The Mischief of the Mistletoe
By: Lauren Willig
326 Pages
Summary:
Arabella Dempsey's dear friend Jane Austen warned her against teaching. But Miss Climpson's Select Seminary for Young Ladies seems the perfect place for Arabella to claim her independence while keeping an eye on her younger sisters nearby. Just before Christmas, she accepts a position at the quiet girls' school in Bath, expecting to face nothing more exciting than conducting the annual Christmas recital. She hardly imagines coming face to face with French aristocrats and international spies...
Reginald "Turnip"Fitzhugh-often mistaken for the elusive spy known as the Pink Carnation- has blundered into danger before. But when he blunders into Miss Arabella Dempsey, it never occurs to him that she might be trouble. When Turnip and Arabella stumble upon a beautifully wrapped Christmas pudding with a cryptic message written in French, "Meet me at Farley Castle," the unlikely vehicle for intrigue launches the pair on a Yuletide adventure that ranges from the Austens' modest drawing room to the awe-inspiring estate of the Dukes of Dovedale, where the Dowager Duchess is hosting the most anticipated event of the year: an elaborate twelve-day Christmas celebration. Will they find poinsettias or peril, dancing or danger? Is it possible that the fate of the British Empire rests in Arabella's and Turnip's hands, in the form of a festive Christmas pudding? -- bn.com
The Pink Carnation series is back and in time to celebrate the Christmas season! I loved reading this book. The characters were great and fun to read. I loved the banter between Turnip and his sister, Sally. Sally was just a fun character to read and get to know. I'm hoping Lauren Willig does a book with her as the main character sometime in the future.
Lauren Willig is amazing at combining good plot and good characters. They way she wove Jane Austen into the story was genius. Truthfully, that was one of the main reasons I was drawn to the book. I do wish there was more of the spy hunt in the book, but I thoroughly enjoyed what there was.
I apologize for the poor job I have done on this review. I am doing this among planning a big Christmas dinner and getting presents wrapped. I have by no means done this book justice and I will not be able to apologize enough for it. I almost decided to hold off on posting it, but wanted to give you guys the chance to pursue it if you wanted to. This was a series I loved in the beginning, but became disenchanted with over time. The first book, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, remains my favorite but this book is up there with it. It was good to see a great series bounce back!
Rating: Borrow From the Library/ Buy It
0 comments:
Post a Comment