Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Vanessa

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 Manhattans social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York Citys elite is far from secure, suddenly everyonefrom the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broudthreatens Elizabeths and Dianas 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 citys 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 Manhattans 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. (From Jacket Flap).

The Luxe was an exceptional book and I am glad I spent my $17 on it because I got my moneys 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 Elizabeths 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 wasnt born in their time. At first I was really surprised, the vocabulary is certainly something bigger than Ive 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 wasnt 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 cant 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?)

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