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The Infamous Arrandales #1
The Chaperon's Seduction
"Ten thousand pounds to whoever can seduce the heiress by Michaelmas!"
Even for dissolute rake Richard Arrandale, this latest bet is outrageously scandalous. But Richard doesn't care—until he meets the heiress's charming chaperon and the stakes are raised even higher!
Widowed Lady Phyllida Tatham is no longer the shy, plain creature she once was. She's determined to protect her beautiful stepdaughter, but there's one suitor—with the worst kind of reputation—who seems more interested in seducing her. Who will come out on top in this winner-takes-all game?
The Infamous Arrandales
Scandal is their destiny!
Even for dissolute rake Richard Arrandale, this latest bet is outrageously scandalous. But Richard doesn't care—until he meets the heiress's charming chaperon and the stakes are raised even higher!
Widowed Lady Phyllida Tatham is no longer the shy, plain creature she once was. She's determined to protect her beautiful stepdaughter, but there's one suitor—with the worst kind of reputation—who seems more interested in seducing her. Who will come out on top in this winner-takes-all game?
The Infamous Arrandales
Scandal is their destiny!
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2015
17 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Mallory
210 books117 followersSarah Mallory is the pen name for Melinda Hammond.
Born in Bristol, England, UK, she grew up telling stories. She would make up adventures to relate to her school friends during break times and lunch hours, and she was once caught scribbling a story instead of listening to the French lesson. As a punishment, her teacher made her translate the story into French! She left school at sixteen and worked in offices as varied as stockbrokers, marine engineers, insurance brokers, biscuit manufacturers and even a quarrying company.
She married at nineteen, but continued to work until the birth of her first child. It was at that time that she decided to try her hand at her first love—writing, and shortly after the birth of her daughter she had her first book, Fortune's Lady, published under the pen name of Melinda Hammond. This was quickly followed by two more historical novels, Summer Charade and Autumn Bride, but with the birth of her twin sons the demands of family life meant that writing had to take a backseat for a few years. A compulsive scribbler, she never stopped writing and continued to work on research for her novels, experimenting with contemporary scenarios as well as writing pantomimes for her children's school. In 1989 the family moved to an isolated Pennine farmhouse in West Yorkshire, not far from Brontë country, where the family expanded to include a dog, two gerbils and a dozen chickens. The growing family needed funding and she went back to work full-time. The writing had to be put on hold.
Then, in March 2000, Sarah stepped off a curb and landed in hospital with one ankle broken and one badly sprained. This laid her up on a sofa for twelve weeks and gave her the time she needed to finish a novel. She wrote as Melinda Hammond and Maid of Honour was published the same year. Since then she has never looked back. She's published more than a dozen books under this pen name and has won the Reviewers' Choice Award in 2005 from Singletitles.com for Dance for a Diamond. Her novel Gentlemen in Question was a Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice Title in November 2006. In 2012 her novel The Dangerous Lord Darrington won the Love Story of the Year by the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is now concentrating on writing romantic historical adventures for Mills & Boon.
Born in Bristol, England, UK, she grew up telling stories. She would make up adventures to relate to her school friends during break times and lunch hours, and she was once caught scribbling a story instead of listening to the French lesson. As a punishment, her teacher made her translate the story into French! She left school at sixteen and worked in offices as varied as stockbrokers, marine engineers, insurance brokers, biscuit manufacturers and even a quarrying company.
She married at nineteen, but continued to work until the birth of her first child. It was at that time that she decided to try her hand at her first love—writing, and shortly after the birth of her daughter she had her first book, Fortune's Lady, published under the pen name of Melinda Hammond. This was quickly followed by two more historical novels, Summer Charade and Autumn Bride, but with the birth of her twin sons the demands of family life meant that writing had to take a backseat for a few years. A compulsive scribbler, she never stopped writing and continued to work on research for her novels, experimenting with contemporary scenarios as well as writing pantomimes for her children's school. In 1989 the family moved to an isolated Pennine farmhouse in West Yorkshire, not far from Brontë country, where the family expanded to include a dog, two gerbils and a dozen chickens. The growing family needed funding and she went back to work full-time. The writing had to be put on hold.
Then, in March 2000, Sarah stepped off a curb and landed in hospital with one ankle broken and one badly sprained. This laid her up on a sofa for twelve weeks and gave her the time she needed to finish a novel. She wrote as Melinda Hammond and Maid of Honour was published the same year. Since then she has never looked back. She's published more than a dozen books under this pen name and has won the Reviewers' Choice Award in 2005 from Singletitles.com for Dance for a Diamond. Her novel Gentlemen in Question was a Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice Title in November 2006. In 2012 her novel The Dangerous Lord Darrington won the Love Story of the Year by the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is now concentrating on writing romantic historical adventures for Mills & Boon.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 16, 2016
I've given this a B+ at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars
This is the first book in a quartet of books about The Scandalous Arrandales , a family whose name has become a byword for dissipation, profligacy and excess throughout society. It’s basically a rake-meets-prim-guardian story, but it’s a very good one – well-written and strongly characterised with a central romance that develops at a credible pace. The hero of The Chaperon’s Seduction is Richard Arrandale, a young man who has forged himself a reputation as a rake of the first order. His older brother, Wolfgang, fled England a decade ago accused of the murder of his wife, and their father never cared very much for either of them, intent on pursing his own dissipated existence, and leaving them to more or less bring themselves up.
Richard was a mischievous, adventurous seventeen year-old when his brother decamped, although his father believed him to be just as dissolute as the rest of the Arrandales. Bereft after the disappearance of the older brother he’d looked up to, and angry at his father for his poor opinion of him, Richard felt he might as well live up to his family’s reputation, got himself sent down from Oxford and then embarked upon a spectacular round of debauchery in London. A decade later, his reputation as a gambler and womaniser is practically unparalleled, but what few realise is that ever since his brother’s departure, Richard has been maintaining Wolf’s property at his own expense, supplementing the small income derived from his own modest estate by gambling for high stakes.
Richard is staying in Bath with his great aunt (of whom he is very fond), and is spending an evening at one of his favourite gambling hells when he hears of the imminent arrival of a new, young heiress. The news spreads like wildfire, and even though he finds it rather distasteful, Richard is persuaded to join in with a wager; whoever seduces her first will win ten thousand pounds. His thousand-pound stake is not something he can easily afford, but even more, Richard can’t afford to turn his nose up at the prospect of the prize money. And while he knows he’s no model of propriety, he’s aware that some of the men involved would treat a young woman less than kindly, so he determines to pursue the heiress while also protecting her from the attentions of the less decent types among the group.
Miss Ellen Tatham is seventeen and has come to Bath to dip her toes into the social whirl of Bath before making her London début. She is going to stay with her widowed stepmother, Lady Phyllida, who is only seven years her senior, having married Ellen’s father when she herself was just seventeen. Ellen and Phyllida are more like sisters than mother and daughter, and even though Phyllida is well aware that she will have her work cut out for her as Ellen’s chaperon, she is determined to keep the girl safe from the fortune hunters and reprobates who will shortly gather round her.
Visiting the Pump Room on the morning after Ellen’s arrival, Phyllida is surprised to see the notorious rake, Richard Allendale escorting his great aunt Sophia, Lady Hune. Phyllida is immediately on the alert, knowing the danger posed to Ellen by a man of Richard’s reputation. At Ellen’s age, Phyllida was almost cripplingly shy and can still recall her one dance at Almack’s with the handsome and charming Richard Allendale, to whom she is dismayed to discover she is still deeply attracted. In spite of the fact that he is never overt in his attentions towards Ellen, Phyllida continues to be suspicious of Richard’s intentions, and sticks firmly to Ellen’s side on the various excursions and events that are organised among their small circle of friends. To her increasing surprise – and Richard’s – he is at Phyllida’s side far more often than he is at Ellen’s; and before long he has to admit to himself that it’s not the heiress who interests him. Their romance moves slowly at first, both of them circling like fencers assessing their opponent’s technique until their mutual attraction becomes impossible to resist, and it’s very well done.
In spite of its predictable storyline, I enjoyed the book very much. Ms Mallory has taken a well-used trope and given it a bit of a makeover, shaking up some of the elements so often found in historical romances. I particularly enjoyed her characterisation of Ellen, who is no green miss still wet behind the ears. She is not a typical curl-tossing, foot-stamping débutante who does stupid things simply to be contrary and flout authority, but instead has her head very firmly screwed on the right way, and is quite worldly wise without being “fast”. I enjoyed watching her navigate her way through the sea of potential suitors, keeping them all at arm’s length while being perfectly friendly. I was also pleased with the author’s decision to make Phyllida’s marriage to her much older husband a happy one, even though it was a marriage of convenience. The relationship was obviously an affectionate one, and in it, Phyllida was able to shed her shyness, gain confidence and blossom into a poised and attractive woman.
