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Sweet Valley High #133
To Catch a Thief
In Book Two of the three-part miniseries, are the girls prisoners of love?
Elizabeth Wakefield is furious. She was swept off her feet by Prince Laurent de Sainte-Marie—the most romantic guy she's ever met in her life. But that certainly isn't the problem. The problem is Antonia, his fiancée! And Antonia's mother, the Countess di Rimini, will do anything to keep Elizabeth away from the prince—including locking Elizabeth and her twin in a dungeon!
The countess has another reason for imprisoning the twins. Jessica Wakefield stole her precious emerald! Or so the countess believes. Jessica is enraged by the accusation--and miserable about being separated from her brand-new boyfriend, Jacques Landeau. She swears she'll find out who framed her...but will the truth break her heart?
Elizabeth Wakefield is furious. She was swept off her feet by Prince Laurent de Sainte-Marie—the most romantic guy she's ever met in her life. But that certainly isn't the problem. The problem is Antonia, his fiancée! And Antonia's mother, the Countess di Rimini, will do anything to keep Elizabeth away from the prince—including locking Elizabeth and her twin in a dungeon!
The countess has another reason for imprisoning the twins. Jessica Wakefield stole her precious emerald! Or so the countess believes. Jessica is enraged by the accusation--and miserable about being separated from her brand-new boyfriend, Jacques Landeau. She swears she'll find out who framed her...but will the truth break her heart?
199 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
19 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,140 books1,851 followersFrancine Paula Pascal was an American author best known for her Sweet Valley series of young adult novels. Sweet Valley High, the backbone of the collection, was made into a television series, which led to several spin-offs, including The Unicorn Club and Sweet Valley University. Although most of these books were published in the 1980s and 1990s, they remained so popular that several titles were re-released decades later.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 25, 2019
I continue to marvel at the stupidity of Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, and therein lies Francine Pascal's true talent. So, to recap (although trust, I do believe your IQ is over 40, unlike these ghost writers) Jessica and Elizabeth are at a chateau in France in order to be au pairs to three kids. But wait! That can't be the real plot. No, the real plot is that we need another miniseries in order for the twins to have boyfriends outside of Sweet Valley, because Just One Boy Won't Do (SV's new town motto). So Elizabeth is currently "in love" with Prince Laurent, who is engaged to a woman his dad is forcing him to marry, and Jessica is currently "in love" with a jewel thief named Jacques who, by the end of the book, has ended up framing Jessica for theft (but don't worry, her stupidity is also involved in this).
Jessica literally (and I don't use that word lightly) spends the entire book "bantering" with Jacques over the "fake" emerald he gave her. As you may recall, Jessica met Jacques on the train to France in the last book. He also gave her an emerald necklace that he claimed was fake, except the Countess immediately reported a family heirloom missing right afterwards. But Jacques tells her on the train that he will one day replace her "fake" necklace with the real thing, but it's all he has for now. So Jacques does come back... again and again and again. Each time he makes up excuses to get into Jessica's room and take back the very real emerald that he has stolen, and each time Jessica thwarts his plans. She claims that she doesn't care if it's fake because "you gave it to me." She is never once suspicious of why he keeps trying to take the necklace. She thinks they are "flirting." Granted, if we didn't have Jessica's stupidity, we wouldn't have a story. At the end of the book there is a tableau that the twins put on with the kids. Jessica wears the pendant out in public for the first time. The Countess sees it and immediately has her and Elizabeth thrown in the dungeon. On the very last page, Jessica finally weaves all those big and bright red glaring flags together into a disturbing tapestry.
Meanwhile, in Elizabeth-land, she is "in love" with Prince Laurent after knowing him, I shit you not, one week. He still hasn't told her about his engagement to Antonia but, honestly, he's known Liz BARELY A WEEK. Jess had heard that Antonia and Laurent were set to marry, but she is happy to find this isn't the case once Liz tells her she overheard the King talking about Laurent marrying her (in actuality she doesn't hear him say this; she assumes he's talking about Laurent marrying her because she doesn't know about Antonia). Liz goes to sees Laurent at his cottage and finds him and Antonia holding hands in his garden. She confronts him about it with outrage that is, frankly, laughable considering she's only KNOWN HIM A WEEK. Then she spends the rest of the book with tears streaming down her face every other page because she can't be with the "love of her life." Poor Todd. Such a clueless chump. She tells herself over and over that she can't believe what she had with Laurent wasn't real and... ow. I'm getting a headache from how much I've banged my head against the wall.
Quotes:
Elizabeth: In America all of us are equal.
Say it again, Liz! Once more with feeling!
"If Laurent wasn't interested in [Elizabeth] because she was a commoner, then it was his problem-- not hers. She was proud to be an American, where everybody was considered equal."
There we go. I didn't understand you the first time.
Elizabeth: I mean, I love Laurent... at least I think I love him. I really haven't known him that long. Maybe it's just that I want to be in love with him.
Could it be? Elizabeth Wakefield spouting... actual wisdom?!
Elizabeth's brain: Laurent wouldn't ask me to marry him in front of hundreds of strangers. He's much too considerate to turn such a private moment into a public spectacle.
Elizabeth Wakefield: Feminist?
Jessica literally (and I don't use that word lightly) spends the entire book "bantering" with Jacques over the "fake" emerald he gave her. As you may recall, Jessica met Jacques on the train to France in the last book. He also gave her an emerald necklace that he claimed was fake, except the Countess immediately reported a family heirloom missing right afterwards. But Jacques tells her on the train that he will one day replace her "fake" necklace with the real thing, but it's all he has for now. So Jacques does come back... again and again and again. Each time he makes up excuses to get into Jessica's room and take back the very real emerald that he has stolen, and each time Jessica thwarts his plans. She claims that she doesn't care if it's fake because "you gave it to me." She is never once suspicious of why he keeps trying to take the necklace. She thinks they are "flirting." Granted, if we didn't have Jessica's stupidity, we wouldn't have a story. At the end of the book there is a tableau that the twins put on with the kids. Jessica wears the pendant out in public for the first time. The Countess sees it and immediately has her and Elizabeth thrown in the dungeon. On the very last page, Jessica finally weaves all those big and bright red glaring flags together into a disturbing tapestry.
Meanwhile, in Elizabeth-land, she is "in love" with Prince Laurent after knowing him, I shit you not, one week. He still hasn't told her about his engagement to Antonia but, honestly, he's known Liz BARELY A WEEK. Jess had heard that Antonia and Laurent were set to marry, but she is happy to find this isn't the case once Liz tells her she overheard the King talking about Laurent marrying her (in actuality she doesn't hear him say this; she assumes he's talking about Laurent marrying her because she doesn't know about Antonia). Liz goes to sees Laurent at his cottage and finds him and Antonia holding hands in his garden. She confronts him about it with outrage that is, frankly, laughable considering she's only KNOWN HIM A WEEK. Then she spends the rest of the book with tears streaming down her face every other page because she can't be with the "love of her life." Poor Todd. Such a clueless chump. She tells herself over and over that she can't believe what she had with Laurent wasn't real and... ow. I'm getting a headache from how much I've banged my head against the wall.
Quotes:
Elizabeth: In America all of us are equal.
Say it again, Liz! Once more with feeling!
"If Laurent wasn't interested in [Elizabeth] because she was a commoner, then it was his problem-- not hers. She was proud to be an American, where everybody was considered equal."
There we go. I didn't understand you the first time.
Elizabeth: I mean, I love Laurent... at least I think I love him. I really haven't known him that long. Maybe it's just that I want to be in love with him.
Could it be? Elizabeth Wakefield spouting... actual wisdom?!
Elizabeth's brain: Laurent wouldn't ask me to marry him in front of hundreds of strangers. He's much too considerate to turn such a private moment into a public spectacle.
Elizabeth Wakefield: Feminist?
Read
August 16, 2024Qur’an: Chapter 27, Verse 7—
Thus Moses told his household: “I’ve glimpsed a fire. I’ll bring you some news from it, or I’ll bring you a glowing ember so that you may warm yourselves.” When he came up to it, [a voice] called out: “Blessed be whoever is in the Fire, and whoever stands around it! …”
Thus Moses told his household: “I’ve glimpsed a fire. I’ll bring you some news from it, or I’ll bring you a glowing ember so that you may warm yourselves.” When he came up to it, [a voice] called out: “Blessed be whoever is in the Fire, and whoever stands around it! …”
September 26, 2007
A fantastic modern fairy tale that really is enchanting...
June 12, 2008
I like This one.... its so romantic... :D
May 25, 2009
i am sorry for jessica because of jacques..
June 21, 2013
I remember the cover but just not the story.
January 23, 2016
Read in March 2005, Jan 2007
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews