By Anna Godbersen, 2008

ISBN 9780061345692

After bidding good-bye to New York's brightest star, Elizabeth Holland, rumors continue to fly about her untimely demise. All eyes are on those closest to the dearly departed her mischievous sister, Diana, now the family's only hope for redemption; New York's most notorious cad, Henry Schoon-maker, the flame Elizabeth never extinguished; the seductive Penelope Hayes, poised to claim all that her best friend left behind including Henry; even Elizabeth's scheming former maid, Lina Broud, who discovers that while money matters and breeding counts, gossip is the new currency. As old friends become rivals, Manhattan's most dazzling socialites find their futures threatened by whispers from the past.

In this delicious sequel to The Luxe , nothing is more dangerous than a scandal . . . or more precious than a secret. 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 Paone Anna Godbersen was born in Berkeley, California, and educated at Barnard College.

She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband, where she is at work on the sequel to Rumors .

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