Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig (Review)


  • Hardcover: 416 pages

  • Publisher: Dutton Adult (January 20, 2011)

  • ISBN-13: 978-0525951995


  • Laura Grey, a veteran governess, joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling exploits in service to the spy known as the Pink Carnation. She hardly expects her first assignment to be serving as governess for the children of Andre Jaouen, right-hand man to Bonaparte’s minister of police. Jaouen and his arch rival, Gaston Delaroche, are investigating a suspected Royalist plot to unseat Bonaparte, and Laura’s mission is to report any suspicious findings. At first the job is as lively as Latin textbooks and knitting, but Laura begins to notice strange behavior from Jaouen—secret meetings and odd comings and goings. As Laura edges closer to her employer, she makes a shocking discovery and is surprised to learn that she has far more in common with Jaouen than she originally thought.

    My Review:
    This is book eight in the Pink Carnation series which I absolutely love. The plot lines are unique and interesting. They just keep getting better and better. The Orchid Affair is very well written and captured my attention in the beginning. It is set in 1802 in Paris, France, which is post revolutionary. I did not remember anything about this era from history class but the author does a good job of giving you just enough to historical details without taking away from the main story. Laura has been a governess for sixteen long years and is ready for a change so she goes to spy school. Her first assignment is in Paris, France, as a governess to Andre Jaouen. This is not her idea of fun but she does it anyway and makes the best of it and is rewarded when she realizes more is going on with Andre than what meets the eye. This is a historical romance book and the beginning is light on the romance but as the book progresses that part of the storyline becomes more in the front and the history in the background. All of the characters seem real and are developed. There is still a contemporary part of the plot line featuring Eloise and Colin but is barely present but it is okay because the book is better without it to me this time. I love this entire series. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Highly Recommended for fans of historical fiction especially. :)

    To learn more about the series go here:
    http://www.laurenwillig.com/books/index.html

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