Publisher's Weekly Review
Burrowes's delightfully geeky and warm third Rogues to Riches Regency (after When a Duchess Says I Do) lets its protagonists impress each other not with riches and beauty, but with intelligence and attention. Charming "Rex" Wrexam, Duke of Elsmore and major stakeholder in Dorset and Becker Savings and Trust, needs a way to discreetly examine his family's disastrous finances before the lawyers of his sisters' suitors do. He asks his colleague Quinn Wentworth, Duke of Walden, to lend him the services of unnervingly meticulous auditor Eleanora Hatfield. Ellie focuses on the work while keeping her distance from Rex, as she distrusts nobles and is embarrassed about her family's criminal activities, but long hours over ledgers turn to trysting, and she allows herself to indulge, despite the seeming impossibility of the two developing a long-term relationship. The likable leads regard each other with intellectual and personal respect, and the investigative threads of the story bond them as partners independent of their attraction. Meanwhile, the caricatured, corrupt fat-cat villains will be fun for readers to hate. Burrowes's fans will find this an excellent continuation of a very strong series. (Nov.)
Kirkus Review
A woman asked to look into irregularities at a duke's bank finds evidence of theftand an unexpected love.When Wrexham, Duke of Elsmore, asks the Duke of Walden for help in reviewing his personal finances and the ledgers of the bank he owns, Walden introduces him to Eleanora Hatfield, his auditor. Eleanora is a scrupulously honest woman who has escaped a family legacy of criminal activity by using her math skills and has acquired a fearsome reputation for accounting accuracy. While wary of the aristocracy, she agrees to help the genial duke find errors (or embezzlement) at his venerable institution. The discretion necessary for the task leads them to solitary tte--ttes, and as Wrexham's fundamental kindness teaches the wary Eleanora to trust him, she trains him to acquire a sharper eye toward the practices of his employees and family members. As in When a Duchess Says I Do (2019), Burrowes relates the romances of acquaintances of the Walden family, whose head was the protagonist of her first Rogues to Riches novel, My One and Only Duke (2018). Though not quite rising to the charm of that story, this tale of love is appealing because of the unusual backdrop of banking fraud in 19th-century Britain. Scenes of the disparity between the upper class and the struggling classes serve as a reminder of the unfair economic and justice systems that undergird this society. These systems also act as the barrier Wrexham must overcome if he is to persuade Eleanora that they can marry. Both protagonists are finely etched, as are a few supporting characters who are likely to get their own romances in the future.A moderately paced, satisfying tale of an accountant who saves an aristocrat from financial ruin while unwittingly winning his heart. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Rex, Duke of Elsmore, asks friend and financier Quinn Wentworth for the loan of his esteemed bank auditor, Eleanora Hatfield, to discover what's going wrong with his family finances. Ellie can easily spot embezzling tricks as she comes from a family of forgers. She desperately tamps down anything personal about herself, to keep her background a secret and works hard to keep her unusual career going. But she enjoys Rex's company, especially arguing with him. Rex finds that he can't stay away from the smart, feisty woman, who is showing him which members of his family he can't trust. A private country getaway brings their romantic feelings to the forefront. Ellie knows she loves him, but is afraid of her family's past. Rex is determined to marry her and solve the problems blocking his family finances. Fascinating details about money games heighten the fun in another smart story from popular Burrowes. Fans of Amanda Quick and Brenda Joyce's Cahill mysteries should enjoy this.--Amy Alessio Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Wrexham, Duke of Elsmore, is struggling to balance his account ledgers and suspects his money is mysteriously disappearing, the culprit yet to be identified. With his sisters being courted and estates relying on those funds, it's vital he discover where the problems are occurring and to solve them. Ellie Hatfield knows numbers inside out, as well as a array of financial schemes that can be used to fudge records, and is recommended to Rex to assist in his financial review. If word got out that the Duke of Elsmore was having financial difficulties, both his family and the family's bank would be ruined. Forced to meet in secret, Rex and Ellie begin to pick apart the ducal finances, and a romance blossoms between the two. Even as Rex reassures Ellie he doesn't care about her station, Ellie knows her past would be another blow to Rex's reputation, which is already in peril. VERDICT The passion is strong in Burrowes's latest entry in this new series. Yet with the Wentworths, who were central to the first book, playing a smaller part and a rather convoluted financial mystery, this may be in less demand by all but Burrowes's devoted fans. The bonus novella from Kelly Bowen is a delight.--Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash
