Oh my goodness, guys! This was such a fun book! We meet Sebastian and discover that he's in search of a wife, but his most pressing requirement is that she possess a fortune. We don't know why at first. So we see Sebastian propose to a lady with whom he has zero connection. This lady is eccentric at best, but the way she hands Sebastian his tail after this proposal is everything it needed to be. Sebastian then goes back to the drawing board to find a new prospect. His buddies point him in the direction of Miss Lawrence. He thinks that because Selina was not wealthy before her marriage, she might have married for money, as he's trying to do. And his thought process is that she won't fault him for doing the same thing she did. Only, he doesn't expect to find her attractive and enjoy her company.

Selina feels like she was duped into marriage. She feels like her parents pushed her into a marriage that she wasn't ready for. She originally thought her husband loved her, but she came to learn that he liked her for how she appeared as his wife. She was almost a prize to be shown, like one would show a work of art. He didn't love and value her. She isn't mourning his passing. But she doesn't have the desire to marry again at all. She is only sponsoring her sister-in-law's sister and trying to help her marry without the mistakes that Selina made. When the uncle (I think) of the first girl that Sebastian proposed to tells Selina that he only asked her to marry him because he's a fortune hunter, Selina decides to teach him a lesson.

Truth be told, Selina is hurt to find out that Sebastian might be a fortune hunter. She was beginning to genuinely like him. She places a series of challenges before him in such a subtle way that he doesn't realize he's being tested (and failing) until it's almost too late. However, Sebastian has good reasons to seek marriage for money. More than meets Selina's eye. And once he figures out her game, he decides that two can play.

I enjoyed every minute of this audiobook. The narrator, Paula Hunt, does a wonderful job. I never felt pulled out of the story because of her narration style. The marcupial, Pip, adds to the story. Who doesn't love a good monkey sidekick? I wish I had some quotes to share, but it's so hard to get them correct with audiobooks.

Ultimately, I loved this story. Selina and Sebastian were so easy to root for. Their pranks and challenges were hilarious. I even giggled out loud at least once. I will definitely check out more books by Martha Keyes. To Hunt an Heiress gets 4 Stars. Have you read (or listened to) To Hunt an Heiress? What did you think? Let me know!

Sebastian Drake needs a fortune, and marriage seems his only option—until he sets his sights on Selina Lawrence, a wealthy widow determined never to wed again. Suspecting him of fortune-hunting, Selina resolves to teach Sebastian a lesson, only to find herself drawn into his charm. What begins as a clash of wits soon turns into something far more dangerous to both their hearts.

Well. It took me most of the book to feel even a little sympathy for Sebastian. When we first meet him he has just proposed to an heiress he’d known for a week. As the lady rightfully turned him down, he must find another heiress to solve his problems. Selina sees through him and toys with him to teach him a lesson. Thus begins escapades with monkeys, tasks to appease her, and them slowly falling for each other.

The narrator does a splendid job of bringing each character to life. Despite my annoyance with their initial actions, I was interested in how they would overcome the issues keeping them apart. The author wove a believable tale that kept me wanting more.

Overall, this was a sweet Regency romance, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys that genre.

To Hunt an Heiress is a delightful cat and mouse style romance set in regency era. I loved Sebastian’s character, especially as his background and motivations for seeking an heiress were unveiled. Selina has some depth that is drawn out as the story progresses and I love how Sebastian not only realized what she was doing but upped the stakes is some comical ways. Despite being humiliated, Sebastian shows up and remains a man of character dedicated to his family. Have to say, the addition of Pip was all the more fun. I truly enjoyed these two and appreciated the audiobook even more because their story really came to life with proper nuances and inflections.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! The narration was excellent! Sebastian and Selina's story definitely started with a misunderstanding and listening to it unfold from both of their perspectives was so fun! The book was full of humor and swoon.

"And then I saw you, and your beauty stole my breath. But you were so much more than beautiful."

To Hunt an Heiress

I LOVED this book!! I don't think I have ever laughed so hard when reading a book before. There were so many funny parts. I'm so glad Jenna influenced me into reading this one because it will definitely be a top read this year for me. And now I am eager to read more of Martha's books.

Imagine a fortune hunter. An heiress. A monkey. Some children. Make the plot line "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" and throw in some pigeons, shenanigans, and oh, make it Regency era, then you have this hilarious story.

I loved both Selina's feisty character and Sebastian's brave self. If you have read "Love is for the Birds" by Deborah M Hathaway, you got a glimpse of Sebastian. He seeks after her fortune, but boy, he doesn't realize what is in store for him when he decides to mess with Selina.

These two were just so perfect! They are witty, intelligent, strong, and both know what they want in life. I felt kind of bad for Sebastian as I got to know him more. He just wanted to do what was right. But I don't want to spoil anything, so I will stop my review here.

The audio is available for this one now, so if you were waiting on that, you don't have to wait any longer. Pick this one up today. I promise you will not regret it!

Favorite Parts:
Firearms lesson
Bonbons
Monkey
Her nieces and nephews
Lord Blackstone and the monkey
Pigeon
A rose
Poetry and gifts
Their shenanigans
Chapter 16🔥
The ball
She helps him
Epilogue
The whole book!

Content Guide:
Language: Mild-1 use of d*mn
Romance Content: Closed-door: Passionate k!ssing
Violence/gore: Mild-One man punches another man
Substance Use: Mild-a side character is mentioned to have been drunk at various times (nothing on page)
Prejudices: none
Religious Content: none
Other: Toxic past relationship, death (past), bad guardian


Book Info:
Series: Bachelors of Blackstone's book 4
Genre: Historical Romance; Regency; Romcom
Romance Level: Closed-door
Release Date: Audio available now
Publisher: Dreamscape Select
Narrator: Paula Hunt
POV: Dual First Person

Thank you to the author and audio publisher for the audio review copy from Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

I loved everything about this book! Enemies to lovers, slow burn, forced proximity- Think Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth but instead of fighting and insults, you get witty banter and pranks. Sebastian has a real heart of gold when you give him the chance and Selene is a rough around the edges but soft on the inside woman- and Sebastian's manliness let's her become soft.

This audiobook was an enjoyable listen. I enjoyed the strong character development and mix of plot and character driven storyline. The characters were enjoyable, though at times each could be a little frustrating or annoying. I enjoyed the MFC's maturity. Whereas most historical romance focus on the young innocent debutante or debutantes with bigger dreams than marriage who are almost spinsters, this one focuses on a widow (she isn't old). I loved the idea of the MMC finding himself in a situation where he needed to marry money, and quickly. I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers, slow burn tropes in this book.

The flow of the book was good but I struggled to like Selena as a character or really even reconcile her attitude. Generally speaking she consistently came across as entitled and prejudiced without any empathy to consider other peoples feelings or motives, even just to ask about them. She just made grand assumptions and acted on them which came across as immature and petty.

I also couldn’t figure out where all her bitterness towards her former husband came from. I expected that level to be because he was abusive in some way but he wasn’t. He just treated her in a typical way of the time when marriage was a business arrangement. Nothing he did was that extraordinary to enlist that level of dislike and cynicism towards men. It played to the story but didn’t make much sense.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.

Loved this one!
The characters were great. The plot was unique, fun and hilarious. So many parts had me smiling and laughing. It was a cleverly written book.
I have read a few from this series and have enjoyed them all. They do not have to be read in order for them to make sense.
I was able to listen to this one on audio and the narrator was awesome.I
was sad so have it come to an end.

This is a review of the audiobook. The narrator, Paula Hunt, has done a wonderful job. The narration flows smoothly and the different characters are created convincingly as well as recognizable.

