First published 2009
Elizabeth Holland has returned to Manhattan after her dramatic disappearance, but she refuses to stand beside her sister Diana in New York society. The watching elite begin to wonder what secrets hide behind the doors of the Holland family mansion on Gramercy Park South. Uptown, Henry and Penelope Schoonmaker may be the city's most celebrated newlyweds, but their marriage contains only mutual contempt despite Penelope's glittering engagement ring. Meanwhile, Carolina Broad enjoys her reputation as an heiress, though her wealth and social position remain far from secure. In this world of Fifth Avenue mansions and elaborate balls, practiced smiles conceal the most explosive secrets. Old rivalries resurface while new betrayals take shape. Elizabeth must navigate the treacherous waters of Gilded Age Manhattan, where appearance matters more than truth and one misstep can destroy everything.
Genres: fiction, romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, suspense, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, secrets, social-climbing
Setting: Gramercy-Park-South, Manhattan, New-York
Period: Gilded-Age
405 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins