Customer Reviews

The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Masque of the Black Tulip is the second in what I hope will be a long series. I know a few reviewers thought this installment was weaker than the first novel (The Secret History of the Pink Carnation), but I don't agree. The only thing the first book offered that this one doesn't is the benefit of being the first. Everything was new and exciting and interesting about the writing and the story precisely because it was new. But to my mind, The Masque of the Black Tulip is just as enjoyable a read as The Secret History.

Just as with the first book, this novel is a blend of regency romance, humor, history, clever allusions to popular culture and historical events, and spy intrigue. As the order of those descriptions suggest, this is primarily a romance novel, and a wonderful one at that. I see Lauren Willig as a cross between Julia Quinn and Helen Fielding and the result is a very readable book that rises above the mediocre romance novels and chick lit that's published every year.

This installment follows Miles and Henrietta, two friends who suddenly find themselves attracted to each other. There's a little less of the heavy-duty spy stuff than in the first, but that was fine with me. The plot rolls along, the romance unfolds, the Eloise/Colin interludes break up the story here and there (but in an enjoyable way, I thought) and it's all a joy to read. Lauren Willig has a distinctive, truly witty voice and knows how to deliver a satisfying read.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys regency romances, chick lit, or fun beach reads with a historical twist.

These books (The Masque of the Black Tulip and The Pink Carnation) are great books. I love fiction and romance, so I am very impressed with Willig's witty novels. Her characters are actually funny yet interesting and the books are long enough to develop the characters as well.

This is the second installment of the series. This is the story of Harriet and Miles who find love while trying to stop the Napoleonic invasion of England by France. They are both out to find the elusive and dangerous Black Tulip. This book is great for those of you who love historical romance, but will also have some fiction fans as well.

If you like slightly silly romantic historical fiction (as I do) then you will probably be very satisfied by this book. It's not the kind of book you're going to brag about reading at a party; yet it is a quick read. I read it in a few hours; and enjoyed it just as much as the first one. The parallel story with the narrator is slightly better than in the first book; but can still be an unwanted interruption. Overall- a guilty pleasure.

Read on the heels of the first book in the series, I found this book to be charming, suspenseful at times and very hard to put down. I found myself thinking about the book's characters while going about my normal routine. A bit less of spying and more of intrigue this time around, but over all, I think the author does have me hooked on this series. Great to read for those who prefer serial stories instead of having every single loose end tied up at the end of 300 pages.

This story follows the romance of Hen and Miles and their own escapades into spying and ferreting out the elusive Black Tulip, who is ultimately unmasqued, but will turn up, I am sure, in the next novel!

The author did take some literary license with certain instances in the book, but does so with full disclosure as to historical inaccuracies and sets them straight after the book ends. It is unfair to judge the book on regency inaccuracies, after all, the author is not writing a boring tome to be read in a college course called Regency period 101! The object of reading a fiction book is to suspend one's belief and immerse one's self in the plot. I found it delightful and it is a great read for those who like romance novels, chick lit, historical fiction or just want something different to read.

As with the other books in this series, this book marries the "chick lit" genre with historical fiction - my two favorites. As with any "chick lit" book, you know you're not in for a novel worthy of a Nobel Prize in literature. I don't know that I would call it clever, like I saw in another review. Novel idea, maybe. But, I still found the book entertaining.

In this second book of the series, I related a lot more to the historical heroine, Henrietta. A lot of Willig's female characters seem to be ditzes seriously lacking any independent spirit, including the modern grad student, Eloise. Kind of surprising from an author who graduated from an Ivy League school. Speaking of which, I like the idea of the dual plot line with Eloise, but it's slow sometimes & kind of like watching paint dry. And she is seriously neurotic - I'm embarrassed for her sometimes.

All in all, still worth a read if you're a follower of Willig's series.

As with my review of The Pink Carnation, I also used this book as a cleanser of the mind. The plot is similar to its predecessor, making me think that Ms. Willig has come up with a formula to her writing - only time will tell. There is danger, romance (opposites falling in love) and the quest to find a secret agent, the Black Tulip. I recommend for those who wish to escape for a time, read the previous book or are interested in historical romances.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series - THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION. I thought it was funny and imaginative. But the second book is even better. The author finds her stride.

The story of Lady Henrietta and Miles is better developed. I continue to like the switching back and forth between the current romance/mystery and the 200-year-old one, although some say the story about Eloise and Colin is superfluous.

If you like this book, don't miss the first in the series or the next, which is THE DECEPTION OF THE EMERALD RING.

I seem to have a knack for starting a series with the second book instead of the first,and then hopping back and forth through the run, so I appreciate a series that allows me to do that. I had no problem picking this one up and going with it, so that's a big point in its favor.

What I ended up loving about it more than anything else was it's sense of fun and its willingness to skewer just about everything in its path: modern romance novels, chick lit, modern historical fiction, bodice-rippers, academia, and eighteenth century adventure and romance novels among them. It's a big leap to make your leads so clueless that they can't see that the passion they have for each other is mutual, but it pays off. I haven't laughed so much in ages.

This was the first book I read in the series, as I did not know it was a sequel. I normally do not enjoy romance-laden novels, but this was written in such a humorous and adventurous way that I could not help but fall in love with it. The characters are well drawn and incredibly life like. Henrietta's frustrations reflect those in most women, while Miles is charmingly clueless both in love and in spying.

The parallel story set in modern day is fun as well. Being a research bug myself, I completely relate to her and enjoy the shared frustrations of researching :)

I read the Secret History of the Pink Carnation in a day and a half, and had to rush to the story to get this book to continue this wonderful, fun series. It has humor, romance, mystery wrapped together in both a modern setting with Eloise trying to uncover a historical story and the actual historical story. This series of books has made it to my list of books to keep - which is very unusual for me! Highly recommend!