Review: Club Luxe:6 Forever (Billionaires Underground) by Olivia Noble

No-Brainer

Title:  Club Luxe 6: Forever
Author: Olivia Noble
Publisher/Year: Loretta Lost 3/24/2015
Length: 88 pages
Series: Billionaires Underground #6

Overview

his is the sixth and final book of the Club Luxe series! The stunning conclusion will be available on March 24th.

Victoria has lost nearly everything she cared about. Her man and her job seemed to evaporate overnight and there isn’t anything she can do about it. With Malcolm’s history of blackmailing her into getting his way, she can’t even be sure that he isn’t the reason for all this.

Getting back his family should have made Malcolm the happiest man in the world. Yet, there was something critical missing: Victoria. Being away from her forced him to realize that she was the love of his life. Even though Elizabeth and Claire were in his life again, he knew that he had to do whatever it takes to get his woman back.

My Thoughts

I think that we were all hoping for some sense of resolution for Mal and Vica and i think that we are finally getting to see how things may shake out for them in this final installment.  If you remember, things are so far from being in a good place at this point that any movement towards the positive is a good thing.  We know that Victoria decided that she can’t be with Malcolm after seeing him kiss his ‘wife’, yet we know that he doesn’t want to be with Elizabeth.  We also know that Victoria’s life is upside now that her job has been taken away from her because of her relationship with Malcolm (or so she thinks) so she’s lost just about everything.

Where we got in this final few chapters is a place that makes you want to root for them, knowing that it can be so easy if they just listen to reason and communicate.  Will they and how long will it take them to get there?  well that’s anyone’s guess.

The other really nice bit of this story is that we get to go down the path of Malcolm’s parents – and what their deal is.  We last learned that his father is still alive – even after he was told that his parents died in a car accident.  So, the question is who is his father and and why did he give him up.  We see that it’s getting very dangerous and you never know who is tied to the organization and to what extend.  It’s really interesting to see how things play out with them.  On the other side of it though, i think that it’s nice to see that there’s reasoning for it, and that the trail was left for Victoria to be the one to help Mal figure it all out.

While i’m sure we are all in agreement that we know what the ending was, and that the journey to get there was full of surprises – it was a bit predictable.  Not a bad thing – i’ll say that again, but i think that there were things that happen to this couple and with this couple that we’ve come to expect.  I do love the power dynamic between them though and i think that’s what makes them so enjoyable to read.  So on that note, i hope that you guys all finished this series with me, and i can’t wait to see if we get more of Chloe and Dom – since i think that they could have a great spin off.

Review: Club Lux: New Beginnings (Club Luxe #5) by Olivia Noble

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Title: Club Luxe:  New Beginnings
Author:  Olivia Noble
Publisher/Year:  Loretta Lost 1/31/15
Length:  103 Pages
Series: Club Luxe #5

Overview

Malcolm never thought he would ever see his wife again. Her abandonment caused him years of suffering, and the sting of her betrayal tore his heart to shreds. He was only just beginning to heal, thanks to Victoria’s perseverance, when his first love walked back into his life and caused his pain to increase tenfold. Malcolm is angry, confused and unsettled, but matters of the heart must be put aside when he learns that his enemy threatens to kill his daughter in less than a week:

Unless Malcolm surrenders his own life.

Elizabeth has spent many agonizing years living in secret, forced to remain separated from the love of her life. Now, her cruel brother has gone too far. He has not only destroyed her marriage, but stolen her daughter. Elizabeth is reduced to a desperate woman trying to save her child, and she finds herself begging the same man for help whom she betrayed so long ago. One look at her husband’s chiseled face and familiar eyes, and all the sweet memories of their past come rushing back to her. Elizabeth never stopped loving Malcolm; and now, she knows that she loves him more than ever.

But the sight of her husband in the arms of another woman is too much to bear…

My Thoughts

As if Mal and Victoria hadn’t gone through enough, and if their love wasn’t enough of a struggle, the battle to get Claire back was going to truly tear them apart.  With having his ‘wife’ elizabeth around, things were getting even more complicated since she was trying to put on a brave face and be friendly with her, yet no one was sure what lizzy’s intentions were.  Topping it off, they were given a 24 hour ultimatum to find Claire otherwise Brant would kill her.  So, the clock is ticking and the questions that lie ahead are whether they will find her in time, whether it’s too easy that they are finding out locations and some of the intel on him, and who’s going to come out alive.

We know from past installments that there’s bound to be a lot of death and struggle, and that’s something that we continue to get here.  The difference though is that in most of the past pieces of the story there’s been a lot of the heat and passion that’s needed to keep Mal and Vica together and with the addition of Lizzy, we don’t have that.  What we do see is the confusion of who’s relationship is worth more, and who’s willing to sacrifice what for their own happiness and love.

Victoria sacrifices more than most in this story and while you would hope that she’d get rewarded – that doesn’t seem to be the case.  The good news for her though is that her roommate Chloe is very understanding and her life seems to be looking up.  The worry that i have though is that her happiness is tied to Dominic who is tied to Mal – especially since Mal has said that he’s walking away from the club, and putting Dom in charge.  We’ll see what affect that has on Mal and on Victoria. ….

Where we are left off in this story is the world shattering for one of the mains – and a questionable reappearance of someone who was thought to be dead.  I think that what we’ll get in the final installment is a lot of tension, more broken hearts and what i’m hoping will be a passionate reunion.  I have about a month to wait for the finale so i’ll have to ponder for just a few more weeks.  Enjoy!

Review: Club Luxe: Tortured Heart (Billionaires Underground #4) by Olivia Noble

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Title:  Club Luxe:  Tortured Heart
Author: Olivia Noble
Publisher/Year: Loretta Lost 12/12/14
Length: 107
Series: Billionaires Underground  #4

Overview

Victoria has never felt so enraged in her life. Everything is going to hell and she is determined to fix the downward spiral. She doesn’t care who the enemy is; nothing is going to stop her from saving Malcolm.
With his back against the wall yet again, Malcolm has been pushed to his breaking point. Enough is enough. He is tired of suffering at the hands of his rivals who think that they can steal his family, his business, and his life. Now, trapped and helpless, Malcolm knows that the only way out is to fight. He will not let Victoria get ripped away from him the same way his daughter was so many years ago. This time, there is no way he can avoid getting blood on his hands. For now, he might seem like the underdog…
But the king of kink is exactly where he wants to be.

My Thoughts

While the point in the story that we’re at is really exciting, this is maybe my least favorite of all of the installments.  there’s a lot going on, but there’s really not a lot that changes.  We know that Malcolm is out for his daughter – he’s trying to get to her, yet somehow, on purpose or not, he’s captured, and is left to sort out a plan from the inside as a means to bring Brant down and save Claire.  Things go awry of course since we know that whatever he’s asked of Victoria won’t happen, and Claire’s position of course is changed yet again.  We also learn that locking Malcolm up is the least of his worries – Brant is out to ruin Malcolm’s name as well, and has come up with a means to destroy his business back in the US.

Where we go in this installment is down the path of trying to save the ones that you love – and trying to clear your name.  We know that both Victoria and Malcolm are at the same point in the relationship where they love each other – and will do just about anything for each other – and that will be put to the test.

It’s the surprising help from one of the men that Brant has guarding the place that really makes things turn.  The question of course is whether Victoria’s trust in him is warranted and smart, and when we learn the identity of this person, it makes you question things even more.  We are taken from Argentina, back to Chicago, and i think that we all know that when things seem like they may be working out, all hell will break loose.

The good bits in this story though were that once we get back to Chicago, we see the heat and passion heat up again with this duo.  They have a moment or 2 to breathe, and they aren’t afraid to get into it.  straight away.  It’s hot of course and i think that the passion and romance is still there with them for the long haul.

Between you and me, i’m really curious about the sub-story of Dominic and Chloe and i hope that when it’s all said and done, we get a bit more about them.  I really like Dominic and he’s definitely the brains behind the operations.

So…didn’t love it, but i guess we needed this piece of the story to get us to what’s going to be a great finale (assuming that this is a 5 book series) – and we’re waiting for the heat to come with the ‘Blood Duel’ as well as finding Claire before it’s too late.  Elizabeth turns up as well and who knows what her motives are and if they are honest.  so all in all, average and well….enjoy.

Review: Club Luxe: Deadly Lust (Billionaires Underground #3) by Olivia Noble

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Title:  Club Luxe:  Deadly Lust
Author: Olivia Noble
Publisher/Year: Loretta Lost 11/14/14
Length: 109
Series: Billionaires Underground  #3

Overview

With Malcolm presumably dead after a terrible accident, Victoria finds herself in the most dangerous situation imaginable: trapped in a foreign nation with nothing except the clothes on her back. She has no idea what to do next or how to get out of this mess. The only thing keeping her going is the willpower to finish the job Malcolm gave to her, and honor his final request to find Claire.
But Malcolm Cage isn’t the type of man who will go down without a fight.
On a burning plane with only a few moments before it crashes there is only one thing on his mind: survival. No miracle is going to save him now; he only has his wits and skills to live another day.

My Thoughts

Who’s alive – how bad are they hurt, will they be saved/reunited or will the wrong person find them first?  these are all the questions that you have to have in your mind as you’re reading this third installment to the series.  We left off just as the private plane crashed – Malcolm strapped the only chute to Victoria and throws her out of the plane and he tries his best to glide it down and survive.  He’s the lucky one of course – he’s not really hurt, comes across a couple that helps him get to safety and then has to figure out if Victoria’s alive and where she is.  before anyone else gets to her.