The story is well written and is along the lines of a funny, no-spice historical romance. The outstanding feature of the story for me was the POV of the MMC that explained the thoughts and feelings behind the decision and courtship of a marriage of convenience or rather for money. So far, I have seen the stories told from the POV of the female character either being chased for the money (as is also the case here), “traded in” for the money to save the family or looking for the money match. Also, many stories focus on the warnings against the fortune hunters. But how the fortune hunter feels or why he is on the hunt, this aspect is mostly overlooked. I was thus pleasantly surprised to find it here.

Also, a monkey does add dynamics and comedy to every story. So that was a plus to the sometimes dragging pace, too.

A sweet and clean historical romance, well written and narrated, for the late summer evening to enjoy.

Thanks to netgalley for the arc. Opinions are my own.

Book review: 3.5/5 ⭐️
Genre: regency romance
Themes: obligation, fortunes, love
📖 Read if you like: A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, Bridgerton

I don’t read a lot of romance, but this is exactly the sort of historical romance that is right up my alley. Smart and witty with a dual POV narration. He’s after a fortune, while she is set on putting him in his place. The two will become ensorcelled in a game in which both are playing for their dignity, as much as their hearts. An inevitable sort of attachment grows even as they are both sworn to guard their hearts. The sort of romance to make you smile.

Sebastian Drake will do anything to get his hands on a fortune. With limited options he seeks out the easiest avenue available to him - marry into wealth. When he finds a charming widow who herself married into her newfound wealth, his unscrupulous endeavour begins. Yet, Sebastian’s motivations may not be so blackhearted as they first appear. With three younger siblings he wishes to take guardianship of, he requires money and security.

Selina Lawrence is recently widowed and has no desire to become a covetous object to another man, no matter the desire he may stoke within her. When she discovers that the enigmatic smooth talking Mr. Drake is nothing but a fortune hunter, she must teach him a lesson. With mirth in her eyes and a clever mind, she makes quite the opponent.

This managed to be quite comical with some good banter and some swoon worthy antics in this closed door romance. The tasks Selina comes up with for Sebastian are rather ridiculous, but I never felt too bad for him, seeing as he really was primarily out for her money. While he may have had a good reason, this initial desire made me not like him. I have read this story in reverse and loved it, so I wondered why this bothered me so. I concluded that it had to do with options. Men had choices that just weren’t available to women. They could seek employment and hold onto wealth, while a woman had to give that up as soon as they entered into marriage.

This sort of inequity really made Selina the one with everything to loose in this scenario and I just couldn’t understand why she would still fall for him knowing his motivation.

If I ignored this element, I did enjoy the playful adversaries and Pip was an unexpected addition. There were also a lot of sweet moments and the noisy children were an endearing touch. The narration by Paula Hunt was excellent. An English spin perfect for this story with a pleasing and enjoyable read. Thank you to Dreamscape Select and Netgalley for this audiobook for review.

This contains an audiobook review.

This is part of the Bachelors of Blackstone series. It is a kisses only Regency Era romance series written by seven different authors. Each book has a stand alone story and characters. The Gentlemen's club is what links the books together. Occasionally there may be a mention of a character from another book, but they can be read in any order.

This book was quite entertaining. If you like pranks and mischievous animals, this is your kind of book. Selina and Sebastian go all out in their attempts to get the upper hand. It's quite the ride!

The audio is done only by a female narrator, but I felt that she did an excellent job with the accents and giving each character their own "voice". Highly recommend listening to this one.

I was given the opportunity to listen to an advanced digital copy of this book by Dreamscape Select through Netgalley. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Okay, Martha Keyes, I see what you did here. This book was SO stinkin' cute. I absolutely loved Sebastian and Selina and was 100% engaged in this story from the very start.
With a little bit of "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days" vibes, this was romcom Regency, with fabulous historical vibes, and a lot of heart. I like that it felt unique, even with those vibes, it wasn't a retelling, but felt fresh and original.
Sebastian needs to marry for money, but his fortune hunting is not what it seems and honestly, I love how noble his character truly was. Selina wants to be loved for herself, not for what she can offer. Her and Sebastian have obvious chemistry when they meet, but I love how she put him to the test and the way their romance played out.
With a mischievous monkey, supportive and lovable side characters, and a lot of laughs, this book was an easy five stars for me. I laughed out loud, I cheered for the hero, and I grinned so much at that ending. This book had great wit and the swoon was “ooo la la” good. The kisses alone were yummy. I
I listened to the audiobook version and really liked the narrator. She does both POVs, but I felt like it was easy to follow a long with and know which POV the chapter was in. I received an advance listening copy of this book from Netgalley and Dreamscape. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love books set in history like this one. I feel like the author did a good job of historical details. I love the spunk of the main female character! She is smart, witty, and not ready to let men walk all over her again.

Meanwhile the main male character is desperate, for reasons unlike what one would expect. As the details unfold, the story takes a turn and gives that fairytale ending we like in novels like this.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was a fun/funny little romp of a tale, reminiscent of a PG Wodehouse plot but without Jeeves to solve the trip ups. Sebastian Drake, a handsome man from a good family with no money to speak of needs to marry an heiress-- and soon --to address an emergency. It is a Regency period setting with a great Chancery Court trial that adds to the amusement. Sebastian meets Selina Lawrence, a beautiful and enormously wealthy young widow, glad to be out of an unhappy marriage. Soon, Selina has good reason to believe that Sebastian is a fortune hunter and she engages with his wooing in ways that are meant to drive him crazy. In other words, she decides to harass him in a variety of clever and amusing ways. Along the way, they find they enjoy the battle of wits,, but this does not sway Selina from her plan to remain unmarried forever and to never marry a fortune hunter. It manages to stay well above stupid without rising to a dull or too high handed plot. Well written and a perfect example of what it is meant to be. The novel is a part of a 7 book series called, "Bachelors of Blackstone." I enjoyed the audio version and the story with many a smile and not a few guffaws. Well done!

This book made me smile in so many ways! There was a lot of wit and humor as Sebastian and Selina set out to make the best of each other. Selina is determined to prove Sebastian to be a fortune hunter and make him a fool, while Sebastian is determined to win his love. Add in a marmoset, a custody battle, and a proposal that goes nothing like it was planned; each of these made this book so fun to read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance listener copy of this book. A review was not required.

I liked the MC so much and kept wishing he would tell the truth. This is a trope that really bothers me, that the characters simply do not communicate well. Then it sorta of turns into a con game, another trope I do not enjoy.I know, then there wouldn't be a book. However, all sympathy goes with Sebastian for me and I just didn't like the way Selena treated him.
Sebastian really messed up in the beginning by asking an heiress to marry him after only a week. She rightly turns him down. He is under pressure, and we soon learn why, but he tells no one else, especially the beautiful widow, Selena Lawrence who he next sets his eyes on.
What I did like was Pip the marmoset, and also all the children in the book. The author does write children well.
I did enjoy the audiobook even though I found the book frustrating at times.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook. This is my honest review.

Big Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

'To Hunt an Heiress' is a historical romance about a man seeking a woman with a fortune, and a widow with that said fortune who wants to punish him for being a fortune hunter.

The story had many twists and turns and used many tropes, but it was enjoyable and often funny. The war between the two rivals was entertaining, while the romance was sweet, though its pace was awkward, and I wish it had been better handled when it came to the development of the feelings between them.

In addition, the characters were interesting and endearing. The writing was also lush and perfect for the story.

Finally, the audiobook was nicely narrated and the production of it was done well.

This was a reread for me. I have already read the book and the audio brought the story to life beautifully! If you are looking for a historical romance that will make you laugh out loud look no further! There is still plenty of heart and romance but it’s such a fun way to get there! I would definitely recommend this one!

Martha Keyes’ To Hunt an Heiress is a sweet, farsical novel. Both the MFC and MMC are likable and the story is engaging. And, best of all, you can easily recommend this to your grandmother due to its lack of coarse language or spicy scenes.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I recommend this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️