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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
This was a fun romance. Interesting plot but the murder mystery wasn't solved so that was disappointing. Potentially it'll be explored in other books though. I am interested in the sequels. The romance was cute and love the consent. It's not the smuttiness but its adequate lol
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicide
The premise of this book is intriguing--a wealth duke dies, leaving a large portion of his fortune to three women totally unknown to his family. The focus of this book is Minerva Hepplewhite, one of those women, and Chase Radnor, the duke's nephew, who is investigating the three women and his uncle's suspicious death. The mystery of the duke's death plays a big part in the plot, as both Chase and Minerva are conducting investigations into it. The other major plotline is Minerva's past. She's a widow whose husband was abusive and left her with a lot of trauma and baggage surrounding sex--and he also died under suspicious circumstances.
While the romance wraps up in this book, the mystery remains, presumably to be solved as we move on to the next two heiresses, who it appears will be paired with Chase's cousins. Overall I liked this, but it was perhaps a bit more serious than what I'm currently in the mood for in a romance. The romance itself is not very angsty (although Minerva's past abuse is pretty heavy subject matter), and it's fairly steamy, it's just not particularly lighthearted or humorous, and I could have used some more of that. I didn't especially connect with the characters, but I did enjoy the mystery--both of the duke's death and just how he knew the heiresses--and I'm invested enough that I will probably read the next book.
*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
While the romance wraps up in this book, the mystery remains, presumably to be solved as we move on to the next two heiresses, who it appears will be paired with Chase's cousins. Overall I liked this, but it was perhaps a bit more serious than what I'm currently in the mood for in a romance. The romance itself is not very angsty (although Minerva's past abuse is pretty heavy subject matter), and it's fairly steamy, it's just not particularly lighthearted or humorous, and I could have used some more of that. I didn't especially connect with the characters, but I did enjoy the mystery--both of the duke's death and just how he knew the heiresses--and I'm invested enough that I will probably read the next book.
*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Review Live on Smitten by Books
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.
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.