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Madcap Miss
WHEN A YOUNG WOMAN DONS A GIRLISH DISGUISE, SHE DISCOVERS THAT LOVE IS NOT CHILD'S PLAY....
Poor Grace, having just lost her post as governess, had no friends, no money, and was indeed in dire straits. Her petite figure and clever disguise fooled the coachman into giving her a child's fare to Wickfield, but what to do when she got there?
Handsome Lord Whewett, to whom our heroine desperately confided her predicament, had a suggestion. Would she pose as his daughter to appease his aging and very rich mother, while his real daughter remained in Scotland?
One hundred pounds for two days of skipping rope and reciting lessons seemed a tolerable antidote to her boring life and uncertain future. Unfortunately, Grace's interest in Whewett was becoming anything but childlike....
Poor Grace, having just lost her post as governess, had no friends, no money, and was indeed in dire straits. Her petite figure and clever disguise fooled the coachman into giving her a child's fare to Wickfield, but what to do when she got there?
Handsome Lord Whewett, to whom our heroine desperately confided her predicament, had a suggestion. Would she pose as his daughter to appease his aging and very rich mother, while his real daughter remained in Scotland?
One hundred pounds for two days of skipping rope and reciting lessons seemed a tolerable antidote to her boring life and uncertain future. Unfortunately, Grace's interest in Whewett was becoming anything but childlike....
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 28, 1989
19 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Joan Smith
359 books155 followersJoan Smith is a graduate of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, and the Ontario College of Education. She has taught French and English in high school and English in college. When she began writing, her interest in Jane Austen and Lord Byron led to her first choice of genre, the Regency, which she especially liked for its wit and humor.
Her favorite travel destination is England, where she researches her books. Her hobbies are gardening, painting, sculpture and reading. She is married and has three children. A prolific writer, she is currently working on Regencies and various mysteries at her home in Georgetown, Ontario.
She is also known as Jennie Gallant
Her favorite travel destination is England, where she researches her books. Her hobbies are gardening, painting, sculpture and reading. She is married and has three children. A prolific writer, she is currently working on Regencies and various mysteries at her home in Georgetown, Ontario.
She is also known as Jennie Gallant
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 28, 2025
This was a whole heap of fun! I despise plots where the heroine disguises herself as a boy, but this one masquerades as a child, leading to all sorts of entertaining results, like being given warm milk to drink instead of wine, and being expected to play with skipping ropes and dolls! A very original story.
Here’s the premise: Grace Farnsworth, an orphaned lady come down in the world, has lost her job as a governess. Eking out her last pennies to get back to the safety of her former governess’s house, she disguises herself as a child to get a lower fare on the stage coach. She completely fools the coach driver and the two other passengers, a nosy matron and a well-to-do man whose own carriage has broken down. But when Grace arrives, she finds her friend has gone out of town, and she has no money and nowhere to go. Confiding in the sympathetic man from the stage, he makes her an offer: pose as his daughter for a couple of days to fool his elderly grandmother, and he’ll pay her a hundred pounds. Grace agrees, but it turns out to be more difficult than she’d thought.
Quite apart from the milk and dolls problem, there’s Grace’s very adult appetite to contend with, since grandma has very fixed ideas about what young girls should eat. But at least her benefactor, now revealed as an earl (because of course he is!), Lord Whewell (any ideas on pronunciation? No, me neither) is a bit of a charmer, who comes to her room every night and chats easily about this and that, in a perfectly avuncular manner that arouses no alarm in Grace or gentlemanly concern in him.
But gradually, and it really is very, very gradual, they both come to see each other in a different way. I really liked the way this is done, the first hint being the fact that he shaves before dinner on the second night, having discovered that grandma expects Grace to dutifully kiss her papa before bed each evening. That is such a small detail, but it completely sets up the whole process of falling in love. To be honest, I would have liked a little more awareness from him, since he’s not a callow youth but a previously married man, so he should have seen right from the start where his own feelings were heading. But the middle section of the book is very muddled about whether he’s falling in love or just likes her in a fatherly way. As for Grace, she sees him as old (he’s thirty-five to her twenty-two, which isn’t outrageous for the era), so it never occurs to her that he might have marriage in mind.
The second half of the book is a glorious string of improbable encounters with people who know one or other of the two in different ways, which call for some creative story-telling from our hero and heroine so as not to be rumbled, or to have something worse suspected. This is all deliciously funny, and if it takes the hero a couple of attempts to get his proposal right, everything works out fine in the end, naturally, with a resounding finale. Terrific fun. Five stars.
Here’s the premise: Grace Farnsworth, an orphaned lady come down in the world, has lost her job as a governess. Eking out her last pennies to get back to the safety of her former governess’s house, she disguises herself as a child to get a lower fare on the stage coach. She completely fools the coach driver and the two other passengers, a nosy matron and a well-to-do man whose own carriage has broken down. But when Grace arrives, she finds her friend has gone out of town, and she has no money and nowhere to go. Confiding in the sympathetic man from the stage, he makes her an offer: pose as his daughter for a couple of days to fool his elderly grandmother, and he’ll pay her a hundred pounds. Grace agrees, but it turns out to be more difficult than she’d thought.
