The Luxe, by Anna Godbersen

The Luxe, by Anna Godbersen, is a story about Elizabeth Holland, the star of all of New York's society. All eyes are on her arrival from Paris. But little do they know that her family is on the verge of poverty. Her engagement to the most available bachelor, Henry Schoonmaker, is the Holland family's savior. Elizabeth has enemies within that don't like her engagement proposal. One of her enemies is her maid, Carolina Broad. Both Elizabeth and Carolina had a crush on the late Mr. Holland's valet, Will Keller. Both girls want to live happily ever after with him. Another suspected enemy is her best friend, Penelope Hayes. These days, Penelope's eyes are on Eliazabeth's fiance, Henry. In the midst of all this is Elizabeth's little sister, the beautiful Dianna Holland. Dianna is the complete opposite of her sister. She breaks all of society's rules and does not plan to marry. But when her sister's fiancee falls in love with her, she is stuck in a strange courtship. Elizabeth, on the other hand, will go to extremes to be with Will, even if it means faking her own death. Elizabeth Holland is her mother's prize. She was groomed since birth to be the perfect debutante. The author brings out the "bad girl" in her that the average person would never see. This is one of those books I have had to read over and over again because it is so good. The rest of the books in this fabulous series continue the story of Elizabeth's strange death, Dianna's unwanted courtship, and Penelope's unparalleled ambition. -Reviewed by T.A., grade 10.