The Luxe (Luxe, #1)

by Anna Godbersen

book data

2,656 ratings, 3.75 average rating, 765 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		27%
4		35%
3		25%
2		8%
1		2%

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published

November 20th 2007 by HarperCollins

binding

Hardcover, 448 pages

characters

Elizabeth Holland, Henry Schoonmaker, Diana Holland, Penelope Hayes

setting

The United States

isbn

0061345660 (isbn13: 9780061345661)

description

A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York Cit...more

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01/04/09

Shannon rated it:

(review of isbn 0061345687)

bookshelves: 2009, historical-romance, mystery-suspense, ya

Read in April, 2009

recommended to Shannon by: Julie

It's September 1899 and the Manhattan season is starting off with a bang. Elizabeth Holland, the darling of the high society set, has returned from her year in Paris in time for the first ball of the season, held at her best friend Penelope Hayes' newly finished and incredibly vulgar mansion. Penelope is all about showing herself to the best advantage, and has her sights set on young rake Henry Schoonmaker - but his father has other ideas. Intending to run for mayor the following year, he wants ...more

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02/27/08

Nian rated it:

Read in February, 2008

recommends it for: love triangle readers

The Holland sisters, Elizabeth and Diana, are at the top of the social ladder. When their father dies, the girls move away to get educated about being a proper lady and when they come back, they find out that things don’t look too good for the Holland family. They’re broke. But if Mrs. Holland has anything to say about it, they won’t be, not for long. If Elizabeth can marry Henry Schoonmaker—a man who’s so handsome he has the hearts of all eligible females—their family name won’t b...more The Holland sisters, Elizabeth and Diana, are at the top of the social ladder. When their father dies, the girls move away to get educated about being a proper lady and when they come back, they find out that things don’t look too good for the Holland family. They’re broke. But if Mrs. Holland has anything to say about it, they won’t be, not for long. If Elizabeth can marry Henry Schoonmaker—a man who’s so handsome he has the hearts of all eligible females—their family name won’t be smeared. But Elizabeth already has her heart set on Will, who is just a mere stable boy, and Penelope, Liz’s supposed best friend, wants Henry. And where’s Diana all this time? Falling in love with Henry, of course. Rich girls always get what they want, but there’s just one Henry to go around.

Plenty of reviews I’ve read had it labeled as a cross between Pride & Prejudice and Gossip Girl. I think not. The concept about rich girls leading scandalous lives in Manhattan, though set in 1899 for The Luxe, and how marriage was just beneficial for status upholding, is the same. Everything else, not really.

I think this is even worse than Gossip Girl. Just like I didn’t see the point in the latter, I failed to see this book as none other than a boring read with underdeveloped characters who basically whine and never take control. Take Elizabeth, for instance. Right from the beginning she’s introduced as this beautiful and proper young lady who’s involved with a servant but is engaged to the most set-forth bachelor, Henry. The parts written about her fall bland shortly after she’s engaged. She does absolutely nothing except to look blank and regretful. I find it very hard to reach some level of sympathy for a character that’s mostly just a background face because the author failed to incorporate some kind of human being qualities to her. It’s like this: Anna Godbersen wanted to portray a perfect girl that didn’t have a perfect life after all (the most common storyline ever beside the love-hate relationships type) and rather than making Elizabeth her main character, she made her into a depressed girl. Everything that happens in the novel surrounds Elizabeth’s life and her actions, but I just don’t see her as a focus. Sure, she finally finds the strength to do something towards the end of the book, but that’s because Penelope was there to help her. Can’t she do anything by herself? She’s just a horrible protagonist and if that’s the message—get your own independence—then the author’s done a poor job of relaying that.

Take notice that this book has 433 pages. 433 pages of slow action and mindless characters that just appear and disappear so they can serve in certain parts of the story. A story isn’t supposed to be like that—everything has to connect somehow. And the most unflattering character is Diana. From the start, I never saw that kind of bond between her and Elizabeth that’s made Diana so sobby at the last minute. She’s been portrayed as this whinny, kind of unusual sister. But later, she does all sorts of things that contradict the personality she’s been given, which I find very inconsistent. If there’s character development involved, there has to be a turning point for that to happen, but I didn’t see it.

