The Passion of the Purple Plumeria by Lauren Willig (Review)

Paperback: 480 pages

Publisher: NAL Trade (August 6, 2013)

ISBN-13: 978-0451414724

Colonel William Reid has returned home from India to retire near his children, who are safely stowed in an academy in Bath. Upon his return to the Isles, however, he finds that one of his daughters has vanished, along with one of her classmates.

Having served as second-in-command to the Pink Carnation, one of England’s most intrepid spies, it would be impossible for Gwendolyn Meadows to give up the intrigue of Paris for a quiet life in the English countryside—especially when she’s just overheard news of an alliance forming between Napoleon and an Ottoman Sultan. But, when the Pink Carnation’s little sister goes missing from her English boarding school, Gwen reluctantly returns home to investigate the girl’s disappearance.

Thrown together by circumstance, Gwen and William must cooperate to track down the young ladies before others with nefarious intent get their hands on them. But Gwen’s partnership with quick-tongued, roguish William may prove to be even more of an adventure for her than finding the lost girls…


My Review:

I really enjoyed reading the latest in the Pink Carnation series. We finally get to read Miss Gwen's story. I recommend reading them in order as she is a secondary character that is developed through them. Miss Gwen is known for her old maid vim and vinegar self. She is the chaperon for the pink carnation. She has a cane with a hidden blade that she pops people especially men with. Miss Gwen is part of the story set in the early 19th century. Most of the book is focused on her plot. There are also chapters focusing on the present day England part. Eloise is a historian living in England researching the pink carnation. She has a British boyfriend named Colin. They are looking for the same jewels that Miss Gwen is tracking down in the past. The switching back and forth is seamless. I loved how Miss Gwen and Colonel William Reid interact. Their relationship develops while they are looking for his daughter Lizzy and the pink carnation's sister Agnes. The ending surprised me but was satisfying. I look forward to the next book in the series. This is a light hearted romantic historical mystery book. Recommended. :)

The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig (Review)

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Dutton Adult (January 20, 2011)

ISBN-13: 978-0525951995

Laura Grey, a veteran governess, joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling exploits in service to the spy known as the Pink Carnation. She hardly expects her first assignment to be serving as governess for the children of Andre Jaouen, right-hand man to Bonaparte’s minister of police. Jaouen and his arch rival, Gaston Delaroche, are investigating a suspected Royalist plot to unseat Bonaparte, and Laura’s mission is to report any suspicious findings. At first the job is as lively as Latin textbooks and knitting, but Laura begins to notice strange behavior from Jaouen—secret meetings and odd comings and goings. As Laura edges closer to her employer, she makes a shocking discovery and is surprised to learn that she has far more in common with Jaouen than she originally thought.

My Review:
This is book eight in the Pink Carnation series which I absolutely love. The plot lines are unique and interesting. They just keep getting better and better. The Orchid Affair is very well written and captured my attention in the beginning. It is set in 1802 in Paris, France, which is post revolutionary. I did not remember anything about this era from history class but the author does a good job of giving you just enough to historical details without taking away from the main story. Laura has been a governess for sixteen long years and is ready for a change so she goes to spy school. Her first assignment is in Paris, France, as a governess to Andre Jaouen. This is not her idea of fun but she does it anyway and makes the best of it and is rewarded when she realizes more is going on with Andre than what meets the eye. This is a historical romance book and the beginning is light on the romance but as the book progresses that part of the storyline becomes more in the front and the history in the background. All of the characters seem real and are developed. There is still a contemporary part of the plot line featuring Eloise and Colin but is barely present but it is okay because the book is better without it to me this time. I love this entire series. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Highly Recommended for fans of historical fiction especially. :)

To learn more about the series go here:
http://www.laurenwillig.com/books/index.html

The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig (Review)

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Edition edition (October 28, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0525951872

Summary:

'Tis the season to get Pink! Lauren Willig's beloved Pink Carnation series gets into the holiday spirit with this irresistible Regency Christmas caper.

Arabella Dempsey's dear friend Jane Austen warned her against teaching. But Miss Climpson's Select Seminary for Young Ladies seems the perfect place for Arabella to claim her independence while keeping an eye on her younger sisters nearby. Just before Christmas, she accepts a position at the quiet girls' school in Bath, expecting to face nothing more exciting than conducting the annual Christmas recital. She hardly imagines coming face to face with French aristocrats and international spies...

Reginald "Turnip"Fitzhugh-often mistaken for the elusive spy known as the Pink Carnation- has blundered into danger before. But when he blunders into Miss Arabella Dempsey, it never occurs to him that she might be trouble. When Turnip and Arabella stumble upon a beautifully wrapped Christmas pudding with a cryptic message written in French, "Meet me at Farley Castle," the unlikely vehicle for intrigue launches the pair on a Yuletide adventure that ranges from the Austens'modest drawing room to the awe-inspiring estate of the Dukes of Dovedale, where the Dowager Duchess is hosting the most anticipated event of the year: an elaborate twelve-day Christmas celebration. Will they find poinsettias or peril, dancing or danger? Is it possible that the fate of the British Empire rests in Arabella's and Turnip's hands, in the form of a festive Christmas pudding?

My Review:

This was a good, light, funny in parts historical romance book. It is not heavy on history and is set in the Regency period (1803) in England. It is the seventh book in the Pink Carnation spy series but can be read alone. It actually happens after The Seduction of the Crimson Rose and before The Temptation of the Night Jasmine. I have loved the whole series and eagerly anticipate each book. I got hooked by Shauna at Readings and Ruminations. lol
The two main characters in this book are Turnip Fitzhugh and Arabella Dempsey. Turnip has made previous appearances in the other books and I am glad he finally got his own story. The book started off slow but picked up toward the middle. The mystery/spy part was interesting and I liked how the romance developed between Turnip and Arabella. This is a clean book so there is no remotely R rated scenes. I also enjoyed the Christmas aspect of it. I could have lived without the cameo appearances of Jane Austen though. I did not think it added anything to the book. I did not miss the present day flashbacks to Eloise and the diaries either. Overall I recommend this book even to fans of light historical romance who have not read the Pink Carnation series which I also recommend. :)


Thank you to Stephanie at Dutton Publishers for my review copy.