I really enjoyed Marcus and Clara's story!

Clara has set her sites on having Marcus marry her ward. Having recently been made a widow and having no plans to marry again, she is shocked to find herself attracted to Marcus. She does her best to ignore the feels, but when she learns that Marcus feels the same way there is no denying them.

With Clara not wanting to marry and Marcus looking for a different type of wife, what kind of future is in store for them?

I'm excited to see what Elizabeth has in store for the rest of the Wayward in Wessex series!

Read the other books in this series, but this stands alone. Lovely story of a widow, her prior husband was a cad who treated her poorly and seduced her sister. In her time married , she never conceived, so thinks herself barren, as her sister did conceive a child with him. She is a companion to her cousin, and the cousin is being courted by a Duke. But the only woman the Duke is interested in is her. Nice, quick read, always enjoy this author. I received a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable read. The back and forth between Marcus and Clara captivating and the story line was well written

Marcus Albemarle, Fourth Duke of Ulvercombe, Lord Wroxham, etc, etc. He was hoping to court Ellie, (Miss Eleanor Soper), a wealthy heiress. She was young, biddable, and pretty. He thought she would make a perfect duchess. Lady Clara Tinniswood was Ellie's guardian and they lived with her brother and his wife. The story is rich in personalities and they make the story glow. There is also a good dose of humor to add a light hearted touch.. I love this tale, with the way they show their feelings and handle the people around them is amazing. Unfortunately there is fear , of a spouse, ruination, being abused again and the dark. The author did an excellent job of keeping your interest. It is a very hard book to put down.

This was a new author for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The story has drama, romance and wonderful humor which I really loved. The story was well-written, and the characters were lovable and interesting. It was a fun and entertaining read. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Lady Clara Tinniswood and her family have recently moved to a town where nobody knows them. It is her hope that her and her brother’s ward makes a very good match. Marcus, the Duke of Ulvercombe, hated the type of marriage his parents had. Because of that, he wants a beautiful, biddable wife. He thinks he’s found the one that will fit perfectly. The only hitch is his attraction to her guardian.
I really didn’t think I was going to like this book and actually put it down for a few weeks after reading the first page. Something made me decide to give it another chance. I’m really glad I did. Once I got past the first few pages, I got caught up pretty quickly in the story. It reminded me loosely of one of my favorites, Pride and Prejudice. I loved everything that happened between Clara and Marcus. They both had scars in their past and they are able to heal each other. I look forward to reading more from this author. I highly recommend.

This was a enjoyable story. I liked Clara from the beginning, though if I hadn't had a look into her heart and mind I probably wouldn't have, just to be honest. I liked Marcus from start to finish. He has a heart of gold and apparently the looks to match lol. Interesting story line and well likable (or hate able) as the case may be. Keeps your interest from the beginning with just a tad bit of heat in the sexual department.

* I voluntarily read a Advance Reader copy. All opinions are my own and honestly expressed

This was a little dark in places for me .The heroine had endured an awful lot in her marriage which I found upsetting. The H was a really compassionate guy...Loved him.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley.

This romance, set at the end of the Regency, follows some standard tropes (the “hero who falls for the guardian of the girl he’s pursuing” is everywhere at the moment), but shows this new author has potential.

We have a slightly older heroine, a young widow who was glad to be rid of her abusive husband. I think the author found a good balance between describing her first marriage and not going overboard with the details. We had enough information to draw our own conclusions.

I also like that even though the hero set out to marry someone young, pretty, and stupid, the heroine’s ward – the girl he had his eyes – on isn’t stereotyped. We get to see that she is smarter than she lets on, and she is not a bad person (I take it she’s a future star of her own book in the series?). Being pretty is not a crime, and too many authors make out that it is; Keysian does not.

There’s often something a little different about historical romances set in England when they’re actually written by a British author. The dialogue, the attitudes, the general behaviour… it often comes across a bit more authentic, and tends to be missing the “Disney princess” feel too many books in this genre have these days.

On the other hand, there were FAR too many chapters – going on to fifty in such a short book. Some chapters were only a couple of pages!

On a side note, I doubt the heroine’s brother and his wife would be exercising family planning in 1820! The discussion about them thinking about starting a family was very 2017 – contraception was for prostitutes back then.

There’s one thing I had an issue with that is not the fault of the author, but the line the book is published under. That issue is the trope-y, forced proximity themes of the plot; it is published under one of Entangled’s category romance lines, and they specify that their authors MUST write like this.

That means the first kiss comes very early, and in a forced proximity situation. It means the hero accidentally falling on top of the heroine while she only has her nightclothes on. It means more forced proximity when they keep bumping into each other in all kinds of situations.

I get that category romances require a shorter book with a tighter plot, but it doesn’t give authors much chance to grow the romance naturally.

That aside, this was a solid entry into the Regency-era genre.

I loved this book!

The characters are beautiful and lovely. Buy that isn't why I love it.

There's no drama llama!

There is no major awful event that spurs the protagonists feelings for each other. There is no kidnapping, no threatened forced marriage, no death! Just two damaged people coming to terms with their feelings for each other.

It's amazing!

DNF. Didn't love the story. Thanks to the Publisher for the review copy, though.

Marcus is determined to marry a biddable young lady and avoid the disaster that is marrying for love. He can't help himself when it comes to Lady Clara, however. Despite the fact that it is her ward he is wooing, Marcus is undeniably attracted to Lady Clara, and decides to throw all caution to the wind and pursue her, even though he can never truly make her his.

A passionate quick romantic read.

I loved everything about this book.  Clara and Marcus keep me on the edge of my seat - laughing, swooning and believing that everyone has a soul mate out there just waiting to annoy them.

Their story is seriously entertaining.  Clara's family is in a bit of a financial pinch and Marcus needs a wife.  So Clara and her brother work towards coupling up their ward, Ellie with him.  On paper, she looks and seems like the perfect fit.  It's a win-win situation.

It all would have worked out perfectly if there wasn't such a spark and connection between Clara and Marcus.  It's undeniable - even though they try and try.  The more they fit their attraction, the more you want them to surrender to it.

It makes for an exciting and engaging reading experience.  You love the characters and all the hijinks that they find themselves in while denying how they truly feel.

Overall, I thought Distracting the Duke was an excellent read and it's one that highly recommend.  Definitely check this one out.

Marcus and Clara journey to their happy ever after was the perfect blend of sweetness, heat and charm. I liked the development of their relationship, which was a true reflection of opposite attract. Marcus wanted an agreeable and biddable wife, but found he was drawn to Clara who is saucy, opinionated, and not a wilting flower. Their courtship seemed uncertain at times, but sparks flew, and somewhere along the line they slowly realized each was what the other heart longed and hoped for. This novel was well written, with the right dash of humor, wit, and sensual sparks.
I hope there will be more in the series.

I enjoyed book, it was about 2 people who are attracted to each other, but both wanted different things out of life. Marcus needs to get married but wants a biddle wife, or a doormat I say, so he chooses Eleanor, who will be a great match for all, since her family needs the comfort this wil bring and her guardian will be free to live her life on her terms, since she had a horrible marriage. Of course things do not go as planned and even though Lady Clara and Marcus try to resist each other, they can't, and they get there HEA and they truly deserve ut, since they come from difficult backgrounds.

And so my love affair with historicals now is still intact. Every historical that I have read lately has been awesome. And they have all been so different from each other, too. I won’t go into why historicals are so much a hit and miss with me so I’ll just share with you why Clara and Marcus just rocked in my book.

Clara – I can’t even imagine what she went through with her first husband. The abuse, the horror, and then finally the ultimate betrayal. Again, I can’t even…but what I truly liked about her was the fact that she would actually admit it to Marcus. Of course, she felt shame but when she realized that Marcus was nothing like her dead husband learned to trust him, it was golden. She also stood up to him. He wanted someone biddable but what he got was her. Brilliant dialogue when they were together.
Marcus – What a revelation. He was kind, a little bit backhanded (in a good way) and once his heart was set on Clara, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. I loved how he wound up testing her when it came to her fears but Ms. Keysian wrote it brilliantly. Again, it is her dialogue between the characters that had me from the very first page. Marcus had NO shame when it came to showing Clara his body. The above scene had me giggling. He never forgot that she was a widow but what he didn’t realize at the time was how traumatized she was from her first marriage.
The smexy times are NOT plentiful but the build up is SO worth it. Ms. Keysian had me fanning myself at times and that was before the dead was actually done. Well played, well played.
The secondary characters are wonderfully written. I can’t wait to read about Ellie and Snetty. Oh, my…If I had one complaint, I didn’t like Clara’s brother Phillip in the beginning. He kinda came off as a shrew. I understand the why but I still didn’t like him that much.
The setting – I’m a sucker for England and especially the English countryside. Like another English author I know, she knows what she writes about when it comes to the setting of the book.
Did I mention that not once, NOT ONCE in the book was bored with the ton. This is a character driven novel about two people that shouldn’t fall in love with each but do. The getting there is half the fun of the book and I have to say that I don’t even know what Clara wore in the book. She had a bonnet, a shawl, and a thin summer cotton nightgown. Why do I mention this? Because I didn’t have to skip a bunch of paragraphs/pages with all the details that bore me to death. Again, characters are key for me in a historical romance and Ms. Keysian wrote it that way. Of course, I don’t think I’ll look at skinny dipping the same way again.

Do yourself a favor and buy this book. Just for me, please. You will not be disappointed at all. It has all the romance of a historical, some family issues but now the filler that irritates so much.

Publisher's Description:

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...

My Thoughts:
New author Elizabeth Keysian has written a delightful debut novel. I both laughed out loud and cried at times while reading this story.

Lady Clara Tinniswood is recently widowed and does not desire to remarry. She finds the thought abhorrent as her husband was cruel and she feels most men are of the same nature.
Marcus, the Duke of Ulvercombe, is in search of a wife that is biddable and does everything expected of her, or at least that is what he thinks he wants. until he meets Clara while attempting to court her ward.
Will our hero and heroine find their Happily Ever After or will the secrets that Clara refuses to share keep them apart?
This story is a very well written first published novel by an author that cut her teeth at the Wattpad website where both published authors and newbies try out their story ideas on the general public.
I was amazed at how well thought out the characters and storyline were in this book.
I gave the book 4.5 of 5 stars for character development and storyline. The sensual rating is high with 4.5 of 5 flames.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this title from the publisher, Entangled Publishing via NetGalley to read and review. This in no way influenced or affected in any way my opinion of this title.

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!

~ A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia, 5 Stars

I liked it. I would like to read more books from this author.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters are very well developed. The plot flows effortlessly
I can't wait to read another.book by this author!