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How to Distract a Duchess
BARING IT ALL
From the moment she saw the man on her doorstep, Lady Artemisia, Duchess of Southwycke, wanted him naked. For once, she'd have the perfect model for her latest painting. But as he bared each bit of delicious golden skin from his broad chest down to his--oh, my!--art became the last thing on her mind.
Trevelyn Deveridge was looking for information, not a job. Though if a brash, beautiful widow demanded he strip, he wasn't one to say no. Especially if it meant he could get closer to finding the true identity of an enigmatic international operative with ties to her family. But as the intrigue deepened and the seduction sweetened, Trev found he'd gone well beyond his original mission of... DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS
From the moment she saw the man on her doorstep, Lady Artemisia, Duchess of Southwycke, wanted him naked. For once, she'd have the perfect model for her latest painting. But as he bared each bit of delicious golden skin from his broad chest down to his--oh, my!--art became the last thing on her mind.
Trevelyn Deveridge was looking for information, not a job. Though if a brash, beautiful widow demanded he strip, he wasn't one to say no. Especially if it meant he could get closer to finding the true identity of an enigmatic international operative with ties to her family. But as the intrigue deepened and the seduction sweetened, Trev found he'd gone well beyond his original mission of... DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS
Unknown Binding
First published February 26, 2008
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435 people want to read
About the author
Mia Marlowe
34 books387 followersMia's work has been featured in PEOPLE magazine's Best of 2010 edition. One of her books is on display at the Museum of London Docklands next to Johnny Depp memorabilia. Her books have been tapped for numerous awards including RomCon's Reader's Crown, RT Reviewers Choice and Publishers' Weekly named her
Touch of a Rogue
one of their 10 Best Romances!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 12, 2008
A delightful historical filled with art, romance, and intrigue.
Lady Artemisia, Duchess of Southwycke, needs a nude man...to paint. After marrying to please her parents, and becoming a young and wealthy widow, she returned to her childhood passion of art. She's the scandalous Duchess who paints pictures of naked, no that's nude, males.
Trevelyn Deveridge is the younger son of the Earl. Freed from the position of heir, he has embroiled himself in the intrigue of espionage. He appears at Lady Artemisia's London home in disguise, looking for an entre to the Duchess' man of business. Upon his arrival, Artemisia mistakes him for her new model and asks him to strip. Oh, the things one must do for Queen and country.
Naked involves passion. Nude is art. Unfortunately, Artemisia is having a difficult time differentiating between the two when it comes to Trevelyn. And when she becomes involved in his dangerous intrigues, then all bets are off...and so are most of their clothes!
Lady Artemisia, Duchess of Southwycke, needs a nude man...to paint. After marrying to please her parents, and becoming a young and wealthy widow, she returned to her childhood passion of art. She's the scandalous Duchess who paints pictures of naked, no that's nude, males.
Trevelyn Deveridge is the younger son of the Earl. Freed from the position of heir, he has embroiled himself in the intrigue of espionage. He appears at Lady Artemisia's London home in disguise, looking for an entre to the Duchess' man of business. Upon his arrival, Artemisia mistakes him for her new model and asks him to strip. Oh, the things one must do for Queen and country.
Naked involves passion. Nude is art. Unfortunately, Artemisia is having a difficult time differentiating between the two when it comes to Trevelyn. And when she becomes involved in his dangerous intrigues, then all bets are off...and so are most of their clothes!
March 31, 2009
4.5 stars
"I'm going to have to shorten his willie."
With such witty promise in the opening sentence, Distracting the Duchess does not fail to deliver. It is an amusing romp through the world of art, romance & espionage.
Lady Artemisia, widowed Duchess of Southwycke, shocks polite society in her passion for painting nudes. She is independent, sassy & smart. Knowing society's intolerance of females in business, Artemisia conducts her dealings behind a nom de guerre, Mr. Beddington.
When Trevelyn Deveridge, the youngest son of an earl, arrives at the Duchess' home masquerading as Thomas Doverspike, Artemisia mistakes him for her new life model & commences work on Mars, the God of War.
Looking for an entre to the Duchess' man of business, Trevelyn figures this is as good a way as any to get information but he may just have met his match in the Duchess of Southwycke.
Emily Bryan's characterisation in Distracting the Duchess is delightful, also a strong point in her 2nd novel, Pleasuring the Pirate (my first read from this author.) I thought the secondary characters were well developed & enjoyable. My one small criticism was the language used to simulate Ambassador Kharitonov's Russian accent; I found that annoying but a small irritation in the scheme of things.
The intimate scenes in Pleasuring the Pirate may be a little more polished but I loved the humour & innuendo in Distracting the Duchess. The witty banter between Artemisia & Trevelyn had me laughing out loud & Artemisia's 'naughty' thoughts at the most inopportune moments were downright hilarious & refreshing.
I'm not knowledgeable enough to cast an opinion on whether Distracting the Duchess' historical details are accurate (as other reviewers have) & I don't particularly care. I read Emily Bryan's novel for the pure, light hearted entertainment value that I'm sure the author intended & the fact that Trevelyn pops into my thoughts after the last page has been turned means the author has done her job and well!
Sizzling romance, suspense & intrigue made this one a winner for me. Can't wait for my copy of Vexing the Viscount to arrive.
"I'm going to have to shorten his willie."
With such witty promise in the opening sentence, Distracting the Duchess does not fail to deliver. It is an amusing romp through the world of art, romance & espionage.
Lady Artemisia, widowed Duchess of Southwycke, shocks polite society in her passion for painting nudes. She is independent, sassy & smart. Knowing society's intolerance of females in business, Artemisia conducts her dealings behind a nom de guerre, Mr. Beddington.
When Trevelyn Deveridge, the youngest son of an earl, arrives at the Duchess' home masquerading as Thomas Doverspike, Artemisia mistakes him for her new life model & commences work on Mars, the God of War.
Looking for an entre to the Duchess' man of business, Trevelyn figures this is as good a way as any to get information but he may just have met his match in the Duchess of Southwycke.
Emily Bryan's characterisation in Distracting the Duchess is delightful, also a strong point in her 2nd novel, Pleasuring the Pirate (my first read from this author.) I thought the secondary characters were well developed & enjoyable. My one small criticism was the language used to simulate Ambassador Kharitonov's Russian accent; I found that annoying but a small irritation in the scheme of things.
The intimate scenes in Pleasuring the Pirate may be a little more polished but I loved the humour & innuendo in Distracting the Duchess. The witty banter between Artemisia & Trevelyn had me laughing out loud & Artemisia's 'naughty' thoughts at the most inopportune moments were downright hilarious & refreshing.
I'm not knowledgeable enough to cast an opinion on whether Distracting the Duchess' historical details are accurate (as other reviewers have) & I don't particularly care. I read Emily Bryan's novel for the pure, light hearted entertainment value that I'm sure the author intended & the fact that Trevelyn pops into my thoughts after the last page has been turned means the author has done her job and well!
Sizzling romance, suspense & intrigue made this one a winner for me. Can't wait for my copy of Vexing the Viscount to arrive.
February 25, 2009
I really enjoyed this book! There were many funny parts to this novel and I really liked how the h/h end up together. You could tell that their attraction was true the whole time! Glad I finally picked this one up!
June 8, 2011
I'm not entirely sure why, but I just could not get into this book as much as Emily Bryan's other Romances, and I'm not saying this book was horrible or anything as it was actually good. I just think after reading "Pleasuring the Pirate" and "Vexing the Vice Count" where I loved the characters so much, it was hard for the Duchess to hold a flame to them.
Also I couldn't get past her name Artemisia, I kept stumbling on it while trying to read it until eventually I just referred to her in my head as Arty (which I found amusing as she paints Art) okay I know cheesy but I found it endlessly entertaining.
