A Pursuit of Home

Hunter (Return of Devotion) centers the pleasing third entry in the Haven Manor series on Jess Beauchene, heir to a lost European kingdom who is living in hiding. Twenty-five-year-old Jess escaped from France to England 10 years ago in 1806, after her family—the last remaining members of the fictional kingdom of Verdonne—were captured and their home was burned down. Now Jess works as a cook at Haven Manor, an estate in the English countryside. After she receives a cryptic letter and learns that a family member might still be alive, she risks exposing herself to find the truth. Derek Thornbury, a rare artifacts expert, spends his days at Haven Manor analyzing paintings and is skeptical of Jess’s request to help her decipher clues in an old family journal. As they follow the journal’s clues, they draw closer together, but locating the lost crown of Verdonne, which will prove her family’s claim, proves harder than they expected. Faith elements are light, and though the supporting cast is used mainly to further the plot, the chemistry between Jess and Derek develops organically. Hunter nicely blends historical romance and mystery in this satisfying tale. (Nov.)