All in all, not something I would ever pick up again. I thought GG had been a reminder that I should stay away from stories about rich girls with nothing to do but have sex and steal other people’s boyfriends. I like books with some kind of message, with development, with strong-willed protagonists that makes everything better, but I found nothing of the requirements here. I’m just glad I gave up halfway but decided to read the ending chapters anyway. Two words: so predictable. I knew the scene wasn’t going to show what really happened, but to make the reader continue reading to find out. I’d assumed that she’d either a) ran away and eloped with some boy (classic case, especially when this is set in the 1899 era) or b) got murdered. By Penelope, who at the time looked really suspicious. And though I’m wondering whether Elizabeth eventually found Will, I’m not that anxious to find out by reading the second novel. I can’t even imagine it.

But if you actually like the endless, unrealistic love triangles (why would anyone like Henry, anyway? He’s such an arrogant ass) between Elizabeth-Will-Lina and Diana-Henry-Penelope, or the fact that the girls wear gowns and everyone rides horses, then this probably is the book for you. I mean, at least some of the history was nailed pretty accurately, thought most facts were just mentioned in passing. The only thing I remembered was something about a clan and New Amsterdam that was history-wise.
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01/18/08

Jessica rated it:

bookshelves: youngadult

Hmmm. This is an interesting book. It is, as the name implies, very luxe. The gown descriptions are sumptuous, and all the characters are gorgeous, with thick curling hair and full pouty lips. However, I had a hard time figuring out who to root for, as it were. You don't really get deep insights into Elizabeth, ostensibly the heroine, and her handsome lover's thoughts are never known at all. The villainess bitchy girl, the little sister, the rich cad, all get more detailed character develo...more

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12/29/07

Karin rated it:

bookshelves: 2008-reads, youngadult

Read in January, 2008

If you didn't think the nineteenth century was full of drama then think again. Life in New York in 1899 was very eventful. At least it was for the very wealthy. Elizabeth Holland has been a perfect daughter her entire nineteen years of life. She has been groomed for years to be perfect - to talk when she was supposed to, to receive visitors on Sundays, and always appear happy no matter when she was feeling on the inside. People in New York expect her to marry well and continue the tradition...more If you didn't think the nineteenth century was full of drama then think again. Life in New York in 1899 was very eventful. At least it was for the very wealthy. Elizabeth Holland has been a perfect daughter her entire nineteen years of life. She has been groomed for years to be perfect - to talk when she was supposed to, to receive visitors on Sundays, and always appear happy no matter when she was feeling on the inside. People in New York expect her to marry well and continue the traditions of high society.

Life for Elizabeth isn't easy though, even though all she has to do is sit around and look beautiful. It turns out, since the death of her father, her family is having financial problems and aren't able to keep up the type of lifestyle they are used to living. One thousand dollar gowns, priceless works of art, and trips abroad are a thing of the past unless something can be done to secure the family's place in society before everyone learns of their trouble. Mrs. Holland thinks Elizabeth can save the family by marrying Henry Schoonmaker – New York's most eligible and most sought after bachelor.

The news of her impending engagement is a surprise to Elizabeth. She has always held out the hope that she would marry for love and in fact, has been in love for quite some time. Elizabeth has been having a secret relationship with Will Keller for many years. The relationship must be kept a secret because Will is an employee of the Holland family. He works in the stables and drives the carriages for them and carrying on a relationship with someone of lower status would be something that would ruin Elizabeth's reputation and the Holland family name. Word of her engagement puts a strain, understandably, on Elizabeth's relationship with Will.

