Diamonds in the Rough

In Diamonds in the Rough, Zoe and Max go through further emotional trials. Having nearly lost his “little flower” to her own impulsive, thrill-seeking cliff jump that took place while she was under a dubious state of mind, Max understands fear for perhaps the first time in his life. The feeling is new to him. In fact, feelings are new to him.

Can a psychopath fall in love? This is the question that not only we, the readers, ask ourselves. Max seeks the answer too, going as far as to consult his shrink. Charmaine plays her two main characters beautifully, like a virtuoso. She gets you inside their heads. She makes them matter.

Max continues to treat Zoe like a princess, sending her to an exclusive fashion design college, fuelling what he believes are her fantasies, while fulfilling his own pragmatic worldview. Zoe never forgets she’s a captive, a commodity, her sexuality being traded for her brother’s life. Her own life is comprised of rewards and punishments doled out by her captor. She feels EVERYTHING, from the shame and self-retribution of being acclimated to her imprisonment, to the love and compassion she develops for Max, to the stings of rejection and contempt from practically everyone else that Max recruits into his charade. She sees the darkness of her situation but she is, and has always been, a hopeless romantic. Zoe has been looking for the better sides of others and hoping to find love and acceptance. How can such an empathetic personality survive alongside someone who has no empathy?

Book 2 ends with a bombshell that is worthy of the best of all middle trilogy books. Once again, I loved Zoe even more than I thought I could after the first book. I started falling for Max, only to be utterly shocked by the ice bucket coldness of his neglect of Zoe’s one true need. By the end, I was the one whose feelings were twisted and trampled and raw. This is Charmaine Pauls at the top of her game, the mistress of lyrical words and meanings, the Queen of Tortured Romance.

This is the second book in the Diamonds and Forever Trilogy, an amazingly Dark Mafia Romance. This trilogy is interconnected withThe Beauty in the Broken. You don't have to read this Series before, but believe me, you should. The story continues where the first book left off. OMG! Maxime is truly ruthless, powerful, dark, and intriguing. He is the perfect anti-hero. I love to hate/love/hate/hate him! Zoe, Damian's sister from Beauty in the Broken, is a strong and wonderful character. My heart broke again for her! They share an undeniable and sizzling hot chemistry. The cast of supporting characters is impressive. This story is dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, and filled with danger, and unpredictable twists and turns. I can't wait to read the next and last book in this amazing trilogy, Diamonds are Forever. I love Charmaine Pauls's writing.