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133rd out of 253 books
—
348 voters
A Winter Scandal (Legend of St. Dwynwen #1)
by
Candace Camp (Goodreads Author)
New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp weaves a heartwarming tale, first in a thrilling new series, of Christmastime love, discovery, and scandal. . . .
When plain and proper Thea Bainbridge stumbles upon a baby in the manger of her church’s nativity, she is understandably shocked. Discovering a brooch bearing the insignia of Gabriel, Lord Morecombe, hidden among t
...morePaperback, 431 pages
Published
October 25th 2011
by Pocket Star
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A Winter Scandal by Candace Camp
Historical Romance -Oct. 25th, 2011
4 stars
When Thea Bainbridge, sister of the village’s vicar, discovered an abandoned baby at the church, she suspected that the infamous Lord Morecombe is the father. However, when she confronts Gabriel with the evidence, a brooch, Gabriel is shaken. His sister had been missing for over a year, and that brooch belonged to her. Is this infant his sister’s baby? If so, what else does the innocent and beautiful Thea know? Together, t...more
Historical Romance -Oct. 25th, 2011
4 stars
When Thea Bainbridge, sister of the village’s vicar, discovered an abandoned baby at the church, she suspected that the infamous Lord Morecombe is the father. However, when she confronts Gabriel with the evidence, a brooch, Gabriel is shaken. His sister had been missing for over a year, and that brooch belonged to her. Is this infant his sister’s baby? If so, what else does the innocent and beautiful Thea know? Together, t...more
When Thea (the vicar's plain, spinster sister in small town England) finds a baby abandoned in the church, she thinks the new lord in town (and rake) Gabriel, Lord Macombe is responsible. He denies paternity but suspects his sister may be the mother. While they try to locate his sister, sparks fly.
The Good: Camp did a good job describing small town life and the pressures of being the vicar's sister. Additionally, I've read a lot of romance novels over the years and this is the first time an aban...more
The Good: Camp did a good job describing small town life and the pressures of being the vicar's sister. Additionally, I've read a lot of romance novels over the years and this is the first time an aban...more
The most engaging romance I've read in quite a while. Why? I became quickly interested in the main characters - and the mystery that ran from the opening of the book until the very end. I liked that both Thea and Gabriel were well rounded with plenty of flaws. The writing was not forced with overt, literary conveniences, such as I've found in most romances. The plot, the mystery portion, was original, and there were some nice twists to it.
Kudos to the author for having the plot make sense at the...more
Kudos to the author for having the plot make sense at the...more
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A Winter Scandal
(The St. Dwynwen Series, Book #1)
by Candace Camp
Genre: Historical Romance | Seasonal
Gabriel is intrigued by the vivacity in Thea’s flashing gray eyes when she accuses him of fathering the orphan, even as he adamantly maintains his innocence. The brooch is one he remembers all too well, however, and Gabriel is determined to find the mother of the missing child. As the mystery around the baby deepens, Gabriel is continually thrown together with Thea—and finds himself growing more e...more
(The St. Dwynwen Series, Book #1)
by Candace Camp
Genre: Historical Romance | Seasonal
Gabriel is intrigued by the vivacity in Thea’s flashing gray eyes when she accuses him of fathering the orphan, even as he adamantly maintains his innocence. The brooch is one he remembers all too well, however, and Gabriel is determined to find the mother of the missing child. As the mystery around the baby deepens, Gabriel is continually thrown together with Thea—and finds himself growing more e...more
I gave this 4 stars because of the slow start. It didn't really pick up until around page 60. Thea is a plain jane and a vicars sister. Gabriel is a gentleman masquerading as a rake of the first order. A baby is left in a manger just before the holiday and the only clue to his identity is a piece of jewelry that Thea recognizes as the crest of Gabriel. Believing that the baby is his she rips him up.
What I really liked is that this wasn't just a romance but that there was an element of mystery a...more
What I really liked is that this wasn't just a romance but that there was an element of mystery a...more
A Winter Scandal is another book that has been in my TBR pile for over a month. It is the first book written in a new series by Candace Camp. She is one of my favorite historical romance writers but this book just did not catch my attention like some of her previous books.
A Winter Scandal has a cast of character that sounds familiar. We start with Thea Bainbridge, the plain sister of the local Vicar. Add in Gabriel, Lord Morecombe, who just purchased a local manor and is visiting with some of hi...more
A Winter Scandal has a cast of character that sounds familiar. We start with Thea Bainbridge, the plain sister of the local Vicar. Add in Gabriel, Lord Morecombe, who just purchased a local manor and is visiting with some of hi...more
“I know you’re not the sort to lose your head even over a man who looks like sin walking, which his lordship does”…”It’s your heart I’m worried about” (152)
This is such a Cinderella story. A woman transformed by finding love. When we meet Thea she’s a confirmed spinster. Completely entrenched in the boring life of a Vicar’s sister. It only takes one meeting from Gabriel to begin to crack away at that stodgy facade. Out come rosy cheeks, curls, and a desire to dress pretty again. It was fun to wa...more
This is such a Cinderella story. A woman transformed by finding love. When we meet Thea she’s a confirmed spinster. Completely entrenched in the boring life of a Vicar’s sister. It only takes one meeting from Gabriel to begin to crack away at that stodgy facade. Out come rosy cheeks, curls, and a desire to dress pretty again. It was fun to wa...more
First of all, I had a really tough time writing this review. I’m torn between the fact that I loved this book, and the fact that I was completely bored through the first four chapters. In fact, I only kept reading because I’m a big fan of Candace Camp’s books and I just kept thinking, this has got to get better, this book has got to pick up its pace. Thankfully, around the end of chapter four, things got better.
The pace at the beginning of the book is really the only bad thing, but it will be en...more
The pace at the beginning of the book is really the only bad thing, but it will be en...more
4.5)A WINTER SCANDAL by Candace Camp is a wonderful historical romance set in Regency England. This is the beginning of a new series and what a beginning. I loved the way the characters came together,the plot was intriquing. This is a Christmastime story of love,a bit of scandal,family,forgiveness,healing,with witty banter,a hero who is willing to see the truth,and a heroine who is willing to give her heart not only to the hero but also to a small,adorable infant left on the church steps to be f...more
Bestselling author Candace Camp has done it once again with her spectacular Christmas read in A WINTER SCANDAL, which is the first installment in her Legend of St. Dwynwen Series. Camp is perfection personified, when it comes to delivering a rich, entertaining story wrapped around emotionally gripping plots. Camp is a magnetic star of the written word that shines above the rest. Camp is notoriously skilled at giving her legions of fans fantastic in depth characters that charge her stories to the...more
A Winter Scandal by Candace Camp is a wonderfully written love story. Camp has an exquisite writing style that is rich with detail and full of emotions. I found this particular love story exciting, different and definitely enjoyable. Gabriel Morecombe is dangerously charming, I found myself falling in love with his character. Thea Bainbridge is Gabriel's perfect counter part, she is a funny and interesting character. Thea sort of has this Jane Eyre attitude about her which I enjoyed. This is def...more
I have not read a Candace Camp novel in some time (just because there are so many books on the market). The subtitle to A WINTER SCANDAL, Legend of St. Dwynwen, caught my eye. I have a soft spot for anything Wales.
St. Dwynwen is a real woman from Medieval Wales. Although her story varies, she is considered the Welsh patroness of lovers. In A WINTER SCANDAL, an English soldier marries a Welsh girl, bringing home his bride and a statue of St. Dwynwen. It is placed within its own chapel in the St....more
St. Dwynwen is a real woman from Medieval Wales. Although her story varies, she is considered the Welsh patroness of lovers. In A WINTER SCANDAL, an English soldier marries a Welsh girl, bringing home his bride and a statue of St. Dwynwen. It is placed within its own chapel in the St....more
'It was said that whoever prayed with a truly loving heart to St. Dwynwen here in her chapel would have his or her prayer granted. Some argued that only prayers for love were granted, but others said that the kindly saint would answer even prayers of broader scope...'
Every so often a seemingly innocent event can bring utter clarity to a person--a moment of self realization, if you will. At seven and twenty Thea Bainbridge was considered to be firmly on the shelf. It had never really bothered he...more
Every so often a seemingly innocent event can bring utter clarity to a person--a moment of self realization, if you will. At seven and twenty Thea Bainbridge was considered to be firmly on the shelf. It had never really bothered he...more
I have really lucked out with my Christmas romance selections this year, and I finished with the best of them all. You know what I like best about this one? It's really, truly about Christmas. It doesn't feel like a romance with a Christmas theme tacked on; it's a real Christmas story with the added bonus of a terrific love story. In fact, it has all the right elements blended perfectly to create one excellent Christmas romance.
It begins with a Christmas ball and a real baby found abandoned in t...more
It begins with a Christmas ball and a real baby found abandoned in t...more
This was not the worst book I've ever read, but there were many moments when all I could do was shake my head. Mainly this was because of the overwhelming feeling of anachronism in terms of how the hero and heroine relate to each other.
Pros:
Generally pleasant, reasonably good grammar (with a few silly errors, like "I believe I have not been formerly introduced to this young man"), unusual secret baby plot, and a plain(ish) and older heroine (late 20s).
Cons:
First, the one unique/interesting c...more
Pros:
Generally pleasant, reasonably good grammar (with a few silly errors, like "I believe I have not been formerly introduced to this young man"), unusual secret baby plot, and a plain(ish) and older heroine (late 20s).
Cons:
First, the one unique/interesting c...more
Thea Bainbridge is an ape-leader, as they liked to call spinsters back in the day. She's plainish, wears browns and grays, and is possessed of a very blunt tongue, which she thinks may explain her lack of suitors. She lives with her brother Daniel, who has taken their father's position as vicar in their little village of Chesley. She listens to Daniel's prosing about Roman ruins, and writes "suggestions" for his sermons (in other words she writes the sermons), and basically does most of the othe...more
Dec 01, 2011
Viohlet
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
read-in-2011,
3rd-person-pov,
angsty,
best-romance-heroes-ever,
blackmail-extortion-etc,
children-born-adopted-etc,
favorites,
genre-historical,
hero-2-g-l,
hero-has-bucket-loads-of-charm,
hero-i-loved,
hero-protective-possessive,
hero-to-heroine-class-difference,
hero-to-die-for,
heroine-4-s-z,
heroine-6-brunette-black,
heroine-glasses,
heroine-i-loved,
heroine-plain-jane-ugly-duckling,
heroine-wallflower-spinster,
heroine-orphan,
heroine-virgin,
historical-1800s,
holiday-period,
kidnapping-abduction,
making-assumptions,
mystery-suspense-etc,
series,
read-4-loved,
second-chance-love,
series-beginning,
set-in-english-country,
some-real-sick-people-out-there,
stars-5,
sugary-sweet,
slow-to-start,
you-are-supposed-to-be-dead
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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WOW!! This is one of a handful of books that I don't think 5 stars is enough!! I loved everything about this book!! I was especially impressed by the ending. I was kind of dreading reading pages of Thea refusing a proposal because, of course, Gabriel couldn't possibly really want to marry someone like her and the proposal was only based on guilt, responsibility, the need for a mother for Matthew, etc, etc, and so on, but I think the author handled it brilliantly. Of course Thea was initially ske...more
This book started great but somewhere in the middle it turned a bit boring.
I feel that the mystery surronding Matthew, the baby who was abandoned in the church and then found by Thea was extended unnecessarily.
I think that, by the middle of the book, we should have known already for sure who were the parents of the child and how he came to be abandoned in that church.
I really loved Thea! She was so fun to read about.
So clever, funny and incredibly blunt. I totally loved that she never hid what...more
I started reading this book yesterday and just couldn't put it down and stayed up way too late just to finish it. This is the first time I've read anything by Candace Camp and I'll be looking over her backlist for sure.
Set in the quiet village of Chesley, Althea Bainbridge has lived there her whole life. She now lives with her brother Daniel, who is the town's vicar. Thea is 27 and quite 'plain'. Thea realises that due to her age and the fact that she lives in this small town and has never been...more
Set in the quiet village of Chesley, Althea Bainbridge has lived there her whole life. She now lives with her brother Daniel, who is the town's vicar. Thea is 27 and quite 'plain'. Thea realises that due to her age and the fact that she lives in this small town and has never been...more
Let me start off by saying that I have liked some of Camp's other novels, but not every book clicks with every reader. This one never clicked for me, and I gave up less than halfway through. I'd give it 2.5 stars if Goodreads would allow it.
I am glad to see that I wasn't the only one who had trouble getting into this one. I'm usually a big fan of the "plain, shy girl gets the guy" plots, but this one never took off for me. Seems like others struggled on and were rewarded once it *finally* got st...more
I am glad to see that I wasn't the only one who had trouble getting into this one. I'm usually a big fan of the "plain, shy girl gets the guy" plots, but this one never took off for me. Seems like others struggled on and were rewarded once it *finally* got st...more
3 stars.
Its the 1st time I'm writing a review and english is not my first language so please bear with me.
I like stories with spinsters and rakes so I thought I was going to like this one. The story is about plane and proper Thea, the devilishly handsome Gabriel and an abandoned baby found in a church. It was a sweet romance, and I liked the ending. The story plot didn't catch my interest though, I really couldn't care less about the mystery (ok maybe at the beginning, but it dragged for too lon...more
Its the 1st time I'm writing a review and english is not my first language so please bear with me.
I like stories with spinsters and rakes so I thought I was going to like this one. The story is about plane and proper Thea, the devilishly handsome Gabriel and an abandoned baby found in a church. It was a sweet romance, and I liked the ending. The story plot didn't catch my interest though, I really couldn't care less about the mystery (ok maybe at the beginning, but it dragged for too lon...more
I give this one 3 1/2 stars... I wasn't that enamored of Thea, although I did like Gabriel. I, like other readers, was disappointed that so few details were shared about Thea's sermon writing. I have to say, as one of the few women on the planet who does not melt into a cooing puddle at the sight of a baby, the "cuteness" factor of the foundling baby plot didn't do much for me. But I am a sucker for a Christmas-themed story, so the book redeemed itself there. Overall, not Ms. Camp's BEST, but by...more
This one wasn't as good as her other books, but I still enjoyed it. I think it was the plot that bothered me a bit, there were times it felt like it dragged on and on and I just wanted something new and exciting to happen. I also wasn't a big fan of the hero, he was okay but nothing spectacular. So the combination of a not so great hero and a sometimes boring plot made me a little less interested than in her Willomere series, but I'll still be checking out the next book in the series with the ho...more
This book is really hard for me to rate. There is a storyline with a lot of twists and turns. There is a great hero and an OK heroine. The story is about a baby left in a manger at church and Thea (the heroine) finds him. It comes to believe that the baby belongs to Gabriel's (the hero) sister. A baby she had out of wedlock and then disappeared. Well of course the hero and heroine get together (unmarried) but it never occurs to Thea the same could happen to her? I find that part of the story so...more
Thea is now at the age that is considered to be titled 'Spinster', and as the Vicar's sister has certain responsibilities. So when she attends a gathering, where she see's Gabriel Morecomb, a man whose tender kisses has haunted her all of these years. She is shocked and even hurt to discover that he doesn't even recognize her. Then she finds an abandoned baby in a manger at the nativity scene at the church, with the only idenitifying item, a brooch with a signia of Lord Gabriel Morecomb. So she...more
I really enjoyed this story about Gabriel, Lord Morecombe, falling in love with a nobody, plain spinster vicar's sister, Thea. She has found his sister's baby abandoned in their church's manger with a brooch adorned with Gabriel's family's crest. Assuming the baby to be his illegitimate son, she charges to his estate accusing him. He recognizes the brooch as belonging to his missing sister. The story revolves around solving her disappearance.
I loved Thea's character. She was honest and never den...more
I loved Thea's character. She was honest and never den...more
***original review posted at Romancing Rakes***
Another holiday themed book and it's starting to get in the holiday spirit. I might even dig out the tree a month early.
Thea Bainbridge is an upstanding citizen, a pillar of the community and a giver. She helps her brother prepare his sermons and helps everyone with any problem they have. She puts everyone ahead of herself. Resigned to being on the shelf, she's determined to help her brother with all things pertaining to the church until he decides...more
Another holiday themed book and it's starting to get in the holiday spirit. I might even dig out the tree a month early.
Thea Bainbridge is an upstanding citizen, a pillar of the community and a giver. She helps her brother prepare his sermons and helps everyone with any problem they have. She puts everyone ahead of herself. Resigned to being on the shelf, she's determined to help her brother with all things pertaining to the church until he decides...more
It was fuuny, but I read the first chapter and I thought it was a really boring book, I even went so far as to delete it from my kindle. However, my kindle reboot itself and, by some miracle, this book appear again, so I decided to give it another chance; skipping a few pages to see if it would get good.... and it did!!! I coulnd't stop reading it!
I found the story original and completely enchanting. It captivated me; the characters were honest and simple, showing through their actions the core...more
I found the story original and completely enchanting. It captivated me; the characters were honest and simple, showing through their actions the core...more
Wonderfully written romance. Ugly duckling (well supposedly plain anyway) spinster heroine who is a vicar's sister who blossoms into a swan due to the hero's love. Very well written & the H/H's characters had amazing chemistry. The finding of abandoned baby who may/not be the hero's missing sisters added a bit of mystery to the story; & also a wonderful angle for the interaction btwn the H/H & the baby.
Love the cover too!
Love the cover too!
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Candace Camp is the New York Times bestselling author of over sixty books.
Her first novel, *Bonds of Love*, was published by Jove Publishing in 1978, under the pseudonym Lisa Gregory. Two pseudonyms (Kristin James and Sharon Stephens)and many books later, Candace writes under her own name Candace Camp and still loves creating stories.
Candace lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and is the mot...more
More about Candace Camp...
Her first novel, *Bonds of Love*, was published by Jove Publishing in 1978, under the pseudonym Lisa Gregory. Two pseudonyms (Kristin James and Sharon Stephens)and many books later, Candace writes under her own name Candace Camp and still loves creating stories.
Candace lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and is the mot...more
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