The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

By: Lauren Willig

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Deciding that true romantic heroes are a thing of the past, Eloise Kelly, an intelligent American who always manages to wear her Jimmy Choo suede boots on the day it rains, leaves Harvard's Widener Library bound for England to finish her dissertation on the dashing pair of spies the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. What she discovers is something the finest historians have missed: a secret history that begins with a letter dated 1803. Eloise has found the secret history of the Pink Carnation�the most elusive spy of all time, the spy who single-handedly saved England from Napoleon's invasion.

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, a wildly imaginative and highly adventurous debut, opens with the story of a modern-day heroine but soon becomes a book within a book. Eloise Kelly settles in to read the secret history hoping to unmask the Pink Carnation's identity, but before she can make this discovery, she uncovers a passionate romance within the pages of the secret history that almost threw off the course of world events. How did the Pink Carnation save England? What became of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian? And will Eloise Kelly find a hero of her own?

©2005 Lauren Willig (P)2005 Penguin Audiobooks and Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Lauren Willig balances her knowledge of English history with a veritable passion for English spies, turning out a deftly hilarious, sexy novel." (Eloisa James, author of Kiss Me, Annabel)

"In her swashbuckling debut...Willig reimagines France under Napoleon besieged by a whole bouquet of spying floral foes.... Bad news for the Bonapartes but barrels of good-natured fun for the rest of us." (Library Journal)

"A juicy mystery...Chick-lit never had it so good!" (Complete Woman)

Paint by numbers romance

Ok, so for some reason I thought this was a historical mystery more than a romance, but in fact it is two parallel romance novels, one in the past and one in the present. The bodice is literally ripped in the past, and metaphorically in the present. The general guidelines are pretty much the same as any romance ever. I admit I'm not a fan of the genre, so these poor ratings don't come from a romance fan. Those may enjoy this novel.

So much potential...

But it missed the mark. If not for the spectacular narration (switching seamlessly between English and American accents), I'd give fewer stars. Napoleonic heroine vapid and easily distracted by a bit of groping. Unnecessarily lenthy descriptions of sexual episodes that did little to advance the plot. For example, one account of a grope in a boat crossing the Seine lasted my full 35 minute commute to work! Pink Carnation scenes read more like Keystone Cops than Scarlet Pimpernel. Also, barely acquainted early 19th century men and women calling each other by first names throughout the book was just not credible. Authors of the period would have never used such liberties. Historically jarring.

For a piece of fluff read, not a complete waste; however, I expected much more. Stick with the real Scarlet Pimpernel instead.

Just awful!

I'm quitting with six hours to go. Read The English Wife, which has just come out, and which I liked pretty well, so I gave this one a try. Kate Reading is not at her best in this production either.

Bodice-Ripper masquerading as a mystery

What disappointed you about The Secret History of the Pink Carnation?

cliche plot, cliche characters, cliche dialogue, awful narration
This is a classic tritely written bodice-ripper masquerading as a mystery. Unless this is your genre--more's the pity--then avoid it.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

none

disappointing

This book has turned out to be one of those romantic "bodice rippers," and not all that well written. The review that said the heroine sounded like a Valley Girl was right on the mark. In an effort to sound breezy and clever, the dialogue sounds trite and completely inappropriate for the time period. I got messed up between Parts I and 2 on my iPod, and discovered that I had skipped much of Part 1, and it made no difference at all. Now I am just relieved I did not have to listen to all of Part 1. I'm sticking with it to the end, because I paid for it, but it won't be a moment too soon.

NOT what I was expecting

I was disappointed. The Scarlet Pimpernel, this is not. I loved The Scarlet Pimpernel, and I would have loved to have read about other spies in his like. This was what I was expecting, but instead, I got an awkward mix of historical romance and chick-lit.

What I did like were the premise and the occasional laughter-inducing phrases and scenes. I also appreciated the narrator's efforts at voice acting and voice differentiation.

But there were more things that I did not like. I didn't care much for any of the characters, and actively disliked the main characters. I found Eloise juvenile and superficial, and Amy utterly silly. The Purple Gentian was inept as a spy and a huge disappointment in that way. the "mystery" of the Pink Carnation was easily guessed. The "rescue" was farcical. There were plot holes, and anachronistic dialogue and behavior.

As for the narration, I didn't care for it. The narrator did both male and female voices badly. Her voice acting was exaggerated, and her British accent was inconsistent.

I agree- Completely wasted potential -

Cheesy romance in the guise of a romantic adventure. This had such a great premise- Too bad it was full of cliche-ridden dialogue, an unimaginative plot, a cheesy formulaic romance, and a really annoying heroine. I was prepared to enjoy this book- that is before the heroine opened her mouth. I think the author was trying to make her cute and clever- but she sounded like a spoiled, vapid, immature brat who needed a reality check and maybe a paddling. The hero was was such an archetypal cookie-cut robot romance hero. Er..does that make sense? I guess it makes more sense than how a book like this got published. I hope the writer doesn't read this review- I'd hate to hurt her feelings- but seriously folks- if you don't like 'crappy' romance novels- (and there are plenty of non-crappy ones out there) don't buy this one.

A Regency Romance

-(in spirit - Yes, George III is still on his throne.) This book doesn't give a reliable sense of the times, and while you don't read light fiction for historical accuracy, the anachronistic details are often jarring. And the characters predictably follow the standard conventions of the genre. "People who like this sort of thing will like this."

Just could not get iinto this book!

Would you try another book from Lauren Willig and/or Kate Reading?

Not sure, I might if the plot seemed really interesting.

What could Lauren Willig have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Not sure. I am not a fan of Romance novels, this was more romance than mystery, or spy thriller.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kate Reading?

Not sure. I am not familiar with the names of readers.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment

Any additional comments?

no

Disappointing

It started off interesting but turned out to be a very silly story. I didn't like it at all