Publication: 11/20/2007 by HarperCollins
Series: The Luxe #1
Pages: 433 Pages
Format: Audiobook
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
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Goodreads Summary
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.
My Thoughts
I should probably have just unhauled this book. I knew when I started listening to it I wasn't going to enjoy it but I was on a long drive with nothing else to do so I just kept listening. It had also been on my physical TBR pile for years and I was time I took it off. I bought it when I was just starting in the community and bought every book off Book Outlet that I recognized. If I didn't have it on my shelf, I wouldn't have read it.
I will say that it was readable. It wasn't the worst thing I ever read but it was certainly cringy. If you are into guilty pleasure books that follow relationships and general drama then this book would be for you. I however wasn't a huge fan of it. Maybe a few years ago I would have enjoyed it more but now I am much more critical of what I am reading. I was confused by some of the motivations of the characters, like how did Elizabeth and Will fall in love? Why was Lina so obsessed with Will and why does she hate Elizabeth so much? I just didn't get it.
In the end, I was hoping it would be more of a guilty pleasure. What I got was less romance than I wanted and more boring plot lines. Also, you already know how the book ended after reading the prologue so what was the point? I rated it 2 stars because it was okay enjoy to make it through but I don't care about what happens in the sequels. I am at least happy to have another book off my TBR.
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