A review by kleedc73
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig

4.0

I loved this 6th edition in the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig. What I like about Lauren Willig's brand of historical fiction is that it is light and fun without being fluffy or losing a firm grounding in actual historical fact. This installment takes us away from the traditional societies of London and Paris to join Lady Frederick Staines (Penelope) in exile in India. All of Lauren Willig's historical heroines are charmingly fabulous in their own ways but I think that Penelope successfully dethroned Henrietta as my favorite of all of them. No modern woman with any spirit could fail to like Penelope and feel for her "fish out of water" personality. She just wasn't made to be appreciated in her own time. This book maintained the common thread of characters sussing out undercover operatives -- this one by the facially unimpressive name of the Marigold -- but having the plot woven through and interwined with the intrigue of India during that time period had a welcome freshness. Willig also throws in a plot twist in that Penelope starts the book already married -- a forced marriage to nip a scandal in the bud -- and so she isn't in the ideal position to meet the man of her dreams and fall in love. All in all, this book (and its heroine) was refreshingly original and a wonderful opportunity for escapism.