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Villefort stole everything from me and my friends and now it’s his turn to pay.

Shay
For two years, I’ve worked for billionaire Nick Maywood.
I’ve lusted after him for nearly the entire time.
After years of work, PayFriend is going public and we’re celebrating.
A daring moment fueled by liquid courage brought an unforgettable chance.
Monday morning, not so much.
He tells me it can never happen again.
I was prepared for that.
Until he changes his mind.

Nick
I’ve always been unlucky in love.
Women only want me for my money.
My company has gone public and a single night with my assistant may jeopardize my future.
Shay is soft where I have edges.
She is beauty where I’m beastly.
She sees the world in color where I know it’s only black and white.
Eight years ago, everything my best friends and I had worked for had it stolen away. Right out from underneath us.
It has taken eight years for us to plot our revenge.
It’s time.
I can’t do this without Shay at my side.
I will have to do whatever it takes to keep her close.

After years of planning, Grayson Blackstone, Jaxson Bancroft and Nick Maywood seek their vengeance against those who wronged us, amassing wealth to orchestrate a complex and satisfying vengeance plot against Zack Villefort. Vanquished is the conclusion book in the Paper Billionaire series, a contemporary retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo where justice and redemption take center stage.

393 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 18, 2024

123 people are currently reading
44 people want to read

About the author

Ainsley St. Claire

46 books253 followers
Ainsley St Claire is a Romantic Suspense Contemporary Romance Author and Adventurer on a lifelong mission to craft sultry storylines and steamy love scenes that captivate her readers.

An avid reader since the age of four, Ainsley’s love of books knew no genre. After reading, came her love of writing, fully immersing herself in the colorful, impassioned world of contemporary romance.

When she isn’t being a bookworm or typing away her next story on her computer, Ainsley enjoys spending quality time with her loved ones. She is happily married to her incredible soulmate and is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys. A scotch aficionada and lover of good food (especially melt-in-your-mouth, velvety chocolate) St Claire has an appreciation for the finer things without pretention. Travel and adventure have taken her around the world, getting inspiration for many of her stories from the characters she meets and observes along the way.

To find out more about Ainsley St Claire both creatively and personally, feel free to visit her official website at www.ainsleystclaire.com or follow her on social media (@ainsleystclaire). St Claire always loves to hear from her readers so feel free to reach out via ainsley@ainsleystclaire.com

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5 stars
168 (54%)
4 stars
99 (32%)
3 stars
31 (10%)
2 stars
8 (2%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for Stacey Kelley.
373 reviews30 followers
March 12, 2024
I really wanted to love this book. I’ve been an Ainsley St. Claire fan since I discovered her Billionaire Venture Capitalist series, and I’ve read all of her books.

Vanquished is the third in her Paper Billionaire series. I liked the first two books well enough, but this series has never grabbed my attention as much as her previous series. Unfortunately, this book follows suit and is my least favorite of all her books.

Nick is the CEO of PayFriend, and Shay has served as his assistant for the past two years. They end up hooking up after a party celebrating PayFriend’s IPO. When Nick wakes up in bed alone, he assumes Shay regrets what they did, and Nick moves into damage control mode without so much as a conversation with Shay.

They eventually work things out amongst themselves, but Nick (along with Jaxson and Grayson) are deeply embroiled in their plot for revenge against Zack Villefort for forcing them out of the company all three had started together.

The Villefort storyline began in book one of this series and finally concludes in Vanquished.

The writing in this book is stilted and disjointed. Much of the banter seems forced and irrelevant. For example, there’s a conversation between Nick and the lawyer handling his civil case against Villefort about wildfires in Napa. Why? This is completely irrelevant to the story line.

Finally, the character development is weak. Nick claims to be a dom, but he’s whiny and insecure.

Shay starts out a seemingly strong FMC who doesn’t put up with Nick’s bullshit but then turns into a whiny insecure woman as well.

Even the spicy scenes seem forced. And while there is a lot of spice, it’s very repetitive. Almost every scene is essentially the same.
Profile Image for C. Gray.
1,564 reviews16 followers
March 19, 2024
I just finished proofreading this and I loved it!! I hate that this is the end of this series but it was wrapped up perfectly with a beautiful bow of justice. I think Nick has had it the worst out of all three guys and thankfully he found his rock, his strength, in all of it. He finally got to learn what it is to be in a real relationship with your equal in everything. His ride or die. 🖤🔥🌊🔥🖤

• Shay: I drop my head to his shoulder and smile. Why I’m worried about this guy is beyond me.

• Nick: As we finish our meal and step back into the bustling streets of New York City, I know that Shay and I are a team. And that, more than anything, gives me the strength and courage to forge ahead.
Profile Image for Lala.
211 reviews55 followers
May 7, 2024
I really wanted to like this. And I did. In the beginning. I just could not hold onto that feeling the more I read.

Shay kept pissing me off, and the further I got into the story, the more I hated her. (She completely wiped away any ill will I felt toward Harper in Book 2 for refusing to communicate with Jaxson.) Here’s this guy, who is pretty perfect, going through one of the absolute worst times in his life, and she can only think about herself. The whole thing about missing her mom and best friend was so far out of left field. She left her mom in LA to live in SF, and she rarely saw or talked to the BFF/roommate. It seemed more like a fabricated excuse to end the relationship. For pretty much the entire second act, I felt as though she had one foot out the door, just waiting on the chance to bail. Then bam, all of a sudden, out of no where, she’s all in, and everything is tied up in a pretty little bow.

A huge disappointment for me but I don’t think it’s deserving of anything less than 3 stars. I didn’t hate the story. Just the one character.

Side note: I’m really curious how Grantham and Amy got together. We just had that little teaser in Book Two that they were talking at the launch party.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
163 reviews1 follower
March 22, 2024
We have experienced the highs and lows of the venture capital business over the years with Ainsley's books. The stories of the three amigos from college, Nick Maywood, Jaxson and Grayson were the founders of Quick Reels a concept they created but needed the venture capital of Zack Villefort to bring it to market. It has been eight years and in the meantime Villefort had cheated each one of them by dirty tricks out of their contractual rights to a company now worth a staggering 170 billion dollars. This story tells how Nick and his exec assistant, Shay Durant, his blonde bombshell and extremely efficient admin becomes his sensuous lover able to soothe the stress of his high stress job as CEO of a new company he was making public with the help of our dear friends at SHN. The new is PayFriend and of course the evil Villefort has planted a worm in the works. We meet our old friends, Marci the ace lawyer and her husband, Walker, the US Attorney for SF as well as a good new attorney for the 3 amigos, Grantham. This one will keep one fixed to the page. It is also pretty hot stuff with a lot of action between Nick and Shay. Received this arc and have voluntarily reviewed.
Profile Image for Korkoi.
7,064 reviews31 followers
March 17, 2024
Two Heads Are Better Than One -
This is another amazing story from a truly talented author, that took me on an adventure with the main characters, as they navigate through betrayals, insecurities, troublesome exes and harassment, with the support of their close friends. I felt like I was riding a rollercoaster with the myriad of emotions I went through, but it was all worth it when i finished reading it. The storyline still had me hooked from the first page and I kept eagerly turning the pages wanting to know how the story ended.

Believe me when I say the descriptions of the intimate moments will have you squirming in your seat and leave you feeling like you need a cigarette or needing a cold shower. The story is filled with romance, sizzling steamy encounters and plenty of drama twists. If you are looking for a book with more depth to the story than just evolving around two lovers, then this the book for you. Grab a copy of this book now and you won’t be disappointed.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Susan S..
82 reviews3 followers
March 23, 2024
Ainsley St. Claire writes one heck of a story. "Vanquished", as well as the other books in the series, is about a billionaire who, while making his way up the proverbial ladder, is wronged by someone - someone who tries to destroy him. Years have passed, and the time has come for revenge. But it all must be done by the book.
The story that follows is one of romance, legal battles, and payback. And what a ride it is.
The details to the legalities and the courtroom scenes are written incredibly well but are also easy enough to understand that you won't get lost in them.
St. Claire creates characters that are flawed and likable. They are billionaires but ones with real problems and real emotions that make them more human and more relatable. Nick is one of these people. He's brilliant and loyal and yet somewhat awkward. Shay, his right hand woman, and also the woman who has loved him for years, is perfect for Nick. For someone so young, her maturity made me like her even more.
In true St. Claire fashion, many of the characters from her other series are involved in the drama. This not only makes it fun to read about people you've come to think of as "book friends" but it also gives a fresh look as to how the lives of these people have progressed over time.
This is a wonderful book by itself but even better when read as a part of the others in the series.
I would definitely recommend "Vanquished".
I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book
Profile Image for Sharon Moritz-rosenthal.
2,271 reviews29 followers
March 19, 2024
I am a huge fan of this author. I have read this series and other series the author has written. So I know the characters pretty well. I have loved every second of the first two books in this series.

This book was not as good as them. It's still good but not as good. Maybe because it has to tie everything together and the romance angle is less prominent in this book, but the law case/suit is much more of the action in this story. There are a lot of meetings and going over the case meetings and questionings etc. To me it seemed to go over the same info a lot.

This is a good second chance romance and definitely at work with the grumpy boss romance. It is a heavy book as the cast is dealing with a very evil man, exes who come out of Nick's past, lies, jurors and judges and lawyers and lotsa evidence and victims. The author did an amazing job in bringing this book to the conclusion. But I felt it was heavy on the case and I would have rather it centered more on the romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jin.
1,114 reviews3 followers
April 25, 2024
Final book from Paper Billionaire series.
Nick Maywood and his two friends (1st and 2nd book) finally gets their revenge on Villefort who stoled their first company.
Ever since he lost his first company, he has been working on his new project Payfriend and verge of going public. His life is running smoothly thanks to his PA Shay. They have a great relationship at work but timing wasn't on their side until night of going public. They had a wonderful one night stand, then she left and awkward work week starts.
They are not sure if they could pursue their feelings and things get more complicated when Shay decides to quit her job. Nick will have to gravel to get her back so he can focus on his trial and work.
Office romance, office espionage and trial drama. Living in bay area and near silicon valley, this was pretty interesting.
Shay started really strong in the beginning then she just fizzled and seem too clingy and needy. I just wanted more stronger FM. This one took little bit longer than other books on this series. I would give solid 3 1/2 stars.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kathy Dunn.
1,314 reviews24 followers
March 12, 2024
The story of Nick and Shay was a dramatic conclusion to the Paper Billionaire series and what a book this was. I have been wanting the villain of this series brought to justice and it was Nick who gets it done, with the help of the Paper Billionaires group. But this is also a love story between Nick and his assistant Shay. Life in general today is difficult enough without the stress and someone who wants to ruin you. I admired Shay for standing behind Nick, although she was someone I could admire, keeping everything in a semblance of order in their crazy world. I was rooting for them from the beginning and I admit there were a couple of times I may have shut my Kindle wondering just what they were thinking. And as always, it would work out. I thought Nick was so sweet when he put Shay before everything else. This was a romance and I am a little sad the series is ending but know Ainsley will have something good for us soon.
Profile Image for Ann.
742 reviews
March 18, 2024
Vanquished
By Ainsley St Claire
Main Characters: Shay and Nick
I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author.
5 out of 5 stars
This is book 3 of Paper Billionaires series. Nick is the CEO of PayFriend and Shay is his assistant. Nick gets involved in a lawsuit with his best friends Grayson and Jax. Villefort is another venture capitalist but he is unscrupulous and he managed to oust all three of them from their companies. It has been quite a few years for the three friends to get enough backup to get Villefort to a trial. Shay is a strong character in the beginning but seems to lack strength later in the story. She also is a super assistant to Nick. There is plenty of chemistry (sex) between these two and there are some betrayals and lots of drama. I always look forward to Ainsley St Claire's books. I am looking forward to her next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for L.
424 reviews4 followers
April 2, 2024
Nick has been betrayed by both of his recent serious girlfriends and doesn’t think he can be a good boyfriend to anyone. He’s had a crush on his assistant, Shay, forever but would never make a move until his IPO after party that changes his relationship with Shay forever. Together they get through the trial that’s been building up through the past two books.

Even though this book is much more focused on the trial and the end of the conflict with Villefort, Nick and Shay’s relationship has a lot to work through too. I liked the development of their relationship and how Shay wasn’t just automatically jumping to do everything Nick wanted from instalove. It felt much more realistic and organic with having known each other for a couple years and then move into more. The spice was great, some of my favorite from the series. Great culmination of the story!
Profile Image for Terri Zumbrook.
2,800 reviews20 followers
March 16, 2024
I enjoyed this book for several reasons beginning with Nick - a billionaire boss that doesn’t have it all under control. He’s brilliant yet kind of a successful version of a hot mess. I love a story with the crazy exes, and Nick’s got two giving him a run for his money.

The story involving his company and the pursuit for justice against a guy that cheated him and his friends was a real page turner for me. This overarching theme is easy to follow. The villain is so familiar and how the author chose to tell the story with Zack Villefort was inspired.

It’s not only going to appeal to those that like the steamy romance, but foodies will be impressed with the attention to detail.

I read an early copy of the book and my honest opinion is that it’s good book that kept me up too late.

Profile Image for Lady M..
1,384 reviews11 followers
March 22, 2024
I've been reading this series and have only continued because I'm hooked on the business aspect. I read the previous series, so I've appreciated seeing the SHN people appear in this one. Based on previous sex scenes that were just meh for me, I skipped them all in this book. There were quite a few (i would guess conservatively 4,
maybe 5) . The romance portion was just okay for me, Shay could be a little wishy washy, and Nick was too on the fence for too long, so it took most of the book for me to see him as a catch.This probably needed edited some more to cut out some of the fluff to make it shorter.
38 reviews
March 29, 2024
nick

I liked how all three books tell the stories of how each friend made it through their business. I like How in the end they brought the man who fired them from their first job that they started finally got what he deserved. I like how Nick ventured through his struggles and with the help of his assistant got him through all his struggles. I liked the fact this story was fast moving and never left you hanging.

