Cover Image: Diamond

Diamond

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Member Reviews

I started with this author right at the beginning of her writing and JA Low has continually gotten better..more addicting and certainly more skilled. And since I'm a huge bookwhore for mafia romances, I knew this series was going to be special... a shining jewel. Book one in the Bratva Jewels series was epically brilliant and Diamond, book two, did not disappoint at all.

Gritty. Raw. Sexy. Intense. Dark. Erotic. Suspenseful. Twisted. Captivating. Dangerous. Action-packed. Low lit my kindle up with her words and had my heart wildly about to beat out of my chest. The feels were so very real at moments and every page sucked me in further, leaving me on the edge of my seat at times with this book.

She's the captive and him her captor. They never expected to fall yet nothing can stop them now... Danger is lurking. Secrets are revealed. And it's a guarantee, you'll never see it coming. Hold on to your panties...And your hearts.

I devoured Diamond, reading fast, racing through the pages because I just couldn't get enough of these two. Grace and Maxim were nothing like I expected but in such the best ways possible. Run to their story and grab it now!

If you have met JA Low then this series is the way to go!

I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.

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Great follow up to Sapphire! Yes it can be read as a standalone but I believe it helps to have read the first one. Especially for characters introductions, then you really know the players.
I enjoyed the build up to the romance between Grace and Maxim but it was about midway through that the action started and then this book got GOOD. Secrets were revealed and not everyone or everything was what they seemed. Deception ran rampant!
The final words 'Let the games begin' have me very excited for the next one! Our group has put their people in new positions and Revenge will be theirs!

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A good well written enjoyable read. I read it in a couple of sittings.

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Even though this is a standalone it's best to read Sapphire first to learn the backstory and recurring characters in Diamond.

Diamond finds Grace suffering the after-effects of her kidnapping and tortuous captivity by coping the only way she knows how pills. It's her dependency on the 'extra' she tops up with that lands her back in her worst nightmare, kidnapped again.
But this time it's not the devil Dimitri whose stolen her away from her family, it's the head assassin for the Bratva Mafia Maxim. After helping Grace detox from the pills she's been using to forgot the terror she suffered Maxim finds out that there is more to the situation he finds himself in that he could possibly imagine.
Grace finds herself, against her better judgment, attracted the hot, ripped man holding her in his Tuscan paradise.
The chemistry between these two strong-willed characters has the pages sizzling so much you have to turn them fast to see what's going on. Along with his right-hand man, Sergi, Maxim digs deeper into Dimitri to find out what really happened to the legendary Bratva Jewels.
This story had me captive from the start and the twists and surprises along the way kept me reading. Told from both Grace and Maxim's POV we find out how each of them deals with and feels about everything that's revealed as the story goes on.
I look forward to seeing what happens next with the Bratva Jewels.

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am loving this series really hard first we had Sapphire and her 2 boys and now we had Grace and Maxim story and it didn't disappoint.

I loved how we started off from where we finished from the first book and kept me hanging on to the point where I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know how it ended, if this was going to be the end of the series but I am hanging for the next book now I can't wait already.

Grace had been through enough and if you had read the first book you would know quite a bit about Grace but I couldn't believe that her story wasn't finished and I loved Grace in this one she showed her strength and her tenacity and loved her opening up her heart even though it would be hard for her in her situation

Maxim was a guy that you couldn't decide if he was the good man or the bad man but in a way I loved if from the start, he was a guy focused on his job and was so good at it he forgot to live his life.

This book isn’t as dark as the first but it is just as captivating and your adrenaline pumping and just had been trying tot he page faster than I was reading.

Twice now JA Low has taken me out of my comfort zone but she does it with ease and I am loving this series and I am hanging for the next one

A big 5 stars for this book

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Wow! After the end of Sapphire, I knew things were going to ramp up in Diamond.

And ramp up it did!

Right from the get go this is an adrenaline filled ride that had me wondering what would happen next.

If you read Sapphire ypu will know all about Sophie and Grace and will be full of heartache for our jewels, gower ypu will be full of hope as well.

I don't want to give anything away or spoil anything, but holy cow! Just when you think you know what's happening, bam!

I really enjoy the arc the story had taken and can't wait to see what happens next

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Dmitri is out for revenge, and what better way to seek it than to steal the jewels back one at a time. He also has a bit of motivation in that there is a 6 month time limit to find them all or his life is forfeit. Knowing he needs assistance, he turns to the man who will end him in 6 months time if he isn’t successful and gives him Diamond’s location.

Grace thought she could finally try to move on with her life after escaping from the Bratva. She isn’t coping well, however, and has become hooked on prescription drugs. When looking for another hit, she is kidnapped from her home by one of the Russian mafia’s most feared assassins, Maxim. Knowing she can never go back to the life of a jewel, she will do everything she can to escape.

What happens, though, when Maxim doesn’t treat Grace like a captive and Grace begins seeing Maxim as much more than a kidnapper. Both will have to fight their feelings as they also discover that things are not always as they seem and that secrets can be very deadly.

Will Dimitri and the Bratva force Grace to return to her life of slavery as a jewel or will Maxim unravel the lies and secrets in time to give them both a second chance at life.

I was very excited to see how Grace’s story would play out, especially after reading book one in this series and J.A. Low did not disappoint. This book is very fast paced and the characters of Grace and Maxim are like magnets immediately drawn to one another in a world where they should be in roles of master and slave. As Maxim learns more about Grace and the Jewels, we see more of his inner character. While he may be a feared assassin, he is no monster to the innocent and vows to protect Grace in every way he can. Grace’s inner strength is also amazing, considering all she has been through and may be forced back into. Once she begins finding herself again, she vows to fight with everything she has to remain free of the Bratva and free from the drugs she came to depend on just to make it through the day.

I love a story of bad guy turned good, and Maxim plays this character perfectly . . . still bad enough to do whatever is necessary, yet with a conscious that knows true right from wrong with lines even he is not willing to cross.

4 stars for this fantastic read! I’m also completely intrigued by the tease leading into the next book and I can’t wait for the author to share a release date so I can add it to my TBR!

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4.5*

Holy crap. I just finished this and holy. Crap. I adored this. I’ll have a full review of it going up soon on my YouTube and Blog (probably Saturday Nov 11). But overall, I gave it 17/20 points with the point system I go with.

It says I started this Oct 1st, which I did, but I read 15% then put it down. The only reason I put it down was because I wasn’t in the mindset to read it. I read the rest on Nov 6th. So addicting.

Everything was so wonderful. It’s definitely a guilty pleasure read. But be warned.


Trigger Warnings:
Rape, Drug Abuse, Depression, Suicide, Sexual Assault

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Diamond is the fast-paced sequel to Sapphire where we learn what happens to Grace after she's been kidnapped. Emotions fly high and perhaps a touch of Stockholm Syndrome as Grace battles her kidnapper.
I was told that I could read Diamond as a standalone book without reading Sapphire. I'm glad I ignored that advice and read Sapphire first because Diamond is really a continuation of what happens after Sapphire. As a reader, I wanted to know what happened to Gracie during Sapphire and this context is important as we go on the journey with Grace. I think while I may not have been entirely lost reading Diamond without first reading Sapphire, I would have felt I was missing something. A lot happens to Grace in Sapphire and in this book she is still suffering from the trauma and effects of her experience and that is where the story starts. Additionally, most of the characters from the previous book make an appearance in this one. If you wanted to know who's who in the zoo, reading the first book helps.
And what I said about the first book still stands. While this is labeled as a dark romantic suspense, it's not dark. Trust me on this because I have a weak stomach and I did not feel it was dark at all even though it touches on some dark themes. Romantic suspense, yes. Dark, no. So if you're feeling reticent about reading this because it's labeled as dark, don't be.
Maxim is a conundrum for me. I am having a hard time nailing him down. He's a feared and skilled assassin for hire but he's also a kind and caring man who has suffered great loss in his life. His kindness shows as he cares for Grace when she is ill. What felt a little out of sync for me in his character was how he seemed young after he falls for Grace in spite of his persona as a hardened assassin. Ms Low never mentions his age so I'm left to guess but to me he felt like a young man, perhaps in his mid to late twenties, but then I wonder how he could have established himself and had as many kills as he had. And while he shows a ruthlessness in the beginning in dealing with Dimitri, all that seems to fall away once he is involved with Grace. While I liked seeing the softer side to him, I also found it a bit incongruous. That said, I never doubted his feelings for Grace and his desire to keep her safe.
Grace surprises me in this book. Even as she is suffering and recovering from the trauma that's happened to her, there's an inner strength to her that comes to the forefront as things spiral out of her control again when she's kidnapped. While she's at Maxim's mercy, she also holds her own and stands up to him. I'm impressed by Grace's resilience and willingness to do what needs to be done in spite of the danger to herself.
The Australianisms once again pulled me out of the story, this time more so than before. I just don't expect some of the words being used to come out of Maxim's mouth or even Mac's. Although I do not know Mac's nationality so he could be Australian? But Maxim definitely isn't Australian and some of the things he said surprised me. Not that I mind Australianisms. In fact, I love them if the book is set in Australia or has Australian characters but this book has such a mixed bag of nationalities that sometimes when the Australian words are used, they seem to stick out like a sore thumb.
And finally, what's with this thing of Grace hitting Maxim repeatedly? It's okay for a woman to hit a man in a romance but not okay for a man to hit a woman? Kind of a double standard don't you think? I understand the circumstances which caused Grace to do it, but I do not agree with it. And it's not like she slapped him once. She slapped him hard, repeatedly. And he just let her. There's something not right about that. I certainly don't condone it.
While I enjoyed Grace and Maxim's story, I felt less invested in the story than I was with the first book. That said, I'm still interested in seeing what Ms Low does in the future because she has certainly left room for the potential of more happening.

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This book was a great read. It was fast paced, filled with twists and turns that i certainly was not expecting. This was the first book that I have read by JA Low, and it certainly will not be the last. I will say it can be read as a stand-alone but can be a bit confusing as to some parts.
I loved grace and her spunk, even with everything she went through her fighting spirit pushes through, and Dmirti was the perfect match for Grace. Reading their story was like a cat and mouse game! 4 stars for a great book!

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I somehow missed Sapphire so went into Diamond blind. So, at times I was a bit lost as there were so many characters to catch up with. And those similar names drive me crazy, Max, Maxim, Mac…especially when trying to meet all the players.

So, we meet Grace (Diamond) who was rescued from the Russian mob. Unfortunately, the man, Dimitri, who held her wants her back and has one of the top assassins in the Russian mob, Maxim, track her down. Grace has not been handling things well and she is on drugs to drown out the pain from her captivity. When Maxim realizes that she is detoxing and suffering nightmares he helps her through it and in the process, realizes that the Jewels are not what he thought they were. They are actually women forced to be playthings for the top Russians. Will he be able to fight his feelings for Grace? Will he stay loyal to the mob and return her?

I actually enjoyed the story even though I was a tad lost at times. There was the right amount of tension between them to keep me turning the pages. There were quite a few errors in transitions, but since this was an advanced copy, those things may have been resolved in final formatting. Lastly the plot was good, but there were a few things that could have been better clarified and streamlined.

Hero 4 stars / Heroine 4 stars / Steam 4 stars / Plot 4 stars / Overall 4 Stars
Keys: Dual POV, MF, mafia, kidnapping, non-con elements

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This was a fantastic book by JA Low. This is the 2nd book in the Jewel series and my 1st one to read and mercy was it non stop from page 1 to the end. I absolutely loved reading this story. Grace who thought her nightmare of being one of the girls of the Bratva Jewels was over until she's kidnapped again by Maxim who's an assassin for the Bratva, but he think's he's going to just hand her over and walk away, but Grace has other idea's. This was such a good book. I started it and finished in one day I kept flipping pages to see what happened next. If you haven't one clicked it yet you definitely need to. I can't wait to read more from her.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book

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The second book in the Bratva Jewel series is out and boy is it a doozy! Diamond is the story of Grace Clark, aka Diamond, the sister of Zoe, aka Sapphire. (book 1) Grace is having a rather difficult time dealing with what happened to her during her time as a jewel, so she resorts to anti-anxiety meds to help. Not only does she take her prescription, but she has a dealer bring her more. She heads out to meet her dealer and she’s kidnapped. But things don’t go the way as planned.

Maxim is a hired assassin for the Bratva. He’s paid to get Grace and bring her back to her worst tormentor. But when Max sees that she’s going through detox, he helps her, and he finds out that being a jewel isn’t quite what he’s heard. Maxim can’t quite bring himself to turn his captive over quite yet, and Grace doesn’t want to go. There are lots of surprising twists and turns on both sides of the fence in this book. Putting it down was absolutely impossible. I’m totally excited to see this series continue. Loved it!

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Thank you Net-Galley, publisher and author for the advance readers copy.

I loved this book. This is book 2 in the series but it can be read as a standalone. I plan on going back and reading the first book because I loved this one.

Grace (Diamond) goes through a lot in this book. Maxim he is a bad guy but more than that. I loved him.

If you like hot sex, drama, suspense then this book is for you!

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Diamond is the 2 nd Book in the Bratva series,
Centering on Grace, Zoe’s sister from the 1st Book Sapphire!
I enjoyed the story as it uncovers Grace’s life and how she is recovering from being a Jewel.

What I did enjoy about the story was the fact that Maxim, although an assasin, was a rather caring man, helping Grace, tending to her and I wondered how the book would end up!
There was sizzling tension, some parts that were a little repetitive but didn’t detract from the storyline. There were some rather tense moments when things went haywire and would they escape, will they get out of the situation alive?? My heart was coming out my throat at a certain part but I really liked the ending.
A good read!

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What a fabulous story I loved it and could not put it down I met Grace in the awesome first book in this series and was so thrilled with this story she deserved a HEA and she got one a sizzling one with Russian assassin Maxim, it can be read a s a standalone but make sure you are comfortable because you won’t want to move really.

Grace has been to hell and back after spending time with the Bratva Jewels as a high class escort the things that she has been through will make your skin crawl but she is feeling safe at home with her sister still not coping emotionally, when she is kidnapped again and is to be returned to that hell and mobster Dimitri or is she? Her captor is not what she expected and he shows her a side of him that most would not see and the sizzle and spark that ignites between them unbelievable.

Maxim is a skilled assassin for the Russian Mafia he does his job with accuracy and without feeling but there really is more to Maxim than the person that most see, so when he is paid to kidnap Grace and he needs to keep her for a while till he returns her to Dimitri feelings unlike he has had before grow and then the discovery about his sister changes everything.

This is a fast paced sensual story never did either Grace or Maxim expect to fall in love so fast and so deeply of course there is danger and many ups and downs along the way but you will not be disappointed in their journey it sizzles it is emotional as Grace and Maxim open up there are lots of twists and MS Low has built the characters up into real people some so lovely others not so but what a fabulous ending to this story and I am sure there has to be more in this series Elena? Thank you for another fabulous story.

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I absolutely loved this book. It contained just enough of everything to make it really enjoyable and kept me wanting more. I read this book in an evening, I just couldn't put it down. I love the way that you get told just enough to let your imagination do the rest of the work for you, sometimes as in this case, less is more.

At the end of Sapphire you are left wondering what happens to Grace. You know that they have come for the jewels and that Diamond is too important to let go. And this is where the story really begins. Grace is captured and the whole story explodes from there. I refuse to give anything away at all. The story is well told and leaves you wanting more and more. The characters in this book are nrloamr and they chemistry they flies from the pages is just magic. This book is full of danger, sexual chemistry and a romance you won't believe.

This book is a huge recommend from me. The writing is just getting better and better with every book that is released. And JA Low is fast becoming a defintely one-click author for me.

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OMG, Love this book. J.A. Low knows how to throw in twists. This book is sharp with action, anger, and love. The dialogue and characters are on point. I loved the first book, and you do not need to read it to read this book, but you really should because it's amazing. Grace is so strong, and she is such an amazing heroine. Maxim while he is a total jerkwad at first really pulls through this book. Told in dual pov.

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I'm always wary when it comes to reading a book in a series that I'm not familiar with. Will the author consider that some people are new to the world? Do the books function as a standalone novel? Not only was this my first trip into the Bratva Jewels world, it was also my first read of a J.A. Low novel (whom I've heard great things about).

So, for starters. Look, I think it would definitely be easier to read this if you've read the first one. There was a bit of information that would have been handy to have on both Grace and Maxim's past. I could kind of follow along, but that background information would have been helpful. It's possible to play catch up, but you need to stick with the book for that to happen. The characters also tended to blur together, because I didn't have that background that differentiated between the 4 sisters, their partners (or at least, men in their lives). There wasn't really much to make them distinctive.

And on that note, I wasn't really feeling the instalove. Maxim and Grace were both interesting characters on their own, but together? I'm just not feeling the spark. Seeing the other reviews though, perhaps that's just me?

Moving on though.....Diamond jumps straight into the action, and it does not stop. It's an easy read, the story hooks you in and keeps your interest. I wanted to know what happened to Grace and Maxim, how everything was going to work out.

Look it was an enjoyable (and hot!) read, but overall it wasn't spectacular to me. I'm not sure if I'm invested enough to continue with the series (or go back to read the previous book).

**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

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This is my first book by this author and will not be my last. I know they are each a standalone, but I need to read book 1 ASAP.
Once I started, I could not put this book down I really do not know what to say.
This book is about Grace and Maxim I really liked both these characters the chemistry they have. This book kept me on the edge of my seat did not know which way it was going to end it is full of suspense and a couple twists and turns full on action and things, I did not see coming.
I really Liked Sergi too I loved him and Max they make a great team, I did not like Dmitri much. This book will keep you turning the pages.
I loved the writing and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

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