"The Secret History of the Pink Carnation" - Lauren Willig

Hello fellow bibliophiles! For this post, I have a throwback to the first book in one of my favorite series! The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig is the first of twelve books in this same titled series. I have an itch to go back and reread the complete series as the last, and final, book will be coming out this fall. I love this series for many reasons. I'll list a few of them for you :)

1. The story is wrote from two different perspectives. Present day Eloise, the scholar who is desperately trying to complete her dissertation on aristocratic spies during the late 1700's, and the spies themselves. If you've read any of my previous reviews, you know I love a good past and present story line!

2. Spies. Spies who name themselves after different flowers. Spies who wear masks and dash around in tights and capes in 18th century England. Dashingly handsome, witty, and clever spies. Spies with titles who write their messages in code and seal the envelopes with wax and a seal. Did I mention spies?

3. Letter writing. Stage coaches. Manors in the country. Balls and masquerades.

4. Present day relatives of these dashing spies who are trying to hold their families secrets of these spies.

5. A wonderful woman named Mrs. Arabelle Selwick-Alderly and her charming, handsome, and sometimes rude,grandson Colin.

I could go on and on! Short version: Elosie, down on her luck, goes to England to finish researching the spies for her dissertation. Mrs. Selwick-Alderly holds these secrets, and their stories. Through them both, the reader is transported back to 18th century England on a whirlwind of espionage. And what kind of story would this be without a little bit of romance?! Don't worry. You don't have to fret. There's romance and plenty of it. Ball gowns and corsets. Men in tights. These books are fantastic. Willig is a great writer. She's descriptive, but not overly descriptive. Historical yet comical. I often find myself laughing out loud throughout the story. The reader is on a fast-paced struggle of wanting to know how the story comes together yet covering the next page to prevent yourself from jumping ahead. I highly recommend this series to all fans of historicall intrigue, mystery, and a little bit of romance. I cannot wait for the final book in the series!

Happy reading fools :)