About this title: The hot new Luxe series continues as Penelope takes Elizabeth's tragic absence as an opportunity to remake her image, Lina continues her own identity makeover by latching onto a wealthy benefactor, and ill-fated lovers Diana and Henry struggle with their emotions--and each other.
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Description: Acceptable. Book is in good reading condition. Cover has wear at edges and corners. Spine has wear at edges. Dust jacket has some wear. read more
Description: Good. 0061345695 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: 6/3/2008
ISBN-13:9780061345692ISBN:0061345695
Description: New. 0061345695 Brand New Book With Remainder Mark. May Have Slight Shelf Wear. In-Stock Now For Immediate Secure Packaging & Delivery. read more
Edition: First edition.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780061345692ISBN:0061345695
Description: New in new dust jacket. First Edition, First Print. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 423 p. Luxe (Hardcover). Audience: Children/juvenile; Young adult. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers 2008
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780061345692ISBN:0061345695
Description: ISBN 9780061345692. Hardback. First Printing. Very Good condition book, with slight browning to edges of interior pages, in a Very Good condition dustjacket with minor rubs and creases around its edges. Tight, sound, unmarked copy. $17.99 original price is present and unclipped on front flap of dustjacket. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780061345692ISBN:0061345695
Description: New. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 423 p. Luxe (Hardcover). Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harperteen
Date Published: 2008-06-01
ISBN-13:9780061345692ISBN:0061345695
Description: NEW. Hardcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780061345692. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780061345692ISBN:0061345695
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Description: Fine. 0061345695 SHIPPING DAILY! Gently read with very minimal wear overall. No marking or writing noted. PLEASE CHOOSE EXPEDITED SHIPPING OPTION FOR FASTER SERVICE. Ware's Creek Bookstop has been selling books and other top quality items online for the past 10 years, buy with confidence that you will receive excellent turnaround time, safe shipping and quality merchandise. We have donated 1000's of books to local schools, seniors, libraries and more-thanks to your continued patronage-thank ... read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780061345692ISBN:0061345695
Description: New, Publisher overstock, may have small remainder mark. Excellent condition, never read, purchased from publisher as excess inventory. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780061345692ISBN:0061345695
Description: New, Publisher overstock, may have small remainder mark. Excellent condition, never read, purchased from publisher as excess inventory. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: 2008-06-01
ISBN-13:9780061345692ISBN:0061345695
Description: Good. Minor edge and corner wear to dust jacket. Minor creases to dust jacket. Dust jacket is in good condition. Minor edge and corner wear to book. Pages still clean and tight. Book is in good condition. All U.S. orders shipped with tracking number and e-mail confirmation. read more
Binding: Hardback
Publisher: HARPER COLLINS
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780061345692ISBN:0061345695
Description: The hot new Luxe series continues as Penelope takes Elizabeth's tragic absence as an opportunity to remake her image, Lina continues her own identity makeover by latching onto a wealthy benefactor, and ill-fated lovers Diana and Henry struggle with t... read more
"I haven't reviewed many books contained in series on the blog and find it incredibly hard. It's almost like reviewing the middle of a book, right where the juicy part is but still trying to maintain a veil of secrecy.
Nowhere is this more difficult to accomplish than in the second installment of Anna Godberson's four part Luxe set, Rumors. Staged in turn of the century Manhattan and essentially the wilderness of California, the second book finds our party of revelers and mourners garter deep in more trouble than they can manage.
There is nothing like good scandal to keep readers guessing which is why it is incredibly difficult to lay it on the line for review dissection.
The stage set by The Luxe was a gaudy one but also one that hinted toward a lust for the other side of the tracks. When we meet them again, both Holland girls find themselves in over their heads in love and in life. Their passions can't be contained within the walls of the society in which they were born and raised and this, inevitably, leads to trouble.
The usual suspects return, starring debutante extraordinaire, Penny, reluctant millionaire heir, Henry; social climbing but clueless ex-maid, Lina, handsome and wholesome oil-hopeful Will and of course, that lovable entity, the gossip column.
I enjoyed the sequel as a welcome diversion from real life drama. I won't get into the specifics of the small things that irked me because it involves listing unforgivable spoilers. Let's just say several people show up dead, alive and, more dramatically, married. But, well, that's just Manhattan in 1899."
"In Godberson's second Luxe novel all the drama continues as Manhattan morns the loss of their brightest star Elizabeth who "died" of accidental causes in the first novel. Now, all eyes are on her younger mischievous sister who is left to keep up the Holland family name by marrying "up" to ensure the family's bright finical future. The only problem is Diana's true love and money holder is Henry Schoonmaker, the man who was set to marry her dead sister. Understanding this predicament as well as the custom morning period Diana is unable to show Henry her affections and fears that someone else...possibly the scheming Penelope Hayes will sweep Henry during his moment of despair.
This sequel delivers just as much drama as its predecessor. Filled with socialite balls, deadly secrets, and scheming friends. Those who enjoyed the first novel as well as Gossip Girls enthusiasts will feel right at home and do not necessarily have to read the first installment in order to understand what has happened up to this point."
""Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favorite things Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings These are a few of my favorite things Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes Silver white winters that melt into springs These are a few of my favorite things!!!!"
*Giggles girlishly*
Alright, my darling readers, don't pretend you don't know what's coming. In appreciation of Historical Fiction Bloggers Round Table week, I said I would post a review on Rumours, which is, technically the 19th century version of Gossip Girl. The series revels in the comparison - when I read the first in the series, The Luxe in 2008, it boasted the similarity between the two on the front cover!
But here's the thing, don't be put off by the comparison either. Because even though you could seriously point every character in Rumours towards the direction of its counterpart in GG, there's something that sparkles about this series, all on its own. At least a glint here and there.
If you've been living under a rock and don't know what Gossip Girl or The Luxe series is on about, the backstory is this: it's all about New York royalty, baby - teen style. The ladies are backstabbers and conniving, nasty, spoilt BRATS and the gentlemen are usually worse and PLAYERS to boot. The characters fan about attending social events where they generally make a point of misinterpreting conversations, utter snide comments behind one anothers backs, get it on with your bestie's boyf and regret the action for about a week before they fall into the habit of doing it all over again.
....but.
It's SO. DARN. ADDICTIVE.
There is some serious style lurking in GG, and it's exactly the same with Rumours, only the year is 1899 rather than 2009. Think silk gloves, fur coats and mitts, strings of pearls on christmas trees and egg-nog in champagne flutes - this brat-pack is seriously in the money. There's so much drama going on and it's complemented surprisingly well with the haughty tones and charm of the Victorian era. The book is interspersed with deliciously contrived excerpts from society gossip columns, deportment tips and newspaper clippings which add so much to the feel of the series.
Rumours follows on from The Luxe - Elizabeth Holland, society's Darling, has drowned in a river and the gossip mill is still coming to terms with it. A select few, however, know better. Diana, Elizabeth's sister, is keeping a very precious secret - but such secrets are starting to multiply because golly gosh - she has fallen in love with the town Playboy, Henry Schoonmaker! Which wouldn't be so bad, if Henry wasn't formerly engaged to the recently-presumed-deceased Lizzy Holland before she plunged into the deathly waters. Even this wouldn't be bad, except Lizzy's best friend, the catty Penelope, has Henry in her sights and will stop at NOTHING to get what she wants.
Then there's Lina, the former house servant, who has bribed Penelope in return for a princely sum, and is now playing the newest Society sweetheart...but she is on tenterhooks playing her new life - it is only a matter of time before her disguise is blown.
Teddy, Henry's best mate - there's something cooking with him and someone's stepmother... and then there's the farmhand Will, whose rugged good looks have caught someone's elegant eye...but will they ever be able to live happily ever after? Or will their lives and worlds prove too different? As you can probably tell by now The Luxe series is a scrumptious cocktail of impending DOOM and I gobble it up and then gobble it up some more.
Of course, like most of these sort of books, it aint no high-brow literary work. And along with that comes some overplayed language and heavily scrawled descriptions and stoopid teenybopper feelings that I ALMOST feel like I must be over by now (...NEVER!!). But what my attraction boils down to is this: because I love the types of things these girls wear and the general ironic sophistication of the era itself I cannot help but sigh in immense pleasure and stretch like a well-fed cat when I read about these incredibly pretty fools. Along with the fact that the author has created characters who can still appeal to the audience because even though they're super rich, they still do silly things in love, and regret spiteful words, and feel envious of others. Tis a truly beautiful thing.
Finally, there's great little cliffhangers at the end of each book so it'll keep you positively DYING to know how Penelope wears her hair next time! Haha.
So if YOU can keep yourself from eye-rolling after the first 50 or so pages, you might be on to your newest, and most decadent guilty pleasure yet.
I know I'm smitten.
4 stars for Rumours.
P.S. Again, its the English-Australian versus American thing - we spell 'Rumors' with a "u". And the cover is almost exactly the same as the US one (above) except the dress is slightly pinker in tone, and there's a couple of white lattice pattern flourishes in the two bottom corners. But I like the U.S. cover - its so darkly and unabashedly RICH."
I was initially going to give this book three stars. I liked it, and I was breezing through the pages so fast trying to find out what happened next, but there was nothing that really gave it the WOW factor. At one point early on, I was even sort of bored.
Reaching the end, however... OH MY GOD. Crazy. Godbersen definitely upped the shock factor in this novel compared to The Luxe. The fact that Lina stooped so low as to ruin Diana (who's been nothing but kind to her), and Penelope finally getting her way, and OF COURSE... Will's death! It definitely had me over the edge.
What stops this from getting five stars? The fact that even though Will being shot had me screaming NOOOO! WTF ARE YOU CRAZY?? while rolling around in my bed and clutching this book, I was not bawling my eyes out over the loss. I flipped the page, started the new chapter, and felt nothing. I have no REAL connection to these characters, possibly because they don't feel entirely real TO me, and that's where this book falls in ratings. Still, I can't wait to find out what happens in Envy, because this suddenly vengeful side of Elizabeth is so appealing. Also, I'm still waiting for Penelope and Lina's downfalls. Bitches are going downnnnnn."
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