Kirkus Reviews

A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth's younger sister who is in love with her fiance; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry's affections. As Elizabeth and Henry's wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected denouement. A delicious new twist along the Gossip Girl vein, readers will clamor for this sharp, smart drama of friends, lovers, lies and betrayal. (Fiction. YA)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

With a quote from <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Age of Innocence as an epigraph and an enthusiastic blurb from the creator of <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Gossip Girl on its back cover, this lavishly produced debut makes no secret of its twin influences. The story opens in 1899 with the funeral of Elizabeth Holland, a well-bred beauty said to have plunged to her death in the Hudson River. The narrative then travels back several weeks, tracing the relationships and events that have led to the somber assembly. This tangled web includes not one but two sets of star-crossed lovers; an upstairs/downstairs romance; a scheming social climber; a bitter servant girl; and oodles of money, all set in a Edith Wharton via Hollywood vision of Old New York. The dialogue has its clunky moments, and the plot twist that drives the tale is telegraphed from the very start, but readers caught up in the fancy dress intrigue are unlikely to mind much: it’s all part of the dishy fun. Needless to say, the ending paves the way for at least one sequel. Ages 14-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Dec.)

Voice of Youth Advocates

Elizabeth's father died suddenly and left huge amounts of debt behind, but no one knows that their old money is gone because Liz's mother is doing her best to hide it. Liz's best friend, Penny, is chock full of new money-and a new boyfriend who happens to be engaged to Liz. But fiancÚ Henry finds himself thinking nonstop about Liz's younger sister, Diana. It all sounds like something one might read in a Gossip Girl book or see on a CW show, but the twist here and what makes this book stand out is that all of this romance and mystery takes place in Manhattan in 1899. Godbersen's first novel has that Gossip Girl feel, and the publisher even mentions it on the book jacket, but the author firmly plants her characters in the end of the nineteenth century in clothing, mannerisms, and language. Were wealthy teenagers in 1899 Manhattan behaving as badly as Godbersen portrays? Probably. Regardless it is a fun romp that will enthrall today's teenaged girls-and they might just pick up some historical detail along the way. The book is not completely without flaw as there are predictable elements and a few modernisms, but those are easily overlooked as the reader is sucked into the world of these privileged young people. This solid addition to library shelves is a good crossover book for fans of both modern romance and historical fiction.-Kimberly Paone.

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-In this deliciously soapy novel, privileged teens in Manhattan conduct forbidden romances, betray their so-called friends, and generally indulge in bad behavior. The twist is that it's 1899, and they do so in corsets, silk gowns, and horse-drawn carriages rather than designer labels and sports cars. Eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Holland, daughter of a prominent but secretly impoverished family, is in love with Will, the family's young, handsome carriage driver. When wealthy Henry Schoonmaker proposes, however, her mother pushes her to accept, since Elizabeth's marriage is their only chance to maintain their luxurious lifestyle. Henry, an irresponsible playboy also forced into the loveless engagement, finds himself falling for Elizabeth's rebellious younger sister. To complicate matters further, Henry has been having an affair with Penelope Hayes, Elizabeth's supposed best friend, and Penelope will do absolutely anything to get him back. It's all scandalous, steamy-though never graphic-fun, with just enough period detail to make the Gilded Age come alive. The dialogue and attitudes sometimes seem suspiciously modern, but readers will enjoy the story too much to object.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

ALA Booklist (Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

A quote from Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence is the appropriate start to this first novel set in Manhattan's high society in 1899. On the day she had expected to wed Henry, a fellow member of New York's "Old Dutch families," 18-year-old Elizabeth Holland is, instead, remembered at a lavish funeral. From the somber procession, Godbersen tracks back through the previous months, exposing the family secrets and pressures that force Elizabeth to accept Henry's surprising proposal. Alloy Entertainment, the packagers who produce the Gossip Girl series, share the book's copyright, and fans will recognize many similar elements in this title, including designer outfits, society watchers' commentaries, and frankly referenced sexual trysts. But this is more than just Gossip Girl in the Gilded Age. Most characters fit neatly into categories, but they are often vividly sketched, and the suspenseful story is propelled by interwoven scandals and well-supported plot twists. A compulsively readable romance about young women who strain against societal conventions, this is sure to be in high demand; consider multiple copies.