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One masked night. One dangerous lie. One billionaire determined to uncover the truth.

Luca

Larkin Knight is the brilliant public-relations strategist helping turn Luster into one of the most talked-about names in luxury jewelry. She’s sharp, ambitious, and completely off-limits.

Then a masked encounter in Las Vegas gives me the most unforgettable night of my life—before I discover the mysterious woman in my bed was Larkin.

Now that I’ve had her, walking away isn’t an option. But someone is sabotaging Luster, stealing our secrets, and making it look as though Larkin betrayed us. When my family believes the lies and destroys everything she has worked for, I may lose the only woman I’ve ever loved.

Larkin

Working with Luca Marino is dangerous enough. Falling for the billionaire playboy who controls my biggest account is professional suicide.

I should know better than to trust a man accustomed to getting everything he wants. But beneath Luca’s commanding exterior is a man fiercely devoted to his family—and increasingly determined to make me part of it.

Then my career implodes. Someone has invaded my privacy, targeted my clients, and convinced the Marinos that I can’t be trusted. Luca says he loves me, but love means nothing if he can’t protect me from the people closest to him.

The lies are unraveling. The danger is closing in. And trusting Luca again may be the greatest risk of all.

Splendor is a sizzling billionaire romance featuring a masked encounter, corporate sabotage, dangerous secrets, and a possessive hero who refuses to let the woman he loves walk away. It follows Glimmer in the Lust & Luster series.

What you can expect from Splendor:

• Billionaire jewelry executive
• Curvy PR-expert heroine
• Masked strangers-to-lovers encounter
• Boss-and-contractor romance
• Corporate rivalry and sabotage
• Protective, possessive hero
• Marino family drama
• San Francisco and Las Vegas glamour

458 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 1, 2027

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About the author

Ainsley St. Claire

46 books260 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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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
869 reviews10 followers
October 21, 2026

Dreams of the Past Nurtured in the Present

When Luca Marino and his siblings—Dante, Matteo, Ciro and Giana—were still children, their world was turned up-side-down with the unexpected death of their parents in a horrific car accident in the mountains. The siblings’ parents were returning from a visit to the family-owned diamond mine when a mechanical failure caused their father to lose control of the family’s car, killing both parents.

But, sometime before the Marino parents’ death, they had been able to extract unique diamonds from the mine. And as a gifted jewelry designer, Marie created amazing designs honoring the natural flaws and inclusions of the stones—designs which were not focused on hiding the natural flaws of the stones, but honoring the natural inclusions formed when heat and pressure of nature created the stones.

And so, for over a decade, the dreams and plans for the Marino family’s parents were put aside, and the focus was on the care and nurturing of the grieving children by their aunt and uncle. The death of the mother and father ended the dream of starting a line of unique diamond jewelry using the beautifully drawn visions of wife and mother, Marie. The broken-hearted children went to live with their aunt and uncle who have nurtured them into adulthood.

Now, over a decade after their parents’ deaths, the siblings have carried the dreams of their parents into present success with daughter Gianna crafting an amazing necklace based on Marie’s designs, using the unique diamonds of the family’s diamond mine into amazing jewelry. And, the designs have garnered international interest as well as the recognition of the American Gemological Society.

So, more than a decade after their parents’ deaths, the children, now adults, have taken the reins of the family business. They are embracing and enhancing the family’s dreams of jewelry designed by a Marino, crafted with stones mined from the Marino diamond mines. And, under the direction of the now adult children, with Luca as CEO, hire Larkin Knight of Knight Public Relations. An ambitious and determined woman whose own childhood became the impetus to crafting a life of independence based on her own skills in the field of public relations. And, she embraces the challenge of the Marino family’s re-emergence into the world of high-end diamond jewelry.

And while Larkin brings with her cleverness, talent and skills, she also brings scars from her own childhood as well as the destructiveness of individuals from her past who would like to destroy her advertising firm and her reputation.

And, similarly, just as the orphaned children of deceased parents are reclaiming their parents’ dreams of mines, stones and designs, forces seeming to be tied to their parents’ past hover, attempting after years of silence to claim ownership of the Marino family’s mines and stones—even possibly the recently hailed necklace designed in the past but crafted in the present by daughter Gianna.

Ainsley St. Clair continues to tell the stories of two families who have been challenged by the cruelties of life without their parents from a young age and yet have become strong, resilient adults. The series Luster continues the tale of resilient children who have endured the challenges of child trauma to become strong, caring adults.

I have enjoyed purchasing, reading and following the many series of love and family crafted by Ainsley St. Claire. Now, the story of the Marino family again offers all the best in reading entertainment—engaging characters with shadows in the past who move with confidence into the future. I look forward to the next installment of the life of the Marino family. Always a consummate writer aware that the reader may enter the world of her characters in the middle of the unfolding, but as a gifted and clever writer, Ms. St. Claire storytelling provided the reader all the support needed to embrace the current novel with helpful clarity provided in the storytelling to fill in gaps if the reader is reading from the first to present or present to the past. I am always anticipating the next installment of a St. Claire novel.


159 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
October 18, 2026
Wow! I loved this. I’ve always admired the way Ainsley St Claire can create a storyline arc across a series & a separate but related storyline within each new book in the series. Splendor is a superb addition to the Luster series.

In Splendor we get to know Luca Marino, COO at Luster, & Larkin from Knight PR, Luster’s contracted PR. I loved Larkin, she’s feisty & strong & always ready to challenge if necessary. Having grown up with her mum in a poor part of San Francisco, she has achieved her successful career through sheer hard work & determination. When someone breaks into her flat, apparently in an attempt to discredit her work & end her working relationship with Luster, Luca jumps in to protect her with the kind of confidence that comes from being wealthy & powerful, only to be surprised by her equally confident assertion that she can take care of herself. She’s quick to draw clear boundaries to protect herself & her business. There is an unresolved attraction between them, but they work well together & Luca appreciates the way she challenges him at work & personally.

At Luster Larkin works with Gianna on the development of Origins, a proposed new range based on their mother’s designs & a collection of precious stones from the family archive. But the provenance of these stones needs to be established before they can be used in production. This involves extensive & detailed forensic legal & accounting work which brings to light inconsistencies & issues in past administration of the Marino family legacy, sending the investigation off in unexpected directions, becoming fraught with danger.

There’s mystery, intrigue, lust, love, danger ….. The tension builds slowly in the investigation as new things come to light, & between Luca & Larkin. Repeatedly Luca has to be reined in from his desire to control everything & throw money at every problem. I loved the banter between Luca & Larkin, & how she wasn’t afraid to push back, something he wasn’t used to. To his credit Luca did eventually learn to read her & respond more appropriately.

It’s a brilliant read. I read it in just a couple of days, which helped me to follow & the detailed forensic investigations & understanding the implications. At first I was unsure, but I soon became hooked, & found it a very satisfying read. I loved Luca & Larkin’s story, & how it linked into the over-arching story, finding clues into the circumstances surrounding the car accident in which Marie & Stefano died. I have mixed feelings about coming to the end of Splendor, it means there’s only one more book in the series & I’m not ready for that. I can’t wait for the next book to see how the story concludes, but at the same time I don’t want the series to end!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
159 reviews1 follower
October 19, 2026
Complex legal elements in this story.

The storyline was good, with plenty of suspense and intrigue throughout. Luster is being undermined at every turn by corporate sabotage as the company attempts to authenticate details of gems sourced by Marie, the deceased mother of the Marino siblings. Her sketches and notes provide some clarity and information but verification of the gems' source is hidden within a tangled web. Larkin Knight heads the PR firm tasked with elevating the profile of Luster within the jewelry industry and she is hit by a barrage of personal attacks which attempt to discredit her reputation, putting her business plans at risk. Her budding relationship with Luca Marino faces massive hurdles against a backdrop of legal complications but she stands her ground in all business dealings and on a personal level when Luca oversteps his authority, which is often.

