Katie King
Written on Mar 30, 2016
In 1900 New York City, fashionable debutante Diana Holland and married soldier Henry Schoonmaker flaunt the rules of society to be with one another.
- ISBN10 0061626333
- ISBN13 9780061626333
- Publish Date 13 December 2013 (first published 1 January 2000)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint HarperCollins Publishers
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 418
- Language English
Reviews
Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews
Written on Jul 10, 2011
Overall, I enjoyed The Luxe series but even after a week to reflect on the conclusion I'm still unsure how I feel about it. But one thing I have agreed upon is the universal theme of unrequited love.
No matter how you spin it the ending of the Diana/Henry romance will satisfy a very small handful but at the end of the day I think Diana would have suffocated if she accepted an expected life of a Holland. Instead, Elizabeth chooses that route but only after a hellish ride with D. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Penelope and Henry really deserve each other and to live in unhappiness and regret. Carolina, finally gets her just desserts which I have been waiting for since book one and even though she still maintains her position in society, is reminded as to where she comes from and at least is denied what she most desires.
At the end of the day, Splendor was an appropriate conclusion to The Luxe series but at the same time I would have wished for a little more juice to splatter like a blueberry.
rakesandrogues
Written on Jun 2, 2010
First of all, I kind of guessed the moment that Snowden Cairns popped up that he was no good at all. I knew that. He was too good to be true and I could easily see through his facade. I knew that he orchestrated Will's death and the late Mr. Holland's.
Speaking of Mr. Cairns, I am still not happy about what ended up happening to Mrs. Cairns aka Elizabeth. I've always liked Teddy Cutting, but he is still immensely overshadowed by Will. I like how he still is devoted to Elizabeth, but no one can replace Will and I just hate how he died.
I still can't believe Diana and Henry didn't end up together. What the hell was the point of reading the series if they don't end up together? Why couldn't Diana just let Henry go with her to Paris?
I do believe Penny got what she deserved. Thank god. And that's all I have to say about that.
Just when I thought I was starting to like Carolina, her ending gets ruined and she ends up not getting married. I guess I was okay that her sister eventually gets to live with her, but doesn't anyone get to be with their one true love in this book? Apparently not...
I like happy endings. This book has a screwed sense of happy endings. I guess it shows that there's no such thing as a fairy tale ending, and it's more realistic that way - but it is not my cup of tea.
jeannamichel
Written on Jan 31, 2010
my thoughts: Splendor means something of happiness, doesn't it? I'm just not feeling it in this novel. All of the relationships that I have followed sonce book one has fallen apart.
I've been hoping for Henry and Diana to get married- I did not like that it did not happen, though in the end I can see why the author made it such. I still don't like it. Having Claire and Carolina now be the future of New York wasn't enough for me. Everyone was supposed to end happily- right? Though Lizzie and Teddy were together, which I liked- but what about the other characters?
I gave it four stars- only four. I was going to give it three- but I just couldn't give a Luxe novel a three. But when I was hoping for romance galore- I was sadly disappointed with something less than that.