Quite apart from the milk and dolls problem, there’s Grace’s very adult appetite to contend with, since grandma has very fixed ideas about what young girls should eat. But at least her benefactor, now revealed as an earl (because of course he is!), Lord Whewell (any ideas on pronunciation? No, me neither) is a bit of a charmer, who comes to her room every night and chats easily about this and that, in a perfectly avuncular manner that arouses no alarm in Grace or gentlemanly concern in him.
But gradually, and it really is very, very gradual, they both come to see each other in a different way. I really liked the way this is done, the first hint being the fact that he shaves before dinner on the second night, having discovered that grandma expects Grace to dutifully kiss her papa before bed each evening. That is such a small detail, but it completely sets up the whole process of falling in love. To be honest, I would have liked a little more awareness from him, since he’s not a callow youth but a previously married man, so he should have seen right from the start where his own feelings were heading. But the middle section of the book is very muddled about whether he’s falling in love or just likes her in a fatherly way. As for Grace, she sees him as old (he’s thirty-five to her twenty-two, which isn’t outrageous for the era), so it never occurs to her that he might have marriage in mind.
The second half of the book is a glorious string of improbable encounters with people who know one or other of the two in different ways, which call for some creative story-telling from our hero and heroine so as not to be rumbled, or to have something worse suspected. This is all deliciously funny, and if it takes the hero a couple of attempts to get his proposal right, everything works out fine in the end, naturally, with a resounding finale. Terrific fun. Five stars.
November 9, 2021
A Classic and Wonderful Regency Romance
Small Grace Farnsworth is left penniless when her father dies and dresses as a child in order to pay for her trip to London by stage. She meets a Mr. Whewett who listens to her story and suggests one of his own. She is to pose as his daughter while visiting his grandmother to ensure she leaves her property to his real daughter who is afraid of her. But things get more and more complicated as Grace and the gentleman who turns out to be Lord Whewett get to know each other. This is a smart, witty and fun Regency romp. Very good indeed.
Small Grace Farnsworth is left penniless when her father dies and dresses as a child in order to pay for her trip to London by stage. She meets a Mr. Whewett who listens to her story and suggests one of his own. She is to pose as his daughter while visiting his grandmother to ensure she leaves her property to his real daughter who is afraid of her. But things get more and more complicated as Grace and the gentleman who turns out to be Lord Whewett get to know each other. This is a smart, witty and fun Regency romp. Very good indeed.
December 17, 2018
Though it was an eicky premise for me, the hero and heroine protraying as father and daughter, I sucked it up and read the whole way. And I don't regret it. Though it took me some time to not think of them in a father-daughter relationship, the mature people part being limited, eventually I came over that and I came to like their bond. I also had difficulty imagining a 22 year old woman to act up and pass for a 12 year old. But nonetheless, I enjoyed the book. Witty banter, very cute hero and likeable heroine. It was for the hero that I settled for the four stars, so if you like kind and considerate heroes, this is the book.
September 30, 2015
Hilarrrriousssss!!! I don't think I have ever read a heroine who was more quick-witted. The replies were just flying like daggers, I loved it. I also liked that there was a pronounced sense of camaraderie between the two because of their scheme, sans antagonism. So they just grow into each other slowly. One downside is that the novel is very much platonic, and as she poses for his daughter for almost the entire time together, they have very little alone time, if any. Witha bit of spicing it up it would have been a clear winner.
April 24, 2022
I appreciate how this book really commits to a gross premise - h/h fall in love while she's pretending to be his daughter for Plot Reasons. Good balance of comedy and feelings.
It's a minor point, but I liked how the hero was perving on the heroine's ankles. It's kind of funny but I always enjoy when historical romance characters' taste is in line with what real people found attractive at the time even if it seems weird now.
It's a minor point, but I liked how the hero was perving on the heroine's ankles. It's kind of funny but I always enjoy when historical romance characters' taste is in line with what real people found attractive at the time even if it seems weird now.
September 25, 2019
Darling sweet covers on sweet Smith romances that culminate in warm kisses keep me entranced. Miss Farnsworth, as herself or Augusta, her ersatz Papa and Grandma are an exciting and earnest trio. A nosy gossip is their worst villain to conquer.
August 1, 2024
Strange premise. A governess who has been turned off takes a job pretending to be a gentleman's daughter to coax, or hoax, his grandmother into leaving her an inheritance. The strange thing is that she has to wear short skirts and braids, speak in a falsetto, and spend her time jumping rope, reading the Bible, and playing with dolls. His real daughter, who is off in Ireland, is several years younger, which is the reason for the ruse. Of course the lord and the governess fall in love after a series of mishaps, and in the manner of Joan Smith, there is one kiss and they're done. It is all very "sweet', but it feels a little kinky after the father-daughter scenes.
December 27, 2022
Joan Smith is one of my favorite regency romance authors.
But this book shows that even a favorite author is not always going to have a winner. After finishing this book I find myself wondering what was she thinking in writing this storyline.
