The Luxe

De: Anna Godbersen

Narrado por: Nina Siemaszko

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.

©2007 Alloy Entertainment and Anna Godbersen (P)2008 HarperCollins Publishers

Great story, editing not great

I read this story as a teenager and wanted to listen to it again since I loved it when I was younger. The story is very much Gossip Girl set in the 1890s, but I like it. The voice editing, however, is not great. I thought there was something wrong with my phone or speakers, but it turns out the beginning just has this weird tinny quality to it. It was almost to the point where I couldn’t stand to listen to it. Also, the voice actor ends the chapter too abruptly. I almost miss the last word before the next chapter starts. Also, her tones are not wonderful considering the mood of certain scenes.

Interesting story, choppy audio

It was a good read. Test problems that seem more giant than they really are. You don't get to know the characters too well,,so some of the reactions can be unexpected. The audio between the last sentence and the intro to each chapter is choppy, so that was a little distracting.

Magnificent! Simply Magnificent!!!

This was such an excellent book! Well done in audio form! The ONLY reason it is listed in YA is because it does not have explicit sex scenes, but the steamy romance is there! As is the plot and intrigue! I cannot give this book and the entire series enough stars! Amazing! Do yourself a favor and try this one out!

Beautiful Historical Story

This book was a lovely soap opera style story packed full of excitement, romance, and drama. I loved the characters and the writing and narration were great. I've already spent a credit on the next one in the series.

Read, don’t listen

I read this book years ago and enjoyed it. I wanted to read it again & decided to listen to it. I still really enjoy the story, & the performance is ok, but the audio editing is terrible. There is a high pitched noise for the first few chapters. And the transitions between chapters is abrupt & jarring. Read this one, & skip the audio.

gossip girl meets Bridgeton

complex story in the Gilded Age Era but deliciously decadent love the series read it back in the day however if you are a fan of Gossip Girl and or Bridgeton you should check this book out you won't be disappointed

Well...

I thought i was going to like this book more, I'm not sure if is the narrator that made me dislike it or if is the story that feels repetitive. Not planning to read the next book.

Pure Genius!!

The characters are wonderful. You almost love to hate some of them. It's just a great story and it really shows how it is with the "rich and famous"

3.5 Stars Enjoyable

Really a 3.5 Quite good for a romance. Many twists and turns, although the ending was not as much of a surprise as I would have liked. I'm sure most people who love romances in this period will give it 4 stars. It took a while to get into, but that could have been where I was at. I'm a tough critic re: Historical Fiction.

Amazing story

Anna Godbersen is a wonderful story teller. Her historical fiction books are always chockablock full of the tiniest details that add up to amazing world building. The narrator had a lovely voice. However- the random, almost robotic sounding woman who loudly and abruptly announced the chapter numbers was obnoxious and completely ruined the immersion into the story.