A New York Times extended list bestseller and the exciting fifth book in the national bestselling Pink Carnation series. After years abroad, Robert, Duke of Dovedale, has returned to England to avenge the murder of his mentor. To uncover the murderer's identity, he must infiltrate the infamous, secret Hellfire Club. But the Duke has no idea that an even more difficult challenge awaits him-in a mistaken, romantic-minded young lady. Charlotte Lansdowne wistfully remembers the Robert of her childhood as a valiant hero among men. Too aware of his own flaws, Robert tries to dissuade Charlotte from her delusions, even as he finds himself drawn to her. When Charlotte takes up a bit of espionage-investigating a plot to kidnap the King-Robert soon realizes that she is more than the perfect partner in crime. Caught in a dangerous game full of deadly spies and secret rites, Robert and Charlotte must work together to reveal the villain...and confront their true love.
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"Not my favorite of the series, but an enjoyable read no less. I miss the noticable romance that exists between the historical characters in her other books of the series but I enjoyed the present day romance with Colin and Eloise very much."
— Meagan (4 out of 5 stars)
" I like Eloise and Colin's story line just a little bit more in this book. Another fun contribution to the series. "
— Maria, 2/14/2014" Thank you, Ms. Willig for another satisfying read. And like another reviewer thank you for no more out of place graphic sex scenes. So far this one and Deception of the Emerald Ring are the best of the series. "
— Ti-Leigh, 2/3/2014" Interesting read.Enjoyed the jumping between two timelines. "
— Tuesday's, 2/3/2014" My favorite of the series! It's not a great series, or a fantastic book, but I really enjoyed it! "
— Megan, 1/20/2014" My biggest complaint: I thought this was a book in the "Pink Carnation" series, but the Pink Carnation is completely absent from this novel. While I do like the Lady Henrietta and Miles characters and was glad to see them return, I also really like the Pink Carnation and her absence was quite noticeable! "
— Kelly, 1/18/2014" Fun -historical, romantic, a bit of mystery. "
— Freya, 1/15/2014" Sometimes it's so nice to read a silly/historical/romantic novel. "
— Shannon, 1/9/2014" Loved it!!! I cannot wait for more!!! "
— Murphy, 12/28/2013" A lighthearted mix between the past and the present. "
— Rach, 11/18/2013" Heyer-style Regency romance and interesting mystery setting all wrapped up with a few spies and the slooooow moving romance of the modern characters. I missed the spy action of several of the others in the series and I'm glad I borrow these from the library. "
— Kate, 10/7/2013" This is the fifth installment in the series that began with The Pink Carnation. What was interesting in the earlier novels has quickly turned into a formula, and the stories are not as interesting to read. "
— Sherri, 9/26/2013" Not as much fun as some of the earlier books, but still entertaining. "
— Ann, 9/23/2013" This wasn't my favorite in the series. It took forever to get started and while I liked the king, I could have done without the king's mystery. "
— Jay, 7/15/2013" Good. This book made me staart to care about Eloise again, so it was an improvement over the previous one. "
— Andrea, 5/6/2013" great fun, but not my favorite in the series "
— Hollidae, 8/1/2012" I was not that impressed with romatic story line she followed this time. It was a bit predictable how every I realy liked how she develobed the modern charactures. "
— Erin, 6/28/2012" I read this book because it's part of a series that I began reading and, although the books have progressively gone downhill since the first, I cannot tear myself away from the series. Not bad, but not great. "
— Vanessa, 1/21/2012" I read another book in this series but this one rather bored me to death. "
— Jodi, 1/12/2012" Lauren Willig keeps the plot moving forward, plenty of action and her ability to shift thru time is amazing. Two story lines in one. I would recommend this author to any history buff who likes mystery, romance and fun! "
— Trudi, 12/20/2011" Willig's spy romps are always entertaining, although the misunderstanding between her characters is sometimes maddening. All in all I enjoy a good romp through the English countryside whenever things in the real world get too difficult. "
— Mary, 10/1/2011" This book had less sex than all the others and more of what I like... romance. I liked the characters having become old friends with most of them over the first 4 books. I got to the last 60 pages and had to stay up to finish it! "
— Cary, 7/27/2011" Meh. Didn't like this book nearly as well as the others in the series. I didn't think it was nearly as exciting or suspenseful. "
— Tamra, 5/24/2011" It was OK, but not as good as her previous books. I hope she hasn't run out of ideas, because her books are always fun to read. "
— Kandice, 5/24/2011" Not as engaging as the other books in the series but still enjoyable. "
— Gigi, 4/1/2011" read her other book,"the secret history ot the pink carnation, & liked it. "
— Susan, 4/1/2011" One of the more serious books in the series. Still delightful. "
— Barbara, 3/31/2011" A GREAT MYSTERY ALONG WITH ROMANCE! "
— Michelle, 3/29/2011" Another excellent story in the Pink Carnation series. Eloise's story is continued nicely, and Charlotte is a fun new heroine. "
— Marissa, 3/27/2011" This was enjoyable, but I thought it dragged a lot more than Willig's earlier books I've read. Something this fluffy shouldn't drag at all. There simply wasn't enough tension or unpredictability to the plot for it to be a real page turner. "
— Eliza, 2/24/2011" this one started out really good... but then when the action came at the end, it kind of fizzled. "
— elscorcho, 1/26/2011Lauren Willig is the USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty novels of historical fiction and historical romance, including the RITA Award–winning Pink Carnation series. An alumna of Yale University, she has a graduate degree in history from Harvard and a JD from Harvard Law School.
Justine Eyre is a classically trained actress who has narrated many audiobooks, earning the prestigious Audie Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She is multilingual and known for her great facility with accents. She has appeared on stage, with leading roles in King Lear and The Crucible, and has had starring roles in four films on the indie circuit. Her television credits include Two and a Half Men and Mad Men.