Series:
Duke's Heiress (Book 3)
The new Duke of Hollinburgh, Nicholas Radnor has two
duties to fulfill: locate the mysterious woman mentioned in his late uncle's
will and acquire a suitable bride. When bedazzling, unconventional Iris
Barrington shows up at the estate, Nicholas believes he may have found the
missing beneficiary -- unless she is a charlatan, or worse. But as for his
second duty -- he is finding it difficult to think of any other woman while
tantalizing thoughts of Iris occupy his mind. He agrees to fulfill the late
duke's promise to her, even as he grows suspicious of both her motives and the
danger that seems to surround her. All of which keeps her temptingly close at
hand…
Iris will do anything to restore honor to her beloved
grandfather's name. Even tangle with the likes of Nicholas, a man whose
formidable intellect and good looks lure her like no other. But all her years
on the continent have not prepared her for the sensual onslaught she discovers
in his embrace -- or the devastation of almost losing him to malicious
intentions. Now Iris's desire to unearth the scandal behind the dukedom burns
ever brighter: for doing so might also protect the man who has stolen her heart
. . .
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, 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.
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