This is a fun, fun book. Well, two books in one, really.
In the framing book, Eloise is researching the old swashbuckling anonymous flower heroes of the Napoleonic Wars: the Scarlet Pimpernel, his childhood pal, the Purple Gentian (i.e. Lord Richard Selwick), and the Pink Carnation, whose identity was never revealed. To this end, she's tracked down some of the Selwicks and been given permission by one of them to go through old secret family papers. Of course, the hot young male Selwick isn't all that cool on the idea.
Within the collection of papers, Eloise stumbles across a love story between Richard and Amy Balcourt, a halfl-French, half-English spitfire whose dad was beheaded after a failed attempt by the Scarlet Pimpernel to rescue him. Since she was a kid, she's been dying to join the League of the Purple Gentian, and has spent years practicing disguises, reading, French, and other spying activities with her cousin Jane. Now that she's back in France, she means to join the League. Richard is massively attracted to Amy, but the last time he told a girlfriend his secret identity, things didn't go well. What to do, what to do... well, let's just say Clark Kent would understand.
Richard and Amy are adorable and funny and sweet and hot together, and the other characters are fun and amusing. It's a merry romp.
As for the Eloise chapters...well, I am not sure what to make of them. I rather wish there were more of them, as it is all too easy to forget Eloise even exists when you are sucked in so hard to the rest of the story. I suppose it's hard to balance the two, especially since you need the Eloise chapters to explain things such as the premise.
And I have to say, the Pink Carnation? So not who you think. I have to give the author credit for surprising me on this one.
I will jump on buying the next book ASAP. Four stars.
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