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The Luxe is set in 1899, the turn of the century where old money meets new. This is the story of four teens who live the high life, and two who live to serve the other four.
Elizabeth Holland is the perfect girl, loved by society, adored by all – but would everyone still want to be like her if they knew she was in love with a stable boy? Or if they found out the other, even more scandalous secret she was hiding?
Diana Holland is Elizabeth’s little sister, who just wants to have some fun and excitement in her life. She’s bored by all of the balls where everyone must show up but no one has any fun. She’s tired by all of the suitors calling to take her on walks around the pond in Central Park – what she really wants is someone to pull her behind the shade of trees and kiss her silly. She eventually gets what she wants, but how will society react when they all find out who she’s been dallying with? Scandal will erupt, and Diana can’t wait!
Penelope Hayes is Elizabeth’s best friend. As part of the nouveau-riche, her family is constantly trying to prove that they belong in society. This means lots of lavish parties and redecorating. Penelope’s relationship with Elizabeth is characterized by jealousy and constant one-upmanship. When Penelope starts dating the most eligible bachelor in all of New York City, she thinks that she has finally bested Elizabeth, who doesn’t seem to have any suitors knocking down her door. Little does she know that her world is about to be turned upside down, and Elizabeth will be the cause.
The Luxe is a captivating tale revolving around these three young women, and their lives and loves. Backstabbing and cattiness abound, and it’s all readers can do to hold on for the ride. Godbersen does an excellent job of crafting interesting characters and her detail of life in 1899 is richly drawn. She manages to capture the sort of juicy drama normally found in a “Gossip Girl” novel and surround it in the maids and masquerade balls of the 19th century. There’s a mystery that the reader is likely to figure out before the last page, but that doesn’t make the tale any less enjoyable. The Luxe is the kind of book that you won’t be able to put down and won’t want to end. Luckily it’s a hefty tale, so it won’t be over in a matter of hours. The sequel to The Luxe, Rumors, will be published in June.
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The Luxe