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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
4.5
This was so good. I love a mystery that cuts through the entire series so each book doesn’t wrap up too neatly. I love the way triggering subjects of intimate partner violence were handled here. I also love that despite the inauspicious start there was a real friends to lovers arc here.
The blurb on Goodreads isn’t entirely accurate - it says MMC nearly got her convicted of her late husband’s murder but as far as I can see he didn’t know about her or her husband’s death until he met her at the beginning of the book.
This was so good. I love a mystery that cuts through the entire series so each book doesn’t wrap up too neatly. I love the way triggering subjects of intimate partner violence were handled here. I also love that despite the inauspicious start there was a real friends to lovers arc here.
The blurb on Goodreads isn’t entirely accurate - it says MMC nearly got her convicted of her late husband’s murder but as far as I can see he didn’t know about her or her husband’s death until he met her at the beginning of the book.
Too many sex scenes and worst of all, they never solved the murder.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Heiress for Hire is the first book in the Duke's Heiress series and the concept itself is interesting. A Duke dies under mysterious circumstances and leaves the bulk of his fortune to three women he has no relation to. The heroine, Minerva, is one of those women. She has no idea why she was given this fortune because she had never even met the late Duke. Chase is one of the late Duke's many nephews and his entire family is enraged that his uncle had decided to give away most of his money to three strangers. Given his career in inquiries, Chase investigates his uncle's death as well as the three mysterious women who were bequeathed a fortune. Minerva also has a knack for inquiries and begins her own investigation because she doesn't want to be considered a suspect in the late Duke's suspicious death.
First of all, who in the hell wrote this blurb? Quoted directly from the blurb: "...Chase Radnor, the man who nearly got her convicted of her late husband's murder." This is FALSE. This never happened. Chase didn't even know that Minerva's late husband was murdered. The blurb would lead you to believe that Chase not only knew about the murder, but had even tried to get Minerva convicted for it. And based on the way the blurb is written, you are led to believe that this all happened before the drama with the Duke's death and will. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN!! What a terribly misleading blurb.
Heiress for Hire was unbearably dull. It is perhaps the dullest book I've read this year. I've enjoyed Madeline Hunter's books in the past, but I genuinely don't recall her prose ever being this unexciting. The romance is dull and boring. The hero and heroine have zero chemistry. We are told that there is a superb attraction between Chase and Minerva, but I didn't feel shit. The mystery is also dull. I can't believe that the author managed to make SLEUTHING and MYSTERY SOLVING boring?? The prose is apathetic, unengaging, and quite simply, boring. There is emotional development, but the prose is so dry that I didn't feel anything for the hero and heroine. There is no life in this book. Why did I keep reading? Well, I was curious enough to find out just how the Duke died...and guess what? His suspicious death doesn't even get solved! It looks like this simple mystery will be dragged throughout the series. I am not curious enough to continue the series, so I will stick to Madeline Hunter's older books from now on.
P.S. Parts of this book gave me Kat Holloway vibes. I feel like Heiress for Hire would have been a lot more engaging and compelling if Jennifer Ashley had written it.
Heiress for Hire is the first book in the Duke's Heiress series and the concept itself is interesting. A Duke dies under mysterious circumstances and leaves the bulk of his fortune to three women he has no relation to. The heroine, Minerva, is one of those women. She has no idea why she was given this fortune because she had never even met the late Duke. Chase is one of the late Duke's many nephews and his entire family is enraged that his uncle had decided to give away most of his money to three strangers. Given his career in inquiries, Chase investigates his uncle's death as well as the three mysterious women who were bequeathed a fortune. Minerva also has a knack for inquiries and begins her own investigation because she doesn't want to be considered a suspect in the late Duke's suspicious death.
First of all, who in the hell wrote this blurb? Quoted directly from the blurb: "...Chase Radnor, the man who nearly got her convicted of her late husband's murder." This is FALSE. This never happened. Chase didn't even know that Minerva's late husband was murdered. The blurb would lead you to believe that Chase not only knew about the murder, but had even tried to get Minerva convicted for it. And based on the way the blurb is written, you are led to believe that this all happened before the drama with the Duke's death and will. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN!! What a terribly misleading blurb.
Heiress for Hire was unbearably dull. It is perhaps the dullest book I've read this year. I've enjoyed Madeline Hunter's books in the past, but I genuinely don't recall her prose ever being this unexciting. The romance is dull and boring. The hero and heroine have zero chemistry. We are told that there is a superb attraction between Chase and Minerva, but I didn't feel shit. The mystery is also dull. I can't believe that the author managed to make SLEUTHING and MYSTERY SOLVING boring?? The prose is apathetic, unengaging, and quite simply, boring. There is emotional development, but the prose is so dry that I didn't feel anything for the hero and heroine. There is no life in this book. Why did I keep reading? Well, I was curious enough to find out just how the Duke died...and guess what? His suspicious death doesn't even get solved! It looks like this simple mystery will be dragged throughout the series. I am not curious enough to continue the series, so I will stick to Madeline Hunter's older books from now on.
P.S. Parts of this book gave me Kat Holloway vibes. I feel like Heiress for Hire would have been a lot more engaging and compelling if Jennifer Ashley had written it.
If you were a fan of Knives Out, I think you’ll be into this series.
The love aspect to me was kind of meh but I enjoyed the story as a whole. I’m looking forward to continuing in the series and getting more of the mystery!
The love aspect to me was kind of meh but I enjoyed the story as a whole. I’m looking forward to continuing in the series and getting more of the mystery!
this book was fine. the thing that confused me the most is that there wasn't really an emotional climax to the story? which I found a little baffling.
I will definitely read another one of her books though, because I really appreciated the conversations surrounding why a woman would choose not to marry again, etc. they felt like they made sense given the world building, and I adored our heroines sense of agency. far too frequently, regency romances take away women's agency completely and I hate that. because even though they were absolutely more restricted during this time period, women absolutely were still their own people. I'm not saying this book was at all realistic, because it really wasn't but I don't really want that in a HR. Does that make sense? I don't know anymore....
I will definitely read another one of her books though, because I really appreciated the conversations surrounding why a woman would choose not to marry again, etc. they felt like they made sense given the world building, and I adored our heroines sense of agency. far too frequently, regency romances take away women's agency completely and I hate that. because even though they were absolutely more restricted during this time period, women absolutely were still their own people. I'm not saying this book was at all realistic, because it really wasn't but I don't really want that in a HR. Does that make sense? I don't know anymore....
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I like the seemingly intelligent heroine investigating the mystery of why a Duke she does not know left her a legacy in his will. However, I’m not sure I like Chase all that much, and I didn’t find the story engaging enough to keep me from wanting to rewrite some of the sentences. There were also points when actually showing the family drama might have livened up the story instead of just having a character relay it to another in discussion.
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.
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.