The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig (2008)

HISTORICAL: European Historical Romance
SETTING: France & England 1803
SERIES: Book Four in the Pink Carnation series
HEROINE: 25 year old woman,

Lauren Willig continues the exciting Pink Carnation series with her fourth novel, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, featuring Lord Vaughn, the delightfully devilish spy from The Masque of the Black Tulip, and Mary Alsworthy, the raven-haired beauty whose sister accidentally stole her suitor in The Deception of the Emerald Ring. Determined to secure another London season without assistance from her new brother-in-law, Mary accepts a secret assignment from Lord Vaughn on behalf of the Pink Carnation: to infiltrate the ranks of the dreaded French spy, the Black Tulip, before he and his master can stage their planned invasion of England. Every spy has a weakness, and for the Black Tulip that weakness is black-haired women--his "petals" of the Tulip. A natural at the art of seduction, Mary easily catches the attention of the French spy, but Lord Vaughn never anticipates that his own heart will be caught as well. Fighting their growing attraction, impediments from their past, and, of course, the French, Mary and Vaughn find themselves lost in the shadows of a treacherous garden of lies.

2 Reviews:

This Blog said...

Dear Author's Jane reviews The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig

These two are made for each other and indeed would over power most other characters. Often such strong people are paired with someone who is their opposite, who acts to redeem them and or soften them. Vaughn and Mary strike sparks from the beginning and in the end, are forged into something even stronger. No they aren’t always kind, often work only for their own interest but (and I say this with relish) I like them! (read more)

This Blog said...

AAR's Jane Granville reviews The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig

Both Mary and Vaughn are cynical, jaded, and bitter, but for different reasons, making the tone of this book different than the previous ones, though it still retains Willig’s distinctive and thoroughly enjoyable writing style. However, their cynicism toward the other characters is a little hard for fans of the series to fully embrace them and reading their thoughts about the other couples form the previous novels is a bit like overhearing one friend make fun of another behind their backs. It made me a bit resentful of them at first, and it took longer for me to fully warm to the characters. The book as a whole took a bit longer to get into as well than other entries in the series, though it picked up considerably in the second half. (read more)

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