I would say this storyline would be in the "comedy of errors" style.
You have to greatly suspend all disbelief when reading this story.
That being said, her writing style is always enjoyable enough that I was able to finish it.
But this book shows that even a favorite author is not always going to have a winner. After finishing this book I find myself wondering what was she thinking in writing this storyline.
I would say this storyline would be in the "comedy of errors" style.
You have to greatly suspend all disbelief when reading this story.
That being said, her writing style is always enjoyable enough that I was able to finish it.
June 30, 2024
What fun! Delightful characters, a wild premise, and witty banter all combine to create a lovely romance. I was skeptical at the weird premise at first, but the story is satisfying and not at all creepy, and was so hilarious that I couldn’t put it down once I started. There was a marriage of convenience proposal that always annoys me but the miscommunication didn’t last long enough to make me throw the book at the wall and it all ended up satisfactorily. One of my favorite by Joan Smith!
November 6, 2025
A fun little romp. An unfairly dismissed schoolteacher looks young enough to get a temporary job impersonating a child.
I was waiting for there to be a great reveal and a huge scolding at some point but it didn't go quite as I expected. There was scolding, yes... but for something else. So maybe that was enough of punishment for the deception to satisfy the interests of honesty.
I was waiting for there to be a great reveal and a huge scolding at some point but it didn't go quite as I expected. There was scolding, yes... but for something else. So maybe that was enough of punishment for the deception to satisfy the interests of honesty.
July 6, 2018
Una lettura piacevolissima: non ho mai provato il desiderio di lanciare il libro contro il muro; l'autrice è riuscita a farmi sorridere (se non ridere) dalla prima all'ultima pagina. Si può chiedere di più a un romanzo d'evasione? Direi di no.
August 13, 2017
More like a 4.5. It could be a bit troubling at times, but nothing a combined charm of novel setup, good chemistry, hilarious writings cannot overcome.
October 20, 2018
A good read.
July 5, 2020
Hugely entertaining. So many hilarious twists and turns that only a talented author like Joan Smith can pull off. Loved it!
November 20, 2020
This was actually pretty cute, just...odd. Really really odd.
Still trying to figure out how they'll handle the aunt in the future...
Still trying to figure out how they'll handle the aunt in the future...
February 19, 2023
4-4.5⭐️ Another enjoyable Joan Smith’s book. It was cute and funny. Grandma was my favorite character.
November 7, 2025
Not on Kindle unlimited. Reviews looked really good and Joan is usually.
DAMN. Laughed so loudly I scared the cat. Read this one.
DAMN. Laughed so loudly I scared the cat. Read this one.
August 11, 2015
There is a slight ick factor to H and h, since h is "acting" as his daughter in front of said daughter's greatgrandmother so that she'll leave her money to her. But, it's really well done.
The other ick factor, that she looks like the woman he had an affair with 10 years ago, 6 months after his wife died, was a bigger deal to me... but that was explained away nicely too.
All in all, a nice, enjoyable read.
I loved the way the old lady thought the H's sister (who had brought his real daughter with her), could not possibly be his sister, but had to be his mistress, and mistook her great-granddaughter for his byblow. The shy, young girl would not have hit it off with her ggm, so take that at face value. If you think about it too much, the masquerade will leave you thinking a little badly for the deception.
The other ick factor, that she looks like the woman he had an affair with 10 years ago, 6 months after his wife died, was a bigger deal to me... but that was explained away nicely too.
All in all, a nice, enjoyable read.
I loved the way the old lady thought the H's sister (who had brought his real daughter with her), could not possibly be his sister, but had to be his mistress, and mistook her great-granddaughter for his byblow. The shy, young girl would not have hit it off with her ggm, so take that at face value. If you think about it too much, the masquerade will leave you thinking a little badly for the deception.
October 20, 2010
This was definitely a bit pervy. The hero hires the heroine to pretend to be his daughter and then visits her most nights while she sips hot milk. Really? I like Joan Smith but this didn't work for me. Not so much Madcap as TSTL -- and that includes most of the characters.
October 29, 2015
Now this is more like it! I love reading a book that holds witty dialogue. The banter between between the heroine, Grace, and the hero, Lord Whewett, is not only witty, but hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed reading, I'm actually sorry to have finished it so soon.
May 11, 2015
A Regency escapade. The dialogue reads like an urbane comedy from the 30's--quite fun.
September 5, 2015
Hilarious, [de gustitbus, natch], fun and hardly misses a beat. Worth a read. Just ignore the title.
January 2, 2016
It was ok. I'm not partial to madcap heroine so I guess that's why I didn't like it (I don't dislike it either though).
June 19, 2016
A lively comedy of errors!!
July 11, 2016
Laugh out loud funny, completely ludicrious trad. Reg Rom plot
For a slightly longer review: http://www.regrom.com/2016/07/04/joan...
For a slightly longer review: http://www.regrom.com/2016/07/04/joan...
May 22, 2016
Not the best or most humorous of Joan Smith's Regencies, but a quick & easy read.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews