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Diamond Life
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR . . . Set in the highest ranks of the music industry’s fame machine, Diamond Life is an intoxicating story of love, sex, ambition, money, betrayal, and the surprising realities of making it big. Alex Maxwell’s career as a journalist and celebrity ghost writer is taking off, despite the slightly embarrassing authorship of hip-hop super-groupie Cleo Wright’s memoir. And while Alex’s star is on the rise, it pales in comparison to her husband Birdie’s multiplatinum debut and world tour. Slowly but surely, everything they swore would never happen begins to come true, like leaving Brooklyn for a mansion in suburban Jersey and letting a reality TV crew into their home. Birdie is confronted time and again by the sexy groupies who pursue famous rappers like heat-seeking missiles and he’s forced to make some life-changing choices. Meanwhile, aging rapper Z, in recovery from drug addiction, is too busy trying to repair his marriage to leave much time for his son Zander, newly signed to Z’s label and struggling to maintain his appeal in the wake of a domestic violence scandal with his diva girlfriend Bunny. Record label president Jake is trying to deal with the death of his wife, multiplatinum R&B artist Kipenzi Hill, by drowning his sorrows in alcohol and women. When he meets Lily, a beautiful, quiet waitress, he can’t get her out of his head. But Lily has her own problems to handle and she wants nothing to do with the fame, drama, and baggage that Jake carries with him. This juicy follow-up to Aliya S. King’s Platinum is a scintillating roman à clef that takes readers behind the curtain once again for the real scoop on the biggest players in the hip-hop game—and the first ladies who hold them together.
394 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2012
5 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
About the author
Aliya S. King
7 books43 followersAliya S. King is an award-winning journalist and the author of Platinum. She is the co-author of Original Gangster and the New York Times bestseller Keep the Faith. Her work has appeared in Vibe, Giant, Uptown, Essence, King, Ms., Us Weekly, and Teen People, among others. Please visit her at www.aliyasking.com
Her latest novel, Diamond Life, will be published by Simon and Schuster on February 7, 2012.
Her latest novel, Diamond Life, will be published by Simon and Schuster on February 7, 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 29, 2012
So just finished this long overdue sequel to a novel I read last March called Platinum, and basically I forgot the entire storyline LOL luckily you get a refresher throughout the story on all the drama you forgot--Alex the celebrity writer with the upcoming rapper husband Birdie..Cleo the infamous groupie and her married lover Ras..Ras's newly independent wife and mother to a mysterious baby girl, Josephine..Jake deep in mourning over his supestar wife Kipenzi's plane crash and subsequent death...recently recovered and rejuvenated Z--fresh out of rehab ready to be the father and husband he never was, but too little too late?..and lastly Z's son Zander and the dangerously addictive and toxic Bunny, his girlfriend on a fast lane to trouble using her body and manipulation skills...Whew okay so all the players and then an interesting add-on--no disrespect to anyone in her position but Lily was just too far out there for me..I understand and respect her story but I liked the way Jake was written too much for that end scene to play out like that! All the loose ends were tied up and I felt she left room for yet another one, I'll read--I suppose my favorite character was Jake this time, drunk wallowing in depression, so sad but there was really excellent writing there.. I felt bittersweet for the whole storyline, it was so wrong I guess I didnt want it to be right, like I didnt want to even believe it was ever possible...I did have a great time reading this though wish I read the two closer together but overall definitely fast and fun...:)
February 14, 2012
Big time record producer, Jake, would rather drown his sorrows in Jack and Coke or what ever else his poison is than grieve for the loss of is wife, Kipenzi. Kipenzi died in a plane crash. Although, the loss of his wife does not stop Jake from gaining an interest in waitress, Lily.
Lily is not impressed by Jake's fame. Although he grows on her the more time they share together.
Ras Bennett has a big problem. The last time he saw Cleo, he acted like everything was normal though Ras should have put a stop to things. It has been a year since Ras hooked up with Cleo. Since than Ras has cleaned up his act and he and his wife have a reconnected with each other. Just too bad that Ras forgot to inform Cleo of this fact. She is back! Now, Ras must choose between his wife or Cleo.
Z is just trying to right all of his wrongs. His oldest son, Zander is busy in the studio and his other son, Jake is trying to deal with the loss of his wife.
Than there is Alex, who is enjoying the success of ghostwriting. His latest book is focused on Cleo.
Cleo is definitely a vixen. I did not like her but in a good way. She kept things interesting. I liked Jake and Lily. They did make a nice couple. It was nice that Lily did not fawn over Jake and his fame. If she had, I would not have believed their relationship as much.
I have to admit that it was a struggle in the beginning to read this book. All the characters had some major issues and drama. I was not sure how much of this I could take. This probably would not have been such an issue had I started with Platinum. Than I would have gotten to know the characters better and become more engaged with them. I decided to stick with the book and the characters. Luckily things picked up pretty quickly as this book was intriguing. It showed the grittiness of the hip hop world and that the women are the glue that hold their men together. The ending did finish strong and on a high note. Diamond Life shined!
Lily is not impressed by Jake's fame. Although he grows on her the more time they share together.
Ras Bennett has a big problem. The last time he saw Cleo, he acted like everything was normal though Ras should have put a stop to things. It has been a year since Ras hooked up with Cleo. Since than Ras has cleaned up his act and he and his wife have a reconnected with each other. Just too bad that Ras forgot to inform Cleo of this fact. She is back! Now, Ras must choose between his wife or Cleo.
Z is just trying to right all of his wrongs. His oldest son, Zander is busy in the studio and his other son, Jake is trying to deal with the loss of his wife.
Than there is Alex, who is enjoying the success of ghostwriting. His latest book is focused on Cleo.
Cleo is definitely a vixen. I did not like her but in a good way. She kept things interesting. I liked Jake and Lily. They did make a nice couple. It was nice that Lily did not fawn over Jake and his fame. If she had, I would not have believed their relationship as much.
I have to admit that it was a struggle in the beginning to read this book. All the characters had some major issues and drama. I was not sure how much of this I could take. This probably would not have been such an issue had I started with Platinum. Than I would have gotten to know the characters better and become more engaged with them. I decided to stick with the book and the characters. Luckily things picked up pretty quickly as this book was intriguing. It showed the grittiness of the hip hop world and that the women are the glue that hold their men together. The ending did finish strong and on a high note. Diamond Life shined!
June 22, 2012
I read Diamond Life wondering how on earth it could have received 3 or 4 stars from most of the reviewers on Goodreads - now that I've finished the novel, I know exactly why. I'm a pretty big fan of King's...I mean, I really enjoy her works. Platinum, Keep the Faith, and Original Gangster are all very well written and provocative stories, just what I need to escape the hum drum of my everyday life. Diamond LIfe falls into the same category as King's other works, but the ending falls flat with me. I'm not as interested in the "what's to come" as I was with Platinum. The story is extremely interesting and despite its length, I managed to read it in 3 days (as a working girl (not like that) and a student, you can only imagine how much of my spare time I had to dedicate to reading this book to complete such a task in 3 days - give me my just due). I couldn't put Diamond Life down.
April 19, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It was a satisfying sequel to Platinum. It did leave somethings open which hints that there may be another sequel but this book gave a lot of updates to the characters so that I didn't feel cheated. I would recommend this book.
March 15, 2012
This was a fine follow up to Platinum Life. At time certain story lines seemed a bit slow but overall it was a quick read. The ending was a bit MEH for me.
July 9, 2019
it was interesting follow up from Platinum and the issues she brought up is ones that are very relevant in hip-hop today with the transgenders to infidelity and everything else and she is my favorite
January 8, 2012
Unbreakable?
Birdie is poised to become a superstar. His wife, Alex is right by his side to support him on the come up. As Birdie's star rises, will he forget about the one person who has always been there for him?
Jake is the record label president. On the outside, he appears to be hard as ice. On the inside though, he is still grieving the loss of his wife and label mate Kipenzi. Can he pull himself together before he self-destructs?
Producer Ras lives in Jamaica with his beautiful wife and adopted baby girl. He has moved his family away from the big city and is settling in to life in paradise. However, when Ras' former mistress shows up, his wife Josephine may have reached her breaking point.
Z is an aging rapper fresh out of rehab. He is trying to hold his family together after having spent years being emotionally and physically detached from them. His wife has stayed with him even though he has fathered children outside of marriage. Now that he's clean, will Z's wife be able to let the past go so that their family can be restored?
Aliya S. King's novel "Diamond Life" is a fast-paced ride on the hip-hop roller coaster. It gives the reader a peek into the lifestyle of hip-hop stars. It also shows the reader how money, fortune and fame can be a blessing and a curse. Diamonds are the hardest known materials on the Mohr scale. And for these characters, their strength will be tested as they deal with life after the money, fortune and fame.
King's novel is an engaging read. Even though this novel is a sequel, I had no trouble following the plot and the characters. The writer makes enough reference to past events to keep the reader up to speed. I would definitely be interested in another novel about these characters.
Birdie is poised to become a superstar. His wife, Alex is right by his side to support him on the come up. As Birdie's star rises, will he forget about the one person who has always been there for him?
Jake is the record label president. On the outside, he appears to be hard as ice. On the inside though, he is still grieving the loss of his wife and label mate Kipenzi. Can he pull himself together before he self-destructs?
Producer Ras lives in Jamaica with his beautiful wife and adopted baby girl. He has moved his family away from the big city and is settling in to life in paradise. However, when Ras' former mistress shows up, his wife Josephine may have reached her breaking point.
Z is an aging rapper fresh out of rehab. He is trying to hold his family together after having spent years being emotionally and physically detached from them. His wife has stayed with him even though he has fathered children outside of marriage. Now that he's clean, will Z's wife be able to let the past go so that their family can be restored?
Aliya S. King's novel "Diamond Life" is a fast-paced ride on the hip-hop roller coaster. It gives the reader a peek into the lifestyle of hip-hop stars. It also shows the reader how money, fortune and fame can be a blessing and a curse. Diamonds are the hardest known materials on the Mohr scale. And for these characters, their strength will be tested as they deal with life after the money, fortune and fame.
