⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Yes. It’s a delightful, flirty romance between two potential enemies, who never saw each other that way.
The previous Duke of Hollinburgh had left significant portions of his estate to three unknown women. The third heiress has been impossible to find up to date and her money will go back to the family if she doesn’t claim it. At the last minute, Iris Barrington shows up at Nicholas’s doorstep, but not for the reasons the current Duke thinks. Nicholas is determined to solve the mystery of Iris and her allegations of wrongdoing by his family.
MY THOUGHTS
Iris’s profession as rare book dealer took her all over the world and introduced her to many different kinds of people. She was worldly and not afraid of that label at all. It allowed her to be bold with Nicholas in a way that he was unused to from the women in his circles. Iris intrigued him. Nicholas was under some pressure to marry for a large dowry to keep his estates and family afloat. His aunt kept throwing a specific debutant his way, but he only had eyes for Iris. I didn’t particularly care for this addition to the story.
I enjoyed the hidden looks, furtive touches, and overt flirting between Nicholas and Iris. All these little gestures accumulated slowly until they couldn’t hold it in anymore. The story moves from London to a house party in the country and back to London, and all the while Nicholas’s fascination keeps growing.
There were two separate mysteries that needed solving and both were skillfully handled. They did not detract from each other, and one was not treated as an afterthought over the other. I was really invested in finding out the truth behind Iris’s claims, and that truth wasn’t anything I had guessed up to that point.
A Duke’s Heiress provides a satisfying conclusion to this series. I can highly recommend it to any reader who likes historical romance with a little bit of mystery. Each book stands well on its own, but I think you will find more value in the series if it is read in order.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.
Genre: Historical Romance
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Series: A Duke’s Heiress
Other books in the series: Heiress for Hire, Heiress in Red Silk
