Monday, December 21, 2009

The Luxe


Title: The Luxe
Author: Anna Godbersen
Pages: 433
Read it. Skim it. Toss it.

Summary: The beautiful young Holland sisters, Elizabeth and Diana, rule Manhattan society. Or so it appears. When they discover their status is far from secure, everyone—from the ambitious socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor, Henry Schoonmaker, to the Holland's dour maid, Lina Broud—threatens the girls' golden future. When Elizabeth's carriage overturns near the East River, her glittering life, well-known for lighting up the city's gossip pages, is swallowed by the rough current. Then the question on everyone's lips is this: Who will take Elizabeth's enviable place?

My Two Cents: AHHHHH Historical Fiction. I love it! I'm addicted to historical fiction. I'm not going to lie, I totally am. And this time period, while it would have been better set in London, was spot on for me. To me it was very Queen Elizabeth-esque. And promise me, this is a very good thing. Diana was an absolutely fascinating character to say the least. She annoyed me very much in the beginning, but what kept me going was her intensity. Unlike her shriveled plum of a sister.

Don't get me wrong, I wanted to live Elizabeth Holland's life. Decadent gowns, courting boys, what is there to not like. But sometimes, she just seemed so timid! I longed to shake her by the shoulders screaming, "WHY?! GROW A PAIR GIRLFRIEND!"

Grow a pair? Really Emily? Ohh toshh, please forgive my graphic language.

All in all, The Luxe was a fabulous read. If you happen to be a fan of scandals, hot stable boys and flouncy dresses, yeah, you just hit the jackpot.

1 comment:

Imogen said...

I think the point is that Elizabeth is torn between her family and the person she loves (I have read it.) And she behaves like she's supposed to. The two books after - Rumours and Envy - develop the characters a lot more. Splendour, the fourth book, I think will be out shortly. I am a total fanatic for these books!

Imogen
xx