Review: Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins

Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins

Contemporary Romance, Published October 2011

Read June 2012, 384 pp.

3/5 STARS

Book Blurb:

Posey Osterhagen can’t complain. She owns a successful architectural salvaging company, she’s surrounded by her lovable, if off-center, family and she has a boyfriend—sort of. Still, something’s missing. Something tall, brooding and criminally good-looking… something like Liam Murphy.

When Posey was sixteen, the bad boy of Bellsford, New Hampshire, broke her heart. But now he’s back, sending Posey’s traitorous schoolgirl heart into overdrive once again. She should be giving him a wide berth, but it seems fate has other ideas….

Thoughts:

There are many things to love about this bad boy romance.  Liam Murphy is Posey’s bad boy crush from high school.  Now many years later, they’ve both found themselves back in their home town and running into each other constantly.  I loved that not only are we seeing the story through Posey’s eyes, but Liam’s as well, and of course, there are two completely different stories going on!  I loved Posey’s architectural salvage company and all the many characters that work for her.  I also loved Liam’s 15-year-old daughter and her blossoming relationship with Posey.  I wasn’t, however, crazy about Posey’s family and I didn’t ever really feel the chemistry between Posey and Liam.  Why do they need to be together?

Overall, an enjoyable cozy read.

Quotes:

Every woman has a fantasy about running into the man that broke her heart.  In such a fantasy, she’d be walking down the street, her well-dressed and gorgeous husband (let’s say George Clooney, shall we, circa age 40) caressing her, perhaps nuzzling her neck because he can’t help himself.  She’d be wearing something fabulous, her hair would be glossy and perfect, she and Clooney would have just left the nicest restaurant in town, perhaps, or the poshest jewelry shop, because he insisted on buying her yet another token of his love – and then oh, my goodness, who’s that?  Why it’s him, the first man she ever loved, the one who didn’t just break her young and loyal heart, but shattered it.  He’s not looking so good these days.  No, the years have not been kind.  He’s gray – or better yet, balding – and slightly overweight, and his posture is hunched.  He looks at her, recognizing immediately that the biggest mistake of his life was dumping her.  Pleasantries will be exchanged.  Clooney will shake his hand, giving Adored Wife a wry look (Him?  Really?), and as the happy couple walks away to their snazzy car, the heartbreaker of old is already forgotten.  Be he will gaze longingly after her, wondering how he ever could’ve been so blind.

That would’ve been nice.

-p. 84 (ARC)

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Undeniably Yours

Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey

The Kowalski Family #2

Contemporary Romance, Published Jan 31, 2012

Challenges: NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012

Read: March 2012, 384 pp.

Rating: 3.5/5

• #1 – Exclusively Yours

Book Blurb:

Note: This title was originally published as an exclusive e-book with Carina Press. This novel is now being published in print for the first time by Harlequin HQN.

Can a one-night stand turn into happily ever after?

Bar owner Kevin Kowalski is used to women throwing their phone numbers at him. Even if lately he’s been more interested in finding Mrs. Right than Miss Right Now. Enter Beth Hansen.

Kevin and Beth may have started out all wrong, with an impromptu passionate encounter at a wedding, followed by a walk of shame. Yet Kevin knows there’s more to their relationship than a one-night stand. Especially when Beth turns up pregnant.

Kevin may be ready for the “next step,” but Beth doesn’t want a relationship with a former playboy, however irresistible he might be. And it’s going to take a lot to convince her to go on a second date with the father of her child…

Thoughts:

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the 1st in the series – Exclusively Yours, mostly I think because I felt there was a lack in appearance of the Kowalski family, especially compared to book 1 where they are on the family camping trip, and also because in this one, as it surrounds Beth and her continual need to not accept Kevin’s, her baby daddy, help.  I thought Kevin was overly sweet to her and I hated that she kept finding excuses to stay away from him and yet he continually came back for more abuse.  I wish Beth’s character hadn’t been so obtuse and stubborn to the point where it was hard to sympathize with her.  Still, I enjoyed Shannon Stacey’s writing style and I liked seeing a lot of the secondary characters from the Kowalski family and will definitely be reading book 3 – Yours to Keep.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Woodrose Mountain

Woodrose Mountain by RaeAnne Thayne

Hope’s Crossing #2

#1 – Blackberry Summer

Romance – Contemporary (Clean), Published March 27, 2012

Challenges: NetGalley Month (Jan)

Read January 2012, 384 pp

4.5/5

Book Blurb:

It’s never too late for love in Hope’s Crossing…

Evie Blanchard was at the top of her field in the city of angels. But when an emotional year forces her to walk away from her job as a physical therapist, she moves from Los Angeles to Hope’s Crossing seeking a quieter life. So the last thing she needs is to get involved with the handsome, arrogant Brodie Thorne and his injured daughter, Taryn.

A self-made man and single dad, Brodie will do anything to get Taryn the rehabilitation she needs…even if it means convincing Evie to move in with them. And despite her vow to keep an emotional distance, Evie can’t help but be moved by Taryn’s spirit, or Brodie’s determination to win her help—and her heart. With laughter, courage and more than a little help from the kindhearted people of Hope’s Crossing, Taryn may get the healing she deserves—and Evie and Brodie might just find a love they never knew could exist.

First Impressions (Out of all the books I have to read, why this one?):

This was one of my most anticipated books for 2012 because I loved the first book so much! When I saw it on NetGalley, I just had to request it!

Thoughts:

This book was so sweet and I’m glad to be back in Hope’s Crossing, Colorado!  The first book in the series, Blackberry Summer, left us with Claire slowly recovering from the highway accident that left many of the local residents reeling from the death of one local teenager and one in a coma.  Woodrose Mountain focuses on Taryn, the teenager who spent months in a coma and is now coming home.  Evie, the hippie beadster, who lives in the apartment above Claire’s bead store, used to be a physical therapist until the death of one special patient caused her to move to a new town and start a whole new life.  Taryn’s father, Brodie, begs Evie to come help Taryn relearn to talk and walk, not knowing how it will truly affect her.

The recovery is not easy, and while Evie is very reluctant to become close to another patient, she can’t help but fall in love with Taryn, despite her teenager stubbornness, and her closed up heart even starts to open a little for Brodie.  I loved that we got a glimpse of past Hope’s Crossing residents but also that a new group becomes the highlight of this story. Although she’s very stubborn, I loved Taryn’s sense of humor and Evie’s dog, Jacques.

Everyone in town has to start learning to open up their broken hearts and learn to love again.  If you are in need of a love story or a visit from the Angel of Hope this spring, be sure to check out Hope’s Crossing.  It’s a town I wish I could visit in real life!  You do not have to have read the first book in the series to enjoy this one, but I would recommend both!

Quotes: (quoted from ARC, will double check against hard copy when I get one!)

On a warm summer evening, the homes and buildings of Hope’s Crossing nestled among the trees like brightly colored stones in a drawer – a brilliant lapis-lazuli roof here, a carnelian-painted garage here, the warm topaz of the old hospital bricks.

Next in the series:

• Sweet Laurel Falls/HQN/October 2012

Read-a-likes:

Susan Wigg’s The Lakeshore Chronicles, Heather Webber’s Lucy Valentine Series, Sarah Addison Allen

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Sophie Kinsella’s I’ve Got Your Number

I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Fiction/Romance, Published February 2012

Read: March 2012, 433 pp.

Challenges: NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012

4.5/5

Book Blurb:

I’ve lost it. The only thing in the world I wasn’t supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It’s been in Magnus’s family for three generations. And now the very same day his parents are coming, I’ve lost it. The very same day! Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive !!

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

Thoughts:

I’ve really enjoyed all the books I’ve read from Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham, but her stand-alones published under Kinsella are my absolute favorite and this one did not disappoint!  Poppy was a fun heroine from the moment she picked up the abandoned phone from the ‘bin.’

When Poppy realizes that the result of “oooh can I wear your ring?’ turns into a free-for-all/fire alarm debacle, and it suddenly goes missing, she is in a panic to get it back.  When all the guests flee from the building and she runs out to contact all her friends, and her phone is stolen from her clasp, she really starts in a panic…her whole life is in that phone!  In today’s world, we can certainly all relate to that at times!  But what if you had to share that phone with someone else?  When Poppy happens to find a phone with no apparent owner, she takes it up as her own, not knowing the drama she will find on the other end!

I loved all the characters and felt that Poppy and Sam’s relationship was totally believable.  The footnotes were hilarious – a bit hard to follow on my kindle, but well worth it!  If you haven’t tried Sophie Kinsella, you don’t know what you’re missing!

Quotes (taken from ARC, will revise when I get a hard copy):

Professors Antony Tavish and Wanda Brook-Tavish are, at this precise moment, flying back from six months’ sabbatical in Chicago.  I can picture them now, eating honey-roasted peanuts and reading academic papers on their his ‘n’ her kindles.  I honestly don’t know which of them is more intimidating.

And what impressed me the most was: There were so many footnotes.  I’ve totally got into them.  Aren’t they handy?  You just bung them in whenever you want and instantly look clever.

Oh God.  How did I get myself into this?  Number one, I can’t sing.  Number two, what do I sing to a Japanese businessman I’ve never met before?  Number three, why did I say singing telegram?

There are some things you just don’t share.  I mean, Magnus has seen every inch of my body, including the dodgy bits, but I would never, ever let him near my phone…All side by side; all touching one another.  I’ve never shared an inbox with anyone in my life.  i didn’t expect it to feel so…intimate.

OK.  I know I’ve been nosy.  But once you start reading other people’s emails, you can’t stop.  You have to know what’s happened.  It’s been quite addictive, scrolling down the endless strings of back-and-forth emails and working out the stories.  Always backward.  Like rewinding little spools of life.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press/Random House for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Sunday School Review: To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Christian Historical Romance, Published 2011

Challenges: Historical Fiction Challenge

Read August 2011, 347 pages

4/5

Book Blurb:

Do they have a fighting chance at love?

After completing his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas.  Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade Levi learned at his father’s knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past.

Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs in the town her father founded.  When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she’s reluctant to trust him.  Yet as the mysteries of the town’s new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.

Eden believes she’s finally found a man of honor and integrity.  But when the truth about Levi’s prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian’s affections?

My Thoughts:

I have definitely become a fan of Karen’s work and of Bethany House’s historicals! I loved her A Tailor-Made Bride and am looking forward to reading her other published book Head in the Cloud as well as her upcoming release in June, Short-straw Bride. 

In Spencer, Texas – 1887, Eden is more than surprised when the new blacksmith in town knocks on her door to visit her library.  What could a brute of a man like him want with her books?  Levi is looking for a new start in life after serving two years in prison for killing a man in a boxing fight.  No one in town knows of his past crimes except for the Cranfords who have agreed to let him run their blacksmith.  Will Levi ever be able to right his wrongs or will he always be haunted by his past? 

I really enjoyed Levi’s character.  Even though he might have somewhat of a shady past, he becomes one of the most outstanding members of the Spencer community.  He struggles with a lisp, unable to say words with s’s very well, but he makes up for it by always searching for another word to replace it, which is why he loves to read – not to mention the pretty librarian.  It takes a while for Eden to figure out why he improperly calls her Eden instead of Miss Spencer.  But when the truth starts to leak of Levi’s past, will she ever be able to get past it?

Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Check out my review for Karen Witemeyer’s A Tailor-Made Bride!

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Review: Exclusively Yours

Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey

The Kowalski Family #1

Contemporary Romance, Published Dec 20, 2011

Challenges: NetGalley Month (Jan)

Read: January 2012, 352 pp.

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb:

Note: This title was originally published as an exclusive e-book with Carina Press. This novel is now being published in print for the first time by Harlequin HQN. 

A second chance to finish what they started…

When Keri Daniels’s boss finds out she has previous carnal knowledge of reclusive bestselling author Joe Kowalski, she gives Keri a choice: get an interview or get a new job.

Joe’s never forgotten the first girl to break his heart, so he’s intrigued to hear Keri’s back in town—and looking for him. He proposes an outrageous plan—for every day she survives with his family on their annual camping trip, Keri can ask one question.

The chemistry between Joe and Keri is as potent as the bug spray, but Joe’s sister is out to avenge his broken heart, and Keri hasn’t ridden an ATV since she was ten. Who knew a little blackmail, a whole lot of family and some sizzling romantic interludes could make Keri reconsider the old dream of Keri & Joe 2gether 4ever?

Look for more of the Kowalskis, coming soon!

