A Luxe Ending

I picked up The Luxe by Anna Godbersen almost as a joke--it looked SO DRAMATIC and sweeping and historical. Okay, so yeah, the whole series has totally been a soap opera, but it's fun.

The last book is Splendor. Can we give whoever designed the covers of this entire series major props? GORGEOUS. The back cover has more of her dress, too.

Splendor wraps up Elizabeth, Carolina, Penelope and Diana's stories, with varying degrees of success. The girls' lives have each reached a breaking point, where lies will be discovered and truth revealed. And this book, like the others, has major drama: druggings, adultery, European royalty, interrupted weddings, etc. Godbersen does know how to write an entertaining story.

****Spoilers
Let's talk about the ending. I'm happy that Elizabeth and Teddy end up together (finally). Carolina seemed to be more likable in this book, but it took her freakin' long enough to finally start providing for her sister. And is it bad I wanted her to end up with the slimy clerk? Ah well, didn't happen. Penelope sort of got what she deserved--as did Henry. I was never a huge fan of Henry and Diana, mainly because Henry was so spineless (and of course, the whole moral issue of adultery). Diana's ending, though, wasn't satisfactory. Diana runs off to Paris--loves many men ("who all loved differently")--and is an artist? Hmmm.

Overall, the ending felt rushed. I didn't need specific endings for people and the vague descriptions weren't satisfactory (eg., "Carolina and Claire threw lavish parties." Really? Is that all there is to life? Throwing amazing parties?). Yeah, definitely a bleh ending.
****

So The Luxe series is over but it was fun, fluff reading while it lasted. And the book covers are amazing.

Rating: 7/10

Not envious of a love triangle

Anna Godbersen, your latest Luxe novel, Envy, was strangely addictive. I'm not sure why, either. I wasn't sure I was in the mood for drama but your story sucked me in even though the book focused way too much on Penelope, who everyone hates. She's a schemer, a liar and to be honest, I think she deserves Henry, who is pathetic, weak and a drunk. I know, I know, he only married Penelope to save Diana's reputation but since that clearly didn't lead to anyone's happiness, since now all he does is drink and long after Diana. And Diana wavers between hate and love for Henry and being a slut with Penelope's brother. Ah, love triangles, where no one is happy.

Let's talk about Diana's sister, Elizabeth. All Elizabeth did was puke throughout the entire novel (hello, morning sickness!). She was so faded in the story, letting life roll on by but I was truly surprised by her ending (and Diana's, too).

Carolina's story was fine but I'm not a whole-hearted fan of hers. I still think she's going to end up with Tristan, since she's also a major liar.

The Palm Beach setting was a nice change and kept the action rolling along. I'll definitely read all the books in this series because they're freakin' addictive. Also, all the covers in the series are amazing.

Rating: 7.5/10

Drama, drama

I liked Anna Godbersen's The Luxe when it came out last year. So, I was somewhat eager to read Rumors, the sequel.

This pic doesn't do the cover justice. The model's dress spreads out and covers the back of the book, too. Here is the first book's cover, just to give you an idea:

Gorgeous! I wish I lived in an era where I could wear a dress like that...although, naturally, I would also be very rich because let's be real; no poor or middle-class person could ever afford that luscious dress.

The Luxe series follows two sisters, Elizabeth and Diana Holland, as they navigate New York society in the very late 1890s. The pretty, used-to-be-rich-but-now-secretly-poor girls both love guys they can't have and suffer the consequences.

In the first book, Elizabeth ends up faking her death and running away with the stable boy, Will. They end up happy together in California (which was a weird place for them to go, but whatever). Diana realizes that she loved Elizabeth's ex-fiancé, Henry, who is one of the reasons why Elizabeth faked her death. Yeah, somehow she just couldn't break off the engagement, so instead she sends her whole family into mourning. Her mother was forcing her to marry Henry so they could be rich again. Anyway, Diana and Henry finally find out that Elizabeth is alive--but everyone's arch-enemy, Penelope, knows Elizabeth is alive, too. Penelope schemes, blackmails and extorts Diana and Henry--because she wants Henry for herself. Everyone's plans go awry and basically no one ends up happy at the end of book two.

****Spoiler**** Seriously, the ending is not happy. Will freaking DIES. He and Elizabeth finally get married and he gets shot that same day. Good thing I accidently peeked ahead and saw that or I would've been really ticked. And Henry marries Penelope! Both sisters are now alone and thwarted in their love. I just don't see how the ending in the third book, Envy, will be that great. Penelope and Henry divorce? Penelope dies? Diana falls in love with someone who will actually stand up for himself (let's hope so)? Elizabeth spends the rest of her life mourning Will (a la Rose in Titanic)? Hmmm. I guess I'll have to find out. *****

Rating: 6.5/10