Luxe: A Novel

Ashley Antoinette

Sep 2015 · Luxe Book 1 · Sold by St. Martin's Griffin

About this ebook

From the New York Times bestseller Ashley Antoinette, author of the Prada Plan series comes a boldly fierce and strikingly dramatic novel, Luxe.

Bleu Montclair knew as a young girl that she would one day escape the hard, unrelenting streets of Flint, Michigan, and when her desperate prayers are answered in the form of a scholarship to UCLA, Bleu knows she's struck gold. But soon after arriving, all her beautiful, bright dreams begin to fall apart. Endless temptations abound in the form of cars, clothes, booze, drugs, and Bleu cannot keep up. When her roommate gives her the opportunity to make a lot of money fast, Bleu goes all in-and heads straight down a path of violence and addiction that only her newest protector, Iman, can save her from.

Ratings and reviews

This story is raw & real. Antoinette draws readers deep into this world, chock full of dark undertones. But it is the realism of the story that drew me in. The realities of rape and drug addiction are prominent through. At the same time, Luxe is full of twists and turns that kept me on my toes. The novel itself was well written, allowing readers to flow through the story. The characters that Antoinette creates are so emotional. Their stories are hard hitting. They’re the type of people that you can’t look away from, even if they live worlds away from you. Seeing Bleu fight and rise above her past was quite intriguing. The in depth development of her character, as well as her relationships was all encompassing. I definitely had mixed feelings about her decisions and actions, but that made Bleu all the more real for me. This was definitely a captivating and hard hitting novel. It was full of the darkness of life and the hard hitting realities that many of us choose to ignore on a daily basis. Antoinette brings it all to life in a big and un-ignorable way. Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

Gritty and raw, you are given the uncut version in this story. If you're squeamish or bougie, get over it because you'll be missing out if you pass on this one. She is a very good descriptive writer, who keeps you guessing and wanting more. My only complaint was the cliffhanger ending...got my stomach all in knots and just left me there. So now I'm impatiently awaiting Luxe 2.

I've read better by this author, she's actually one of my faves. This book just started off kind of slow. Other than that it was a cool read. I'd be lying if I said I can't wait for part 2

About the author

Ashley Antoinette is one of the most successful female writers of her time. The feminine half of the popular married duo, Ashley and JaQuavis, she has co-written over 40 novels. Several of her titles have hit The New York Times bestsellers list, but she is most widely regarded for her racy four-book saga, The Prada Plan. Born in Flint, MI she was bred with an innate street sense that she uses as motivation in her crime filled writings.