Elizabeth's secret relationship with Will isn't the only thing that becomes more difficult after the wedding becomes public. Henry doesn't want to get married any more than Elizabeth does. He resents the fact that he is being forced to wed and give up his freedom. Penelope, her supposed best friend, is infuriated by the news of the wedding. She expected to marry Henry herself and is planning to break up the wedding by any means necessary. Elizabeth's personal maid, Lina, finds out about Elizabeth and Will's relationship and is hurt because she has grown to love Will herself. Even more problems crop up when Elizabeth's younger sister, Diana, begins to have feelings for Henry. Finally, and most devastating to Elizabeth, Will tells her he is leaving New York and heading west to California. How can a proper girl deal with all of these problems and be expected retain her poise?

THE LUXE is a fascinating look at life at the turn of the century. It is historical fiction at its best. For those of you that fall in love with the book like I have can look forward to the fact that the author is currently working on a sequel.
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01/09/09

Angie rated it:

bookshelves: good-uns

Read in January, 2009

Another Christmas gift, and one I wanted to read very much when it first came out, but shied away from somewhat after reading several reviews comparing it to the Gossip Girl series and stating that the writing left rather a lot to be desired. Oh, I thought sadly. That's too bad. It looked better than that. So I just admired the cover from afar, and that of the sequel Rumors. I probably would have just gone on ignoring the series if my mom hadn't given me a copy of The Luxe. I'm glad she did.
...more Another Christmas gift, and one I wanted to read very much when it first came out, but shied away from somewhat after reading several reviews comparing it to the Gossip Girl series and stating that the writing left rather a lot to be desired. Oh, I thought sadly. That's too bad. It looked better than that. So I just admired the cover from afar, and that of the sequel Rumors. I probably would have just gone on ignoring the series if my mom hadn't given me a copy of The Luxe. I'm glad she did.

The prologue begins with Elizabeth Holland's funeral. The darling of upper crust Manhattan society, her sudden and inexplicable drowning in the Hudson shocks everyone from her frozen fiance Henry Schoonmaker to her scornful maid Lina Broud. The story then immediately jumps back several weeks to show us how events came to such a strange state. You think Elizabeth is going to be the main character, but she's not. She's not even very likable. Quiet, passive, perfect. Perfectly boring. That's Elizabeth. And that's why her best friend Penelope Hayes hates her. Everyone assumes Henry and Elizabeth would be perfect together, while Penelope is determined to have him for herself. And if you're wondering right now if the whole thing is as Peyton Place as it sounds thus far, the answer is yes. Yes it is. It's a roiling sea of love, despair, social climbing, and backstabbing. In perfectly lovely period costumes. It's hypnotic.

The story spends time going back and forth between five Victorian teens: Elizabeth, Henry, Penelope, Lina, and Diana (Elizabeth's younger, much more likable sister). And for awhile I kept thinking, Why am I reading this? These characters are perfectly awful. But then Diana became cool. Or rather I could tell she was going to become someone who was going to be cool. So I was reading it for Diana. The others I could take or leave. But then Henry started showing some good sense and just the slightest hint of a backbone, despite his apalling sense of entitlement. So I was reading it for Diana and Henry. And the dresses. Oh, the dresses. And because I enjoyed seeing Penelope swallow her own tongue when she finds out a certain couple are engaged. And, in the end, it was like watching a train wreck. A beautiful, awful train wreck. And I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. I had to run to the library to get a copy of Rumors to see What Happens. That review to follow shortly. (less)

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05/06/08

Jennifer Wardrip rated it:

bookshelves: trt-reviews

Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com

One of the elite, one of the daughters of New York society, is dead.

In life, the lovely and fair Elizabeth Holland is everything a young, turn-of-the-century girl of her position ought to be. But, it's not easy to be proper and mannerly all the time, and a handsome servant who lives in the stable gets to see more of her than anyone else -- much, much more.

No one knows of their secret affair, except Miss Holland...more

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07/13/08

Alea rated it:

Two sisters, a servant girl, a best friend, and a hot mess of a boy. Throw in two-ish love triangles and you've got The Luxe. I kept reading and reading about this book, just like I had done with Twilight and then decided I just better read the darn book. I'm sure glad I did. What a fun book. It's set in 1899 New York City and alternates the five main characters points of view. I think the alternating viewpoints really made this book for me. I just can't get enough of that. The book ends not unl...more

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07/13/08

thestorysiren rated it:

bookshelves: books-i-own

Read in December, 2007

Beautiful Elizabeth Holland, lovely, prim, proper and of course a lady. Too bad she is dead. The story opens to a dreary day in late 19th century New York at the funeral of Miss Elizabeth Holland, the exact day in which she was to be wed.

Then time flashes back and we are taken through the events that ultimately lead to the death of Elizabeth.

Sisters Elizabeth and Diana couldn’t be more different. Elizabeth, the oldest, has always had the most pre...more Beautiful Elizabeth Holland, lovely, prim, proper and of course a lady. Too bad she is dead. The story opens to a dreary day in late 19th century New York at the funeral of Miss Elizabeth Holland, the exact day in which she was to be wed.

Then time flashes back and we are taken through the events that ultimately lead to the death of Elizabeth.

Sisters Elizabeth and Diana couldn’t be more different. Elizabeth, the oldest, has always had the most pressure put on her to be a proper lady, to watch everything she says, does, and even wears. Diana is of course the opposite. She is the romantic, and she is wonderfully eclectic and confident in her ways.

When Elizabeth learns that her family’s welfare is in jeopardy she agrees to wed Henry Schoonmaker, a well-known playboy and heartbreaker, even though she loves another. Henry himself agrees to marry Elizabeth only so he will not be disinherited of his father’s fortune. At the night of her engagement announcement, her "best friend" Penelope Hayes reveals that she, herself is in love with Henry. This is the start of Penelope’s jealousy and betrayal to take down her biggest and only rival. Not to mention, Diana, who finds herself smitten with the elusive Henry, as well. Henry of course finds himself falling in love, finally, but not with his betrothed. Elizabeth struggles with her own happiness and the welfare of her family.
Throw in a jealous maid that knows too much and you have yourself a full-blown scandal!

I loved The Luxe. It had everything a good story should. Mystery, humor, romance, and fun! I felt for Elizabeth and her constant struggle within herself, and having nowhere to turn. I loathed Penelope and only wished she had been the one to fall in the Hudson. The Luxe was enjoyable and entertaining. If you like Gossip Girls or even A Great and Terrible Beauty, I think that you would enjoy this book. Even more good news. It seems that Anna Godbersen will be releasing a sequel to The Luxe in the summer of 2008 entitled Rumors.
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03/14/08

Elizabeth rated it:

bookshelves: recentlyread, ya

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: teen girls

I've seen this book compared to Gossip Girl, and I don't think that's an entirely fair analogy. I can see where it came from; the main characters are well-to-do New Yorkers, and there is an emphasis on beauty and backstabbing. However, it was much better written than GG.

I admit I've only read one GG, inspired to do so because I like the show. I've marveled, in fact, at how the writers of the show managed to get such a well done show out of the source material, because the one that I ...more I've seen this book compared to Gossip Girl, and I don't think that's an entirely fair analogy. I can see where it came from; the main characters are well-to-do New Yorkers, and there is an emphasis on beauty and backstabbing. However, it was much better written than GG.

I admit I've only read one GG, inspired to do so because I like the show. I've marveled, in fact, at how the writers of the show managed to get such a well done show out of the source material, because the one that I read was BAD. The Luxe manages to keep the perspective consistent within chapters, and to have an actual, realized plot (building action, climax, denoument). It also had characters that were more than just caricatures. GG had none of that- the perspective jumped around within a single scene, and seemed more focused on titillating its audience with sex, drinking, drugs, and high end clothing that with telling any sort of story or developing characters in any way beyond what they were wearing and who they were screwing. I suppose it could be said the The Luxe resembles the show, if it were set at the end of the nineteenth century, but I have to give credit where credit is due, and The Luxe surpasses GG, the novels.

That said, while the story is complete and decently written, it's hugely predictable. I had the end figured out pretty much by the time all the main characters were introduced. The prologue, while serving to add a sense of suspense to lure the reader into the story, also makes it painfully obvious where things are headed once the reader is given all the puzzle pieces. I've seen the same sort of plot laid out in countless historical romances- the good girl who has more beneath the surface; the wild, independant young lady; the rake who is ready to be reformed by the right woman; the jealous, villainous spurned mistress. That's not to say the book isn't worth reading; I have the benefit of being nearly 30, and having been exposed to all the romance novel plot devices under the sun. For its intendend audience, teen girls, The Luxe would be a fabulous introduction to that genre of writing. It's got a dab of history, a fun plot, and a twisty love story. Moreover, it's "clean" (which is another thing that separates it from GG)- there is some sexual behavior, but it's handled with a tasteful fade to black, and there is a some drinking, but in the two instances of someone becoming drunk, there are negative consequences. I'm not a prude (I like my smut good and smutty), but I do think there is a difference between writing for 13-17 year old girls, and for adults.

Overall, I'd say this book isn't one that's going to cross the generation gap well, but it's a fun, appropriate read for teens looking for something that has all the best things about GG and none of the worst.(less)

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12/30/07

Rebecca rated it:

Read in January, 2008

unfortunately, I left this at home over the weekend, so progress is stalled.
here are my thoughts half-way through, and I don't expect them to change:

1. every review I caught of this made it out to be "gossip girl, 1899"--it's not. the comparison is obvious enough (rich kids, new york...1899...there are even some amazingly parallel characters that would make me mad if I were Cecily von Ziegesar), but it's inaccurate. Gossip Girl, while trashy, and fraught with gross m...more unfortunately, I left this at home over the weekend, so progress is stalled.
here are my thoughts half-way through, and I don't expect them to change:

1. every review I caught of this made it out to be "gossip girl, 1899"--it's not. the comparison is obvious enough (rich kids, new york...1899...there are even some amazingly parallel characters that would make me mad if I were Cecily von Ziegesar), but it's inaccurate. Gossip Girl, while trashy, and fraught with gross materialism and brand-dropping, actually has some interesting things going on in the story. The Luxe is slow-moving and predictable; there's no playing around with the idea of narrator,the characters are flat and it's hard to identify with any of them... It's much more like Austen/Bronte/Thackeray fair, but with dumbed down contemporary writing. Despite the simpler writing, it takes just as much determination to press through the text (because it's dull); and for that, I think most Gossip Girl readers are going to be baffled when people recommend this book to them. My guess is they'll give up before they get to the first coy tilt of the head and mild cloakroom romp.

1a. some reviews I read suggested this for fans of A Great and Terrible Beauty...I think that's just cover-confusion. Fans of the cover of A Great and Terrible Beauty will also probably like the cover of The Luxe. I do think it's a striking cover.

2. every review I caught also praised The Luxe/Godbersen for terrific historic facts. Really? I'm doubting that. I mean, I don't know enough to know for sure, but I have a running list of things to check. For one thing, even if Holland was a common name in late 19th century New York City, I feel like an author could trust her readers to interpret a more subtle name (van der Woodsen, say), instead of being so heavy-handed with the "old Dutch Family" thing. There are some neat tidbits of new york history, things to make it fun...mention of farms, the old age of gramercy park, fifth avenue starting to be developed...but I'm not sure it's enough history to merit all the history-praise.

3. it's fun enough. and the cover might be powerful enough to lure some unsuspecting YA readers.(less)

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12/30/08

Denise rated it:

Read in January, 2009

First, I can't believe that this is considered Youth Fiction! It definitely read like it was written for a teenage audience, but there was way too much sex, even if it was only ever implied. It was incredibly predictable and the characters were extremely unlikable. Beware, moms of teenage girls, this book was recommended to me as the "next big thing".

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05/21/08

Adriana rated it:

bookshelves: ya-friendship, ya-historical-fiction-romance-socia

Read in July, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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11/10/08

Kathryn rated it:

Read in November, 2008

recommended to Kathryn by: The Cover
recommends it for: NOBODY

I hate, hate, HATE books that are suppose to be set in one time period but they have the behavor of someone in a different time period. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that this books was set in the present time. I won't ruin it for anyone who wants to read it... but I was disappointed. I thought "How could such a pretty book not be good?" I always thought that not judging a book by its cover was about ugly books being good, but now I know better.

However, if ...more

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10/12/08

Sarah rated it:

bookshelves: 2008, young-adult

Read in October, 2008

It took a while to really get into this book, but about halfway through, it happened. For the most part, Godbersen was clearly influenced by my favorite American author, Edith Wharton. And Godbersen uses Wharton's world, almost, in her novel. It's turn of the 19th century New York, and it's high society complete with love and betrayal and lies and ... everything. In fact, Godbersen even pays homage to Wharton by including a very close likeness of Wharton herself in the book. Looking forward to t...more

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07/16/07

Angie rated it:

bookshelves: book_club_books-ya-industry, ya_books

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: Romance, Historical Fic, & Gossip Girl readers

Indeed. Godbersen brings sexy back to 19th century New York. It's like Paris (and Perez!) Hilton but with corsets and quadrilles. High society has never been so scandalous or scandalized. Added bonus, the "love-making" in this book is way more gratifying than any Jane Austen novel. Yum! Can't wait for the follow-up.

Also, it must be said that the packaging is absolutely brilliant. Everything from the cover art/design to the typeface inside is impeccable. Elizabeth ...more

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02/18/09

Emily rated it:

Read in February, 2009

Looking for a page-turning mystery/romance/turn-of-the-century-social-commentary? You have found it. While it is definitely a teen novel, and Godbersen makes no pretense of subtlety in her mimicking of Edith Wharton's 1899 New York, I really enjoyed the story and the writing.

Her sentence structure and word choice are carefully crafted. (Her writing occasionally feels as corseted as the girls she writes about; and while the historically accurate details prove she has done a lot of r...more

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02/16/09

Jaime rated it:

(review of isbn 0061345687)

Read in February, 2009

recommends it for: fans of Gossip Girl

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Summary:

Five teens living in turn of the century Manhattan face difficult decisions when it comes to love and duty. When the Holland sisters find their family in sudden poverty, one sister must decide whether to remain destitute and marry for love, or marry to maintain their family's wealthy reputation.

Characters:

Elizabeth Holland- A quiet, polite girl who falls for her family's coachman, Will, but is forced to be engaged to Henry so that her family may have m...more

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01/24/09

Jenn rated it:

Read in January, 2009

Think Gossip Girl meets turn of the century. All of the fabulous balls, gorgeous gowns, gossip, scandal and secrets that you love in early 1900s New York City.

The story starts out with Elizabeth Holland's funeral. She was the "it" girl and all of the who's who has come out in fabulous style to see and be seen. (and to grieve of course) There is Penelope Hayes. Penelope is the exotic, nouveau riche best friend of Elizabeth. We are also introduced to the very rich playboy H...more

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06/29/09

Susannah rated it:

OK, I could probably go on for days about this book. I am totally conflicted. I think it is not necessarily appropriate for its target audience because of the rampant disregard for social rules, including having sex before marriage. Thankfully, there aren't any explicit sex scenes. Godberson is at least moral enough to do that. But for Elizabeth to seemingly not even think about the fact that she is fornicating with the stable boy regardless of their marital status seems completely contradictory...more

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05/07/09

Christina rated it:

bookshelves: 2009-bookstack, historical-fiction, new-york-city, young-adult

Read in May, 2009

I’m sort of an ambivalent about The Luxe. It’s not exactly a page-turner, yet it’s certain better than the common comparison more than one girl at my school shared with me. It’s sort of a more Victorian soap opera that filled with drama, backstabbing, and forbidden romances as five teenagers -- Henry, society’s best catch; Elizabeth, also known at Miss Prim and Proper; her younger sister, Diane; the jealous maid, Lina; and vindictive Penelope -- all strive to marry their hearts’ desi...more

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