Books › The Luxe (Luxe Series, Book 1)
The Luxe (Luxe Series, Book 1)
First published 2007 · 480 pages
A glittering, soapy plunge into the scandalous secrets and forbidden romances of Gilded Age Manhattan's teenage elite.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like slipping into a silk gown and stepping into a ballroom where every smile hides a dagger. It is a deliciously soapy, indulgent experience that trades heavily on the glittering aesthetics of Gilded Age New York, wrapping its teenage protagonists in velvet and suffocating them with social expectations. The pace is brisk and addictive, driven by shifting perspectives, stolen kisses in carriage rides, and the constant threat of ruinous gossip. The prose lingers on opulent details, like the rustle of taffeta and the clinking of crystal, while maintaining a sharp, gossipy tone that keeps the drama front and center. It will utterly delight readers who crave the backstabbing, forbidden romances, and high-stakes social maneuvering of a teen drama, all elevated by a lavish historical backdrop.
- Mood
- glittering
- opulent
- scandalous
- tense
- Tone
- gossipy
- dramatic
- indulgent
- romantic
- cynical
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- burden of expectations · forbidden romance · facade of wealth · social climbing · betrayal
- The writing
- Lush and sensory, lingering on the rustle of silk gowns and the sharp, cutting dialogue of the elite.
- The arc
- Moves from the intoxicating allure of high society into a tangled, suffocating web of secrets, ending in a desperate bid for freedom.
- Who it's for
- Fans of soapy, high-stakes teen drama who want their backstabbing and forbidden romances served with a heavy dose of Gilded Age glamour.
Content notes
- classism
- emotional manipulation
- faked death
- underage drinking
About the book
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.
Description from Open Library.
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