A society lady …with a secret! Determined to help people, Letty Barton has a double life–she’s a trained doctor! No one must know “Dr. Hatfield” is actually a woman. Called to an emergency, she comes face-to-face with her patient’s brother, Lord Anthony Ashcroft… They’d once shared a spark-filled flirtation–now he’s a brooding, scarred war hero. But how long will it be before he … before he recognizes her beneath her disguise and the sparks begin to fly once more?
“Wonderfully romantic with misunderstandings galore, Her Convenient Husband’s Return will, indeed, capture you and your imagination”
— Dragons Read Too! on Her Convenient Husband’s Return
“This was a 5-star read for me … A book to read slowly and savor.”
— Goodreads on Her Convenient Husband’s Return
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When I picked up A Debutante in Disguise, I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this fascinating package. Webster combines what I’ve come to love about Regency romance novels, while also paving the way for a new approach. I love a female main character who is born out of her time, and Letty is certainly that. With a fondness for science and a penchant for medicine, she strives to break the mold for women in her time period.
As the plot goes on, no one can doubt the author’s thorough grasp of research, and effective methods of using those details to make the tale come alive. Eleanor’s storytelling abilities kept me glued to the page.
Tony’s story is just as compelling, as he’s a war veteran, suffering from PTSD.
Both Letty and Tony are complicated characters on their own, but once you put them in the same room together, there is enough conflict, tension and fire to satisfy any romance reader. Don’t let the first meeting deter you. This slow burn gets so much better, and you’ll realize just how perfect they are for each other. Even an avid feminist will respect Letty’s journey in the book.
Be prepared for all the feels in this romantic, novel approach to the Regency subgenre. The love scenes are tastefully done. Also, the secondary characters are just as enjoyable to learn about. And the ending is the best surprise of all…
I look forward to checking out her other books!
NOTE: I was provided a copy of this fantastic Regency romance novel in exchange for an honest review.
I give this a rating of four stars for an unforgettable reading experience. Fantastic job, Eleanor!
Lettie Barton wants to live her life on her own terms, something not easy to do in a society where women are expected to marry and raise children. She contrives to go to training and becomes a doctor – “Dr. Hatfield” No one must know that he is really a she. When she responds to an emergency, she finds herself facing Lord Anthony Ashcroft. They had once shared a flirtation but now he is battle scarred and brooding. She wants to continue in what she considers her chosen profession, but how long before Lord Anthony recognizes her?
Lettie is a fantastic heroine. She is brave, clever, and determined. She does not allow society to dictate to her until she is forced. Lord Anthony served with distinction but returned home with scars both seen and unseen. He does, however, love his sister and it is she who gets him to accept Lettie a bit more. Love is not far behind and soon decisions will have to be made. If you enjoy a strong resilient heroine, than A Debutante in Disguise is perfect for you. It won’t take long before you will be routing for Lettie and Anthony to have a happy ending. A delightful and unique romance, add this one to your list.
Good book with an unusual theme. Letty Barton was fascinated by the world of medicine from the time she was a child, but as a woman becoming a doctor was impossible. Not one to back down from a challenge, Letty found a way. Now she leads a double life – society miss, with a secret identity as Dr. Hatfield, and lives in constant fear of discovery. While helping a pregnant woman, Letty encounters her brother, a man she had met briefly several years earlier.
I liked both Letty and Tony. Letty is a misfit. She has no social skills and really doesn’t care, which irritates her matchmaking mother to no end. Letty would much rather be reading a medical journal than attending a society event. She is methodical and scientific in her thoughts and actions, reluctant to believe in anything that doesn’t fit. I loved her determination and how she found a way to get her medical training. Her satisfaction at helping people far outweighs any thought of marriage. Though ill at ease in social situations, Letty is confident in her abilities as a doctor and willing to stand up for those abilities. Tony is no longer the cheerful and charming man he used to be. He is scarred and haunted by his losses and the things he saw on the battlefield and suffers from nightmares and flashbacks. He feels numb to everything around him.
