Envy by Anna Godbersen

Envy

In this sequel to Rumors, novelist Elizabeth Holland returns to the inner circle of New York's Gilded Age upper crust. Gramercy Park society watchers quickly notice that differences appear to be simmering between Elizabeth and her sister Diana. Meanwhile, troubles are also festering between celebrated newlyweds Henry and Penelope Schoonmaker. Apparently, the stately brass doors of Manhattan's 400 conceal more tumult than the general public suspects. Silk gowns and scandals.

At First Sight:
As usual, Envy has a beautiful cover that is very tied-in with the rest of the series. I read Rumors way back and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to catch up and, granted, I was a bit confused, but nevertheless, I was hooked.

My Thoughts:
The Luxe series hasn't always been super fast paced-action. Instead, what I like about this series is the flawless characterization and the details which it has. It makes it almost hard to imagine it was written in the present day! It's more like a book written in the 1890's that's had a cover make over.

The same things apply to Envy. It's not super fast but oh, boy, are there scandals! This book has as many surprises as the rest of the series. It is filled with minute details of these character's lives and I think it is this Godbersen's starring moment. She hits the nail in the head every time and although things go surprisingly out of control for these characters, we can't help but root for them and really hope for the best.

I don't want to spoil it for you (or the rest of the series) but I hope that when I say that it's as poignant and beautiful as ever, you'll be convinced enough to pick it up. The story flows naturally and even though we have 4+ very different lead characters, we clearly see and get to learn lots about them and their personality. Again, The Luxe series is hightly underrated. It hasn't had as much popularity as other mediocre bestsellers (*cough* Twilight *cough*) but I think this has helped Anna Godbersen to patiently create the world she has created. It's fantastic.

In one sentence:
"Beautiful enough to be considered a classic!"

Plot: 4
Characters: 5
Writing: 5
Cover: 5
Overall Feeling: 5
Average: 4.8