Has anyone here read these? I'm on the fourth one (The Seduction of the Crimson Rose) and I love them. I'm usually not a big fan of historical fiction, but these are so good.

Sounds interesting....gonna have to give it a try.  I also don't read historical fiction, but when something gets recommended I usually give it a try no matter what genre.

I listened to the first one and thought it was cute.  I started listening to the second one.  It too was cute, I just haven't had time to listen to anymore of it lately.

I would call these historical chick lit. How's that?!

I've read all of them too. They're keepers for me! I absolutely love all the characters.

I'm not sure I'd call them historical chick lit because that gives the idea that the story stays in one time frame when in actuality the story gives the idea of taking place in two vastly different time periods - Napolean-era England/France and current day England.

I think it's left up to the reader to imagine whether Eloise is actually time-travelling peripherally (not a character in the historical portion of the story but rather observing first-hand) or if everything is being put together through the letters she is finding in her daydreams. So far, that hasn't been really established - and I hope they never do because after four books I already have my perception of how it's happening.

So for me, I'd say it's chick lit meets historical romance and bumps into time travel/paranormal because I believe that the time-travel is really happening to Eloise. The reason I think this is because the reader is getting so much of the picture - as if someone is standing there watching and relaying it back to us, as the readers.  We're getting a deeper glimpse than if Eloise was simply reading the letters. Of course, we could be reading her imaginings too -- there's all sorts of wonderful conclusions we can jump to with these books. I think it's why I like them so much. They can be different things to different readers.

It was a quick read for me and I enjoyed the dialogue and some of the characters but I thought the spying plot was just awful (I mean, the French would have caught the Purple Gentian in his first mission he was so careless.) I have the Black Tulip in my TBR pile...if that part of the plot doesn't improve, I'm not sure I'll continue with the series.

Huh,I have the Carnation one on my TBR shelf.I had no idea it was part of a series.Now you all have made me want to go read it! LOL!!

Stacy

I have an unpostable trade PB copy of Pink Carnation - free if you order another trade PB from my list.

It has wavy pages - water damage -  the first 60 pages or so.  Still very readable, and no funky smell.

I read them all up to the crimson rose.  Couldn't quite get into that one. But, I will pick it up later and try again.  I really found myself enjoying this series. 

Carol, the first time I read the Crimson Rose I got about 25 pages into and gave up for a while. The second time I picked it up I didn't have a problem.