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    Heiress for Hire
    Heiress for Hire
    Heiress for Hire
    Audiobook9 hours

    Heiress for Hire

    Written by Madeline Hunter

    Narrated by Beverley A. Crick

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    In this stunning series debut from New York Times bestselling author Madeline Hunter, a duke’s mysterious
    bequest brings fortune—and passion—to three young women …

    Minerva Hepplewhite has learned the hard way how to take care of herself. When an intruder breaks into her
    home, she doesn’t swoon or simper. Instead she wallops the rogue over the head and ties him up—only to realize he
    is Chase Radnor, a gentleman and grandson of a lord, and a man who makes it his business to investigate suspicious
    matters. Now he’s insisting that Minerva has inherited a fortune from his uncle, a wealthy duke. Only one thing could
    surprise her more: her sudden attraction to this exasperating man …

    Chase can’t decide whether Minerva is a wronged woman or a femme fatale. Either way, he’s intrigued. Maddeningly,
    with her unexpected inheritance, she has set up a discreet detective business to rival Chase’s own. She may be the
    perfect person to help him uncover the truth about his uncle’s demise. But as proximity gives way to mutual seduction,
    Chase realizes he craves a much deeper alliance …
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateApr 28, 2020
    ISBN9781980077022

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    Reviews for Heiress for Hire

