Seducing the Duchess [Mass Market Paperback]

Ashley March (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 5, 2010

Love and marriage don't have to be strangers...

Gambling. Carousing. Flirting. Charlotte, Duchess of Rutherford, will do anything to escape her painful marriage and force her husband to divorce her. But when Phillip, Duke of Rutherford, promises a divorce if Charlotte will help him become a better husband for another woman, she wonders if she really wants to lose him...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

After three years of ignoring her, Philip Burgess, the Duke of Rutherford, realizes he wants his wife, Charlotte, back. The problem is that Charlotte doesn’t seem to want to Phillip back, as evidenced by her scandalous behavior and repeated requests for a divorce. Of course, when Phillip finally does offer to grant Charlotte the divorce she so desperately desires, she is somewhat suspicious, especially since the offer comes with a condition. Phillip wants Charlotte to “teach” him how to be a better husband, supposedly so that he can successfully court his former fiancée, Lady Joanna Grey. What Charlotte doesn’t know is that the lessons are really a ruse, a way for Phillip to win back the only woman he truly loves: his wife. With its addictive combination of richly nuanced characters, elegant writing spiced with a soupçon of wicked wit, and abundance of sizzling sexual chemistry, March’s exceptional debut is literary gold. --John Charles

Review

"With its addictive combination of richly nuanced characters, elegant writing spiced with a soupton of wicked wit, and abundance of sizzling sexual chemistry, March's exceptional debut is literary gold."
-Booklist, 9/15/10

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Signet; First Edition edition (October 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451232364
• ISBN-13: 978-0451232366
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After spending countless hours memorizing both traditional and simplified Chinese characters, perfecting her tones, and practicing her speaking with any Chinese native she could find, Ashley successfully graduated with a degree in Mandarin Chinese. Then she discovered writing romances was as much fun as reading them, and her Chinese capabilities have never been the same. When she isn't writing, Ashley stays busy chasing around her two young daughters, attempting to do housework, and hiking in the beautiful foothills of Colorado.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This was a sensational read! I became so emotionally involved in the 2 main characters. October 5, 2010

By Bookaholics Reviewer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Seducing the Duchess (The Bridal Pleasures) by Ashley March
Historical Romance - Oct. 5th, 2010
5 stars

I often rate how much I enjoy a book by how emotionally involved I was with the 2 main characters. I was dazzled by this author's story about a Duke who is determined to woo his Duchess even if she fights him at every opportunity! This fresh story was a fun and moving book that readers will love.

Charlotte, Duchess of Rutherford was young and naďve when she was seduced by her husband, Phillip who used his young and beautiful innocent bride in a cold game of revenge against her beloved brother. Charlotte had fallen in love with the man she thought was Phillip. But she that was before he callously left her after their wedding night and scorned her love. Broken hearted but audacious, Charlotte is a strong woman and soon vows to free herself and get her own revenge. She creates scandal after outrageous scandal hoping the unfeeling and dutiful Duke will divorce her and finally let her go.

It is years later and Phillip has come to the appalling realization that he loves his wife. But he knows Charlotte hates him. He longs for her company and is no longer willing to let her escapades go unnoticed. Desperate and starving for her attention, he kidnaps her in public and makes her an shocking proposition. If she will help him find another wife and teach him how to be a good husband, he will grant her a divorce. Phillip plays a deadly gamble and one he is determined to win but his wife isn't about to lose and she will not let Phillip break her heart again.

I loved this story. At first I wondered if I would like Philip. His past behaviors were reprehensible. But as the author reveals Phillip's desperate love for Charlotte and his sheer ruthlessness as he pursues her, you can't help but admire his tenacity and understand why Charlotte cared about him in the past. And slowly I, too, began to care for him. The author also eloquently explains Phillip's cold upbringing and what formed his character. He was raised to be a proper Duke by his unfeeling grandfather who coldly and brutally shaped him into a carbon copy of himself. Philip begins to realize he doesn't want to be his grandfather. He wants love and laughter with Charlotte even if that means changing himself. His metamorphosis was enthralling to read. Another thing that makes this book so deliciously wonderful is the feisty and endearing heroine. She doesn't make life easy for Philip and I adored her fighting spirit as she often out smarts him but also makes him see what is really important in life. Charlotte has such a caring heart and I wanted her to guard her heart from Phillip but as Charlotte learned to love Philip, I couldn't help but care for him too!

This was a sensational read! I became so emotionally involved in the 2 main characters. They were perfect for each other and I will definitely be reading any future books by this fabulously talented new author!! If you are looking for an absorbing story about 2 characters that you really can care about and their adventures along the way, then you will adore this book as much as I did.

Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Seducing the Duchess by Ashley March October 19, 2010

By A. Schreiner TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Favorite Quote: Truly, she had quite a talent for swearing. He had never known his head resembled a horse's testicle. Rather a fascinating comparison, that.

Philip Burgess, the Duke of Rutherford has been pining for and trying seduce his wife for the past six months. Having been married three years to Charlotte, you would think he wouldn't have to win back the woman he married. But, Philip didn't marry for love, he married for revenge. After Charlotte's brother stole away Philip's fiancé, all Philip could think about was getting revenge and so he seduced and married Charlotte, only to consummate their marriage that night, and walk away from her the next day. Having a harsh upbringing, training for the dukedom early, Philip has a colder, harder edge to him.

But Philip's feelings for Charlotte run much deeper than his plan of revenge. He has known her for many years, and has now come to the realization that he truly loves her. He knows he acted despicable three years ago, and will do anything to make it up to her. The problem is actually catching up with her to proceed with his new plan.

Charlotte, hurt and angry over Philip's actions has taken to courting and flirting with any man in the ton she can get her hands on knowing scandals horrify the proper Duke. Determined for the past three years to put her flirting into Philip's face so he will grant her a divorce. Philip finds her, bounds and and drags her off to his house in hopes of seduction, but he soon learns Charlotte still carries around hatred for him. He comes up with a plan to win her back. He promises her a divorce in three months if she teaches him to become a better husband so he can woo their mutual friend Joanna. Charlotte knows this is a farce, and Philip secretly has no plans of divorcing her, but they each refuse to give an inch to the other, so they carry forward with their silly plan.

Seducing the Duchess is the debut book by author Ashley March and I'm impressed. This book has a lighter tone, with constant banter between the hero and heroine, yet still has a high level of sexual tension and a dramatic conclusion.

I like historicals where the hero and heroine are forced to marry early on in the book, or in this case where they are married when the book starts. Charlotte is just a pistol. She curses up a storm - and we are talking full out curses with rude hand gestures. She will do anything to get under Philip's skin to get a rise out of him. And he gives it right back to her.

Charlotte married Philip in good faith, not knowing he was doing it just for revenge. So Philip has much ground to make up before Charlotte can trust him again. I think Ashley March does a nice job with the trust issue. Charlotte doesn't give in easily and I like that she makes Philip work for it. Of course, deep down, Philip has always loved Charlotte, and getting his point of view, you can't help but root for him too. He is a very roguish, charming, sexy hero and their romance becomes very hot indeed.

My one complaint is with Charlotte during their separation. **Spoiler warning** During their three years separated, Philip admits to having a mistress and he assumes the rumors about Charlotte and all her lovers are true. But we come to find out that she didn't really have lovers. She flirted, but never took any to bed. I was disappointed - not because I wanted a more slutty Charlotte, but it would have been a chance to have a different kind of heroine in a historical. A heroine that is not virginal! Instead, the hero of course has been sleeping with other women, but the heroine has been the faithful one. We have been there, done that. **End Spoiler**

Seducing the Duchess had me giggling and falling in love with these characters. I definitely welcome Ashley March into the historical romance world and await more from her.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An emotional journey and a great debut April 24, 2011

By esm4 VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

'The storyline in Seducing the Duchess is pretty simple. Three years ago, Philip Burgess, the Duke of Rutherford decided to get revenge on his former best friend, who had run away with Philip's erstwhile fiance. His method of revenge was to seduce and marry his friend's younger sister, Charlotte, then abandon her after telling her that he only married for revenge. However, the joke is on him because after three years, he now finds himself in love with his wife. Unfortunately for him, she wants nothing more than for him to grant her a divorce. To this end she goes out on the town and dallies with other men to try to embarrass him enough that he'll get rid of her. Philip wants to reconcile with her, but can't even get her attention, so he finally resorts to "kidnapping" her and taking her away to his country estate to try to win her back.

I will freely admit that I like my romances with heaping doses of angst and intensity and this book has got lots of both, although there are also lighter moments with good banter between Charlotte and Philip. One thing that I loved about the book was that it was Philip who was pursuing Charlotte. Much of the book is written from his point of view and the reader can feel his desperation and desire as an almost tangible force in the book, propelling him forward, even though he knows that he may not succeed in getting Charlotte to forgive him. He's also his own worst enemy at times, retreating behind the cold and arrogant shell of his persona as the Duke of Rutherford, even when he knows that he should be reaching out to her to show her that he has a softer side and that he truly does love her.

I understood where Charlotte was coming from and I did like her. She'd known Philip all her life and she was 19 when he swept her off her feet. She fell hard for him only to have her love tossed back in her face. When the book opens she is 22, but it's clear that she is still very young emotionally. Her anger and hurt have not dissipated, they've just been buried down deep inside. As the book went on, I felt so bad for Philip that I just wanted to beg Charlotte to forgive him, but I don't think it's unreasonable that she would be unable to trust him, especially because in the course trying to win her back, he commits yet another untrustworthy act.

I loved that Ashley March was able to get me emotionally invested in both of these characters. Another thing that I loved about the book was that Philip really did change over the course of the book and came to see that he was still trying to manipulate Charlotte. In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed Ashley's debut book and I'm looking forward to her next one, Romancing the Countess, which is due out in September. Her writing was assured and the plot moved along quickly with no dead spots. My only criticism of the book would be that I wished more of Philip and Charlotte's back story had been told. There were a few flashbacks to earlier events, but I think more could been included. They grew up together on neighboring estates, but this is only hinted out throughout the book and I think it would have added some richness to the story if more of their history had been shown.