The Orchid Affair is the eighth book in the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig. Other novels in the series include The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, The Masque of the Black Tulip, The Deception of the Emerald Ring, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, and The Mischief of the Mistletoe.

Laura Grey is a governess. She is also a spy for England and a student of the Selwick spy school. Her first assignment takes her to France in the tumultuous post-Revolution era, a time when Bonaparte rules and dastardly henchmen torture sometimes-innocent citizens to obtain information. Laura's position is not a difficult part for her to play - she's a governess in the house of the minister of police's right-hand man. Soon, she finds herself prey to the ghosts of her own past (her real past), and becomes embroiled in a plot that includes subterfuge, passion and spine-chilling danger.

André Jaouen has loved and lost in his life. His wife, a celebrated artist and revolutionary, died, leaving him with two children to raise and his job has recently taken on a darker, more dangerous tone. He suspects that a Royalist plot is afoot and his own motives and actions are questioned, as are his principles. A deranged, power-hungry colleague obviously mistrusts him, his governess is more than she appears to be and his ideals are more than slightly tarnished. When the game blows up in his face, he's forced to make a life-altering decision that puts him in delicious proximity to Laura, who holds an appeal for him of which he's never dreamed. Can André escape with his life and safety for those in his care?

The Pink Carnation series prides itself on shadowy missions that keep the fate of nations in balance. The Orchid Affair lives up to the series' promise and builds upon it with a departure from the series' premise that creates an entirely different flavor. This book seems a bit dark in tone, but the wonderful way that the author resolves the storyline more than made up for any misgivings I had about tone. In a word, this book was enchanting, pitting Laura's earnest information gathering against her unconventional upbringing and tendency to live in her parent's shadows. André was also fascinating, with his world-weary endurance, not to mention the suffering he experienced as he watched his imagined French utopia become corrupted and fall. I especially enjoyed the personalities of the Jaouen children, Pierre- André and Gabrielle. While the passion between Laura and André wasn't all-consuming and explosive, their relationship definitely had some heat. I offer kudos to the author for her continued excellence with this series. Five Angels!

Reviewed by: Michelle B.