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Her Scandalous Affair
After this decree from his grandmother,Richard, Viscount Mallory, goes insearch of the long-lost family heirloom. Imagine his surprise when he spots the exquisite heart-shaped ruby brooch on the bosom of the equally exquisite Lady Isabel Weymouth! Could this popular young socialite actually be a jewel thief? Richard is determined that the brooch be returned to his family. So when an opportunity presents itself, he pilfers the jewel from the lady's bedroom, but is stunned when she steals it back the very next day! Clearly the enchanting Isabel is a more formidable opponent than he imagined, and the former soldier finds himself battling wits and wills with the captivating temptress. Passion ignites between them as the competition heats up, and suddenly there is more than a ruby brooch at stake in this game of hearts.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 30, 2004
About the author
Candice Hern
32 books249 followersCandice Hern is the award-winning, bestselling author of historical romance novels set during the English Regency period. Her books have won praise for the "intelligence and elegant romantic sensibility" (Romantic Times) as well as "delicious wit and luscious sensuality (Booklist). Candice's award-winning website (www.candicehern.com) is often cited for its Regency World pages, where readers interested in the era will find an illustrated glossary, a detailed timeline, illustrated digests of Regency people and places, articles on Regency fashion, research links, and much more.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 30, 2019
DNF after page 86. I'm very sorry but maybe it just wasn't for me?
I was quite bored most of the time and as much as I loved the cover, the execution was nothing special to me. Not interesting I'd say.
2 stars for a cover!
I was quite bored most of the time and as much as I loved the cover, the execution was nothing special to me. Not interesting I'd say.
2 stars for a cover!
October 8, 2018
HER SCANDALOUS AFFAIR
Written by Candice Hearn
2004; Avon Books (384 Pages)
Genre: standalone, fiction, romance, historical romance, humour
RATING: 4 STARS
Richard (aka Major Lord Mallory) returns home from the wars and finds his beloved grandfather on his deathbed. His cold non-maternal grandmother sends him on a mission to find the long-lost Mallory heart before her husband dies. At one of the social events in London he sees the brooch pinned to Lady Isabel Weymouth's bosom. Was this socialite widow a jewel thief as well? Richard steals the brooch from Isabel (who is borrowing the jewelry from her grandmother) then Isabel steals it back the next day. So begins the game of jewel thievery but soon they don't know if they are stealing the brooch or one anothers's heart.
A fun historical romp sizzling with passion and a hint of mystery and action. A great read all around. Hern has as a way with dialogue and characters. Even when they were a bit cliched you still felt love or hate for them. It is a predictable story that keeps you entertained.
My Novelesque Blog
Written by Candice Hearn
2004; Avon Books (384 Pages)
Genre: standalone, fiction, romance, historical romance, humour
RATING: 4 STARS
Richard (aka Major Lord Mallory) returns home from the wars and finds his beloved grandfather on his deathbed. His cold non-maternal grandmother sends him on a mission to find the long-lost Mallory heart before her husband dies. At one of the social events in London he sees the brooch pinned to Lady Isabel Weymouth's bosom. Was this socialite widow a jewel thief as well? Richard steals the brooch from Isabel (who is borrowing the jewelry from her grandmother) then Isabel steals it back the next day. So begins the game of jewel thievery but soon they don't know if they are stealing the brooch or one anothers's heart.
A fun historical romp sizzling with passion and a hint of mystery and action. A great read all around. Hern has as a way with dialogue and characters. Even when they were a bit cliched you still felt love or hate for them. It is a predictable story that keeps you entertained.
My Novelesque Blog
November 27, 2025
I am in an insomniac phase where I do not sleep sometimes for days on end so I read
Within the first few pages though, and have read many Candace Hern titles, this was BORING
Skimmed quickly turning pages reading only to tease out the bones of the plot and dug in at the end where there was some spark that was of interest
This saved the read and the review
Not the growing affair, not the intimacy, not the swapping of thefts, not any of the characters or the details but the long simmering revenge of the grandmother and the pathos of his grandfather who presented the Mallory heart to Isabel’s grandmother Emmeline 50 years previously: his one true love
The bitterness of the grandmother was what rose to the surface especially her demand to be buried with the jewel this was worthy of Candace Hern. In a few pages, the depth of the humiliation, the coldness of arranged marriage over five decades framed the plot it just took too long to get there
A nice touch in the epilogue once Isabel and Richard were married to have Thomas Lawrence paint his countess wearing the Mallory heart to hang in the gallery of paintings beginning in 1598 when the jewel was first presented by Queen Elizabeth showing that each count had married for love, except his grandfather
In retrospect, looking at my reviews of her other titles, she must have had her own boredom relieved by writing this
And the cover sucks
Within the first few pages though, and have read many Candace Hern titles, this was BORING
Skimmed quickly turning pages reading only to tease out the bones of the plot and dug in at the end where there was some spark that was of interest
This saved the read and the review
Not the growing affair, not the intimacy, not the swapping of thefts, not any of the characters or the details but the long simmering revenge of the grandmother and the pathos of his grandfather who presented the Mallory heart to Isabel’s grandmother Emmeline 50 years previously: his one true love
The bitterness of the grandmother was what rose to the surface especially her demand to be buried with the jewel this was worthy of Candace Hern. In a few pages, the depth of the humiliation, the coldness of arranged marriage over five decades framed the plot it just took too long to get there
A nice touch in the epilogue once Isabel and Richard were married to have Thomas Lawrence paint his countess wearing the Mallory heart to hang in the gallery of paintings beginning in 1598 when the jewel was first presented by Queen Elizabeth showing that each count had married for love, except his grandfather
In retrospect, looking at my reviews of her other titles, she must have had her own boredom relieved by writing this
And the cover sucks
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2022
I am just not impressed with Candice Hern. There's nothing wrong with her books, but there's nothing really "right" about them, either. They don't stand out. After a while, I've forgotten I read them and I struggle to remember the details of the story. This book is no different. The story in this book is rather silly - I never did understand why he didn't just have a long talk with her about it - and the continuous stealing back and forth grows old rather fast. I never did quite understand where the love story came from, either, and I rather hate it when that kind of thing is just sprung on me.
November 20, 2017
I didn't like the hero/heroine. The heroine was honestly too shallow for my tastes, too into the society & fashion and though she wanted to marry again for money to help her family I was meh on her. I also didn't feel the romance.
January 5, 2021
Hated it. Boring. Dull. Plot felt like it was silly from the beginning despite the blurb on the back looking interesting.
I didn't even finish reading it and that rarely happens for me! Thankfully it was a cheap book I picked up at an Op Shop.
I didn't even finish reading it and that rarely happens for me! Thankfully it was a cheap book I picked up at an Op Shop.
May 19, 2017
Terrible book, boring wooden characters, ridiculous repetitive plot and the most unsexy passion I've read in years. But I did finish it hence the two stars.
January 19, 2009
When Richard, Major Lord Mallory returns home from the wars, his grandmother sends him on a quest to find and retrieve the Mallory Heart, a long-lost family heirloom. Imagine his surprise when he spots the exquisite heart-shaped ruby brooch on the bosom of the equally exquisite Lady Isabel Weymouth! Could this popular young socialite actually be a jewel thief?
Richard is determined that the brooch be returned to his family, so when an opportunity presents itself, he pilfers the jewel from the lady's bedroom. He is stunned when she steals it back the very next day! Clearly the enchanting Isabel is a more formibable opponent than he imagined, and the former soldier finds himself battling wits and wills with the captivating temptress. Passion ignites between them as the competition heats up, and suddenly there is more than a ruby brooch at stake in this game of hearts.
I’ve had this one in the TBR pile for quite a while so I decided it was time to give it a try.
Richard, Viscount Mallory, is ordered by his grandmother to search and recover a missing family heirloom, a brooch that has last been seen on a young woman in London. Luckily for him as soon as he arrives in London he spots it and manages to steal it. What follows is a comedy where both Richard and Isabel, the young lady in question, try to outwit each other and steal the jewel from one another not once but several times. It might have lead to a ridiculous plot but in fact I thought this was the best part of the book. The witty dialog that develops between them, their attraction to one another and their determination to not let go of the jewel was fun to read about.
The problem for me was that the rest of the story was not as engaging as this part. There are two mysteries that determine Richard’s actions, one referring to his grandmother and the brooch and the other to his brother’s death and I felt that there could have been more suspense there, more intrigue connected to them to make it all more interesting. And Isabel’s indecision on whether to marry for money or follow her heart makes her a bit unsympathetic instead of appealing.
It became more interesting again when we find out the story behind the brooch and how it connects both families but I think the whole thing could have been better if we had had more character development. It was an entertaining read but in the end I was left with a “too light” feeling.
Grade: 3.5/5
Richard is determined that the brooch be returned to his family, so when an opportunity presents itself, he pilfers the jewel from the lady's bedroom. He is stunned when she steals it back the very next day! Clearly the enchanting Isabel is a more formibable opponent than he imagined, and the former soldier finds himself battling wits and wills with the captivating temptress. Passion ignites between them as the competition heats up, and suddenly there is more than a ruby brooch at stake in this game of hearts.
I’ve had this one in the TBR pile for quite a while so I decided it was time to give it a try.
Richard, Viscount Mallory, is ordered by his grandmother to search and recover a missing family heirloom, a brooch that has last been seen on a young woman in London. Luckily for him as soon as he arrives in London he spots it and manages to steal it. What follows is a comedy where both Richard and Isabel, the young lady in question, try to outwit each other and steal the jewel from one another not once but several times. It might have lead to a ridiculous plot but in fact I thought this was the best part of the book. The witty dialog that develops between them, their attraction to one another and their determination to not let go of the jewel was fun to read about.
The problem for me was that the rest of the story was not as engaging as this part. There are two mysteries that determine Richard’s actions, one referring to his grandmother and the brooch and the other to his brother’s death and I felt that there could have been more suspense there, more intrigue connected to them to make it all more interesting. And Isabel’s indecision on whether to marry for money or follow her heart makes her a bit unsympathetic instead of appealing.
It became more interesting again when we find out the story behind the brooch and how it connects both families but I think the whole thing could have been better if we had had more character development. It was an entertaining read but in the end I was left with a “too light” feeling.
Grade: 3.5/5
June 13, 2010
Actually is more of a 2.5 than a 3, but I don't like to give half points so I rounded up a bit. I got this book on an impulse, through BookMooch, and even if I could get around without reading it, it wasn't a bad read.
Richard, knowing is grandfather is ill, returns home as is told by is grandmother to recover a valuable family jewel, supposedly robbed and known to be used by a young woman in London. This young woman is none other than Isabel and, with Richard, enters a somewhat fun game, in which both try to rob the jewel from each other, but the game also leads to love.
The story is very predictable, when it comes to the mystery behind the jewel, as well as the mystery behind the death of Richard's brother. In fact, this last mystery is also very unsatisfactory as it didn't brought much to the story. The characters are pretty basic too, although Richard seems to stand out a bit, even if only by showing some sympathy towards poor soldiers that battled during the Napoleonic wars, and then had to turn to beggary. I actually liked the contrast between the parties thrown to honour the generals, while the soldiers begged at the door of those same parties.
As I said, is very predictable but it entertains. Another book I would recommend as a summer reading.
Richard, knowing is grandfather is ill, returns home as is told by is grandmother to recover a valuable family jewel, supposedly robbed and known to be used by a young woman in London. This young woman is none other than Isabel and, with Richard, enters a somewhat fun game, in which both try to rob the jewel from each other, but the game also leads to love.
The story is very predictable, when it comes to the mystery behind the jewel, as well as the mystery behind the death of Richard's brother. In fact, this last mystery is also very unsatisfactory as it didn't brought much to the story. The characters are pretty basic too, although Richard seems to stand out a bit, even if only by showing some sympathy towards poor soldiers that battled during the Napoleonic wars, and then had to turn to beggary. I actually liked the contrast between the parties thrown to honour the generals, while the soldiers begged at the door of those same parties.
As I said, is very predictable but it entertains. Another book I would recommend as a summer reading.
August 29, 2013
I am just not impressed with Candice Hern. There's nothing wrong with her books, but there's nothing really "right" about them, either. They don't stand out. After a while, I've forgotten I read them and I struggle to remember the details of the story. This book is no different. The story in this book is rather silly - I never did understand why he didn't just have a long talk with her about it - and the continuous stealing back and forth grows old rather fast. I never did quite understand where the love story came from, either, and I rather hate it when that kind of thing is just sprung on me.
October 24, 2013
Candice Hern has become one of my favorite romance novelists. She specializes in romances that are quiet, sweet, and all together fun to read. I was a bit concerned how this book would be since the jewel thief premise sounded cheesy to me, but Hern made it fun and light.
The characters were sweet in that they had their own flaws which made them seem more real. I enjoyed her Merry Widows series more, but this book is a nice read with very little drama. Sometimes, even in a novel, no drama can be a beautiful thing :)
The characters were sweet in that they had their own flaws which made them seem more real. I enjoyed her Merry Widows series more, but this book is a nice read with very little drama. Sometimes, even in a novel, no drama can be a beautiful thing :)
April 14, 2012
I don't know the last time I had so much fun reading a romance. That's probably because the characters themselves are having such a great time. Both Isabel and Richard were both likeable. The Mallory Heart as their pawn was, while not responsible, funny. I've read quite a few of Hern's romances, and this one is definitely one of her best!
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
November 12, 2012
Disregarding the cover on this book...Candice Hern always writes a good story. This one was no exception...the game when on a little too long, but not boringly (?is that a word?)so. This is a stand alone story. If you want a light/fast read, I recommend it.
January 18, 2009
A Regency romance written by an excellent, well researched writer is a joy. And Candice Hern is certainly that.
May 20, 2010
A light and fun historical romance.
January 12, 2011
I loved the cat-and-mouse game between the hero and heroine.
July 22, 2016
I usually like Candice Hern, but this one's bad even by romance novel standards.
April 5, 2016
ponovno 5.4.'16.
April 25, 2015
I stumbled across this book when I was clearing out the book shelf
It was a pleasant read especially when there is nothing else to do at night by torchlight during a 4 days blackout
It was a pleasant read especially when there is nothing else to do at night by torchlight during a 4 days blackout
August 15, 2023
It is what you expect of these books. I want a lord to myself please.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews