In this stunning series debut from New York Times bestselling author Madeline Hunter, a duke’s mysterious bequest brings fortune—and passion—to three young women . . . Minerva Hepplewhite has learned the hard way how to take care of herself. When an intruder breaks into her home, she doesn’t swoon or simper. Instead she wallops the rogue over the head and ties him up—only to realize he is Chase … ties him
up—only to realize he is Chase Radnor, the man who nearly got her convicted of her late husband’s murder. Now he’s insisting that Minerva has inherited a fortune from his uncle, a wealthy Duke. Only one thing could surprise her more: her sudden attraction to this exasperating man . . .
Chase can’t decide whether Minerva is a wronged woman or a femme fatale. Either way, he’s intrigued. Since the scandal surrounding her husband’s death, she has set up a discreet detective business to rival Chase’s own. She may be the perfect person to help him uncover the truth about his uncle’s demise. But as proximity gives way to mutual seduction, Chase realizes he craves a much deeper alliance . . .
Madeline Hunter’s novels are:
“Brilliant, compelling. . . . An excellent read.”
–The Washington Post
“Mesmerizing.” —Publishers Weekly
“Pure passion.” —Booklist
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Charming! Well plotted.
An enjoyable read.
The recently deceased Duke of Hollinburgh has left significant sums of money to three women his family has never met. His nephew, Chase Radnor, is hired by the new duke to investigate the death and determine if it was an accident, a suicide or murder. Chase also needs to find the three women. He starts with Minerva Hepplewhite. Minerva swears she has never met the former duke. If that’s true, why would he include Minerva in his will?
Minerva has had a very difficult past. However, she has changed her life and this money will allow her to open her own business – Hepplewhite’s Office of Discreet Inquiries. She doesn’t know why the former duke decided to give her this money but she will use it to help create a future for herself. What she does not need is Chase snooping around and opening up any inquiries as to what happened in her past. Minerva decides to do some investigating on her own. Maybe if she can figure out what happened to the duke, Chase can stop his investigation.
I loved this book. Minerva is a strong, intelligent woman who is learning to trust again. Chase is smart, kind and protective and exactly what Minerva needs. Heiress for Hire is well written, the character development is great and the investigative work keeps the reader engaged. Just be aware that this is the first in a series so everything isn’t resolved at the end of this book. I would have loved an epilogue but I will just have the read the next book! I read a lot of regency romance and this one was excellent.
First in series combining a murder mystery with romance. Enjoyed the characters and the story. I’m looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
Very enjoyable with slightly surprising finish.
A widow, an amateur detective, becomes an heiress in the blink of an eye; an unexpected inheritance from a man she doesn’t know. Now she’s worried that her secrets from the past will catch up with her. An aristocrat, making his living as an investigator, has been asked to find out about the death of a Duke; by his cousin and his government. She wants to know why she received a small fortune from a stranger; he wants to know if she’s a murderer. And when the two cross paths, it’s a battle of the sexes. Who will win? An Heiress For Hire by Madeline Hunter is another great read. Enjoy!
BookishFirst First Impression Based on Preview: This looks like it will be a very interesting story and I enjoyed meeting and getting to know the various characters so far. The author is also very good at descriptions to help bring the readers into the story. I look forward to reading the rest of this book in the future and have added it to my TBR List.
Minerva Hepplewhite is a heroine’s heroine. Now she is a strong, independent woman, but once was a physically and mentally abused wife. She found the inner strength to leave that situation along with her servants, Beth and her son, Jeremy, now her friends. When Minerva becomes a widow, she comes to London honing her skills for inquiries. She meets Chase Radnor, a gentleman who performs discreet inquiries for some very lofty clients. Unfortunately, they meet when Chase breaks into her house and also meets her frying pan. Frying pan to the head always wins. Chase was checking her out before he told her about her significant inheritance from his uncle. Curious because she never met his uncle. Why was she and two other ladies left so much of his wealth when his own family received very little? Did one of his disgruntled family push him from the roof of was it an accident? Chase has been given the job of figuring that out, along with finding the women who have inherited. One down with his finding Minerva. Who are the others? This was an enjoyable book to read with a slightly different story line. The characters are great, most likeable, although there are a few not so likeable. There was enough action to keep it interesting and fast paced. The teaser of the next book in the series raises more questions. Looking forward to reading it. I received this eBook from NetGalley for an honest review.
After a disastrous, abusive marriage, Minerva Hepplewhite has become quite good at self-sufficiency. Even so, her funds are dwindling so when she learns of a mysterious inheritance from a duke she never met, she’s shocked but rather pleased. If only the man who tracked her down wasn’t so attractive and distracting.
Chase Radnor is leery of Minerva, unsure of whether she’s just a woman scorned or is she could be a murderess. He knows Minerva changed her name and his inquiry into his uncle the duke’s death has Chase convinced it was no accident. Minerva would’ve had plenty of motive and she’s just as aware of that fact as Chase is so she sets up a discreet detective service to rival Chase’s, despite being woefully unqualified. Though rather annoyed, part of Chase can’t help but be charmed and wonder if Minerva is just who he needs to help him solve the mystery of his uncle’s death. But the more time they spend sleuthing together, the more intense their mutual attraction becomes and soon Chase wants much more than a partner in his investigation.
Sidenote: I’d like to point out that the blurb on this one is misleading in that it implies that Chase and Minerva were acquainted previously and he had investigated her before, neither of which was the case.
I just couldn’t really get into this one. I didn’t care much for or about the characters and they felt a bit flat to me. Minerva annoyed me with her insistence on butting into what was really more of a family matter for Chase, even if there was a slight chance of it affecting her in a fairly roundabout way. I was a bit confused by the relationship between Chase and Minerva here simply because they had a slight attraction one minute and the next there was love. Their relationship was shown more than told, which I do like, but in this instance it felt rather one-sided. I never could quite figure out what exactly was so fascinating about Minerva that had Chase making all these concessions for her when she really treated him rather badly and used him for her own purposes. I enjoyed the mystery aspects of this book and will likely continue the series to keep up with that. I wasn’t a huge fan of this one but after reading it I’m looking forward much more to the stories pertaining to the heroes of the next books. This had the potential to much more ‘unputdownable’ but fell a bit short of that for me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I didn’t hate this one, but I didn’t love it either. It was okay. I think it nicely set up the next two stories as we try and solve the mystery of what happened to the last Duke, but I don’t know; something was just missing from this one. Or maybe the whole thing was just too convenient for me? I mean seriously what are the chances that a man who makes a living conducting discreet inquiries is going to meet (not to mention fall in love with) a woman who does the same? I mean it was a lot of fun watching them work together (even when they didn’t want to), and it was interesting to see how they both approached the same inquiry, but from different directions. They obviously complemented each other in a working aspect, but I wasn’t really feeling the romantic aspect of these two.
Also, the synopsis is misleading. Chase did not almost get her convicted of anything, he didn’t even know about what happened with her ex-husband. The funny thing was for as smart as he was purported to be, I solved the mystery of who killed the abusive husband long before he did. All the clues were there.
All things considered, this was a good start to a new series, and I will likely continue with it just so I can see what really happened to the old Duke. I do believe it will be well received by fans of historical romances.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
Love the idea of someone watching from the shadows to protect young women in need…
Heiress for Hire is the first story in the Duke’s Heiress series, and it begins with a delightful tale full of intrigue, unexpected love, danger, suspects, and questions – some that will linger on throughout this series. I have long enjoyed this author’s stories for her heroines are strong, established in their own right, and usually take no nonsense from anyone, including the hero – you’ll find all that and more in this series’ first release.
Chase’s night and his investigation into his uncle’s unexpected beneficiary aren’t going quite as he intended – seeing as he’s been hit over the head, rendered unconscious, tied up, and set upon for some intense questioning by Minerva herself. He is certainly surprised at the results of his break-in since he considers himself a professional at snooping around and rather intrigued by the lady who is at the top of his list of women to find who have benefited from his uncle’s will, and possibly the very woman who sent his uncle to his death. He is equally surprised by the intelligence of the lady who has her own investigative business which can, and does, rivals his own. Chase definitely didn’t expect to be working alongside Minerva to discover who was involved in his uncle’s death, or the very strong attraction he feels for this woman full of secrets of her own.
Minerva has her own reasons for keeping Chase at arm’s length even while her attraction to this man who, unknown to him, has played a role in setting her on the path she’s taken with her life is raging out of control. Her past won’t stay there for long, and soon she and Chase will be deeply involved in not only discovering what happened to the Duke – but falling in love and fighting for their own future as well.
I enjoyed Heiress for Hire very much. There is worldbuilding, I expect that in the first story of any series. And we certainly have several suspects to consider, including the men in the stories to come. If you need full closure to all mysteries in any given book, then you’ll want to know that the Duke’s death is a thread that is woven throughout the entire series – we won’t get all the answers we seek right away.
I liked Minerva and Chase both together and individually. There is a chemistry between them from the start, and I enjoyed the journey of watching them work together and fall in love along the way. I would definitely recommend this story and I’m most definitely looking forward to the rest of the coming stories in this series.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Although the beginning was a bit startling, I enjoyed reading this story. I really liked Minerva. She was a strong, intelligent and independent woman. Like a phoenix, Minerva had risen from her abusive past and was starting to establish a business of investigations, which was almost unheard of in this time period. While Chase was not overtly alpha, he had a quiet strength that was a good compliment to Minerva. The romance was more a slow burn with intimate scenes quite discreet but full of emotion. I really enjoyed the mystery as well. While Minerva and Chase get their HFN, the mystery remains unsolved.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
Minerva Hepplewhite is a young woman who has survived a brutal marriage and made a quiet life in London for herself, her friend Beth and Beth’s son Jeremy. It’s been 5 years since her husband died under mysterious circumstances, 5 years where she has changed her name and hidden her self as best she can. When a mysterious bequest from a duke she’s never known is brought to her by the duke’s nephew, Chase Radnor, she’s afraid her past will become known once more and she may be suspected in the duke’s death. Chase doesn’t believe the duke’s death was an accident and he’s set out to find the 3 women who gain the most from his uncle’s will. The fact that Minerva never met the duke is even more mysterious.
This was another well written book by Madeline Hunter and an engrossing mystery as to how the duke died. The one complaint I have is that the mystery wasn’t resolved, but is continued into the next 2 books. I am not a fan of this tactic, but understand that everyone is still a suspect in the duke’s death. I adored Chase. He was so honorable and treats Minerva with such respect. I’m looking forward to reading Kevin’s story in the next book.
An excellent sleuth mystery. I really enjoyed the story of two people looking for the cause of death of a well know Duke and enjoyed the rising, passionate romance. When I got to the end the h/H had a happy ending. But I was disappointed about the case of the Duke’s death that had too many loose ends to come to a conclusive decision of how he died. This is a page turner and I loved everything about the book except how they settled the case.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book one in Madeline’s new A Duke’s Heiress Series. One of the many reasons that I love Madeline’s writing is her stories are unique and have unexpected twists and turns. I think of her stories as Historical Romance with a mystery thrown in to make her books late-night page-turners.
Minerva Heppelwhite is a Widow who has to make her way in the world. Her marriage was a nightmare and she never intends to make that mistake again. Being a woman of above-average intelligence and resourceful out of necessity she has found a way to make a living and support herself and her two servants, who she considers her family. Then out of nowhere, she has inherited a fortune from an eccentric Duke who she has never met. With this windfall, she is going to open an official Inquiry Service, a female private detective.
Chase Radnor was in the army and now finding civilian life a little boring. He has made a name for himself as a trustworthy, discreet private detective even though he doesn’t need the income, He has been asked by the Home Office to investigate the unexpected death of his Uncle, The Duke of Holllinburgh. The Duke has left the majority of his fortune to three women that no one in the family knows. The first suspect is a woman who is using an alias, she is not who she seems to be. Little do they know how their lives will change. Desire ignites from the first meeting and Minerva discovers a whole new side of herself that she never knew and is eager to discover more. Chase is the kind of hero that isn’t afraid of love and commitment.
A fantastic start to a new series! I have all of Madeline’s novels and she is always on my to be read list!
I highly recommend this love story.
Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter was my first book by the author but won’t be the last for sure.
I enjoyed the characters and the heroine most of all, she’s smart, funny at times ,courageous and a woman that I wish to be one of my friends.
It’s a well written story with many suspenseful moments and the chemistry and banter between them is great and balanced. In a few words A must read book for the historical romance lovers.
Very grateful to the publisher @kensingtonbooks for my review copy
Minerva Hepplewhite has to be one of the best names of a heroine in years — and she is worthy of the name, a widow who has to deal with being accused of murder. The investigator is Chase Radnor, investigator and nephew to a duke (recently deceased) who has left Minerva a mysterious bequest and in whose death she is a suspect. The mystery of how Minerva was left money by a stranger and why the duke wanted to share his wealth makes for a compelling mystery, complete with a rich and satisfying backstory for our heroine. She isn’t someone who needs rescuing; the facts of her life helped her learn how to rescue herself, as the delightful initial meeting between our couple showed. The HEA is resolved but the mystery continues — this is the first in a series, one we can’t wait to continue. Madeline Hunter has a winner, with a heroine and hero you will come to love. (I received an advance copy via NetGalley and the publishers. Opinions mine.)
I really liked the main couple. The two mysteries that surround the book were well-conducted, one being revealed and another that is mainline of the plot that will have more revelations in the next books of the series.
I only had some difficulty during reading because of the author’s writing, she used many different words, and grammatical constructions for me.
A great start to the Duke’s Heiress Romance series. The interaction between Chase Radnor and Minerva Hepplewhite was lovely. They both search for the truth behind a Duke’s death. The plot flowed smoothly and filled with mystery. The characters were well-developed. The story was beautifully written and look forward to next in the series. I received a copy and I am voluntarily giving my review.