The Betrayal of the Blood Lily (Pink Carnation)
1 journaler for this copy...
Rec'd via Paperbackswap.com.
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A New York Times extended list bestseller in hardcover-the sensational sixth book in the national bestselling Pink Carnation series.
Whisked away to nineteenth-century India, Penelope Deveraux plunges into the court intrigues of the Nizam of Hyderabad, where no one is quite what they seem. New to this strange and exotic country- where a dangerous spy called the Marigold leaves venomous cobras as his calling card-she can trust only one man: Captain Alex Reid.
With danger looming from local warlords, treacherous court officials, and French spies, Alex and Penelope may be all that stand in the way of a plot designed to rock the very foundations of the British Empire...
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A New York Times extended list bestseller in hardcover-the sensational sixth book in the national bestselling Pink Carnation series.
Whisked away to nineteenth-century India, Penelope Deveraux plunges into the court intrigues of the Nizam of Hyderabad, where no one is quite what they seem. New to this strange and exotic country- where a dangerous spy called the Marigold leaves venomous cobras as his calling card-she can trust only one man: Captain Alex Reid.
With danger looming from local warlords, treacherous court officials, and French spies, Alex and Penelope may be all that stand in the way of a plot designed to rock the very foundations of the British Empire...
Started listening to an audio version of this book yesterday.
Finished yesterday.
Started listening to an audio version of this book yesterday.
Finished today.
I was surprised to realize I don't care for this entry into the Pink Carnation series nearly as much as I've liked previous books. Some of this can be chalked up to the heroines: neither Eloise or Penelope are behaving their best. In the past, Penelope is trapped in a loveless marriage and taking out her frustration on virtually everyone who crosses her path, while the present-day storyline has Eloise ignoring obvious clues and trying to shoehorn her boyfriend's sister into a relationship despite protests from all involved.
For exotic locations, it's hard to beat British India. The political games played by the Brits, the French, and the native rulers must have been so complicated and intense; even the little taste we get in Penelope's story makes me want to learn more about the period. I'm also intrigued by the caste system that sorted British settlers. I had no idea that children of mixed unions were disqualified from working in certain branches of the military, for example. I'm not surprised, I'm sorry to say, but I didn't know.
Poor Penelope is all too believable a heroine. There are countless women across the ages who intentionally threw themselves into bad decisions out of pride, desire for attention, and insecurity. While Penelope got lucky and eventually found a happy ending, so many women in her situation do not. Though I sympathize with her, it did drive me nuts when she would purposely say something cruel to Alex or turn on the seductive act to try to get information out of him. It would have been much easier on them if she'd just been honest! But, I suppose, then there wouldn't be much story.
I was surprised to realize I don't care for this entry into the Pink Carnation series nearly as much as I've liked previous books. Some of this can be chalked up to the heroines: neither Eloise or Penelope are behaving their best. In the past, Penelope is trapped in a loveless marriage and taking out her frustration on virtually everyone who crosses her path, while the present-day storyline has Eloise ignoring obvious clues and trying to shoehorn her boyfriend's sister into a relationship despite protests from all involved.
For exotic locations, it's hard to beat British India. The political games played by the Brits, the French, and the native rulers must have been so complicated and intense; even the little taste we get in Penelope's story makes me want to learn more about the period. I'm also intrigued by the caste system that sorted British settlers. I had no idea that children of mixed unions were disqualified from working in certain branches of the military, for example. I'm not surprised, I'm sorry to say, but I didn't know.
Poor Penelope is all too believable a heroine. There are countless women across the ages who intentionally threw themselves into bad decisions out of pride, desire for attention, and insecurity. While Penelope got lucky and eventually found a happy ending, so many women in her situation do not. Though I sympathize with her, it did drive me nuts when she would purposely say something cruel to Alex or turn on the seductive act to try to get information out of him. It would have been much easier on them if she'd just been honest! But, I suppose, then there wouldn't be much story.