I would say people that would like this story would be people that like adventure and romance.

I rated it a five because the story was very moving. Never uninteresting. And had a lot of strategy in it.
1,659 reviews11 followers
March 15, 2024
Nick is a bit hot and cold with his relationship with Shay at first but I liked that they both eventually realise their true feelings. Nick is the third in the trio of friends to have suffered from losing Quick Reels but has also suffered from females betraying him so it is understandable that he is wary of Shay. Although this can be read as a standalone, the quest for justice runs through the three books in this series and ends with Nick’s book, drawing all the storyline together. It is an interesting and intriguing story and I liked Nick and Shay.
551 reviews
April 20, 2024
A great read

You will love the characters and the storyline. I enjoyed learning how startup small businesses become profitable and the problem of not reading the small print. It was exciting and edge of the chair events. The lovemaking was exciting, passionate and off the charts. I also felt that lack of trust was over done. You love someone so deeply but you question their every movement. Loved the outcome.
Profile Image for Lisa.
1,953 reviews13 followers
June 10, 2024
A really great Series!

From the beginning Shay and Nick have a bond even when he was afraid he wasn't what she needed! As time goes on they realize love can conquer anything. Past relationships with unstable women threatens to break them and also the civil lawsuit against Villefort, but in the end it all works out. I felt Shay was all over the place with her feelings, but they got to their HEA! Great series!
Profile Image for Merry Jelks-Emmanuel.
13.3k reviews155 followers
March 16, 2024
Nick and his partners take Villefort to court and get vindication from the takeover that came about. This action-packed drama kept me glued to the pages with the twists and turns that unfolded within the story and cheering him and Shay on to finding happiness with their blossoming relationship.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
160 reviews
March 20, 2024
edgy!

Love the story line of this book.
Ainsley always gives great characters that are easy to fall in love with and it was great to see the characters from the original Tech billionaires returning in this story, I do love them.
If you like exciting, hot stories with a bit of mystery involved I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Shirley Byrne.
42 reviews
March 22, 2024
I loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone

Ainsley St Claire has done it again. I love the way all of her books intertwine and can relate to different characters and the memories of their stories as well. I loved Shay and Nick's story and the twists and turns. The bitches and villains and the end. Thank you, I will await the next ride to enjoy.
Profile Image for Wendy Livingstone.
20.1k reviews258 followers
March 27, 2024
This is the third book in this series, and this is Nick and Shay’s story.
This is a good story which is easy to read, with engaging and realistic characters, emotions, humor, witty banter, romance, and love, which leads to an enjoyable, unpredictable, and steamy page turner.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Susan.
2,470 reviews13 followers
October 15, 2024
This is a well written story with many threads to it and with well written characters. I love the way the depth of the friendships, romantic relationships, and parent/child relationship are written throughout the book. I am not a fan of steamy sex scenes at all, but I easily skipped those. I loved the happy ending.
467 reviews1 follower
March 13, 2024
The last of the trio found his HEA and got closure from the Quick Reels takeover. I love all the intrigue Ainsley St. Claire weaves in with the steamy romance. Nick and Shay are perfect together. I can’t wait to see what the next series holds.
Profile Image for Debbie Benson.
9,672 reviews35 followers
March 16, 2024
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. It is a nice conclusion to the series where justice is finally gotten. I liked the relationship between Nick and Shay which was realistic.
41 reviews2 followers
March 18, 2024
I absolutely loved this series. I was asked to review this series and I must say it didn’t disappoint. I love how the series came together in this book. I highly recommend this series and other s from Ainsley . I can’t wait for her next release
134 reviews
March 23, 2024
Shay and Nick

I enjoyed the first two so much. This one tortured me. The trial, the coming to terms with their relationship, the intense decisions on the business, so many crooked employees. It was really too much. But, I stuck it out till the end.
5 reviews
March 25, 2024
I should have been doing laundry!

••• but I wasn't! I just couldn't put this down. The tempo of the story didn't disappoint and the steamy scenes were perfect because they were all laced with the love between these two. I can't wait to read more by this author. Bravo
45 reviews
April 15, 2025
DNF. Sudden realisation that you love someone and you cat on it, seems convenient for the story but it doesn’t seem realistic. And again the previous book also had non communication between parties - that’s not how it works at all!
Profile Image for dianne bowman.
45 reviews
March 20, 2024
5 stars. review

Well worth 5 stars captivating read of all 3 books.great to catch up with characters from other novels can not wait for next series
2,425 reviews4 followers
March 22, 2024
4.5 Stars

This is a really good conclusion to this series. Loved Nick and Shay and how well she knows him.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews

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