Madeline Hunter (1) (1952–2025)

Okay, yes: a romance novel. But in terms of well-written sexy brilliance, this takes the cake. Most romance-novel heroines are dippy virgins; most heros are deeply muscled jerks (if not rape apologists). Here, Our Darling Moira is twice widowed - and Our Dear Addis pays more attention to his godawful scar than his glorious muscles - and they both seriously grow as characters - in between all the humping - and moreover, their relationship just makes sense.

There are a few cringeworthy moments, show more but there's a lot more hilarity. ("You're lying here in a brothel being licked by a whore and you question my virtue?")

Plus it totally cemented my friendship with K. So. Four stars. Yes. Oh! Addis! show less

This was an enjoyable conclusion to the series. Nicholas, the new Duke of Hollinburgh, is slowly settling into his new role. As the book opens, he contemplates some of his challenges. One is finding the last of the three mysterious heiresses mentioned in his late uncle's will, and another is looking for a suitable bride to bring much-needed cash into the family. The heiress has been challenging to track down, so Nicholas is shocked when she shows up at his estate.

Iris, a rare book dealer, show more extracted a promise from the late duke that he would look for a missing rare book that she believes is in his possession. That book is at the heart of a scandal that ruined her grandfather's reputation, and she is determined to find it and prove him innocent. She is shocked to discover that the duke left her a substantial inheritance. She understands Nicholas's doubts and agrees to an understanding with him - she will inventory and appraise the books in his library if he agrees to look for the missing book.

I liked both Nicholas and Iris. Nicholas is an honorable man who didn't expect to inherit the title as soon as he did. Now he is land-rich and cash poor with many relatives who are furious at being cut out of his uncle's will, and they are making his life miserable. His best friends are his cousins Chase and Kevin, the heroes from the series' first two books. All three are convinced their uncle's death was not an accident, but their investigation has not revealed any proof.

Iris is a spirited and independent woman. She is a professional woman who makes her living buying and selling rare books all over Europe. She has no trouble going after what she wants, whether clearing her grandfather's name or giving in to the attraction she feels for Nicholas. I loved that she didn't let the relatives' attitudes get to her.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Nicholas and Iris develop. The sparks between them are evident from the start, and it was fun to see the attraction build as they got to know each other. There is some distrust between them, as Nicholas suspects that Iris is hiding something, and Iris isn't sure Nicholas will agree to something that would tarnish his family's reputation. The banter between them was fun, as neither held back when they had something to say. When it came to their attraction, Nicholas had no trouble showing Iris how he felt but left the pace of their relationship up to her.

I liked how they worked together to search for the missing book and how it brought them closer. Nicholas finds himself less interested in the "suitable" bride his aunts push at him and more inclined to make Iris a permanent part of his life. Iris has fallen hard for Nicholas but feels the gap between them is too significant to make anything permanent possible. That feeling intensifies when she makes a devastating discovery. I love that Iris is honest with him about what she found and that Nicholas shows her that it makes no difference to his feelings for her.

Several mysteries kept me guessing throughout the book. First is the mystery that runs through the series - was the previous duke's death an accident or murder? Nicholas, Chase, and Kevin have their suspicions but no proof. Second, is the mystery of the missing book. Nicholas and Iris have questions about the reasons for its disappearance, as nothing about it makes sense. Then there is the mystery of the attacks that happen when Nicholas and Iris are together. Who is the target? Iris, because of the inheritance, or Nicholas, because he is the current duke? The twists and turns of this story kept me guessing to the end, as the interweaving of all three made a surprising conclusion.

The relationships in the book were one of the highlights. In addition to the one between Nicholas and Iris, we see more of the previous couples. Minerva is now expecting, and Chase's overprotectiveness is sweet and irritating. Minerva is so frustrated with him that she finds ways to escape his hovering, creating hilarious situations. Rosamunde is a willing co-conspirator who gets Kevin in hot water with his cousin. The close friendship between the three cousins is heartwarming, though there is also a fair amount of teasing among the three. It is especially amusing to see Nicholas's reactions to Kevin and Chase's propensity to be "distracted" by their wives. I loved how Minerva, Rosamunde, and Iris bonded so quickly. The three get up to some interesting shenanigans, and seeing how the men react is fun.

The other relationships that dominate the book are those of Nicholas's relations. They all feel entitled to anything they want, and Nicholas has his work cut out to keep them in line. I liked watching him grow into his ducal dignity and use it effectively, though there were other times when they seemed to walk all over him. His two aunts were especially good at that, and Iris gets into the act when she uses them to set up Nicholas. I laughed out loud at the drawing-room scene where Nicholas pictured Iris and Minerva as lionesses bringing down a gazelle (Aunt Agnes) who never realized she was being hunted. He was less amused when he started to feel like a gazelle himself.

My only disappointment with the book was the lack of an epilogue. I would like to have seen them two or three years in the future, happy and prospering.

#netgalley show less

I really loved Ravishing in Red, the first in the Rarest Blooms quartet, but I admit to feeling tepid about Provocative in Pearls.

Generally I love stories about couples who are forced into marriage, as Verity and Hawkeswell are. Verity was bullied through the ceremony but after the vows were said and done, she runs away and ends up among the Rarest Blooms. That leaves Hawkeswell, who's badly strapped for cash, in the lurch. Because their marriage is unconsummated he can't access her show more fortune, but as long as she's presumed to be alive he can't marry anyone else.

When fate brings Hawkeswell and Verity back into contact, we find out that she's been operating based on a lot of false assumptions. She assumes that Hawkeswell has had access to her vast fortune during the two years she's been gone. She assumes that he's frivolous by nature and needs her money for wasteful luxuries. She assumes that he's in league with her cruel cousin, and that he'd be a controlling, unkind husband who would refuse her any goals and pursuits of her own.

You know what they say about assumptions? Because that's how I felt about Verity. For the first half of the novel her primary goal is to convince Hawkeswell to grant her an annulment. He's dead broke and getting an annulment would take time, years maybe, during which he'd be living on the knife's edge of poverty. That seems like a lot of ask from him when she can't be bothered to do some basic due diligence, find out who he is or what the marriage she's rejecting would be like.

For his part, Hawkeswell is determined to make the marriage work. He devises a scheme to seduce Verity, demanding three kisses a day, which reminded me of another book, Thunder and Roses (Signet Historical Romance), which used a kiss-a-day bargain to devastating effect. Hunter suffers from the comparison; the chemistry between Verity and Hawkeswell is not strong, and the kisses don't do much to bridge the gap between them.

I didn't feel the chemistry between them, and by the end, I still didn't feel like they belonged together. show less

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 show more 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. show less