I was excited for her to release Diamonds in the Dust. I knew she would not disappoint because I love the way she writes her characters and structures her stories. After reading the blurb for Diamonds in the Dust I knew it was right up my alley, and when the book finally dropped I got to reading.
Diamonds in the Dust is connected to her book Beauty in the Broken, and if you've read that (you really should) this book takes place a few years before Beauty in the Broken. Diamonds in the Dust is about Zoe Hart (the sister of Damian Hart, who is the male protagonist of Beauty in the Broken). Zoe Hart has been slaving away at a sweatshop after her older brother Damian was sentenced to a crime he didn't commit. Zoe is dirt poor but has dreams to be a designer. She is, as Charmaine describes her in the story, like a daisy growing on the pavement of a street. She's tough even though she might not be strong in the physical sense, and her poverty does not define her. One day walking home from work her life changes completely when two worlds collide. She is taken by a man named Maxime Belshaw and his intentions are less than stellar. Maxime knows Zoe's weakness-her love for her brother Damian-and he uses this to his advantage when he tells her to come quietly. Any rebelliousness from her and Damian will be killed in jail. Zoe is confused, terrified, and enraged as to how her brother in jail could have made an enemy of Maxime, but she does not have a choice. He makes her a deal: stay with him for a few years, and then he'll let her go.
What may seem like a story about a rich man kidnapping a poor woman, is actually much more complex. Zoe is nothing but a pawn and there is a story within that story. Even Zoe does not know the full extent of the game Maxime is playing. When I realized his plan, I had to stop reading. Maxime may be the most unforgivable hero Charmaine has ever written, and its made even more annoying because of his confidence and disregard of Zoe's previous life. He snatches her from the only existence she's ever known and expects her to be grateful. Talk about the audacity...And Zoe, poor naive Zoe, whom I wish I could warn of her impending doom and heartache. She does not even know of the things coming for her.
So long story short, she is trapped in a gilded cage. Like a princess in an ivory tower with all of the comforts she can desire at her fingertips, but there is no real freedom here. Nothing truly belongs to her. She's swimming with sharks now, and she is out of her depth.
I do know this, though. Zoe is a survivor and she is tenacious. She was getting her bearings in this book, but I have a feeling that in the coming books we'll see her becoming the strong, independent female I know she can be. And Maxime...well he can go die in a fire. Seriously, for most of the book, my kindle was clutched so tightly in my hand, and I was cursing his pigheadedness. The thing with Charmaine's books is that the characters are consistent. The antihero doesn't suddenly turn into a good guy when he meets the girl, in fact, he becomes more of an antihero, and I expect Maxime to be nothing less. I didn't know quite how to contain myself after that cliffhanger, but I loved it. I like cliffhangers when done right (I know, I'm a masochist) and this one I felt was just dramatic enough. I cannot wait for the next book.
And oh yeah, that "Italian deal" better not be what I think it is.
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Pure dark perfection!
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 ispublished. *** 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. **
Top reviews from other countries
Pebbles
Review for all 3 books! Disappointing
Reviewed in Australia on October 25, 2020