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Rumors: A Luxe Novel (The Luxe)
written by Anna Godbersen
Studio : HarperCollins
by HarperCollins
Release Date : 2008-06-03
Publisher : HarperCollins
Released : 2008-06-01
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780061345692
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 44 reviews)
List Price : $17.99
Our Price : $10.47
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Product Description |
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After bidding good-bye to New York's brightest star, Elizabeth Holland, rumors continue to fly about her untimely demise. All eyes are on those closest to the dearly departed: her mischievous sister, Diana, now the family's only hope for redemption; New York's most notorious cad, Henry Schoon-maker, the flame Elizabeth never extinguished; the seductive Penelope Hayes, poised to claim all that her best friend left behind—including Henry; even Elizabeth's scheming former maid, Lina Broud, who discovers that while money matters and breeding counts, gossip is the new currency. As old friends become rivals, Manhattan's most dazzling socialites find their futures threatened by whispers from the past. In this delicious sequel to The Luxe, nothing is more dangerous than a scandal . . . or more precious than a secret. |
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Can't wait for the Third installment! |
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Luxe left us in the lurch in October, 1899. Rumors picks up in December, two months later. Like its sister book, every chapter in Rumors starts with a quotation from authentic-seeming publications like the 1899 Guide to Raising Young Women or clips from gossip articles in newspapers. In Rumors, we catch up with all our favorite characters- Elizabeth Holland, new Californian, the budding secret romance between Diana Holland and Henry Schoonmaker, and Penelope, the dramatically beautiful woman scorned. Lina Broud, the former Holland family maid also plays a larger, interesting role of a person not born into wealth but desperate for its advantages. There are some surprising plot twists that will delight, and deeper looks into characters barely mentioned in the previous book like the Gamesome Gallant (a 1900s paparazzo-style newspaperman) and Isabelle Schoonmaker, stepmother to William despite their 5 year age difference. I found the Gamesome Gallant and Carolina "Lina" Broud to be the most interesting characters, as they are on the outskirts of New York Society looking in, and scheme to best manipulate the social customs and elite culture to their advantage. Readers should definitely read the first before this companion novel, and relish it while it lasts, because the next installment won't be released until January 2009. I can't wait! These books are so rich in detail and historical context, I can't imagine it'll be long before a movie is produced, and I'd love to see it. |
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lacking |
I can't believe I made it halfway through this book... I hate "romances."
I was taken in by the dresses on the cover. I was expecting a bit more Edith Wharton, but it was next to impossible for me to feel any sympathy towards the cardboard characters who were boring and yet, unbelievable. The idea of striking it rich with oil in California too simple.
It was a page-turner, but the feeling more of wanting to get the book over with already.
Blah. |
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Liv's Book Reviews |
Yum, yum, yum. This book was just as delightful as the first one in the series which I am really happy about. Sometimes, you get an amazing first book and then a really bad sequel, but in the Luxe series, that is not the case. Thankfully. I completely loved hearing more about all of the scandal surrounding the families that I had come to know and love in the previous book. I think one of the things that is the best about this series is that Anna Godbersen has the perfect writing style to go along with the storyline. She knows how to write so that even the language aspect of the book draws you into a world that's far from your own. Also, the plot was really amazing. There were a ton of twists and surprises that left my mouth open, and my mind scrambling. But in a good way of course. These were nice and luscious twists that were completely plausible but at the same time unexpected. The ending especially nearly wrenched me apart. I almost cried! Yikes! It's a little wierd to confess to crying over a book that's purely fluff made for enjoyment. But it's the kind of book that gets you to relate to the characters and actually care about what happens to them. That's definitely one of the parts that keeps me coming back for more. I feel like I'm actually in the turn of the century New York, which is saying something because not only do I have no idea what New York's like, I do not in any way know what anything around that time period would be like. But the book is such that you can't help but be drawn in. And although this series is completely fluffy, I still love it to pieces and I can't wait for the next book, Envy. If you haven't read the first book, The Luxe, you had better go and pick it up soon!
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The Compulsive Reader's Reviews |
Manhattan has never before had more juicy gossip to spread ever since Elizabeth Holland's mysterious "demise". But as the New Year approaches, rumors fly and the Holland family is bombarded with endless questions...and endless bills. Diana Holland finds her own way of making money, and she and Henry Schoonmaker fall in love. But Penelope Hayes is determined to make Henry hers--no matter what the cost. Elizabeth is living blissfully out West with Will, but then a panicked note from her sister brings her rushing back to the city. And in between it all is a former maid who has the inside sources and ambition that will threaten them all.
Fast paced, elegant, and full of intrigue, Rumors proves to be much more engrossing and complicated than its prequel. Penelope becomes the villain that you come to feel sorry for, Henry the man with surprising depth, Diana the unlikely and lovable heroine, and Lina the dreaming girl you have to pity and admire.
Moving beyond the standard plotlines that dominated The Luxe, Godbersen weaves an intricate and convoluted story via the many colorful and wonderfully unique characters that builds and builds until it takes on a life of its own. In this glittery, elusive and sly world seeping with secrets, things aren't always as they seem, a secret told is worth a tidy sum, but a secret kept is worth more, and you should never underestimate the power of money and reputation. Godbersen builds suspense until the very end, giving us both a happy and unhappy ending, and leaves readers wrapped around her little finger, begging for more.
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Makes me feel like a teenager again. |
When I was a teenager, I used to love Victoria Holt romance novels. Maybe not the most politically correct stories of the day (but really -- political correctness and romance novels aren't really compatible). The Victoria Holt novels all shared a common thread: heroines that you are rooting for, romantic scenes that you can get lost in (without being raunchy), and the ability to time warp back to a simple time with beautiful gowns, horses, and balls.
While I haven't read the first in the series, (you don't need to to "get into" the story), I felt that this was very much in the tradition of the Victoria Holt novels. It was a quick read (particularly since it is directed at a young adult) audience but it was enjoyable for adults (so if you want to know what your kids are reading, you won't have to suffer). It lets the reader get lost in fantasies of love without being too revealing or explicit. And it is a nice clean counterpoint to all the mystic magic mania inspired by the Harry Potter Craze which has gotten to be rather tiresome.
If I had girls, I would not hesitate to let them read this series. Instead, I'll donate it to my son's middle school library. |
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