Widow Minerva Hepplewhite has learned the hard way not to depend on the men in her life, her husband was a brutal and hateful man. So when Chase Radnor shows up on her door step to tell her she’s inherited a small fortune from his uncle the Duke she’s quite skeptical. She’s never heard of the Duke of Hollinburgh. Why would he leave her money? Chase is now investigating his uncle’s death, some at London’s Home office of Security are wondering if it was murder or an accident. Minerva is perplexed by her change in fortune and decides to do a little investigating of her own. They soon realize it’s better to join forces instead of running over each other in their investigating. A great story with a little mystery, a change of fortune and a smoldering romance. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this amazing story.

What an intriguing new series by one of my favorites, Madeline Hunter. Heiress for Hire has a strong, smart and beautiful heroine and a hero who is her equal in every way. It was a delight to read and I can’t wait for the next installment in the series.

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

Heiress for Hire is the first in a new series by Madeline Hunter, which begins the tale of a mysterious will from a duke that leaves legacies for three previously unknown women. In true peerage fashion there is much distress about unknowns receiving money from the duchy. One of the cousins, Chase Radnor, is dispatched to learn more about the new heiress and discover if the Duke’s death was as it appeared.

This book starts off with a bang, quite literally, and we are given quick introduction to Minerva Hepplewhite as she stands over the prone body of an intruder. The intruder is of course our hero, Chase, on a mission to find out more about the woman named in his uncle’s will. It turns out that Minerva is a bit of an inquiry agent herself with dreams of opening her own business. She begins her own investigation, setting these two up for a bit of a rivals to lovers trope that never fully forms a true rivalry.

Chase is a very familiar Regency hero. As a grandson to a Duke, he has few career choices after selling his commission, so he begins working as a private inquiry agent with some ties to the Home Office. While much of his character is steeped in typical romance hero tropes, I found Chase to be a refreshing take. He was exceedingly intelligent, and honest with his thoughts and actions. He was very open and gracious with Minerva and the cherished servants in her home, and a true beta hero in my opinion.

I was immediately drawn to the idea of a lady detective set in Regency England, as it’s not a character I had read before. Minerva is written as a strong woman, who has had to learn to take care of herself in an era when most women were not brave or able enough to do so. However, I had a hard time forming any attachment to Minerva. My brain told me she was a character I should like but, I just couldn’t get a good sense of her, her emotions, or her motivations.

Together this couple failed to light a spark on the page, in fact when Chase’s thoughts suddenly turned amorous towards Minerva, I was a bit shocked. Minerva spent an appallingly little amount of time thinking about Chase in a romantic way. Once the attraction is explored, I believed Chase’s interest much more than hers, and was disappointed in him that he was okay with her tepid reactions. I understand that some of these reactions from Minerva get explained away but felt very little time was spent exploring what she was feeling and how her life was changing. Love scenes were very non-descriptive and quick, and the lack of passion only made it harder for me to care for this couple.

As the story goes on, the two mysteries start to intertwine, and we only get resolution to one. I found that the pacing of the story moved a bit slowly for me, and much of the inquiry resulted in no information being discovered. Towards the middle of the story I struggled to hold my interest as not much action was occurring. For a book that had a possible murder as a central mystery, I felt little urgency from the characters to solve the matter. The ending wraps up in a tidy little bow for most of the Minerva and Chase, and I assume the rest will be revealed in later books.

Overall, I’d give this book a 3 out of 5. It truly was just a middle of the road experience for me. Unfortunately, that bang at the beginning was not an indicator of more to come. The idea of three unknowns inheriting from a stranger is intriguing, and I can only hope that the next books manage to answer some lingering questions. Content warning for violence to women on the page, as well as abuse and suicide off the page.

~ Lindsey

This was an entertaining, well-written historical romance. Minerva discovers Chase breaking into her home, and is surprised when he tells her she has inherited a fortune from his uncle, a wealthy duke. They both go about investigating his uncle's death, and find themselves enjoying each other's company more and more. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I’m a Madeline Hunter fan, and this new series is not a disappointment. In book one of at least three, a reclusive and odd duke dies, leaving a large part of his fortune to three women with no apparent connection to him or his family. The family, many of whom have sponged off the duke up until his death, find themselves without the fortune they had come to expect. There are three men in the family who are upstanding characters, and one suspects that they will be the romantic leads of the upcoming series entries.

Chase Radnor, the duke’s nephew, is tasked with investigating the duke’s death and finding the heiresses. In “Heiress for Hire”, he finds, and quickly becomes entranced by the first of the young women. Minerva Hepplewhite is a strong, independent woman who has managed to take care of herself and her dependents after the death of her no-good husband. The two main characters are well suited and really quite delightful to get to know.

This book was perfect for the times, when I needed a light-hearted, undemanding happily-ever-after read.

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

I picked this book up for its absolutely gorgeous cover! We all love a strong colour palette. But I wasn’t really sure what I was getting into. I picked it up expecting a straight romance, but was kind of surprised to find that there was a whole mystery going on too!

f7ad8645-9482-47c3-b76f-39e5ee7a1af6Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter, follows Minerva Hepplewhite, a young widow who has been left a massive portion of a Duke’s riches unexpectedly. Unexpectedly because she never once met the man. Enter Chase Randor (Chase is such a top notch romance hero name) the nephew of the Duke with a long standing career in solving mysteries. Both Minverva and Chase pursue the same goal; finding out what lead to the Duke’s death, and start to get in each others way.

The plot was about 50% romance and 50% murder mystery and strangely I actually enjoyed the mystery more! Piecing together what had happened as I read, realising what little hints means gave me a greater appreciation of the mystery genre and made the whole read more fun. Which is good because the romance side of the book was not entirely fun.

Minerva struggles to get past the abuse she suffered from her late husband, and given that this is a romance and must have a HEA she does. But I felt like more time could have been given over to the romance and the struggle in general because it just wasn’t there? Half the fun of romance is the ups and downs, the will they won’t they, the ridiculous misunderstandings that need to be rectified before they finally settle down. This had none of that really, even the two main characters suspecting the other of murder didn’t stop them being entirely devoted. It was a breath of fresh air, but maybe I like my air a little polluted okay, I’m a city gal, I wanted a bit more FIRE in the romance. But it was also really inspiring to see a woman take charge of her own sexuality and recover a part of herself that she though an abuser had taken away entirely.

All in all this was definitely a cosy read. Despite the romance, the abuse, the possible murder, the stakes didn’t feel too high. It was actually a perfect quarantine read because I wasn’t stressed at all! I just got to have a read and relax and enjoy getting to know these snarky fun characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the free eArc of this book!

Series: Duke’s Heiress #1
Publication Date: 4/28/20
Number of Pages: 304

This was a very nice introduction and set-up for an interesting new series. There is an overarching mystery in the series – who murdered the duke. We meet the duke’s siblings and his nephews and learn enough about each of them to wonder if they could possibly be the murderer. We learn even more about Nicholas and Kevin who I assume will be the heroes in the upcoming books – I really liked both of them. I think the author handled the mystery of the duke’s death very nicely and didn’t let it overpower the romance. The book is well written, the characters are fully developed and relatable, the mystery is nicely plotted, and the romance is sweet and very believable between two people who are shaped by their pasts. The story starts off a bit slow but soon gets ramped up. It also nicely sets up the remaining books in the series and I will be excited to see what the author has in store for our next hero and heroine.

Chase Radnor, the nephew of the Duke of Hollinburgh, isn’t having a particularly good evening. It certainly isn’t going as he planned! He had planned to break into the house and find evidence against the occupant – instead, he is trussed up, bleeding, and has a big knot on his head. He is the one being interrogated. How had that happened? It had all started with his uncle’s will – nobody in the family received anything, and three totally unknown women received very large bequests. Needless to say, that didn’t sit well with the family. Chase, who is an investigator, is tasked with tracking down these women, finding their relationship with the duke – and, maybe discrediting them – and maybe, just maybe, finding out whether they had a hand in the duke’s death. He found the first woman, Minerva Hepplewhite, broke into her home to look for evidence against her – and now here he sits, totally at her mercy.

