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31. Anna Godbersen, The Luxe
The high society of 1899 New York City may look perfect from the outside, but within this world everyone has secrets. Elizabeth Holland, desirable for both her beauty and her social pedigree, is in love with a man she can never be with. Her best friend (and social rival) Penelope Hayes is striking, dramatic, and confident, but the man she wants is just using her. Diana, Elizabeth’s little sister, is sick of the hypocrisy of her world, yet she falls for someone who represents everything that disgusts her. Beneath the veneer of riches and luxury, the three girls feel trapped in a world from which there is no escape, and where their dreams seem completely out of reach. Ultimately, they must learn to come to grips with the realities of life, and decide whether to follow their ambitions or their hearts.
It’s always amazing to me when I pick up a book and it delivers exactly what I was hoping for. The Luxe is a YA novel targeted towards girls who enjoy both historical fiction and TV shows like “Gossip Girl.” There’s a ton of drama, scandalous secrets, and broken hearts, as well as some gorgeous men to daydream about. The ending was well done, I thought - it wrapped up the book enough to give a sense of closure, but still kept me dying to know what would happen in the sequel. It’s not high literature, but I was extremely entertained and couldn’t put the book down. (Literally - I stayed up way too late last night finishing it!) This was brain candy that was actually decently written, and I’m hooked on the series now. Can’t wait to read the next two books!
I'm very glad the weekend's coming up - time for me to hit the library again! :) Not sure what I'll get, but that's the fun - the possibilities are endless!