THE LURE OF THE MOONFLOWER is the dynamite conclusion to the long-running Pink Carnation series by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig. Book 12 finally brings us the romantic match to Jane Wooliston, the English spy known as the Pink Carnation. Jane has successfully run a large number of spies for England against the French, whilst detachedly watching her operatives fall under the spell of true love in the previous books. Now, Jane meets her match beautifully in Jack Reid, the spy once known as the French agent Moonflower.

Jane's latest assignment sends her to Portugal, where the French have just taken "liberated" the country. The royal house has fled to Brazil, but the insane and elderly queen, Mad Maria, appears to have been spirited away by loyalists, who hope to smuggle her out from under the French to act as a rallying point for the Portuguese Resistance. Jane must find the queen before Bonaparte's troops do, and she enlists Jack Reid's help to do so. It is intriguing to see Jane's heart involved in this book, which renders her less omnipotent and more vulnerable, an interesting switch-up from her usual behavior.

THE LURE OF THE MOONFLOWER is a time slip novel, and this finale also brings us to the long-awaited wedding of Eloise and Colin. Eloise is a modern-day graduate student who has been researching the Pink Carnation, and falls in love with one the Carnation's descendants, Colin Selwick, during her research of the family papers at his estate. There's a lovely submystery for Eloise and Colin at the eleventh hour before their wedding, which adds to the piquancy of the finale. I think I am even more satisfied to have the modern lovers finally reach their happily ever after than I am the Pink Carnation, because the whole series has been building toward it, as compared to just book 12 for Jane's HEA.

Built on a strong base of beautifully conveyed historical fact and detail, this swashbuckling series also gives us Willig's signature witty repartee and an excellent sprinkling of comedy. Mixed with a thrilling mystery and the sexual tension between characters, Willig delivers a tour de force with THE LURE OF THE MOONFLOWER. While I am deeply sorry to say goodbye to so many beloved characters, the Pink Carnation finale is fulfilling, and Willig has already demonstrated her mastery of historical fiction with her other recent releases. Wherever Lauren Willig's writing leads me, I will joyfully follow.

Book Summary

In the final Pink Carnation novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla, Napoleon has occupied Lisbon, and Jane Wooliston, aka the Pink Carnation, teams up with a rogue agent to protect the escaped Queen of Portugal.
 
Portugal, December 1807. Jack Reid, the British agent known as the Moonflower (formerly the French agent known as the Moonflower), has been stationed in Portugal and is awaiting his new contact. He does not expect to be paired with a woman—especially not the legendary Pink Carnation.
 
All of Portugal believes that the royal family departed for Brazil just before the French troops marched into Lisbon. Only the English government knows that mad seventy-three-year-old Queen Maria was spirited away by a group of loyalists determined to rally a resistance. But as the French garrison scours the countryside, it’s only a matter of time before she’s found and taken.
 
It’s up to Jane to find her first and ensure her safety. But she has no knowledge of Portugal or the language. Though she is loath to admit it, she needs the Moonflower. Operating alone has taught her to respect her own limitations. But she knows better than to show weakness around the Moonflower—an agent with a reputation for brilliance, a tendency toward insubordination, and a history of going rogue.