strange and random happenstance

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
Published by: NAL
Publication Date: January 31st, 2008
Format: Paperback, 480 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Things aren't going very well for Mary Alsworthy. Her midnight elopement ended with a married younger sister and herself still on the shelf. Not that she really loved Geoff or anything, but the title and the houses were just the thing. Now she's stuck rusticating with the new couple who are sickeningly in love and oversolicitous of her. She might just be able to stomach it if they weren't so apologetic about the whole situation. But when she hears that they are going to pay for her next London season she can't take their kindness anymore. Lord Vaughn, at the urging of the Pink Carnation, has made Mary an offer. With her coloring and her bearing she appears to be just the type of girl a certain Black Tulip might hire as one of his assassins. After his recent foray in Ireland he is short a few petals. Mary agrees to play the game in exchange for one last chance at a suitable match. With Vaughn as her escort and entree to some of the more radical groups, she tries to establish herself as just the type of girl a famous French spy might seek out. From Vauxhall to Vaughn's House, she tries to find her way in the world, all while trading barbs with the king of cynicism and insult, Lord Sebastian Vaughn himself. Mary does meet one eligible prospect, a Mr. St. George. But an earnest lord who spends so much time rusticating in the country with his widowed sister looks less and less appealing next to the unattainable Vaughn. Mary would rather trade insults with Vaughn than words of endearment with St. George. Could it be that the ice maiden, who has always viewed her marriage as a commodity where the best bank balance wins, be falling for a man who turns out to be unattainable after the reappearance of his long dead wife? But matters of the heart might not signify if one of the hearts is no longer beating, because the Black Tulip doesn't hesitate to spill blood and he really wants to spill Vaughn's. Someone will die and a happy ending might not be in the cards. And while Eloise looks into Vaughn's past, could her present collide with Serena Selwick's heartbreaker?

Lord Vaughn has been a scene-stealer since his inception. Once he showed up in The Masque of the Black Tulip he has been unwilling to cede his title until he met his match. Surprisingly that match showed up in Mary Alsworthy. She who is conniving and cold-hearted and only looking out for herself. But she is also wickedly smart. Therefore Mary and Vaughn are the perfect sparring partners. They duel with words in a way that is sheer entertainment and hasn't been seen since Elizabeth and Darcy, though with far more innuendo on Vaughn's part. No saccharine sweetness, we have barbed and witty repartee that just keeps the pages flying long through the night. They are what this series needed more than ever, a balance. Not all heroes are virtuous and good, not all are in it for the good of the country. Some heroes are just in it for themselves. And the fact is that Vaughn looks down on the Pink Carnation and her ilk because, while yes, they have saved the country time and time again, they haven't really paid the price. They haven't been subjected to the darker side because in the end their love for each other and king and country have put blinders on them and their can-do attitude. It can be sickening. Too much sugar isn't good for you, everyone needs a bit of Vaughn once in awhile. If this book has one flaw, it's that once they start to fall for each other their bark is worse than their bite. Their claws retract a little and it's never more enjoyable than when they are at each other full force. There are also no misunderstandings between the two. They have their obstacles, that's for sure, but they always know where the other one stands. They are a perfectly matched set. I just hope that married life doesn't sweeten them one bit. But aside from the titular hero and heroine, we finally get a satisfactory conclusion to the identity of the Black Tulip, who is far more deranged, deluded, and demented than we thought. With motivations that work for and against France, he was a nice surprise and not a simplistic ending to a plot device that has been going strong for three books. A satisfactory ending all around, even if just the tiniest bit of sweetness sneaks in at the end, but who can fault a happy ending?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Elizabeth Bennet, Eloise Kelly, French Spies, Lauren Willig, Lord Vaughn, Mary Alsworthy, Mr. Darcy, Regency Romp, Repartee, The Black Tulip, The Pink Carnation, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, Vauxhall

The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
Published by: NAL
Publication Date: December 29th, 2005
Format: Paperback, 453 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

