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Pink Carnation #7.1
Away in a Manger: A Very Turnip Wedding Night
As part of a bet with Sarah of Smart B*tches, I agreed to write Turnip's wedding night... and here it is!
55 pages, ebook
First published July 24, 2011
12 people are currently reading
891 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Willig
45 books4,731 followersLauren Willig is the New York Times bestselling author of nineteen 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 History at Harvard before leaving academia to acquire a JD at Harvard Law while authoring her "Pink Carnation" series of Napoleonic-set novels. She lives in New York City, where she now writes full time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
September 10, 2011
And this is why I love Turnip:
He took up the axe, and had at it. He would be—thwack!—a gentleman. If it—thwack!
—killed him. Because Arabella—thwack!—deserved better.
“Um, darling?” Arabella’s voice sounded strange. “Isn’t that the wrong side of the axe?”
This was a hysterical little epilogue to one of my favorite Lauren Willig books. Definitely a bit raunchy for about 2 pages, but it's about their wedding night, so what did you expect? Still, loved more Turnip, as he is most certainly one of the best Pink Carnation heroes. :)
He took up the axe, and had at it. He would be—thwack!—a gentleman. If it—thwack!
—killed him. Because Arabella—thwack!—deserved better.
“Um, darling?” Arabella’s voice sounded strange. “Isn’t that the wrong side of the axe?”
This was a hysterical little epilogue to one of my favorite Lauren Willig books. Definitely a bit raunchy for about 2 pages, but it's about their wedding night, so what did you expect? Still, loved more Turnip, as he is most certainly one of the best Pink Carnation heroes. :)
August 1, 2012
★★★★½ Sweet! Fun. Free short story on author's website. Honeymoon of the characters in The Mischief of the Mistletoe.
March 5, 2015
Cute.
The title speaks for itself: It's Turnip's wedding night! For those who wanted to see more of Turnip and Arabella after The Mischief of the Mistletoe ended with , this short story (or more like a bonus sequel chapter, really) follows the charming couple as they're caught in a snowstorm on the way home after their whirlwind wedding. Thanks to Turnip - sweet, earnest Turnip - making a complete mess of their trip despite having the very best of intentions, the newlyweds have to get a little creative about where they spend their special wedding night... not that resourceful Arabella would ever let a little detail like that stop her.
The characters remain as endearing and true to form as ever; I can't imagine anyone other than Arabella being such a champ about Turnip's diastrous (if hilarious) bumbling antics with the way she values his intentions over his execution.
Also, if it wasn't apparent from the title, the short story is R-rated. Those who would prefer their reads free of sexy times can skip Away in a Manger; it's a fun little short epilogue, but not really necessary for your enjoyment of the books.
The title speaks for itself: It's Turnip's wedding night! For those who wanted to see more of Turnip and Arabella after The Mischief of the Mistletoe ended with , this short story (or more like a bonus sequel chapter, really) follows the charming couple as they're caught in a snowstorm on the way home after their whirlwind wedding. Thanks to Turnip - sweet, earnest Turnip - making a complete mess of their trip despite having the very best of intentions, the newlyweds have to get a little creative about where they spend their special wedding night... not that resourceful Arabella would ever let a little detail like that stop her.
The characters remain as endearing and true to form as ever; I can't imagine anyone other than Arabella being such a champ about Turnip's diastrous (if hilarious) bumbling antics with the way she values his intentions over his execution.
Also, if it wasn't apparent from the title, the short story is R-rated. Those who would prefer their reads free of sexy times can skip Away in a Manger; it's a fun little short epilogue, but not really necessary for your enjoyment of the books.
January 7, 2021
Oh that was so funny and perfect! This is Turnip and Arabella’s wedding night and has to be read after their book, The Mischief of the Mistletoe. I don’t know how Lauren Willig pulls it off but she does. Turnip is a silly, endearing Bertie Wooster type and imagining him in bed was ridiculous already but this managed to be both hilarious and very tender. So glad I read that.
May 22, 2018
A very cute interlude about Turnip and Arabella's wedding night in a barn. Turnip is clueless and adorable (as someone not married to him), and it was a sweet, and a bit steamy, story.
July 26, 2011
A delightful R-rated addendum to "Mischief of the Mistletoe." must-read for fans of the series and devotees of Turnip and Arabella, Carnation's charming underdogs. Well-timed on my part as I just finished Mistletoe! Thank you, Ms. Willig!
November 23, 2020
Another very silly one --- available here on the author's website!
http://www.laurenwillig.com/diversion...
http://www.laurenwillig.com/diversion...
December 21, 2021
*Special Content only on my blog, Strange and Random Happenstance during Regency Romp (March-August 2022)
Turnip and Arabella are tra la la-ing their way to Parva Magna. They have just been married from Girdings, with the Dowager Duchess of Dovevale as witness no less, and Turnip is taking his hours old bride home. There's only one problem. It's started to snow. A lot. Then there was a fork in the road. They chose the wrong road. Things are looking bleak when they spot a barn. This wasn't the wedding night Turnip wanted for Arabella but at least she won't freeze to death. Especially as she's so industrious she uses all the warm bricks and blankets Turnip had enrobed her in for the ride to make a fire and a bed. And that's the worst part. Hay could technically be construed as a bed, or at least a bed in it's composite parts. Turnip wanted a real bed and a roaring fire for his bride's first time. He didn't want to have to keep running out of the barn and sticking his head in a snowbank just to bank the flames of his own desires. At the rate things are going he's going to actually have to freeze his limbs to keep them away from Arabella. But Arabella is also feeling the flames of desire. Turnip working up a sweat while chopping wood, eventually with the correct end of the ax, was almost more than she could bare. His shirt clinging to his well toned body has her ready for her wedding night, even if it is in a barn. Plus, Turnip has always had a thing for milkmaids, it seems almost destiny that a Christmas romance would end in a barn. Plus, the barn is so comfortable, who could object to them staying other than his sister Sally and his valet Gerkin?
The books in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation oeuvre have never shied away from having a little sexy sexy in them. In fact, Lauren herself has said that when writing her first book, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, she was under the delusion she was writing a romance, not historical fiction. So there's a little steamy, a little sexy sexy, in boats no less! As each of the succeeding volumes came out there where varying degrees of steam, some, like The Mischief of the Mistletoe, nary a naked body in sight. There was some steamy kissing, but fully clothed, drat those clothes, and a desk, and everything else that got in their way, including puddings. The Mischief of the Mistletoe with Turnip Fitzhugh has become my favorite book Lauren has written and it has easily made itself mandatory Christmas reading. Some people might say though we where denied the wedding night, being only given the "happily ever after." Well, at the RITA awards she had stuck a bargain to write Turnip's "Amorous Addendum" if she won. And she won. This chapter picks up after Turnip has hastily married Arabella before even leaving Girdings, he doesn't want her coming to her senses, and he valiantly heads forth into an oncoming blizzard. The blizzard that makes them lost and snowbound, but luckily there's a barn. And nice warm hay... And of course, pudding. You can imagine there's much sexy sexy, but Turnip being Turnip, there's prevarication and talking and much jumping into snowbanks and finally, she doth stop his mouth with a kiss. Despite the steam, this was nothing but sweet. Even if Sally would disagree. They ate the entire hamper of food that she was looking forward to! And Gerkin is despondent about Turnip's coat.
Turnip and Arabella are tra la la-ing their way to Parva Magna. They have just been married from Girdings, with the Dowager Duchess of Dovevale as witness no less, and Turnip is taking his hours old bride home. There's only one problem. It's started to snow. A lot. Then there was a fork in the road. They chose the wrong road. Things are looking bleak when they spot a barn. This wasn't the wedding night Turnip wanted for Arabella but at least she won't freeze to death. Especially as she's so industrious she uses all the warm bricks and blankets Turnip had enrobed her in for the ride to make a fire and a bed. And that's the worst part. Hay could technically be construed as a bed, or at least a bed in it's composite parts. Turnip wanted a real bed and a roaring fire for his bride's first time. He didn't want to have to keep running out of the barn and sticking his head in a snowbank just to bank the flames of his own desires. At the rate things are going he's going to actually have to freeze his limbs to keep them away from Arabella. But Arabella is also feeling the flames of desire. Turnip working up a sweat while chopping wood, eventually with the correct end of the ax, was almost more than she could bare. His shirt clinging to his well toned body has her ready for her wedding night, even if it is in a barn. Plus, Turnip has always had a thing for milkmaids, it seems almost destiny that a Christmas romance would end in a barn. Plus, the barn is so comfortable, who could object to them staying other than his sister Sally and his valet Gerkin?
The books in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation oeuvre have never shied away from having a little sexy sexy in them. In fact, Lauren herself has said that when writing her first book, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, she was under the delusion she was writing a romance, not historical fiction. So there's a little steamy, a little sexy sexy, in boats no less! As each of the succeeding volumes came out there where varying degrees of steam, some, like The Mischief of the Mistletoe, nary a naked body in sight. There was some steamy kissing, but fully clothed, drat those clothes, and a desk, and everything else that got in their way, including puddings. The Mischief of the Mistletoe with Turnip Fitzhugh has become my favorite book Lauren has written and it has easily made itself mandatory Christmas reading. Some people might say though we where denied the wedding night, being only given the "happily ever after." Well, at the RITA awards she had stuck a bargain to write Turnip's "Amorous Addendum" if she won. And she won. This chapter picks up after Turnip has hastily married Arabella before even leaving Girdings, he doesn't want her coming to her senses, and he valiantly heads forth into an oncoming blizzard. The blizzard that makes them lost and snowbound, but luckily there's a barn. And nice warm hay... And of course, pudding. You can imagine there's much sexy sexy, but Turnip being Turnip, there's prevarication and talking and much jumping into snowbanks and finally, she doth stop his mouth with a kiss. Despite the steam, this was nothing but sweet. Even if Sally would disagree. They ate the entire hamper of food that she was looking forward to! And Gerkin is despondent about Turnip's coat.
December 28, 2022
Away in a Manger by Lauren Willig (#7.1 in the Pink Carnation mystery series) is a laugh-out-loud postscript to The Mischief of the Mistletoe.
Married to Arabella for "five hours, thirty-two minutes and approximately sixteen -no, seventeen-seconds" Turnip (Reginald Fitzhugh) is blissfully contemplating their Wedding Night, as they ride along in a snowstorm (on the wrong road of course, since Turnip is at the reins).
"Since the wedding had been today...Turnip engaged in some deep thought. If his calculations were correct, that meant, logically, the wedding night must be tonight. Ah, logic. They'd told him back at Eton that it would come in handy some day. He was only now beginning to appreciate how much."
Before frostbite, they find a deserted barn...
It takes them 3 days to proceed the rest of the 15 miles.
Guaranteed to make you laugh; hard to stop smiling after reading this cute/silly/hilarious novella.
Married to Arabella for "five hours, thirty-two minutes and approximately sixteen -no, seventeen-seconds" Turnip (Reginald Fitzhugh) is blissfully contemplating their Wedding Night, as they ride along in a snowstorm (on the wrong road of course, since Turnip is at the reins).
"Since the wedding had been today...Turnip engaged in some deep thought. If his calculations were correct, that meant, logically, the wedding night must be tonight. Ah, logic. They'd told him back at Eton that it would come in handy some day. He was only now beginning to appreciate how much."
Before frostbite, they find a deserted barn...
It takes them 3 days to proceed the rest of the 15 miles.
Guaranteed to make you laugh; hard to stop smiling after reading this cute/silly/hilarious novella.
December 15, 2017
Hilarious, it was Turnip through and trhough.
I really liked it.
I really liked it.
February 28, 2018
Turnip is the best!
December 8, 2020
Cute ☺️
August 24, 2021
Turnip gets some lovin'!
December 28, 2023
3.5 stars… Fun little Turnip and Arabella story! A little raunchy at times but it is a honeymoon story…
March 20, 2024
Lol. I should have waited till I read all the books up to it, but I didn't want to.
December 29, 2024
The epilogue for The Mischief of the Mistletoe. The book ended with Turnip proposing, so this catches up with them after they get hastily married. Short and sweet.
February 13, 2016
I Love Turnip!
The books in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation oeuvre have never shied away from having a little sexy sexy in them. In fact, Lauren herself has said that when writing her first book, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, she was under the delusion she was writing a romance, not historical fiction. So there's a little steamy, a little sexy sexy, in boats no less! As each of the succeeding volumes came out there where varying degrees of steam, some, like last years The Mischief of the Mistletoe, nary a naked body in sight. There was some steamy kissing, but fully clothed, drat those clothes, and a desk, and everything else that got in their way, including puddings. The Mischief of the Mistletoe with Turnip Fitzhugh has become my favorite book Lauren has written to date (though she would keep getting better and better, so who knows if Turnip will remain the champion, better start practicing your boxing moves, Arabella likes you fit) and it has easily made itself mandatory Christmas reading. Some people might say though we where denied the wedding night, being only given the "happily ever after." Well, at the RITA awards, which Lauren won at (yeah), she stuck a bargain to write Turnip's "Amorous Addendum."
The short afterward picks up as Turnip has hastily married Arabella before even leaving Girdings, he doesn't want her coming to her senses, and he valiantly heads forth into the oncoming blizzard. The blizzard that makes them lost and snowbound, but luckily there's a barn. And nice warm hay... and of course, pudding. You can imagine there's much sexy sexy, but Turnip being Turnip, there's prevarication and talking and finally, she doth stop his mouth with a kiss. Despite the steam, this was nothing but sweet.
The books in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation oeuvre have never shied away from having a little sexy sexy in them. In fact, Lauren herself has said that when writing her first book, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, she was under the delusion she was writing a romance, not historical fiction. So there's a little steamy, a little sexy sexy, in boats no less! As each of the succeeding volumes came out there where varying degrees of steam, some, like last years The Mischief of the Mistletoe, nary a naked body in sight. There was some steamy kissing, but fully clothed, drat those clothes, and a desk, and everything else that got in their way, including puddings. The Mischief of the Mistletoe with Turnip Fitzhugh has become my favorite book Lauren has written to date (though she would keep getting better and better, so who knows if Turnip will remain the champion, better start practicing your boxing moves, Arabella likes you fit) and it has easily made itself mandatory Christmas reading. Some people might say though we where denied the wedding night, being only given the "happily ever after." Well, at the RITA awards, which Lauren won at (yeah), she stuck a bargain to write Turnip's "Amorous Addendum."
The short afterward picks up as Turnip has hastily married Arabella before even leaving Girdings, he doesn't want her coming to her senses, and he valiantly heads forth into the oncoming blizzard. The blizzard that makes them lost and snowbound, but luckily there's a barn. And nice warm hay... and of course, pudding. You can imagine there's much sexy sexy, but Turnip being Turnip, there's prevarication and talking and finally, she doth stop his mouth with a kiss. Despite the steam, this was nothing but sweet.
October 21, 2014
Such a cute little novella about Turnip and Arabella's quick Christmas wedding. Poor Turnip...can't even have a proper wedding night. Darn snow storms! But alas, that is what happens when you get married in the middle of the winter. I know, because I was born December 28th in the middle of winter, so snow tends to ruin many events. Sighs.
I'm glad Lauren Willig gave Turnip and Arabella not only a book, but a novella as well. They were such an odd couple, but they make one of the cutest couples out of all her books. Turnip is well...special and funny. I am certainly glad he got a HEA. Bless Arabella, because I don't think I would be able to marry him. Be my best friend? Heck yes! Marriage...no. hahaha
In the end, this was cute and sweet and made me long for Christmas for half a second. After that half of second, I regret wishing for winter, because I hate winter. I recommend this for those that like the series and like Turnip. I shall stamp this with 4 stars.
Favorite Character(s): Turnip and Arabella
Not-so Favorite Character(s): The Snow Monster (okay, there is no such character in this book, but I do hate snow and snow storms)
I'm glad Lauren Willig gave Turnip and Arabella not only a book, but a novella as well. They were such an odd couple, but they make one of the cutest couples out of all her books. Turnip is well...special and funny. I am certainly glad he got a HEA. Bless Arabella, because I don't think I would be able to marry him. Be my best friend? Heck yes! Marriage...no. hahaha
In the end, this was cute and sweet and made me long for Christmas for half a second. After that half of second, I regret wishing for winter, because I hate winter. I recommend this for those that like the series and like Turnip. I shall stamp this with 4 stars.
Favorite Character(s): Turnip and Arabella
Not-so Favorite Character(s): The Snow Monster (okay, there is no such character in this book, but I do hate snow and snow storms)
April 3, 2017
Read #4 - August 15, 2015
Read #3 - August 9, 2013
A short update following The Mischief of the Mistletoe, showing Turnip and Arabella's wedding night, in which they get lost in a snowstorm after leaving Girdings and take refuge in a barn. Favorite quote: "It didn’t matter where they were; forget their surroundings, he wasn’t sure of his own name. Parsnip, Rutabaga, what was in a name?"
Read #2 - January 27, 2012
Read #1 - July 25, 2011
Read #3 - August 9, 2013
A short update following The Mischief of the Mistletoe, showing Turnip and Arabella's wedding night, in which they get lost in a snowstorm after leaving Girdings and take refuge in a barn. Favorite quote: "It didn’t matter where they were; forget their surroundings, he wasn’t sure of his own name. Parsnip, Rutabaga, what was in a name?"
Read #2 - January 27, 2012
Read #1 - July 25, 2011
August 11, 2011
3.5 stars
Cute short scene set at the end of The Mischief of the Mistletoe as a result of plea for readers for a love scene for Turnip. I've never read any of Willig's work before but this story was pretty cute. The cover was designed by a member of the Bitchery (Smart Bitches Trashy Books) after a competition and Willig agreed to write the scene once there was a cover. It was amusing and it probably would have been a lot funnier if I understood the references to puddings.
Cute short scene set at the end of The Mischief of the Mistletoe as a result of plea for readers for a love scene for Turnip. I've never read any of Willig's work before but this story was pretty cute. The cover was designed by a member of the Bitchery (Smart Bitches Trashy Books) after a competition and Willig agreed to write the scene once there was a cover. It was amusing and it probably would have been a lot funnier if I understood the references to puddings.
October 22, 2011
Anything that gives me more Turnip (and Arabella!) is a Very Good Thing. My only quibble is that it wasn't longer!
I am now yearning to reread The Mischief of the Mistletoe, but I am going to try to hold off on it until closer to Christmas.
I am now yearning to reread The Mischief of the Mistletoe, but I am going to try to hold off on it until closer to Christmas.
January 31, 2016
Read this right after reading The Mischief of the Mistletoe. Cute short about Arabella and Turnip's wedding night that doesn't turn out like they had planned. Nothing exciting, but it's a good addition as a sort of epilogue for the novel.
August 14, 2015
This is more a lost chapter than a stand alone story. We see Turnip propose at the end of Mistletoe. Here they have married and left the house party. On the way to the ancestral home they get lost in a snowstorm and make do in a barn, quite well indeed they even have pudding... Turnip is funny and ARabella is charming. Free on the willig website.
April 22, 2016
Cute, quick story. Turnip was a weird one for me because I truly enjoyed watching him fall in love but on the other hand it was a bit weird to read about him on his wedding night compared to all the other male protagonists (Lord Vaughn/Richard/Miles - all over that). Turnip is just so cute that I want his story to remain cute. But it was still fun to revisit them.
January 20, 2016
This is a VERY short story about Turnip and Arabella's wedding night, based on the Willig PINK CARNATION series. It was racy, naughty, and a lot of fun. You never truly get to see this side of the characters in Willig's full novels, so I thoroughly enjoyed this, despite it being only thirteen pages long. I hope she puts out a few more to tide us fans over in between PINK CARNATION books.
July 25, 2011
More Turnip, yah! Geoff is my all time favorite Lauren Willig man, but I think Turnip is becoming a quick second. Really loved this. Cute and lots of appropriate obscene humor. If you need a sexy-time scene with Turnip, this is the place to go.
August 13, 2011
This was a very cute and funny epilogue to Turnip and Arabella's story ("The Mischief of the Mistletoe"). I would have preferred that it be included in the original book so I didn't have to pay an extra $0.99 for it, but it made me laugh, so I guess it was worth the money.
August 31, 2011
Very cute addendum to The Mischief of the Mistletoe. Classic Turnip.
December 3, 2011
A quick little addendum (or epilogue, if you will) to "Mistletoe Mischief". The author, Lauren Willig, confesses to having cheated her readers somewhat by not including Turnip's wedding night. So she makes up for it in this short story that both enchants and steams!
August 10, 2016
A quick steamy little addendum to The Mischief of the Mistletoe which was my favorite of the Pink Carnation books by far because I adore Turnip.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews