The Heir's Fortune

Reckless Rogues #5

by Ellie St. Clair

She never thought she would need a knight-in-shining-armor – most especially in the form of her best friend’s brother.

Despite the scandals that plague his family, future duke Lord Gideon Sutcliffe vows to restore the dukedom’s reputation and refill its coffers. His two solutions? Finding the treasure he’s been hunting, or marrying for a worthwhile dowry.

Neither of which includes Lady Madeline Bainbridge. With a paltry dowry, average looks, a forthright, dramatic manner, and a penchant for all things Gothic, she is the last woman Gideon would need. Nor does his straightforward, responsible manner match her reckless ways.

When Madeline is kidnapped by those determined to reclaim the treasure, it will be a race to see who rescues her first – Gideon or herself. When they begin to see that there is more to one another than they initially assumed, will the mismatched pair escape unscathed and find the treasure, or does fortune have another ending in store?

This is best-friend's-brother, opposites attract, he-falls-first Regency romance featuring a gothic-loving heroine and a dutiful future duke. The Reckless Rogues series is best read in order.

Genres: Regency

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 22, 2024

About the author

Ellie St. Clair writes heartwarming Regency romances with spirited heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, and happily ever afters. Her passion for history shines through in richly drawn characters and romances brimming with irresistible tension.

A former journalist with an incurable love of history, she is the author of popular series such as Remingtons of the Regency and The Bluestocking Scandals. She lives in Saskatchewan, Canada, with her husband and three children.

When she isn’t crafting romantic tales or keeping up with her kids, she’s mainlining coffee, sweating it out on her Peloton, valiantly attempting to keep her plants alive, planning her next dog rescue, or dreaming of lake escapes.

Ellie loves corresponding with readers, so visit her website, email her, sign up for her newsletter or join her Facebook group for exclusive content, giveaways, and sneak peeks at upcoming books.

Contact her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/elliestclair, and sign up for her mailing list at http://www.elliestclair.com/subscribe.

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the scandals that plague his family, future duke Lord Gideon Sutcliffe vows to restore the dukedom’s reputation and refill its coffers. His two solutions? Finding the treasure he’s been hunting, or marrying for a worthwhile dowry. Neither of which includes Lady Madeline Bainbridge. With a paltry dowry, average looks, a forthright, dramatic manner, and a penchant for all things Gothic, she is the last woman Gideon would need. When Madeline is kidnapped by those determined to reclaim the treasure, it will be a race to see who rescues her first – Gideon or herself. Then the couple start to see each other in a new light.
The fifth & finale to this lovely series, I must admit I’ve been waiting for Gideon’s story since the first book & it didn’t disappoint. I’ve love Gideon & Madeline throughout the series, they’ve locked horns but there’s always been that je ne sais quoi simmering. A very well written book that had twists & turns I didn’t see coming & I also wondered if Gideon & Madeline would find their HEA. They are helped by their close friends & I enjoyed seeing the five couples come together again. Does Gideon find his treasure? Well that would be telling! An engrossing, enthralling book, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I loved the extended epilogue which rounded off the series beautifully
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my 28th book by Ellie St Claire. I picked up 1 book in late 2017, then 2 more in 2018 and then not again until May 2022 and I have read 23 of her books since. She is quickly becoming a favorite. I really am liking this series.

Don’t take that it took me 5-6 days to finish this book. I was super busy Saturday and then got sick Sunday and was sick 3 days. I thought great, I can read a lot. Except I noticed for some reason when I am sick, I may read a few pages or a chapter but hardly read at all. Not sure why that is.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this final book in the series. Once I was able to actually take a minute to start reading it, I didn’t want to stop. I just loved Gideon and Madeline. They were so freakin’ cute together. Him this quiet, stuffy guy and her this adorably outspoken woman. Such a great read!

[Lisa H · Rating 5 out of 5]

He shouldn’t be interested in her…

Gideon is duty bound as a future duke to find treasure and marry for money. Not think about Lady Madeline, who has an uncertain future and no money.
This is the last piece of the treasure hunting puzzle (each prior book has clues).

Suspense, a fearless and spunky damsel in Madeline, a good future duke in Gideon.
Recommend.

[Phylis Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories, each one a standalone story but all tied together with related characters. Each story has plenty of drama, some unexpected twists and amazing endings. Don't miss this opportunity. A delightful adventure awaits you.

[Suzette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Reckless Rogues series comes to a brilliant end. Gideon and Madeline have always been at odds. Gideon is the heir to a Dukedom and the eventual recipient of the treasure hunt. Madeline is a feisty, no nonsense friend of his sister. The story has danger and daring as they get closer to finding the treasure. It brings all the characters from the previous books together and will have a wonderful surprise for readers towards the end.

[Lana Birky · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heir’s Fortune follows the dutiful future duke, Lord Gideon Sutcliffe, as he faces the daunting task of restoring his family’s tarnished reputation and securing financial stability. His practical plans do not account for the fiery Lady Madeline Bainbridge, a gothic-loving heroine with a modest dowry and a penchant for the dramatic. As fate intertwines their paths, Madeline’s kidnapping by treasure hunters, forces Gideon to confront his feelings and the possibility that love may be the greatest fortune of all.

This book and the entire series are a wonderful blend of historical richness and romantic intrigue. The author’s excellent writing shines through in the vivid descriptions and the development of characters that are relatable and enchanting, and also offers the readers a blend of suspense, wit, and heartfelt moments. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Polly Guilarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventure,Romance, likeable characters

This book has adventure and romance and interesting characters that you can relate to. They're not perfect but they communicate better than I've seen characters communicate in the past in other books by other authors, where if they had just talked to each other, there wouldn't be so many problems. But in this series, they had good communication and were able to solve realistic and adventurous problems together and with their group.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding story to end the reckless rogue series.

Best friends brother trope, enemies to lover, opposites attract

Madeline is feisty outspoken and she's not afraid to speak her mind. What's more she can't stand people telling her what to do. So she stands up to her friend's brother who is a Duke who tells her stay put however there's danger just around the corner.

Gideon is serious minded and all about taking care of the dukedome that he is in near ruins because of people he and his family trusted when he was younger.. He needs the treasure like he needs water. What he doesn't need is a walking and talking scandal. However with that treasure comes danger.

With that danger lurking in the background they start seeing each other in a different light and they start seeing that they bring out the best in each other.

I enjoyed seeing all of the previous characters coming together and helping with the treasure hunt and to help these two to get their own happiness..

I definitely enjoyed this entire series.

I can't wait to see what Ellie has in store next.

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest voluntary review and this is purely based upon my own personal opinion and that of no one else

[Sandra Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating for The Heir's Fortune, by Ellie St. Clair: 3 stars

This is an OK historical romance, but it is very unrealistic. I didn't really mind, though, because it was an entertaining read. Most of the characters were likable, and there were a lot of interesting scenes. The reader does need to be prepared for how unrealistic it is, though -- because their behavior doesn't really fit the Regency period, and the way they go about solving the mystery is not very believable.

I liked Gideon, but wanted him to loosen up a little. He was just so fixated on restoring his family fortune that he didn't allow himself to ever really live. Even with the treasure hunt, he wanted to find the treasure so badly that he didn't really have fun hunting with his friends. I also thought he changed his opinion of Madeline a little too quickly to be believable. He had always thought she was kind of plain, and way too unconventional and outspoken for him -- but then he was suddenly in love with her? I didn't believe it.

I liked Madeline, too, but also thought her opinion of Gideon changed a little to quickly. He had always kind of ignored her, and she blamed him for what happened to her friend -- but all of a sudden, she was in love? I just didn't buy it.

The mystery is finally solved in this book. I suspected it would be resolved in the last book of the series, and it was.

My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.

[Nanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved every book in this series. One must read the books in order to get the most out of them. Each book deals with friends of Gideon, the future duke of Sutcliffe and his sister, Cassandra, lady friends too. After Cassandra finds a riddle left by their Grandparents of a treasure hidden somewhere. A treasure the family is in dire need of. With their father taken ill and their mother taking care of him all the other duties fall to Gideon. With scandals from the past and the lack of funds to run the estate the family needs help. As each couple follows the clues and learn more clues in each book. Each book has its share of problems, adventure, villains' danger and of course love and passion too. I have wondered through the series just how Ellie would deal with Gideon’s story. He has been the center of the need for money and had a hard time asking his friends for help. He is steadfast and takes all the blame on himself. A lot of which he was too young to do anything about or even know about. Madeline is the best friend of Cassandra and has always dislike him for how he treated her in the past. As her father is gone a lot, a gambler who sees her as something of a burden and has given her much more freedom than women were allowed. She has spent a lot of time with Cassandra and around Gideon. Starting with the finding of the puppy, Scout their dealings with each other are about to change. Madeline is plain, outspoken and has a small dowry. All of which send most men running. Gideon never knows how to take her and feels out of shorts around her. Then she is kidnapped and everything changes. Oh, my! As Gideon and her find there is more to each other than they knew. Add in past villains, bring all the past couples back together to finally find the treasure. Gideon feels it is up to him to find the treasure and if not to marry for money to restore the family holdings. So many twists and turns, emotions run high with tons of passion and feelings. A great finish to a wonderful series. One of the best parts is there is not one but two epilogue's that are part of the story and you don’t have to click to read them! I received an ARC from the author and wish to thank her. This is my honest opinion and am freely giving it.

[Linda J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything is wrapped up nicely to the end of the series. We are treated to an extended epilogue 5 years in the future, which you didn't have to download separately.

The author tells us the books are better enjoyed read in order. Each story in the series, have two friends trying to unravel where the treasure is. This last one finally has them discovering the treasure with many bumps and danger along the way. I loved how the characters from the other books are part of this story in finding the treasure.

Lovemaking outside of marriage, heat level 5 out of 5. I did feel a connection to this couple and for me it was filled with passion and love.

Story has violence, suspense, twists, nasty villains, HEA, romance, honest dialogue and a cute dog. No cheating, no cliffhanger and steam.

I received ARC from Bookfunnel and author, all opinions are my own and freely given. (ljb)

[Sahar's Honest Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Entertaining, Historical, Romantic Adventure

Gideon was her best friend's brother, but she had no use for him. However, they were both looking for that elusive treasure that would restore the dukedom. Then, the unthinkable happened to Madeline, and Gideon came to her rescue, something she did not expect. Perhaps, he was not as bad as she thought. Unfortunately, even though the two found themselves unexpectedly falling in love, Gideon had a duty to his dukedom. If they could not find the treasure, he must marry a woman with a dowry. Madeline had none.

Would Gideon find the treasure? If he did not find it, would he choose love or duty? I enjoyed this entertaining, historical, romantic adventure and would recommend it. Although this is a complete story, this is a series best read in order.

[NelleRenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series in which each books builds on the other so it is best to read them in order. The final book revolves around the two remaining unmarried persons. The hero is in search of a treasure to help his financially strapped family or else he will have to marry for money. The heroine is is sister’s best friend and is very intelligent and given a lot of freedom by her gambler father. There has never been a close relationship between these two, but once she is kidnapped and they seek the treasure together, they come to more of an understanding of who they truly are. I liked that the extended epilogue was connected to the book and not having to go to a website. I received an ARC for an honest review.

