Synopses & Reviews
**This is a Read Pink edition. In October 2010, Penguin Group (USA) launched a new initiative in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This October, we are pleased to continue the program with a donation of $25,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation(r) and are presenting eight beloved titles in special Read Pink(tm) editions:
The Perfect Poison, by Amanda Quick
The Border Lord's Bride, by Bertrice Small
With Every Breath, by Lynn Kurland
Danger in a Red Dress, by Christina Dodd
Early Dawn, by Catherine Anderson
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, by Lauren Willig
A Duke's Temptation, by Jillian Hunter
Tribute, by Nora Roberts
Nothing ever goes right for Eloise. The day she wears her new suede boots, it rains. When the subway stops short, she's the one thrown into some stranger's lap. And she's had her share of misfortune in the way of love. So, after deciding that romantic heroes must be a thing of the past, Eloise is ready for a fresh start.
Setting off for England, Eloise is determined to finish her dissertation on two spies, the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. But what she discovers is something 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 has more and more 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 of her own?
Review
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 Your Wicked Ways) A merry romp with never a dull moment! (Mary Balogh, author of Slightly Dangerous)
Review
"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
Synopsis
Even a modern girl could use a hero. Eloise Kelly, a smart but slightly fumbling Jimmy Choo-clad American, has had her nose in the books, but she's about to uncover The Secret History of the Pink Carnation--a tale of espionage, adventure, and romance. And she just might find a hero of her own along the way.
Synopsis
This genre-bending reada dash of chick-lit with a historical twisthas it all: romance, mystery, and adventure. Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries 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 Harvards 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 Carnationthe most elusive spy of all time, the spy who single-handedly saved England from Napoleons 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 Carnations 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?
Synopsis
Everything is coming up carnations in this national bestselling series Realizing romantic heroes are a thing of the past, graduate student Eloise Kelly is determined to focus on her work. Her first stop: England, to finish her dissertation on the English spies of the Napoleonic Wars, like the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian.
But her greatest conquest is to reveal the most elusive spy of them all, the dashing Pink Carnation. As she does, she discovers something for the history books-a living, breathing hero all her very own...
Synopsis
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?
About the Author
Yale graduate Lauren Willig, twenty-six, is currently a law student and Ph.D. candidate in history at Harvard University. Originally from New York, she lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she is now at work on a second Pink Carnation novel.