cover image Distracting the Duchess

Distracting the Duchess

Emily Bryan, . . Dorchester/Leisure, $6.99 (306pp) ISBN 978-0-8439-5870-6

When handsome spy Trevelyn Deveridge comes to the house of young widowed duchess Artemisia Pelham-Smythe, an accomplished painter, she assumes he is there to be her new nude model. He complies with her request in order to get the information he wants, and they soon develop an immediate, potent attraction to each other. As Trevelyn tries to learn more about Mr. Beddington, the business manager who has a key to Artemisia’s father’s safe, the spy finds himself falling in love with the spirited duchess. Meanwhile, Artemisia hides secrets of her own related to her professional ambitions, forbidden to Victorian women. Bryan has a great handle on the material and her characters, creating a charming, colorful story with an intricate, fast-paced story line. (Feb.)