    4/5

    36 ratings8 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Chase Radnor is investigating the mysterious death of his uncle and finds some of his bequests to strangers suspicious. Minerva is one of the legatees and has some mystery in her own backstory. The two team up to investigate the death and also find out more about the other.It's a fairly typical historical romance, enjoyable to read with interesting characters. I expect we'll find the murderer in the third book of the series, but I'm willing to take the ride with the three young women who'll feature in the series as the unknowing legatees of the duke.
    • 3/5
      Set vaguely in the 19th century, judging by the cover art and the characters vaguely attempting to follow society norms of the era, we are vaguely introduced to Minerva Hepplewhite (formerly Mrs.Finnley), just as she has bashed an intruder over the head with a bed warmer. The intruder turns out to be not a thief, but one Chase Radnor, vaguely a member of the aristocracy, by way of his cousin the new Duke, and who vaguely dabbles in Inquiries. He has vaguely begun investigating the untimely death of his uncle, the old Duke, and tracking down the strangers with whom the old Duke was vaguely acquainted, and to whom he has left the unentailed part of his vaguely massive fortune. Chase is vaguely attracted to Minerva, but disinclined to trust her, as she could vaguely be called a suspect. Minerva returns his vague affection and simultaneous distrust, as she was vaguely traumatized by her former husband, now timely deceased, and has also recently decided to go into the vague business of Discreet Inquiries. These are both clever people, and they end up working together to resolve the mystery, while each holding back from the other (and sometimes the reader) some bit of vaguely pertinent information.The story is enjoyable if you are vaguely interested in romance novels, and don't mind the author's vague interpretation of historical setting and social attitudes. At least she writes well, and plot moves along quickly, even if she only vaguely understands trauma and how someone might respond to surviving an abusive relationship.Unlike some of the other reviewers here, I paid full price for my paperback copy.
    • 3/5
      I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.When the Duke of Hollingburgh dies suddenly, his will reveals that he has left the bulk of his money and business interests to three women, women the family has never heard of. One of the duke's nephews, Chase, is tasked with finding these three women and with investigating the duke's death. A former soldier who was cashed out under a cloud of suspicion, Chase will only go by the facts in a case and not let his emotions affect him ever again but dealing with family and one of the mysterious heiress, it's harder said than done.He opened his eyes to see the end of a pistol mere inches from his head. His gaze traveled up the arm that held it, until he looked into the furious dark eyes of a very handsome dark-haired woman. She held the pistol like she knew how to use it. Heiress For Hire was a leisurely mystery with a mature, tranquil romance and engaging characters. As a first in the series, the set-up for the storyline, that will obviously continue throughout at least what I can discern for three books, takes up a lot of the page time. The former duke's death that our hero Chase is investigating for probable murder is not resolved in this book and will obviously be the thread that ties the series together. While the introduction to the family members and how they are all set-up as red-herrings to keep you guessing was well thought out, it did steal too much time from our main characters and their romance.It had been stupid to allow herself to taste that which she dare not enjoy in full.Our heroine, Minerva, is one of the three mysterious women the duke left money to. I found her character and background more flushed out than Chase's and therefore she became the stronger character. Minerva is a widow who has changed her name to distance herself from any possible negativity to do with a trial that tried to convict her of murdering her husband. This is what sparks some of the conflict in keeping Chase and Minerva wary of each other. Chase believes his uncle was murdered and Minerva doesn't want her past dredged up and understands that she would be a prime suspect in the duke's possible murder. Minerva's husband was also abusive and this leads her to being slightly fearful of intimacy with Chase but the agency and control Chase gives to her during their moments of closeness have her healing and moving forward in this regard. He hated how being disillusioned once had him guarding information now.Chase's background and cloud over his leaving the army is kept secret for the majority of the book and while his friendship with his cousins, the new duke Nicholas and Kevin and his calm deliberate care towards Minerva, give insight to his personality, I still felt he wasn't colored in enough. I think I was around one-hundred pages in and I realized because of Chase and Minerva's background still kept secret and the focus more on the murder mystery set-up, I felt like I still didn't know these characters. Towards the end when Minerva and Chase get more time together, I enjoyed their by-play and interactions, which were smooth and calm. There really is no angst or dramatic flares to the story or characters, if you're looking for a more mature and comfortable romance, this would be the couple to read.Secondary characters filled this story out wonderfully but the romance was overtaken by the series set-up too much for me. Minerva and Chase were a couple where the gradual friendship definitely built the trust to make acting on their mutual attraction believable. I just wish I had felt closer to them and the pace of the story was picked up a bit. I am curious to see who the other two mystery heiresses will be and if Chase's cousins Nicholas and Kevin will be paired with them.
    • 4/5
