Starred review from February 24, 2020
At the heart of this smart, satisfying Regency romance—the first in a new trilogy from Hunter (Never Deny a Duke)—is the mystery of why a duke would bequeath a fortune to a woman he’d never met. Chase Radnor, gentleman investigator and nephew to the late duke, is instantly suspicious upon meeting newly minted heiress Minerva Hepplewhite. His eccentric uncle’s fall from a parapet looks like murder, and Minerva gained a great deal from his death. The self-reliant young widow also has a dark, secretive past that makes her a perfect suspect. To clear her name, Minerva begins her own investigation into the duke’s death, launching Hepplewhite’s Office of Discreet Inquiries, and she and Chase form an uneasy alliance as they first compete for, then begin to share, clues. Hunter gives the well-matched pair plenty of ground to cover with a wide cast of memorable suspects, and their clever detective work is a consistent pleasure. The plot moves apace, but Chase and Minerva’s relationship is treated patiently, with their attraction simmering alongside mutual respect, and their eventual love scenes are sensitively rendered. Romance readers craving substantive mystery and intelligent leads will savor this pitch-perfect love story. Agent: Pamela Hopkins, Hopkins Literary.
March 15, 2020
An unexpected heiress finds love with the nephew of her benefactor as they both investigate the death that brought them together. After an eccentric duke dies, his family unhappily discovers that his estate has been bequeathed to three unknown ladies in this series opener. Chase Radnor doesn't believe his uncle's death was an accident. Minerva Hepplewhite, one of the new heiresses, is on his list of suspects. The unanticipated fortune means Minerva can finally start her investigation business, Hepplewhite's Office of Discreet Inquiries, and she decides to become her own first client. She wants to uncover the truth about the duke's death and her connection to him before someone goes digging too much into her past and reopens the case of her abusive husband's murder five years ago. Chase doesn't trust this woman who keeps showing up in his path, yet he's captivated by her. Minerva thought her husband forever ruined her appetite for intimacy, but Chase is reawakening long-buried yearnings. They know an alliance is a bad idea, but since they are working on the same case, perhaps they could share some information, and a few kisses, with each other. The romance is a slow burn for the first half as the pair learn to develop trust, though their banter is sharp and exciting, and it's the mysteries surrounding the dead duke and both Minerva's and Chase's pasts that propel the plot forward more than the romance. Unfortunately, the anticlimactic resolutions of these mysteries undermine the satisfying relationship at the end. Fun but ultimately underwhelming.
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April 1, 2020
Three women are left fortunes by a duke they've never met in this first of a new romantic whodunit series from award-winning author Hunter (Never Deny a Duke). Minerva Hepplewhite is the first to discover she's an heiress from the duke's nephew, Chase, after she nearly knocks him unconscious, thinking he's an intruder in her home. Down on her luck since leaving her abusive husband, Minerva knows the money is just what she needs to start her detective business, Hepplewhite's Office of Discreet Inquiries. Unfortunately, her first case--determining how her mysterious benefactor died--is also being investigated by Chase, and Minerva is his prime suspect. Though the two are at odds to start, they grudgingly admire each other's skills and eventually pair up for business and pleasure. Frustratingly, the mystery remains unsolved until later in the series. Also, some readers may find the blunt descriptions of Minerva's past abuse by her husband particularly disturbing. VERDICT Readers who enjoy strong elements of crime solving in their romances will love Minerva and Chase's sleuthing, but be prepared to collect the entire series for closure on the mystery.--Kathryn Howe, Saint John Free P.L., NB
Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 15, 2020
Minerva Hepplewhite admits that inheriting a large sum of money from the late Duke of Hollinburgh, a man she swears she never met, seems a bit fishy. Especially given the recent rumors about whether the Duke accidentally fell off the roof of his country house or was "helped" over the edge. The Duke's nephew, Chase Radnor, subscribes to the latter theory, and he is already pursuing his own investigation into his relative's death. Which really leaves suspect Minerva no choice but to draw upon her own resources, including the newly minted Hepplewhite Office of Discreet Inquiries, to prove her innocence. It's no mystery why RITA Award-winning Hunter (Never Deny a Duke, 2019) continues to be a favorite of discerning historical-romance readers. And the literary proof in the pudding is this launch of her new Duke's Heiress series, which delivers a superbly sexy love story deftly dovetailed with a well-crafted, mystery-spiked plot, and graced with a cast of endlessly amusing characters.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)