THE LURE OF THE MOONFLOWER is the dynamite conclusion to the
long-running Pink Carnation series by New York Times
bestselling author Lauren Willig. Book 12 finally brings us the romantic match to
Jane Wooliston, the
English spy known as the Pink Carnation. Jane has
successfully run a large number of spies for England against
the French, whilst detachedly watching her operatives fall
under the spell of true love in the previous books. Now,
Jane meets her match beautifully in Jack Reid, the spy once
known as the French agent Moonflower.
Jane's latest assignment sends her to Portugal, where the
French have just taken "liberated" the country. The royal
house has fled to Brazil, but the insane and elderly queen,
Mad Maria, appears to have been spirited away by loyalists,
who hope to smuggle her out from under the French to act as
a rallying point for the Portuguese Resistance. Jane must
find the queen before Bonaparte's troops do, and she enlists
Jack Reid's help to do so. It is intriguing to see Jane's
heart involved in this book, which renders her less
omnipotent and more vulnerable, an interesting switch-up
from her usual behavior.
THE LURE OF THE MOONFLOWER is a time slip novel, and this finale
also brings us to the long-awaited wedding of Eloise and
Colin. Eloise is a modern-day graduate student who has
been researching the Pink Carnation, and falls in love with one
the Carnation's descendants, Colin Selwick, during her
research of the family papers at his estate. There's a
lovely submystery for Eloise and Colin at the eleventh hour
before their wedding, which adds to the piquancy of the
finale. I think I am even more satisfied to have the modern
lovers finally reach their happily ever after than I am the
Pink Carnation, because the whole series has been building
toward it, as compared to just book 12 for Jane's HEA.
Built on a strong base of beautifully conveyed historical
fact and detail, this swashbuckling series also gives us
Willig's signature witty repartee and an excellent
sprinkling of comedy. Mixed with a thrilling mystery and
the sexual tension between characters, Willig delivers a
tour de force with THE LURE OF THE MOONFLOWER. While I am
deeply sorry to say goodbye to so many beloved characters,
the Pink Carnation finale is fulfilling, and Willig has
already demonstrated her mastery of historical fiction with
her other recent releases. Wherever Lauren Willig's writing
leads me, I will joyfully follow.
In the final Pink Carnation novel from the New
York Times bestselling author of The Mark of the
Midnight Manzanilla, Napoleon has occupied Lisbon, and
Jane Wooliston, aka the Pink Carnation, teams up with a
rogue agent to protect the escaped Queen of
Portugal.
Portugal, December 1807.
Jack Reid, the British agent known as the Moonflower
(formerly the French agent known as the Moonflower), has
been stationed in Portugal and is awaiting his new contact.
He does not expect to be paired with a woman—especially not
the legendary Pink Carnation.
All of Portugal
believes that the royal family departed for Brazil just
before the French troops marched into Lisbon. Only the
English government knows that mad seventy-three-year-old
Queen Maria was spirited away by a group of loyalists
determined to rally a resistance. But as the French garrison
scours the countryside, it’s only a matter of time before
she’s found and taken.
It’s up to Jane to find
her first and ensure her safety. But she has no knowledge of
Portugal or the language. Though she is loath to admit it,
she needs the Moonflower. Operating alone has taught her to
respect her own limitations. But she knows better than to
show weakness around the Moonflower—an agent with a
reputation for brilliance, a tendency toward
insubordination, and a history of going rogue.
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