After her brother was revealed to be the Purple Gentian, that most elusive of spies thwarting those Frenchies, Henrietta Selwick thought her life would return to normal. Almack's, balls, being seen at all the right parties, and having her brother's faithful best friend, Miles Dorrington, at her elbow, preferably with a glass of lemonade. But while everyone else gets to engage in espionage she's been forced onto the sidelines once too often and she leaps at the chance to correspond in code with the Pink Carnation, Jane Wooliston, her cousin by marriage. Because, while her brother Richard and his new wife Amy are "technically" out of the spying game, opening a spy school in your house kind of defeats the purpose, and having something little, even if it's these letters and her contact in the ribbon shop, it makes Henrietta feel special. But she fails to realize how special she is, and not just to Miles, but to a deadly French spy with the name of the Black Tulip. Hen is that most coveted of clues, the little sister to the Purple Gentian, and perhaps a link to the Pink Carnation. But who could the Black Tulip be? That spy has been out of action for so long that when a murder is committed behind Lord Vaughn's house the War Office goes into a tizzy at the calling card left behind. Could this spy actually be Lord Vaughn? That slippery and seductive fellow with silver snakes on his waistcoat who has just returned from a long sojourn on the continent? If he isn't said spy, then why is he so fascinated with Hen? But spies are only one thing Henrietta has to deal with. Miles seems not as Miles like lately. It all started with that mysterious Marquise de Montval, she of the blue black hair and flawless beauty, despite her age. Miles has been seen once too often with her, even if he was seen through the shrubberies by a not very well concealed Hen and entourage... They thought the green clothing would help to camouflage themselves. But could Hen's irritation with Miles be more of a romantic nature? Does she stand a chance against this Marquise or should she just resign herself to being killed by the Black Tulip? Meanwhile, back in the present, Eloise is put off and turned on by a certain descendant of the Purple Gentian named Colin. Boys, no matter what time period, are such an annoying mystery, it's so much easier dealing with deadly Napoleonic Spies with flowery names.

The second book in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series sees us leaving the shores of France and venturing into that most dangerous of territories, the London ton at the height of the season. I grudgingly admit, even to my friend Marie whose favorite book in the series this is, that when I first read it it was not my favorite, despite being more like a Jane Austen story than the previous installment, dealing less with espionage and more with friendships. I felt the ending and the reveal of the Black Tulip lacked something and was on the verge of French farce. But if the reveal didn't sit well with me, as Lauren recently revealed, it didn't sit well with her either. The Marquise was too ineffectual to actually be the Black Tulip. Thankfully Lauren was able to rectify this in later installments and therefore my reservations have been removed. Because if there is one truth universally acknowledged by fans of the Pink Carnation series it's that Miles and Henrietta are everyone's favorite couple. Those ginger biscuits, that floppy lock of hair, Bunny the Bunny, they all hold a revered status among us fans that they almost verge on holy relics. But to me, the joy in this book lies within all the subtle characterizations of their friends on the periphery, friends who eventually stepped forward and got their own stories. But besides Hen's two best friends, Penelope and Charlotte, who make their first appear, there are three characters without whom this book would mean nothing to me. Those three characters are Turnip, Lord Vaughn, and the Dowager Duchess of Dovedale. Turnip is a true fop with his over the top embroidered waistcoats. A man who is not afraid to show his allegiance to the Pink Carnation and whose attire leads him into a spot of bother. Lord Vaughn, ah, you seductive, enigmatic man. You are only looking out for yourself and I love you for it and for the images of James Purefoy in Regency garb you bring to mind. You literally steal every scene you are in. Finally, last but not least, because I don't want to be harmed, The Dowager Duchess of Dovedale. Scourge of the ballrooms and impudent young men. She is a force to be reckoned with. My favorite scene? While at a fancy dress ball she confiscates Penelope's spear from her Boadicea costume and uses it to poke people with. Pure, priceless, and wonderful.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: French Spies, Henrietta Selwick, James Purefoy, Jane Austen, Lauren Willig, Lord Vaughn, Miles Dorrington, Pink Carnation, Regency Romp, The Black Tulip, The Masque of the Black Tulip, Turnip Fitzhugh

