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Alice Chetwynd Ley
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A Regency Scandal Kindle Edition

by Alice Chetwynd Ley (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 503 ratings
A Regency family saga to lose yourself in! For fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Jane Aiken Hodge and Jane Austen.

Every family has its secrets…

Viscount Shaldon, deprived of his mother by her death in his early teens from a loveless marriage, is known to be capricious when it comes to young debutantes.

But when his father sets in front of him the compelling beauty of the impetuous Cynthia Lydney, he cannot help but be captivated.

A masquerade ball has thrown them together, but Shaldon cannot get over the demons in his past.

As family secrets bubble to the surface, Shaldon faces the possibility of disinheritance.

Will a fall from grace help him see his heart’s true desires? Can Cynthia forgive his past actions?

Or will a Regency Scandal lead the Earl’s family to ruin…?

A REGENCY SCANDAL is a classic historical saga by Alice Chetwynd Ley: a traditional British romance, set in nineteenth-century England.

‘These vintage Regency romances hover somewhere between Jane Austen and the genre as we know it today. I really enjoy them.’ - Sonya’s Stuff
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  1. Print length
    554 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    October 23, 2020
  5. File size
    1.7 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08LSYLP2K
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 23, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.7 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 554 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1800551428
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 503 ratings

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Alice Chetwynd Ley

Alice Chetwynd Ley

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
503 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's plot, with one mentioning its many twists and turns, and appreciate the well-developed characters who are given humanity in all forms. Moreover, the historical accuracy receives positive feedback, with one customer noting the beautiful portrayal of historical details. However, several customers find the book too long.

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PlotCharacter developmentHistorical accuracyReadabilityLength
8 customers mention "Plot"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, which features multiple subplots and many twists and turns.

"...historical details beautifully and unobtrusively right, her writing is natural and good. She used the right words to convey her meaning...." Read more

"...Chetwynd Ley had me caring enough about these characters and wrote the story so well that I didn't roll my eyes even at its most predictable..." Read more

"...This novel is over 400 pages long, with many twists and turns involving a number of generations and how their lives are intertwined...." Read more

"This book has interwoven plot lines. All is tied up satisfactorily by the end...." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"5 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting how the characters are given humanity in all forms, with one customer highlighting the friendships among the main characters and another mentioning the inclusion of historical figures.

"...Not only that, but an excellent story with believable and well-developed characters...." Read more

"...There are also several actual historical personages either referred to in the story or presented in cameos here...." Read more

"...I particularly liked the friendships among the main characters but sometimes the historical coloring came across as superfluous." Read more

"I found this book enthralling. Many characters and subplots interwoven yet well-delineated...." Read more

6 customers mention "Historical accuracy"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the historical accuracy of the book, with one noting how beautifully it captures the period details, while others find it enthralling.

"...AND, the author not only did her research and got the historical details beautifully and unobtrusively right, her writing is natural and good...." Read more

"...difficult time matching her skill in witty dialogue, plot, and historical accuracy...." Read more

"I found this book enthralling. Many characters and subplots interwoven yet well-delineated...." Read more

"Author gives you all the bells and whistles, warts and all in this generational romance...." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one noting it is believable.

"...Not only that, but an excellent story with believable and well-developed characters...." Read more

"...The romances (and there are several) are also nicely done. Even though they are understated and chaste, you still can feel the love and attraction...." Read more

"...If you wish for a pleasant and long reading then this book is good. Maria Rennard" Read more

3 customers mention "Length"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book too long.

"...It's long, perhaps even a tad too long, but I still found myself interested in the read, not skipping and skimming as I usually do when bored or..." Read more

"...Not so with Ley. This book was a long slog and about 200 pages too long. There were new characters being introduced almost every single chapter...." Read more

"...describing the era in which the love story took place but far too long to be enjoyable...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Lolly
    5.0 out of 5 stars great mystery/romance
    Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Funny, witty, sad, joyful. Insightful, compassionate, yet not over-psychologizing or excusing.

    Not only that, but an excellent story with believable and well-developed characters.

    AND, the author not only did her research and got the historical details beautifully and unobtrusively right, her writing is natural and good. She used the right words to convey her meaning. She spelled them correctly even if they were French words—oh, and USED the French words correctly too.

    Sisterhood of BYU alumnae, I don’t know where your education went wrong. Many of you tell stories that have promise. However, your writing is too often like a dumpster fire when it comes to basic accuracy in history and language,never mind being painfully stilted. I suspect you all need to read a lot more, and NOT each other.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • OLT
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, multi-generational story. Some drama, some romance, some mystery.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Alice Chetwynd Ley's novels are great for a walk down the memory lane of when Regency and Georgian romances were classy, well written and very PG. The author (1913-2004) wrote her historicals (both romances and a few mysteries) from 1959 to 1989. This particular one was published in 1979, so, as you can see, it has a few miles on its odometer.

    It's long, perhaps even a tad too long, but I still found myself interested in the read, not skipping and skimming as I usually do when bored or exasperated. And, although there really was not much that was unique about any of the plot points, Chetwynd Ley had me caring enough about these characters and wrote the story so well that I didn't roll my eyes even at its most predictable moments.

    You can find all the usual suspects to be found in historical romance. Arranged marriages, domineering fathers, unrequited love, a secret marriage and a possible secret heir to a title, a devious and sly young woman who only cares about herself, a nobleman's employee who is resentful of those who consider him an inferior, and a bit more coincidence in the unraveling of the plot than there should have been. Even so, I liked this.

    For one thing, this is a story that has characters from three generations of certain families. Although the third generation is the one we are most invested in here, all the generations have interesting, well thought out, flawed characters. And we see also how the "sins" of the father can have consequences in the life of the son.

    In addition, the author integrates a good deal of history into her stories, without being boring and didactic or obvious about it. One of the characters, for instance, is studying to become a medical doctor, and we learn a good deal about hospitals and medicine and medical school of the times as we read about his life.

    There are also several actual historical personages either referred to in the story or presented in cameos here. And there's a wide cast of fictional characters from all walks of life. Chetwynd Ley paints a good picture of how they lived (even a couple of circus performers).

    There's also an actual mystery here with a bit of a twist in its development. Is our third-generation hero actually his father's heir? That's for you and him to find out. Granted, you may find that there's a bit too much coincidence in the pat resolution, but I forgave the author. This was fun.

    The romances (and there are several) are also nicely done. Even though they are understated and chaste, you still can feel the love and attraction. No written sex scenes are necessary when the writing is good enough to show a satisfying relationship without them.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • SuzieeQQ
    5.0 out of 5 stars As good as Georgette Heyer....
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2014
    Format: Mass Market PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Anyone who enjoys regency novels knows that there is no one better than author Georgette Heyer, who wrote dozens of excellent traditional regency novels. It is a common complaint on Regency listserves/websites, that Ms. Heyer's books are so good that any other author has a difficult time matching her skill in witty dialogue, plot, and historical accuracy. I'm happy to say that I've just recently discovered Alice Chetwynd Ley and she is a very fine regency author. I've read a number of her books now and "Regency Scandal" is her very best, and is very similar to the quality of a Georgette Heyer novel. This novel is over 400 pages long, with many twists and turns involving a number of generations and how their lives are intertwined. There is of course a romance component (but this is a clean regency) but the plot stands on its own. Disregard the dramatic cover art and the ridiculously dramatic description on the back of the novel, and you will sit down to a terrific story, including a mistaken identity. Enjoy!
    4 people found this helpful
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  • S. Leigh
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Beginning
    Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2020
    Format: Kindle
    I read the first third of A Regency Scandal but couldn’t bring myself to continue. The plot seemed promising but just went off track. So much detail regarding children at play began to be monotonous. Most of the characters behaved and spoke in predictably boring ways. It failed to hold my interest.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Julia
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed
    Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This book has interwoven plot lines. All is tied up satisfactorily by the end. I particularly liked the friendships among the main characters but sometimes the historical coloring came across as superfluous.
    Helpful
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  • P. Babcock
    5.0 out of 5 stars I found this book enthralling. Many characters and subplots ...
    Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2014
    Format: Mass Market PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I found this book enthralling. Many characters and subplots interwoven yet well-delineated. A few less savory characters, but all were understandable and their actions made sense. I became very attached to many of the people and look forward to reading it again after a short break!
    Helpful
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  • Laura
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well written historical romance
    Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Author gives you all the bells and whistles, warts and all in this generational romance. The characters are given humanity in all forms whether for good or bad, selfless or self serving. What I really appreciated the story was centered around the women.
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  • Texas Two-Step
    2.0 out of 5 stars This book is way too long and rambling
    Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Granted, the author was a contemporary of Georgette Heyer, but the writing styles are so different. Heyer held my interest in every single book. Not so with Ley. This book was a long slog and about 200 pages too long. There were new characters being introduced almost every single chapter. There were multiple heros and heroines. She went down so many bunny trails. She would have been far better off to break the book up into multiple books and keep it simpler, more concise, and on point between two main characters rather than about eight. The author was certainly talented. Unfortunately it took me a couple of weeks to read this book rather than a couple of days because there were a lot of uninteresting parts. I struggled to have any desire to keep reading. I only kept reading because of some of the reviews. I would not recommend a 550 page book to anyone unless it was more entertaining, humorous or suspenseful than this one. It’s just not worth the time. Skip this one. Maybe her other books are better.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • LJR
    5.0 out of 5 stars Be patient as story develops
    Reviewed in Canada on April 3, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    As I have come to appreciate this author's talent for historical detail, character development, a well laid plot it surprised me to find a description here on Amazon that did not seem to match the story I started reading. Partly to explain why the description does not seem to match the story it is necessary to know that a good 30% of the novel is taken up with laying down all the reasons for the subsequent story of Viscount Shaldon, Lady Cynthia and Shaldon's chldhood friend.
    It is absolutely necessary to stick with the first story of Shaldon's father, also a viscount and his marriages in order to fully appreciate the story of his son. So well done. This author is a treasure.
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  • Little Wolf
    5.0 out of 5 stars Just the right blend...
    Reviewed in Germany on February 11, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    ... of historical accuracy and regency romance.

    Through all 512 pages this family saga never becomes boring due to two wonderfully original heroines.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely loved it
    Reviewed in India on January 25, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Enjoyed a long tale well told with all the loose ends neatly tied. I do miss the sparkling conversation of Georgette Heyer but the romance and mystery far outweigh the lack.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Expert in her field
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    How lovely to find a novel that focuses on a believable plot, as opposed to the modern convention of using sex to detract from the lack of story and historical accuracy.
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  • darski
    1.0 out of 5 stars not the book I bought
    Reviewed in Canada on January 31, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    in the first page of the book I bought it was obvious that the supposedly dead mother was alive and unhappy.

    Have no idea what book I bought but it is not the one in the precis.
    Report

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