First Impressions

[clarepayton]

Let's set aside this area for posting our very first impressions of this novel. What do we notice on the first page or first section? What is striking about the characters, the setting, or the timeframe? What about tone?

[maxcat]

I have never read any of the author's other books but am planning too, especially the first Pink Carnation novel. I like the way the novel starts in the present day and then goes back in time. You sit in a library and get lost in notes or a book and find yourself back in another century. Fascinating!

[LeeAnn92]

The cover attracted me first. It just caught my eye when displayed with the other titles.

As I read the first few pages, the humor jumped out at me followed quickly by a sense of intrigue. I needed to know more. The early tone in the chapter is one of familiarity - it's obvious the book was written with readers of the first two books in mind.

I picked up the book, but made my way to the shelves for the rest of the series and found myself inhaling them.

I'm now savoring this book.

[jillymk]

I am new to this kind of thing...I actually picked up "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation" on a whim one day, but from page one I was hooked! I love how the language is simple and easy to read, but thought provoking. It annoys me when authors feel they have to use million dollar words, or slow moving discription. Lauren Willig manages to capture the correct balance. I was slow to the punch when the books first made their debut, but I am quickly catching up! Happy reading!

[politikgirl]

I bought Emerald Ring having read and loved the first two books, but I was first attracted to the first book because of the title and, I admit, the pink. I thought... here's a book with a serious-sounding title and a fun cover... how could it be bad? Then I read the book jacket - mixing historical fiction, espionage, chick lit and romance - and was sold.

[Vinh]

It was the book cover that drew my attention. I have to admit though that I started with the Black Tulip. After reading that book, I put in a request at my library for the first book. This apparently became the trend because I had to request the third book as well.

[clarepayton]

It's interesting, Vinh, that the cover drew you in first. We live in a very visual culture, and I think at this point, most of us are drawn to books first by their visual cues. For me, the titles always either catch me or don't. Lauren, your titles are very intriguing. What, I wondered, is the "deception"? I had to find out!

[SoniaW]

It's funny, I was in a local library during flower month, and the book was propped up on the table. The cover painting was quite pretty, and yes, the hot pink was eye catching, but it was the title that drew me in. I love history, and I could that this obviously was a historical novel, so I went to the bookstore and bought it since I'm horrible at reutrning library books. Very quickly became addicted, and became very despondent when I realized that the series was nowhere near finished!