The Hardcastle Progeny Book 3: The Heir’s Scandalous Affair by Jennifer Lewis

by shewolf0316 on April 27th, 2009, 12:14pm Login or Register to post comments

Harlequin Enterprises/Silhouette Desire #1938
Category Romance
Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback and eBook
Rating: 4.5

Upon diagnosis of her husband’s fatal illness, Samantha Hardcastle made a promise to help him track down his missing heirs. Even the death of Tarrant six months ago did not stop her from keeping her promise so now she is in New Orleans trying to find Louis DeLac. Louis has ignored every attempt she’s made, including showing up on his doorstep and Samantha is at a loss. Overwhelmed by loneliness and sorrow, she gives in to emotion and engages in a one night stand with a stranger.

Louis DeLac is not at all upset over never having known his father and has no interest in finding out who it is now. So imagine his surprise the unknown woman he spent one incredible night with shows up at his door and turns out to be his late father’s trophy widow! In spite of the inherent scandal over engaging in an affair with Samantha, Louis is unable to resist her allure, and makes it his personal mission to show her she can still have a happy love-filled life… with him.

I have to admit, I was more than a little nervous about how Jennifer Lewis would pull off The Heir’s Scandalous Affair. Samantha truly loved Tarrant and she was the driving force behind tracking down Tarrant's lost heirs. So I wondered how in the world a romance would work with her as the heroine and one of Tarrant's children as the hero. Well Jennifer did a fantastic job with the story! I can easily say this is my favorite story in The Hardcastle Progeny trilogy.

This was a much more poignant romance than the preceding two books in The Hardcastle Progeny miniseries because of who Sam is. She's dealing with all of the overwhelming emotions of losing her husband so recently, Tarrant's two sons having found love, and struggling to build a relationship with his daughter Fiona, and just plain feeling lonely. Her heartache is realistic and very touching. She needs someone to help her get through the emotional crisis and Louis is the perfect person to do so.

Louis has a gentle side, though we are given the impression he doesn’t often let that show, and this makes their love story very powerful. We are left with the feeling that no matter what happens to these two reluctant lovebirds, or how much scandal the press throws at them, they will pull through with flying colors and be all the stronger for it.

We also see a different side of Fiona through Sam’s eyes, which added even more to the story. Previously we were given the impression Fiona was a wee bit spoiled, and not responsible enough for the job of running Hardcastle Enterprises. We also were wondering if she was jealous of her new found siblings and begrudged them their roles in the family and the business. In The Heir’s Scandalous Affair, we see Fiona as a warmer individual who has come to accept Sam at last, and the rest of the family members. I hope Jennifer will get the chance to write Fiona’s story in the not too distant future, so we can see how she has grown and changed as an individual.

I am sorry to have to leave the eclectic Hardcastle family and hope we get invited back to spend more time with them in the future.