Heiress for Hire
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3.8 • 114 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
USA Today Bestseller
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 Radnor, a gentleman and grandson of a lord, and a man who makes it his business to investigate suspicious matters. 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. Maddeningly, with her unexpected inheritance, 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:
“[A] smart, satisfying Regency romance… Romance readers craving substantive mystery and intelligent leads will savor this pitch-perfect love story.”
—Publisher's Weekly
“Brilliant, compelling. . . . An excellent read.”
—The Washington Post
“Mesmerizing.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Pure passion.”
—Booklist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
At the heart of this smart, satisfying Regency romance the first in a new trilogy from Hunter (Never Deny a Duke) is the mystery of why a duke would bequeath a fortune to a woman he'd never met. Chase Radnor, gentleman investigator and nephew to the late duke, is instantly suspicious upon meeting newly minted heiress Minerva Hepplewhite. His eccentric uncle's fall from a parapet looks like murder, and Minerva gained a great deal from his death. The self-reliant young widow also has a dark, secretive past that makes her a perfect suspect. To clear her name, Minerva begins her own investigation into the duke's death, launching Hepplewhite's Office of Discreet Inquiries, and she and Chase form an uneasy alliance as they first compete for, then begin to share, clues. Hunter gives the well-matched pair plenty of ground to cover with a wide cast of memorable suspects, and their clever detective work is a consistent pleasure. The plot moves apace, but Chase and Minerva's relationship is treated patiently, with their attraction simmering alongside mutual respect, and their eventual love scenes are sensitively rendered. Romance readers craving substantive mystery and intelligent leads will savor this pitch-perfect love story.
Customer Reviews
Delightful New Series with Mystery and Romance
I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Heiress for Hire is the first book in Madeline Hunters enchanting new series Duke’s Heiresses. When Minerva Hepplewhite discovers that the has been made an heiress by a Duke who passed away mysteriously, it’s a bit of a shock, because she never met the Duke and she caught the bearer of the news Chase Radnor sneaking around her home, knocked him out and tied him up. Chase has been asked by the crown to investigate his uncle's death quietly and by his cousin, the new Duke to find the heiresses who have inherited from the duke’s estate. Minerva, too, decides to investigate the duke’s death because she has already been falsely accused of murdering her husband, and she doesn’t wish to be accused again. What begins as a reluctant partnership grows into something more as they seek to find the answers to the mystery surrounding the Duke’s death. I enjoyed this story very much and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Medium Steam. Publishing Date April 28, 2020. #HeiressForHire #MadelineHunter #NetGalley #HistoricalRomance #bookstagram #KensingtonBooks
Heiress for hire
Fast paced mystery that ends reasonably but leaves a question.