The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

 Title: The Luxe

 Author: Anna Godbersen

 Rating: ★★★★★

 Number of Pages: 433.

 Edition: Harcover

 Extra Info: Series-Sequel: Rumors: A Luxe Novel

 

 

Contains: Drama, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Romance.

Analysis of Book (1-10 on each aspect):

Characters: 10

Plot: 9

Writing: 9

Wow Factor: 9

 Summary (courtesy jacket flap): Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn. Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions. White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups. This is Manhattan, 1899.  Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan’s social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City’s elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone—from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud—threatens Elizabeth’s and Diana’s golden future. With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city’s gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan’s most celebrated daughter disappear… In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.
NFL Baltimore Ravens from Fanzz

My Review (no spoilers): OMG OMG OMG. The Luxe was an exceptional book and I am glad I spent my $17 on it because I got my money’s worth and more. My favorite character is Elizabeth, hands-down. Elizabeth has the most heartbreaking dilemma in the book. What comes first? Family or true love? I felt torn and not even I could put myself in Elizabeth’s shoes to decide what to do. The characters were very different (some high-class and some low) and they were all facing different problems (love, family, and money). It made me think to myself how glad I am that I wasn’t born in their time. At first I was really surprised, the vocabulary is certainly something bigger than I’ve been challenging myself lately but then I just got used to it. I loved that it was told in third person, because then it was like I was up-above them (in a pretty little blue cloud, also) and hearing their thoughts about everything. Every chapter flowed amazingly, I was never bored. Actually, most times I kept telling myself to stop reading (when it got to really high climaxes) and was supposed to be sleeping. The plot is very unique for I have never read a historical fiction novel… there wasn’t many “true historical facts” but you can still sense you are no where near our time. The ending was magical (and such a cliffhanger!), I need Rumors ASAP. I can’t stop writing because I have so much I liked about this book to say… but I would like to speak my mind about the spoilers. So just know YOU HAVE TO GET THIS ONE! (May I add, I shed a tear or two at the end because it was so great?)

 

My Thoughts (contains SPOILERS): OMG OMG OMG (okay, I think that’s getting annoying, hehe). I’m just so blown by this book. I loved Will and Elizabeth together. I felt so bad that they just couldn’t be (well, up until the end when Elizabeth runs off to find Will. I want more Diana/Henry interaction in the next novel for they are a beautiful couple (or not really a couple since he was supposed to marry Liz). Also, I’d like more Lina/Tristan action in the next book. I really want Lina to get told off by Will that he doesn’t like her… even though I sympathize with her. It’s just she has to see Will is in love with Elizabeth and that’s all there is to it. The parents in this book are so ugh… they don’t care about their kids really, just their family fortune and staying at the top of the world. Penelope, oh how I disliked her, especially when she got together with Lina. I felt like yelling at her “can’t you see Henry is in love with SOMEONE ELSE?!”. I loved the “letters” in the beginning of every chapter because they got me predicting what would happen. I got very involved in this book and am soooo glad that Rumors is next. I love love loved it.

Have anything to say about the book? Leave the entry a comment with your thoughts. Remember to advise if you’re adding spoilers in your comment. 🙂