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)

Great entertainment

I personally found this book delightful. If you are expecting a great classic or historical accuracy, you might be disappointed but I only wanted to be entertained and this story certainly fulfilled its promised to do just that. The reader is one of my favorites and makes the characters come to life. It is so funny you will laugh out loud at some parts, cheer on the young lovers in others and has just enough suspense to keep it interesting. A lover of all things British, this was just up my alley. I was thrilled to find she had written a sequel to this which I enjoyed just as much.

This was so fun!

I laughed so much! It was a sweet love story, too. The history was interesting.
The narrator was hilarious! She did a fab job of painting the main character with a smart wit and strong will.

Best narrator and book combination I've listened to!

A little obsessed

I'm a little obsessed with this series right now, I am not always a fan of books switching between time periods, but this one really pulls it off. What's not to love about clever female protagonists and the reader does a great job of bringing the story to life.

PInk Carnation

I can't recommend this book to my friends, because it is a bit predictable and hokey. I rolled my eyes so many times and could predict what would happen without fail. Having said that I think it could have been great with more editing and the writer has great promise.

I should have listened sooner

I had this on my wish list for a long time and deleted it and then it came up in my recommendations after I finished another book and finally took the plunge. I believe it was the book description that had me feeling hesitant and now I know I shouldn’t have been. Historical fiction is my preferred genre and the idea of some of this book taking place in the present day just didn’t tickle my fancy so to speak. However the bulk of this book took place in 1803. The book offers mystery, romance, suspense and hidden identities. I would highly recommend this book to other historical fiction lovers and I certainly will be listening to the other books in this series.

Delightful performance!

This book was quite fun to listen to. The voices and language/writing were beautifully executed and captivating. I really enjoyed it and will continue with the series. If you like this historic period and a good romance, reach for this one!

Alas...

The worst of it is this: if I am to be given lengthy descriptions of sex play, it had better be original and erotic or possibly comic... or even realistic - (God knows "real sex" is interesting enough to warrant an HBO series of the same name). I felt embarrassed listening to these hackneyed scenes, because I felt as if I was eavesdropping on the writer's own rather immature fantasies, instead of being immersed in a world of idiosynchratic and characters. Literally (and literarily) embarrassed, I felt as if I was learning something about the writer's inner life that I was not meant to see. A Jackie Collins meets Barbara Cartland, masquerading as a serious, albeit playful, first novel. Herein lies the problem. Had it been marketed appropriately, I would not have had false expectations. For all it's apparent "naughtiness", the book was strangely antiseptic... None of the dirt and grit of the period - or much to ground it in a different time. In this way it was like a regency romance written during the 50's. Quite a few loose ends left loose as well. I was disappointed enough to take the time to write this critical review, because I think that the writer's underlying idea has great promise. She had a fairly real inner dialogue going for the main male character, and I applaud the notion that people are people in whatever time they live. I like Anais Nin's erotic fiction - it is really unusual: base and erotic at the same time - and some of this is directly from her life (key point: her life, not only - or even in spite of- her fantasies). And I like "Fanny", by Erica Jong: the point being that this criticsim is nothing to do with being offended by sex. To sum it up clearly, the words :"sheath", "scabard" and "Adonis" were actually used, in all seriousness, in a sexual context! Need I say more? Oh, well one more thing: the narrator was great...(which is why I give it 3 stars).

Love the series

I didn't favor this books but the rest of the series is excellent. I love book two with Miles and Henrietta.

Very Satifying

I loved this book! It encompasses well thought out details of history, present day culture, and romance all in one.
The erotic encounters are plausible and not "silly" like I have experienced in other romance novels.
Bravo!

A bit melodramatic

A bit melodramatic or historical soap opera. Felt like a TV movie. Excellent narration by Kate Reading.