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The Orchid Affair (Pink Carnation #8)

by Lauren Willig (Goodreads Author)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 2,799 ratings · 314 reviews

"Pride and Prejudice lives on" (USA Today) in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series, which has been hailed for its addictive blend of history, romance, and adventure. In The Orchid Affair, Willig introduces her strongest heroine yet. Laura Grey, a veteran governess, joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling exploits in service to the...more

Hardcover, 405 pages

Published January 20th 2011 by Dutton Adult

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Feb 02, 2011 TJ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, historical-romance, contemporary

Ahh, Willig is such a delightful author to read!

But...a funny thing happened on the way through this book, a subtle role-reversal took place. The contemporary storyline, which through the previous books was merely a conduit to further the historical plot line, became much more intriguing than the main story! The historical adventures of the "Silver Orchid" were interesting, if a little slow moving, while the intrigue among the modern day Selwick clan was palpable. I found myself wanting to just...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig
Historical Romance –Jan. 20th, 2012
4 stars

Laura Grey, also known as the Silver Orchid, insinuates herself into Andre Jaouen’s, household, as the governess for his children. Andre is the right-hand man to Bonaparte’s minister of police, and as such, might have important information that the British government might find pertinent. As Laura Griscogne, she is an invisible servant with a stony facade, but Andre finds himself fascinated by the gray-clad, tight lipped...more The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig
Historical Romance –Jan. 20th, 2012
4 stars

Laura Grey, also known as the Silver Orchid, insinuates herself into Andre Jaouen’s, household, as the governess for his children. Andre is the right-hand man to Bonaparte’s minister of police, and as such, might have important information that the British government might find pertinent. As Laura Griscogne, she is an invisible servant with a stony facade, but Andre finds himself fascinated by the gray-clad, tight lipped governess. Andre believed in the Revolution but is dismayed by the bloodiness of the new regime. As he searches for a way to keep his children safe from his rival (the malicious Gaston Delaroche who seeks Andre’s downfall) Andre has to be on his toes at all times and trust no one. But when danger strikes, can he trust Laura even though she refuses to disclose her real identity?

When I first read this book, I wondered how these two characters could be compatible with each other. Laura is so bland, so boring, but that’s exactly what her expertise is - to blend into the background so that she can overhear or see hidden information. On the other hand, Andre is an ordinary man who struggles to survive in the dog-eat-dog world, where anyone can be accused of treason and be guillotined. You don’t really know where Andre stands when it comes to politics and as such, I couldn’t see how Laura and Andre will end up together. But towards the end, after a certain crisis passes, and Andre and Laura flee Paris with his family, you can see why Andre needs a woman like Laura. She is practical and level-headed. Even though he doesn’t know who she is, he knows he can trust her. The romance was slow to start, but it is believable and heart-warming.

Intriguing and full of suspense, this Regency romance captures the feel of Paris in the days after the Revolution and the feeling of tenderness and desperation between the two main characters. The Silver Orchid is another solid spy thriller/romance from Laura Willig.

Reviewed by Pauline from the Bookaholics Romance Club
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Feb 13, 2012 M rated it 4 of 5 stars

On a trip to the library this summer, I stumbled upon a book called The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig. Just by the title, I picked up the book not knowing anything its about nor knowing that it was a part of a series. I picked it up not knowing what it was about nor that it was a part of a larger series. Not knowing any of this, I took it out of this gigantic pile of library books I have in my room to bring on a trip to Carmel. I started reading it on the air plane and fell in love. The book ta...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: frothy-romance, history

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 31, 2011 Erin Maynard added it

One of my more favorite of the Pink collection. It's nice to see Ms. Willig return to the collection's original roots with traditional "spying" and even a cameo by the Purple Gentian. I also appreciate the "bringing back to the fold" of some of her characters that had seemed to have gone astray in the last few novels. The romantic element is believable and in an ironic twist which can only be appreciated by her fans who voiced their displeasure at the bodice-bearing heroine that originally grace...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Eva rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a fun book to read! There are two loosely connected stories, each one echoing how our upbringing affects our adult relationships, coloring how we react to stress and with whom we fall in love.

