The Temptation of the Night Jasmine
Grade : B+

The Temptation of the Night Jasmine is the fifth entry in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series. I'm a big fan of the books and enjoyed this entry a great deal. Just like the rest of the series, the book features a blend of a stand-alone European historical romance and a continuation of the chick lit story of Eloise and Colin. The historical portion is almost a chick lit take on historical romance, with lots of humor, spies, and high-ranking members of the ton.

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When the book opens, Colin and Eloise have been together for three months. Eloise is continuing to work on her dissertation (Aristocratic Espionage during the Wars with France: 1789-1815) and attempting to discover the identity of the Pink Carnation, a spy introduced in the first book of the series. This time, Eloise's research leads her to the romance between Lady Charlotte Landsdowne and Robert, the Duke of Dovedale, as well as to intrigues involving King George, a traitor to England, and a secret group with roots in the Hellfire Club.

Charlotte, daughter of the previous Duke of Dovedale, was orphaned at nine and left in the care of her grandmother. Her only good memories of the period surrounding her father's death are her interactions with her 15-year old distant cousin Robert, the new Duke of Dovedale. Charlotte fell in love with him and was devastated when he ran off to India to join the military.

Charlotte has led a rather lonely life, largely ignored by her grandmother. Left to her own devices, she’s spent her time lost in books. Now, her grandmother has decided it's time for Charlotte to marry so has invited eligible young men to her estate to vie for Charlotte's hand. Everyone is surprised when Robert unexpectedly appears at the house party. He keeps the reasons for his return a secret from Charlotte: He's returned not to reconnect with his family or take over the ducal seat, but to look for a traitor.

Several couples from previous books make an appearance, most prominently Charlotte's best friend, Henrietta and her husband Miles, the hero and heroine of The Masque of the Black Tulip. I enjoy romances in which the heroine has friends, and Charlotte has a great one in Henrietta. In addition to many discussions of whether or not Robert is interested in Charlotte, the two get embroiled in a plot against the king.

I liked both Charlotte and Robert. Charlotte is a nice young woman who truly loves to read. At one point she says, "I like books…they're so much grander than real life." While she fantasizes about things such as knights in white armor and unicorns, she also shows an unexpected backbone when Robert leaves her yet again. I also enjoyed Robert, a duke by accident, who doesn't even know what it is that dukes are supposed to do.

This book didn't further the story of the Pink Carnation, and while I enjoyed it a great deal, I hope to see the return of the Pink Carnation in future entries.

A note to new readers: I really enjoyed The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, but wouldn't recommend starting the series at this point. Many of the characters wouldn't be as meaningful if you haven't read the preceding books, and why would you want to start here, anyway, when the rest of the series is so much fun?

Reviewed by LinnieGayl Kimmel
Grade : B+
Book Type: Romance

Sensuality: Kisses

Review Date : January 14, 2009

Publication Date: 2009/02

Review Tags: Pink Carnation series

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LinnieGayl Kimmel

My first memory is sitting with my mother on a blanket in our backyard surrounded by books and she is reading one of them to me. My love of reading was encouraged by my parents and it continues to today. I’ve gone through a lot of different genres over the years, but I currently primarily read mysteries (historical mysteries are my favorites) and romances (focusing on contemporaries, categories, and steampunk). When I’m not reading or working, I love to travel, knit, and work on various community projects.
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