This story is about Artemisia who is a young Widow at twenty five who enjoys painting, but not just anything, Nude Men! She is the talk of the town thanks to the gossip columns in the Newspaper and has no desire to remarry and loose her freedom. In steps Trevelyn Deveridge who is a secret agent/spy for the Queen and is on a mission to find a lost Key and a Mr. Beddington who holds the clue to finding the Key.
Add in the fact that Artemisia's mother, two sisters and Father who seems to be suffering from Alzheimer’s are staying with her in hopes of finding suitable husbands for her sisters.
Parts of the story where funny and had me laughing out loud, others found me putting the book down and going to do other things.
All in all an interesting story!
Also I couldn't get past her name Artemisia, I kept stumbling on it while trying to read it until eventually I just referred to her in my head as Arty (which I found amusing as she paints Art) okay I know cheesy but I found it endlessly entertaining.
This story is about Artemisia who is a young Widow at twenty five who enjoys painting, but not just anything, Nude Men! She is the talk of the town thanks to the gossip columns in the Newspaper and has no desire to remarry and loose her freedom. In steps Trevelyn Deveridge who is a secret agent/spy for the Queen and is on a mission to find a lost Key and a Mr. Beddington who holds the clue to finding the Key.
Add in the fact that Artemisia's mother, two sisters and Father who seems to be suffering from Alzheimer’s are staying with her in hopes of finding suitable husbands for her sisters.
Parts of the story where funny and had me laughing out loud, others found me putting the book down and going to do other things.
All in all an interesting story!
April 13, 2012
I'm normally all over romances with ties to the India of British rule. This romance had a good premise, in fact one that should have really clicked for me. As a celebrated child prodigy artist, the heroine flouted her disregard for the ton's opinion by painting nude (not naked!) models, but then adopted a persona for business, in order to do better business in a male-dominated word. Best yet were the ties to the British raj, with the spice of a spy network designed to avoid uprising and Russian control. The British India ties should have really caught me (I blame my good memories of Shirley Temple's "The Little Princess").
In all, it should have really worked for me, but it just didn't. I found myself flipping ahead to find out what happened next instead of truly reading. I wanted the mystery to be more than it was, in that "Damn he's scary and really might kill the hero" sort of way, but it wasn't. In all, the book just didn't hook me right away. It was enjoyable enough of a read, but not really a favorite.
In all, it should have really worked for me, but it just didn't. I found myself flipping ahead to find out what happened next instead of truly reading. I wanted the mystery to be more than it was, in that "Damn he's scary and really might kill the hero" sort of way, but it wasn't. In all, the book just didn't hook me right away. It was enjoyable enough of a read, but not really a favorite.
September 2, 2014
I wasn't sure about this book it got mixed reviews but I glad I stuck with it. I'm not a fan of liars and did struggle with how easily Trev lied to people but Artemisia was a funny a lot more common then a duchess but I loved how she was a strong take no shit women. In the end I think they do suit each other and really like the slightly over top HEA but it wrapped it up well. DID NOT LIKE HER MOTHER OR THE FACT SHE MARRIED ONE OF DAUGHTERS OFF TO A LORD THAT HAS HUGE GAMBLING DEBTS.
November 25, 2013
100% bodice ripper. Fun, fast read. A quirky, unconventional heroine, a dashing hero, lacking a royal title, nice for a change, a bit of espionage, a little bit of everything. Historically accurate, uh, probably not on any level with the exception of the wardrobe, but there's nothing wrong with a tasty bit of escapism that takes us away from a dreary reality.
February 15, 2016
Really enjoyed this book! Trevor and Artemisia (love her name!) were so amazing together! I loved the humour and witty parts as well! The side characters were good too! The action, the romance, the shocks and surprises were all just right. Great book! Now onto the next ;)
Read
May 15, 2011The opening line is a hoot! And Emily Bryan, whom I met at RT last week, is a delight!