Richard is a delicious hero; handsome, charming and witty as befits such a renowned ladies’ man, but in possession of a streak of goodness and honour a mile wide. As the story progresses and we – and Phyllida – learn more about him it becomes apparent that he is not at all as black as he has been painted. He’s a decent man whose sense of self-worth was all but destroyed by his uncaring father and who is rather tired of the lifestyle he has espoused for the past decade. The relationship between him and his aunt, who is the one person in his entire family who has ever believed in him, is beautifully written, and the affection lying between the pair is palpable.
The Chaperon’s Seduction is a quick but entertaining and emotionally satisfying read. I’m definitely going to be looking out for future titles in the series.
This is the first book in a quartet of books about The Scandalous Arrandales , a family whose name has become a byword for dissipation, profligacy and excess throughout society. It’s basically a rake-meets-prim-guardian story, but it’s a very good one – well-written and strongly characterised with a central romance that develops at a credible pace. The hero of The Chaperon’s Seduction is Richard Arrandale, a young man who has forged himself a reputation as a rake of the first order. His older brother, Wolfgang, fled England a decade ago accused of the murder of his wife, and their father never cared very much for either of them, intent on pursing his own dissipated existence, and leaving them to more or less bring themselves up.
Richard was a mischievous, adventurous seventeen year-old when his brother decamped, although his father believed him to be just as dissolute as the rest of the Arrandales. Bereft after the disappearance of the older brother he’d looked up to, and angry at his father for his poor opinion of him, Richard felt he might as well live up to his family’s reputation, got himself sent down from Oxford and then embarked upon a spectacular round of debauchery in London. A decade later, his reputation as a gambler and womaniser is practically unparalleled, but what few realise is that ever since his brother’s departure, Richard has been maintaining Wolf’s property at his own expense, supplementing the small income derived from his own modest estate by gambling for high stakes.
Richard is staying in Bath with his great aunt (of whom he is very fond), and is spending an evening at one of his favourite gambling hells when he hears of the imminent arrival of a new, young heiress. The news spreads like wildfire, and even though he finds it rather distasteful, Richard is persuaded to join in with a wager; whoever seduces her first will win ten thousand pounds. His thousand-pound stake is not something he can easily afford, but even more, Richard can’t afford to turn his nose up at the prospect of the prize money. And while he knows he’s no model of propriety, he’s aware that some of the men involved would treat a young woman less than kindly, so he determines to pursue the heiress while also protecting her from the attentions of the less decent types among the group.
Miss Ellen Tatham is seventeen and has come to Bath to dip her toes into the social whirl of Bath before making her London début. She is going to stay with her widowed stepmother, Lady Phyllida, who is only seven years her senior, having married Ellen’s father when she herself was just seventeen. Ellen and Phyllida are more like sisters than mother and daughter, and even though Phyllida is well aware that she will have her work cut out for her as Ellen’s chaperon, she is determined to keep the girl safe from the fortune hunters and reprobates who will shortly gather round her.
Visiting the Pump Room on the morning after Ellen’s arrival, Phyllida is surprised to see the notorious rake, Richard Allendale escorting his great aunt Sophia, Lady Hune. Phyllida is immediately on the alert, knowing the danger posed to Ellen by a man of Richard’s reputation. At Ellen’s age, Phyllida was almost cripplingly shy and can still recall her one dance at Almack’s with the handsome and charming Richard Allendale, to whom she is dismayed to discover she is still deeply attracted. In spite of the fact that he is never overt in his attentions towards Ellen, Phyllida continues to be suspicious of Richard’s intentions, and sticks firmly to Ellen’s side on the various excursions and events that are organised among their small circle of friends. To her increasing surprise – and Richard’s – he is at Phyllida’s side far more often than he is at Ellen’s; and before long he has to admit to himself that it’s not the heiress who interests him. Their romance moves slowly at first, both of them circling like fencers assessing their opponent’s technique until their mutual attraction becomes impossible to resist, and it’s very well done.
In spite of its predictable storyline, I enjoyed the book very much. Ms Mallory has taken a well-used trope and given it a bit of a makeover, shaking up some of the elements so often found in historical romances. I particularly enjoyed her characterisation of Ellen, who is no green miss still wet behind the ears. She is not a typical curl-tossing, foot-stamping débutante who does stupid things simply to be contrary and flout authority, but instead has her head very firmly screwed on the right way, and is quite worldly wise without being “fast”. I enjoyed watching her navigate her way through the sea of potential suitors, keeping them all at arm’s length while being perfectly friendly. I was also pleased with the author’s decision to make Phyllida’s marriage to her much older husband a happy one, even though it was a marriage of convenience. The relationship was obviously an affectionate one, and in it, Phyllida was able to shed her shyness, gain confidence and blossom into a poised and attractive woman.
Richard is a delicious hero; handsome, charming and witty as befits such a renowned ladies’ man, but in possession of a streak of goodness and honour a mile wide. As the story progresses and we – and Phyllida – learn more about him it becomes apparent that he is not at all as black as he has been painted. He’s a decent man whose sense of self-worth was all but destroyed by his uncaring father and who is rather tired of the lifestyle he has espoused for the past decade. The relationship between him and his aunt, who is the one person in his entire family who has ever believed in him, is beautifully written, and the affection lying between the pair is palpable.
The Chaperon’s Seduction is a quick but entertaining and emotionally satisfying read. I’m definitely going to be looking out for future titles in the series.
March 5, 2023
Wat leest het toch fijn wanneer een schrijfster ècht weet hoe de omgangsvormen etc. in die tijd werkten , het geeft je het idee terwijl je aan het lezen bent dat je ook werkelijk even terug bent gegaan in de tijd .
Het is een mooi verhaal over een jonge weduwe die haar maar iets jongere stiefdochter in huis neemt nadat zij van school is gestuurd vanwege slecht gedrag . De stiefdochter is een erfgename die heel veel geld zal krijgen op haar 21e verjaardag en natuurlijk trekt dat de nodige fortuin jagers aan . Zal de weduwe haar stiefdochter uit hun klauwen weten te houden ?
Het is een mooi verhaal over een jonge weduwe die haar maar iets jongere stiefdochter in huis neemt nadat zij van school is gestuurd vanwege slecht gedrag . De stiefdochter is een erfgename die heel veel geld zal krijgen op haar 21e verjaardag en natuurlijk trekt dat de nodige fortuin jagers aan . Zal de weduwe haar stiefdochter uit hun klauwen weten te houden ?
September 15, 2015
This is the first of a quartet about the Arrandale family. I hope the next one is about the older brother who's missing after being sent to the continent under suspicion of murdering his wife. Can't wait!
July 8, 2016
Well written and well researched Regency romance. Lots of details about the period, but these were so cleverly introduced into the story that they didn't intrude. Loved the characters, even the secondary ones were well drawn and had depth; a nice twist on the 'reformed rake' story. Highly recommended.
April 23, 2016
Good read. The heroine is busy trying to protect her stepdaughter from the scoundrels sniffing round (after that bet in the cover copy) that she doesn't realize the hero is really interested in her. He doesn't realize it either, which makes for a charming story. I enjoyed it.
September 28, 2015
Pleasant read. Whizzed through this = not boring at all.
January 23, 2018
3.8*
A sparkling story which was interesting and entertaining. Great characters (major and minor), and dialogue as well as an unusual storyline. I'm looking for the next one in the series now!
A sparkling story which was interesting and entertaining. Great characters (major and minor), and dialogue as well as an unusual storyline. I'm looking for the next one in the series now!
February 4, 2019
**Warning: this text may contain spoilers** Labai patiko.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2020
Enjoyable read , even if it was a bit longwinded...
November 12, 2021
Lengvas romaniukas.
May 16, 2022
Knygos pabaiga buvo aiški nuo pat pradžių, bet kaip romanas tai smagus. Lengvai skaitosi, veiksmo yra 🌸.
August 1, 2024
This was quite entertaining, though the ending felt a little rushed. Sophia and Ellen are hilarious.
January 17, 2017
Following up on a wager to seduce an heiress arrandale falls for the chaperone. The heiress is a young minx perfectly capable to keeping the wolves at bay but she ends up matching up arrandale and her chaperone stepmom. Lovely book!
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July 6, 2015Miniseries: The Infamous Arrandales
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January 12, 2016Miniseries: The Infamous Arrandales
April 23, 2017
I have no idea why I finished reading this. It was boring and repetitive. I didn't give a fig about a single one of the characters, and there were way too many extraneous scene breaks. Bleh.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews