Distracting the Duke
by Elizabeth Keysian
Publication Date: February 20, 2017
Genres: Adult, Entangled: Select, Historical Romance
Publication Date: February 20, 2017
Genres: Adult, Entangled: Select, Historical Romance
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SYNOPSIS:
Devonshire, England, 1820
Determined to avoid the strife-filled marriage of his parents, Marcus, the Duke of Ulvercombe, wants an amenable, biddable wife, and has set his cap for a certain pretty miss. Unfortunately, her vastly opinionated, frustrating, and lamentably beautiful guardian, Lady Clara Tinniswood, keeps distracting him, tempting him to consider a far more tempestuous—and passionate—union.
Recently widowed Lady Clara Tinniswood wants only to organize a quiet new life for herself, beyond the control of any man. But one shockingly unguarded moment while confronted by Marcus’s gloriously naked body catapults her headlong into a forbidden passion and threatens to undermine all her well-laid plans.
Even if Marcus abandons his sweet ideal and surrenders to his growing desire for Clara, there’s one unalterable issue which could destroy their hopes forever…
EXCERPT:
Clara crept softly across the carpet of pine needles until she came to where a rivulet split the dunes on its way down to the sea, and halted. She caught sight of Ulvercombe standing at the water's edge with his back to her, hands on his hips.
She stepped aside swiftly, her heart beating hard. She would have to hide behind one of the dunes to avoid being seen, if he should turn round. Fortunately, the tide was still some way out and he was thus a considerable distance away, giving her time to make her escape if he spotted her.
Plucking off the old shawl she was wearing, she spread it over the grass-matted dune, then lay down on her stomach so only her head—with the telescope pressed to her eye—might be seen. Hopefully, with the waving sea grasses fanning across in front of her, she was well-hidden from any casual observer.
Eventually, she managed to locate Ulvercombe with the glass, and when she did her mouth dropped open in shock. In the time she'd taken to settle herself, he'd stripped off boots, stockings, jacket, and breeches, and now stood in nothing but his shirt, looking out to sea.
Clearly, the man had every expectation of being alone, and had no idea he was being covertly observed. It was early in the morning, it was his beach, his pine forest, his sand. She should back away and return to the house as quickly as possible.
A small attempt to move was made, but then he pulled his shirt over his head and she was transfixed.
The muscles rippled across his shoulders and she recalled, far too quickly, the feel of that hot body pressed against hers.
"Drat it!" The glass lens against her face had misted.
Crossly, she rubbed it with a corner of her shawl, and scanned the beach again until she found the duke.
The completely naked duke.
Her breath hitched in her throat. "Sweet Lord in heaven..."
It was not the splendid symmetry of his body, nor the very pleasing curve of his buttocks, nor even the straightness and supple power of his legs that had elicited her exclamation of shock.
It was the scars.
She hadn't seen the backs of his thighs when he'd disrobed that day in his bedchamber. Now she could see them very clearly, and she could also see a complex pattern of pale, crisscross lines etched across the skin. They were scars, surely?
Had he received them in battle or in some horrible accident? Had he been taken prisoner and tortured by the French? Maybe he'd been involved in a fire and something hot had branded him thus.
The chance to observe the marks more closely was abruptly removed as the duke, who had been walking straight out into the waves, suddenly dove in with a splash and began swimming out to sea with deft, powerful strokes.
She shuddered. The water must be absolutely freezing. How could he stand it?
"Good morning, Lady Tinniswood. A very fine one, is it not?"
ABOUT ELIZABETH KEYSIAN
Elizabeth Keysian felt destined to write historical romance due to her Cornish descent, and an ancestral connection to the Norse god Odin. Being an only child gave her plenty of time to read, create imaginary worlds, produce her own comics, and write sketches and a deplorably bad musical for an amateur dramatics group.
Three decades spent working in museums and archaeology fired Elizabeth’s urge to write, as did living on a Knights Templar estate, with a garage full of skeletons, a resident ghost and a moat teeming with newts.
Elizabeth lives near Bath in England with her partner and cats.
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Sonja's Review
I have been in the mood to read historicals this past month, so I must confess that I didn't even read the synopsis for Distracting the Duke before deciding to read it and while that can be a gamble that doesn't always pay off with some books, it certainly did with this one! I figured I would enjoy it, but I had no idea how much I would actually come to love it and love it I did. Distracting the Duke was positively fantastic and I was so happy with it!
I liked Clara - she's tough and strong, but she also has her vulnerabilities and insecurities that get to you. She's passionate and feisty and she doesn't let Marcus get away with anything simply because he's a duke. Clara might have her doubts about herself and she might try to remain unaffected by Marcus sometimes, but she is warm and has a good heart. She's truly wonderful and I loved, admired, and respected Clara!
There might have been a few times when Marcus made me roll my eyes and want to shake him, but the more I saw of him, the more I loved him. Yes, he doesn't always make the best decisions and he'll frustrate you every now and then, but there's so much more to Marcus than there appears to be when we first meet him. He's charming and funny and playful; he's generous, compassionate, and kind. Marcus is such an amazing hero, he knows exactly what to say, he knows when to give and when to comfort, and he completely and utterly stole my heart. I didn't see it coming, but I absolutely, without one single doubt love that man!
Distracting the Duke is fun, light, and entertaining, but it is serious and has heartache too. It made me laugh, it squeezed my heart and made it skip a beat. I had the best time reading it with all the banter and the teasing and so much more. It was beautiful and heartwarming and entirely fabulous. Distracting the Duke was the perfect first book of Ms. Keysian's to read and I can't wait to read more of her!
Distracting the Duke is a standalone, it's told from Marcus and Clara's POV, and their happy ending left me with a big old smile on my face!
~ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
Thank you so much Sonja, for such a heart-warming review and for running this promotion! I just wanted to add that I have my own private giveaway as well, for a great batch of Jane Austen related memorabilia. The prize draw is open to anyone who signs up for my newsletter via http://eepurl.com/cxe369.
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