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I love this author's work. Intelligent writing. Entetaining. A lovely read!! I am especially pleased to read that Lauren Willig is now writing full time.

Once a year Willig releases a new book in the Pink Carnation series. My daughter and I anxiously await her new installment and then spend the next few days reading at every moment in total enjoyment. The characters are real, both the current ones and the ones from the nineteenth century! The plots are delicious, the descriptions amazing, and fun never last long enough to carry us though to the next year. If you enjoy a good story, a great heroine (always with a few flaws) and a bit of history then dive right into the past. Make sure you start at the beginning so you won't miss a bit of the ride.

A nineteenth-century exotic locale, a handsome officer and a feisty heroine make for archetypical romantic fare, but Lauren Willig's new novel THE BETRAYAL OF THE BLOOD LILY is anything BUT a conventional bodice ripper embellished with historical detail. In her sixth novel in her "PINK CARNATION" series, Willig exhibits once again that she is an accomplished raconteur as she weaves an intricate and lively tale involving spies, espionage and romance during the Napoleonic Wars between Britain and France. Whereas the previous novels have taken place in England and France involving a set of interrelated characters, Willig has taken a bold leap in introducing a new ensemble cast and intriguingly transported the narrative to exotic India. Our heroine Penelope Deveraux, who we met briefly in the previous novel THE TEMPTATION OF THE NIGHT JASMINE, is as bold as brass. Her unpropitious behavior had always set more than a few fans fluttering and tongue's wagging in London society, but she never thought a little kanoodling would force her into a hasty marriage with the dissipated Lord Frederick Staines. To avert scandal, the couple is quickly packed off to India where Freddy has accepted the position as Governor General Wellesley's Special Envoy to the Court of Hyderabad. Married life is more than a bit disappointing as Freddy's diversions tend toward gambling away her dowry and dalliances with the local bibi, the Indian equivalent of a mistress. One would think that Lady Penelope would be at odds in this strange new world far and away from the tempered drawing rooms of England, but she can ride and shoot and talk politics with the best of the big boys. This is more than a bit disconcerting to Captain Alex Reid who is escorting Lord Staines and his adventurous young wife to Hyderabad. She is a willful, flipant and an opinionated aristocrat. He is a disciplined, by-the-book, level headed solider and more than alarmed by her unconventional behavior. Their sharp banter is reminiscent of Scarlet O'Hara and Rhett Butler on a bad day. Unfortunately, he frankly does give a damn. Pen is a married woman and her overt flirtation and unguarded behavior is sorely testing his honor. The political situation in India is just as tumultuous as the British and French jockey for control after the end of the Maratha War. In the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad, power and deceit go hand-in-hand fueling rumors of a French flower spy the Marigold. Gold and guns are missing which could turn the axis of power back into French hands. Somehow Penelope is connected to the Marigold and Captain Reid reluctantly accepts her help to uncover a dangerous spy, save British interest in India and thwart Bonaparte. Oh, and along the way, a few buttons get popped. As with all of the previous novels in this series, the parallel plot with contemporary scholar Eloise Kelly prompts the historical story as she conducts her own research into the enigmatic British flower spies during the Napoleonic wars. Her investigation into the Selwick family papers has uncovered more than just primary source material for her doctoral thesis. After a tentative beginning Eloise and Colin, the Selwick family scion and possible modern spy, are a steady item. Since Eloise's love life is on track she decides to match make for Colin's younger sister Serena. Like Jane Austen's famous misapplying heroine Emma Woodhouse, she is clueless about what attracts people to one another and why her choices are so wrong. Eloise's social insecurities and endearingly flawed personality is what makes her both vulnerable and attractive to us, and Colin. Like the brash over confident Lady Penelope Staines, she does not realize yet that her weaknesses are her greatest strengths. Throughout the novel, Willig proves again and again that she is a nonpareil in the delicate art of characterization supplying an array of personalities whose foibles and strengths rival those penned in classic literature. Queen of the poignant adjective, Willig's witty dialogue sparkles resplendently with humor and delight. I couldn't have been more content being back in her world. A superior addition to the "PINK CARNATION" series, readers of THE BETRAYAL OF THE BLOOD LILY will be as crestfallen as I when they finish the last page and realize that they must wait a whole year for the next book. Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Right on schedule, the book arrived (I've been waiting for it to come out for weeks!) and I was able to track it the whole way. As far as the actual content of the book, it's her best literary composition ever - even if the story doesn't appeal to you quite in the way the first book did, this one DELIVERS! :D

This is the first book of this series I had read. I was impressed by the author's knowledge of early 1800 British rule in Indian and her feel for the nuances of the time. The story was involved, interesting and fast reading, and one came to care about the characters.

Reviews

In this fourth book of the Pink Carnation series, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, Lauren Willig continues with the adventures of the Pink Carnation and her friends. With a frame story involving an American PhD student doing research on her dissertation, Ms. Willig continues where she left off in the previous books. Lord Vaughn is a mysterious man with a wicked tongue and even more wicked mind. Asked by the Pink Carnation to lure the treacherous Black Tulip into exposing himself, Vaughn decides Mary Alsworthy will be excellent bait. Mary is nearly as jaded as Vaughn, but is in desperate circumstances so she agrees to help. As the two work together, their need for each other grows, putting them both in dangerous positions, and even more vulnerable to the Black Tulip. We had met Vaughn and Mary in previous books, and neither was especially sympathetic upon first reading. But Ms. Willig uses a deft hand to make the reader root for both of them, not just as people but as a fitting romance. The barbs between the two of them are clever and biting, and only prove that Ms. Willig is a master storyteller. With lots of stories left to tell, I look forward to many more Pink Carnation mysteries to come. Nikki Lee Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Book arrived in the condition as promised by the seller. Arrived in a timely fashion. Good transaction!

...the next book in the series I am reading. Just as well written as the last 3.

This is the first book I've read in this series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The book was well written and a good mix of intrigue and romance. I enjoyed Mary. She was a spinster with lots of spunk. And Vaughn was a rake she could really spar with. The modern day story of Eloise, a graduate student researching the black tulip , and her flirtation with Colin also kept my interest. I'll definitely read more in this series!

... as the rest of the books in this series. While I love all the other books in the "Pink Carnation" series, this one didn't have quite the "oomph" I've come to expect from Willig's series. Still a good read... just not a GREAT read.

Reviews

I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in Willig's Pink Carnation series, and this one is no exception. However, Willig relies far too heavily on miscommunication as a plot device in this installment.

As with the other books in this series, this book marries the "chick lit" genre with historical fiction - my two favorites. As with any "chick lit" book, you know you're not in for a novel worthy of a Nobel Prize in literature. However, I still found it light & entertaining. Having read the first three books in the series, I have to say that these are getting very formulaic. 1. Historical guy & girl are into each other but for whatever reason/mishap, "can't" be together. 2. But then they end up married 3. Around page 300 (of the hardback), the gratuitous sex "scene" that would give any Harlequin romance novel a run for its money. 4. Guy & girl, now in love, are off to defeat the bad guys & save England from the evil spies yet again. It's still entertaining and from reading the summary of book 4, I'm hoping Willig is going to mix it up some. Also, the heroine of this book drove me nuts - she was completely scatterbrained - worse than the heroine from book one. And the development of her husband's affections were kind of out of nowhere. But all in all, still worth a read if you're a follower of Willig's series.

After having gone through the previous two books in about a week, I knew what I was getting into when I started "The Deception of the Emerald Ring." I was expecting (and slightly looking forward to) the swooning, agonizing over intentions, and that action scene that will inevitably come within the last 30 pages. Ultimately I was satisfied... but like a decent meal that gives you heartburn later, something about this book didn't sit well. Letty I found to be arguably my favorite heroine Willig has produced so far. I admire her unfailing spunk and practicality, particularly when she's aware that she's failing miserably. For all of the brilliant multi-dimensionality of Letty, however, there is Geoff. Compared with Richard from the first book (who admittedly had many more chapters written from his perspective) Geoff struck me as a touch flat, which is probably why I had an issue with the romantic chemistry between him and Letty. The only other slightly off-putting aspects were the sheer number of anachronisms, like when Geoff gives the pseudonyms "Dooney" and "Burke" while he and his accomplice are undercover. This eye-rolling joke (and the handful of others like it) would have been far more excusable to me if it hadn't been for the other major anachronism: someone seems to have snuck into Austenland, kidnapped Mr. and Mrs. Bennett and forced them to pose as Letty's parents. Letty even notes that her family home is in Hertforshire. This, combined with the numerous (but funny) Pride and Prejudice references in the "Eloise" chapters of the book leaves me feeling confident that I could hazard a guess at what book was on Willig's nightstand as she was writing this. With all of this in mind, it was a satisfying and quick read. I appreciated finally seeing Jane at work, and the action was excellent. In fact, this is the first book where we get a really good look at just how competent Jane is, and as soon as I finish this review I'm off to go see if Willig has published a book from Jane's perspective yet (as she has promised she eventually will, I am told).

Well, is the third time a charm? Yes and no. Ms. Willig continues to stick with her formulaic writing. The plot is as predictable as its predecessors but, it is still enjoyable. Once again, I recommend for those who are interested in historical romances.

Letty Olstead is high spirited, direct, adventureous character. Lord Jeff PinchinDale kisses Letty and requests for her hand in marriage, a marriage that should have been Mary's, Letty's sister. Mary is perfect and socially acceptable. Lord PinchinDale assignment is to protect England for Irish rebels, a syndicate called the Black tulip. Jeff departs on his mission on the day of his marriage. Letty follows Jeff to Ireland. Jeff follows Emmette to the secret weapons cache. Letty is kidnaped by Jeff's cousin and rescued by Jeff. Lady Quinn, Letty, and Jeff destory the weapons cache and foil the rebels plan to destroy power centers.