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The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla

July 28, 2014 by Michelle M

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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mark of the midnight manzanilla

The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla sounds like a campy fiction novel. It is, however, the 12th book by Lauren Willig in the Pink Carnation series (with the next to be the last as it finally tells the story of the actual Pink Carnation). While the book doesn’t take itself too seriously, it is a highly entertaining read that moves along quickly.

It follows parallel paths, with Eloise doing research on early 19th century spy rings led by women for her PhD dissertation and her romance with Colin, the brooding Englishman she is dating across the Atlantic who has the archives Eloise used for her primary research in previous books. The main story, however, follows Sally Fitzhugh in 1806 as she works to uncover the mystery of the vampire who haunts Belliston House.

Sally is a pushy character who I initially didn’t like all that much. She was jealous of her friends, full of herself and somewhat petty. As I got to know her more, she grew on me, and her heart shone through. I loved how she meddled in others’ lives because she cared about them and just wanted to help, which is how she ends up in a fake betrothal with the Duke of Belliston to prove that not only is he not a vampire, but he is not a murderer either.

Miss Gwen and her sword parasol of course make an appearance, with Miss Gwen now married to Colonel Reid and with a young baby. Miss Gwen’s fire and self-assuredness haven’t been changed one iota by marriage or motherhood, and she joins Sally as her chaperone to ferret out the truth.

I have read (and reviewed) only the previous book, The Passion of the Purple Plumeria, which follows the same format and includes many of the same characters. Much like when I picked up the last book, you don’t have to have read the entire series to follow the story. Willig does an excellent job of catching you up without making you feel like you reread entire books for those who are familiar with the series.

I did find several references in this book – more so than in the Purple Plumeria – to events that had happened in previous books from notes from spies in the pudding to Sally’s brother’s courtship to an extreme aversion to poultry that is never quite explained. As much as I enjoy this book – and the last – the entire Pink Carnation series is on my to read list.

The books are fun, and they’re quick reads. They truly aren’t meant to be taken seriously, but they don’t go over the top with silliness either. The characters are well drawn and perfectly flawed. This is the epitome of a light read, perfect for this summer weather when we’re all doing our best to spend time at the beach and pool, right?

Enter to win

Just follow the instructions below, starting off by leaving a comment telling us approximately how many books you’ve been able to read this summer. If this will be the first, that’s okay too!

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Written by Michelle who thinks a sword parasol would be enormously fun. Since she doesn’t have one, she spends her time finding fun in other ways. See how on her blog Honest & Truly! and follow along with her on Twitter where she is also @HonestAndTruly.

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About Michelle M

Michelle is a stay at home mom of Mister Man (8) and Little Miss (6). When she's not out volunteering or running children to therapy or practices, you can find her in the kitchen or on her personal blog Honest & Truly where there's always a good story or new recipe or at her review blog Honest And Truly Reviews.

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19 Comments

  1. Sunnymay says

    August 9, 2014 at 1:56 pm

    Well, since this summer started officially on June 21, I’ve read 30 books. I just finished a John Maxwell book on Leadership which went into the 3 types of leaders and contrasted them with their opposites and why the opposites weren’t leaders.

    Reply
  2. Rebecca Parsons says

    August 9, 2014 at 12:09 pm

    I am still working on the one book I have this summer and it is a big one. But it is good Under the Dome by Stephen King.

    Reply
  3. kelley roach says

    August 8, 2014 at 6:59 pm

    have not been able to read any books yet this summer.

    Reply
  4. Christine L. says

    August 4, 2014 at 2:30 pm

    I’ve managed to read only five books so far this summer. Would love some time off where I’m not entertaining guests or traveling so I could just relax and read!

    Reply
  5. mrsshukra says

    August 2, 2014 at 3:05 am

    I normally read more but it has been a hectic summer so just one so far!

    Reply
  6. Nancy says

    July 31, 2014 at 8:16 pm

    I’m guessing I’ve read 40 books this summer.

    Reply
  7. Anita Yancey says

    July 31, 2014 at 7:38 pm

    I have read 18 books so far this summer, and I’m hopng to read a lot more. Thanks for having the giveaway.

    Reply
  8. Breana M. says

    July 31, 2014 at 6:44 pm

    I actually haven’t read many books this summer, due to some of them being near 700 hundred pages in length, but at the very least they were really good.

    Reply
  9. holdenj says

    July 31, 2014 at 8:07 am

    I’ve read about 20 books so far this summer.

    Reply
  10. Beth C says

    July 30, 2014 at 11:17 am

    I’ve read 8. We’ve been very busy so I’m trying to get 2 a month read.

    Reply
  11. Karen says

    July 29, 2014 at 7:37 pm

    Probably about 15! I love to read 🙂

    Reply
  12. Daniel M says

    July 29, 2014 at 7:19 pm

    have only read about 4 so far, always too busy

    Reply
  13. Terra Heck says

    July 29, 2014 at 3:00 pm

    I’ve only been able to read a couple books so far this summer. Thanks.
    partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Reply
  14. BusyWorkingMama says

    July 29, 2014 at 8:48 am

    I’ve read about 10 books this summer. Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply
  15. amyc says

    July 28, 2014 at 7:12 pm

    I have read about 55 books this summer. I have busy! 🙂

    Reply
  16. Kathie Craig says

    July 28, 2014 at 4:04 pm

    I have not been able to read any books yet this summer.

    Reply
  17. Benita says

    July 28, 2014 at 3:39 pm

    I entered 5 things nobody told you about turning 40.

    Reply
  18. Benita says

    July 28, 2014 at 3:35 pm

    Unfortunately, only 3. Looking forward to more reading.

    Reply
  19. anne says

    July 28, 2014 at 11:20 am

    I have read 50 books so far this summer. Love reading anytime, day and night.

    Reply

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