The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

By: Lauren Willig

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Nothing goes right for Eloise. The one day she wears her new suede boots, it rains cats and dogs. When the subway 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, ever since she realized romantic heroes are a thing of the past, she’s decided it’s time for a fresh start.

Setting off for England, Eloise is 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. Like 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 all her own?

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

"[A] breezy historical romance... The sparks fly." —Publishers Weekly

"[A] playful romp…effervescent prose... A sexy [and] determined-to-charm historical-romance debut." —Kirkus Reviews

Excellent series!

This is an amusing, intelligent series of historical romance and intrigue....Read the whole series!

Couldn’t stop listening!

What a great story! Much better than expected. The narrator was excellent!!! I’m going to start listening to the next book in the series right away!

Entertaining

I found this book to be entertaining and it held my interest all the way through. I almost didn't buy it because someone, in the reviews, made it sound like it was just full of sex scenes or something. But it only had about 2. If you're looking for a book that is deep and thoughtful - this isn't it. But if you want to be entertained - you should definitely buy. I am going to get the next book in the series, for sure

great read

the narrator was vivid and had great voice characters. the story was predictable but happy

Best Charactor Development I've Ever Read

What did you love best about The Secret History of the Pink Carnation?

Like my title says, Lauren Willig is an expert at character development. Though the book is written from a female perspective, the male and female personas are both so carefully brought to life that I could not tell the author is female.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I don't have a

Which scene was your favorite?

Again, the whole book is just so intriguing to me that I can???t pick just one scene. And besides, I???d hate to be a spoiler in a review.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait to download the next book.