Book Review: Beautiful Days (Bright Young Things #2) by Anna Godbersen

Summary: 
For the bright young things of 1929, the beautiful days seem endless, filled with romance and heartbreak, adventure and intrigue, friendship and rivalry. 

After a month in New York, Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur are small-town girls no longer. They spend their afternoons with Astrid Donal at the Greys’ lush Long Island estate and their nights in Manhattan’s bustling metropolis. But Letty’s not content to be a mere socialite. She is ready at last to chase her Broadway dreams—no matter the cost. 

Cordelia is still reeling from the death of her father at the hands of Thom Hale, the man she thought she loved. Now she is set to honor Darius Grey’s legacy . . . and take her revenge. 

Promised to Cordelia’s half brother, Astrid is caught up in a world of dazzling jewels and glittering nights—and the sparkle is blinding. Charlie Grey is a gangster playing a dangerous game; and for Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty, the stakes could be deadly. 

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes the second book in an epic series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.


Release Date: September 20, 2011
Age Group: Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Purchased

Review:
What a treat!  I loved Beautiful Days just as much as Bright Young Things, the first in the series.  There is something about Anna Godbersen's writing.  Maybe it's the historical element to her books, or the way she describes everything so that you feel like you're actually there, but her books are so engrossing.  I think a big part of the appeal of Godbersen's writing is how she makes me care about characters whom I don't really like.  I have never been a big fan of Astrid--she seems vapid.  Spoiled rotten.  Careless.  But, I started to really care about her and hoped for the best for her.  I really think it was because of the way Godbersen wrote her story.


I liked Cordelia just as much as I did in the first book.  Letty too.  I liked that they were small-town girls who came to New York to follow their dreams.  I liked that they don't exactly get everything they want, but they learn to make their own happiness.

I thought that Beautiful Days was a little bit of a slow starter, but about halfway through the book I got so into the story that I could not put it down.  I enjoyed it even more than Bright Young Things, and recommend this series to anyone.  I have yet to read any "duds" from Anna Godbersen!


2 comments:

  1. Glad to hear this one was better than the first book, which I found very slow and quite boring. I'll have to check this one out from my library. Thanks, Kelli!

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