Tag: Historic Fiction

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Review: Ivy and Intrigue (A Very Selwick Christmas) by Lauren Willig

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Ivy and Intrigue (A Very Selwick Christmas) by Lauren Willig

After finishing the latest installment of Lauren Willig’s flowery spy series (The Pink Carnation series), I couldn’t resist eking out a little more frivolous adventure by reading this short story/novella: Ivy and Intrigue (A Very Selwick Christmas).

Since this is more of a short story, my review will not be as lengthy. I found the novella available for free online through Willig’s website, however I found that reading 100 or so pages on my computer was not ideal so I splurged and spent $0.99 to get it on my iPad through Amazon :).

Amy Balcourt has just married the dashing, Lord Richard Selwick (AKA, the flowery spy better known as the Purple Gentian) and they are celebrating their first Christmas together at Selwick Hall with the entire Selwick family–including one very unwelcome house guest–Lord Richard’s first love Deidre.

While Amy despises Deidre on principal, she is surprised to find that Deidre is not all together as upsetting as her cousin Jane….Amy is feeling the growing pains of her marriage. While Jane is off playing caped crusader all over France, Amy is left in stuffy old Sussex with her new husband–not exactly the glamorous life that Amy imagined. Continue reading “Review: Ivy and Intrigue (A Very Selwick Christmas) by Lauren Willig” →

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Review: The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation #4) by Lauren Willig

by The Lit Bitch11 Comments on Review: The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation #4) by Lauren Willig

Dapper, dark, mysterious, and mature: Lauren Willig’s latest flowery spy novel, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose  was the ‘changeling’ in the series.

Each book follows the usual pattern of ‘romance’ between a dashing international man of mystery (typically of peerage) and a virginal debutant.

The Crimson Rose is principally the same as the other books, but the love story between Lord Vaughn and Mary Alsworthy is more of an intimate, mature, intellectual love not like the previous books that are more of a fairytale romance….Vaughn and Mary for me were more like Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara.

I was actually surprised that the love story was more intellectual in nature….based on the previous books with Vaughn and Mary I suspected their romance would be all passion and elicit romance, so I was surprised that the story lacked ‘compromising’ encounters between the two lovebirds.

Though the story lacked the same dashing, flowery affection that the other books had the lack of overt attraction was one of the reasons I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED Lord Vaughn as a hero. Continue reading “Review: The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation #4) by Lauren Willig” →

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Review: Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

by The Lit Bitch4 Comments on Review: Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James was literally DOA for me.

It really tears me up when I have to write and unfavorable review, but I do have to call them like I see them, it’s only fair to my reads, fans, and authors.

For me, Death Comes to Pemberley was a flatline. I really wanted to like it but I just could never really get into it which makes me very sad.

With every page that I read I was hoping it would improve but I found it confusing at times and the characters flat. James begins with giving the ‘ridiculous short version’ recap of the original Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice novel which gave me hope because it WAS a comical rendition.

Then the actual story itself starts a few years after the marriage of the Miss Bennets to Bingley and Darcy. Continue reading “Review: Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James” →

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Review: The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation #3) by Lauren Willig

by The Lit Bitch8 Comments on Review: The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation #3) by Lauren Willig

Letty Alsworthy has an appalling nasty habit of being whisked way by seemingly innocent carriages! What was it about her that made everyone within grabbing distance want to and act upon the sudden urge to toss her an anything with wheels, one would be abductor in particular–Lord Geoffrey Pinchingdale Snipe.

In Lauren Willig’s latest Pink Carnation romantic spy thriller series, The Deception of the Emerald Ring, Letty Alsworthy finds herself in a precarious situation…her sister Mary is secretly engaged to Lord Pinchingdale and plotting to elope with him.

Letty discovers the plot moments before Mary literally flies out the window right along with her reputation….Letty manages to get to Lord Pinchingdale’s carriage before Mary does and to her satisfaction prevents their elopement but before she can gloat too much, Letty finds herself in the compromised position–NOT Mary.

When the coach delivers Lord Pinchingdale’s bride to him, before he can confirm the identity of his beloved, he finds himself swept up in a moment of passion only to reveal he is snogging the WRONG sister! With Letty’s reputation at stake, Lord Pinchingdale does what any English gentleman would do–he marries Letty. Continue reading “Review: The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation #3) by Lauren Willig” →

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Review: The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation #2) by Lauren Willig

by The Lit Bitch11 Comments on Review: The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation #2) by Lauren Willig

If the Pink Carnation left you feeling a little wilted and longing to drink in the next flowery caped crusader….look no further, Lauren Willig’s The Masque of the Black Tulip, is sure to quench any lingering thirst readers had!

Ravishing and bewitching, the whole Regency era upper-class turned spies with cute horticultural names thing is a force to be reckoned with…these books are simply amazing. I am reading them as part of the Regency & Victorian Reads Challenge over at the Royal Review’s blog.

As I was about thirty or so pages out from finishing the first book, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, I had to stop myself, get out of bed, put on something other than PJ’s, and make a quick trip across town (in the rain and cold) to find the next book in the series….as CLEARLY waiting a day or two to pick up the next book was not an option.

At the time this sounded like a capitol idea….though now that I think about it, I could easily have ordered the next book on my iPad with one click ordering but at the time that concept did not compute! Continue reading “Review: The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation #2) by Lauren Willig” →