In 2004, Harvard graduate student, Eloise, is traveling to Paris with her boyfriend. Hmmm, a whiff of romance early on in the story. However, she is there to continue her research on the English spy ring active during and just after the French Revolution, while the boyfriend, Colin, is there by command...more What a fun book to read! There are two loosely connected stories, each one echoing how our upbringing affects our adult relationships, coloring how we react to stress and with whom we fall in love.

In 2004, Harvard graduate student, Eloise, is traveling to Paris with her boyfriend. Hmmm, a whiff of romance early on in the story. However, she is there to continue her research on the English spy ring active during and just after the French Revolution, while the boyfriend, Colin, is there by command of his mother and stepfather to attend a gallery opening of his mother's paintings and her birthday party. Colin has an unhappy relationship with both his mother and stepfather. His famous mother is completely oblivious to his feelings, among other things. In a rare bit of good luck for a graduate student, Colin is heir to the home and papers of the ringleader of spies Eloise is studying.

Which brings us to the French Revolution. The spies take their names from flowers. Among the papers written by Colin's ancestor are documents describing one Silver Orchid, a resourceful governess inserted into the family of Andre Jaouen, the deputy minister of police to discover what is known about a plot to get rid of Bonaparte and put one of the last remaining Bourbons back on the throne. Miss Laura Grey, (the Silver Orchid) finding life as a governess extremely boring, has volunteered for the adventure of a spy. She, too, was the daughter of a famous sculptor and a famous poetess and her parents were as oblivious to her needs as Colin's.

Rounding out the oblivious parent list, is Andre Jaouen's late wife, also a famous painter of her time. Andre is neglectful due more to his work than his nature. Laura feels immediate kinship to Andre's children remembering her own childhood pain of being neglected.

In the meantime, there is spying to be done. There are plots afoot and surprises around every corner, clandestine meetings to arrange, secret messages to be passed. Miss Grey occasionally finds spywork a little too exciting, especially during their flight for their lives in a gypsy caravan with a traveling theatrical troop, but she manages beautifully to save the day. I really liked her and hope she shows up again in future books. Oh, yes, and there's romance for Miss Grey as well.

Now that I've read this one, I'll have to go back and read the first ones in this exciting series. I enjoyed the afterward, in which it is revealed which characters are based on which actual people and which events really did happen.(less)

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Apr 10, 2011 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, wishlist

Laura Grey has been a governess for sixteen years, and wanted to get her feet wet before she got old. However, when she joined the League of the Pink Carnation, she did not know that she would be right back at her old job of watching other people's children, albeit the children of an agent of the French police. The plan is simple, spy on Andrè Jaouen, teach his children, and report back to the Pink Carnation. However, nobody is as they seem and things rarely go as planned... Meanwhile, in the pr...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Alana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, 2011_01_january

Here's the thing. If you're at the point where you're reading the SEVENTH of a series in HARDCOVER, you don't really need my review. You're like me; you're going to read it regardless of what the main storyline might be. We've come this far and we've been amused enough with the ride, so we'll continue on.

The Orchid Affair is, indeed, the seventh book in the Pink Carnation series (a count which doesn't include the Christmas intrigue published a few months ago or that little online novella) publi...more Here's the thing. If you're at the point where you're reading the SEVENTH of a series in HARDCOVER, you don't really need my review. You're like me; you're going to read it regardless of what the main storyline might be. We've come this far and we've been amused enough with the ride, so we'll continue on.

The Orchid Affair is, indeed, the seventh book in the Pink Carnation series (a count which doesn't include the Christmas intrigue published a few months ago or that little online novella) published by Lauren Willig -- historical romance novelist who found her way to full time writing only after going to Harvard Law (something tells me that when they talk about the many things you can do with your law degree, this might not have been what they had in mind). Willig has certainly published a great deal since The Secret History of the Pink Carnation appeared in 2005, so thank goodness she seems to know exactly what her readers want. The series is loosely gathered around the doings of the Pink Carnation, an English spy, but the Pink Carnation herself is a somewhat elusive character -- only peeking in occasionally while each book focuses on the love lives of two other individuals. Most of the pairs of lovers in question are English, regardless of the country that provides our setting, but The Orchid Affair is unique; rather than featuring Englishfolk running about France while sporting flowery spy names, this installment features a Frenchwoman returning home after spending years in England as a governess... so she can sport a flowery spy name and be planted in the home of a French official. Much less Englishness. And running. At least in the first half. In the end, what she (and her super secret spy boss The Pink Carnation) doesn't quite count on is that the French official in question might not be totally on board with the current government's practices either, which would make them surprising allies in the need to smuggle a French claimant to the throne out of France.

Willig readers know the basic idea of what they'll be getting here. Some ridiculous fun and an eventual happy ending, preferably with a sexy scene or two tossed in... or at least some nice romantic angst. And when the obvious set up is between a secret spy governess and the employer she's spying on, well, there you have it. Laura Grey is, indeed, a governess, so posing as a governess isn't a terribly difficult role for her. Her parents were artists (her mother a poet of some note and her father a well-known sculptor) and while they had many friends in life, when they died in a boating accident, Laura made her own way in life. Now, the thrill of serving as a spy (and having gone through the Selwick Spy School) is a bit muted by the daily duties of teaching children, so thankfully the story does eventually veer off into something much more amusing -- a traveling troupe of actors. Andre Jaouen is her employer, the right-hand man (and cousin by marriage) to the Chief of Police. It's not surprising, therefore, that the Pink Carnation might want someone in his employ to glean any useful bits of information... what Laura eventually discovers, however, is that Andre is assisting the Royalist cause, having grown jaded with what the Revolution has led to. As a result, we get a fresher look at all the post-Revolution politics in France, which provides a welcome perspective in a series where naturally one must worry about the whole "those Frenchies seek him everywhere" storyline could get tired.

On the modern end of things (as each novel does tie together with the modern graduate student Eloise and her blossoming romance with the many-time-great-grandson of one of these flowery spies), we actually are seeing some drama stir up that goes beyond Eloise and Colin. I was a tad disappointed that we get no new information about exactly what Colin might be up to (is he really writing a spy novel or is he, perhaps, taking up the family business of spying?), but we do get a bit of drama as it concerns his family's estate and his mother's husband (who was her husband's nephew... ew) making a bit of a power play in his desire to be head of the family and trump Colin. The trouble here is that we get so little time with this cast that I always find myself wishing for more and not in the good sense, strictly speaking. Certainly it's interesting, but it does feel like we're rather eking along there.

I enjoy Willig's novels because she clearly has fun with the story -- which means that the reader is more likely to have fun reading it. She creates likable characters (often of the bumbling variety) and they get up to ridiculous antics -- and The Orchid Affair one was about par for the course (though it takes a little while to get to the ridiculous antics, as Paris is far too grim and serious for such things, evidently). Sadly, we're getting to the point where Willig has paired off so many people, it seems almost absurd when you come across them... a whole group of perfectly matched couples in charge of espionage operations across the Channel. But I chuckled and read the book in a weekend, so clearly it was all still amusing enough. It wasn't my favorite of her novels by any means -- the best one in the recent past was The Betrayal of the Blood Lily. It was good to get back to the actual center of the series (aka the French Revolution), though, and the French perspective was a nice angle. The Mischief of the Mistletoe introduced a whole crop of younger sisters, so clearly Willig has ample future heroines tucked away, so I'll keep on reading. Reading a Lauren Willig novel is an exceedingly pleasant way to pass a winter's afternoon/evening. Just keep the tea warm and the scones at the ready.(less)

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Mar 13, 2011 Vivian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was just as good as her previous titles in the "Pink Carnation" series. It was quite nice to get back to the relationship trials and tribulations (ah new love) of Eloise and Colin. During this story they take their first major trip together and travel to Paris. Of course, Eloise finds time to do more research. I'm beginning to think she'll never finish her doctoral dissertation. I won't even get into the family drama that occurs, suffice it to say the Selwick family is just as dysfunctional...more

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May 24, 2013 xenu01 rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked Laura as a heroine for a number of reasons. She's 32, so has a little bit of life experience. She is not an expressive individual and lacks an emotive spirit(I especially like how terrible she is at acting), something which was refreshing in a genre where the heroines are often good at everything. I enjoyed her description as someone who plays piano and speaks languages with technical proficiency but who lacks that certain something. I also like that her relationship with the troubled Ga...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Karalee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

In the seventh installment in the Pink Carnation series, Laura Grey has been recruited as a spy by the Pink Carnation and completed a "spy course" at Selwick Hall. In her first assignment as the Silver Orchid, she is placed in the household of the right-hand to the French Minister of Police, Andre Jaouen, as governess to his two children. Miss Grey (or Mlle Giscogne in French) had been a governess for 16 years prior to her spy career, so the cover was perfect. Miss Grey becomes embroiled in unco...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Dottie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An adventure-packed novel! Rated 4.5! Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:

For the past sixteen years, Laura Grey has been a governess. At sixteen, Laura, the daughter of Michel de Griscogne, a French sculptor and Chiara de Veneti, an Italian poetess, had been left to fend for herself when her parents had died. So she had lied about her age, claiming to be twenty, to obtain her first position as a governess. But she did not want to spend the rest of her years in that profession, so when he...more An adventure-packed novel! Rated 4.5! Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:

For the past sixteen years, Laura Grey has been a governess. At sixteen, Laura, the daughter of Michel de Griscogne, a French sculptor and Chiara de Veneti, an Italian poetess, had been left to fend for herself when her parents had died. So she had lied about her age, claiming to be twenty, to obtain her first position as a governess. But she did not want to spend the rest of her years in that profession, so when her last pupil had married, she had gone in a different direction and joined the Selwick Spy School. Now in Paris, she is about to undertake her first mission, which is to embed herself into the household of the Assistant Prefect of Police Andre Jaouen, keeping any eye out for any suspicious behavior or any other useful information. Working undercover as Laura Griscogne, with a code name of the Silver Orchid; she will take her instructions from the famous flower spy, the Pink Carnation, as directed. Her only training had been her years as a governess and six months at a spy school in Sussex. This is not much training considering her job was to outwit a man who made a business out of outwitting others. Besides, her tutelage under the Selwicks had been haphazard and did not seem to fit in with her current situation. But since Jaouen had needed a governess, she got the assignment.
It has been seventeen years since Laura has been to Paris and there had been a revolution in the interval, which is why she is there now. But nothing has prepared her for the scars that the city still bears or the bloodstains that haven’t come out. However, this is her chance and all she has to do is prove to the Pink Carnation that she can spy as well as she can teach. Her ability to be neither seen nor heard and to blend into the background was the reason that the Pink Carnation had hired her in the first place.

Andre’s wife, Julie, died four years ago, leaving two small children in her father’s care. He has been tutoring them. But with his death, the children, along with their nursemaid, head to Paris and the cold, austere building that is their new residence. Andre, with the unwanted assistance of his arch-rival Gaston Delaroche, has been investigating a Royalist plot to overthrow the First Consul of France, Napoleon Bonaparte. It seems that Delaroche takes every opportunity to make insinuating threats about Andre’s children. Andre has trouble trying to figure out his new prim governess, but he also suspects that she may have been planted into his home by Delaroche. Laura is also curious about her handsome employer. Andre, a Revolutionist, is becoming dispirited, finding that the Revolutionist ideals of liberté, égalité and fraternité no longer seem to apply in this regime of terror and fear.
He does not like what is happening in his country or what his job now entails.

