Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Good premise, likable heroine, competently written but for whatever read just didn't really hit for me. A bit bland and I never really bought the romance between Chase and Minerva.
3.5 stars. This was quite a gentle romance, which was a nice change of pace tbh altho things felt weirdly unfinished at the end.
Quite enjoyed this book, though it's not quite what I was expecting. I was expecting romance with a little mystery in the background or vice versa, instead it seems to be about fifty-fifty in both genres which was odd. I don't read much mystery/crime stuff so it was quite enjoyable to see a mystery unfold and pick up little clues along the way but I was hoping for more romance, still I'm excited to read the rest of the series, hopefully about more flawed characters, the protagonists in this installment were just TOO perfect for me, but the next book seems more promising.
-- 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.
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.
Minera Hepplewhite learns that she is now a heiress of a large sum of money along with two other unknown women from a Duke she has never meet before. Minera and her two housemates are now considered about Minera's past coming back to haunt her as this Duke's death is under suspicion for murder. They decide to stick it out and figure out who her benefactor is and why did he leave her this large some of money instead of his family. Minera and her housemates decide to go undercover in the Duke's home to learn more about will. Minera finds Chase who is nothing like is money hungry family and a sweet romance is sprouted. Minera struggles with her feelings as she has a traumatic past from her previous husband who abused her physically, verbally, and sexually. Chase and Minera are great together and work perfectly as a team as they indirectly work together figuring out who actually had a motive to murder the Duke. The suspense is great without over taking the charming romantic love story from Chase and Minera. This love story ends with Minera opening her heart to Chase and being able to love again where she can truly be happy and free. This is the first book of the series and I absolutely can't wait for more books from Madeline Hunter.
I received this book for free from BookishFirst and Kensington Publishing for my honest review.
I received this book for free from BookishFirst and Kensington Publishing for my honest review.
Good book with a nice blend of romance and mystery. It opens with a bang as Minerva catches Chase breaking into her house. No shrinking violet, Minerva promptly renders him unconscious long enough to tie him up before interrogating him. She is stunned and somewhat disbelieving to find out that she has inherited a great deal of money from a duke she has never met. Besides telling her about the inheritance, Chase also wants to find out if she had anything to do with his uncle's suspicious death.
I liked both Minerva and Chase. Minerva is strong, intelligent, and stubborn. She has a sharp wit and isn't afraid to use it. She also has secrets that led her to change her name and move to London to start a new life. That former life has left her wary of men and determined to live life on her terms. She is ready to open Miss Hepplewhite's Office of Discreet Inquiries. Chase is the nephew of a duke, but also a self-made man. He has a reputation as an excellent private investigator, at which point the Home Office asks him to quietly investigate his uncle's death.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Minerva and Chase. The sparks are there from the moment they met, though both fight hard against them. Minerva and Chase cross paths several times as each investigates the death of the duke. Eventually, they decide to work together, though neither is entirely forthcoming about everything they learn. There are times that Minerva's stubborn independence bothers Chase, but he also admires her persistence and intelligence. The more time they spend together, the closer they become, and the more their attraction heats up. There is a scene where Minerva is injured, and Chase's protectiveness is aroused. I enjoyed the back-and-forth between them as Minerva fought against his protectiveness. As their feelings for each other grow, Minerva must decide if she can trust Chase with her heart. I liked that there was no big blowup between them, just a steady growth and then admission of their feelings. I liked their big moment at the end, especially the honest look at the differences between them and how they would handle them.
The mystery of the story was good. Chase's uncle died under mysterious circumstances that he is charged with investigating. There is also the mystery of the three unknown women who received large bequests, cutting out the family members. The women must be found but also investigated. The duke's family members do not react well to their loss of what they think they deserve. Is it possible that one of them murdered the duke? The family dynamics were very interesting, and I look forward to seeing more of them in the next book. I liked seeing how Chase's methodical methods and Minerva's more unorthodox ones complemented each other as they pursue their investigation. The conclusion was unexpected but leaves the matter open for the rest of the series.
I liked both Minerva and Chase. Minerva is strong, intelligent, and stubborn. She has a sharp wit and isn't afraid to use it. She also has secrets that led her to change her name and move to London to start a new life. That former life has left her wary of men and determined to live life on her terms. She is ready to open Miss Hepplewhite's Office of Discreet Inquiries. Chase is the nephew of a duke, but also a self-made man. He has a reputation as an excellent private investigator, at which point the Home Office asks him to quietly investigate his uncle's death.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Minerva and Chase. The sparks are there from the moment they met, though both fight hard against them. Minerva and Chase cross paths several times as each investigates the death of the duke. Eventually, they decide to work together, though neither is entirely forthcoming about everything they learn. There are times that Minerva's stubborn independence bothers Chase, but he also admires her persistence and intelligence. The more time they spend together, the closer they become, and the more their attraction heats up. There is a scene where Minerva is injured, and Chase's protectiveness is aroused. I enjoyed the back-and-forth between them as Minerva fought against his protectiveness. As their feelings for each other grow, Minerva must decide if she can trust Chase with her heart. I liked that there was no big blowup between them, just a steady growth and then admission of their feelings. I liked their big moment at the end, especially the honest look at the differences between them and how they would handle them.
The mystery of the story was good. Chase's uncle died under mysterious circumstances that he is charged with investigating. There is also the mystery of the three unknown women who received large bequests, cutting out the family members. The women must be found but also investigated. The duke's family members do not react well to their loss of what they think they deserve. Is it possible that one of them murdered the duke? The family dynamics were very interesting, and I look forward to seeing more of them in the next book. I liked seeing how Chase's methodical methods and Minerva's more unorthodox ones complemented each other as they pursue their investigation. The conclusion was unexpected but leaves the matter open for the rest of the series.
Minerva Hepplewhite is the perfect reader's heroine - strong, smart, stubborn, and witty. And Chase Radnor is her perfect match - the nephew of a duke, he comes from a family of stature yet can appreciate Minerva's quirky habits and her desire to do things her own way. Even if it exasperates him at times. Both are on a mission to discover what truly happened to Chase's late uncle, the Duke of Hollinburg, but for different reasons: Minerva has been left a hefty inheritance from the man despite never having met him, and Chase needs to know if his uncle's untimely death was an accident or murder - and if Minerva had anything to do with it. His gut instinct is telling him that she's innocent, but he's been led astray before. And how did Minerva end up in the late Duke's last will and testament, having been left more of the his money than most of Chase's living relatives, including Chase himself? While both battle this baffling case, they are also battling their feelings for one another. The attraction is undeniable, but Chase will have to fight Minerva's past if he wants to be a part of her future.
Thoughts: I was utterly charmed by this story! Not only are both Minerva and Chase incredibly likable, but both have very little faults or annoying character traits that will keep readers from absolutely falling for both of them. Minerva serves the historical romance female trope to its fullest, breaking cultural norms while still remaining a respectful female character for the time period. Chase is more of the quintessential historical romance male lead, with his handsome face, high society upbringing, and incredibly patient yet down-to-earth nature that can't help but come to a woman's aide when she's in need. While Minerva's strong will gets the best of him at times, it's not long before he admits to himself that he likes this side of her and how he admires her more for it. They truly are a perfect pair. The reason I gave four instead of five stars: But despite this, it was a heartwarming read that I would highly recommend to any historical romance fan!
Thoughts: I was utterly charmed by this story! Not only are both Minerva and Chase incredibly likable, but both have very little faults or annoying character traits that will keep readers from absolutely falling for both of them. Minerva serves the historical romance female trope to its fullest, breaking cultural norms while still remaining a respectful female character for the time period. Chase is more of the quintessential historical romance male lead, with his handsome face, high society upbringing, and incredibly patient yet down-to-earth nature that can't help but come to a woman's aide when she's in need. While Minerva's strong will gets the best of him at times, it's not long before he admits to himself that he likes this side of her and how he admires her more for it. They truly are a perfect pair. The reason I gave four instead of five stars:
Spoiler
I loved how Minerva and Chase ended the novel, but the case ultimately being left "unsolved", in a sense, was kind of disappointing. I wanted some justice for the generous Duke who gave Minerva, a woman unknown to him, the chance to escape a marriage that would've been her death sentence.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Heiress for Hire is a book I saw show up on my Goodreads feed and once I read the summary, I knew I needed to check it out.
Minerva Hepplewhite is the heroine of this story and she hasn't had an easy way of things so when an intruder breaks into her house, she isn't one to faint or swoon. When she realizes who it is that has broken into her home, she knows she faces some decisions she has to make...one of which is whether she can trust the gentleman in question, Chase Radnor, the nephew of the wealthy duke who mysteriously left her a fortune. I thought Minerva was a solid character and I loved that she wasn't just your standard member of the ton. Her backstory made things much more interesting as it gave the story somewhere to go as Chase questions how his uncle died.
Chase Radnor has handled various types of inquiries and when his uncle unexpectedly dies, the Home Office asks him to look into what happened. The odd thing about the whole situation, outside of how his uncle died, is the fact that there are three mysterious women that his uncle has left his fortune to. Chase decides to dig into who the ladies are and this ultimately leads him to Minerva. As he begins to dig into her past, he finds out more about Minerva than he ever expected and add to that the feelings he starts to have for her, and has to determine whether he believes she had something to do with his uncles death or not.
I enjoyed this story. Minerva tended to be one step ahead of Chase and he never held it against her. I thought the way they began to work together was great and helped to build the base of their relationship.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters in this book as well. Beth and Jeremy were the family Minerva never really had and I was glad she had that. Chase's relationship with both grows throughout the book and I thought that was a great. Chase's family was so interesting and I loved his relationship with Nicholas, the new duke. I'm hoping these characters show up in future books within this series.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and will grab the next book when it is available. I haven't read anything by Madeline Hunter before this one but I will be checking out her other stories. If you're looking for a historical romance that goes a bit outside the normal society story line, you should check this one out.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Minerva Hepplewhite is the heroine of this story and she hasn't had an easy way of things so when an intruder breaks into her house, she isn't one to faint or swoon. When she realizes who it is that has broken into her home, she knows she faces some decisions she has to make...one of which is whether she can trust the gentleman in question, Chase Radnor, the nephew of the wealthy duke who mysteriously left her a fortune. I thought Minerva was a solid character and I loved that she wasn't just your standard member of the ton. Her backstory made things much more interesting as it gave the story somewhere to go as Chase questions how his uncle died.
Chase Radnor has handled various types of inquiries and when his uncle unexpectedly dies, the Home Office asks him to look into what happened. The odd thing about the whole situation, outside of how his uncle died, is the fact that there are three mysterious women that his uncle has left his fortune to. Chase decides to dig into who the ladies are and this ultimately leads him to Minerva. As he begins to dig into her past, he finds out more about Minerva than he ever expected and add to that the feelings he starts to have for her, and has to determine whether he believes she had something to do with his uncles death or not.
I enjoyed this story. Minerva tended to be one step ahead of Chase and he never held it against her. I thought the way they began to work together was great and helped to build the base of their relationship.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters in this book as well. Beth and Jeremy were the family Minerva never really had and I was glad she had that. Chase's relationship with both grows throughout the book and I thought that was a great. Chase's family was so interesting and I loved his relationship with Nicholas, the new duke. I'm hoping these characters show up in future books within this series.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and will grab the next book when it is available. I haven't read anything by Madeline Hunter before this one but I will be checking out her other stories. If you're looking for a historical romance that goes a bit outside the normal society story line, you should check this one out.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.