That gorgeous cover is the main reason I picked this book up but unfortunately the actual story did nothing to capture my interest. The writing in this was pretty poor and kind of stale to be honest. I also kept finding a lot of grammar mistakes and typos. Typos especially, this was riddled with them to the point where I literally took a pencil and had to fix them myself because it got so distracting. Lots of repetitive dialogue and weird choice of phrasing things. In fact some of the odd proses More...

Eliza Fielding is a Writing Girl for the London Weekly. Her gig as a writing girl may be up if she doesn't find her next hit story soon. Luckily, Eliza hears about the return of Sebastian Digby, The Duke of Wycliff. After years of traveling and immersing himself in other cultures, Sebastian has come home to his dukedom. Everyone is interested in what he's been up to and all the dark secrets he's kept from society. Eliza sees this as her lucky break. Become the duke's new housemaid and write abou More...

A contemporary version of a Regency historical.

Heroine is a reporter for a scandal rag and the hero is a naturalist who spent 10 years adventuring (experiencing the flora, fauna and females) around the world.

There are some funny lines (especially in reference to "hells own harpy."

The heroine rubbed me the wrong way (too contemporary in her thoughts and actions). Two thirds through the book, she confesses that she's married without any previous hint in her thoughts, and after she's made out wit More...

THE TATTOOED DUKE by Maya Rodale is an interesting Regency Historical Romance. It is Book #3 in “The Writing Girls Romance Series. See,
“ A Groom Of One’s Own”,”A Tale Of Two Lovers”,but can be read as a stand alone. Sebastian,the Duke of Wycliff, is a tattooed Duke whose adventures has taken him around the world from Tahiti to Timbuctoo and back to England. Eliza Fielding,is witty,feisty,a “writing girl”,who not only captures Sebastian’s heart but has given him a purpose in life. But they both h More...

I would have given this book at least 3 stars but the ending just didn't do it for me.

I liked our hero (Sebastian) and our heroine (Eliza) and a really enjoyed the banter that existed between them throughout the book. Sebastian struck me as a man who had a wild youth and grew up into a man of integrity but society never got over his youth or his ancestry and our heroine set out to exploit that. Eliza was a woman supporting herself and had a healthy dose of ambition and a conscience that wars wit More...

Is there any guilt associated with this deception?

Sebastian Digby, the Duke of Wycliff has been branded a wonderlust man who inherits a title he does not deserve. Sebastian’s reputation is one built on rumor and innuendo with very little fact involved. When he returns to London to take control of his holdings Sebastian hires servants, one it seems is not wh0 they claim to be.

Eliza Fielding is secretly a writer for a scandal sheet who has figured out how to get the best information on Sebastian, More...

The third book in Maya Rodale’s The Writing Girl Series features Eliza Fielding who has had what some might call a writer’s funk or just plain writer’s block. She needs to step up her game, er, column if she is still to be one of the girls for The London Weekly. But where is she to find such a juicy story? One that will guarantee her a permanent spot within the most established newspaper in London?
Sebastian Digby, the Duke of Wycliff has just returned to England to claim his inheritance after More...

I had a hard time reading thus book, as it did not draw me in. That and the fact that part of my brain kept screeching in distress at the historical inconsistancies and the grammar problems, almost made me stop reading. I did finish, but wasn't happy with the story.

There were also a many issues with word usage, including over-use of varients of 'debauch.' Using a few archaic words does not make a historical novel.

There was a gentleman named Mehitable which happens to be a woman's name. One of t More...

Sepertinya nama Sebastian identik dengan "bad boy" hem…

Critanya tentang Eliza yang pengen banget menjadi Writing Girl terkenal (atau setidaknya tetap menjadi writing girls di sebuah penerbitan London Weekly Writing Girls) dan kesempatan itu datang saat seorang duke yang di kenal dengan duke yang penuh skandal (dikenal sbg pirate, tidur dengan beribu harem seorg sultan dll), pulang dr berlayar untuk memenuhi kewajibannya sebagai seorang duke. Jd Eliza harus mendptkan berita tentang duke tsb walau More...

My first from the Writing Girls series and from Maya Rodale.

I have to say I didn't hate the book, nor did I thoroughly enjoy it. Interesting storyline - Sebastian, newly the Duke of Wycliff, returns home after years abroad studying exotic locales (like Tahiti) and learning about foreign cultures and fauna/flora. Comes back with an air of mystery that the ton can't get enough of so intrepid Writing Girl Eliza Fielding takes a job as a housemaid to try and ferret out information to print in the Lo More...

I just finished reading book (#3 Writing Girls series) of a unconventional tattooed Duke. Of course, the man in the spotlight is Sebastian Digby, the Duke of Wycliff. He is dangerous and handsome adventurer who needs to come up with money to stake his next big voyage. He is broke and has come home to find a wealthy bride. So when he find's out that a newspaper called The London Weekly is writing items that hinder his bride hunting, he's outraged. Of course, he doesn't know that his newest maid, More...

The Duke of Wycliff, has spent the past seven years traveling all around the world, in his search of Timbuktu, and has battled sharks, pirates, see numerous cultures and of course women. Sebastian has come home unfortunately to assume his duties as the Duke, only to find that he is out of funds. Funds he needs to make his dream trip to Timbuktu, which he has devoted his whole life in finding. He knows he is in need of a rich wife, but finds himself distracted by the new housemaid, who makes his More...

This is the first book I've read by this author. Whilst I wasn't particularly impressed with this novel, I might give the author another go. It may not have been a fantastic book, but I've read worse! I found a great many of the thoughts/dialogue of both characters to be repetitive, which made the book drag for me. About halfway through, I found myself thinking, "Just get on with it!" I'd like to have seen what made these two fight convention to get married. Maybe I missed something, but I saw v More...

That was actually better than the impression I got from the beginning of the book.
Indeed some things seem slightly anachronical and there are some inaccuracies (view spoiler)[ especially when the heroine is called an heiress, after she won a fortune on a bet, while her parents still remain lowly commoners (hide spoiler)].
However the personnality of both the hero and heroine grew on me, and I soon really wanted them to end up together, despite their seemingly incompatible station in life: a duke, vs. a working girl commoner More...

I literally could not understand why one got the title of this book from reading the flap copy...so wanted to read it but decided to read the first two first (the free sample indicated that I might be missing a bit, so I'm glad I did so). The "tattooed" Duke is an interesting character and Eliza was a well-drawn character. It was easy to root for them.

This one had better plotting than the first two. However, I had a major issue: the spelling. You "console" another person, not "consol". You wear More...

3.5 Stars
Her job as a writer is the most important thing in Eliza's life. But she hasn't had many stories published in the paper lately. The scandalous return of the Duke of Wycliff might change that. Her boss has given her the assignment to get the gossip on Wycliff --and put together a titillating article-- or consider her career as one of the so-called "Writing Girls" to be over. She accepts the challenge and decides to go undercover as a maid in his household.

Wycliff has been away from Londo More...

Reading THE TATTOOED DUKE by Maya Rodale is a unique experience. Maya has written Eliza and Sebastian's story in such a way that you feel you are watching it unfold rather than reading it. It incited my imagination in such a way that I saw each chapter more like a scene in a movie rather than a free flowing novel. I enjoyed Eliza and Sebastian's nighttime encounters on the roof discussing all things familiar to them and culminating in some kissy face activity. I enjoyed the way Sebastian would f More...

My review originally posted on Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-r...

All of London wants to know more about the mysterious Sebastian Digby, Duke of Wycliff. Eliza Fielding, reporter for The London Weekly, is determined to be the one to provide members of the ton with the salacious details they’re looking for. Eliza has taken a position in the duke’s household and is using her cover to get the dirty details on the duke’s travels. Her undercover assignment goes better than she More...

M.E.M.B.O.S.A.N.K.A.N!

setelah menskip lebih dari setengah buku akhirnya selesai juga 'menamatkan' buku ini. karakter si Duke bertato cukup menarik untuk dibaca.

yang menyebalkan itu si tokoh ceweknya. dengan alasan jurnalisme ia pura-pura menjadi pelayan dirumah si duke, menyebarkan gosip yang bikin pamor si duke yang udah jelek makin jelek terus mengkhianati kepercayaan si duke yang menceritakan rahasia-rahasianya kepada si pelayan gadungan.

setelah semua itu, si pelayan sama sekali ga menyesali More...

Sebastian Digby, Duke of Wycliff, has returned to London from his world travels to take over his estates upon his father’s death. The Wycliffs have a reputation for being rogues who marry serious women. However, Sebastian is trying to follow his level headed mother and downplay his old reputation in order to get backing for his trip to discover Timbuktu. His father has left him in debt. Eliza Fielding is one of the “Writing Girls” at the London Weekly, a paper built on scandal and gossip. She hi More...

Part of a series; I liked the book....just OK though. Sebastian was very interesting and certainly out of the norm. He made the story almost a 4. It was Eliza that I did not really want to read about. I did not always see her as the intrepid girl journalist. I especially found annoying the "villian" of the story and the angst surrounding that. It would have made a more enjoyable read if there was more focus on Sebastian, Harlan and Burke. Of course, Annabelle's book is next and I will read that More...

I've read scathing reviews of this book. I can see where they all come from, but I don't agree with the severity of the complaints.

It is somewhat amateur. The characters could've been explored more. There are grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors that make me wonder if the editor was dozing off whilst proofreading. The small chapters make it feel like you are watching a soap opera with frequent commercial breaks. There's just something lacking in the story that I can't name. There's hardly More...

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romancehaolic.

Expected Release Date: February 28, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: mayarodale.com
My Source for This Book: Edelweiss
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3, Writing Girls Series
Series Best Read In Order: Worked well as a standalone.
Steam Level: Steamy

This one got off to a bit of a slow start for me, but about, oh, 1/3 of the way in, things really started to pick up. Once things started to pick up, howe More...

Eliza Fielding knows her writing career will be over if she can not deliver a scandalous story. So when the globe-trotting Duke of Wycliff finally returns home after his fathers death--and no one wants to work for a Wicked Wycliff-- she knows she has found her story. She just needs to go undercover as a maid and find out some delicious secrets. Eliza easily lands a job but soon finds the work tedious and her subject oh so distracting. She quickly learns a few interesting titbits to feed London's More...

A great book about how appearances can be deceiving. She has disguised herself as a maid in his household in order to get an exclusive story on the newly returned duke. He has returned from the far-flung regions of the world complete with oddities and scandalous attire and attributes. She is intrigued by what she sees as is the duke. They have a rollicking good time discovering his secrets as well as the duke attempting to get funding to launch an expedition to Timbuktu. They finally come to the More...

I love this Writing Girl series!

Eliza goes undercover as a maid only to find she is losing her heart to the very man who she is getting information on. The last thing Sebastian wants is to feel anything for anyone or have any attachments to anything in London. His heart is in searching for the fabled Timbuktu. Sebastian's love for adventure and walking the path less traveled and Eliza's realization that what she needs to do to keep her job and what's actually the right thing to do, are complete More...

We have a sexy duke who has been tattooed on his travels to Africa. And a writing girl who goes undercover as a maid in his household staff to uncover the mystery behind this foreign man for her gossip column. They develop a camaraderie that’s a little unbelievable for a duke and his house maid, but promises late night rendezvous. But can he get over the fact that she’s using their friendship (ahem) to run his reputation into the ground? Yes. Yes he can. And can she forgive him for proposing to More...

This book has an intriguing premise, but in the end falls flat. The romance is mediocre at best and is lacking steam. I wish the author had put more time bringing "meat" into the story and romance versus coming up with cutesy names for each chapter. If you are looking for a captivating historical romance series, go with Sabrina Jeffries.