Minerva cannot believe what this intruder into her home is telling her. She is an heiress because she has been left ten thousand pounds AND a lucrative partnership in an investment. While this bequest would solve most of her problems, she’s never met this duke – nor any other duke. Not only that, with the duke’s death being suspicious, but she’d also be a very likely suspect if they dug into her past.

As Chase continues with his investigation, Minerva starts her own, and they often end up at the same places. As they are thrown together more and more often, there is a lustful attraction added to the mix. Kisses soon lead to other things, but Chase knows it can’t lead to anything further because of Minerva’s past. She’ll never marry again – she has told him so, and after hearing her story, he doesn’t blame her. Can he convince her? Can she learn to trust again? You’ll just have to read the book to see.

This is definitely a book I can recommend. I loved the characters, the writing, and the mystery. I can’t wait to read the next book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Chase Radnor’s evening is not going as planned. His plan was to learn more about Minerva Hepplewhite aka Margaret Finley, it was NOT to be bashed on the head and tied up. He tells Minerva that he is the nephew of the late Duke of Hollinburgh and that Minerva/Margaret was left a rather large bequest by the duke. Ten thousand pounds and a partnership in an investment! Minerva is stunned, she has never met the duke and though this inheritance is a blessing, giving her the money she needs to open her own inquiry business, but it could also be a curse, especially since Chase knows who she is. What else does he know? She decides her first order of business will be to find out

Chase has his own inquiry business and has been tasked with finding the three mystery women his uncle left his personal fortune to – completely cutting out his family. He is also certain that the duke didn’t accidently fall off the roof of his county seat and has more than one person – including the Home Secretary, Robert Peel! He is pretty sure his uncle was murdered – but by who. None of the family, save himself knew his uncle changed his will and cut out the family – so Minerva becomes his prime suspect.

Their investigations cross and they get to know one another, Chase is no longer certain that Minerva is his uncle’s killer, but he isn’t quite ready to cut ties with her. Minerva is equally intrigued by Chase, which comes as a shock, she was sure that she would never be interested in a man after the horrors she lived through with her late husband, but intrigued she is, which could be dangerous for her in more ways than one.

I thought this was a good book, a little slow to take off, but well written and interesting. The mysteries in the book are well done and while I am not sure how I feel about the outcome of his uncle’s death, I think the way that was handled perfectly complements the mystery of Minerva’s husband’s death. Chase and Minerva are both complexed characters, they are both shaped by their pasts, both clever and observant and clearly perfect for each other. In addition to the mysteries, the book has a large cast of secondary characters, a slow burn romance, steamish love scenes and a HEA that is nicely executed. This is the first book in the series and it nicely sets up the series without taking the readers focus from Chase and Minerva. I am happy to recommend the book and look forward to the next book!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to by NetGalley and the publisher.*

I will say the beginning opening seen what is a bit interesting. I sorta liked the mystery too, but for the most part I was bored with the story and I didn't see the connection between the main couple sadly.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Chase has some family drama. With the reading of his uncle's will, everyone in the family has lost their mind and the greed is astounding. He runs an investigative business and takes it upon himself to truly look into what happened to his uncle and if it was an accident.

Minerva is a widow from a not so happy marriage. She doesn't understand how, but she is given a grand inheritance from Chase's uncle. Running her own investigative business keeps her busy, but the two band together to try to solve this mystery.

I think you should try this book if you like plenty of mystery, sleuthing, and crime solving in your novels.

I really did not like this book unfortunately. I was just so utterly....bored. I hate to say it. I had to force myself to read this and I am not usually like that, even if I don't love a novel. I literally fell asleep twice while reading this book on separate occasions. I just could not get into it. The characters felt so flat to me. I didn't care about them. There was so much time spent on the family and the inheritance and the sleuthing. I felt like when I got to 40% of the book they had barely had 3 conversations together. The first kiss was awful to me with her thinking about her dead husband the whole time. I just couldn't like it. I think maybe someone more into the investigative side of the novel will enjoy this a lot more than I did.

I’m a big fan of Madeline Hunter, and this book doesn’t feel like her traditional romance - but that’s a good thing! Heiress for Hire reads more like an historical mystery with a strong emphasis on romance, and seeing as that’s my preferred genre, I adored this. Both hero and heroine are strong yet flawed, overcoming past experiences. Their relationship flowed naturally, no lightening strike - more of a “Hey, I like you. Cool.” One smaller mystery is solved by the end, but the overarching mystery into the Duke’s death remains, which will definitely keep readers interested for the next book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Rival investigators find love in Heiress for Hire. Madeline Hunter’s Duke’s Heiress trilogy is off to a strong start with Chase and Minerva’s book. It has mystery, romance, and engaging protagonists who make it easy to fall into the story.

Minerva is an excellent heroine who is easy to root for. The survivor of an abusive marriage, Minerva has made a new life for herself with the family she has made. She has also started an inquiry service and knows how to make use of her skills and others’ in a time when people would dismiss a woman such as her as an investigator. Chase is also an investigator, though he doesn’t need to do it for money. Chase is an honorable hero who is easy to love, though he questions himself because of some ghosts in his past. His latest case is close to heart; he’s looking into the death of his uncle, the duke of Hollinburgh, who he believes was murdered. He is also trying to track down three women to whom his uncle has left a fortune. Chase’s investigation put him right in the path of the first beneficiary, Minerva.

Sparks fly from the start between them, but the romance is a slow burn one. Minerva carries scars from her brutal first husband and Chase is sensitive to her needs, fears, and always puts the choice in her hands. There’s a struggle between Chase wanting to be protective and Minerva wanting her independence, but it’s not played for false drama and these are organic bumps on the road toward happily ever after. The two of them suit each other perfectly, both in business and in bed. I enjoyed watching them open up and learn to trust one another with their pasts, secrets, and fears. Their love story builds from a foundation of mutual respect, understanding, and lust and it was a joy to watch unfold.

Heiress for Hire is the first in the Duke’s Heiress trilogy and I cannot wait to see what Ms. Hunter has in store for the next two heiresses. There are a few mysteries in this book, among them the questions of who murdered Chase’s uncle and why did Hollinburgh leave Minerva a fortune. I enjoyed watching Chase and Minerva work through the various mysteries, each in their own investigative style. The question of who murdered Hollinburgh and why looks to be a mystery that will span the trilogy, but there are very interesting suspects and the puzzle pieces laid out in this book are sure to keep me interested in the next two. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Heiress for Hire and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next in the Duke’s Heiress series.

Heiress For Hire is a fresh start to a new series by a favorite author of mine…Madeline Hunter has always done such an incredible job in writing historical romances especially regency. I will say that I think many fans of Madeline Hunter will really enjoy this one here, and it was quite interesting to see the set up of the story and how our hero and heroine actually meet up with each other.

It first starts with our hero Chase, who has just lost his uncle but learns that a complete stranger inherited his fortune. Chase is concerned as is certain branches of the government that his uncle’s death wasn’t quite the accident it seems to be. And Minerva is top of the list considering she inherited it all. And so Chase breaks into her home, and he finds himself tied up and at her mercy. When Minerva realizes he is foolish but not much of a threat, she frees him. And Minerva and Chase both are in the search for discovering who was behind the death of the Duke. And despite how Chase and Minerva clash with each other, they discover a hidden passion in which they least expect to find.

I will say that in reading Heiress For Hire, I was really really excited for this one and ended up being sorely disappointed in some aspects. I really struggled with the flow of the story, it was really challenging to get into this book, and it didn’t really happen until towards the end of the story. The mystery is what really convinced me to stick with the story to be honest. The romance between Chase and Minerva didn’t really work for me to be honest. I just didn’t feel the sparks at all between them. Minerva, at times, seemed to be really naive to the culture in which she lived in. I love seeing a heroine that is independent and goes after her dreams (especially when you see what she deals with in her past) but I also like them to be aware of social structures and have an understanding to certain variables and it just seemed like she didn’t.

Despite my struggles with this book, this book definitely had promise and I am eager to see what this series is headed.

This book was good. There was the murder mystery mixed with high society along with some romance. I will say it was a little slow to get into this book for me personally but it was a good book

This is an excellent first installment of a new trilogy from Madeleine Hunter. The strong female lead is believable and intelligent and her love interest is an intriguing departure from the usual overbearing and overwhelming noblemen of most historical romance. The story moves along quickly with enough mystery, angst and romance to keep you turning pages until well past your bedtime. I’m looking forward to the next two installments in this series.

Minerva Hepplewhite has come into an unexpected inheritance from a man she never met - a duke, no less, who died under suspicious circumstances. Luckily, Minerva is a private detective and she plans to find out what happened lest suspicion fall on her. One of the duke's nephews is in the same line of work and their paths cross. And recross. And cross again.

CW for domestic abuse (past).

There's a lot to like in this book. Women who start their own business. Found family. A murder mystery. Sadly though, it never clicked for me. I never really engaged with the MCs, and just didn't feel strongly about them. I never truly felt the tension between them. Possibly there were just too many threads? It's the start of a new trilogy, and there's a lot of groundwork to lay, and many of those threads are unresolved at the end of this first book.

The book is solid and a fine read, but it didn't make me swoon.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review.

I liked Minerva's character and the way her past abuse was handled, but I couldn't connect much with her and even less with Chase. I was supposed to be interested in the mistery but to be quite honest, I was bored. I wish I could say this story grabbed my attention and didn't let go, but that wasn't the case. But that's just how I feel about it, because it's a well written book and just because I didn't connect with it doesn't mean that others won't.

This is a first book in a new series by Madeline Hunter. I always find that the first book in a new series introduces so many people who are going to be in the following books, it gets bogged down a little.
That being said, the book was good. A very nice romance story between Minerva and Chase . As they both have investigative agencies, they also work to sole the mystery of the Duke's death.
I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

Saint or sinner? That's the question Chase Radnor wants an answer to as he investigates his uncle's suspicious death. Minerva is a beautiful woman with a troublesome past, one of the Duke's beneficiaries with little evidence of how they crossed paths.  Adversaries to reluctant partners, Chase and Minerva investigate the mysteries of the Duke's death and the three women to whom he left his fortune. 
An excellent start to a new series from the author. The Hollingsworth family is noble, rich and hardly needs the money that they did not inherit but their actions and reactions make for a fun foil to this story.  This story is an excellent mystery that will keep readers engaged as Minerva and Chase hunt down clues to discover the truth behind the duke's death. 
Minerva has shaken off the shackles of her troubled and painful past determined to live for today until Chase comes into her home and has her thinking of more than earning a living.  When she learns about the duke's suspicious death, she's determined to look into it and ensure that suspicion does not fall on her.  During the process, romance blossoms between Chase and Minerva. It's fun to see her gain an advantage over the seasoned Chase until he finally reluctantly agrees to partner with her. 
The story sets the stage for the next books in the series and I for one can't wait to see how it all plays out.

Trigger warning for discussion of domestic violence in the novel.

It took me a while to get into this novel, but the second half was much more engaging. It’s a neat premise, a Duke leaving his money and companies to women who need it rather than his greedy family. I liked the hero and heroine, but I really enjoyed it once they started working together rather than sparring.

The heroine is struggling to be with a man after her abusive husband, and I think the book dealt with her pain and trauma well, though it needs a trigger warning.

This book is a good set up to a series and features multiple investigators. So, if you’re looking to read about trying to solve a mystery it might be a good fit.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley in return for a fair review.