The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Synopsis:
Eloise Kelly, a graduate student studying at Harvard, travels to England to explore the history of the noblemen who disguised themselves as floral heroes and spies during Napoleon's revolution. The most well known, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and his successor, The Purple Gentian have been unmasked but the whispers of the Pink Carnation's identity are still too soft to understand. As luck would have it, Eloise meets a descendent of The Purple Gentian who offers Eloise access to her family's archives.
Back in 1803, Amy Balcourt is on her way to France with her cousin, Jane and their chaperone, Miss Gwen, on a mission to join the league of The Purple Gentian. Since the day her father was taken at the hands of madam guillotine, Amy has dreamed of becoming a spy. On her journey she meets charming Lord Richard Selwick, who soon reveals to Amy that he works for Napoleon Bonaparte, causing her to proclaim hatred always and forever for Selwick. After reaching France, Amy meets The Purple Gentian and falls head over heels in love with him. Little does she know, the man she loves and the man she hates are the same person.
A very charming historical romance.
Romance Characteristics:
Character descriptions: The characters are all described in great detail. The men, specifically Richard and Miles, are charming, dashing, rich and handsome with exception to the villains. The women, specifically Amy, Jane, Henrietta, and Lady Selwick are strong, independent, and intelligent. In contrast, Eloise is head strong and intelligent but doesn't always speak her mind. Collin is handsome and rich but not always charming.
Storyline: Richard and Amy have a misunderstanding right from the get go. Amy is convinced Richard works for Bonaparte but doesn't know he is secretly The Purple Gentian. This confusion and lack of communication keeps them apart for the majority of the story. The result of Amy's brief affair with The Purple Gentian is an essential part of the story, despite the affair's invasion of the time period's moral codes as well as Amy's personal ones.
Historical Aspects: The historical framework that brought about this story is interesting and successfully draws in the reader. Although not always factual, the historical figures and events provide charming and entertaining elements.
Romance: The romance between Amy and The Purple Gentian happens so quickly their love can easily be mistaken for lust and passion. The romance between Amy and Richard is a little more involved.
Language: The language of the time period--"What the deuce?" "Cheer ho!"--add to the reader's experience in a humorous way.
Read-a-likes:
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne
Loving a Lost Lord by Mary Jo Putney
From London with Love by Jenna Petersen
Would you recommend reading The Scarlet Pimpernel first? Is it helpful to have an understanding of the time period or does the book walk the reader through what s/he needs to know?
ReplyDeleteThe author does include some historical ties at the end of the story as well!
DeleteGreat question! I have not personally read The Scarlet Pimpernel but I did know a bit about him before reading this book. The author does a good job of filling in the reader as well, so I wouldn't say any previous knowledge is needed in order to understand and enjoy the book :)
ReplyDeleteFor some reason this reminds me of Spiderman--the whole falling in love with the secret identity before the real person thing. Going to have to find a way to work "what the deuce?!" into a conversation sometime soon...
ReplyDeleteI'm always captivated by this cover but I never really knew what it was about. Your summary is excellent as is your characteristics and readalikes. I may have to try this one, you've sold me! Full points.
ReplyDelete