REVIEW: The Lost Heir by Rachel Bailey

In The Lost Heir by Rachel Bailey, FBI forensic accountant Freya Wilson takes a leave of absence to travel to Australia to track down bar owner Heath Dunstan on behalf of her godmother, who believes Heath is her long-lost nephew. After realizing she had a drunken one-night stand with the man she was sent to find, Freya reveals why she was really in his bar that night.

After escaping an abusive relationship, Heath’s mother changed their names and took him out of the country to protect him. His mother may now be deceased, but Heath is no less suspicious of people trying to get him back. He also has someone else to protect that his father wasn’t aware of, his younger sister, Mae. Now that the immediate danger posed to his family is gone, Heath has to come to terms with the fact that he’s now a billionaire. His aunt, Sarah, recruits Freya to help him navigate his new world, a world he’s not sure he wants any part of. Having grown up around Sarah, being the daughter of her chauffer, she’s familiar with the world that Heath has been thrust into.

Freya has had two loveless marriages to wealthy men before and she’s not looking to add a third to her list. Heath has grown up learning to be suspicious and wary of everyone around him. Will they be able to put their pasts behind them and open themselves up to have a chance at a future together?

This is the first book in the Marriages and Mergers series, and the series is off to a good start. It moves quickly though, and, at times, it moves a little too quickly. It feels as if the author was trying to cram as much as she could into a specific time frame. From a charity event on his first day there, learning the businesses he now owned, making a brief trip back to Australia only to return back to the States to attend a welcome home party, it didn’t really allow for things to be expanded upon; instead, it just hops from one situation right into the next.

While it seems like it should be hard to buy into the relationship between Heath and Freya because of how quickly things are happening, the author makes their romance work. Both had things from their pasts that kept them from wanting relationships, yet they are willing to give it a try. They help each other grow as individuals and helped each other break down their walls. I thought they work well as a couple.

The Lost Heir is a story about reconnecting with lost family and finding unexpected love along the way. It’s a quick read with an interesting premise and likeable characters that readers will find themselves rooting for.
Print Edition: The Lost Heir is bundled with another story, Rags to Riches Reunion by Yvonne Lindsay, which I have reviewed separately from this. 

Book Info:

Publication: May 23, 2023 | Harlequin Desire | Marriages and Mergers #1

After months of searching, Freya Wilson has finally brought home her employer’s lost heir. Things may have gotten off to an “interesting” start with Aussie bartender Heath Dunstan, but now she can quietly say goodbye after their one-night stand. Except new billionaire Heath needs Freya’s help navigating his cutthroat world. And since she’s been unable to deny him anything before…