The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
by Lauren Willig

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
List Price: $14.00
Our Price: $3.39
You Save: $10.61 (76%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


(Click here)
Buy this book at online book store in your country
Canada | UK | Germany | France

Book Summary Information

Author: Lauren Willig
Edition: Paperback
Audio: French (Unknown)
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2005-12-27
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Bantam Books

Book Reviews of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

Book Review: Not perfect, but fun!
Summary: 5 Stars

I enjoyed this book, and I'm a bit surprised by all the really bad reviews. It may not be perfect but it is a fun read, which I believe is what the author intended.

DON'T expect Jane Austen or Baroness Orczy or Philippa Gregory. Lauren Willig's "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation" is not deep, destined-to-be-classic, impeccably accurate historical fiction--nor is it intended to be. The author says on her website that she wrote it for fun after passing some tough grad school exams, and her enjoyment of writing it comes across in the book.

Sure, Amy Balcourt isn't quite as prim and proper as your standard young lady of 1803. It would be difficult to feature in a romance novel if she were. Which, though it hurts my intellectual pride to admit it, this essentially is.

It is not, however, I hasten to add, a bodice-ripper Harlequin that's all sex and no substance with no plot, flat characters, and a lot of heaving bosoms. Um, well...there are a few heaving bosoms, but that isn't the *sole* focus of the plot.

On the contrary, the book is well-written and engaging. The plot may be insanely contrived at times, but that's what makes it a comedy! The writing is light and funny, the dialog is witty, the romance is...romantic, the plot is suspenseful and full of funny unexpected turns, and the characters are outstanding.

Rebellious, vivacious Amy Balcourt and dashing, mysterious Lord Richard Selwick are the main characters. Amy is a lively, intelligent young woman with big plans to help the mysterious Purple Gentian save England (though she wouldn't object if he fell in love with her in the process). She is appalled when she meets Richard--an Englishman on Bonaparte's payroll, which in Amy's eyes amounts to nothing short of treason. Richard, of course, has a secret: he *is* Amy's idol, the Purple Gentian--who does *not* welcome the aid (or the romantic distraction) of a meddlesome, saucy (though very attractive--and very determined) accomplice. Hilarity ensues.

Despite the comedy, the characters are sympathetic and realistic. Both have troubled pasts to overcome and ambitious (and often conflicting) dreams. The chemistry of their love/hate relationship is wonderful.

Amy and Richard lead a wonderful cast of memorable, often eccentric--bordering on outrageous--supporting characters. There's Miss Gwen, the prim, straight-laced chaperone with a penchant for prodding people with her parasol--up to and including Bonaparte himself! There's Lord Richard's delightful family--his constantly flirting parents and overeager little sister and his two best friends--quiet well-behaved Geoff (who tends to get forgotten amid Richard's boisterous family) and cheerful, irreverent Miles (who provides a large part of the boisterousness himself). There's Stiles, Richard's butler, an ex-actor who does all of his buttling in character as King Lear and who ends up as a pirate...

The setting in Napoleonic Paris is very well done, and we encounter not only the First Consul and his wife, but an assortment of their contemporaries--Napoleon's promiscuous sister Pauline, his hen-pecked brother-in-law Joachim Murat, and his evil minister of police, Fouché.

"The Pink Carnation" is by no means a deep and meaningful work of historical fiction, nor does it make any claims to be. It is essentially romantic comedy--with all the silliness, crazy plots, and exaggerated characters that entails. These shouldn't be considered as flaws, however--they make the book a joy to read. The humor will have you laughing, the romance will have you sighing, and the suspense will make it impossible to put down.

Don't overlook the "Pink Carnation" series just because it isn't deep and serious historical fiction. Someone on the historical fiction forums called it "light historical fiction," which is a perfect term for it. It is written for entertainment, not education--and in this it certainly succeeds.

Summary of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

Nothing goes right for Eloise. The one day she wears her new suede boots, it rains cats and dogs. When the tube stops short, she's always the one thrown into some stranger's lap. Plus, she's had more than her share of misfortune in the way of love. In fact, after she realizes romantic heroes are a thing of the past, she decides it's time for a fresh start. Eloise is also determined to finish her dissertation on that dashing pair of spies, the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. But what she discovers is something the finest historians have missed: the secret history of the Pink Carnation - the most elusive spy of all time. As she works to unmask this obscure spy, Eloise stumbles across answers to all kinds of questions. How did the Pink Carnation save England from Napoleon? What became of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian? And will Eloise Kelly escape her bad luck and find a living breathing hero of her own?

Historical Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Historical Books
Anna Karenina ImageAnna Karenina
by Leo Tolstoy
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1997-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.50
Cross Stitch (Outlander 1) ImageCross Stitch (Outlander 1)
by Diana Gabaldon
Rowan; Published: 1994-03-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.36
Grass Crown ImageGrass Crown
by Colleen McCullough
William Morrow Paperbacks; Published: 2008-11-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.94
Price in other shops: $16.99
The Wicked Ways of a Duke ImageThe Wicked Ways of a Duke
by Laura Lee Guhrke
Avon; Published: 2007-12-26; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.74
Price in other shops: $6.99
Pride and Prejudice ImagePride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen
HarperTeen; Published: 2009-10-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops: $8.99
The Thorn Birds ImageThe Thorn Birds
by Colleen McCullough
William Morrow Paperbacks; Published: 2005-09-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.95
Price in other shops: $13.99
Confessions of a Viscount ImageConfessions of a Viscount
by Shirley Karr
Avon; Published: 2006-11-28; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops: $5.99
Night of Fire ImageNight of Fire
by Barbara Samuel
Avon Books; Published: 2000-12; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.00
The Reluctant Suitor ImageThe Reluctant Suitor
by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
William Morrow; Published: 2003-03-18; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops: $24.95
Lady Whistledown Strikes Back ImageLady Whistledown Strikes Back
by Julia Quinn, Karen Hawkins, Suzanne Enoch, Mia Ryan, Suzanne Enoch, Mia Ryan
Avon; Published: 2004-04-27; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops: $7.99
Similar Books and other products
The Temptation of the Night Jasmine ImageThe Temptation of the Night Jasmine
by Lauren Willig
Dutton Adult; Published: 2009-01-22; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.50
Price in other shops: $25.95
The Mischief of the Mistletoe: A Pink Carnation Christmas ImageThe Mischief of the Mistletoe: A Pink Carnation Christmas
by Lauren Willig
Dutton Adult; Published: 2010-10-28; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $1.45
Price in other shops: $19.95
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose ImageThe Seduction of the Crimson Rose
by Lauren Willig
Dutton Adult; Published: 2008-01-31; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.36
Price in other shops: $24.95
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily (Pink Carnation) ImageThe Betrayal of the Blood Lily (Pink Carnation)
by Lauren Willig
Dutton Adult; Published: 2010-01-12; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $1.85
Price in other shops: $25.95
The Temptation of the Night Jasmine (Pink Carnation) ImageThe Temptation of the Night Jasmine (Pink Carnation)
by Lauren Willig
NAL Trade; Published: 2010-01-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.12
Price in other shops: $15.00
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation) ImageThe Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation)
by Lauren Willig
NAL Trade; Published: 2008-12-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.71
Price in other shops: $15.00
The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation) ImageThe Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation)
by Lauren Willig
NAL Trade; Published: 2007-09-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.52
Price in other shops: $15.00
The Orchid Affair (Pink Carnation) ImageThe Orchid Affair (Pink Carnation)
by Lauren Willig
Dutton Adult; Published: 2011-01-20; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $2.33
Price in other shops: $25.95
The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation) ImageThe Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation)
by Lauren Willig
NAL Trade; Published: 2006-10-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.99
Price in other shops: $14.00
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily: A Pink Carnation Novel ImageThe Betrayal of the Blood Lily: A Pink Carnation Novel
by Lauren Willig
NAL Trade; Published: 2011-01-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.00
Price in other shops: $15.00
Book store. Illustrated catalog of books on different categories