Her Scandalous Affair

This was such a fun book. The hero and the heroine stealing a brooch back and forth between them kept the storyline propelling forward, learning more about each character as we went, and both characters were fully fleshed out. One of the things that most impressed me about this book was the way that Hern wrote her heroine, Isabel. Isabel is trying to marry a wealthy man -- and neither she nor the hero consider that something to apologize for. She has good reasons, and the ultimate choice to stay with the hero is very sweet, and earned. This book has definitely made Candice Hern one of my authors to look for.

Now that the war was over, Richard, Viscount Mallory had finally come home to find his aged grandfather ailing with very little time left. Cornered by his grandmother, she demanded that he go and recover the Mallory heart, an exquisite heart shaped ruby brooch Mallory family heirloom that had been missing for the last fifty years, so that his grandfather could die happy over it's return. It had been spotted at a recent ton affair and he was to travel to London and retrieve it by whatever means possible. It had to be fate, for the moment he'd entered the ballroom he discovered the brooch, and it was pinned upon the bosom of the very beautiful Lady Isabel Weymouth! Managing to include himself in one of her `at homes' he slipped out of the drawing room to discover that all was not as it appeared as he searched for the lady's brooch. Finding the other rooms stripped of any treasures, clearly, her financial condition was not as she attempted to portray - could she possibly be a jewel thief? Lady Isabel, was a darling of the ton, and desperately in need of securing for herself a wealthy husband. Although, she was very much aware of the Major Lord Mallory, she new that the Earldom he was to inherit was in financial difficulty, and desperately needing cash to help her family, she simply had to marry for money. In keeping up appearances, she had borrowed her grandmother's magnificent brooch that she'd known was hidden in a secret drawer in grandmothers jewelry box. She had planned on returning it the following day, yet discovering it missing, Isabel knew exactly who had stolen it. Isabel was determined to steal it back and as the two became embroiled in a game of one-up-man-ship in stealing it back from one another the games began to heat up, as did their undeniable passion. *** This was a delightful romance as the protagonists each devised clever ways of stealing the brooch from one another. The Latin inscription of "True love knows but one" proved to be a very prophetic statement as Isabel discovered that all the wealth she desperately needed and was offered by another was just not enough when her heart and passions were lost to another. Other than the brooch, there wasn't a tremendous amount of intrigue and the inclusion of a mysterious woman whom Richard's brother had fought and lost a duel over was so insignificant to the story that I truly wondered why it was included at all. The main mystery of how the brooch came to be held by Isabel's grandmother was appealing and the protagonists' efforts to keep it from one anther entertaining. Although not a keeper, it deservedly scores well as a worthy read. ---- Marilyn, for www.romancedesigns.com ---

After reading a couple of Coulter books I guess I feel that books like this one are a little light for my complete satisfaction! Nicholas and Isabel just needed a little more development for my taste - at least if I am going to give it a 5 star rating. This one proabably falls somewhere between a 3 & 4 for me - giving it the higher only because I might be more critical right now because I just read some really amazing books. I enjoyed the plot of this book and found the romance to be credible it just needed a little more of something! Actually one of the best most romantic parts was why the ruby broach was given to M and how the love between these old soles never ended. Hopefully the love between Nicholas and Isabel will be that strong and last as long.

Candice Hern is always on my "must buy" list, and this book is yet another example why. It starts off a bit slow, but once I got a few chapters in, I was hooked. I simply love the fact the CH writes books about PEOPLE. They seem real. They have fallacies, and problems, and inconvenient personality quirks. They fall in love with the wrong people (and sometimes, with the right people). They are motivated out of fear, greed, hatred, hurt feelings, as well as love, honor, and duty. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I HIGHLY recommend it. If you want a manly hero (with a bit of a soft, marshmallow center) and a heroine who is strong-willed and demonstrably not of the "too dumb to live" variety, then this book is for you.

In 1814, knowing she is broke and soon will be unable to keep up appearances amidst the Ton; Isabel Weymouth decides she needs to marry a wealthy aristocrat. For good luck as she prowls the Ton for a suitable match and wears her grandmother's lucky brooch. Richard Mallory has just returned home from war to learn his grandfather is dying. His grandmother insists he find the family heirloom the Mallory Heart to give to his grandfather before he dies so he can give it to his spouse and relieve the guilt that he never did so. He has about one month to complete his quest. In London, Isabel and Richard are attracted to one anther from the first moment they meet. She especially likes that he is unable to stop staring at her bosom; however, what has excited Richard is that Isabel wears the Mallory Heart. Over the next few weeks they steal the gem from one another even as they fall in love. This is an amusing Regency romance as the two protagonists take turns as cat burglars stealing the hearts of each other and the Heart. The fast-paced plot never slows down as the competition increases until both succumb to their passion. Fans will take immense delight as the matchmaking Mallory Heart fosters a wonderful romance between a likable pair. Harriet Klausner