A forced betrothal, a missing chambermaid, and two unlikely allies whose lives merge in a forbidden entanglement of the heart.
Emmeline is to be married to a heartless brute of a man—sold off like a pig at auction, nothing more than a pawn to secure her father’s business dealings.
When the handsome Elias Compton arrives at the hotel under the guise of seeking employment, she is instantly smitten.
Elias has come to The Balfour Hotel undercover. His real mission is to search for a missing woman who was last seen working as a chambermaid at the hotel.
Has she met with foul play? Does the fiancé of the beautiful Emmeline Balfour have anything to do with her disappearance? One thing is certain; there are some sinister goings on at the hotel.
As Emmeline and Elias join forces to find the whereabouts of the missing chambermaid, they soon become entangled in affairs of the heart.
If you like engaging mysteries with a touch of romance, suspenseful twists and turns and heartwarming endings, you will love The Balfour Hotel series.
THE HEIRESS’S SECRET LOVE is a 30,000 word historical regency romance with a touch of suspense and intrigue and an inspirational theme of sweet love. It is clean and wholesome with no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after ending.
Amanda Davis was born in 1970 and was a writer. She released one collection, Circling the Drain, and one novel, Wonder When You'll Miss Me. Davis died at the age of 32 in a plane crash on March 14, 2003. The plane was piloted by her father and crashed in McDowell County, North Carolina. She had just begun a book tour.
While there are more than a few things to fault the story for, if you're just looking for some superficial entertainment to pass an hour or two, this will satisfy.
The story is pretty improbable & the historical accuracy is weak in multiple places, but the characters are likeable & the writing is engaging enough if you're willing to check your inner critic at the door. It helped me pass the time in a relatively amusing way during a substantial wait.
Interesting story with several unbelievable plot points which is why this is only 3 stars. Characters are strongly developed but some of the things in the plot made no sense given the setting. A bookie about to marry an heiress doesn't walk away on being exposed as a adulterer at the altar. A businessman doesn't marry his childhood friend and let his new wife go gallivanting to a job right after marriage to keep in touch by letter only. Items like these litter the story which makes the plot unreasonable.
Great combination of Mystery and Romance! This is the first book in the Balfour Hotel series and a delightful beginning. Amanda Davis is a masterful storyteller combining romance with mystery as she tells the backstory of the hotel and the various characters. The story is full of drama, suspense and intrigue with some great twists and clean romance. I look forward to the next adventure at the Balfour. I received an arc copy and am happy to leave my honest review.
Emmeline is about to be married to a horrible man who is not interested in her but in her hotel. Elias is a man who is trying to find a woman who has disappeared. Amanda Davis wrote another fine story full of suspense and mystery. In her books, you have no idea what is going to happen next, it could be anything at all. You are in for a surprise when reading this book. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.
I enjoyed this book. I started it slow, but then woke up this morning to read chapter 3 to finish in one sitting. There were twists in the tale but not as many as to confuse the story. Just enough to confirm what you thought you already knew, and fill in the blanks as well. Despite being a romance book I could almost envision Emmeline as an Enola Holmes type character as well. Quite enjoyable.
L' histoire est très romanesque, amour au premier regard etc.....Cependant même si la lecture est agréable, par moment, c'est un peu tiré par les cheveux , pas très vraisemblable.