Heiress for Hire

Minerva survived years of abuse and has come out strong. She is now the recipient of a generous inheritance from a stranger. Chase is a Duke’s nephew and a former soldier tasked to dig into his uncle’s death and find the three women he has left a large inheritance for. He and Minerva do not make a very great first impression on each other but soon find their is much to admire and respect about the other. This is a story of trust, survival and renewal. It is also about the people you choose to make your family. It is an intriguing mix of characters as well as romance and mystery. There is also humor. It is a story that will be enjoyed. I look forward to seeing how the other two women will fit with Kevin and Nicholas.

As reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-1d3

After mercifully being widowed, the former Margaret Finley left Dorset, and set out to make a new life for herself with her loyal friend, Beth. Now known as Minerva Hepplewhite, she longs to put all thoughts of her abusive deceased husband behind her and begin anew. Though there were grumblings of suspicion that Minerva was responsible for the late Algernon Finley’s death, there was never any proof. One night, Minerva and Beth capture an intruder in their home. They have the man solidly under control, and he proceeds to inform them that he brings news that Minerva has been left a sizable fortune by his late uncle, the former Duke of Hollinburgh, a man Minerva has never met.

Chase Radnor is a gentleman, and a former soldier who occasionally does investigative work, some for the Crown, some for hire. His uncle’s death seems suspicious to him, and so he plans to scrutinize all those who would benefit from the duke’s demise, including his own family. While the entailed properties automatically transfer to the new duke, the sizable amount of cash and investments was bequeathed to three women, one of them being Minerva, none of them known to the family. Chase was hoping to find information in Minerva’s home, when he was unexpectedly caught and bound.

Minerva is shocked and disbelieving, at first, that a man she doesn’t know would leave her a fortune. She meets with the solicitor Chase directed her to, and discovers that she is about to be an heiress. With her uncertain future now secure, Minerva intends to pursue her own desire to be an investigator. Her first case will be her own – why would the Duke of Hollinburgh leave her a fortune? Her path is obviously going to cross with Chase’s, over and over again, as he is on the same quest.

Right from the start, I loved the relationship between Chase and Minerva. He is clearly suspicious of her, yet he speaks the truth about his suspicions without being obnoxious, rude, or heavy handed. He acts like the gentleman he is, a fact that is greatly appreciated by Minerva, who has been used to a life of abuse and scorn. They “sort of” agree to share information with each other, though they do tend to hold back little things. As they get to know each other better, they feel an attraction, as well as a respect for each other, and decide that neither of them is guilty.

To her surprise, Minerva begins to feel desire for Chase, something she thought had been beaten out of her by her husband. She sees the matching longing in his eyes, and very slowly, she allows kisses and embraces, gradually overcoming her fear of intimacy. Chase’s care and patience with Minerva as she regains her sexuality is breathtaking. He’s an amazing man, one very easy to fall in love with. Though Chase realizes that he wants more than an affair, Minerva has made it clear that she will never remarry. Her newfound financial independence solidifies her resolve to never be bound to a man again.

HEIRESS FOR HIRE is a fantastic book to read, both for the mystery, as well as the steamy romance. This is the start of a new series, and while we do learn the probable reason the duke left a fortune to Minerva, we don’t positively find out the identity of his murderer, though there are plenty of hints and suspects. We meet Chase’s extended family, many of them with strong motives, as well as a possibility outside the family. I’m guessing that will finally be resolved in the final book. Chase and Minerva, do, however, achieve their happy ending, and it is a sweet one. HEIRESS FOR HIRE is one of those “read in one sitting” books, as the plot, excellent writing, and strong, likeable characters captivated me throughout. I’m usually so focused on the hero, that it takes a really strong heroine to grab my attention, but Minerva did that. I admire both of them for their character, their strength, and their genuine kindness and determination. Their chemistry and heart touching romance makes for a delicious and satisfying read, which I highly recommend.

Madeline Hunter never disappoints, and this book – the first in a new series – keeps that trend alive.

A Duke has died, and rather than leaving his vast estate to his family, he’s instead left the bulk of it to three women. These women have nothing in common, and as far as anyone can tell they never met the Duke prior to his passing.

Chase Radnor, nephew of the former Duke, is an investigator, and has taken it upon himself to find out more about these women, and why they are now heiresses. His first quarry, Minerva Hepplewhite, turns out to be more than he bargained for – especially once she sets up her own investigation. The sparks fly almost immediately, and only grow more intense as they learn more about each other, and the Duke’s eccentric family.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this new cast of characters, and watching as Chase & Minerva fell in love. Their journey was not without the typical bumps, but they managed to come through it all together.

An excellent read with action, interesting characters, an intriguing sub-plot, and of course steamy love scenes. I strongly recommend this book.

This book started out a bit slow for me but the characters and the plot were still interesting enough for me to keep reading and I am so glad I did. I really liked the supporting characters and I do want to read the next book in this series. I was hoping the mystery would have been solved here but it looks like we will have to read all 3 books before we learn who murdered the Duke or even if he was murdered. However, the romance story for the couple is complete.

I thought Minerva was an interesting character. She is strong and loyal and she is a survivor. Chase is a good guy and easy to like. Both are easy to connect with. The dialogue was excellent and the author’s descriptions were good.

I recommend this book to any historical romance lover who also likes a bit of mystery incorporated in their novels.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I so wanted to really like this book and I tried so hard but it just didn’t pull me in. It seemed to have all the necessary ingredients , like good main characters, good secondary ones , a fairly good plot and good details of the settings and culture. But still, I ended up feeling like it was missing something. I guess it’s fair to say that it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Minerva Hepplewhite has just inherited a large sum of money. Who was her benefactor and why did he leave her money is a mystery. Chase Radnor is investigating his uncle’s death. Who are the mystery legatees and why would his uncle leave them such large inheritances are questions that he is determined to answer. Both Minerva and Chase help each other along the way.

This is a well written story. I loved the interaction of the characters and how Chase helps Minerva become a woman who is no longer afraid of intimacy. The supporting characters are well developed and I am interested to learn what happens to them. I thought that this was a very sweet story that can be quickly read and enjoyed. I highly recommend.

Great opening story of an historical romantic mystery series. I really enjoyed seeing Minerva and Chase both conducting investigations into who may have killed the former Duke of Hollinburgh and keep stepping on each other’s toes. The mystery is unsolved except to be pretty sure he was pushed and didn’t accidentally fall. We also have yet to find the remaining two mystery heiresses named in the Duke’s will. I can’t wait to see the resolutions.

The story opens with Minerva Hepplewhite and her servant/best friend Beth reviving a knocked out Chase Radnor, retired military investigator & nephew to the deceased Duke. He snuck into their house to find evidence as to her relationship to the Duke as she’s named as one of the 3 unknown women in the Duke’s will, now heiresses. He discovers it isn’t easy to sneak around Minerva. Minerva assures him she is the one he’s looking for but she had no relationship with the former Duke. This begins a delightful story of Minerva coming into money so she can officially launch her Hepplewhite’s Office of Discreet Inquiries now that she has some money. Chase has been charged by the Home Office to discover if his uncle died by accident or murder, and hopefully who did it. His cousin Nicholas, the new Duke, has asked him do find the 3 unknown women named in the Duke Frederick’s will, as well as ascertain if one of the family members helped their uncle die. There are so many suspects and we get to meet a few, all with motives as the Duke didn’t leave anything to any of them.

Minerva has secrets from her past, she was accused of murdering her abusive husband, and is concerned now that she’s an heiress if she’ll be accused of the Duke’s murder. Chase is afraid a family member killed his uncle and is highly suspicious of Minerva. He discovers Minerva is very good at investigating, differently than him, and they keep crossing paths. By the end of the book they agree to work together but we still don’t know who did it. This was such a fun journey.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.