A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Do you like to wear costumes or dress up?  What is your favorite costume?  I like to dress up for Halloween, but I don’t have one favorite costume.

Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother Yates had an unconventional upbringing.  Their father had a circus living at their estate and loved to throw parties for the entire neighborhood.  After his death, Marigold and Yates discover that he has spent the family fortune.  Determined to keep their estate and support the people who depend on them for their livelihood, the two started a private investigation firm called Imposters, Inc.  Things get personal when they are hired to investigate the father of her best friend, Lavinia.  Their paths soon cross with Sir Merritt Livingstone.  He is a military man who has been sidelined by pneumonia.  He hires Imposters Inc. to help him uncover a suspected German spy amongst the aristocracy.

This novel was so fun.  I enjoyed the unique premise.  I loved the Edwardian England setting.  I enjoyed how Lady Marigold disappeared into society with her extravagant hats and gowns and was able to spy from within.  I also loved their country estate full of exotic animals, including a pet lion and a monkey named Penelope.  I enjoyed the chemistry between Marigold and Merritt and their slow burn romance.  The characters were all interesting and enjoyable, especially as you learned more about their motivations.  I loved the mystery plot and how it fit in perfectly with the times leading up to World War I.  I loved that this book was full of spies, intrigues, and house parties.  It was an enjoyable read.

This novel was a clean read.  It also has an interesting author’s note at the end about the inspirations for the story and great questions for a book club.  This is the first in a planned new series of books and I can’t wait to read on into the future.  The first chapter of the next book is included for a preview.

Book Source: Review Copy from Bethany Press.   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK FACTS

·       Title: A Beautiful Disguise

·       Series: The Imposters (Book 1)  

·       Author: Roseanna M. White

·       Genre: Historical Romance, Detective Mystery, Inspirational Fiction

·       Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (August 22, 2023)

·       Length: (368) pages

·       Format: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook 

·       ISBN: ‎ 978-0764240928

·       Tour Dates: August 21 – September 4, 2023

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

In Edwardian London, not all that glitters is gold as a lady and an intelligence officer's secret mission take them from the city's dazzling ballrooms to its covert intelligence offices.

Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the field, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they're creating a new secret intelligence branch, he's intent on showing his worth. He suspects an aristocrat of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but he needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.

Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father's death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm for the elite to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society who want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend's father as a potential traitor.

Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend's sake, and she's more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can't possibly be as noble as he seems.

 

PRAISE FOR A BEAUTIFUL DISGUISE

• “White's well-woven plot is engaging from start to finish with delightful threads of mystery, romance, and inspiration."— Carrie Turansky, award-winning author
• “A Beautiful Disguise has all of the hallmarks of this beloved author’s resplendent fiction: pitch-perfect historical research, a thrilling setting and perfectly paced plot and a love story that sparks as wonderfully as Lady Marigold’s effervescent intelligence and charm. A sheer and unputdownable delight by a true master.” —Rachel McMillan, author of The Mozart Code

·       “5 STARS - Espionage, intrigue, and secrets abound in this beautifully crafted historical fiction set in pre-WWI Edwardian England (1909). Roseanna M White’s gift of weaving intricate, engaging plots and creating charming, lovable characters shines so clearly in this book that kicks off her new series Imposters.”— Mindy Houng, Interviews & Reviews.com

 

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | PUBLISHER | BOOKSHOP | BOOKBUB |    GOODREADS

 

AUTHOR BIO

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. She pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of numerous novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to Edwardian British series. Roseanna lives with her family in West Virginia. 

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