This was my first book from Hunter and I struggled to get invested in the characters. I liked the idea of a historical romance and mystery component, but the parts I read fell a bit flat for me. DNF at 24%


**eARC received from TLC Booktours in exchange for a spotlight post on Instagram.

This was a truly intriguing book with the murder mystery and beautifully written characters. The only part that I didn’t like was that the murder mystery was left to a little murky closure. There is a trigger warning for abuse in this book. Although, it is not described explicitly anywhere but more so part of the heroine’s past, I still wanted to include it in the review.

I loved the brave and strong character of Minerva. The fact that she is not afraid to launch her own detective agency and be creative to utilize different resources having limited money just made me love her from the start. Chase’s character is not very overtly demonstrative but the small things he does for Minerva just charmed me. I loved their sweet romance and even more the entire story. I would definitely recommend this book.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

This is book one in Madeline's new A Duke's Heiress Series. One of the many reasons that I love Madeline's writing is her stories are unique and have unexpected twists and turns. I think of her stories as Historical Romance with a mystery thrown in to make her books late-night page-turners.
Minerva Heppelwhite is a Widow who has to make her way in the world. Her marriage was a nightmare and she never intends to make that mistake again. Being a woman of above-average intelligence and resourceful out of necessity she has found a way to make a living and support herself and her two servants, who she considers her family. Then out of nowhere, she has inherited a fortune from an eccentric Duke she has never met. With this windfall, she is going to open an official Inquiry Service, a female private detective.
Chase Radnor was in the army and now finding civilian life a little boring. He has made a name for himself as a trustworthy, discreet private detective even though he doesn't need the income, He has been asked by the Home Office to investigate the death unexpected death of his Uncle, The Duke of Holllinburgh. The Duke has left the majority of his fortune to three women that no one in the family knows. The first suspect is a woman who is using an alias, she is not who she seems to be. Little do they know how their lives will change. Desire ignites from the first meeting and Minerva discovers a whole new side of herself that she never knew and is eager to discover more. Chase is the kind of hero that isn't afraid of love and commitment.
A fantastic start to a new series! I have all of Madeline's novels and she is always on my to be read list!
I highly recommend this love story.

I really enjoyed this one! 

I was surprised on how much more mystery this book had, and meshed really well with the historical romance part.

Immediately, I was captured by the circumstances we find both our hero and heroine. The news he delivers creates the life-changing, career-starting move that she and her partners need, leading for a great intro to the story. I loved how she didn't just fall into his arms and instead transitioned into a fierce, female power story that not only had typical historical drama and scandal, but also had a great twist that I was here for.

I flew through cover to cover within a matter of hours!

As for the romance, if you like slow-burn, mildly angsty and steamy scenes, you'll enjoy this one as much as I did. A high 4 out of 5 stars from me! 

I can't wait to see where this series goes!!

Loved it. It is not often that a book can hold my attention all the way through, leave me guessing, and wish that the novel didnt end - this one did.
This is my first Madeline Hunter novel and I cannot wait to read more. She has a strong writing style and I didnt struggle at all on anything grammatical in this. It is very well written. The storyline is very well done, very well thought out and planned. It is part detective story part love story with a strong female lead and a male lead that cares. These feelings come through the writing and are not just for one scene but throughout. I really cannot say enough praise for this novel.
Yes, there is some strings left hanging but it doesnt detract from the storyline at all. I encourage readers to keep reading it because it does grow on you and does get better as it goes along.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for my review, but I would for sure have bought this to read anyways.

Thank you to the publisher and TLC book tours for the review copy. The cover caught my eye and I decided to give historical fiction a try. I previewed the first 5 chapters before posting on the boom tour and I enjoyed how it flowed. I do plan on reading the rest soon.

Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter was my first book by the author but won’t be the last for sure.
I enjoyed the characters and the heroine most of all, she’s smart, funny at times ,courageous and a woman that I wish to be one of my friends.
It’s a well written story with many suspenseful moments and the chemistry and banter between them is great and balanced. In a few words A must read book for the historical romance lovers.

Very grateful to the publisher @kensingtonbooks for my review copy

First in a new series following three women who receive unexpected inheritances following the mysterious death of a wealthy duke, Heiress for Hire follows Minerva Hepplewhite, a young widow trying to build a new life for herself out of the ashes of a disastrous marriage. Chase Radnor, nephew of the old duke and cousin to the new one, has been assigned to find the women who were left a sizeable part of the duke’s fortune and investigate them. He meets his match in Minerva, who decides to investigate him in turn as she too tries to comprehend why a man she didn’t know would leave her a fortune.

There’s an overarching mystery which will obviously be addressed in the other books in the series, because the old duke’s death was no accident. Minerva’s first husband died under suspicious circumstances, and although she was cleared of involvement she knows she will always be viewed with suspicion, so she really has no option but to try and figure out who killed the duke before fingers are pointed at her. Her clashes with Chase are fantastic from the beginning; the book cold opens on Chase being knocked out by Minerva and her maidservant when he sneaks into her house to try and investigate her!

