Rough Diamond / Conflict Diamond by Alix Key-reviews

ROUGH DIAMOND
Diamond Ring Kidnapped Trilogy 1
by Alix Key
Date: September 23, 2023
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, erotic, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

I thought I found heaven, but now I’m in hell.

When I spent the most incredible night of my life with a stranger, our scorching one-night stand healed broken places in both of us. Overwhelmed, I fled before midnight.

Before I could make things right, my twin brother betrayed me, selling me into slavery to cover his debts. Now, a madman has broken my mind and my body, forcing me to do terrible things night after night.

Even if my prince finds me, I’ve become the thing he despises most in the world. I don’t know how much longer I can last, but for him—for both of us—I have to try.

••••••

REVIEW: ROUGH DIAMOND is the first instalment in Alix Key’s contemporary, adult DIAMOND RING: THE KIDNAPPED dark, erotic, romance trilogy focusing on twenty-nine year old businessman Travis ‘Trap’ Prince, and twenty-six year old PHD student Alix Key.

–There is a prequel novella DIAMOND SOLITAIRE available at Bookfunnel which may be accessed via a link at the beginning of the book.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise there WILL BE many triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Alix and Trap) ROUGH DIAMOND follows in the wake of the abduction and abuse of our story line heroine. Alix’s brother Leo is in trouble, and has sold his sister to a dangerous man. A one night stand with Trap Prince ends with Alix’s kidnapping, and three years will pass before Trap is able to rescue the woman that calls to his heart but three years has changed our story line couple, and Alix is no longer the woman she was hoping to be. The rescue of our heroine brings with it some closure to her ordeal but someone else is waiting to destroy them both. What ensues is the re-building relationship between Trap and Alix, as Alix must come to terms with what happened and why.

The world building is dark and gritty. The reader is up close and personal with the horrific abuse and assault against our story line heroine, three years as a sexual slave as payment for a debt. As Trap Prince struggles to locate his one-night stand, he is unaware of the potential for future harm.

The relationship between Trap and Alix begins as a one-night stand. Alix and her twin brother Leo are about to celebrate their twenty-sixth birthday but Alix will quickly discover that her brother’s betrayal is about to cost her dearly. Meeting Trap Prince gave Alix hopes for a future a future that ended at midnight, like Cinderella’s ball. The $ex scenes are aggressive and intense.

We are introduced to Alix’s brother Leo, his father and step-mother, as well as several associates and security working for Travis Prince. The requisite evil has many faces.

ROUGH DIAMOND is a story of betrayal and vengeance, abuse and addiction, power and control, forgiveness and acceptance. The premise is dark, gritty, raw and tragic; the characters are broken, desperate and flawed; the romance is edgy and traumatic.

Heed my trigger warning-there are many, graphic and detailed, often unnecessary and over the top.

But…I am not a fan of authors who use their own name as the lead in their story line. I am going to presume the author’s name is pseudonym, linking to her trilogy, but it wreaks of self interest and arrogance. ON that note, the author suggests the Kidnapped Trilogy is based in reality, a look at the author’s own life.

ROUGH DIAMOND ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.,

Copy supplied for review

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CONFLICT DIAMOND
Diamond Ring Kidnapped Trilogy 2
by Alix Key
Date: October 12, 2023
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, erotic, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK:

What if your worst moment was caught on video forever?

When I escaped the madman who kept me as his slave, I thought I could begin to heal. But now I’m being blackmailed.

I torture myself every day, thinking about the things I was forced to do. I’m not sure I’m strong enough to trust the one man who can heal me.

He’s given me a new wardrobe, trips to Europe, and the fastest car money can buy. But what I really need is a way to forget my tortured past—even if that means breaking every law in the books.

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REVIEW: CONFLICT DIAMOND is the second instalment in Alix Key’s contemporary, adult DIAMOND RING: THE KIDNAPPED dark, erotic, romance trilogy focusing on twenty-nine year old businessman Travis ‘Trap’ Prince, and twenty-six year old PHD student Alix Key. CONFLICT DIAMOND can not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events and cliff hanger of book one ROUGH DIAMOND.

-There is a prequel novella DIAMOND SOLITAIRE available at Bookfunnel which may be accessed via a link at the beginning of the book.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise there WILL BE many triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Alix and Trap) CONFLICT DIAMOND follows in the aftermath of the arrival of an email, an email blackmailing our story line couple. Alix spent three years as a sexual slave to three German nationals but everything continues to spiral out of control when Alix receives an email with damning evidence that could destroy them all. As Alix and Trap rekindle their relationship, Trap struggles to find the people responsible only to be betrayed by someone he trusted. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship between Alix and Trap, and the potential fall-out as the past returns to finish the job, and someone close is revealed as the ultimate betrayer.

The world building focuses on the search for the people responsible for breaking our story line heroine. Alix is struggling to recover but the past refuses to let go, and in the end, she believes she is no longer worthy of protection or love.

The relationship between Alix and Trap is one of healing and rebuilding. Trap is desperate to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love but Alix battles with the memories that refuse to let go. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and edgy.

The secondary and supporting characters include private investigators, Trap’s professional assistant Susan Richards, as well as a security team, several members of Trap’s Diamond Ring Investment club, and the owner of the $ex club Kynk, Gage Rider. The requisite evil has many faces.

CONFLICT DIAMOND is another emotional story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, acceptance and healing, love and understanding. The premise is edgy and dark; the romance is provocative and intense; the characters are broken, struggling and desperate. CONFLICT DIAMOND ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviews by Sandy