Rumors by Anna Godbersen

Okay, I know that I'm totally immersed in teen literature, but let me tell ya, there is some good stuff out there, if you only give it a chance! How many of you have read The Hunger Games and loved it? See! Teen literature has loads of value, and thank goodness I get paid to teach it! Anyway, back to my post about the second installment in the Luxe Series, Rumors by Anna Godbersen. If you are wanting to read the first book, Luxe, then I can't even begin to tell you about Rumors without giving away the ending to the first. All I can say is that the second book blew away the first! I love how Godbersen is able to make us identify with each character and empathize with their plight through her third person narration. I can't imagine having to be a female in the late 1800s and dealing with the expectations (let alone the corsets) suffocating women of that era. The whole waiting-on-a-man to take care of you thing would be brutal!

The romance is heightened in this second installment, and without giving away the ending of the first book, I will only say that I love Will, the Hollands coachman who leaves at the end of the first book to find oil out West. The secret love affair he had with society maven, eighteen year old Elizabeth Holland in the first book is further explained and deepened within the second book. Details of that relationship are so sweet, but their love ended with such a dramatic and shocking twist, I found my self rereading the last ten pages of the book, then scrambling to make sure I had brought home the third book, Envy, from my school shelves! I can't wait to find out what happens to Elizabeth, Diana, and even Carolina. I hope Penelope Hays gets what is coming to her for her conniving to break up Henry and Diana! (See what I mean about being immersed in teen literature...it's so easy to revert back to my teen mentality! Ha!) Luckily, I have the book and I will most definitely be starting that book this weekend. Who knew I would love these books so much?! Go get this series if you are a hopeless romantic, love teen gossip, and want to escape to 1899 for a few hours! Adorable series!