The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

A book I picked up at the book festival recently. A historical fiction, inspired by the story of the
Scarlet Pimpernel. Here we meet Eloise, an American student of history and obsessed with not only the ’Scarlet Pimpernel’, but two other spies; the ’Pink Gentian’ and the ’Pink Carnation’. What is making her excited, and is the theme for her dissertation paper, is that nobody knows who the ’Pink Carnation’ really was.

The book starts from the research and some old letters relatives of the Pink Gentian provide. The aunt at least, her nephew Colin is not that keen on providing them. The interaction between Eloise and Colin runs parallell to the story of Richard, the ’Pink Gentian’ and Amy. Amy is half French, but has been living in England since she was five. Her father was executed during the French revolution and her mother died shortly afterwards. Her brother remained in France, and has now called upon her to come and reside with him. She is happy to go back to France, but her main reason to go there, is to offer her services to her hero; the Pink Gentian. She just has to find out who he is first.

This is a nice, easy read and well-written romantic adventure story. There are a few obstacles along the line and a few surprises here an there that keep you attached until the end. Adding this book to my list of TBR books, I realised I already had another book by Lauren Willig, The Masque of the Black Tulip, the next in the series! Am I just not lucky? I must have known that the first in the series would turn up somehow. It is just to dip into it. Have to see how things turn out between Eloise and Colin!