The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Imagine, if you will, New York City, 1899 . . .

Society's elite: the glamour, the grandeur, the glittering parties, the most handsome beaus, the most beautiful debutantes, the sounds of decadence, the rich girl, the humble boy, the forbidden love, the hushed whispers, the stolen glances, the secret rendezvous, the sin, the scandal, the mystery, the revenge.

You are cordially invited to step into The Luxe, where the secrets are dark and the sins are delicious . . . (publisher's site)

With the tagline: White Lies. Dark Secrets. Scandalous Hook-ups. you know The Luxe is going to be one of those guilty pleasure books.

There's four main girls and two main boys in a, hmm, you can't really call it a love triangle, because it's much more tangled up and complicated than that...

The girls:

• two are sisters: beautiful, elite and rich - secretly on the brink of poverty. Elizabeth is in a secret affair and Diana's kissing someone she shouldn't be... 
• another is a best friend, gorgeous and flirtatious and scheming. (Penelope)
• and the fourth is a maid, watching on and seeing more than she should. (Lina)

The boys:

• one an utterly gorgeous player, a wealthy bachelor with a rowdy reputation. (Henry)
• the other, a stable boy who heats things up in the barn. Quite nicely. (Will)

Mix it all up with a high profile engagement, family secrets and forbidden affairs and you have a glamourous and deliciously compelling read.

The strength in this book is in the story-telling. It's told from multiple points of view so it took a little while to set the scene. But once you settle in (for me - it was the 50 page mark) the pages just fly by. Godbersen knows how to plot and throws in twists and revelations, hints and secrets in a such a timely way that you're constantly tempted to keep reading the next chapter.

At it's core it's a story of forbidden love, temptation, family duty verse desire. Expect scheming and betrayals and flirting and broken hearts. Despite some sexy shenanigans, it's very PG and told in a fun and glittering manner.

It's a socialite, glitzy novel set in a historical era rather than historical fiction that explores a historical period. There's no social commentary or wider scope of the world at the turn of the 20th century, it's not a period study. But you can expect New York High Society balls and fashion and gowns and girls who are chasing dashing boys despite the rules of etiquette and decorum. (And the boys are chasing them back). These girls like breaking the rules and living a little bit dangerously.

It feels like Godbersen is more than comfortable writing in this era, her language and narration all add to the tone of period.

For all the fun in the pages, it's not a character driven novel. Godbersen is weaving a story of high drama and taking us along for the ride. Characters motivations remain easy to understand, but are not explored in depth. I didn't overly care for any of the characters - I cared more about the actual story. It's not a book designed to linger, but to give readers a good time while reading it.

A few discussion-y thoughts:

I loved all the little letters and newpapers articles and invitations that were scattered throughout the pages.

I really didn't dig the prologue. Not only did it overwhelm me (I felt like I had to concentrate with so many new characters filling the scene at once) but it also, for me, took some of the oomph out of the climax/resolution. I read it twice and it still didn't grab me into the book.

Henry Cavill
haha, this picture amuses me
and suits Henry from the book as well
anyone else watch the Tudors?

I kind of imagined Henry as Henry Cavill. Hey, it works for me ;)  (even Henry's character somewhat matches the early playboy portrayal of Charles Brandon in the Tudors).

My favourite girl is Diana - she's a spunk, feisty, fun and a bit of a dreamer and not so overwrought as a few of the others :)

The Luxe is a New York Times Bestselling novel which is available now

Recommended: Perfect for a rainy day indulgent read, anyone who loves a bit of soapie scandal will devour this book. The best thing is - all four books in the series are out, so no excruciating waiting between book releases (the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger...)

I liked it. I read it in two indulgent days. But didn't quite love it :)
(If we're talking ratings, I'm giving it 3 stars)

More stuff to check out
The Luxe Website
Read an Excerpt
Read the Prologue
More about Elizabeth (who is the girl on the cover)
The Luxe @Penguin Australia

Thank you to Penguin Australia for sending me this review copy

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

THE YEAR IS 1929.
NEW YORK IS RULED BY THE BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS:
FLAPPERS AND SOCIALITIES SEEKING THRILLS AND CHASING DREAMS
IN THE ANYTHING-GOES EAR OF THE ROARING TWENTIES

Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey have escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis.  All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is gilled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star . . .

Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes.  Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamours than she could have imagined-and more dangerous.  It's a life anyone would kill for . . . and someone will.

The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie.  But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall-together and apart.  From the New York Times bestselling author of THE LUXE come an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age (from publishers site)


When I got this book I was enticed by the cover - it sparkles and looks quite decadent and completely captured my imagination. I thought it looked like a fun and classy read, which *dun dun dun*... it absolutely is.

A Bit About the Girls in the Book

Bright Young Things is told from three POV's, each in third person. The girls intersect in each others lives at different points of the novel.

Letty: Talented and dreaming of making it famous in Broadway with her stunning voice. She finds work in a nightclub and loses a some of her innocence along the way...

Cordelia: She leaves her man on the night of their wedding, runs off to New York in search of the father she's never met - an infamous, madly wealthy bootlegger (whiskey smuggler) who throws decadent parties.

Astrid: A flapper, rich and privileged and completely fun and likeable. She's just come home after boarding school, has a few drama's with her boyfriend, and thinks the boy working in the stables is particularly cute...  (Astrid is the girl on the cover)

Some thoughts from me 

This book is dazzling. It so perfectly brings to life an era that is a stunning backdrop for the tale of these three girls. It opens with a prologue that tells us about Astrid, Cordelia and Letty: one will end up married, one will be famous and one will be dead. OooOooh :)


I was thinking it would be one of those delicious guilty pleasure reads (which I absolutely crave sometimes). It was delicious, but it didn't feel like a guilty pleasure because it's so fantastically written.

There are two things that really impressed me about this book

1. Godbersen's gift at story telling. She takes three girls in one glamorous era and weaves their stories so effortlessly along. Each story had its own drama's and villains and complications and I love how the girls paths criss-cross together. Godbersen has a flair for capturing your attention and holding it.

2. The richness of the prose so suited to the era. The descriptions and dialogue and setting is all explored with a unique flavour that adds to the authenticity of the time - yet the story is not bogged down in world-building at all. In fact, it raced along so that there was never a blah moment.

As for the characters, despite the glamorous situations the girls are caught up in, at it's core, they are just teen girls dreaming big, wanting adventure, one crushing on the hot forbidden boy, another doubting her boyfriend's faithfulness, and above all, they're searching for their place in the world.


I love some of the ambiguity with a few of the guys - you are never quite sure if they are the good guy or the bad guy or somewhere in between. (Bring on the sequel so I can figure it out!)


One thing niggles at me: the entire novel takes place in just over two weeks, which does seem a little incredulous in hindsight, but didn't bother me while reading it as I was just getting swept along with it all.


Recommended: Godbersen really is a fantastic storyteller and if this premise captures you at all - you will not be disappointed with Bright Young Things. It's atmospheric and daring and fun and the twists and turns are always a little unexpected. 4 stars of delicious indulgence from me :)

Bright Young Things is available now

Bright Young Things is the first in a series. I don't read many series, but I think this one ends just perfectly - on a lovely-(ish) note for the girls, but also - argh... I need to know what is going to happen next. Especially regarding Thom (I'm rooting for him). 

Bright Young Things @ goodreads

Bright Young Things @ Penguin
Read the prologue


Watch the fashion shoot for the making of the cover below:

Thank you to Penguin Australia for sending me this review copy