If you're looking for my reviews of a certain author or genre you can check my tags list. You can also see my list of book reads in 2007 & 2008 and 2009.

Book Title: Her Scandalous Affair
Author: Candice Hern
Genre: historical romance
Rating: 3/5

Summary (from book cover):

"And so you must find the Mallory Heart and bring it home at once. No matter what it takes."

After this decree from his grandmother, Richard, Viscount Mallory, goes in search 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.

My thoughts: 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.