Splendor by Anna Godbersen

Splendor is the final book in The Luxe series, following the lives of Elizabeth, Diana, Lina, and Penelope. It would appear as if all young women are headed for happy endings: Lina is wealthy and in love with Leland Bouchard, Diana is on her way to finding Henry, Penelope has met a real prince, and Elizabeth is safely married and getting ready to give birth to her child.

Of course, none of the novels in this series have led to fully happy endings and the trials and turmoil that have been a part of these women’s lives continue. Lina is paid unexpected visits by Tristan, Diana is as restless as soul as always, Penelope lives scandalously, and Elizabeth discovers that the man she married may not be entirely what she expected.

The rich setting of these books, the wealth and the style of the characters and their expectations I have always enjoyed and this final book continues to live up to that standard that Godbersen has set. It had a bit of a sad ending, but I was expecting that after reading the previous three, and really if after reading the previous three you thought everything was going to end happily would be sorely mistaken. If you are intrigued by the storylines and invested in the characters, you will definitely want to read Splendor to know the complete story.