Heiress in Red Silk

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. [em]Agent: Pamela Hopkins, Hopkins Literary. (May) [/em]