The book does need trigger warnings for past spousal abuse and physical abuse of a child. There’s a fair degree of financial manipulation as well, as the old duke’s descendants squabble over who gets what and why. I liked both the new duke, Nicholas (I’m guessing he’ll be the hero of the last book in the trilogy) and inventor cousin Kevin, who came under heavy suspicion but I’m assuming he’s innocent as apparently he’s the hero of the next book!

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this. The mystery was intriguing, Minerva and Chase were both interesting, well fleshed-out characters and the romance between them was absolutely believable. Five stars for an excellent start to a new series.

When Chase Radnor breaks into Minerva Hepplewhite’s home, the last thing she expects him to ask when he wakes up after she hits him with a bedpan is if she was once known by her former married name. Minerva did everything she could to get away from her old, unpleasant life with her late husband, even going so far as to change her name, and now some strange and handsome nighttime intruder has come barging in to her life claiming that she has inherited money from a man she never knew–the intruder’s recently passed uncle and Duke, nonetheless!

Chase Radnor is intrigued by the handsome and keene Ms. Heppelwhite, who has her own ambitions of becoming an inquiry agent like himself. Perhaps he can use her help in investigating the death of the very uncle who brought him to her doorstep–or, more precisely, on her floor with quite the headache. Chase and some of his family members suspect that his uncle’s death wasn’t an accident at all. Unfortunately, with Minerva as one of the heiresses, she’s also one of Chase’s lead suspects.

As Minerva and Chase investigate the incident individually and delving deeper and deeper into the events leading up to the Duke’s death and how he could have possibly known Minerva, they find themselves skirting Chase’s family politics, trying to discover one another’s secrets, and (despite their better judgement) falling for one another.

This was a fantastic romp into historic London with a cast of wonderful, well-rounded characters and a tapestry of interwoven mysteries that slowly unravelled, revealing a beautiful romance.

Minerva was ambitious, astute, and kind. She had experienced some less than ideal situations in her past, but instead of rolling over she found a way out and built the best life she could with those closest to her, using her intelligence to make a better life for them all. Chase was also a clever person who had a passion and mind for inquiry work and a bottomless need to find the truth where he could. Together, they made an impassioned couple with a passionate bedroom chemistry!

I really enjoyed this read and it was everything I look for in a London-based historical romance, ad i cannot wait for the next one in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced copy, provided in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I truly struggle to understand why historical romance authors insist on giving their characters utterly ahistorical names. British men NOWADAYS still aren't called Chase, let alone in the 1800s...

Minerva Hepplewhite has to be one of the best names of a heroine in years -- and she is worthy of the name, a widow who has to deal with being accused of murder. The investigator is Chase Radnor, investigator and nephew to a duke (recently deceased) who has left Minerva a mysterious bequest and in whose death she is a suspect. The mystery of how Minerva was left money by a stranger and why the duke wanted to share his wealth makes for a compelling mystery, complete with a rich and satisfying backstory for our heroine. She isn't someone who needs rescuing; the facts of her life helped her learn how to rescue herself, as the delightful initial meeting between our couple showed. The HEA is resolved but the mystery continues -- this is the first in a series, one we can't wait to continue. Madeline Hunter has a winner, with a heroine and hero you will come to love. (I received an advance copy via NetGalley and the publishers. Opinions mine.)

The author weaves an intriguing tale with subtle twists and turns. Chase and Minerva uncover clues and reveal the characteristics of the other players layer by layer while he peels away her insecurities. A story that will leave you with as many questions as answers and which will undoubtedly have you looking for the next book in the series to pick up where this leaves off. A must read for anyone that enjoys the romance as much as the craft of a well written story.

I really liked the main couple. The two mysteries that surround the book were well-conducted, one being revealed and another that is mainline of the plot that will have more revelations in the next books of the series.
I only had some difficulty during reading because of the author's writing, she used many different words, and different grammatical constructions for me.
3,5/ 5 stars

Great start to a new series by Hunter. The characters and pacing are strong. I enjoyed the setup for the next book in the series. A heart-warming romance.

A great start to the Duke's Heiress Romance series. The interaction between Chase Radnor and Minerva Hepplewhite was lovely. They both search for the truth behind a Duke's death. The plot flowed smoothly and filled with mystery. The characters were well-developed. The story was beautifully written and look forward to next in the series. I received a copy and I am voluntarily giving my review.

First off I'll readily admit to being a huge fan of Madeline Hunter. Her books feature unique story lines, strong female characters, a bit of mystery/suspense and plenty of steamy romance. Her latest book Heiress for Hire features Minerva Hepplewhite, a widow left a fortune by an an unknown benefactor and Chase Radnor, a nephew of the man. I loved Minerva's feisty nature and the wonderful banter between the characters. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Thank you Kensington Books and #NetGalley.

tldr: I loved this book
CW for violence and spousal abuse,in the heroine’s backstory

“Heiress for Hire” (I’m not crazy about the title) had a strong mystery plot, as well as a great romance. There are two unexplained deaths; one was the heroine’s late husband, and the other is the Duke of Hollinburgh, who was the hero’s uncle. The heroine, Minerva, was at one time suspected of causing her husband’s death. Now the Duke, a man she never met, has left her a sizeable legacy in his will, for reasons no one knows.
The hero, Chase, has done a lot of investigative work in the past, and is now looking into his uncle’s death. Minerva at first seems to be his prime suspect, which is what first brings the two of them into each other’s orbit.

The mystery plot was compelling enough that it had me rushing through some parts of the book. Then I would have to backtrack and reread the pages more slowly, because I was missing out on the details of the story, and the development of the romance.
Although there is an immediate attraction between Chase and Minerva, the first half of the book is all slow burn, with nothing more than a few kisses exchanged. Minerva is reluctant to get involved in a sexual relationship after the bad experience she had with her truly horrible ex-husband, and Chase is smart enough to not push things past her comfort zone, and to let her take the lead. The relationship did heat up in the second half, and there is no lack of well-written love scenes.
A number of intriguing secondary characters rounded out the story, especially Minerva’s former servant and now friend, Beth, and Beth’s teenage son.
I’ve never been much good at guessing whodunnit, so it wasn’t until right before one of the mysteries gets solved, that I began to suspect what happened.
If you are wondering what the ‘for hire” means in the title, Minerva is so clever at investigating the Duke’s death, that she decides to go into business as a private investigator, something Chase has been doing for a while. It was fun to see them in competition with each other, chasing down clues. Sometimes she was one step ahead of him, and other times it was vice-versa, which made them a believable and well-matched couple. I recommend this book to fans of historical mysteries as well as romance.

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

FINAL DECISION: Lovely, slow burn story. I loved the hero and heroine's competing investigations. Both damaged by the past, these two learn to trust one another in a sweet and sexy murder mystery romance.

THE STORY: Minerva Hepplewhite whacks an intruder on the head but finds out that he has been searching for her to tell her that his uncle, a recently deceased duke, has left her a small fortune and she is now an heiress. Chase Radnor also considers Minerva a suspect in the duke's suspicious death. Both Minerva and Chase end up conducting competing investigations into the duke's death. This brings them into competition and cooperation with one another.

OPINION: I found the relationship between Minerva and Chase to be comforting and incredibly loving. The two are competitors but also find themselves partnering in the investigation into the duke's death. The two have a relationship that is adult and based upon discussion and care. Minerva is an incredibly strong woman and yet has a fragile part of her hidden. Chase is able to see that in Minerva and care for her. While the two are physically attracted to one another, their relationship is also based on their attraction to the cleverness of the other and the genuine good person the other is. The book is a bit of a slow burn, but in a lovely way.

Both Chase and Minerva have been burned by their pasts which lead them to question their own judgment. Seeing them find a reason to trust the other was heartwarming. I loved how gentle this book is with their emotions.

While the romance in this book is complete, there are overarching questions regarding the mystery that are left open at the end of this book which is part of a series.

WORTH MENTIONING: The heroine was subject to an abusive marriage and while the book is not graphic as to that abuse, it is a significant aspect of the book for those who are sensitive to the topic.

CONNECTED BOOKS: HEIRESS FOR HIRE is the first book in the Duke's Heiress series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

I generally enjoy Madeline Hunter books, although lately I've been steering clear of some of her older romances, which feature a marriage-averse rich guy who tries to seduce the spirited heroine and make her the current mistress, until he realizes she's amazing and marries her instead. For the moment, I'm over that.

This book is NOT like that. At first the plot is ridiculous. Minerva is a private investigator. Chase (really? In 19th century England?) is a private investigator. She just inherited a boatload of cash from his uncle, a duke. He thinks she might have killed the duke to get the money. They both want to find out who killed his uncle. Along the way we're introduced to two other future leads, Chase's cousins, Kevin (inventor and quasi pauper) and Nicholas (the new duke). They presumably will get their own books.

As with most Hunter books, there's a mystery plot, good chemistry and intellectual connection between the leads, compelling dialogue and well-written love scenes. What makes this book stand out, though, is that Chase is capable, protective and sexy without being your garden variety jobless rich guy who spends his time seducing women. He's respectful of Minerva's boundaries in a way that's both considerate and sexy (she was married to a real creep who abused and tormented her). He is attracted to her, but makes no attempt to seduce her, convince her, browbeat her into his arms. By virtue of his being a really smart, solid, capable man, she is attracted to him and chooses to be with him.

On the whole, it looks like Hunter is trying to meet the expectations we have in 2020 for historic romance: capable woman with a life outside of a man, strong man who respects women. For me, it works.

Four stars for this excellent book