I liked the development of the relationship between Letty and Tony. I liked their first meeting at a ball before the war. Letty pulled her usual disappearing act, hiding out in the library and reading. Tony, the object of several determined young women’s pursuit, also ended up in the library. He was intrigued by the young woman who didn’t try to flirt and was more interested in the article about cowpox than in him. She was surprised to find a man who honestly seemed interested in what she had to say. But this was only a brief encounter and their lives took different paths, though each remembered the other.
Letty encounters Tony several times, both as Dr. Hatfield and as herself. Tony is still intrigued by Letty, who reacts to his scars far differently than anyone else. Her forthright attitude stirs feelings in him that have been missing for a long time. Letty is wary around Tony, and fears that he will discover her secret. In an emotional scene, Letty intervenes during one of his nightmares. The sparks between them flared into an unexpected passion, which then sent them both running for cover. Neither feels that being together is a good idea. A man in her life would end her work as a doctor, and he feels too broken to be good for anyone. Things become more complicated when Tony discovers Letty’s deception in a painful confrontation. I ached for Letty as she faced the loss of the work she loves and the man she has come to love. I hurt, too, for Tony whose battlefield memories got tangled up with Letty’s work, causing his over-the-top reaction. The ending was complex, with Letty’s passion for her calling helping Tony come to terms with his past and his future, and his honest interest in her work giving her a feeling of validation she’d never had before. But there was still the issue of feeling that they couldn’t be together to overcome. I loved their big moment at the end when they realized that their love for each other was more important than society’s opinions.
My bad, I preordered this book as the blurb caught my eyes. A woman masquerading as a doctor, such a delightful in waiting.
But I had my eyes bigger than my belly and it sat forgotten on my kindles shelves while I was reading other books.
Hopefully the publisher Facebook page highlighted last week some of their historical writers and as the author’s name popped up, I knew I do have to read this book as soon as possible.
And I am so happy and glad I did it.
This was a magnificent tale of acceptance and understanding while healing in the process.
lord Anthony Ashcroft came back from war fields an empty shell, wounded and scarred, a shadow of his old self.
Numbness having replaced his usual humorous and risking personality. He sees life from behind a veil, a veil he uses to hide from the pain of losing so much more than his perfectly functioning limbs.
Lettuce Barton is an wonderful heroine as I like them, she is an oddity in herself, always awkward and insecure in polite society because her interests do not line on the classic way. She chose a risking path but this is the one that fulfills her inner soul, the one she feels she was breed to be but men have a different view, why she lives a double life, and is content with it.
She always seeks for the logical and scientific answer why she is unsettles when in close contact with Tony, she feels like her body and mind are betraying her.
But it is her bluntness which brings solace to his wounded soul. She does not avoid his scars, she looks straight to him, not repulsed by his change of appearance, she accepts who he has become.
But can he repay the favor?
I loved how Mrs Eleanor Webster unfolded the intrigue, bringing them closer with quips and witty banters to better tear them apart until they might accept who is the other and what can be or can not be embraced in the name of Love.
A first read by Mrs Webster but certainly not the last.
Determined to help people, Letty Barton has a double life whilst attending events in society she psent most of her time training to be a doctor. No-one must know ‘Dr Hatfield’ is actually a woman. Letty has used her father’s inheritance to buy adjoining cottages & she now spends her time tending to the sick. Called to an emergency at the home of Lady Beauchamp, she comes face to face with Elsie’s brother, Lord Anthony Ashcroft. They’d met years before when he was full of life but Waterloo has changed him & now he’s a brooding, scarred war hero but there is a spark between them.
A well written, enjoyable read with good characterisation. I liked both Letty & Tony, I loved how Tony’s injuries both physical & mental were highlighted. I always have difficulty with women masquerading as men & found it hard to believe that Letty had spent years without being recognised. I found I was drawn into the story & once I’d finished it I just had to search for information about childbed fever. I enjoyed Tony & Letty’s journey to a HEA
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read