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 . . .
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.
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