July 19, 2009
Since I read all of her books This is one of my Best historical authors who wrote this books wondefully . I Enjoyed read this book ..
Read
August 28, 2008This was a fun book to read. The characters were well fleshed out and the plot was fast paced. I even enjoyed the servants and the role they played in the story. Highly recommend.
March 15, 2020
3 Stars
December 5, 2023
my boyfriend and I found this book at a thrift store and I said we should buy it bc I thought it would be fun/funny if I read it out loud to him. little did I know I would be subjecting my Indian boyfriend to a series of culturally questionable descriptions of India! oops!
we had fun tho 10/10 would recommend as a series of low effort date nights
we had fun tho 10/10 would recommend as a series of low effort date nights
February 19, 2018
Tre stelle e ½
October 6, 2018
Enjoyable. 4☆
October 12, 2023
4.5 stars. This book gave everything it was supposed to give! The only thing wrong with it is that god awful cover.
April 28, 2014
Not a big fan of the "spy" theme, which is thankfully not overdone here.
It has it's hilarious moments, alas, some of them unintentional. I know I'm nitpicking, but here goes...
Nit1: 'Larla' (h's nickname) means someone on whom you pour affection, love, someone to spoil. It is also only ever used for kids, so your parents, grandparents, favorite aunts and uncle might call you that, even when you grow up. But certainly not your spouse :|.
Nit2: Why do authors portray British India as having more relaxed social norms? If anything the divide between the gora sahibs and their naukars was even more well defined than the class distinctions back in England at the time. (Guess I'm not a fan to the British India theme either.)
I did appreciate the author's research into history. Seemingly offhand things, like the reference to Grand Trunk road, do liven up the novel.
It was a pleasant, quick read, specially since I skimmed, skipped over parts, and read just enough to keep track of the storyline.
It has it's hilarious moments, alas, some of them unintentional. I know I'm nitpicking, but here goes...
Nit1: 'Larla' (h's nickname) means someone on whom you pour affection, love, someone to spoil. It is also only ever used for kids, so your parents, grandparents, favorite aunts and uncle might call you that, even when you grow up. But certainly not your spouse :|.
Nit2: Why do authors portray British India as having more relaxed social norms? If anything the divide between the gora sahibs and their naukars was even more well defined than the class distinctions back in England at the time. (Guess I'm not a fan to the British India theme either.)
I did appreciate the author's research into history. Seemingly offhand things, like the reference to Grand Trunk road, do liven up the novel.
It was a pleasant, quick read, specially since I skimmed, skipped over parts, and read just enough to keep track of the storyline.
March 11, 2013
Hero: 7/10
Heroine: 8/10
Sizzle: 9/10
Romance: 6/10
Humor: 7/10
Secondary Characters: 6/10
End: 8/10
Pace: 5/10
I liked this book a lot. The hero and heroine are endearing and I believed in their feelings for each other and the intimacy they share is all the hotter because of that belief. I loved the subtle humor in this story. As well as the suspenseful moments that had me on the edge of my seat a few times. The writing is great. This was a new-to-me author and I'm very happy I've discovered her books.
I had very few complaints with this book! I know! I'm shocked too! Honestly though, my only issues were with the pace. I felt it was rather slow for most of the story. The end felt a bit dragged out as well unfortunately. I did like the ending though, so I'm a bit conflicted there. Oh well, this was a solid read… I liked it, I'd read it again, and I'd absolutely recommend it.
Heroine: 8/10
Sizzle: 9/10
Romance: 6/10
Humor: 7/10
Secondary Characters: 6/10
End: 8/10
Pace: 5/10
I liked this book a lot. The hero and heroine are endearing and I believed in their feelings for each other and the intimacy they share is all the hotter because of that belief. I loved the subtle humor in this story. As well as the suspenseful moments that had me on the edge of my seat a few times. The writing is great. This was a new-to-me author and I'm very happy I've discovered her books.
