This novel is light and entertaining. It has a dual timeline, but I liked both of the stories equally - the one set in 1803, when young Amy wishes to be a spy to avenge her father who was killed by the French, and the one set in modern London, where Eloise writes her dissertation about spies in Napoleonic France and tries to find out who the famous Pink Carnation was. Both stories are interesting and fast-paced, but also a bit foreseeable. Unfortunately, Amy got on my nerves after some time because of her thoughtlessness and naivety, and the twist and turns concerning her love interest were frustrating. The behavior and language felt altogether too modern. Because of that it is not really my cup of tea, but it is a fun novel and I do not regret reading it. ( )

lots of fun, make room for this one on the guilty pleasure shelf. ( )

3.5* for this audiobook edition.

I found during this reread via audiobook that I didn't like it as much as I had the first time around. The contemporary sections were fine but Aimee struck me as silly and I was more aware of the aspects that I feel were anachronistic. Oh well... it was still mostly fun. ( )

A fun combination of current day and historical fiction, with romance in both plots! The Pink Carnation is modelled after the Scarlet Pimpernel, and American grad student Eloise is spending her year abroad in London trying to find the Carnation's true identity. ( )

La joven graduada de Harvard, Eloisa Nelly, se encuentra en Londres con una beca, preparando una tesis sobre los románticos espías ingleses de finales del XVIII: La Pimpinela Escarlata, La Genciana Púrpura y El Clavel Carmesí.
Mientras que la identidad de los dos primeros se conoce, la del Clavel, que salva a Inglaterra de la invasión de Napoleón, sigue siendo un misterio. Convencida de que guarda una relación con la familia Selwick, descendiente de la Genciana Púrpura, y a pesar de que el actual lord (guapo y atractivo, pero antipático) no le permite el acceso a sus archivos, Eloisa descubre un diario inédito en el que se cuenta la fascinante historia de Amy Balcourt y sus amores con la Genciana.
La novela alterna las dos historias, las dieciochesca y la actual y, ni que decir tiene, las dos acaban en apasionante y apasionado romance.