Thoughts:

Joe and Keri were pretty hot and heavy in high school, but it’s been almost 20 years since they’ve seen one another, even though their parents still live next door to one another and remain friends.  Keri always wanted to get out of town and ran straight to L.A. as soon as she possibly could, knowing she had to leave Joe behind.  Now that her editor has found out that she knows the reclusive New York Times bestselling author, Joe Kowalski, she sends Keri to get an exclusive interview – it’s either that or her job.  Keri has never betrayed Joe’s trust and she doesn’t know if Joe even wants to see her.  When he offers to answer one question per day she survives the Kowalski annual camping trip, he never dreamed she would actually agree to going.

I loved all the family dynamics, not only between themselves as a family unit, but also with Keri.  Keri and Joe’s twin sister, Terry, were once best friends, but now Terry despises her. So not only is there drama in Joe’s cabin with Keri, there’s also drama between Keri and Terry – not to mention all the other small family dynamics between all the other siblings and their spouses and their kids. 

I really loved this book! I literally read it in one sitting and can’t wait to read the next two books in the trilogy – Undeniably Yours and Yours to Keep.  I liked that we got to see not only the main two character’s perspectives, but all the minor characters too.  I think this will help endear us to the next books knowing that Joe and Keri will be there too!  I enjoyed the family banter back and forth and really felt like I was camping right along with the family.

If you like the outdoors and 4wheeling, you’re sure to love Shannon Stacey’s Exclusively Yours!  It’s a great camping trip with all the s’mores you can eat without having to mess with any DEET!

Quotes:

For Stuart and our boys because there’s no greater joy than sitting around the campfire with you after a fun day of riding the trails.  I love you all madly, even when you’re muddy and smell like bug spray. (From the dedication)

People sometimes hurt the ones they love trying to protect themselves from being hurt.  Love means second chances sometimes. (~half way in)

“You awake?”  he whispered.  No answer, but she was faking.  While Chinese water torture probably couldn’t make her admit it, she snored like a chainsaw sucking down its last drop of oil. (~75% in)

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin and Carina Press for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Victoria Dahl’s Donovan Brothers Brewery Series

Donovan Brothers Brewery Series by Victoria Dahl

Good Girls Don’t, Bad Boys Do, Real Men Will

Romance – Steamy, Published Aug, Sept, Oct 2011

Read: November 2011, 384 pp., 384pp., 336 pp.

Series Rating: 4/5

Book 1 Blurb:

With her sun-kissed hair and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donovan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman—or a heartbreaker.  Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices her when he arrives to investigate a break-in at her family’s brewery.  He’s got his own problems—starting with the fact that his partner, Simone, is pregnant and everyone thinks he’s the father.

Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother’s playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tension could tear her tight-knit family apart.  In fact, the only thing that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their baby sister.  Especially a man like Luke Asher.  But Tessa sees past the rumors to the man beneath.  He’s not who people think he is—and neither is she.

Book 2 Blurb:

Olivia Bishop is no fun. That’s what her ex-husband said. And that’s what her smart bob and glasses imply. So with her trademark determination, Olivia sets out to remake her life. She’s going to spend time with her girlfriends and not throw it all away for some man. But when an outing with her book club leads her to a brewery taproom, the dark-haired beauty realizes that trouble—in the form of sexy Jamie Donovan—may be too tempting to avoid.

Jamie Donovan doesn’t mean to be bad. Sure, the wild streak in his wicked green eyes has lured the ladies before. Now it’s time to grow up. He’s even ready for a serious romance. But how can that be when Olivia, the only right woman he has ever met, already has him pegged as wrong?

Book 3 Blurb:

It was meant to be a one-night stand. One night of passion. Scorching-hot. Then Beth Cantrell and Eric Donovan were supposed to go their separate ways. That’s the only reason he lied about his name, telling her he was really his wild younger brother. Hiding his identity as the conservative Donovan. The “good one.”

But passion has its own logic, and Eric finds he can’t forget the sable-haired beauty with whom he shared a night of love. When Beth discovers that Eric has lied, however, she knows he can’t be trusted. Her mind tells her to forget the blue-eyed charmer. If only every fiber of her being didn’t burn to call him back.

Thoughts:

Really enjoyed this series.  In fact, I read the entire series within days!  The series starts out with a short story based around the oldest brother Eric in “Just One Taste” (in the bindup – The Guy Next Door).  Eric has always been the responsible older brother who raised his younger brother and sister after their parents died in a tragic car accident.  Now that they are all older, they run the family brewery – Donovan Brother Brewery in Boulder, Colorado.  Eric is typically the behind the scenes guy – the one who attends the business meetings, not the social booth at the local business convention.  With Jamie’s nameplate up, Beth, another local business owner of The White Orchid, just assumes that Eric is the notorious player/bartender Jamie.  But when things get hot and heavy out in the hallway, Eric never mentions that he’s not Jamie…

Book 1 focuses on the youngest of the Donovan siblings, Tessa.  She is constantly fielding fights between her two big brothers at their brewery.  So when the brewery is broken into because her brother Jamie was distracted by a woman, the oldest brother Eric does not let up.   Tessa has always felt responsible, since their parents death 13 years earlier, to keep the family together.  When Tessa starts becoming more involved with the crime detective Luke Asher, her brothers quickly come together to make sure Tessa doesn’t get hurt.

Book 2 revolves around the crazy, good looking, fun loving middle brother, Jamie.  But he’s tired of always being the big “mess up” in the family, so he secretly attends a restaurant business class at the local college.  Little does he know he’ll be learning other stuff with the teacher Olivia.

Book 3 circles back around to the oldest, Eric, and he has successfully avoided running into Beth for several months.  But when she comes into the bar looking for “Jamie,” she quickly learns that she has been duped.  But maybe, just maybe, Eric can find a way to make it up to her…

Overall, I loved that each book focused on one of the siblings, while still following the other siblings’ background stories.  They all have to learn how to see each other as adults and find a way to civilly manage the family brewery.  And they all find true love along the way – often their partners are their exact opposites, but ultimately the perfect match.  If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a lot of heat, make sure to check out Victoria Dahl!

Thanks to netGalley and Harlequin for providing me with a copy of these books in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Blackberry Summer

Blackberry Summer by RaeAnne Thayne

Hope’s Crossing #1

Romance (Clean), Published May 2011

ARC received from netGalley.com

Read: June 2011, 384 pages

4/5

Book Blurb:

Claire Bradford needed a wake-up call.

❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ ❆

What she didn’t need was a tragic car accident. As a single mom and the owner of a successful bead shop, Claire leads a predictable life in Hope’s Crossing, Colorado. So what if she has no time for romance? At least, that’s what she tells herself, especially when her best friend’s sexy younger brother comes back to town as the new chief of police.

But when the accident forces Claire to slow down and lean on others—especially Riley McKnight—she realizes, for the first time, that things need to change. And not just in her own life. The accident—and the string of robberies committed by teenagers that led up to it—is a wake-up call to the people of Hope’s Crossing. The sense of community and togetherness had been lost during those tough years. But with a mysterious “Angel of Hope” working to inspire the town, Riley and Claire will find themselves opening up to love and other possibilities by the end of an extraordinary summer…

First Impressions (Out of all the books I have to read, why this one?):

Love the cover, love love blackberries!

My Thoughts:

Still love blackberries and all the residents of Blackberry Lane (including cranky Mrs. Redmond)!  This was a great way to start off my summer reading kick!

Most of the novel revolves around a tragic accident that directly affects most of the Hope’s Crossing residents.  Claire has known Riley, her best friend’s pesky younger brother, forever.  When he comes back to town to take over the job of police chief, many in the small town still hold grudges against him for his wild youthful ways, but Riley has grown up since then, even if his feelings for his sister’s best friend haven’t changed a bit.  Through tragedy, the small ski community learns to stick together.

Claire is just too good to be true.  It’s easy to understand how Riley continually has doubts about not wanting to hurt her. She’s a great mother, owns her own small business, and even gets along with her ex-husband’s new (and much younger) wife!  I’m hoping her friendship with Riley will help her be less of a control freak! I think there are more people in town willing her help her than she realizes.  I really loved the history behind Claire’s and Riley’s relationship and how it grows throughout the book.

Once I started into reading about Hope’s Crossing, I couldn’t put my kindle down! Can’t wait to see what happens next in this charming town!

Next in the series:

• Woodrose Mountain/HQN/January 2012
• Sweet Laurel Falls/HQN/June 2012

Quotes: (quoted from ARC, will double check against hard copy when I get one!)

Like beads on a wire, they were all connected, linked together by bonds of friendship and family, by shared experiences and a common passion for beading.

If I have any more caffeine today, I’m going to be jumpier than a grasshopper on lawnmowing day.

Crap on a stick.

They call it SABLE – Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy.  I’ve got more beads in my personal collection than I’ll ever be able to use.  You tell Donna she may as well give in.  Resistance is futile.

Thanks to netGalley and Harlequin for providing me with this galley!

Read-a-likes:

Susan Wigg’s The Lakeshore Chronicles, Heather Webber’s Lucy Valentine Series, Sarah Addison Allen

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The Rock Orchard by Paula Wall – Review

Fiction/Romance, Published 2005

Challenges: Southern Reading Challenge Three #3

Bought @ bn.com $3.99 July 2008

Read August 2009

Rating: 4/5

For anyone looking for some 1920′s southern charm.

From the Preface:

Just because a woman is good at something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s what she should do in life. If that were the case, most of the women in the Belle family would be hookers. It is common knowledge that Belle women make hard men melt like butter in a pan. They are equally adept at reversing the process.

The Belles live in a house that sits on a bluff overlooking the river. It has the look of a place whose owners grew bored with their money long ago. Honeysuckle vines wind around the columns like thread on a spool, and roses, wild as weeds, scratch at the paint like chiggers. It’s a mystery where the lawn ends and the cemetery begins. The Belles are of the mind that dead people make the best neighbors.

Review:

I loved the author’s use of language. Everything flowed together and the cemetery became its own character. I think I will reread this one.

Quotes:

“That child is like a dandelion,” Lettie said.  She could grow through concrete.” -p. 116

“A cemetery is like an orchard.  Some lives were sweet.  Some bitter as lemons.  And some were rotten to the core.” -p. 122

“The blessing and the bane of a man is the woman who makes him rise to the occasion.” p. 181

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Review: The Masque of the Black Tulip

The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
The Pink Carnation Series #2
Historical Fiction/Romance/Mystery, Published 2005
Challenges: Series Challenge IV
Read: September 2010, 429 pp.
Verdict: 4/5

Book Blurb:

Modern-day graduate student Eloise achieved the academic coup of the century when she unmasked one of history’s greatest spies, the Pink Carnation, who saved England from Napoleon.  But now she has a million questions about the Carnation’s deadly French nemesis, the Black Tulip.  And she’s pretty sure that her handsome on-again, off-again crush, Colin Selwick, has the answers somewhere in his archives.  When she finally comes across an old codebook, Eloise discovers something juicier than she ever imagined: an unlikely pair who were hot on the trail of the Black Tulip and had every intention of stopping him from killing the Pink Carnation and bringing down England.  But what they didn’t know what that wile they were trying to find the Tulip – and stumbling upon something like love – the Black Tulip was watching them…

My Thoughts:

This is the second in the Pink Carnation series, which I read the first March 2008 and had a bit of a hard time remembering who the characters were and how they were related to one another.  This installment follows Eloise, a quirky academic that is searching for first hand historical accounts in England of the regency spies.  In the first book, The Pink Carnation, Eloise is trying to discover the identity of the elusive spy, the Pink Carnation, but has stumbled upon an entire web of spies with flowery identities.  She is now searching for connections between the spies, especially the identity of their French nemesis, the Black Tulip.  Eloise has been invited to spend a weekend researching through Colin Selwick’s library and their relationship continues to grow very (very) slowly.

Most of the novel takes place in the past, within the realm of what Eloise is researching. I like the idea of a research project coming to life, in a sense; finding out the lives behind the names written on aging paper. The reader often finds out more than I think Eloise is actually discovering in her research.  Here we follow the story of the annoying little sister of the Purple Gentian from the first book, who has since grown up, and her love interest and brother’s best friend, Miles Dorrington.  I absolutely loved their story because they already loved each other and had become closer friends since Richard married and moved out of the Selwick home, and they begin to truly “see” each other for the first time, amidst all the chaos of spying on the French.

Henrietta’s character brings a lot of humor and is often very sarcastic, which I really enjoyed.  Overall, I am looking forward to the next in the series, #3 – The Deception of the Emerald Ring.

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