Everyone and everything is not always as it seems. Marion thinks William is a dandy and dislikes him. She does not know that he has a kind heart and cares for others. They are promised to each other in marriage. Can she learn to like him?
Many thanks to Covenant Communications and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lord William Everton is a ridiculous dandy, and Marion Watt despises him. She’s come to London to make a true love match, and she won’t settle for any less. Until she discovers that her mother’s health is failing and time is shorter than she’d realized.

Annoying Lord Dandy is showing an interest, so maybe Marion can tolerate his company. Just to appease her parents, of course.

What follows is a lighthearted enemies to lovers Regency romance. This is a clean read.

Love in Disguise introduces me to Anneka R Walker's work. I really liked it. I look forward to more by her in the future.
Four and a half stars.

Lord William Everton is a dandy who dresses outlandishly and is the hit of the London society scene. Marion Watt is the best friend to Lord Everton's younger sister, Clara, and can't stand the sight of William Everton. He contributed to her ruin during her first season in London and can't forgive him. But, when he begins to pay her special attention, she refuses to be drawn in because she will only marry for true love and he couldn't possibly love her.

As she begins to see more of who the real William Everton is, she sees his true nature and begins to wonder if her love that has begun to blossom can be reciprocated by Lord Everton and they could have a happily ever after. Just as things begin to look up, tragedy strikes and plunges Marion's hope of a forever kind of love with him into despair. Is it possible that love can rise from the ashes of such a tremendous tragedy?

This is a new author to me and I enjoyed every moment of this book and look forward to reading more by her. The story was well developed and wonderful characters. It was also a clean romance with no foul language or detailed intimate scenes.

I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.

I was charmed by Walker's book Love in Disguise. I found the premise to be good, and the story to be entertaining. It was a quick read for me. Although I will say that since everything is slightly predictable it is a little forgettable once you are done reading it. However, the overwhelming feeling after I read it was enjoyable. I found it sweet and it definitely kept my interest. I'm kind of a sucker for stories where the two parties aren't quite fond of each other at the beginning and then discover that they make a great match after all. And while William moves quite quickly at the courtship area, even when he just thinks they are compatible, I found it refreshing that Marion held out a little longer for the love that her parents had.

The secondary characters are a fun to get to know, and add quite a bit to the story. Williams dressing as a dandy was a fun aspect of the story, but I was left wondering what it really had to do with anything. It's mentioned why he does what he does, but really I'm not sure that it had any bearing on the story.

I would read another book from Walker, and I will enjoy reading this one again.

The first page of this book will draws you in and by the second chapter you will not want to put it down!! I loved Walker's style of writing and the wisdom from her characters throughout the story. (Ex. “To exist without a purpose is no existence at all.” ... "To find a purpose in the existence you are given is entirely up to you.”)

Just when you think the book will resolve itself into a happy ending, more surprising twists happen that leave you reading on and hoping deparately everything will work out between William and Marion.

This book will pull at your heart strings, literally make you laugh out loud (almost woke my husband from laughing at one scene in particular), and have you wanting to knock sense into William: 'Give Marion the assurances she desperately needs!!'

It is one of the few Regency novels that leaves you wanting to read it again and again to be privy to this beautiful love tale. Walker's name deserves to be alongside the leading authors of historical romances. Well done!!!

Excellent writing. Great approach to the regency era. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and experiencing their growth and understanding of love and forgiveness from their experiences with each other and distant family. A top 10 story of the year!!

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists,
and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive
reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this
in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

I was disappointed ‘Love in Disguise’.

Not because it was badly written or the characters made decisions that went against their characters (in fact, the opposite was true). But, because, after reading a book about how two societies eventually came to merge and another book about a zombie infestation, I was excited for a light-hearted romance.

Instead of something huge, I wanted a simple story about how two people get engaged to each other and eventually fall in love.

For over half the book, I got my wish. We are given two characters who get engaged, not for love, but for their own very personal reasons. William is a man who, despite having a reputation a dandy, desperately wants to do something important. Rather than spend his time frolicking around London, William wants to return and manage his estate. But his parents refuse to let him leave before the Season is over unless he gets a wife. Marion is a painfully shy and sensitive young girl who is exerting more effort into finding a husband so her mother, who has gotten very ill, can finally rest.

Then, we learn that someone has been forging letters under William’s signature. This would have had me hooked….. if I wasn’t so desperate for pure, unadulterated romance.

I would recommend ‘Love in Disguise’. It was genuinely interesting and even made me laugh a couple of times. I just wished they had stuck to the relationship.

This was a very enjoyable and engaging book to read. I love unlikely pairs in Regency or any era books. For me, this felt like a two-part book. Part one is the deciding, wooing, and acceptance part. Part two is grief, suspense, and romance. Part two is also where we see William's heart, his true self.
I liked the "test" William and his mother came up with for him to decide on a bride. I laughed out loud when his father said ..."And, let's not forget, she might not have you." We as readers know that deep down he does have an attraction for Marion from her friendship with Clara the previous season. I loved when William was trying to convince Marion to fall for him. He was very aggravating.
Marion believes William to be a pompous Dandy, wearing flashy clothes and leaving events before at inappropriate times. She also believes that he is the reason she will never play music in public again. I thought she blamed him a little too much.
Now, I have to say there was one character I could not stand at all. Read the book, I think you will figure out who she is. I have to stop now for fear of spoilers.
The suspense was a surprise, I enjoyed it very much.
The road to happiness is not easy for William and Marion. I think fans of clean Regency era stories will love this book. I know I did. Great debut novel! I look forward to reading more from Anneka R. Walker.
*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Thanks to Lord William Everton, Marion Watt has lost her love of playing the piano. William can easily make or break a girl's comeout by his presence. He leaves Marion's recital and causes her to lose faith in her love of music. When the two become engaged, will he cause her to lose more of what she loves in life?

This was a good, clean story. Very enjoyable. I hope to read more from this author.

This is an incredible book. I loved the excellent storyline. The characters are so fun to get to know. They feel like friends!

A new to me author pens a delightful must-read, clean, regency style romance. Many regency romances are becoming predictable, and this one does fall into that category as well; however, the banter and whit expressed between Marion and William made this one a pleasurable read for me. The rhythm of the story was not quite consistent, some parts felt too rushed, others, a little too drawn out, but not a deal breaker, and demonstrate some room to grow for this author. I would look forward to other books out by this author. All in all, it was a fun glimpse at a clean, love-match set in Regency period.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is simply charming! It's a quick easy read and a well thought out plot. You keep wondering if William and Marion will ever get to the point of being able to really understand one another.

There are many unique women that play pivotal roles in this love story, and most of them make you laugh and smile.

Marion is kind, and stubborn, but painfully shy and can't stand William to begin with. Willam is so conflicted and can't get out of his own way, in society.

The ending of the book will leave you smiling.

*I received a complimentary copy, and this is my honest opinion.*

The premise of this story was good, but the execution was a bit lacking. I was able to finish the book quickly, but the story just wasn't very memorable. I found myself getting so frustrated with Marion and Lord Everton, because all of their misgivings could have been solved if they would have just taken a few minutes to actually talk with each other. I know that would have completely ruined the story if they did that, but it was very frustrating to read.

I'm not sure if this is the author's first book or not, but I do think the story had promise, it just needs some polishing, maybe less angst and more character development. Even though I wasn't a fan of this story, I would read more from this author.

I must admit there were times in this book where I was not sure if I was going to like it based on the characters. Janet is a real piece of work, but I was satisfied with how her storyline ended. I did find Marion and William frustrating at times, however their overarching character development was done beautifully as was their love story. They came from an unusual background, which led to some unique storyline plots I do not always see in regency and I was overall quite happy with how it all came together.

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communications for the eARC!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, in fact I read it in one sitting. It's set in 1817 England and is entirely fiction but is believable enough that it could have happened. Miss Watt and Lord Everton both need to get married for different reasons and devise tests to determine if theirs will be a marriage of love or convenience. When I started reading this book, I thought I had it all figured out and a bit of it is predictable but there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. I would recommend Love in Disguise by Anneka R. Walker to anyone who loves a good clean romance story set in England in the 1800's.

This is a good clean book that shows morals and values while being exciting enough to keep you turning the pages. I will be looking for more books by this author. Thank you Covenant Communications via NetGalley for the copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars--rounding up because I loved where this story got to in the end!

When I am reading books, I often am thinking about my later reviews, and I pegged this as a 3 star book for the first few chapters. I felt it was interesting but not entirely consistent. I could not get a grasp on William's character, many of his actions didn't match his thoughts--for instance at one point he thinks about how he nearly fell in love with her the season before and is excited to court her after his "test" but openly snubs her before and shows no interest even when his mother first brings her up as an option. Overall he seemed fickle and rather unlikable. Additionally, many of the comments/conversations (especially during the "test") felt contrived and theatrical.

BUT. There was this rather hilarious scene just after their engagement where the book seemed to turn around. The plot became more concrete, the characters more real, and I was instantly caught up in the whole thing and was in love with the book by then end!

Marion was very well-developed. She was fiery but sensible and had a great deal of love for her family. She was not without her faults: a bit of a temper and some self-doubt, but she was thoroughly enjoyable! William came into himself and it was fun as a reader to watch him open up to love. He turned out to be an incredibly compassionate guy and many of his previous actions made much more sense! Their interactions were both entertaining and cute.

The story line was great, however it didn't really match what the book synopsis lead me to believe it would be. I still enjoyed it but felt that that synopsis only matched the first quarter of the book. There were some great twists I did not see coming at all, and the plot grew more complex but not confusing, which I believe is the mark of a great author.

Overall, I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of this book to keep on my shelf and look forward to seeing more from this author!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an e-copy of this book!

William must marry before he will be allowed by his parents to leave London and the season - but he's never met anyone he had the least desire to marry. In fact, he doesn't want to marry at the moment anyway, but he does want to get back to his country estate where he can actually do some good in the world. So he enlists his mother to make a short list of girls to consider, and tests them. The only one who passes, and in the process intrigues him mightily, is Marion Watt - who happens to despise him. So he endeavours to court her - will she be able to get under the mask that he shows to the ton to see him as he truly is - not someone to be despised, but a man to admire and love?

I wanted to like it - but somehow, from the start, it never quite drew me in. I always felt like I was on the outside watching something that wasn't really real. Look, there was nothing really wrong with it - the writing was reasonably close to error-free, the storyline wasn't bad, and the characters should have been interesting, but I never really felt invested in the book or as though the characters and their actions really made sense. I had no problem with finishing it, but it wasn't one I'll go back and re-read, and I probably wouldn't try another book by the author. Having said that, I can imagine others loving it, so I'm reluctant to say much against it. Main takeaway message: try it and see what you think. It may be your cup of tea, though it wasn't mine.

Note that I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my personal opinion of the book.

How can an engagement based on deception work out? This is one of my favorite regency books so far this year. Marion does not feel rushed to be married, but then learns something that may change her mind. William feels trapped in London and wants to go back to his country estate. His father will allow it, but he he must first choose a bride. His unconventional way of chosing one sets this story apart from the crowd. I love the author's writing style and will be on the lookout for more books by her.

I received a free digital copy of this book. All thoughts above are my own