[Annette Drewett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant conclusion to this wonderful series. Gideon and Madeline’s story brings an end to the treasure hunt but there are a few twists along the way which had me guessing how everything would be solved. It is great that our previous heroes and heroines show up to help in the final search and the take down of Don Rafael. I really enjoyed the final reveal about the treasure. This series needs to be read in order to get the most out of the underlying story. I highly recommend this book to Regency romance lovers everywhere.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[KAREN MARTIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful ending to the series,

This is the final book of the reckless rogues, and what a great story. The books can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend you read them in order. Each story exposes a clue in the hunt for a possible treasure that is thought to belong to the estate. The adventure continues for the four friends of Cassandra and the four friends of her brother Gideon. Out of the ten four matches had been made in the previous books leaving Gideon and Madeline. These two are opposites in every way but are drawn together in this story over the hunt for the treasure. The book has it ass, adventure, mystery, romance and love. Enjoy!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, entertaining, adventurous story. Gideon and Madeline are interesting, relatable, entertaining, intriguing characters. I enjoyed getting to see them finally get their romance and the conclusion of the treasure hunt. Their story, like all the others, is full of twists and turns. I loved that we got both an epilogue and an extended epilogue that took place further in the future. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story. The story is easy to read and get into.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gideon needs money for his estate. He and his friends go on a treasure hunt. Madeline is Gideon's sisters best friend. She and Gideon tolerate each other. Until he saves her from someone trying to get to the treasure. If only Gideon could get his hands on the treasure, he would be able to marry Madeline. Madeline wants to mean more to him than a treasure. Time is running out. Will Gideon find the treasure or make the right choice?

[Janet Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery to reveal

5 women and 5 men have been friends for a long time. When they come across a mysterious poem that sends them on great adventure. How will it change each of them for the better? What will be the outcome till they reach the end of their quest? Hard to put down till you read all of this series.

[Mary Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read despite the involvement of pirates! Gideon and Madeline have known each other for a long time, but they do not like each other because they are so different. Then Gideon has to rescue Madeline from pirates, and they find out they enjoy being together. I enjoy Ellie St. Clair's books.

[Debra Ranck · Rating 5 out of 5]

An End to the Mystery

If you've read this as a stand alone book you missed much in the search for the mysterious treasure. I encourage you to start with book one the reread this one when you finish the others in this series. Finally the love between two of the last singles from this group of friends awakens, its fun to read.

[Carol P - H · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Heir’s Fortune—⚔️🗝️🐎🐎🐎❤️❤️❤️❤️

The action continues with the final chapter of The Reckless Rogues series. Madeline and Gideon surprise themselves as much as anyone as they race towards the starling climax!

[Anahis Castañeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lectura perfecta

Me encantó la saga, la narración esta muy bien desarrollada; a pesar de que no puedo dar fé de los elementos históricos la narración y el desarrollo de los personajes es perfecta. Tiene todo lo que la ficción histórica necesita, drama, misterio y pasión ❤️‍🔥

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun way to start the book and great ending to a wonderful series! I loved reading how Gideon and Madeline came know each other better and fall in love. And of course, the side kicks also added to the story.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Series

I am sorry to write this is a most uninspiring series. 5 books of weak heroes to an unfulfilled ending. I like a flawed hero that grows throughout the story not an uninspired one. Heroines added little to the story. Will think twice before reading this author.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

I waited to finish the series before writing my review. The storyline in all the stories were very good. There was a little history of the previous stories in each book but not a not to be boring. Each storyline was very unique. Well worth reading

[Lisa Staples · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay...exciting til the end

Enjoyed each book. Can't wait to reread them... loved that there was prequel to explain things. It even left open the possibility of future books.

[Marcia Joy Scheepers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting

I really appreciated and enjoyed this series and especially how they all went through their own adventure before ending up happily after thank you.

[Nancy McPherson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished the series.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He needs to find the treasure or marry into money to get his estate back to what it was. She is not who he needs but may be drawn to. Will he find the treasure? Will he find love? Will he save her when she is in danger? How will it all go? Follow them to find out