On the Back
of the Book
New beginnings.
Shocking revelations.
Unexpected endings.
As spring turns into summer,
Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana,
searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father’s
death comes to light, the Holland girl’s wonder at what cost a life of
splendour comes.
Carolina Broad, society’s
newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her
future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty – but when a real
prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her
husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover thar his father’s rule
extends well beyond New York’s shores and that fighting for love may prove a
losing battle.
In the dramatic conclusion
to the bestselling Luxe series, New York’s most dazzling socialites chase
dreams, cling to promises, and tempt fate. As society watches what will become
of the city’s oldest families and newest fortunes, one question remains: will
its stars fade away or will they shine ever brighter?
Pre Read
Thoughts
I
remember when I first read ‘The Luxe’, ‘Rumours’ and ‘Envy’ I couldn’t wait to
the series finale so I got the US version. Just as it arrived though I became
ill and didn’t read it – until now. I bought this off Amazon and I think I paid
around $12 for it though the US RRP for the hardback is $17.99. Now the book
says that it’s a first edition so I’m happy with that. After re-reading the
other three books in the series I’m suddenly not so sure if I’ll like this
book. So you see me approaching it with a small amount of hesitation. I hope
that because this is my first time reading it though that I’ll get some
enjoyment out of this. I prefer this US cover as the UK has some embellishments
on it that distract from the dress. The synopsis is quite detailed and I like that. Now I just need to pick up the actual book. Wish me luck!
Post Read
Thoughts
I’m
glad to finish the series if I’m honest, but only because it means I won’t have
to force myself through any more of these. The stories just seemed too
farfetched and straight off an over dramatic TV show. Gossip Girl springs to
mind, but then again it always has when I read these books. I kept picking this
up, reading a few pages and then putting it back down again. Nothing drew me
into the book and that disappointed me. I also hated the how it ended. I wanted
more than that and I feel Lina, Diana and Henry were all short changed. They deserved
more than Ms Godbersen gave them. I got the feeling that the author only cared
about Elizabeth’s ending and this was a huge disappointment. The writing was
okay but once again I definitely would have had it edited more, all the action
seems to take place in the final 60 pages and that’s not acceptable for me.
Diana
has an epiphany in this one and I was just like “hallelujah! Finally woman!” I’ve
detested her behaviour in the previous two books; I didn’t want her to be one
of those girls who waste their life mooning over something they can’t have. Her
secret lover, Henry grows up in this one. It was nice to see him finally take
some responsibility for his actions; he even grew a pair when it came to his
wife. Penelope has her downfall and it’s long overdue. I was happy with the way
things turned out for her and she’s the only character that I can say that
about. In contrast I hated how things turned out for Lina, I thought that she
deserved Leland as well as the big house and the money. She deserved the
fairytale. This is a book, the endings are meant to be perfect. I mean if
anyone in the world was going to understand why Lina acted the way she did it
was Leland. Although I have to say that I’m glad that she stopped denying Claire’s
existence. What kind of person denies they have a sibling? This brings me to
dear, sweet, dull as dishwater Elizabeth. She’s so perfect and this annoys me. I
detested how she got the fairytale that the author was incapable of giving to
anyone else. In keeping with the author’s bittersweet theme Elizabeth should
have had something bad happen to her. A bit of tragedy might make her a bit
more entertaining.
Overall
I found this to be average, just like the rest of the series. The only thing I can
form a strong opinion about are the endings and I want more than that from a
book. I’ve invested time and money in them and I want to be able to enjoy them.
Not much in this book stands out for me. I think that girls who like books
similar to Gossip Girl will like this but if you want some depth in your
stories then this isn’t for you.
My Rating
2 stars – it’s not so horrifically bad
that I’d rather hurt something than read this but I’d hardly say that it
entertained me. This evidently isn’t my kind of book and I accept that. I personally
wouldn’t recommend it to you but there might be someone out there who would.
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