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Heat of Passion
Win Liberte has it all. He prides himself on never having worked a day in his life. He has everything he wants-fast cars, beautiful women, a racing yacht, a penthouse in Manhattan. Orphaned at eleven, Win inherited an international diamond business that is managed by his uncle.
Then Win loses it all when his uncle commits suicide after investing all of Win's money in a scheme that fails. His single remaining asset is a bankrupt diamond mine in Angola, a steaming, war-ravaged country in equatorial Africa.
In the blood and muck of central Africa, Win experiences the "Diamond Curse" first hand. Battles over Angola's vast wealth in gems occur daily, and fights for control of the diamond industry have wiped out generations. Thriving on the challenge, Win founds an international diamond business that challenges a powerful cartel's stranglehold on the market.
Loved by two women-a movie goddess who sears men's souls and a dedicated UN worker who risks her life in Africa-Win doesn't find anything worth living for until he loses love.
From the tunnels of the diamond mine to the stage at the Academy Awards, from the beds of beautiful women to a battle with warlords, Win has to fight to get back everything he ever wanted.
Then Win loses it all when his uncle commits suicide after investing all of Win's money in a scheme that fails. His single remaining asset is a bankrupt diamond mine in Angola, a steaming, war-ravaged country in equatorial Africa.
In the blood and muck of central Africa, Win experiences the "Diamond Curse" first hand. Battles over Angola's vast wealth in gems occur daily, and fights for control of the diamond industry have wiped out generations. Thriving on the challenge, Win founds an international diamond business that challenges a powerful cartel's stranglehold on the market.
Loved by two women-a movie goddess who sears men's souls and a dedicated UN worker who risks her life in Africa-Win doesn't find anything worth living for until he loses love.
From the tunnels of the diamond mine to the stage at the Academy Awards, from the beds of beautiful women to a battle with warlords, Win has to fight to get back everything he ever wanted.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
15 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Harold Robbins
314 books437 followersBorn as Harold Rubin in New York City, he later claimed to be a Jewish orphan who had been raised in a Catholic boys home. In reality he was the son of well-educated Russian and Polish immigrants. He was reared by his pharmacist father and stepmother in Brooklyn.
His first book, Never Love a Stranger (1948), caused controversy with its graphic sexuality. Publisher Pat Knopf reportedly bought Never Love a Stranger because "it was the first time he had ever read a book where on one page you'd have tears and on the next page you'd have a hard-on".
His 1952 novel, A Stone for Danny Fisher, was adapted into a 1958 motion picture King Creole, which starred Elvis Presley.
He would become arguably the world's bestselling author, publishing over 20 books which were translated into 32 languages and sold over 750 million copies. Among his best-known books is The Carpetbaggers, loosely based on the life of Howard Hughes, taking the reader from New York to California, from the prosperity of the aeronautical industry to the glamour of Hollywood.
His first book, Never Love a Stranger (1948), caused controversy with its graphic sexuality. Publisher Pat Knopf reportedly bought Never Love a Stranger because "it was the first time he had ever read a book where on one page you'd have tears and on the next page you'd have a hard-on".
His 1952 novel, A Stone for Danny Fisher, was adapted into a 1958 motion picture King Creole, which starred Elvis Presley.
He would become arguably the world's bestselling author, publishing over 20 books which were translated into 32 languages and sold over 750 million copies. Among his best-known books is The Carpetbaggers, loosely based on the life of Howard Hughes, taking the reader from New York to California, from the prosperity of the aeronautical industry to the glamour of Hollywood.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 5, 2015
I had never read a Harold Robbins novel, so upon the urging by a friend, I found Heat of Passion in my local library.
As a character driven reader, I had difficulty through most of this read. Not a romance, the graphic language in the narrative gave me pause, yet I read on. Written in first person, I didn't identify with Win Liberte and couldn't find any character to empathize with until the ending. The back history chapters, written in third person, held my attention the best.
The descriptive prose and dialogue is well written. Many chapters were gloomy and depressing, as this dark tale wrapped around the greed and power in the diamond trade resulting in crime and death. Possibly, this fiction resembles reality too much for my taste.
As a character driven reader, I had difficulty through most of this read. Not a romance, the graphic language in the narrative gave me pause, yet I read on. Written in first person, I didn't identify with Win Liberte and couldn't find any character to empathize with until the ending. The back history chapters, written in third person, held my attention the best.
The descriptive prose and dialogue is well written. Many chapters were gloomy and depressing, as this dark tale wrapped around the greed and power in the diamond trade resulting in crime and death. Possibly, this fiction resembles reality too much for my taste.
August 22, 2018
It's been a long time since I've read Harold Robbins, I'd forgotten just how good a writer he is.
This one is an entertaining story about a man who has never worked a day in his life and proud of it. He inherits a diamond business that seems to include the ownership of a mine in Angola that isn't making any money but a lot of people want to buy it from him, or steal it from him, or swindle him out of it. These are supposed to be his friends.
Win Liberté is his name and he does everything for fun. When the fun runs out and he has to go to work, everything changes. For good or for bad depends on which side of the gun you're on.
This one is an entertaining story about a man who has never worked a day in his life and proud of it. He inherits a diamond business that seems to include the ownership of a mine in Angola that isn't making any money but a lot of people want to buy it from him, or steal it from him, or swindle him out of it. These are supposed to be his friends.
Win Liberté is his name and he does everything for fun. When the fun runs out and he has to go to work, everything changes. For good or for bad depends on which side of the gun you're on.
September 11, 2016
This was an interesting read. It kept my attention throughout, even though the end of the book was all over the place. I don't know much about the diamond industry, or how a diamond mine works, so it was interesting to read about that. The main characters weren't really likeable or relatable, but I think that was intentional and only added to the story.
December 20, 2015
Amazing! Kept me engrossed the whole time! :D
March 6, 2023
Angola, 1997–Win Liberte has inherited a diamond mine in war-ravaged Angola after his uncle raided the rest of his inheritance and passed it on to his stepbrother. The story covers the diamond industry as it has been managed in Angola—the war leaders in Angola use the mining of diamonds to buy weapons, and war leaders are heartless as they torture and kill people without any mercy.
Win is no sweetheart, himself. He’s an entitled, privileged, spoiled brat who views women as having only one purpose and that’s how they can best serve him in the bedroom. I didn’t like him one bit; I kept waiting for some other bad guy to come and knock him off in the story because they woke up on the wrong side of the bed one morning. The only thing Win seems to be good at is knowing his diamonds. He knows when he sees a flawless diamond and when he sees a bad diamond. But he also uses diamonds for payment and bribery because he’s out of cash.
If Win had matured a bit or became a little more empathetic to people along the course of the story or seen women as people rather than vicious sex objects, I might have enjoyed this story a little more. It was certainly captivating and interesting. But I didn’t find Win to be a character I would want to meet personally.
Win is no sweetheart, himself. He’s an entitled, privileged, spoiled brat who views women as having only one purpose and that’s how they can best serve him in the bedroom. I didn’t like him one bit; I kept waiting for some other bad guy to come and knock him off in the story because they woke up on the wrong side of the bed one morning. The only thing Win seems to be good at is knowing his diamonds. He knows when he sees a flawless diamond and when he sees a bad diamond. But he also uses diamonds for payment and bribery because he’s out of cash.
If Win had matured a bit or became a little more empathetic to people along the course of the story or seen women as people rather than vicious sex objects, I might have enjoyed this story a little more. It was certainly captivating and interesting. But I didn’t find Win to be a character I would want to meet personally.
March 16, 2025
A rollicking ride from NYC to Lisbon to Angola to Instanbul to LA. Intrigue about the rarest diamond in the world . A hedonistic son pulled back to the family business when his trust money is lost. Only having a money sucking diamond mine in war torn Angola. Chance encounter with a US aid worker. Written from Robbins’ notes by an author in Harold’s style. Fast paced and keeps you wanting to know what happens next.
February 8, 2022
Heat of Passion
Another outstanding book by Harold Robbins,didn't want to put it down.!!!And thank God it was a happy ending,5 stars once again
Another outstanding book by Harold Robbins,didn't want to put it down.!!!And thank God it was a happy ending,5 stars once again
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews