THE MISCHIEF OF THE MISTLETOE

What separates Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series from other bodice-rippers is her tongue-in-cheek observations. And no one delivers sly character assassination better than narrator Kate Reading. She turns this historical romance/mystery into anything but the usual pallid adventures penned by Willig wannabes. In this episode, Reginald “Turnip” Fitzhugh—thought by many to be the Pink Carnation—meets Arabella Dempsey, a close friend of Jane Austen. The two discover a suspicious note hidden in a Christmas pudding. Reading is delicious as the tale of intrigue during the Napoleonic Wars unfolds, with healthy dollops of Willig’s incomparable wit and steamy sex. As Turnip and Arabella attend the Dowager Duchess of Dovedale’s 12 Days of Christmas fete, peril threatens, and love blossoms beneath the mistletoe. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2010]