The Luxe

The Luxe
Author: Anna Godbersen
Book #1 of The Luxe series
Pages: 433
My Rating: 5/5 stars

My Review:

 Elizabeth Holland ruled Manhattan's 1899 social scene. She was rich, beautiful, and always in the society pages of the newspapers. At the start of The Luxe, you see the start of her funeral procession, and then time goes back to the last few weeks before her death.

  Elizabeth Holland lives with her mother and sister, Diana, in the house of her deceased father. They rule the scene of the late 19th century, until they discover that their priviledged life is anything but secure. Add a few complicated love stories, a rich suitor who is in love with the wrong person, a very jealous ex-best friend, and a maid out for revenge. They are all brought out in the last weeks in Elizabeth Holland's life, and they each play a part in her death.

  The Luxe was an engaging, entertaining, and romantic book. I was so excited when I finally got my hands on it, and it did not dissapoint. The Luxe is very romantic, with the most adorable couples, and the most complicated love stories. It's not overkill, and not terribly sappy, and the letter writing is romatic. I loved the couples in this book,  as well as each character individually. They all had different ambitions, different personalities, and they were all entertaining to read about. The Luxe is written in 3rd person, and it rotates chapters between the point of view of 5 people. I was greatful of the alternation prospects, so I could see what another person was thinking and doing. Penelope, Henry, Elizabeth, Diana, and Lina were all enjoyable characters.

  The one thing that failed to go away throughout The Luxe were the gorgeous, historically accurate details. I loved The Luxe for it's big ball gowns, the grand houses, and the setting of Old New York. It was so much fun to read about New York in the 19th century, and it was all amazingly accurate and well described. The author's writing reflects on the era, with her particuliar writing style, and a couple old fashioned words thrown in here and there. It added a nice touch for imagining scenes from 1899!

  Overall, what a fun, entertaining read! The Luxe kept me in a good mood all week, and is worthy of 5 stars. It's a book that left me wanting more!