The Heiress in Red Silk is the 2nd book in Duke Heiress series. I did not read the first book in the series, but I didn't feel like I missed out on anything.

Kevin Radnor and Rosamund Jameson story starts off in a more "business capacity" rather than in a ballroom. Their relationship grows from partnership to personal as the story progresses. Totally different historical romance read and very refreshing. Can't wait to read more from the series.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A duke leaves three large bequests to three unknown women.. This is the second book in the series and just as good as the first (which I now want to reread). Rosemund is a milliner, daughter of a tenant farmer, barely literate, who is now an heiress and part owner of an invention. Kevin, the inventor, is angry (not an uncommon emotion for Kevin) that his uncle the Duke, has willed 50% portion of Kevin’s enterprise to this stranger. Upon first meeting Rosemund, Kevin is condescending, rude and expects her to let him run the enterprise. But she is so much more than expected with her business sense, stubbornness and practicality. I thought her speech was a good way of showing the gap in their stations, her determination to better herself and to illustrate her taking charge of the change in her situation. Kevin’s brilliance, kindness, and unconventional outlook were refreshing. And Kevin’s single mindedness and Rosemund’s sensuality made the passionate sex scenes believable and enjoyable to read. This is a keeper.

This book was captivating from the beginning. The story just drew me in as a reader. The heroine is a hat maker (milliner) that was left a large amount of money by a duke. She had met him and talked to him one day and impressed him. The duke gave her a purse with 10 pounds so that she was able to open her hat shop. It is located just outside of London and she has some repeat customers. The hero is the nephew of the same duke. He is a genious with inventing things and he has been looking for the heroine for over a year. He was visiting a brothel when the woman received a bonnet. She was looking at it and he realized who the shop owner was and he left before they could get naked. He is a genious who is stuck in his mind. He is quiet and thinks hard and has problems communicating. But he knows what he wants. He wants the heroine. But the heroine has a dream, and he is from the gentry and maybe the money she inherited will make her acceptable to his parents.
The characters work together: a smart woman from the common level and a member of the gentry. I liked the fact that the heroine had to do not very good jobs in order to survive and take care of her little sister. She worked hard, and used the money from the duke to open a shop and gain her independence when she could have just bought dresses and stuff with that 10 pounds. This story was very well written with no grammar or spelling errors. The main characters were if an age, within 10 years of each other. The sex scenes were no so explicit that they were embarrassing. I liked this book very much. I give it 5 stars with a strong recommendation to read.

This is Rosmond and Kevin’s story. Rosmond is left a bequest from his uncle the Duke of Hollingsworth. It is half of Kevin’s invention. She is from a common family. They have a partnership. Their partnership turns into a marriage of convenience. There are many twists and turns in their relationship. Madeline Hunter is a great writer. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

"Heiress in Red Silk" was quite a comforting read, which is all I ask of a romance novel. I really liked that the heroine was not of an aristocratic background, though I disliked the hero's tendency to throw that in her face every time they had a discussion about his invention, however much he did seem to respect her business acumen. I disliked how attached Rosamund was to a man she'd not seen in 5 years and how long it took her to get over it, but I liked how she tried to preserve herself during negotiations to marry Kevin. Overall, a very comforting book that I really liked to read.

I did not read the first book in the series but this was easy to pick up and dive in without feeling like I missed something. If anything, this book made me want to read the first and see how Chase and Minerva's story unfolded. Anyway, in this one we meet the space case that is Kevin Radnor, god bless him. He's presented as a brilliant man but I wanted to clobber him over the head with a chamber pot. Rosamund was a lovely heroine however and I felt like we got more insight into why she did the things she did. I also felt that in the grand scheme of historical romances, this one was a bit more realistically written in terms of how the two main characters related to each other, and I appreciate that.

An atypical romance book. This is the story of Kevin Radnor, another of Duke Hollingburgh grandson. The deceased Duke had randomly bequeathed riches to 3 women, this one to Rosamund Jameson, a tenant farmer’s daughter to owner of a small millinery.
After Kevin tracks her down as his part of the bequest is to be shared with her, Kevin is at crossroads how to make her understand not to sell her portion of the business he co owns which is an invention which he does not wish to have external investors for fear of the patents being stolen by others.

And thus the story courses through not in the traditional ton story line, as the heroine is definitely not ton material. She has worked as a servant and at a brothel as a chambermaid before the now late Duke at one time had given her a few coins which helped finance her millinery. Kevin and his cousin Chase who is married to Minerva (their story is book 1- it’s an interesting read too) try to help Kevin and Rosamund come to a sensible understanding to share the business. They help Rosamund move to London. Kevin is quite the gentleman even though he definitely lusts after Rosamund. However Rosamund still in clings to hope of her teenage love with Charles whose home she worked at and fell in love with him and hopes that Charles will come back for her now that she is an heiress.
Some twists, and Rosamund faces the wrath of the Radnor family and even an assault. However the way Kevin and she end up getting married and then fall apart soon after is definitely not romance. The story is interesting in that she is not your average ton heroine. She stands up for herself and even walks out of the relationship. However all is well in the end. I wish there had been an epilogue, the narrative kind of felt incomplete.

I didn't read the other books in this series but I followed the book without issues. A great book with a terrific plot. I like the dialogue a lot. It's fresh and fun. The family drama was also interesting. It's different than the usual plot. I like the main characters a lot. Smart and capable.... A great read and I plan to read the other books in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

In the continuation of the Duke’s Heiress series, the second of three women who was bequeathed a sizable inheritance from a Duke has been found. She is Rosamund Jameson, a milliner. She only met the Duke on one occasion, but that was enough to make an impression. She gains money and half ownership of a company. The other half is owned by the Duke’s nephew, Kevin Radnor, who is fiercely protective of his invention that is at the core of this company.

In Heiress in Red Silk, it was a welcome change to read about non "ton" main characters. Their discussions were about trade and business decisions rather than the typical ballroom gossip. Rosamund has an innate business sense. As the book progresses the partnership between Kevin and Rosamund grows both professionally and personally.

Kevin’s cousin Chase and his wife Minerva (from Heiress for Hire) appear frequently in this book. Another cousin, Nicholas, who is the current duke, shows up as well as the cousins are all close. He will be featured in the third book of this series. He is in need of a fortune and a wife.

Like Heiress for Hire, there is resumption of the overarching family drama with the disgruntled relatives who feel they should have inherited the money. These scenes have great dialogue. The ongoing mystery surrounding the Duke’s death adds to the drama as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.