[Review] Heiress In Red Silk, by Madeline Hunter

Title: Heiress In Red Silk
Series: Duke's Heiress #2
Author: Madeline Hunter
Publisher: Zebra
Number of pages: 304
Publication date: April 27th 2021

Synopsis:

In this sparkling series from New York Times bestselling author Madeline Hunter, a mysterious bequest brings a whole new life—and brand-new love—to three unsuspecting women...

In one life-changing windfall, Rosamund Jameson goes from struggling shopkeeper to heiress—and co-owner of a new business. Not only will her sudden fortune allow her to move her millinery shop to fashionable London, but Rosamund will be able to provide her younger sister with a proper entry into society. The only hitch for resourceful Rosamund is her arrogant, infuriatingly handsome business partner...

Kevin Radnor is shocked that his late uncle, the Duke of Hollinburgh, bequeathed half his company to a total stranger—worse, a beguiling beauty who can only hinder his enterprise. But Rosamund insists on an active, equal partnership, so Kevin embarks on a plan: a seduction that will lead to a marriage of convenience, giving Rosamund the social status she needs, and guaranteeing him the silent partner he desires. Yet as this charismatic gentleman sets his flirtation in motion, he begins to wonder who is seducing whom—and if he can learn to share himself body and mind, without losing his heart...

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

Heiress in Red Silk is the second book in the series A Duke’s Heiress. Here, we meet Rosamund Jameson, the milliner who receives a large inheritance from a Duke she barely knew.

I liked that Rosamund was very focused on her job, but also interested in the new enterprise that came with the inheritance. This, in turn, was something that made Kevin Radnor very upset.

Kevin is an inventor, and he created a model of something that would improve the trains at the time. But he doesn’t really trust anyone with his invention and its construction, which makes it very hard to move it forward.

This book attempts a bit of a My Fair Lady/Pygmalion trope, but for me it was left a bit incomplete.

Kevin annoyed me, and although I liked Rosamund, I didn’t really feel much of a connection between these two characters. The first little bump and they were done. It didn’t feel much like love…

I liked seeing Minerva and Chase, and their story from the first book had much more appeal to me. [Read the review for their book here.]

The mystery of the first book is still present here, but it even though the hero was definitely a suspect to some people, it just never felt like he was ever in dire need of help. And if in the first book I felt wrapped by the whole mystery, this one just made the story a bit boring.

I’m still interested in knowing what happened to the old duke, and who the next heiress is, but to be honest, Kevin and Rosamund’ story wasn’t the best.

[Review] Heiress for Hire, by Madeline Hunter

Title Heiress for Hire
Series: Duke's Heiress #1
Author: Madeline Hunter
Publisher: Zebra Books
Number of pages: 304
Publication date: April 28th 2020

Synopsis:

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, the man who nearly got her convicted of her late husband's murder. 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. Since the scandal surrounding her husband's death, 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...

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

I’ve been a fan of Madeline Hunter’s books for a long time, even if her most recent ones haven’t always had the charm of her earlier books. But this one… it was a book that got out of a reading slump!

I really liked the premise of the book, a duke dies, and three unknown women get almost all of his inheritance. Why? That’s what the whole family is thinking. And Chase Radnor, pretty much the only one who knew he wasn’t getting any money – let’s face it, he didn’t need it – wants to know what happened to his uncle, because his death was not an accident in his mind. And, of course, we understand very quickly that he was right. So, was it one of the women? Was it a family member? A business partner? A member of the household? A complete stranger? These are the questions that go with us as we read the book, and follow the inquiries of both Chase Radnor and one of the mysterious women, Minerva Hepplewhite.

When Chase finds her, he knows there’s something she’s hiding. Is it that she’s killed the duke? He doesn’t think so. Even if his intuition had disappointed him once, he believed he was right.

Minerva has survived her fair share of problems, and she is immensely grateful to Beth and Jeremy, her friends and former employers in her household. When this mysterious inheritance appears, she’s afraid it might disturb their recent peace. And she’s found she’s good at conducting discreet inquiries – very much like Chase. And she wonders: why would someone she’s never met give such a large amount of money?

And this is how Minerva and Chase get involved. I really liked their relationship, how it evolved, with a slow-burn, and more than just a physical thing, they admired each other’s minds, and worked so well together.

I loved the mystery, and following along with our main couple, learning what they learned and seeing their love and steaminess grow.

I also enjoyed seeing how Minerva got through her own fears and past experiences to enjoy her new life, and fall in love again.

It was a great story, filled with romance, and mystery. I can’t wait to find out more about the other heiresses.