Heiress in red silk

Dreams do come true. After receiving an out-of-the-blue bequest from the duke of Hollinburgh, Rosamund Jameson not only now has the money to expand her millinery business to London but also the opportunity to provide a better life for her younger sister. There is just one drawback. Part of Rosamund's legacy is tied up in a business owned by the late duke's nephew, Kevin Radnor. Kevin believes that the last thing he needs is a female co-owner, especially one who does not shy away from offering him advice or insisting on an active role in the company. Might there be a way to convince Rosamund to trade in her role as Kevin's business partner for something "better," like that of his wife? In the second stellar addition to her A Duke's Heiress series, following Heiress for Hire (2020), RITA Award--winning Hunter gifts readers with a marvelously resourceful heroine, inventive storytelling that refreshingly explores an unusual aspect of the Regency world, vibrant and witty writing, and some potently sensual love scenes.

Hunter's second A Duke's Heiress Regency romance is sure to satisfy fans who fell for Heiress for Hire's thoughtful love story and clever leads. Struggling milliner Rosamund Jameson's life is upended when she learns she is the second surprise beneficiary of the late, eccentric Duke of Hollinburgh. In addition to a fortune, Rosamund inherits the duke's 50% stake in his nephew Kevin Radnor's fledgling manufacturing company. Kevin, fiercely protective of his vision and accustomed to working alone, is unprepared for his lovely new business partner to play an active role in the company's future. A practical marriage to Rosamund could be the ideal solution for Kevin to ensure control of his enterprise, but a shared attraction and growing attachment threaten this convenient plan. Hunter skillfully renders the difficult conversations and compromises that are the stuff of real-life romance, showing Kevin and Rosamund learning to make decisions together both as lovers and business partners. Lively scenes featuring Kevin's awful family, as well as a fun, steamy business trip to Paris, balance out the discussions of contracts nicely. The ongoing mystery of the first installment is mostly tabled, but readers open to the lighter premise here will be rewarded with another smart pairing and a genuinely romantic ending. Agent: Pamela Hopkins, Hopkins Literary. (May)