Finding some answers to the death of their parents leaves the Marino siblings with even more questions and the story ends with yet another piece of the puzzle revealed. The complex legal jargon used in this book seemed a bit excessive at times with some annoying repetition of certain phrases but the author has obviously researched well and others may enjoy that aspect of the story more than I did. Luca was a difficult character to like as he was arrogant and impetuous but Larkin did bring out his best side in the end.


Profile Image for Karen Chan.
254 reviews3 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
October 18, 2026
The saga continues of the Marino family and their company Lustre.

After missing out on a top award to their rival, Luca visits Dark Fantasy . Unbeknownst to Luca, he meets Larkin; as both are wearing masks, they don't recognise each other. Larkin uses an anonymous name, Goldie, and she is also the CEO of the PR firm that has just organised the big jewellery awards event they both recently attended. After an enjoyable encounter, his mask slips and as he is in the bathroom she slips away.

A string of emails seems to point to Larkin betraying the firm. Fighting for her reputation, Luca wants to support her when the family wonder if the reports are true. After an intrusion into her home, Clear Security becomes involved.

It all suddenly becomes involved with the family's parents' suspicious deaths. And they have to turn every stone over to follow the trail of breadcrumbs. As with all investigations, the more you dig, the more the danger comes calling. The deeper Lucas falls for Larkin.

The more information is revealed, the less they seem to discover the instigator of everything. Certain individuals are held for their roles but Mr Big is still in the wind. We'll just have to wait for the next chapter to discover more truths.

A great mystery story with romance woven in.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.


15 reviews
October 19, 2026
Another compelling installment to the Lust & Luster series, sees Luca Marino meet his ultimate match in Larkin Knight. Larkin is the whip smart public relations strategist working with Lucas' company, Luster for a short time. It's coming to an end, and Larkin would like to extend it after this trade show. Luca says they will talk next week, but she sees him leave with a beautiful model wearing their Splendor necklace, not knowing he was to escort her out of the show, and the story just catapults from there.

Luca is the demanding, impatient COO of Luster, and Larkin the brainy exec. in public relations, for her company, Knight, who is grooming his sister Gianna to take over in PR for Luster. Luca is bossy and questions Larkin, but Larkin pushes right back. Their banter is so intelligent and dry and utterly adorable.

The suspense in what is happening in the story thus far continues. Some questions are answered and more are raised. The legal language between all the parties is exceptional and riveting. Every chapter keeps you satisfied and wanting more.

Again, Ainsley always keeps everything believable, and the spice level just right. To be continued, and I cannot wait! Thank you Ainsley.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Korkoi.
8,011 reviews37 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
October 18, 2026
A Rollercoaster Ride to Love -
Larkin had been lusting after her boss for a while, but gave up after she witnessed him with another woman, but fate had other plans for her, as she ended up with him in the lady place she expected to meet him. Luca couldn’t get his night with the masked lady off his mind, that is until he discovered she was right beside him all the time. Unfortunately, before Larkin and Luca could define their relationship, their lives were upended, where they had to endure threats, sabotage and dangerous situations, which created fear and tension.

However, Larkin and Luca worked together with the help of others to investigate everything including an incident that occurred years ago and deal with the perpetrators. Thankfully, Larkin and Luca were able to deal with all the chaos in their lives, so they could get back on track towards living a happy life together. Wow! This story grabbed my attention from the first page and took me on a thrill ride of action, suspense, drama and steam with lots of twists and just when you think the problems have been resolved, more pop up. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a free review copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Suzette.
3,919 reviews23 followers
October 16, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Splendor by Ainsley St. Claire is an absolute must-read! As the fourth book in this captivating romantic series, it continues to unravel the long-standing mystery of what happened to the Marino parents, keeping readers fully engaged from start to finish. The author masterfully balances the ongoing suspense with deeply satisfying romantic arcs, as the Marino siblings not only seek the truth but also find love along the way.

One of the standout features of this installment is the precise and thoughtful use of legal jargon. Ainsley St. Claire integrates complex legal elements into the narrative in a way that feels authentic yet entirely approachable for the reader. You never feel lost or overwhelmed—only more immersed in the unfolding mystery.

The characters are another highlight. Each one is incredibly well-developed and intriguing, drawing you into their world and making you care deeply about their journeys. Whether it’s the thrill of the investigation or the tender moments of romance, every chapter delivers.

If you’ve been following the series, Splendor is a satisfying continuation that blends romance, mystery, and legal drama flawlessly. And if you’re new, this book is compelling enough to make you want to go back and start from the beginning. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Maryjane.
519 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
October 19, 2026
I absolutely love the Lust &Luster series. I just can't get enough! Next book please. Luca and Larkin get together, Ciro finds missing files on their parents accident, and Larkins apartment gets broken into. Some Lust & Luster and family files go missing. And Tom is the one who had access. But is it him that took them? That's when the sabotage to Lust & Luster and Knight's reputations comes with a fury. Wow! I give this FIVE HUGE STARS! I was given a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am leaving a voluntary review.
Profile Image for Merry Jelks-Emmanuel.
15.6k reviews160 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
October 18, 2026
This is another thrilling edition to this series. Luca and Larkin are stand out characters that are front and center when an intimate encounter covered by masks has Luca learning that she was the woman. The drama heats up when someone starts targeting her clients and the story goes into overdrive. It is a fascinating read that kept me glued to the pages.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Didi.
2,531 reviews
October 20, 2026
Perfect blend of suspense and romance that absolutely kept me riveted. A night of masked pleasure between two strong professionals leads to so much more. Loved the sizzle between Luca and Larkin. Their banter was perfection. The overarching suspense from this series is brilliant and some more answers are revealed. Loved every moment and am looking forward to the next book.
6,456 reviews
October 21, 2026
Luca and Larkin's story was intense!

Just wait for the "meet cute!" If we should call it that!

Luca is definitely not used to the tables being turned.

I loved how strong Larkin was!

Will Luca eventually come to terms with not being able to control everything?

The over-arching suspense of the Marino's parents' deaths continues! Are they close to getting an answer?

A must read!
1,034 reviews5 followers
Review of advance copy received from Storygraph
October 16, 2026
The story continues.

Things in the Marino family change when Splendor is unveiled. Luca and Larkin are made for each other. She is one of a few that won't bow down to Luca. I enjoyed the back and forth between them.

I can't wait to see how this story progresses with the last two siblings.
Profile Image for Debbie Benson.
11.7k reviews42 followers
Review of advance copy
October 18, 2026
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I liked the interactions between Luca and Larkin and the love they share. The corporate sabotage and revealing of some of the family secrets make it very interesting. I look forward to the next book.
212 reviews2 followers
October 27, 2026
challenging

Loved Luca and Larkin but found this book hard going , a little too technical for me.
However still glad I read it.
2,567 reviews5 followers
October 30, 2026
4.5 Stars

This is a good addition to the series! Loved Larkin and Luca and their journey!
Profile Image for C. Gray.
1,640 reviews16 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
October 5, 2026
I hate that this series is almost over but I’m so happy we got some answers. As COO of Luster, Luca is a busy man but always finds time for some fun until Larkin takes on their PR with his sister Gianna. The way they bicker is too cute and the closer they get the more of the family mystery is uncovered. I can’t wait for Dante’s book, Brilliance, next. 🖤🔥💎🔥🖤

My favorite quote from Larkin:

I look up at him, at the impatience he hasn’t concealed and the worry beneath it. “I’m here because I want to be with you. That won’t end because a project does.”
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews