THE SEDUCTION OF THE CRIMSON ROSE by Lauren Willig

Publisher Dutton/Penguin Books
Date published January 2008
ISBN 978-0-525-95033-2
Contemporary/Historical Fiction
Hardcover
Reviewed by Dawn



Mary Alsworthy is determined to secure another London Season without the help of her sister’s new husband; she decides to accept a secret assignment for the Pink Carnation that has her infiltrating the ranks of master French spy, The Black Tulip. She catches his attention but there is one tiny hitch in her mission, her growing attraction to fellow spy, Lord Vaughn. Can Mary finish her assignment without getting detected? Will the Black Tulip succeed in his daring plan to destroy England? The next saga of the Pink Carnation Series is here and about to explode as past and present forces collide in THE SEDUCTION OF THE CRIMSON ROSE!

Author Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation Series has drawn rave reviews and garnered many fans with her witty and lyrical storytelling that draws on historical facts and her close attention to period details. This reviewer was thrilled to see that the THE SEDUCTION OF THE CRIMSON ROSE was about Lord Vaughn and Mary Alsworthy from her last book, The Deception of the Emerald Ring. These two characters were utterly delightful in that last book and I was thrilled to see the sparks fly between these wonderful characters. Add in a parallel story that involves Eloise Kelly and her pursuit of her doctoral dissertation on The Pink Carnation and you get the makings of a double story all in one that will keep the reader enthralled.

Ms. Willig delivers a scorching story that keeps you glued to the edge of your seat as you go back and forth between Eloise’s story and Mary’s dangerous mission as well as both their growing romances with respectively, Colin Selwick and Lord Vaughn. Each page delivers a startling glimpse in a world gone by that keeps you entertained and ready to see what is on the next page. If you enjoy a story that will keep you satisfied in all ways, then grab the latest in Ms. Willig’s wonderful Pink Carnation series, THE SEDUCTION OF THE CRIMSON ROSE and see what happens when past and present collide amid the pages. This reviewer is running to check out the others in this series to see how it all began and to meet other characters that have been mentioned in passing in her last two books.