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jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
4.0
[b:The Masque of the Black Tulip|397844|The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation, Book 2)|Lauren Willig|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174425686s/397844.jpg|2584] continues the story of spies and lovers begun with The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. Henrietta Selwick (sister to Richard Selwick, who was the spy known as The Purple Gentian) is corresponding with her cousin Jane (who is living in Paris and spying on Napoleon's government in the guise of the Pink Carnation). Got that? Through their coded correspondence, Jane sends messages of intrigue to the War Office in Britain. One such message notifies the War Office that the French have deployed their best and most dangerous spy, The Black Tulip, to London. A search for the spy follows.
Okay, without giving away anything, that is the bare bones of the plot. But that makes it sound a lot more serious than it is. Sure, the spying and disguises and coded messages do happen, but this book is pure, unadulterated, fun chick-lit. I raced through it, waiting to see if the Black Tulp is caught in time, but really, I just wanted to see who ends up in love with whom. The plot is fun, the characters are maybe not too well-developed, but they're fun too, and the pace is just right. If you don't take yourself or your books too seriously, this is an amusing, easy read. It would be great to read on the beach.
Okay, without giving away anything, that is the bare bones of the plot. But that makes it sound a lot more serious than it is. Sure, the spying and disguises and coded messages do happen, but this book is pure, unadulterated, fun chick-lit. I raced through it, waiting to see if the Black Tulp is caught in time, but really, I just wanted to see who ends up in love with whom. The plot is fun, the characters are maybe not too well-developed, but they're fun too, and the pace is just right. If you don't take yourself or your books too seriously, this is an amusing, easy read. It would be great to read on the beach.
oddsbodikins7's review
5.0
Still a great book! I did skip the sections with Eloise and Collin, I really can't get into that story. But that's ok, the rest is fantastic!
princessmeg's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rosannelortz's review
4.0
Grad student Eloise Kelly is in England researching the network of spies surrounding the English hero, the Pink Carnation, when dreamy Colin Selwick invites her to investigate the archives at his ancient manor house. In between trying to ascertain whether Colin is flirting with her and enduring the slings and arrows of outraged locals, Eloise stumbles across some old letters. They tell the story of Henrietta Selwick, the sister to the Purple Gentian, who is determined to be a spy in her own right.
The novel weaves back and forth between the modern narrative and the early 1800s tale, giving Henrietta and her lovelorn swain Miles the preponderance of airtime. An archvillain named the Black Tulip is on the loose in England, concealing his (or her?) own identity while casting about to discover the identity of the Pink Carnation. Miles Dorrington, a blond, athletic, stand-up sort of fellow, is tasked by the government with unmasking the villain. At the same time, his friend Richard tasks him with squiring little sister Henrietta around the ton. Much to his consternation, Miles finds his attraction to his best friend's sister developing at an alarming rate. To make matters worse, the effervescent Hen(rietta) is in correspondence with the Pink Carnation, making herself a target the Black Tulip won't be able to resist.
I enjoyed this book far more than the first in the series. Henrietta was exceedingly more endearing than the previous heroine Amy (and there were even a few scenes where Amy showed up to remind you how dippy and annoying she was). Miles was a reliable though not overly expressive hero (of the Freddy Standish variety, from Georgette Heyer's Cotillion). While there was still some risque content, this novel was not quite as over-the-top in that regard as the initial book. Lauren Willig always delights with her literary allusions and witty turn of phrase, and I enjoyed the dual storyline with the modern and Napoleonic time periods.
The novel weaves back and forth between the modern narrative and the early 1800s tale, giving Henrietta and her lovelorn swain Miles the preponderance of airtime. An archvillain named the Black Tulip is on the loose in England, concealing his (or her?) own identity while casting about to discover the identity of the Pink Carnation. Miles Dorrington, a blond, athletic, stand-up sort of fellow, is tasked by the government with unmasking the villain. At the same time, his friend Richard tasks him with squiring little sister Henrietta around the ton. Much to his consternation, Miles finds his attraction to his best friend's sister developing at an alarming rate. To make matters worse, the effervescent Hen(rietta) is in correspondence with the Pink Carnation, making herself a target the Black Tulip won't be able to resist.
I enjoyed this book far more than the first in the series. Henrietta was exceedingly more endearing than the previous heroine Amy (and there were even a few scenes where Amy showed up to remind you how dippy and annoying she was). Miles was a reliable though not overly expressive hero (of the Freddy Standish variety, from Georgette Heyer's Cotillion). While there was still some risque content, this novel was not quite as over-the-top in that regard as the initial book. Lauren Willig always delights with her literary allusions and witty turn of phrase, and I enjoyed the dual storyline with the modern and Napoleonic time periods.
tessisreading2's review
3.0
This was a fun, fluffy, easy read. It didn't have the same "oomph" as its predecessor, probably because the nineteenth-century mystery was less mysterious - the identity of the Black Tulip was fairly easy to figure out, whereas the revelation of the Pink Carnation's identity in the previous book was exciting and fairly unexpected. Additionally, Colin and Eloise's relationship He reads kind of like Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones, though - generic Darcy-inspired British romance hero - the result of which is that he lacks enough personality to convince me that I care about the resolution of his relationship with Eloise.
Spoiler
continues on a will-they-or-won't-they track that could easily get obnoxious.nightravyn's review
4.0
The second book of the Pink Carnation series and it was another fun, light read. Historical? Yes (with admitted liberties taken by the author and admitted in the back, but they do not detract from the story in the slightest). Romance? Yes, but not the overwhelming formula that is rampant (i.e. - kissing twice, sex once, and quite a bit of me giggling at the couple involved as they mutter and swear in their heads for doing "stupid" things). Humor? Yep! Once again, I giggled my way through this book. Intrigue? Yep! I kept having my thoughts as to who was the culprit change through the whole book. The author does a reasonable job of casting doubt on the eventual culprit. Is it deep? No way. But it succeeds at being a fun read that made me laugh and have a bit of romance along with it.
kim_chelf's review
4.0
The second book in the Pink Carnation series, this book is just as much fun as the first. This one focuses on some of the minor characters from the first book....Miles and Henrietta. Amy and Richard play only minor roles in the story. This book also takes place in England rather than France. But the tone of the book and the structure of the story are basically the same, although the romance aspect features a bit more prominently. Make no mistake, this is a romance novel first and a historical fiction novel second, so if you aren't looking for a plot heavy on "love" this book is not for you. But it's a fun summer read that kept me entertained and engaged throughout.
lindsayharmon's review
2.0
Yeah, it's a series. And apparently an addictive one. So much for my reputation as a literary snob.