Anna Godbersen’s young adult historical novel The Luxe (2007) is the first book in a tetralogy. Set in 1899 New York, it follows two sisters, Elizabeth and Diana Holland, who hail from the elite class of Manhattan. When the sisters’ father dies and his rich legacy suddenly holds no weight, they scramble to stabilize their lives before they fall from high society and are forced to undergo a drastic shift in consciousness. The novel is structured episodically, rotating perspectives between three minor characters, as well as the two sisters who are its central protagonists. This complex, shifting, and non-linear plot serves to produce an anachronistic characterization of the destructive social dynamism of American capitalism’s upper echelons. It's September 1899 and the Manhattan season is starting off with a bang. Elizabeth Holland, the darling of the high society set, has returned from her year in Paris in time for the first ball of the season, held at her best friend Penelope Hayes' newly finished and incredibly vulgar mansion. Penelope is all about showing herself to the best advantage, and has her sights set on young rake Henry Schoonmaker - but his father has other ideas. Intending to run for mayor the following year, he wants his only son to shape up and marry a good girl from a good family: Elizabeth. Your stay in The Luxe Bali is made enjoyable by the professional staff: there when you need them, invisible when you don’t. The Luxe Bali’s staff have been professionally trained to the highest level and will do their utmost to please with their warm and friendly Balinese hospitality. Villa Manager Of the four protagonists: Elizabeth, Diana, Penelope and Lina, I liked Diana the most. Probably because she was the most honest, direct and least girly, she had spunk and flair and was the least superficial. Elizabeth was handled well: a goody-goody, demure and seemingly innocent girl in public, sharp and uncomfortable with her maid Lina in private, and relaxed and true to herself with Will - a realistic portrait of how most of us present different sides to different people, sometimes what is expected of us, or what creates armour for us, or what enables us to get along with people the best. Elizabeth wasn't all that likeable because she didn't stand up for herself as much as you'd want, but she was definitely sympathetic. Beautiful Elizabeth Holland, lovely, prim, proper and of course a lady. Too bad she is dead. The story opens to a dreary day in late 19th century New York at the funeral of Miss Elizabeth Holland, the exact day in which she was to be wed.

Life for Elizabeth isn't easy though, even though all she has to do is sit around and look beautiful. It turns out, since the death of her father, her family is having financial problems and aren't able to keep up the type of lifestyle they are used to living. One thousand dollar gowns, priceless works of art, and trips abroad are a thing of the past unless something can be done to secure the family's place in society before everyone learns of their trouble. Mrs. Holland thinks Elizabeth can save the family by marrying Henry Schoonmaker – New York's most eligible and most sought after bachelor. The Luxe Bali is a fabulous garden estate featuring a private garage and entrance through an amazing rainforest with waterfalls and large pond containing colourful koi. The villa is terraced, with easy wheelchair access provided by a six-person lift connecting all four floors. Large marble floor covered terraces on the oceanside adjoin a white marble pool and a covered timber floor terrace on the peaceful rainforest/koi pond area. The Architect Freedo Taufin of KU DE TA fame designed the villa and the centrepiece being his spectacular open stairway leading to all four floors. A stay at The Luxe Bali is a real once-in-a-lifetime experience, with many amazing spaces and facilities. Living Room Elizabeth was so perfect, prim and proper that it was irritating. She felt fake and selfish to me, and behind the perfect manners, she didn't care about anyone other than herself. The day after the ball, he proposes to Elizabeth and is accepted (even though her heart belongs to the young coachman, Will, whom her maid, Lina, also loves), because Henry's family has money and the Holland family now has none - which no one know about except them. You have to keep up appearances, after all. This is the day he also meets Elizabeth's younger sister, Diana, and there's something about her that captivates him like no other girl ever has. It's a tangled mess and it's about to get a whole lot messier as Penelope schemes to break up the engagement. Overall, I LOVED this book as you can see from my lengthy review. Wow, I actually think this is my longest review, officially beating out my Perfect Chemistry review length. Woo hoo! I am happy to say that I loved the story line and although the writing could have been better in some parts, I loved this book nonetheless. I am currently in the middle of Rumors and boy oh boy are things getting exciting. And even though this is a historical/third person book, I am happy to say how much I loved it all.The Luxe is a 2007 young adult novel by author Anna Godbersen. It follows the lives of two upper class sisters in Manhattan during 1899. There are four books in the Luxe series including Luxe, Rumors, Envy, and Splendor. [1] Plot [ edit ] Meanwhile, it is revealed that Henry is being forced into the engagement by his overly ambitious and protective father. He has to hide his love for Diana from his father, playing along with the wedding plans. Henry and Diana enjoy a rich and intimate life with each other that seems untainted by their chaotic and competitive external world. Lina, Elizabeth’s maid, is envious of Elizabeth’s privilege and tries to sell the Holland family’s secret for both social and financial gain. Along the way, she unexpectedly falls in love with Tristan Wrigley, a shop boy, who exposes her to and teaches her to value new elements of New York City’s rich lower class life.

all the other girls Diana's age were conformists at heart and seemed to have dressed up as themselves, only with more powder and artificially narrowed waists” Teddy Cutting is a kind, wealthy young man who has had a crush on Elizabeth for many years. He's light-hearted and proposed to Elizabeth twice without being taken seriously. He is the good friend of Henry Shoonmaker and the more sensible of the two. Teddy has blond hair and serious gray eyes. I don't watch Gossip Girls, so I can't speak to any similarities there - what I was reminded of, though, was Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers. Admittedly, I have read very few books set in 19th century Manhattan, so Wharton's book was the only one I could think of, mostly because it's about four girls from "new money" making their way in the world amongst the British upper class. I highly recommend it, or the TV mini-series based on it. This intrigue was what initially gripped me. Who killed her? But I soon found out the story was less focused on the mystery and more on the drama and who will kiss who. Elizabeth Holland and her best friend Penelope Hayes rule Manhattan's social scene. But when Elizabeth learns her family's status is far from secure, suddenly everyone is a threat to a golden future. Elizabeth is forced into an engagement to Henry Shoonmaker, a man she barely knows, with a terrible reputation as a ladies man, who happens to be the person Penelope is in love with.The plot. Imagine Gossip Girl set in the 1900's, that's basically the book. B-O-R-I-N-G! Maybe it's just me. But I didn't like Gossip Girl and I really couldn't bring myself to even finish this one. And I normally like historical romances. The news of her impending engagement is a surprise to Elizabeth. She has always held out the hope that she would marry for love and in fact, has been in love for quite some time. Elizabeth has been having a secret relationship with Will Keller for many years. The relationship must be kept a secret because Will is an employee of the Holland family. He works in the stables and drives the carriages for them and carrying on a relationship with someone of lower status would be something that would ruin Elizabeth's reputation and the Holland family name. Word of her engagement puts a strain, understandably, on Elizabeth's relationship with Will.