Rumours (Luxe #2)

True love. False friends. Scandalous gossip. Welcome back to Manhattan, 1899.

As rumors fly about the untimely demise of New York's brightest star, Elizabeth Holland, all eyes are on those closest to the dearly departed: her sister, Diana, the family's only hope for redemption; Henry Schoonmaker, the flame Elizabeth never extinguished; Penelope Hayes, poised to claim all that her best friend left behind; even Elizabeth's former maid, Lina Broud, who discovers that while money matters and breeding counts, gossip is the new currency. In this delicious sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Luxe, nothing is more dangerous than a scandal . . . or more precious than a secret.

Reviews

'All the glitz of The O.C. but with bigger frocks and more dashing boys' Elle

'Gone with the Wind meets Gossip Girl' - Camilla Morton, author of the bestselling, How to Walk in High Heels

'Bursting with glam parties, beautiful debutantes and a good dose of scandal' Sugar

'Taking up where The Luxe (HarperTeen, 2007/VOYA December 2007) left off, Godbersen's sophomore effort does not disappoint. Elizabeth has managed to fake her death so that she is free to be with Will, her true love and one of the family's servants. The two are living a rustic but happy life in California. Penelope is glad to have Liz out of the way; she believes that once the mourning period is over, Henry will be hers. Unbeknownst to Penny, however, Henry has fallen in love with Diana, Elizabeth's sister, and his misery has nothing to do with mourning and everything to do with being away from his beloved. Meanwhile Elizabeth's former maid, in an attempt to make something of herself, is selling family secrets to Penelope. Carolina gains some of this information by speaking to her sister, Claire, who serves as Diana's maid. It is Claire who spills the beans about finding Diana and Henry in a compromising position. Carolina passes that information on to Penelope, and Penelope uses it to blackmail Henry into changing his destiny. This book is another delicious read that will captivate teenaged girls. The historical elements and the author's expertise in weaving together several story lines make it a much more solid choice than some of the fluffier teen series available. The reader's only frustration will be reaching the end and realizing that the third book in the series, Envy, has yet to be published.' Reviewer: Kimberly Paon, VOYA

Author Biography

Anna Godbersen was born in Berkeley, California, the daughter of a cab driver and a painter. She studied English at college, and has been assistant to the Literary Editor at Esquire magazine since 2003. She writes weekly reviews for various New York magazines, and has written several young adult novels under a pseudonym. Rumours is the long-awaited sequel to her fantastically successful novel, The Luxe.