If you're a true Anglophile you have pondered, once or twice, about reading Samuel Richardson's Clarissa. Don't deny it, you know you have and you just as quickly realized you probably never would. Because while it is ranked as one of the greatest English novels it is also one of the longest. I am not saying this lightly. I've breezed through doorstop tomes in my life and this one makes me stop and consider if I'm that committed a reader. I mean yes I want to but realistically, no I won't. I remember seeing the book once physically at Borders and wondered if it was a dictionary. The type was so tiny! The tome so weighty! Which is why this miniseries is great. As I see it, if you can make this good a miniseries, which is only four episodes long, out of a book that has 943,000 or 984,870 words in it depending on which of Richardson's edits you're reading then the book might be a tad overwritten. The story is a simple one, girl inherits fortune, family try to influence her, drive her into the arms of the wrong man, and she dies in sin. Richardson was apparently pissed that people liked Clarissa being seduced by the wicked Lovelace, hence the different editions of the book. But this miniseries fully plays into this love of the unrepentant bad boy by casting Sean Bean. He's so deliciously evil. Sean Bean as Lovelace was also a major inspiration in a series I love by Lauren Willig. Without Sean Bean there'd be no Lord Vaughn! You want to think good of Lovelace, you want Clarissa to run from the original literary rake, and at the same time, you so want them to play out this doomed love affair to the very end. And oh, that ending! In fact, I think that is what made the greatest impression on me, when Lovelace falls to the blade wielded by someone he thought was his friend, and that someone is played by an even better Sean than Bean! Sigh. I'm talking about Sean Pertwee. Yes, as in the Third Doctor's son. I fell irretrievably in love with Sean Pertwee as Jack Belford. A few years back he was scheduled to be at a comic convention near my house and I was totally going to go just to see him. I even thought, would if be weird if I asked him to sign a copy of Clarissa? But then he had to film a guest spot on Prodigal Son. So while I haven't met him (YET!) at least that guest appearance was totally worth it. Seriously, you all need to be watching Prodigal Son!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Borders, Clarissa, Doctor Who, Fifty Years a Masterpiece, Jack Belford, Jon Pertwee, Lauren Willig, Lord Vaughn, Lovelace, Miniseries, Prodigal Son, Rake, Samuel Richardson, Sean Bean, Sean Pertwee, The Third Doctor

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
Published by: New American Library
Publication Date: January 31st, 2008
Format: Paperback, 480 Pages
Challenge: Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Things aren't going very well for Mary Alsworthy. Her midnight elopement ended with a married younger sister and herself still on the shelf. Not that she really loved Geoff or anything, but the title and the houses were just the thing. Now she's stuck rusticating with the new couple who are sickeningly in love and oversolicitous of her. She might just be able to stomach it if they weren't so apologetic about the whole situation. But when she hears that they are going to pay for her next London season she can't take their kindness anymore. Lord Vaughn, at the urging of the Pink Carnation, has made Mary an offer. With her coloring and her bearing she appears to be just the type of girl a certain Black Tulip might hire as one of his assassins. After his recent foray in Ireland he is short a few petals. Mary agrees to play the game in exchange for one last chance at a suitable match. With Vaughn as her escort and entree to some of the more radical groups, she tries to establish herself as just the type of girl a famous French spy might seek out. From Vauxhall to Vaughn House, she tries to work her way in the world, all while trading barbs with the king of cynicism and insult, Lord Sebastian Vaughn himself. Mary does meet one eligible prospect, a Mr. St. George. But an earnest lord who spends much time rusticating looks less and less appealing next to the unattainable Vaughn. Mary would rather trade insults with Vaughn than words of endearment with St. George. Could it be that the ice maiden, who has always viewed her marriage as a commodity, where the best bank account wins, be falling for a man who turns out to be unattainable after the reappearance of his long dead wife? But matters of the heart might not signify if one of the hearts is no longer beating, because the Black Tulip doesn't hesitate to spill blood. Someone will die and a happy ending might not be in the cards. And while Eloise looks into Vaughn's past, could her present collide with Serena Selwick's heart breaker?

