Diamonds are Forever: A Diamond Magnate Novel (Diamonds are Forever Trilogy) Paperback – September 15, 2020

Zoe is back on home soil in South Africa, with her brother and his new family. She is careful to live her life under the radar knowing that Maxime could show at any given moment. And when he shows, he plays his usual cards, blackmailing and manipulation. But Zoe is no longer that starry-eyed little girl who believes in fairy tales. No, Maxime crushed those dreams a long time ago, now she is a woman who will play him at his own game. Maxime has lost so much, and while he grapples with his failures, he also learns some truths about himself and what Zoe truly means to him. Zoe is a force to be reckoned with, as she evolves and becomes an astute businesswoman in her own right. She becomes the woman who is admired, but still a woman who is in love with a man who can’t love her back, or can he? Maxime tries his utmost to win her affection, to prove to her that he can be what she needs and wants. But is it a story of too late she cried? Ms Pauls has once again written a tremendous trilogy full of twists and turns that keep you so invested in this story and I loved every word I read. If you have not started to read this trilogy, I highly recommend it.

They are one of those books that make you feel everything. Helplessness, rage, pain, love, the vilest hatred, and even dislike yourself for justifying what for many would be unjustifiable. Zoe, Damian's sister (if you haven't read Beauty in the Broken I invite you to do so).Maxime goes after Zoe, just to give Damian pressure to keep selling the diamonds at a non-commercial price. As the underboss of the mob, he needs to do whatever it takes to keep from losing the business, and whatever "whatever" is Zoe. He didn't count on that little flower to spark something, when I say something it's not love. No, don't expect love at first sight and protection, no. Here this hero that the author gives us is a character lacking in empathy. Maxime is an enigma. He pretends to be nice to Zoe only to get the result he wants. He is frustrated that she does not appreciate his kindness, and sometimes he takes it out on her when he cannot hide his feelings of frustration and pain. Maxime is that hire you’ll be angry because physical blows hurt, but when the blows are of the soul, I'm talking about actions. They stay there forever. Why do I say that? Because this book is so crazy that you get it. He takes her dreams and manipulates Zoe at his whim to make her fall in love with him, taking every single thing from Zoe's dreams from her fantasy book.Charmaine Pauls doesn't show us warriors of bullets and fists. She shows us warriors of life. The woman Charmaine writes about being a survivor. The kind that burns your heart, but they're brave enough to take those pieces and move on. Please. Don't give Zoe a hard time, she was designed by life and Maxime in a way that you want to tell her to wake up! But it's not her fault. And don't blame Maxime either. He's not to blame for not feeling.Cheer up and read them, and come back here and tell me what you felt. And if you forgave a being without empathy, and cried for a wilted flower."I hate him. I hate Maxime with every fiber of my being. I hate him as much as my traitorous heart still loves him. This is not a crush. This is not a fairy tale love. It is a love wrought with thorns, pain, and suffering. It is a dark love.

I have my doubts after reading book 2, but this is nice wrap up to Zoe and Maxime's story. Their relationship can flourish even though there are threats looming around every corner. Their sex life is still strong and life is changing for both of them. I like this story a lot. I love Charmaine's story more and more with each book I pick up. Enjoy.

I love this trilogy! The love story between Zoe and Maxime is so intense and poignant and threaded through with darkness. That being said, this book, which was the final installment, turned out to be my least favorite, simply because I felt it didn’t quite live up to the promise of the two previous books. But it still kept me glued to the page, so 4 ½ stars.Book two left off after Zoe execcuted her successful escape and was on the way to South Africa to her brother Damian. Zoe is trying to pick up the pieces and to re-build her life, torn between gaining a measure of independence and overcoming her feelings for Maxime, but at the same time still missing him and unable to enter into a new relationship.Meanwhile Maxime can’t believe Zoe managed to escape him and he comes to realize that nothing else matters but getting Zoe back. So he walks away from the family business and follows Zoe to South Africa.I get that Maxime wouldn’t be Maxime if he became any less ruthless in going after what he wants, but still I expected a bit more in the way of self-reflection and maybe quite a bit of groveling, but he goes about getting Zoe back just in the way he did the first time, by blackmailing her and not giving her a choice. It’s once again about HIS obsession and HIS wants and not about what Zoe is feeling. Only Zoe has hardened her heart after all the emotional pain Maxime put her through, and she is recklessly giving Maxime a taste of his own medicine, keeping herself aloof emotionally and only engaging with Maxime physically, and moreover on her terms.What I really liked was the role reversal, when due to Maxime’s fallout with his family and the attendant loss of position, Zoe for a time becomes the primary breadwinner. By channeling all her passion into designing and sewing, Zoe manages to establish a successful fashion business after all.And despite everything that happened with his family, Maxime didn’t suffer nearly enough and it took him to the very end to realize that loving somebody means to put their happiness before one’s own.

Another five star book and series by this author. She managed to weave a wonderful tale without falling into the typical norms of plot events for this genre thus I am personally very satisfied.

I couldn't put the first book of this series down and it continued with the other two books. I love Zoe and Max! They have such depths to them. So many twists in this series, which will keep the reader on their toes!

Einer der besten Autorin im Dark Romance Bereich...... auch dieser letzte Band war spannend und mitreissend. Hab praktisch die Nacht durchgemacht und konnte den Reader nicht aus den Händen legen. Charmaine Pauls Stil ist unbeschreiblich, man muss Ihre Bücher gelesen haben.

Probably one of my most anticipated reads so far this year and Charmaine Pauls did not disappoint. The story went in a completely different direction to my theories for which I was pleasantly surprised. Max and Zoe have to navigate their complicated relationship and their feelings to find each other and I’m glad to say they get their happy ever after. The best part of the story for me was Zoe‘s reunion with her brother Damian Hart. I can’t wait to read about the other 2 Hart brothers. Beautifully written I would recommend this trilogy to everyone.

This book keeps you on your toes. Great story , great writing. Highly recommend it to serious readers. Thank you

I love her books . Was hooked from start to finish. Couldn't put it down and skipped a few meals ..gaaaa it was soo good