The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig

The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Heated - Hot


"Pride and Prejudice lives on" (USA Today) in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series, which has been hailed for its addictive blend of history, romance, and adventure. In The Orchid Affair, Willig introduces her strongest heroine yet. Laura Grey, a veteran governess, joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling exploits in service to the spy known as the Pink Carnation. She hardly expects her first assignment to be serving as governess for the children of Andre Jaouen, right-hand man to Bonaparte's minister of police. Jaouen and his arch rival, Gaston Delaroche, are investigating a suspected Royalist plot to unseat Bonaparte, and Laura's mission is to report any suspicious findings.



At first the job is as lively as Latin textbooks and knitting, but Laura begins to notice strange behavior from Jaouen-secret meetings and odd comings and goings. As Laura edges herself closer to her employer, she makes a shocking discovery and is surprised to learn that she has far more in common with Jaouen than she originally thought...



As their plots begin to unravel, Laura and Jaouen are forced on the run with the children, and with the help of the Pink Carnation they escape to the countryside, traveling as husband and wife. But Delaroche will stop at nothing to take down his nemesis. With his men hot on their trail, can Laura and Jaouen seal the fate of Europe before it's too late?





While I truly enjoyed this book I was very disappointed by the choice Andre and Laura made to consummate their relationship without being married or intending to be. I can reason it out in my mind why an author takes to step to put a love scene when the couple is married but this would have been so much better had the H/h had all the sexual tension and kissing instead of leaping in bed with each other. While the love scene was very mild it mentioned the "N" word and it made me cringe!!!!!! Had there been only kissing or a marriage I would have given this book a 4-5 star. My favorite is still the previous "The Mischief of the Mistletoe: A Pink Carnation Christmas"