Laura does not feel like a spy at all; she seems to be in the same staid governess position that she has always held. That is, until she begins to notice Andre’s strange behavior and secret meetings. As things begin to heat up, she finds herself in the midst of uncovering a plot to overthrow Napoleon Bonaparte and reinstate a Bourbon to the French throne. Soon Andre and Laura find the need to team up, acting as man and wife and traveling under the guise of performers in the Commedia dell'Aruzzio troupe. But hot on their heels is Andre’s arch-rival Delaroche. Can the Pink Carnation help them escape to safety? Will Andre and Laura have a future together as more than governess and employer? Will Laura’s first mission be her last?

An adventure-packed tale, THE ORCHID AFFAIR, the eighth book in author Lauren Willig’s popular PINK CARNATION series, is an edge-of-your-seat, exciting historical romance that will capture your attention right away and not let go until the very end. This historical tale is encased within a contemporary story of modern day scholar Eloise Kelly, who is in Paris with her boyfriend, Colin Selwick, a descendant of the Pink Carnation and the Purple Gentian, to celebrate his mother’s birthday at a weekend party. While there, Eloise is also doing research for her doctoral thesis on the British flower spies during the Napoleonic Wars and seeking a pink marzipan pig. Rife with historical details, this novel is also filled with suspense, an original and intriguing plot, a delightful change of scenery, complex characters, witty repartee and romance, this story is one you will want to add to your keeper shelf. There is no need to read the previous books in this series to understand this story, other than for pure enjoyment. At any rate, do not miss THE ORCHID AFFAIR! In addition, you may want to check out her more recent book; THE GARDEN INTRIGUE, which is the ninth book of this series.

Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com

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Jun 25, 2012 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Orchid Affair Review
Well i reread both The Betrayal of the Blood Lily and The Orchid Affair today

The Orchid Affair was a deeper novel of spies as we follow Laura Grey as an undercover spy/governess. It is more involved than the other books where the story is more about the relationships and someone working on their own as a spy. This book is about someone trained at the Selwick Spy School going on a mission, her first mission to be exact. I really enjoyed the fact that she reported to others...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Kiirsten rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Pink Carnation is BACK!

It appears that Willig has gotten back to the original crux of her Pink Carnation series; espionage. It was refreshing to read "The Orchid Affair" and I haven't said that about Willig's novels in quite a while.

Laura Grey is a governess, a drab, stony, spinster-like governess. She has made her own way in the world since she was 16 years old; that is until her last charge married and she was forced out of the home she had known for so long. (Laura can only take so much c...more

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May 29, 2011 Kandice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2011, fiction, historical

Willig's books are always entertaining. Far from being a serious historical read, they are a light and romantic visit to historical settings and times. While I have always enjoyed reading her works, I have to say this was one of my favorite. I don't know if this was because the heroine of this novel was a little older (in her 30's) which was a nice change. Or if it was because I felt the novel contained a little more detail and a more intricate plot than some of her previous works. Either way, i...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Maria Hausmann rated it 4 of 5 stars

What I found missing in the last books, was the whole spy affaire. Obviously, being the whole series about spies, they tend to pop up, but the last 3 to 4 books concentrated more on the characters and their lives, than on the actual spying issues. This book, as did Nr. 1, 2 and 3, focuses on both.

Also I found it nice, to finally have the actual Pink Carnation back. As I recall, the last time she appeared in book 3 - or was is book 4? Whatever, it has been a while. Sadly, Miss Gwen and her paras...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, chick-lit

This was much, MUCH, better than the last couple of Carnation books (I don't even think I really remember those - I must have blocked them out). Jane actually shows up, and the focus is back on France/England, which makes much more sense, since I doubt the Secret Carnation controlled espionage on every continent.

Anyway, this one was a bit more mature in terms of character - both Laura and Andre are in their 30s - and I felt that it was also less frivolous than previous installments. The romance...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, espionage, romance, adult, point-of-view-change

Back-Story: I picked this up when Borders was going out of business. When that happened, I basically went to every Borders in my area and literally any book that looked interesting or the summary sounded good, I bought. This was one of them.

It isn't obvious on the cover that this book is part of a series so I wasn't actually aware of that when I purchased it and I have not read any of the previous 7 books that precede this one.

Review: I do believe that this book stands fine on its own. I was ne...more Back-Story: I picked this up when Borders was going out of business. When that happened, I basically went to every Borders in my area and literally any book that looked interesting or the summary sounded good, I bought. This was one of them.

It isn't obvious on the cover that this book is part of a series so I wasn't actually aware of that when I purchased it and I have not read any of the previous 7 books that precede this one.

Review: I do believe that this book stands fine on its own. I was never lost when reading it. I liked it well enough.

Looks- The cover is nice. It evokes a nice feel to it which is why I picked it up to start with. The title also sounded interesting and after I saw that it was a book having to deal with espionage, I knew I wanted it.

Content- Like I said, I like it well enough. It's not quite just average but it didn't really wow me. There were parts that I really liked but, for the most part, the story didn't really grip me.

I didn't mind how it went back and forth between Eloise and Colin's story and Laura and Andre's story. I rather liked that portion of it and how it tied everything in together and added another level to the story; although it could've just as easily been written without Eloise and Colin's portion. It was fun to see where Eloise and Colin's story tied in with Selwick Hall and the Pink Carnation and Laura.

I found the plot dragged a bit. It was just a bit annoying trying to figure out just what was going on with Andre's bit. The plot was well-written though and the twists written in were good such as when Andre's true loyalties are found out and when Laura starts to realize her feelings for Andre and vice versa although I couldn't say I didn't see that part coming. I liked the climax part till the end the best. I found the Comedia dell' Arruzio part fun to read. I really liked Laura's and Andre's part in the end when they show their feelings for each other.

The characters are developed throughout the book. They were realistic and lively. They were relatable as well. I have no complaints about the characters at all. They were all well-written.

Likes: That this book can stand alone without having to read the previous books. The climax part of the book till the end. The way everything tied together neatly. The bits of espionage written. The character development. Laura and Andre's relationship. The Author's Note in the end that explained where everything was inspired from and the bits of real history written in.

Dislikes: The plot dragged a bit. The plot didn't pull me in much. I would have liked to see Laura and Andre's part written last instead of Eloise and Colin's since their story was really what the book was all about although I do understand why the author wrote it the way she did.

Overall:
Recommend? Yes. Especially if you like espionage and historical fiction books.
Reading the previous books? I plan to read at least the first one to see where the Pink Carnation started. It depends on that one if I'll finish reading the series. (less)

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Feb 02, 2011 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I recently won this book here on Goodreads. I have read one other book in the Pink Carnation series and will be reading more of them soon. They are very entertaining books. In this book we read about Laura Gray, a governess for the last sixteen years who decides to change her life by becoming a spy. She is sent to France to be a governess for Andre Jouen, who works for Bonaparte's minister of police, and to find out all she can of a plot to get rid of Bonaparte.

Laura Gray is a very likable char...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Alleluialu rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is another of Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series. I loved it. I haven't read one of hers for a little while, so I was happy to return to the series. Her strong female characters are wonderful. This one is about Laura Gray, Governess, who is also the Silver Orchid - spying in France for the British government. She is 32 years old and has been on her own since her parents died when she was 16. She learned to be a governess to survive and she was quite good at it. And, of course she falls i...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Merand rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another good showing for the Pink Carnation series. I've enjoyed these books quite a bit - the romance, the drama, the intrigue! This was probably the best offering in the last few. Perhaps that was because it departed slightly from the formula. It was set in Paris which was nice since it is a series about spies during the Napoleonic wars. The main character wasn't someone we were introduced to in the previous book (at least I don't remember her) and finally, neither of the main characters were...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Angelc rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars, already-own-read

There's a reason why Lauren Willig's books are so popular, and "The Orchid Affair" reminded me of why. I didn't want this book to end. The story is an excellent, well-rounded historical. There's lots of adventure and mystery, great characters, and a lot of sweet romance.

The book started a little slow for me, there wasn't a lot of action at the start. But I felt the story picked up as soon as Andre and Laura ran into the boisterous painter, Daubier. I feel like that's when the secrets really star...more

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Feb 28, 2011 Mayakda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011-02, regency, romance, espionage

Enjoyed this book, probably because it was on the French side of the pond. Also, the hero & heroine are very likable.

But there is a scene in it that is so very familiar that I am almost positive I have read it before, long ago. Anyone remember where it might be from?

(spoilers for The Orchid Affair)

The familiar scene is that the hero, who is an official in the revolutionary-era French police but is part of a counter-plot, must cover up for a fugitive and a heroine at the domicile of an arres...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well, now I've read everyhing Willig has written (except for two novellas on her website) so I guess I'll have to wait for awhile. This is Laura and Andre's story and is set in France (again with guest appearances from other characters in the series). She is the governess and he is her employer and at least one of them is a spy. My biggest complaint is that Willig has stretched the present-day romance through seven books now, and because Colin demonstrates such typical English reserve, and Elois...more

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Mar 17, 2013 JG (The Introverted Reader) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, chick_lit, historical_fiction, read_in_2013, reviewed, 4_stars, author_american, challenge_europe, just_plain_fun, setting_france, strong_females

Laura Grey is tired of her life as a governess, so she joins forces with The Pink Carnation. After the requisite training, she is sent to work as a governess for Andre Jaouen, a high-ranking official in the French Ministry of Police. She's also tasked with finding out any information that might be of use to the Pink Carnation and her league of British spies.

I consistently love this series and rate them around 4 stars but this is one of my favorites. But maybe I say that about all of them--I wou...more Laura Grey is tired of her life as a governess, so she joins forces with The Pink Carnation. After the requisite training, she is sent to work as a governess for Andre Jaouen, a high-ranking official in the French Ministry of Police. She's also tasked with finding out any information that might be of use to the Pink Carnation and her league of British spies.

I consistently love this series and rate them around 4 stars but this is one of my favorites. But maybe I say that about all of them--I wouldn't be surprised. They are full of intelligent women who don't need men to protect them but they like to keep the guys around anyway. I grin like an idiot at the witty dialog as I read and I hate to turn the last page. What more can you ask for?

I love the chemistry between Laura and Andre and I love that it is impossible to guess exactly what he's up to. He's a good father who genuinely cares for his children and grieves for his dead wife. He's doing his best to navigate the tumultuous politics of Napoleonic France while staying true to his ideals and protecting his children.

Laura is beautifully flawed and full of contradictions that work. She's the archetype of a strait-laced governess but it's easy to see that there's much more to her than that. She's learned to tame any desires and wishes that she has and just be glad that she's able to support herself and keep a roof over her head. She's scared when she finds herself in dangerous situations but she handles them beautifully and ingeniously. She's probably one of my favorite heroines in the Pink Carnation series. But I probably say that after I read every book too.

I'm over Colin and Eloise's glacially-moving romance. I've never cared for the modern-day story but it just gets weaker and weaker to me. It feels like the author is losing interest in it as well. I will admit that there was a development in this story that could be a setup for some interesting times in the next book though.

Fans of the series won't be disappointed with this installment. There are so few overlapping characters in it that new readers might be able to dive into it without reading the others in the series, but I would still recommend reading them in order.(less)

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Jan 28, 2011 Caitlin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I think this may be one of my favorites from the Pink Carnation series. The plot is quite different from most of the others, and I liked how the loyalties of the characters weren't as black and white as they were in previous books. The practical nature of both Laura Grey and Andre Jaouen also appealed to me, where many of the main characters have been on the flighty side.

The look at this era from the French perspective was also interesting for me, since I'm most of the way through Madame Tussaud ...more

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Feb 09, 2011 ZaBeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: source-lib, r-fmiw, r-goodreads, _g-romance, series_tracked, 6-fromfictionstack

This is the eighth book in Ms. Willig’s Pink Carnation espionage series and as all Willig’s books do, this one centers on a strong female character who seeks a life of adventure and purpose. As in real life when one decides to make a life-altering change, Laura Grey, our heroine, must find the courage within herself to live outside of her comfort zone. Beneath the shield of her governess grey dress is a beautiful, spirited, and intelligent woman who can help the Pink Carnation in France by spyin...more This is the eighth book in Ms. Willig’s Pink Carnation espionage series and as all Willig’s books do, this one centers on a strong female character who seeks a life of adventure and purpose. As in real life when one decides to make a life-altering change, Laura Grey, our heroine, must find the courage within herself to live outside of her comfort zone. Beneath the shield of her governess grey dress is a beautiful, spirited, and intelligent woman who can help the Pink Carnation in France by spying on Andre Jaouen, the deputy minister of police. But just as Laura is not showing all that she is, neither is Jaouen. Soon Andre and Laura acknowledge that life in post-revolution France is not safe for either of them. Andre had such hopes in the Citizens’ Revolution to bring freedom to the people. But time proved that what replaced the French aristocracy was a Reign of Terror filled with political in-fighting and run by a revolutionary dictatorship that would ultimately purge France of somewhere between 16,000 to 40,000 of its citizens.
Willig always weaves her stories into the historical background so that you feel the intrigue and terror of simply breathing in that era. The secondary characters are rich and lively so that you hope they’ll show up in a future book to tease you again. The romance builds with humor, fear, doubt, and passion. The mystery is shadowed with intrigue, murder, and spies. The only complaint could be that each book is such a joy to read that stories end too quickly and the wait is too long until the next adventure of the Pink Carnation.
I was filled with introspection as I read The Orchid Affair however, as history could be repeating itself right now with the recent uprising in Egypt. While I support the pursuit of democracy in any country, I fear a country that does not have a plan for what comes after the revolution. As the various political stakeholders vie for power in the new Egypt, I pray that they know their world history. Regardless of the government in power - humans will run it. We are ambitious beings. Whether it is a dictatorship who rules with an iron fist or a democracy ruled by an overwhelming majority party, absolute power corrupts. Absolutely.
(less)

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Apr 23, 2011 Erica Leigh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lauren Willig does not disappoint. I stayed up all night reading my autographed copy of The Orchid Affair. I enjoyed this slightly different piece of the collection – the heroine is different, the hero is different, the pace of the story itself is different – but it fits into the whole series beautifully. As in others, its fun the way the author weaves in past (and future) characters – if I am not mistaken, Amy is Stiles with parrot and I am looking forward to reading about Emma in the next roun...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

I quite enjoyed this. The cover seemed dubious, making it seem like a purple prose romance novel, which it isn't. It is a fun story about Laura Grey, who, as the Silver Orchid, works as a governess in the household of someone who works for Bonaparte's minister of police (around 1804). There are daring rescues and clever plots, quite enjoyable to anyone who likes The Scarlet Pimpernel (who is referenced more than once). There is a very good romance. There is much clever snarkiness which gave me g...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Heidi rated it 2 of 5 stars

well. it was better than the last one. maybe this was a 3 star book for me after all. it took a long time for me to get into it. i did enjoy that neither of the main characters were flighty or silly. and there were neither heaving bosoms nor the stamping of feet by any curvy, petite women as seems to be ms. willig's style in prior books. laura and andre were both older lonely nerds and there is a lot of appeal in that. nerd love triumphs. but, it was a little too captain von trapp and maria, but...more

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About Lauren Willig

Lauren Willig is the New York Times bestselling author of eleven works of historical fiction. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages, awarded the RITA, Booksellers Best and Golden Leaf awards, and chosen for the American Library Association's annual list of the best genre fiction. After graduating from Yale University, she embarked on a PhD in English History at Harvard before...more

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Books by Lauren Willig

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation, #1)

The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation, #2)

The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation, #3)

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation, #4)

The Temptation of the Night Jasmine (Pink Carnation, #5)

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The Orchid Affair (Pink Carnation #8)

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