      Mysteries develop!An eccentric bachelor duke is dead and family expectations are not met.Minerva Hepplewhite, a woman with secrets, inherits a small fortune from said Duke. A man unknown to her. It's in her interests to investigate the circumstances around the Duke's death to ensure that her secrets aren't revealed, otherwise the suspicions about his death might fall upon her.This woman who investigates secrets meets with another more experienced investigator. Chase Radnor, a man used to secrets, nephew to the eccentric Duke Hollinburgh, investigates his death for his own reasons, and on behalf of the home secretary, Robert Peel.Of course Chase and Minerva come into contact--in a most unexpected way.Of course that contact has an underlying frisson of sexual energy.Minerva however wants nothing to do with men, given her experience at her dead husband's hands.There are some interesting characters that feel like they might grow into more.Minerva's small adopted family circle for one. Her cook / housekeeper Beth and son Jeremy. Chase's valet and sometime agent (or so he claims) Briggs. Chases's various relatives, the grasping and the frustrated. All have a story.In the end we don't know who killed the Duke. Will future works in the series reveal that? In part that doesn't matter. What is important is Chase and Minerva's story and their road to emotional healing. A chancy technique leaving us hanging, but it works.It seems the death of the Duke will be an organizing theme for future books in the series. An interesting hook!A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley
    • 4/5
      Series: Duke’s Heiress #1Publication Date: 4/28/20Number of Pages: 304This was a very nice introduction and set-up for an interesting new series. There is an overarching mystery in the series – who murdered the duke. We meet the duke’s siblings and his nephews and learn enough about each of them to wonder if they could possibly be the murderer. We learn even more about Nicholas and Kevin who I assume will be the heroes in the upcoming books – I really liked both of them. I think the author handled the mystery of the duke’s death very nicely and didn’t let it overpower the romance. The book is well written, the characters are fully developed and relatable, the mystery is nicely plotted, and the romance is sweet and very believable between two people who are shaped by their pasts. The story starts off a bit slow but soon gets ramped up. It also nicely sets up the remaining books in the series and I will be excited to see what the author has in store for our next hero and heroine.Chase Radnor, the nephew of the Duke of Hollinburgh, isn’t having a particularly good evening. It certainly isn’t going as he planned! He had planned to break into the house and find evidence against the occupant – instead, he is trussed up, bleeding, and has a big knot on his head. He is the one being interrogated. How had that happened? It had all started with his uncle’s will – nobody in the family received anything, and three totally unknown women received very large bequests. Needless to say, that didn’t sit well with the family. Chase, who is an investigator, is tasked with tracking down these women, finding their relationship with the duke – and, maybe discrediting them – and maybe, just maybe, finding out whether they had a hand in the duke’s death. He found the first woman, Minerva Hepplewhite, broke into her home to look for evidence against her – and now here he sits, totally at her mercy.Minerva cannot believe what this intruder into her home is telling her. She is an heiress because she has been left ten thousand pounds AND a lucrative partnership in an investment. While this bequest would solve most of her problems, she’s never met this duke – nor any other duke. Not only that, with the duke’s death being suspicious, but she’d also be a very likely suspect if they dug into her past.As Chase continues with his investigation, Minerva starts her own, and they often end up at the same places. As they are thrown together more and more often, there is a lustful attraction added to the mix. Kisses soon lead to other things, but Chase knows it can’t lead to anything further because of Minerva’s past. She’ll never marry again – she has told him so, and after hearing her story, he doesn’t blame her. Can he convince her? Can she learn to trust again? You’ll just have to read the book to see.This is definitely a book I can recommend. I loved the characters, the writing, and the mystery. I can’t wait to read the next book.I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      Went back in time with my reading, just got done reading a rom-com so that could have been why I didn't love the book. Now dont get me wrong, I did like it but I guess was hoping for a little more. It was more serious with poor Minerva whose past relationship was an abusive one but now she is a widower and unfortunately for her his death was sceptical. .So now she is being investigated when finding out that she is one of these three women mentioned in a will for a fortune naturally the family knew nothing about these women want them investigated, I would to and that is when the nephew comes in Chase and they want to know if the death was accidental of not. we have some steam, and sadness and my friend a sort of cliffhanger so keep that in mind.rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
    • 5/5
      Acclaimed historical romance author Madeline Hunter begins her "A Duke's Heiress Series" with "Heiress for Hire", which features a smart, resourceful heroine who is as brave as she is beautiful. Minerva Hepplewhite left behind an unhappy past and created a new life and a new identify. Starting her own investigative agency with the help of two friends, she has an aptitude for discovering the secrets of others while hiding secrets of her own. An intruder into her home turns out not to be a thief, but another private investigator on a mission of personal importance. Chase Radnor, nephew of the eccentric and recently deceased Duke of Hollinburgh, has been tasked with finding three unexpected, previously unknown heirs to the Duke's estate. His attempt to uncover information about Minerva while snooping about her home is thwarted by a blow to his head and an inquiry by Minerva herself. Chase and Minerva have their suspicions about each other--she doesn't know why the Duke named her in his will, and Chase is not sure of her real identity. However, as the two of them continue to cross paths. their initial spark of mutual awareness flames into something deeper and hotter. There is more than one mystery to be solved, and Chase and Minerva are equally matched at deduction--can these two inquiring minds solve the puzzles which just might keep them apart? When truths are revealed, will there be hope for a bright and happy future for all? "Heiress for Hire" is an intelligent, intriguing sparks-fly historical romance, and I look forward to the upcoming books in the series.Book Copy Gratis Kensington Books via BookishFirst