King's novel is an engaging read. Even though this novel is a sequel, I had no trouble following the plot and the characters. The writer makes enough reference to past events to keep the reader up to speed. I would definitely be interested in another novel about these characters.
March 21, 2012
In general, just like movies, book sequels can be tricky. By the time they come out, you have either forgotten about the characters or just don't care any more. For me, the former is true. My brain can only hold so much and sometimes it purges information without me realizing it. However, I was able to step into Diamond Life as if I had just finished Platinum the day before.
The hype surrounding Cleo Wright's explosive memoir has died down and the players involved have (mostly) survived and get back to the business of their lives. And while Alex Maxwell's career has taken off after ghostwriting Cleo's book, her husband Birdie's debut album is taking him to superstar status affecting their relationship. Rapper Z, who battled drug addiction in Platinum, is in recovery and doing his best to mentor his son Zander as he navigates the music industry and the domestic troubles with his also up and coming singer girlfriend, Bunny. Jake, the record label owner who unites them all, spends his time in an alcohol-induced daze as he deals with the death of his wife Kipenzi.
This was one of the most gratifying sequels I've read in a long time. As usual, King's real life access to the world of hip-hop provides lots of behind the scenes stories that keep a book like this interesting. A lot of reviews of her books suggest that readers will have fun trying to guess the people that her characters are based on. That may be fun, but this well-rounded cast can also stand on their own. Make sure to take a copy of this to the beach with you this summer.
(I actually did guess who the character of Lily is based on :)
The hype surrounding Cleo Wright's explosive memoir has died down and the players involved have (mostly) survived and get back to the business of their lives. And while Alex Maxwell's career has taken off after ghostwriting Cleo's book, her husband Birdie's debut album is taking him to superstar status affecting their relationship. Rapper Z, who battled drug addiction in Platinum, is in recovery and doing his best to mentor his son Zander as he navigates the music industry and the domestic troubles with his also up and coming singer girlfriend, Bunny. Jake, the record label owner who unites them all, spends his time in an alcohol-induced daze as he deals with the death of his wife Kipenzi.
This was one of the most gratifying sequels I've read in a long time. As usual, King's real life access to the world of hip-hop provides lots of behind the scenes stories that keep a book like this interesting. A lot of reviews of her books suggest that readers will have fun trying to guess the people that her characters are based on. That may be fun, but this well-rounded cast can also stand on their own. Make sure to take a copy of this to the beach with you this summer.
(I actually did guess who the character of Lily is based on :)
March 4, 2016
Even though I hated the way this book ended just leaving you hanging...I really enjoyed this novel! No matter how rich and famous you are everyone has problems...This books takes you into the lives of mostly rappers whose dealing with drugs, addiction, infedelity,family,money, and fame. This books also dives into learning about someone who is transgender and it gave me more insight....Looking for a followup book hopefully.
June 18, 2012
I enjoyed this book. I couldnt believe what Cleo did! She truly believed she meant more to Ras than she did. Im glad Joesphine finally stood up for herself and moved on. Ras didnt expect her to do that. Its a shame how fame changed Birdie. Overall it was good book about choices, actions and consequences.
April 15, 2012
Good sequel to Platinum. My only concern is that I didn't get to read about Beth as much in this book. She was almost front and center in the last one. I would not be surprised if this series continues.
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August 13, 2016I love Aliya's writing; she's funny, creative and to the point. "Diamond Life" is the follow-up to "Platinum" and she did a really good job tying up loose ends. I think some of the storyline endings were a bit unrealistic but it was a really good book overall!
November 10, 2014
I'm sorry but I cannot tune into bullshit like this. Smh this book was pretty decent until it was revealed Lilly was born a fucking man. I threw up in my damn mouth. This book was straight trash YO ‼️‼️‼️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2012
Had me hooked the whole time!
February 28, 2012
A page turner. You can't stop reading.
February 20, 2012
IT was a great follow up to her debut and sum omg moments for sure. lol
April 18, 2012
Very good book! This sequel was definitely worth the wait.
February 25, 2014
This woman is an excellent author!
August 11, 2012
This was okay. The antics kept it interesting. Cleo and Bunny were my favs lol. Oh the drama...
September 7, 2012
I thought that it had too much going on and the stories seemed to leave me puzzled at the end especially with Jake and Lily.
February 18, 2013
Review will be posted on my blog.
March 7, 2013
It was only ok. I kept reading it for something to do. At times it tended to drag. Not my favourite book.
April 7, 2013
I read "Diamond Life" in less than 24 hours. It's a quick read with rich characters.
May 15, 2014
Hip Hop!!
I really enjoyed this sequel to Platinum!! It left some lingering questions I hope there will someday be a part 3!!!
I really enjoyed this sequel to Platinum!! It left some lingering questions I hope there will someday be a part 3!!!
September 13, 2014
my only question becomes does the Jay-Z doppelgänger actually MARRY the trannie?
April 10, 2015
LOVED IT!!! I'm so glad Platinum had a sequel, it was a quick read, a heavier plot than Platinum, but entertaining nonetheless. I finished it in one day!!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews