Bright, Young & Luxe- Lina: Love or Hate Her?

It's day 5 of Bright, Young, & Luxe and that means we're discussing another controversial character: Lina Broud!

Lina: Love or Hate Her?

By Tiffany @ For Those About to Read...

Most people don’t like Lina, and I don’t blame them. I flat-out hated Lina for 75% of the series—she was jealous, spiteful, and manipulative. She lied to countless people, she essentially ruined Diana’s life through her alliance with Penelope, and she treated her sister terribly. For the first three books, I think I even got angry every time I had to read from Lina’s perspective.

However in Splendor, the last book in the Luxe series, something changed. I suddenly felt sympathy for Lina despite the fact that I didn’t even like her. I mean—she forced her sister to watch her wedding as a spectating servant. Who does that? So why in the world did I feel bad for someone who did so many blatantly crappy things?

I felt bad for her because she wanted more out of life, and unfortunately given the time period the only way she could achieve her goals was to lie her way to the top. I really admire ambition, so I can respect Lina’s desire for more—even though I completely disagree with how she went about it. I also cried my eyes out when her fiancée called off the wedding (although who could blame him). Lina’s lies finally caught up with her, and he couldn’t be expected to marry someone who had lied to him for the entirety of their relationship. Lina finally got everything she ever wanted, and then her world came crashing down.

Given all the heartache Lina experienced in Splendor and how sympathetic her character became, I was very happy when I read that Lina and her sister finally had a joyous ending with each other. Lina was able to be truer to herself than she had in a long time and enjoy the lifestyle she coveted with her sister.

Where do you fall on the Lina love/hate scale?

LC's Take: Ugh. I really couldn't stand Lina haha! I mean, yes, there were certain points throughout the series where I did feel sorry for her, just because she managed to get in way over her head. She was just so incredibly ruthless and back-stabbing, and I mean, really, how bad was her life as a maid in the Holland household? It's not like they beat her or starved her or anything, and her sister worked there too!

And that's the other thing-- of all the horrible things Lina did to scrape her way to the top, abandoning her sister and making her sister be her maid was the worst. Did the girl have no conscience? That really bothered me. I did feel bad for her when the guy she honestly did like a lot had to let her go after finding out who she really was. But then I guess things turned out for her pretty well in the end. Did she deserve it? Meh, not really, but I'm glad she got to finally share in her happiness with her sister, someone who knew her for who she truly was. Maybe she wasn't all that bad in the end, but she definitely angered me throughout most of the series!

Bright, Young & Luxe- Love Triangles: Teddy or Will?

Welcome back for another fabulous day of Bright, Young, & Luxe! 

What are we talking about today? Love triangles, of course!

By Tiffany @ For Those About to Read...

Elizabeth: Teddy or Will?

Whether or not Elizabeth should be with Teddy or Will is one triangle I’ve never really been able to sort out in my mind. Both men have a lot to offer Elizabeth, but which one is better for her?

Will
Elizabeth and Will grew up together and they started out as friends. They understand each other in a way that many people don’t since they have grown up together and shared everything since they were children. Society would never accept their romance because Elizabeth is a high societal lady and Will is a stable boy, so she would have to leave her friends and family forever. There is a lot Elizabeth needs to give up in order to be with Will, but she does love him. I think that Will is smart enough to take care of her, so it really comes down to whether or not Elizabeth could handle not seeing her family.

Teddy
Teddy and Elizabeth have known each other for quite a while, as well. Unlike many of the high society men Elizabeth knows, Teddy is truly a gentleman. He has had feelings for Elizabeth for quite some time and would probably do just about anything for her. He is also a genuinely good person and would never be mean to anyone with significant cause. Unlike Will, society would consider him a suitable match for Elizabeth and she wouldn’t have to give up her family. I don’t think they would have the same mutual understanding of one another that Elizabeth and Will have, but I do think Teddy would make her happy.

All in all, I still don’t have a good answer to this one. What do you think, Will or Teddy?

LC's Take: This is definitely a tough one. I liked Will, but the relationship between him and Elizabeth just seemed too far-fetched for me-- it was never going to actually last in real life (well, in a book portraying real life anyways!) And I really like Teddy because he is clearly committed to Elizabeth-- I mean, he proposed to her like 4 times! I think Elizabeth was pretty lucky to have two amazing guys running after her, but I personally-- I think-- would have chosen Teddy. Plus, I wouldn't have wanted to move all the way to California to be a pioneer or gold miner anyways. Maybe I'm just too practical haha...

Bright, Young & Luxe- Splendid Endings: Diana & Henry

Welcome to day 3 of Bright, Young, & Luxe!

Today we're talking about one of my all-time favorite literary couples: Diana & Henry...

Splendid Endings: Diana and Henry

By Tiffany @ For Those About to Read...

There was a lot of controversy surrounding the end of Splendor. Most people were rooting for Diana and Henry to be together because they were so perfect for each other, and I know quite a few people were disappointed with the fact that they didn’t end up together—I was certainly one of them. However, given the multitude of events that happened in the book, I think that everything worked out the way it was supposed to. Diana and Henry evolved into different people during the course of the series. That, coupled with all of the other events that happened and tore them apart, would have made a marriage unrealistic. Unfortunately, given the societal constraints of the time period, Diana and Henry’s marriage never would have been accepted by their peers. I think it’s wonderful that Diana knew herself enough to know that she would grow to resent the rumors circulating behind her back, which would have resulted in her resenting Henry as well.

What do you think or Diana Henry’s ending? Was it splendid or should it have ended differently?

LC's Take: I agree with you Tiffany! I was a little saddened by the ending of The Luxe series, but I think that it was a very realistic ending-- it didn't take the typical "happy ending" approach like so many other historical romance novels do-- it was definitely a bittersweet way to wrap up the entire story! All of the charcters have to live with the decisions that they have made-- and I think that Diana made the right decision by being strong and leaving Henry because she knew that, ultimately, it would be the best thing for her.



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Bright, Young & Luxe- Penelope: Love or Hate Her?

Welcome to the second day of Bright, Young, & Luxe....

Today we're talking about Penelope, the girl we all love to hate!

by Tiffany @ For Those About to Read...

Penelope: Love or Hate Her?

Even though my favorite cover in the Luxe series features Penelope, I do not like her. It’s hard to like a character who single-handedly manages to ruin everything you want to happen in a story. Nevertheless, there are moments when I feel sorry for her.

Let’s start with everything Penelope has done that would cause a reader to dislike her. She knowingly attempts to destroy Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding, she forces Henry into marriage by attempting to ruin Diana’s reputation, she is fake and selfish, after marrying Henry she decides to have an affair, and she fakes a pregnancy to keep Henry from divorcing her.

Even though Penelope has done so many hateful things, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her at times. She was involved with Henry before he announced his engagement to Elizabeth—and she really did believe that they would be married. Penelope caused so much trouble and ruined quite a few lives, but she was doing it in part because she has feelings for Henry (the other part is because she is a spoiled social climber). After she finally marries Henry, she was so lonely. He never spoke to her, refused to touch her, and was never affectionate. Sometimes, I couldn’t help feeling bad for her even though I know she is an awful person.

So what do you think? Is Penelope an awful person or simply misguided and deserving of our sympathy?

LC's Take: Hmmm... Penelope was definitely a piece of work! Haha. But you know, she actually grew on me as the series went along. Don't get me wrong,--she was never a "likeable" character in a "here's someone I'd really want to be friends with" kind of way-- but as a book character, I thought she was really interesting and multi-dimensional. After she got everything she supposedly wanted, she found out that she was not only still miserable, but now she was trapped in a horrible marriage to someone who would never love her. That definitely made me feel bad for her, even if it was her own greed and selfishness that led to her destruction, so to speak... 

In the books, I did like Penelope and she was a lot of fun to read about. In real life, I would stay as far away from her as possible!

Also... check out the Bright, Young & Luxe Giveaway Hop here! --->

Bright, Young & Luxe Giveaway!

 
Are you a "Bright Young and Luxe" kind of girl? 

*****
Well then you have come to the right place! 

Welcome to the deliciously decadent "Bright, Young and Luxe" Giveaway Hop, hosted by Tiffany at For Those About To Read and Lea at LC's Adventures in Libraryland! In celebration of the anticipated release of Anna Godbersen's newest book "Beautiful Days," we invite all of you to the party!

~LC's Giveaway~

So as you may know, we are doing a Giveaway Hop as part of our event! This means you can NOT ONLY enter to win a prize from my giveaway-- you can click on any of the participating blogs below to go and enter their giveaways too! The more giveaways you enter the more chances to win awesome Anna Godbersen prizes! Sounds pretty good, huh?

OK, so here is what I am giving away to one lucky winner:

YOUR CHOICE of ANY Anna Godbersen Book shown here!
(And yes, this is international!)

Official Bright Young and Luxe Giveaway Hop Button:

<a href="http://lcsadventuresinlibraryland.blogspot.com/2011/08/announcing-bright-young-and-luxe.html" target="_blank"><img alt="hop" src="http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i367/Lea1533/hops/GiveawayHop2copy-3-1.jpg"/></a>

Just fill out this form and you will be eligible to win!!

Giveaway going on NOW until September 20th...
Sorry! This Giveaway is now over-- Check my sidebar for current and upcoming giveaways!!

Now, feel free to Hop on over to all our other amazing Bright, Young & Luxe Giveaways going on NOW until September 20th!!

The Bright, Young & Luxe Event!

It's a party! 

Hello everyone! I want to welcome all of my wonderful readers to our celebration of Anna Godbersen's latest book release, Beautiful Days. Myself and the wonderful Tiffany from over at For Those About to Read are hosting a Bright, Young & Luxe Event-- check out what's going on below!

We look forward to seeing you throughout the week for all the fun!

What To Expect:

Reviews!

The Luxe

Bright Young Things

Discussions!

Penelope: love or hate her?

Splendid endings: Diana and Henry

Dead, famous, and married: the fates of Cordelia, Letty, and Astrid

Giveaways!

Sept 10-20th~ Check out the linky for all our participating bloggers

Interview with Anna!

Be on the look-out for an exclusive interview with the author herself


Check out Beautiful Days!

Click on the Beautiful Days book cover for more info on Anna's newest release

Book Review: The Luxe

We are kicking off the Bright, Young & Luxe Event with a book review of The Luxe, written by yours truly :) Seriously guys? You NEED to read this book if you love historical fiction, scandalous romance, or just an awesome story that you won't be able to put down! Check it out below!

Author: Anna Godberson
Release Date: November 20, 2007
Pages: 448
Read it in: 2 days

LC's Take: Reading this book was like devouring a giant, heavily-frosted piece of dark-chocolate cake with a big glass of golden, bubbly champagne—it was just a wonderfully decadent and guilty pleasure from beginning to end.

The year is 1899, and sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland are caught up in all the opulent wealth and scandalous intrigue of New York City’s Gilded Age. Anna Godberson does an incredible job of bringing this world to life in all its vibrant color—I absolutely loved it! From the witty dialogue to the luxurious descriptions of upper-class life, to the dynamics that unfold between the characters, this book had me hooked within the first couple pages.

The cast of characters really stood out for me. From Elizabeth Holland, the elder sister who is pulled along by her sense of duty to her family and outwardly conforms to all the etiquette of her class (while secretly harboring a love affair with the family’s coachman), to Diana Holland, the younger sister who is calculating, unconventional and rebellious towards everything having to do with “high society.”

The Luxe has totally turned my opinion and restored all my faith in the brilliance of historical fiction (which I have said I’m not a fan of). I absolutely adored this book and thought that its portrayal was not only accurate but vividly real in its descriptions of high society at the end of the 19th century. I loved all of the little details that painted such an amazingly brilliant and beautiful world-- for me they were almost as much fun to read as all the tantalizing secrets and scandals ;)

Get ready to be pulled into a 19th century soap opera where everyone is beautiful and no one can be trusted with their dirty secrets and two-faced games... Honestly, I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in a long time and could NOT put it down. LOVED it and can’t wait to read the sequels!!

LC’s Rating:

The Luxe is one big indulgent treat that you can’t help but find absolutely delicious!

Follow Me Friday (15) & Book Blogger Hop!

Follow Me Friday is a fun book meme hosted by the fabulous Parajunkee over at Parajunkee's View AND Allison over at Allison Can Read. Have a book blog? You can play with us too! Just visit Parajunkee's site by clicking on LC's Follow Friday icon-- be sure you are a follower of her blog and the blog she is featuring for the week, put your name in the Linky, create your own FF post on your blog, and then start commenting and following whomever you wish!

This week's Follow Friday question:
Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one?

So, the first thing I thought about when I read this question was: what books have I read where the characters were so incredibly aggravating that I wish the bad guy could've won? And the first books I thought of were the Fallen series by Lauren Kate-- however, this is SUCH a bad choice, and I REALLY don't want the bad guy to win in these books, because the bad guy happens to be Satan (Yeah. Definitely don't want HIM winning anything lol).  BUT I do have to say-- the main characters in this series (Luce and Daniel) are just so vapid, annoying, and mind-numbingly bland that I won't mind TOO much if they both meet an unfortunate end  when the last book comes out... here's hoping! 

Haha, I am half-joking here. UM NO, I don't want Satan to win! Maybe Luce and her fallen-angel lover boy will get to be a **little** less aggravating before the series ends-- and then I can be all warm and fuzzy when they get their happy ending :)

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme for all of us awesome book bloggers, where we get to chat about all things "Bookish" over the weekend! It's hosted by the lovely Jennifer over at Crazy for Books. Feel free to click on LC's Book Blogger Hop icon to join in this week's Hop!     ------->

 ~THIS WEEK'S QUESTION~

“Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?”

Honestly, I am so not picky about what genre I read and I don't have one genre I read more than others-- I like almost every one!

I do enjoy high-fantasy type stories with faeries and dragons and I'm a HUGE Lord of the Rings fan, but I'm just as happy reading paranormal, romance, contemporary, historical fiction... To give you some idea of the wide range of books I read, before I started this YA Book Blog, I almost EXCLUSIVELY read historical non-fiction books, mostly focused on the Tudor English time period, OR the classics. I still love these two genres, but I love expanding on what I already have read a lot about :)

Really, as long as the story keeps me interested and I can connect with and become invested in the characters, I am a happy reader! :)