Victoria on the other hand, she’s injured, in the jungle alone, and begins to suffer from her own sickness – in the sense that she imagines that Malcolm is there and that’s what keeps her going.  When things seem like they can’t get worse, she just about runs out of food and water and then has a ‘cat’ come upon her one night.  Is she going to be it’s dinner?

Of course you know that there’s a resolution here, since we know that we have to find Claire and rescue her, but if only it were that easy.  Malcolm knows what they are up against, they go to his condo in Argentina to find Claire all while pretending to have died in the crash.  Their secret doesn’t last for long, and they are being hunted.  Sooooo close yet so far away!

Throughout this ordeal, we see the relationship between Victoria and Malcolm grow-  not only because of the situations that they are in, but there are actual feelings there and Malcolm begins to open up a bit more about his past, how he started his company and his friendship/partnership in business.  This is something that we haven’t gotten yet in the series – some of that back story and i think that it’s the perfect time to get it.

Where we are left in this installment again is a lot of great heated scening.  These 2 really enjoy each other and Malcolm knows how to please his woman, so there’s no shortage of that here.  We also know that Victoria knows herself and that’s something that comes off the pages well!

If only that’s where things ended right?  NOPE – they track down claire, and find themselves in a precarious position where they have lost their stealth ness – they have been discovered around the house, and again, the question begs to be asked who will be captured, who will survive and what is the price being asked.  The other question that i have is really – ‘What is the Organization’ – i’m really curious about that – since secret societies are always intriguing to me.  Oh well, we’ll find out soon i’m sure.  ENJOY!

Review: Club Luxe: The Private Room (Billionaires Underground #1) by Olivia Noble

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Title:  Club Luxe:  The Private Room
Author: Olivia Noble
Publisher/Year: Loretta Lost 9/18/14
Length: 109
Series: Billionaires Underground  #1

Overview

Victoria Chase is Chicago’s hottest new reporter, looking to make the scoop of the century. Rumor has it that in the bowels of the city lies a private sex club for the wealthy elite. Willing to do anything for a story, she infiltrates the club, determined to uncover this urban legend. She didn’t expect to run into him:
Malcolm Cage.
The famous billionaire bad boy is the king of Club Luxe. Every Friday night, he reigns supreme over untold sinful pleasures in his underground kingdom. His one rule? He never participates and only watches—until he sees Victoria.
She sets his body and soul on fire, and Malcolm does not plan on letting her go. Can Victoria keep it professional and get her story? Or will her heart betray her under Malcolm’s smoldering gaze?

My Thoughts

I got a copy of this first installment of the series from Netgalley and i’m really happy to say that although it was a shorter novella style intro, it was really packed full of some great ‘stuff’.  Not only did we get the introduction to the story line and our leads, we really did a get a healthy dose of where the intense plot will take us, that it’s going to be a roller coaster of trust/distrust, passion, and maybe a bit of underground darkness thrown in.

So, typical fashion, we meet our leading lady and her bestie on the night that will change their lives forever.  They’ve gotten their hands on tickets to the exclusive yet never confirmed to exist club where all things naughty happen.  Victoria – our lead really just wants to get the scoop on the place, and doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into.  Those tables are quickly turned when she finds out who the ‘king’ of the castle is and gets herself involved with him.

Where this bit goes, well that’s expected,  the guy, Malcolm doesn’t usually participate in the night’s festivities yet Victoria has brought something out in him.  We see that they both have a craving for each other, and where our author takes us is on an interesting journey where you don’t know which boundaries will come down and what that will mean for other walls that have to be put up.

The twists that are put in here are pretty intricate – and we get enough of a tease that you WANT to and NEED to read the next installment not only to see what’s going to happen with Vica (as her friend likes to call her) and Malcolm, but because there’s so much more to the story.   Malcolm propositions Victoria to help with something, but when he’s talking to his best friend, there are hints that it’s much much more than what it seems on the surface.  There’s an ‘Organization’ involved some how, there’s a scorned ex wife and brother involved, and there are some pretty devious measures being taken to get Victoria on board.

So, i don’t know about anyone else, i’m not just interested in seeing where the passion and chemistry takes these 2 since it’s clearly something that’s combustible, but i think that the story itself will have staying power.  there’s more to Victoria’s past than she’s letting on, and i want the details about the story that she wrote that drew Malcolm in.  I also want the back story on him, and his connections now to whatever it is that he does.  So that being said, i’m off to track down the next installments since they aren’t on Netgalley and pick right on up where i left off last night.  enjoy!