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Desperate Measures
Note: This is a short story (less than 10,000 words) and not a novella. The story first appeared in the 2010 Anthology The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance.
Lydia Bettridge is a young woman suffering the pangs of unrequited love. To capture the attention of Geoffrey Danforth, the man who has stolen her heart but barely notices her, she has resorted to desperate measures with a seemingly clever plan. By engaging the help of Phillip, a friend of her brother's, to play the love-smitten fool in public, she hopes to pique the interest of her unnamed love. But when Geoffrey himself shows up to take Phillip's place, all her careful planning is turned upside down. What's a girl to do but to make the best of it? This short story was originally published in The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance.
Lydia Bettridge is a young woman suffering the pangs of unrequited love. To capture the attention of Geoffrey Danforth, the man who has stolen her heart but barely notices her, she has resorted to desperate measures with a seemingly clever plan. By engaging the help of Phillip, a friend of her brother's, to play the love-smitten fool in public, she hopes to pique the interest of her unnamed love. But when Geoffrey himself shows up to take Phillip's place, all her careful planning is turned upside down. What's a girl to do but to make the best of it? This short story was originally published in The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance.
32 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2010
106 people are currently reading
304 people want to read
About the author
Candice Hern
32 books248 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 - 30 of 106 reviews
January 25, 2020
Don't let the heavily clothed woman on the front cover fool you, this short story has more in common with its bodice ripping cousins than you would expect. It is a fun little mouthful with an amusing setup that generally works in the short amount of space given to it. But it deserves the epitaph 'rushed' because the characters go from 0 to 100 in a very short amount of time.
May 13, 2013
This is a nice introduction to Candice Hern and the Regency romance genre. Entertaining, it is a simple story of a young woman's unrequited love and what she does to get the gentleman to notice her.
This Kindle edition can be read in under 30 minutes and at this time, it is free on Amazon. It is refreshing because you won't find the typical spelling and grammatical mistakes I see with other Kindle stories.
This Kindle edition can be read in under 30 minutes and at this time, it is free on Amazon. It is refreshing because you won't find the typical spelling and grammatical mistakes I see with other Kindle stories.
November 26, 2016
Lydia asks one of her brother's friends to help her make another of her brother's friends jealous. Gotta keep it in the family, I guess??? Anyways, the first friend goes MIA so the second friend steps up not realizing he's the subject of the plot. OH NO.
This was cute and VERY SHORT (I opened it on my Kindle and it was like "16 minutes until end of chapter" and SPOILER: IT WAS ONE CHAPTER) but well written and entertaining. I'm definitely intrigued by Hern's writing and plan on checking out more of her books once I've eliminated some of my backlog.
This was cute and VERY SHORT (I opened it on my Kindle and it was like "16 minutes until end of chapter" and SPOILER: IT WAS ONE CHAPTER) but well written and entertaining. I'm definitely intrigued by Hern's writing and plan on checking out more of her books once I've eliminated some of my backlog.
August 19, 2017
A charming young miss has a plan to get the attention of one of her brother's friends who doesn't seem to know she exists. Set up a rival and make him jealous is the plan until he shows up to help her with her plan to make some unknown gentleman jealous. And oh how the fun ensues.
This was my first bout with Candice Hern's writing. I enjoyed this light regency romance that sparkled and engaged me completely even though it was a short one-scene story. I will definitely be reaching for more of her work.
This was my first bout with Candice Hern's writing. I enjoyed this light regency romance that sparkled and engaged me completely even though it was a short one-scene story. I will definitely be reaching for more of her work.
December 7, 2025
A fun little short story in which someone has a crush on a friend and thinks that attention from another party might make the person take notice.
December 21, 2017
This was good! It was just very, very short.
November 14, 2013
Miss Lydia Bettride is desperate. Her Mama is after her to choose a husband but the man she loves doesn't love her back. Geoffrey Danforth is one of her brother's friends and treats her like a sister. What's a lovesick maiden to do? Enlist the aid of another friend of her brother's to play the suitor to make Geoffrey jealous. When Philip cries off and lets Geoffrey take his place, Lydia doesn't know what to do. She comes up with a brilliant solution that will hopefully have Goeffrey in her arms in no time. Her plan seems to be working too well when Geoffrey awakens her budding sensuality. Will they or won't they get together in the end?
This story is dreadful. It could have worked as a longer story but the length makes the action happy too quickly. The backstory comes a little too late after characters are mentioned but not explained who they are. The romance heats up quickly and is more sensual than I expected. The sensual scene is plopped in the story without really exploring what it means to the characters. They very briefly talk after that and then the story ends. It's all a bit too quick for me. There's no time for character development or a slowly developing relationship. The hero and heroine already know each other so that the story can proceed right to romance. I prefer a more slow burn type relationship that begins in friendship and ends in a proposal. This author has gotten rave reviews from clean Regency fans and I hope her non-free, full length novels are better.
This story is dreadful. It could have worked as a longer story but the length makes the action happy too quickly. The backstory comes a little too late after characters are mentioned but not explained who they are. The romance heats up quickly and is more sensual than I expected. The sensual scene is plopped in the story without really exploring what it means to the characters. They very briefly talk after that and then the story ends. It's all a bit too quick for me. There's no time for character development or a slowly developing relationship. The hero and heroine already know each other so that the story can proceed right to romance. I prefer a more slow burn type relationship that begins in friendship and ends in a proposal. This author has gotten rave reviews from clean Regency fans and I hope her non-free, full length novels are better.
January 21, 2012
Even though this is a short story, the reader is still drawn in through Hern's storytelling ability. Hern does another wonderful job creating charming characters. Attraction and desire come right off the page.
From swoon-worthy Geoffrey Danforth to renowned rake, Lord Tennison, Hern creates likable characters, so likeable that some readers may be left wanting more.
Jealousy is the game and Lydia Bettridge may be playing out of her league. Will Lydia’s plan work, or will she attract the wrong man?
This story is a great solution for a reader looking for a quick Regency fix.
From swoon-worthy Geoffrey Danforth to renowned rake, Lord Tennison, Hern creates likable characters, so likeable that some readers may be left wanting more.
Jealousy is the game and Lydia Bettridge may be playing out of her league. Will Lydia’s plan work, or will she attract the wrong man?
This story is a great solution for a reader looking for a quick Regency fix.
April 18, 2020
I was really surprised that I was reading a short story. It was ok, but normally would appear as a part of a chapter in a book. There certainly not enough time for character development.
October 12, 2020
A cute short story, free on kindle. I liked it. I may try one of her full length Regency novels sometime.
October 17, 2020
This was pretty lackluster. The author tried to accomplish too much in too few pages. Had this been developed into a novella length story, I think she could’ve done much better.
November 20, 2013
**Possible spoilers**
Did Not Finish: Stopped at 55%.
Though it was hard to give up on and to give a one star, I think it was not my thing. The premise is a good one and the twist good too, but some things rang wrong to me. I didn't see a strong love motivating the heroine to pursue the hero (rather I saw lust), I didn't see why her male friends would help her do so, some of their actions didn't seem to fit with propriety of the situation or period, and when I reached a scene where the heroine was starting to get what she wanted I realized the motivations of the hero weren't motivations I liked.
The premise was great, and the author knows how to use suspense and surprise to draw readers along. She uses details well, so they don't seem just put in but part of the world. But I suspect this needs a full length novel to make really work. If it were a novel, maybe there would be time to develop love, not lust, and other motivations behind all parties involved. So I rated the story "did not like," but not the author, not until I sample more of her works, for the author has skill.
Did Not Finish: Stopped at 55%.
Though it was hard to give up on and to give a one star, I think it was not my thing. The premise is a good one and the twist good too, but some things rang wrong to me. I didn't see a strong love motivating the heroine to pursue the hero (rather I saw lust), I didn't see why her male friends would help her do so, some of their actions didn't seem to fit with propriety of the situation or period, and when I reached a scene where the heroine was starting to get what she wanted I realized the motivations of the hero weren't motivations I liked.
The premise was great, and the author knows how to use suspense and surprise to draw readers along. She uses details well, so they don't seem just put in but part of the world. But I suspect this needs a full length novel to make really work. If it were a novel, maybe there would be time to develop love, not lust, and other motivations behind all parties involved. So I rated the story "did not like," but not the author, not until I sample more of her works, for the author has skill.
July 13, 2012
This was a free short story from the kindle store. Desperate Measures is written by Candace Hern, a seasoned author of historical romances. This one is set in the Regency period. Very short, but a sweet story of unrequited love. I would have given more stars, but it was just too short. There is an excerpt of another novel at the end of the book, and the excerpt is about as long as the story.
I like Candace Hern's novels, so I didn't want to pass this one up.
The story centers on a young lady pining for her brother's best friend. A plan is hatched to make the gentleman notice her by making him jealous. Of course nothing ever goes as planned.
I recommend this to all fans of regency romance and Candace Hern. Just be aware before you buy it that it is very short.
I like Candace Hern's novels, so I didn't want to pass this one up.
The story centers on a young lady pining for her brother's best friend. A plan is hatched to make the gentleman notice her by making him jealous. Of course nothing ever goes as planned.
I recommend this to all fans of regency romance and Candace Hern. Just be aware before you buy it that it is very short.
May 30, 2013
A sweet little Amuse-bouche, over all most before it began, but lovely all the same. It left me want to add more by this author to my list at Good Reads.
Personally, I love anything that has a "Lydia" in it .... although my own one was named after Lydia from Pride and Prejudice!
3.5 stars, but not quite making 4, purely because it could have been fleshed out a bit with more back story.
Personally, I love anything that has a "Lydia" in it .... although my own one was named after Lydia from Pride and Prejudice!
3.5 stars, but not quite making 4, purely because it could have been fleshed out a bit with more back story.
June 25, 2018
As this is a little novella I don't want to spoil it with a synopsis! It's a sweet story about unrequited love figuring itself out. I love Hern's writing and her characters are so loveable. This is a great entry to Hern's work!
February 21, 2015
Novella. Very short but well done.
January 1, 2021
Sweet and short
A sweet short story of romance in the ballroom, excellent to introduce a reader to Hern’s lovely writing and delightful stories.
A sweet short story of romance in the ballroom, excellent to introduce a reader to Hern’s lovely writing and delightful stories.
February 4, 2020
Fun short story, read it in an hour or so. Childhood friends MCs, the story is all set at a ball, nicely paced. Had funny moments that had me laughing out loud. Very sweet.
Clean. Except for
I’m really liking this author. Her characters and fun, funny, nice people and pleasant. You like them :D
Clean. Except for
I’m really liking this author. Her characters and fun, funny, nice people and pleasant. You like them :D
August 26, 2021
Nice
Lovely story but the writing needs improvement. The modern phraseology, occasional Americanisms, some inaccuracies, are all irritating and jar with the reader. I don’t think I could stand a full & complete novel.
Lovely story but the writing needs improvement. The modern phraseology, occasional Americanisms, some inaccuracies, are all irritating and jar with the reader. I don’t think I could stand a full & complete novel.
October 16, 2023
Delightful
This was a very enjoyable, lighthearted and humorous short story. There were a few typos but nothing seriously distracting. Being a short story, the characters were not thoroughly developed but nevertheless were likeable and charming.
This was a very enjoyable, lighthearted and humorous short story. There were a few typos but nothing seriously distracting. Being a short story, the characters were not thoroughly developed but nevertheless were likeable and charming.
December 31, 2023
4.5
Short, incident based episode set in a generic Regency era ballroom. I generally find deception themes exasperating, but this one resolved itself nice and quickly and without drama.
Also, just what was needed on a pudding day.
Short, incident based episode set in a generic Regency era ballroom. I generally find deception themes exasperating, but this one resolved itself nice and quickly and without drama.
Also, just what was needed on a pudding day.
June 20, 2017
Eh...felt like I got dropped into the middle of a story. The ending was super abrupt.
April 22, 2019
More a short story than novella
Sweet love story but very short. Would have liked to learn more about the characters and the story arc developed more
Sweet love story but very short. Would have liked to learn more about the characters and the story arc developed more
June 16, 2020
Cute little Regency romance
August 7, 2020
It's free in Kobo store at the moment. Not bad, but by no means a clean romance and I prefer my regency romances innocent.
September 15, 2020
Lively, fast read.
October 20, 2020
Cute short story
December 25, 2020
2.5 stars. Cute story.
January 2, 2022
A lovely short story about pining for your heart’s desire.
January 8, 2014
Unrequited love can force a girl into desperate measures—a scheme that Lydia Bettridge’s brother Daniel has concocted—and she is uncertain will work. Before the most important ball of the season he will procure his friend Philip Hartwell to sweep her off her feet in front of the object of her affection making him wild with jealousy. But when Philip is detained from the ball and unknowingly asks the object of her affection Geoffrey Danforth to be the swain who sweeps, Lydia is thrown for a loop. NO—he was to be the jealous lover, not the one to make her lover jealous! Thankfully Geoffrey does not know who the object of the game is and Lydia is not going to tell him! But now everything is topsy-turvy. How was she going to make him think of her as a beautiful, desirable young woman and not the little sister of his best friend? It does not help that he is so eager to play the part, especially since he has never singled out any woman in his life and will draw the attention of Society by playing the “mooncalf” with her. He was determined to make everyone in the room believe that he was madly in love with her, and he did, even Lydia! It was totally glorious—except that it was not real. Pressed to reveal whom Geoffrey is to make jealous, Lydia picks the first man she sees, the infamous rake Lord Tennison. Shocked, he tries to warn her off, but Lydia claims she needs excitement in her life. Always the obliging gentleman, Geoffrey promises to play the part to the nines and have Tennison falling at her feet before the night’s end.
“Desperate Measures” is a charming short story introducing readers who love Regency romance, Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen to the talents of novelist Candice Hern. It has a happy ending of course, but not before the reader is swept into a ball room and into the arms of a blue-eyed swain who makes Lydia and anyone with a heart weak in the knees. I hope she is inspired to expand the story and characters into a full novel. An excerpt of her novel The Best Intensions follows the short story, leaving one craving more on both fronts.
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
“Desperate Measures” is a charming short story introducing readers who love Regency romance, Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen to the talents of novelist Candice Hern. It has a happy ending of course, but not before the reader is swept into a ball room and into the arms of a blue-eyed swain who makes Lydia and anyone with a heart weak in the knees. I hope she is inspired to expand the story and characters into a full novel. An excerpt of her novel The Best Intensions follows the short story, leaving one craving more on both fronts.
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews