I loved anything Madeline Hunter writes!! Her storytelling amazes me. She knows how to bring her characters to life.

I really like both Minerva and Chase a lot, which is not always the case in these stories. She has a horrible past, but, while being wary, does not let it hold her back from being happy.
Chase is just a good guy all around. The mystery of the old duke's murder is interesting enough to keep me reading this series. I also like the new duke, Nicholas' character very much. I'll be looking forward to his story.

Just an aside, I don't understand why, in the description for this book on Goodreads, it says that Chase is responsible for almost getting her convicted of her husband's murder. That's not true.

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.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, it wasn't anything that I would wax poetic about but it was well written and kept me interested. I don't think I have read anything from this author previously but would do so again.

Poor Minerva, to be married to an abusive brute and be blame for his timely death was a tragedy in itself, now years after her ordeal it all has come back to haunt her. She was being investigated for her unknown benefactor’s death, only this time she refuses to be a victim. Forming her own investigating service she set out to find out who when and why concerning her wondrous windfall. I can tell you she had a sexy hot time of sleuthing with Chase. He could not stay away from her not because she was a suspect in his uncle’s death, no, the chemistry between them was an explosive one. A Great and exciting read.

The Hipplewhite's Office of Discreet Inquiries goes into business when Minvera Hipplewhite inheirts a fortune. Only Minvera is being investigated by the nephew of her benefactor as a suspect in his death. Chase Radnor has already established his own detective business and is working with the crown inqiring into his uncle's death. The question is murder. As Chase investigates Minvera and Minvera investigates his uncle's death, the two end up working together inspite of not trying to. Their attraction to each other could get in the way of their investigations, until passion has a way of breaking down defenses. Well developed characters and a very interesting who done it that continues into the next two books.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Chase Radnor is an investigator and the perfect choice for his cousin to reach out to for help. His cousin has inherited a dukedom but the vast wealth that their uncle collected was not left to anyone in the family. Rather, it was parceled out to three women that no one knows. Finally, Chase has found the first one, though breaking into her house might not have been the best idea.
Minerva Hepplewhite had an abusive husband who died mysteriously. She took her friend, Betsy, and Betsy's son Jeremy, moved them all to London and changed her name. She thought she was safe. And yet, there's a man who has now broken into her house. But he's not there to rob her. Instead, he wants to help her claim a huge inheritance. He is shocked to find out that she is working toward becoming an investigator herself, especially since he suspects that she may have been involved in her husband's death (and maybe even his uncle's.)
A good start to the series. This book included a lot of set up so there could have been more about their relationship and I never really connected with either Chase or Minerva. I am looking forward to Kevin's story but even more so to Nicholas, the duke's.

Three stars
This book comes out April 28th
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

This is another great book by Madeline Hunter. I love her characters here. The heroine is terrific. She is strong and sassy. The hero is interesting too. Their names are unique for sure. The mystery is also solved quite well. :) Definitely a keeper! :)

Important note that the names of the hero and heroine in this book are bonkers. That aside I enjoyed this romance. I’ve never read any books by Hunter before and this is the start of a new series but I’m intrigued to see what she’s written in the past. Minerva is an incredibly likable heroine and very smart woman who owns and operates her own business.

Side note I love this trend in historical romances with heroines actually working and not just being “ladies” because women actually did work! *gasp*.

Chase is a great hero and a perfect example of a hero who isn’t an asshole like so many heroes in historical romances unfortunately are. Loved him.

It’s also not solely a romance but like a mystery romance which I usually hate but this one was really well written and I very much enjoyed. This book flew by for me and I’m eager to see what the rest of the series will bring. Definitely something great to read during these difficult times.

This was a good start for a new series. I have loved several series Madeline Hunter has written. This story is about Minerva Hepplewhite has learned the hard way how to take care of herself. When an intruder breaks into her home she sees it is Chase Radnor and he is the man who tried to get her convicted of her late husband's murder. Now he is saying she has inherited a fortune from his uncle. This story had its own twists and turns. I really enjoyed the plot.

How did the Duke get her name. That is the big question in this new series. It is answered and the result is a very satisfying story. There is something dark in both of the main characters past but it just adds to the tension in the story. Great start to new series. Love all the characters and the mystery.

It has been some time since I last picked up a historical romance. I read an excerpt for Heiress for Hire and was immediately intrigued. The dynamic between the two main characters, Chase Radnor and Minerva Hepplewhite, was as interesting as the circumstances that brought them together in the first place. With romance and hints of mystery, Heiress for Hire was a very entertaining read.

In general, I liked the story. I know Heiress for Hire is a historical romance—so the development of the relationship comes before all—and that aspect of the story was good. However, I was also here for the mystery. So many different possibilities were presented within the first couple of pages. Such as the mystery surrounding just why Minerva received a fortune from a person she never met and what really happened to said person. I enjoyed all of the investigative parts. Plus the mystery was a great way to get the characters together on page, and it kept a consistent pattern of interaction between them throughout the entire story. It was pretty great.

The characters were all great. In particular, Chase’s family was a definite highlight. They were a bickering bunch, but very entertaining to read about.

As for the romance, I thought it was good. I liked it because of the conversations between Minerva and Chase, and I liked how good of a team they made—even though they were reluctant to share information at times. They were a great duo, and the moments when they put their heads together were some of my favorites from the book.

I enjoyed Heiress for Hire. The ending, while satisfying, left several parts of the plot mostly unresolved. So, I’m looking forward to what Hunter has in store for this series.

This copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Zebra Books) via Netgalley, thank you!

I didn't really like this one, just didn't find it flowed well and didn't capture my interest. Dnf at 20% thanks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As always, Hunter delivered a compelling and satisfying read. As one of the few writers that can write an introductory series book without bogging it down in backstory info dumps, "Heiress for Hire" held my attention throughout. At first, I thought the premise—a duke leaving his fortune to a woman he’d never met—would follow traditional romance storylines, but was pleasantly surprised when it did not. Chase and Minerva's romance is handled beautifully (not a surprise for a Madeline Hunter book). And, as always, her secondary characters complement the main characters and plot perfectly and are entertaining. "Heiress for Hire" is definitely a worth-time-and-money read.

Heiress for Hire is my first book by Madeline Hunter and will not be my last. It starts what seems to be a fantastic series and I cannot wait to see what happens with the rest of the heirs to the duke.
Heiress for Hire is a steamy, captivating romance with a cast of characters who are intriguing until the very last page.

Heiress for Hire begins what is sure to be a captivating series featuring the heirs of an eccentric duke. As the duke’s family received little or nothing of his estate, seemingly random females inherited a fortune. In this book, the duke’s demise is investigated by a nephew who’s also searching for these unknown heirs. He finds the first heiress and initially adds her to his list of suspects in the duke’s death. As she opens her own investigation service and looks into the duke’s death, she and the nephew forge quite the alliance. The character study is well done.... including the roles of the secondary players. The romance between the nephew and the heiress builds steadily and ends with a steamy HEA. Hunter is off to yet another great series.

-- This review can also be found on my blog www.hookedbythatbook.com –

Minerva Hepplewhite has started a new life for herself and two servants, now turned friends, with a new name. She has been fairly content in her relative obscurity, but that illusion was shattered when she caught Chase Radnor breaking into her house. But he is more than a common thief. He is the nephew of the Duke of Hollingburgh, who has named her as a significant beneficiary in his will. Chase was there to investigate her, and to confirm that she was indeed, the woman he was looking for.

The duke’s death is considered suspicious and Chase was appointed as the unofficial official investigator, since it involved his family. Minerva came under some suspicion, as she is to receive an enormous amount of money from the duke’s estate, but no-one has ever heard of her before.

Chase and Minerva each conducted their own investigation, and soon they were sharing information, and much more. Minerva had considered her sexuality to be dead and buried, after her disastrous marriage, but Chase revived that part of her. I enjoyed Chase and Minerva and their interactions. They worked really well together as investigators. Chase had a lot of respect for Minerva’s hesitations regarding their relationship, even though it clearly frustrated him. Minerva had a cool head on her shoulders and some really excellent ideas for looking for clues and evidence.

I also enjoyed Chase’s family immensely, the good, the bad, and the entitled. They made for a great cast of characters that added dimension to the story.

The story started in a very intriguing way - “Did you kill him?” – and this was refrained several times throughout the story in many different circumstances.

This book covered my love for romance and suspense and I can definitely recommend it.

A great mystery with romance. A great romance with mystery.

Actually, there are three layers of mystery with Heiress for Hire

Finding the three women who were bequeathed a sizable fortune from a Duke
Finding out if one of the women killed her husband
Finding out if the Duke’s death was an accident or murder. He left behind many disgruntled relatives who were counting on his fortune

Clever premise with wonderful characters

Greatly anticipating the next book in this series

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC

I received an ARC of "Heiress for Hire" by Madeline Hunter from Netgalley. Minerva Hepplewhite has just been given a large amount of money from a Duke in his will. Chase Radnor is the nephew of said Duke and is asked to find this lady. Both Minerva and Chase then lead their own investigations into how the Duke died as well as why he would leave her and not his own family money and other wordly goods. A great intriguing story.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a sweet historical romance with a strong, independent heroine determined to overcome her troubling past and lead a successful private investigator business. Chase is investigating the murder of his uncle when he encounters the heroine. He is intrigued by her confidence and competience as she inherits his uncle's fortune and opens her own investigative practice. Their romance blooms and Chase breaks the walls of her prison as she allows herself to feel true passion. The author has a way with words that lifts each romantic scene into a beautiful, emotional imagery.