This is the book that made me fall irrevocably in love with this series. Mary and Vaughn are the perfect sparring partners. They duel with words in a way that is sheer entertainment and hasn't been seen since Elizabeth and Darcy. No saccharine and sweetness, we have barbed and witty repartee that just keeps the pages flying long through the night. They are what this series needed more than ever, a balance. Not all heroes are virtuous and good, not all are in it for the good of the country. Some heroes are just in it for themselves. If this book had one flaw, it's that once they start to fall for each other, their bark is worse than their bite. Their claws retract a little and it's never more enjoyable than when they are at each other full force. There are also no misunderstandings between the two. They have their obstacles, that's for sure, but they always know where the other one stands. They are a perfectly matched pair. I just hope that married life doesn't sweeten them one bit. But aside from the titular hero and heroine, we finally get a satisfactory conclusion to the identity of the Black Tulip, who is far more deranged, deluded and demented that we thought. With motivations that work for and against France, he was a nice surprise and not a simplistic ending to a plot device that has been going strong for three books. A satisfactory ending all around, even if just the tiniest bit of sweetness sneaks in at the end, but who can fault a happy ending?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 4 comments  

Labels: Geoff, Lauren Willig, Letty Alsworthy, Lord Vaughn, Mary Alsworthy, Reading Challenge, St. George, The Black Tulip, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig
Published by: New American Library
Publication Date: November 16th, 2006
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
Challenge: Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Letty and Mary Alsworty are as different as two sisters can be. At a frizzy haired five foot, Letty will never be like her statuesque sister. And she would NEVER run off in the middle of the night for a midnight elopement with Geoffry Pinchingdale-Snipe. She might try to stop the elopement with all good intentions, but never elope herself. Until fate intervenes and she's the one being spirited away in the night to a rendezvous with a certain member of the peerage. Geoff, being Geoff, marries the sister whose reputation he inadvertently ruined. He might see her as a conniving and manipulative upstart who took her chance when the opportunity afforded itself, but at least his obligations to the Pink Carnation mean that he can hare off to Ireland and put some space between his broken heart and his unwanted bride. Practical Letty for once doesn't know what to do. She's been the one who has always taken care of her family and has never had a spot of bother. Now she's married to a man who has vanished and he hasn't let her explain what really happened. A little drunk, she gets the first packet out of London to follow Geoff to Ireland. But an unwanted wife in England is a completely different situation to an unwanted wife in Ireland interfering with his mission and the threat of a French and Irish alliance. Begrudgingly taking Letty into his confidences with one Pink Carnation named Jane Wolliston and one parasol wielding pyromaniac in the making, Miss Gwen, they all try to muddle through for the good of England. But add a dangerous cousin on the prowl for Geoff's title, Lord Vaughn, who's every word has double and triple entendres, and evidence that the Black Tulip is at it again, things might be trickier than anyone thought. Can this all be untangled and England saved? Because maybe fate intervened for a reason and Letty is the sister Geoff should have been wooing all along. But back in the present Eloise has an even more pressing problem. Can she get a certain Colin Selwick to call her and set up a date?

Whenever I think of this series of books as a whole I've always thought that The Deception of the Emerald Ring was the weak point. Maybe it was that here we have another idealistic, King and Country couple who are good and sweet and pure, who have just some misunderstandings to overcome and then everything will be as right as rain. On re-reading the book I realized I couldn't have been more wrong. I loved it. This time, not reading it just for Colin and Eloise, I realized that this book had so much more. Not only do we get the fun of having Lord Vaughn around with his ambiguous alliances, but we get Miss Gwen and her formidable parasol. We also get to see the inner workings of one Jane Wooliston, alias, the Pink Carnation's organization. We see how she's able to morph into other people, other lives, so that she is a force to be reckoned with. Those Frenchies better watch out! But what I love most about this book is how it takes the unsatisfactory resolution as to who the Black Tulip is and gives a far more plausible explanation with more depth and more terror. To not have just one sadistic spy, but sadists working for a criminal mastermind makes more sense that the Marquise ever did. She mistook Turnip for the Pink Carnation! I'm sorry, but anyone who could think that doesn't deserve to be a criminal mastermind. A pawn though... totally suited for a pawn.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 5 comments  

Labels: Geoff, Jane Wollison, Lauren Willig, Letty Alsworthy, Lord Vaughn, Mary Alsworthy, Miss Gwen, Reading Challenge, The Deception of the Emerald Ring, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: December 29th, 2005
Format: Hardcover, 406 Pages
Challenge: Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
(different edition than one reviewed)
After her brother was revealed to be the Purple Gentian, that most elusive of spies thwarting those Frenchies, Henrietta Selwick thought her life would return to normal. Almack's, balls, being seen at all the right parties, and having her brother's faithful best friend, Miles Dorrington, at her elbow, preferably with a glass of lemonade. But when everyone else gets to do espionage and she's been forced onto the sidelines once too often she leaps at the chance to correspond in code with the Pink Carnation, Jane Wooliston, her cousin by marriage. Because, while her brother Richard and his new wife Amy are "technically" out of the spying game, opening a spy school in your house kind of defeats the purpose, and having something little, even if it's these letters and her contact in the ribbon shop, it makes Henrietta feel special. But she fails to realize how special she is, and not just to Miles, but to a deadly French spy with the name The Black Tulip. Hen is that most coveted of clues, the little sister to the Purple Gentian, and perhaps a link to the Pink Carnation. But who could the Black Tulip be? That spy has been out of action for so long that when a murder is committed behind Lord Vaughn's house the War Office goes into a tizzy at the calling card left by the Black Tulip. Could this spy actually be Lord Vaughn, that slippery and seductive fellow with silver snakes on his waistcoat who has just returned from a long sojourn on the continent? If he isn't said spy, then why is he fascinated with Hen? But spies are only one thing Henrietta has to deal with. Miles seems not as Miles like lately. It all started with that mysterious Marquise de Montval, she of the blue black hair and flawless beauty, despite her age. Miles has been seen once too often with her, even if he was seen through the shrubberies by a not very well concealed Hen and entourage... they thought the green clothing would help to camouflage themselves. But could Hen's irritation with Miles be more of a romantic nature? Does she stand a chance against this Marquise or should she just resign herself to being killed by the Black Tulip? Meanwhile, back in the present, Eloise is is put off and turned on by a certain descendant of the Purple Gentian named Colin. Boys, no matter what time period, are such a annoying mystery, it's so much easier dealing with deadly Napoleonic Spies with flower names.

The second book in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series sees us leaving the shores of France and venturing into that most dangerous of territories, the London ton at the height of the season. Dealing less with espionage and more with friendships, when I first read this book it was not my favorite, despite being more like a Jane Austen story than the previous installment. I felt the ending and the reveal of the Black Tulip lacked something and was on the verge of French farce. Of course, with reading further books I have gained further knowledge, and have returned to this book and, reading it with a knowing eye, I enjoyed it immensely, French farcishness and all. Miles and Henrietta are usually everyones favorite couple, even if she anachronistically calls him a dinosaur (seeing as that word is 40 years too early), but to me, the joy in this book lies within all the subtle characterizations of their friends on the periphery, friends who have been slowly stepping forward and getting their own stories. But besides Hen's two best friends, Penelope and Charlotte, who make their first appear, there are three characters without whom this book would mean nothing to me. Those three characters are Turnip, Lord Vaughn, and the Dowager Duchess of Dovedale. Turnip is a true fop with his over the top embroidered waistcoats. A man who is not afraid to show his allegiance to the Pink Carnation and whose attire leads him into a spot of bother. Lord Vaughn, ah, you seductive, enigmatic man. You are only looking out for yourself and I love you for it and for the images of James Purefoy in Regency garb you bring to mind. Finally, last but not least, because I don't want to be harmed, The Dowager Duchess of Dovedale. Scourge of the ballrooms and impudent young men. She is a force to be reckoned with. My favorite scene? While at a fancy dress ball she confiscates her granddaughter's friend's spear from her Boadicea costume and uses it to poke people with. Pure, priceless and wonderful.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Colin, Dinosaur, Eloise, Henrietta Selwick, Lauren Willig, Lord Vaughn, Miles Dorrington, Pink Carnation, Reading Challenge, The Marquise de Montval, The Masque of the Black Tulip, Turnip Fitzhugh

Now to that most surly of men... is he good... is he bad... do we really care? Bring on Lord Vaughn!

Name: James Purefoy

Dream Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Sebastian, Lord Vaughn

First Impression: Mansfield Park... why did they have to kill him!?! WHY! Just... oh, I can't get started on how I hate this film again... one of the reasons? James Purefoy dies!

Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Could there be another actor out there who can do haughty humor while looking drop dead sexy? Plus did you see how great he looks in Regency clothes?

Lasting Impression: A Knight's Tale, so cute as the King... he was the King right? Prince? Whatever, he was cool while wearing hot furs, the plot, eh, not so important.

What else you've seen them in: Ah... Rome anyone? Also... you really see all of him if you get my drift. From films to television, he's willing to star in and easily adapts from Bronte to Austen, from Cambridge to Comics... He's not one of those stars, who once they hit the big screen, won't go back to the small. Personally I'll watch him in anything, from Solomon Kane to The Philanthropist... of course that was sadly canceled.

Can't believe it's them: Bedrooms and Hallways... just watch it and see. Plus a whole new way that Margaret Thatcher has been debased in the popular media, and rightfully so.

Wish they hadn't: Left V for Vendetta, I love this movie, but his voice and body over Hugo Weavings, yes please, any day! But there's more, I have many Purefoy regrets... WHY did he do that awful Mansfield Park and WHY did he do Maybe Baby!?!? But then again, an actor so prolific, is bound to do crap every once in awhile... like that atrocious Vanity Fair... did they understand Becky is supposed to be unlikable!?!

Bio: James is one of those actors who, after the first time you see them, you know you have to see more. You in fact get very angry when watching A Dance to the Music of Time, because for some reason the final episode recast him, and you're not having any of that, thank you! Sorry, personal grievance there... I have some issues to deal with.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 13 comments  

Labels: A Knight's Tale, Bedrooms and Hallways, James Purefoy, Lauren Willig, Lord Vaughn, Mansfield Park, Pink Carnation Spotlight, Rome, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, V for Vendeta, Vanity Fair

We now move to one of my most favorite books in Lauren's Pink Carnation series... The Seduction of the Crimson Rose. Notable to me for the wonderfully snarky couple of Mary and Vaughn. They are too perfect for each other and too above the rest of the rabble to notice those lesser men and women who get inveigled in the spy game.

Name: Natalie Dormer

Dream Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Mary Alsworthy

First Impression: As that little upstart, Anne Boleyn on The Tudors, trying to mess with Natalie from The Commitments.

Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Just look at her! I mean, she is totally the character of Mary. Can't you see her and Vaughn snidely commenting on those around them with an arc smile?

Lasting Impression: She stared in one of the only good episodes of Marple since Geraldine McEwan was booted... I miss Geraldine, but Natalie did a great job as a psycho.

What else you've seen them in: Most known for playing Anne Boleyn in The Tudors, I think she'll now have a bit more free time, now that she's all headless. She was also on an episode of Rebus, but seeing as it was post John Hannah, I haven't seen it. I'm sorry, that was so John Hannah's show!

Can't believe it's them: Casanova... the Heath Ledger version, not the David Tennant version. Otherwise known as, I'm not surprised I missed her because this movie bored me to death and have an apparent mental block to all things dealing with this film.

Wish they hadn't: Gone blond... tough I think she might be blond and gone black for The Tudors... but still, she looks better with black hair... hence why she's perfect for Mary.

Bio: Despite detractors, I think she was awesome as Anne Boleyn, and think that we are just beginning to see what she's capable of!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 8 comments  

Labels: Anne Boleyn, Casanova, David Tennant, John Hannah, Lauren Willig, Lord Vaughn, Marple, Mary Alsworthy, Pink Carnation Spotlight, The Commitments, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, The Tudors

Greetings to all those who entered! I know you're all excited to see if you won the newest Lauren Willig book, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily. But first, some very important business... who won the favorite character competition!?! First I must throw my nomination into the ring. To quote Megan (a fellow entrant) "This may seem strange but my favorite character is Mary (and Vaughn)... I think there complexity is really interesting as compared to a few of the more conventional heroines." I am not one to find this strange, as you will be obvious when I say my favorite character by far is Lord Vaughn. My favorite scene... his and Mary's five second cameo in The Temptation of the Night Jasmine... now after carefully tabulating the results... and not rigging them so that Lord Vaughn will win...I'm sorry Sebastian, sometimes things can't go your way...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:29 AM 1 comments  

Labels: ARCs, Bunny-the-Bunny, Henrietta Selwick, Lauren Willig, Lord Vaughn, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine