Thursday, June 16, 2016

Book Review: The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig

The Deception of the Emerald Ring
Author: Lauren Willig
Series: Pink Carnation (Book 3)
Publication: NAL; Reprint edition (September 4, 2007)

Description: Eloise Kelly has gotten into quite a bit of trouble since she started spying on the Pink Carnation and the Black Tulip-two of the deadliest spies to saunter the streets of nineteenth-century England and France.

Not only has she unearthed secrets that will rearrange history, she's dallied with Colin Selwick and sought out a romantic adventure all her own. Little does she know that she's about to uncover another fierce heroine running headlong into history.

My Thoughts: I am really enjoying this series. In this episode another member of the band of aristocratic spies finds himself inconveniently married to the sister of the woman he loves. Letty is the younger sister and the practical family "fixer." She isn't the sort to inspire poetry like her sister. She is short, round, outspoken, and completely unable to convincingly tell a lie. Geoff is a seasoned spy but more usually works in the background to prepare things for the more intrepid spies. They get together by accident but he persists in seeing Letty as some sort of schemer who wanted to trap him into marriage.

The two of them find themselves in Ireland just in time to thwart the 1803 Irish rebellion. Things are complicated by the interference of our hero Geoff's dastardly cousin and the mysterious and enigmatic Lord Vaughn who seems to be everywhere in this series.

Hurt feelings, misunderstandings and too much pride manage to keep our young lovers at odds for much of the story which is filled with action and danger and all sorts of mysterious characters.

In the present story line, Eloise finds herself obsessing over an absent Colin who turns up at the most inconvenient time - just as she is out on a blind date that was set up by her grandmother. What is so intriguing to me about this bridging story line is that only a couple of weeks have passed since Eloise met Colin. After following three romances in the historical time period, it feels like more time must have passed in the present day one.

I can't wait to read the next book in this series and am really glad that there are twelve books in the series. Looks like I have lots of enjoyable books in my future.

Favorite Quote:
A fat lot of right I had to be psychoanalyzing Geoffrey Pinchingdale-Snipe, when I was doing the exact same thing, pinning all my hopes and desires on someone I barely knew—largely because I barely knew him. There's nothing like a blank slate. Take one attractive man, slop on a thick coat of daydream, and, voila, the perfect man. With absolutely no resemblance to reality.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

2 comments:

  1. An author on my TBR for a very long time. Still unable to get any of her reads.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really want to read some of Lauren Willig's work after her collaboration in The Forgotten Room, which I loved. I adore her book covers, so much!

    ReplyDelete

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