Book Review: The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig

Title: The Deception of the Emerald Ring
Author: Lauren Willig
Published: November 16, 2006 by Dutton Adult
Series: Pink Carnation #3
Setting: Dublin, Ireland 1803 and London, England 1803

from Goodreads: 

A dangerous ring of spies, a game of mistaken identities, and a heartwarming romance of unlikely pairs come together in Lauren Willig's engaging and exciting third novel THE DECEPTION OF THE EMERALD RING. Praised for the "cheerfully postmodern and energetic . . .romance-adventure hybrids [that] have escaped the clutches of niche fiction." (The Onion A.V. Club), her Pink Carnation series is garnering her critical acclaim and a loyal fan base. 

Lauren Willig's debut The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, appeared on retailer bestseller lists in hardcover and made a big splash in sales in trade paperback. Her second book, The Masque of the Black Tulip, was selected as a BookSense Pick for January 2006, and continues to rack up incredible reviews. Lauren Willig's passion for authentic historical detail coupled with her talent for enthralling love stories make her series the perfect read for lovers of romance, history and adventure.

The year is 1803 and England and France remain at odds. Hoping to break the English once and for all, Napoleon backs a ring of Irish rebels in uprisings against England and sends the Black Tulip, France's most deadly spy, to the Emerald Isle to help. What they don't know is that also in Ireland is England's top spy, the Pink Carnation, who is working to shut the rebels down. Meanwhile, back in England, Letty Alsworthy intercepts a note indicating that her sister, Mary, is about to make the very grave mistake of eloping with Geoffrey Pinchingdale-Snipe (second in command of the League of the Purple Gentian). In an attempt to save the family name, Letty tries to stop the elopement, but instead finds herself swept away in the midnight carriage meant for her sister and is accidentally compromised. Geoff and Letty, to each other's horror, find themselves forced into matrimony. Then, Geoff receives word that he is to travel to Ireland to help the Pink Carnation and disappears immediately after their wedding ceremony. Letty learns of Geoff's disappearance and, not to be outdone by her husband, steals away on a ship bound for Ireland, armed and ready to fight for her husband …and to learn a thing or two about spying for England.

As in her previous tales, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and The Masque Of the Black Tulip, our modern-day heroine and hero, Eloise Kelly and Colin Selwick, continue their budding romance in this captivating third novel in the series.

Alleluialu's Review

Spies are in England, spies are in France, spies are in Ireland, spies are everywhere! Code names like the Pink Carnation, the Black Tulip, the Purple Gentian, the Scarlet Pimpernel! Exciting, interesting, and clever. That's a good way to describe Lauren Willig's book series - very clever. This one was mostly set in Ireland just before the second uprising in the early 1800's. A young British lass is mistaken for her sister and kidnapped by her sister's beau. Of course her reputation is ruined unless he marries her. That is just the beginning. Letty, the lass, follows her new husband to Ireland and gets involved with the Pink Carnation to try to stop the Irish uprising. The things that happen are amusing, but Letty shows that she can fend for herself. It is a good read. Fun? yes. Predictable? Of course, but worth it just the same. I listened to the audiobook while reading the paperback version of this tale. That made it even more enjoyable. 

I'm giving this selection 4 notes - A Concerto: I really like this book. You should go find it either at your local library, Amazon here or Barnes & Noble here. If you want a real treat, you should listen to the audiobook!