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jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
4.0
Arabella Dempsey has just seen all her hopes dashed. She's been a companion to her aunt since she was a child and fully expected to inherit from her. She realizes that isn't going to happen when her aunt marries a much younger man--the very man that Arabella has been fantasizing about. Does it get any crueler? But Arabella is nothing if not determined and she determines to make her own way in the world and goes to work as a teacher in an all-girls school. Her first day there she literally bumps into everyone's favorite bumbling idiot, Reginald Fitzhugh. You might know him as Turnip. Turnip because he has the brains of one. But Turnip has a big heart and a younger sister and a secret message in a Christmas pudding, and it all adds up to one very fun book.
I confess that I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to Turnip in the other books, but I did love the big doof in this book. He's handsome, and not the brightest crayon, but he has a gigantic heart. He's wrapped around his younger sister's finger, he's rich but doesn't even think about class as a general rule. Everything he's thinking moves across his face, and he's not afraid to defend a lady's honor. Heck, he's willing to play an even bigger idiot and thus put his life on the line for his country! A gentleman indeed!
The action in this book takes place in between The Seduction of the Crimson Rose and The Temptation of the Night Jasmine. Well, it actually overlaps with Night Jasmine. It was interesting to see some of those events from a different perspective.
Oh, and another thing. Jane Austen as a character. Need I say more?
I always read Lauren Willig's books with a gigantic goofy grin on my face and finish them up satisfied and yet looking for more. I don't know if there's really any bigger praise to give a book. This series might not rock my world, but they are some of my favorite "lighter" books. Just go read them if you haven't, and if you have, make sure you read Turnip and Arabella's story.
I confess that I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to Turnip in the other books, but I did love the big doof in this book. He's handsome, and not the brightest crayon, but he has a gigantic heart. He's wrapped around his younger sister's finger, he's rich but doesn't even think about class as a general rule. Everything he's thinking moves across his face, and he's not afraid to defend a lady's honor. Heck, he's willing to play an even bigger idiot and thus put his life on the line for his country! A gentleman indeed!
The action in this book takes place in between The Seduction of the Crimson Rose and The Temptation of the Night Jasmine. Well, it actually overlaps with Night Jasmine. It was interesting to see some of those events from a different perspective.
Oh, and another thing. Jane Austen as a character. Need I say more?
I always read Lauren Willig's books with a gigantic goofy grin on my face and finish them up satisfied and yet looking for more. I don't know if there's really any bigger praise to give a book. This series might not rock my world, but they are some of my favorite "lighter" books. Just go read them if you haven't, and if you have, make sure you read Turnip and Arabella's story.
amylajiness's review against another edition
5.0
A fun, festive read with none of the cheesiness of typical "Christmas" novels.
alanaleigh's review against another edition
3.0
Mischief of the Mistletoe is the latest adventure in the Secret History of the Pink Carnation series and this time, it's a Christmas romance! For those looking for the usual Lauren Willig fare, you'll find that this installment comes up a bit short, though it's still an amusing holiday read. Normally, Willig bounces between the historical love story that occupies a single book and the modern storyline that ties all the books together, but this time we simply have the love story without cuts to modern counterparts. Perhaps to make up for that, we have an intense reliance upon characters featured from previous books (and if you're like me, you might need a cheat sheet to remember who is who) coupled with a return to events from previous books to get another perspective on events that have already unfolded and match up some secondary characters.
Arabella Dempsey is used to being a wallflower... she's used to being passed over and ignored, though it still hurts when the young man who had previously been flirting with her shows his true colors and marries her much-older, wealthy aunt. As Arabella had served as her aunt's companion for years, it was always assumed that the aunt might eventually adopt Arabella and so leave the girl her money -- and while Arabella isn't exactly a London debutante, it would certainly help, given her father's poor health and three younger sisters to care for. With financial and romantic dreams crushed, Arabella makes a hard decision -- she is going to teach. She gets herself a position at Miss Climpson's institution for young ladies and accepts that her social position is getting even lower for it, but whatever helps feed the family, right? Of course, what she doesn't count on is running into Reginald (aka "Turnip") Fitzhugh, a young man whose sister attends Miss Climpson's and who literally knocks into her and drops a Christmas pudding on her foot. He doesn't remember that he's already met (and danced with) Miss Dempsey, and probably wouldn't remember this encounter either, except that she chases after him with the forgotten Christmas pudding... and then she nearly has it stolen from her by some ruffian. Turnip helps Arabella to her feet yet again and when they discover that the muslin wrapping has a secret rendezvous time written in French, well... let's just say that Turnip won't be forgetting Arabella's name now as they make plans to figure out what plan is afoot. While Arabella assumes it's a young lady making plans to meet a lover, Turnip thinks there might be secret spy goings-on (after all, he may not be allowed to spy for the Pink Carnation, but he certainly tries to deflect attention with his outrageous wardrobe). They may not think they're getting any closer to solving the mystery, though they themselves seem to develop a certain closeness... but can social circles be overcome by the magic of Christmas puddings?
It's a cute little romance, but quite honestly, the main storyline doesn't touch on the weird part. The thing is, Arabella's best friend is... Jane Austen. Um... yeah. I understand that Mischief of the Mistletoe is influenced by Austen's unfinished manuscript, The Watsons, but it's a little distracting to have Jane Austen as an actual character. I know, I know, fiction can do all kinds of things, but there's something about using Austen that just isn't cricket. It's one thing to attempt to finish an manuscript, it's another to involve the lady herself. Willig is quite delicate in her treatment of Austen, though, and doesn't really do anything out of character. Most of her meatier dialogue is modeled from her letters, and otherwise she's simply being a good friend to Arabella, engaged more in observation than any direct intervention.
Fans of Willig will be amused at this small diversion and I will give Willig immense credit for the fact that her next real novel will be published in January 2011. So if this felt thin, we don't need to wait long for another new read. Quite impressive, really, considering that while this is certainly shorter than the usual book, it's much more than just a silly side story! So Happy Christmas and enjoy the pudding (or don't, as descriptions of it here hardly make it seem like a truly appealing treat).
Arabella Dempsey is used to being a wallflower... she's used to being passed over and ignored, though it still hurts when the young man who had previously been flirting with her shows his true colors and marries her much-older, wealthy aunt. As Arabella had served as her aunt's companion for years, it was always assumed that the aunt might eventually adopt Arabella and so leave the girl her money -- and while Arabella isn't exactly a London debutante, it would certainly help, given her father's poor health and three younger sisters to care for. With financial and romantic dreams crushed, Arabella makes a hard decision -- she is going to teach. She gets herself a position at Miss Climpson's institution for young ladies and accepts that her social position is getting even lower for it, but whatever helps feed the family, right? Of course, what she doesn't count on is running into Reginald (aka "Turnip") Fitzhugh, a young man whose sister attends Miss Climpson's and who literally knocks into her and drops a Christmas pudding on her foot. He doesn't remember that he's already met (and danced with) Miss Dempsey, and probably wouldn't remember this encounter either, except that she chases after him with the forgotten Christmas pudding... and then she nearly has it stolen from her by some ruffian. Turnip helps Arabella to her feet yet again and when they discover that the muslin wrapping has a secret rendezvous time written in French, well... let's just say that Turnip won't be forgetting Arabella's name now as they make plans to figure out what plan is afoot. While Arabella assumes it's a young lady making plans to meet a lover, Turnip thinks there might be secret spy goings-on (after all, he may not be allowed to spy for the Pink Carnation, but he certainly tries to deflect attention with his outrageous wardrobe). They may not think they're getting any closer to solving the mystery, though they themselves seem to develop a certain closeness... but can social circles be overcome by the magic of Christmas puddings?
It's a cute little romance, but quite honestly, the main storyline doesn't touch on the weird part. The thing is, Arabella's best friend is... Jane Austen. Um... yeah. I understand that Mischief of the Mistletoe is influenced by Austen's unfinished manuscript, The Watsons, but it's a little distracting to have Jane Austen as an actual character. I know, I know, fiction can do all kinds of things, but there's something about using Austen that just isn't cricket. It's one thing to attempt to finish an manuscript, it's another to involve the lady herself. Willig is quite delicate in her treatment of Austen, though, and doesn't really do anything out of character. Most of her meatier dialogue is modeled from her letters, and otherwise she's simply being a good friend to Arabella, engaged more in observation than any direct intervention.
Fans of Willig will be amused at this small diversion and I will give Willig immense credit for the fact that her next real novel will be published in January 2011. So if this felt thin, we don't need to wait long for another new read. Quite impressive, really, considering that while this is certainly shorter than the usual book, it's much more than just a silly side story! So Happy Christmas and enjoy the pudding (or don't, as descriptions of it here hardly make it seem like a truly appealing treat).
courtknee_bee's review against another edition
5.0
April 2022: The re-read continues. Still my favorite entry in the series to date, and I suspect it will maintain its number one position. I wish I could be friends with Turnip and Arabella!
2022 Pink Carnation Re-Read Rankings
1. [b:The Mischief of the Mistletoe|7720480|The Mischief of the Mistletoe (Pink Carnation, #7)|Lauren Willig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1290575915l/7720480._SY75_.jpg|10468223] (#7)
2. [b:The Secret History of the Pink Carnation|84351|The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation, #1)|Lauren Willig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442617435l/84351._SY75_.jpg|2950861] (#1)
3. [b:The Masque of the Black Tulip|397844|The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation, #2)|Lauren Willig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442518160l/397844._SY75_.jpg|2584] (#2)
4. [b:The Seduction of the Crimson Rose|1363577|The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation, #4)|Lauren Willig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389293004l/1363577._SY75_.jpg|1353384] (#4)
5. [b:The Deception of the Emerald Ring|25802|The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation, #3)|Lauren Willig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427729363l/25802._SY75_.jpg|26522] (#3)
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I'm a huge fan of the this series, and actually own every novel to date! Willig does a great job of mixing historical fiction with chick lit elements. Although some of the dialogue is less than historically accurate, I always find myself entranced in these books.
That being said, I think this little novella is actually my favorite in the series. The characters are the most well-rounded out of all the heroes and heroines. They've got very definite flaws, but they're also quite loveable.
This is also the funniest book of the series, in my opinion. There were moments where I truly laughed out loud.
2022 Pink Carnation Re-Read Rankings
1. [b:The Mischief of the Mistletoe|7720480|The Mischief of the Mistletoe (Pink Carnation, #7)|Lauren Willig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1290575915l/7720480._SY75_.jpg|10468223] (#7)
2. [b:The Secret History of the Pink Carnation|84351|The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation, #1)|Lauren Willig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442617435l/84351._SY75_.jpg|2950861] (#1)
3. [b:The Masque of the Black Tulip|397844|The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation, #2)|Lauren Willig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442518160l/397844._SY75_.jpg|2584] (#2)
4. [b:The Seduction of the Crimson Rose|1363577|The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation, #4)|Lauren Willig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389293004l/1363577._SY75_.jpg|1353384] (#4)
5. [b:The Deception of the Emerald Ring|25802|The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation, #3)|Lauren Willig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427729363l/25802._SY75_.jpg|26522] (#3)
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I'm a huge fan of the this series, and actually own every novel to date! Willig does a great job of mixing historical fiction with chick lit elements. Although some of the dialogue is less than historically accurate, I always find myself entranced in these books.
That being said, I think this little novella is actually my favorite in the series. The characters are the most well-rounded out of all the heroes and heroines. They've got very definite flaws, but they're also quite loveable.
This is also the funniest book of the series, in my opinion. There were moments where I truly laughed out loud.
jbarr5's review against another edition
4.0
the mischief of the mistletoe: pink carnation series by lauren willig
the school gives a Christmas performance with live animals. it's quite comincal with the romance that is under foot as well.
Love holiday season and everything it means to all. pudding with ribbons with a note written on them help lead them in the right direction to solve the mystery.
the school gives a Christmas performance with live animals. it's quite comincal with the romance that is under foot as well.
Love holiday season and everything it means to all. pudding with ribbons with a note written on them help lead them in the right direction to solve the mystery.
jbarr5's review against another edition
5.0
The school gives a Christmas performance with live animals. It's quite comical with the romance that is under foot as well. Love holiday season and everything it means to all, pudding with ribbons with a note written on them help lead them in the right direction to solve the mystery.
candaceross321's review against another edition
5.0
I keep coming back to the Pink Carnation series again and again, and I think Turnip is probably my favorite character. I absolutely love that he gets his own story and we are treated to a romance built on laughter and sincere admiration.