I had very few complaints with this book! I know! I'm shocked too! Honestly though, my only issues were with the pace. I felt it was rather slow for most of the story. The end felt a bit dragged out as well unfortunately. I did like the ending though, so I'm a bit conflicted there. Oh well, this was a solid read… I liked it, I'd read it again, and I'd absolutely recommend it.
May 26, 2012
I really enjoyed this historical romance with a widowed Duchess, Artemisia Dalrymple Pelham-Smythe, who is a talented artist and undercover businesswoman and her artist's model, Trevelyn Deveridge, a nobleman spy in disguise as Thomas Doverspike. The story was exciting, with Artemisia becoming caught up in a search for the elusive Mr. Beddington's key along with Trev, who needs to find this key to keep it out of enemy hands and protect operatives in India. Dealing with Russian spies, a recalcitrant step-son, her mentally ailing father, her two unmarried sisters, and the match-making efforts of her mother to marry off said sisters is all part of the adventure. All the characters were entertaining, including her Indian retainers and family butler, and I loved all the humor, especially those scenes involving Mr. Doverspike posing in the nude for our herione's painting. All in all, I'd recommend this book as a fantastic read, you won't be disappointed.
September 22, 2011
"Normally, I am not a big fan of historical romance novels that include espionage in the premiss but Ms. Bryan -or I should say, Ms. Marlowe, has turned that around and given me a change of heart and mind. This story has proven to me that while spies may need love and romance too, it can be done well, and not in a cheesy highly predictable manner, but a classy one. I enjoyed reading Distracting the Duchess and have no doubt others will too."
Reviewed at the Reading Haven.
Rated 4.5 out of 5 White Roses.
Content rated with the Red Rose.
Reviewed at the Reading Haven.
Rated 4.5 out of 5 White Roses.
Content rated with the Red Rose.
April 24, 2016
Oh those spies in historical romance ;)
Artemisia is an artist and paints nekkid men, fine, nudes ;) They are still naked whatever you call it missy. So you can understand if the Ton is shocked, but she is a Duchess and she does not give a F*ck what they think.
Trevelyn is a spy, a second son, and at the moment posing naked in front of a Duchess and pretending he is a nobody. He was rather cocky, I mean hello, she only paints men! She does not sleep with them, and he is all I know you want this! *eyeroll* She should have slapped him and sent him on his way. But alas this is a romance so she gives in.
But oh no, drama!
Oh no, there is a key and people after it.
And then they lived happily ever after.
Nice
Artemisia is an artist and paints nekkid men, fine, nudes ;) They are still naked whatever you call it missy. So you can understand if the Ton is shocked, but she is a Duchess and she does not give a F*ck what they think.
Trevelyn is a spy, a second son, and at the moment posing naked in front of a Duchess and pretending he is a nobody. He was rather cocky, I mean hello, she only paints men! She does not sleep with them, and he is all I know you want this! *eyeroll* She should have slapped him and sent him on his way. But alas this is a romance so she gives in.
But oh no, drama!
Oh no, there is a key and people after it.
And then they lived happily ever after.
Nice
April 1, 2008
I started reading this book because of its premise and opening scenes -- a widowed woman is an accomplished artist, and uses nude men as figure models for her paintings and sculptures. A man comes to her house and she mistakes him for her figure model, and tells him to strip down... Hee. The only problem with this book was that the sex scenes SUCKED. They were so awkward! And forced! It's as if they were written by someone who doesn't enjoy sex or find it natural, which is certainly a possibility. Whatever. The story was decent and the writing was really good, as long as the hero and heroine weren't getting it on. I would've given this a 3.5 if that were an option.
Read
April 29, 2012"Giacché lady Southwacke, ora Mrs Trevelyn Deveridege, metterà su casa nella lontana Bombay, ci chiediamo se non ci saranno più scandali a Londra. In ogni modo, Mr D. ha assicurato a chi scrive che sua moglie continuerà a dipingere e pertanto Londra rivedrà ancora la duchessa e i suoi chiacchierati quadri. Viviamo nella speranza."
Anche se il tema della donna che nella Londra dell'800 si veste da uomo per essere più libera è diventato frequente nel romance negli ultimi tempi ho apprezzato lo stesso la protagonista di questo libro e soprattutto l'atmosfera esotica in cui si svolgono le sue avventure.
Anche se il tema della donna che nella Londra dell'800 si veste da uomo per essere più libera è diventato frequente nel romance negli ultimi tempi ho apprezzato lo stesso la protagonista di questo libro e soprattutto l'atmosfera esotica in cui si svolgono le sue avventure.
March 20, 2008
The book was fun and sexy and not the worst read of my life but it had great flaws. To start, the author didn't take the time to do proper research regarding the titles and just bungled them so badly - going to the point of using her mistakes as plot devices! - that it totally turned me off. Then, the heroine was just unbelievable. She's a gifted artist, a cunning businessman (yes, businessman because she has a male alter ego that manages her business), a rich duchess and she was attractive to boot! You wonder how she found the time for all her accomplishments.
June 6, 2010
This truly was a fun read. It got to where I would find reasons to stop and read just to continue the story. I would pause to get work done but think about the storyline and wonder what would happen next. I even stayed up later than I should have on a few nights just to get a few more sentences read.
I truly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance novels. The storyline is interesting. The sex scenes are steamy. And it is such an easy read that you will finish it without pause.
I truly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance novels. The storyline is interesting. The sex scenes are steamy. And it is such an easy read that you will finish it without pause.
July 5, 2008
Lady Artemisia is an artist and is looking for a subject to paint. A nude male subject. She mistakes Trevelyn Deveridge as the male model she was expecting and proceeds to request that he strip.
An entertaining, humorous, fun read. Lovely, interesting characters and nicely paced. I would recommend it to historical romance lovers.
An entertaining, humorous, fun read. Lovely, interesting characters and nicely paced. I would recommend it to historical romance lovers.
April 10, 2011
A good friend of mine loaned this novel to me to have a read of, and anything I've ever read on her recommendation always turns out to be an enjoyable read.
Distracting the Duchess was a witty and refreshing novel. I really enjoyed the banter between Artemisia & Trevelyn and found myself laughing out loud throughout the story. I'm looking forward to my next Emily Bryan novel.
Distracting the Duchess was a witty and refreshing novel. I really enjoyed the banter between Artemisia & Trevelyn and found myself laughing out loud throughout the story. I'm looking forward to my next Emily Bryan novel.
April 18, 2012
A sexy little historical, this one featured a rather scandalous duchess and a secret-agent lordling. While I did find it a bit obnoxious that our intrepid heroine would pursue an affair with the man who was presumably engaged to her sister, even IF she planned to put an end to the loveless match, I have to say that I enjoyed this one.
A solid 4/5, full review to follow :)
A solid 4/5, full review to follow :)
June 20, 2013
Entertaining thriller about a young dowager duchess who is swept up in the Great Game. Some places run a bit unbelievable. The sex is very hot, the characters are great fun. (I know someone EXACTLY like Constance Dalyrimple) And there is actual plot around the sex. That's all I ask of a romance. This one delivered admirably.
(although it is "clambered out of the coach" and not "clamored".)
(although it is "clambered out of the coach" and not "clamored".)
September 26, 2014
OMG, right off the bat steamy, sexy and downright entertaining. A widow, an artist actually, a spy pretending to be a model, a nude model to tell the truth and all the shenanigans that occur throughout. Absolutely enjoyable. The dialogue, the deceit, the conniving, all in all quite distracting, in a good way. Looking forward to reading more from Emily Bryan.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews