What do you think?
Rate this book
Love in Disguise
To do a friend a favor ~ and also because it suited her at the time to get away from home ~ Anthea offered to take over temporarily the friend's new job, as housekeeper to the high-powered tycoon Mark Allen. But Mr. Allen, it seemed, preferred his housekeepers to be staid and middle-aged, so Anthea assumed a disguise.
But no disguise could hide her growing awareness of her acid-tongued employer or help to conceal her dislike of the lovely Claudine who seemed determined to marry him...
Librarian's Alternate cover edition of ISBN 0373705859.
But no disguise could hide her growing awareness of her acid-tongued employer or help to conceal her dislike of the lovely Claudine who seemed determined to marry him...
Librarian's Alternate cover edition of ISBN 0373705859.
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
About the author
Rachel Lindsay
66 books64 followersRachel Lindsay is the pen name of an author who also published as Roberta Leigh, Janey Scott, and Rozella Lake. See the "Roberta Leigh" entry for full biographical information.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 8, 2017
The only thing I learned from this story is that beige powder can age a 23 year old girl by about ten years. Who needs elaborate disguises and special Hollywood effects when a simple sprinkling of the beige stuff, some mauve lipstick, a plaited hairstyle and a ghastly Laura Ashley dress two sizes too big can turn our brainy, fashionable, Supermodel beautiful heroine into Mrs. Doubtfire?
The hero didn't seem to mind. He actually started liking her before her inevitable transformation back into a pin-up. A reverse-Cinderella of sorts. Too bad he was so boring, with his I-hate-all-women issues and his constant flirting with the married OW.
This story was just too ridiculous for me and NOT helpful at all in dragging me out of my book slump :(
The hero didn't seem to mind. He actually started liking her before her inevitable transformation back into a pin-up. A reverse-Cinderella of sorts. Too bad he was so boring, with his I-hate-all-women issues and his constant flirting with the married OW.
This story was just too ridiculous for me and NOT helpful at all in dragging me out of my book slump :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2010
I just love romances that de-emphasize looks.
Heroine is a college student who gets a temporary job as the 30 year old hero's new housekeeper. Since she is too young for the job, she disguises herself as a frumpy, pudgy older woman in her mid-30s with some padding and powder. The hero is not physically attracted to her but he finds that he likes talking with her because of her sharp mind and great personality and they become friends.
Of course, her disguise is eventually revealed. I found 75% of the novel absolutely delightful but the last 25% got bogged down with misunderstandings. This prevented LID from being a 5 Star read.
The hero wore glasses and he really needed them. Just like in RL's Storm Cloud Marriage which I recommend for a unPC read. I wish I can come across more HPs with H/h wearing glasses.
Content warning: none (no sex, kisses only)
Heroine is a college student who gets a temporary job as the 30 year old hero's new housekeeper. Since she is too young for the job, she disguises herself as a frumpy, pudgy older woman in her mid-30s with some padding and powder. The hero is not physically attracted to her but he finds that he likes talking with her because of her sharp mind and great personality and they become friends.
Of course, her disguise is eventually revealed. I found 75% of the novel absolutely delightful but the last 25% got bogged down with misunderstandings. This prevented LID from being a 5 Star read.
The hero wore glasses and he really needed them. Just like in RL's Storm Cloud Marriage which I recommend for a unPC read. I wish I can come across more HPs with H/h wearing glasses.
Content warning: none (no sex, kisses only)
September 2, 2013
This was a very enjoyable read. I really liked the heroine, which is the barometer I usually use when rating my HPs. She was feisty, strong, and very independent. The hero was also very interesting and quite endearing for the first part of the book, but then sadly started to creep me out a bit towards the end once her disguise was revealed. It also had one of those delicious OW that always entertains me and a besotted boyfriend that kept things moving along enough to force me to finish this in one sitting.
The storyline was unique, a "pygmalion" in reverse, with both falling in love with each other when she is a frumpy old housekeeper and he has bottle coke glasses. So those typical HP dazzling good looks don't play a part in this romance making it stand out from the typical genre trap.
The ending was a bit rushed, but that's typical of the timeframe of when the book was written.
If you like this author, but missed this one, I highly recommend.
The storyline was unique, a "pygmalion" in reverse, with both falling in love with each other when she is a frumpy old housekeeper and he has bottle coke glasses. So those typical HP dazzling good looks don't play a part in this romance making it stand out from the typical genre trap.
The ending was a bit rushed, but that's typical of the timeframe of when the book was written.
If you like this author, but missed this one, I highly recommend.
September 15, 2013
The first half of the book was 5 star, the second half a 3 stars. I wish she remained in disguise longer and her cover wasn't blown so early. There were areas in the book I did not understand the male lead character's reasoning specifically when it came to his relationship with the OW ... asking her to hire a decorator and do as she wishes with his country home...talking until 3 in the morning, staying at her place until dawn, allowing her to host his parties and all of these happening for over a month while her husband was a way. He was sending a lot of mixed messages to the OW, I could not fault her for believing she had a chance.
October 4, 2020
"Love in Disguise" is the story of Anthea and Mark.
Our heroine gave up on her education to take care of her professor father, only for him to remarry a VERY disapproving woman. Soon the heroine has a new "lady" in her life, who makes it very clear that she must move out and get a job. Unqualified and desperate, the heroine ends up taking the position to be the hero's housekeeper, helping out a temporarily incapacitated friend. She adopts the disguise of an older, dowdy woman, but cannot hide her very vibrant nature. There's a lot of back and forth, identities are revealed, some OW/ OM/ work related drama takes place- but it all ends in a HEA.
Enjoyable one time read.
Safe..ish
3/5
Our heroine gave up on her education to take care of her professor father, only for him to remarry a VERY disapproving woman. Soon the heroine has a new "lady" in her life, who makes it very clear that she must move out and get a job. Unqualified and desperate, the heroine ends up taking the position to be the hero's housekeeper, helping out a temporarily incapacitated friend. She adopts the disguise of an older, dowdy woman, but cannot hide her very vibrant nature. There's a lot of back and forth, identities are revealed, some OW/ OM/ work related drama takes place- but it all ends in a HEA.
Enjoyable one time read.
Safe..ish
3/5
July 19, 2022
I am trying to read tge old harlequin/ mills and boon books of 1960s and 70s. This is the first book of Rachel Lindsay which I have read and I am very impressed with her writing. In this book both the hero and heroine are strong characters ,independent and go getters. The story was very well developed and the dialogues were especially very witty ,sometimes sharp and good.The story progresses well and there was a bit of a twist in the end which made it further interesting. I am m looking forward to reading more books by this author.
September 9, 2013
Rating 3.5 stars
Thanks Leona for this recommendation. I so like reading about a heroine who can bring out her claws and strike back. The heroine has always lived at home, taking care of her father and she took a year off university to help her sick father. Now things have changed, her dad comes back home married and there is friction with her new step-mom which makes the heroine start searching for a place to live. I think the book straddled a fine line between showing the step-mom as being selfish and not that bad, same with the heroine, she came off as self-sacrificing at few moments and very strong and assertive the next.
The heroine finds a temporary job as a house-keeper standing in for a friend. She of course doesn't tell her family what the job is and because she is so young dresses like a woman, a decade older. She mistakes the very rich hero to be a driver at first and questions him at every turn, his working so hard, not eating, his army of servants and more.
Honestly, the romance here is okay, we have a few kisses and the heroine's belief that the hero is having an affair with a married woman and then bam we get a HEA. Nevertheless, despite some shortcomings I liked the book.
Thanks Leona for this recommendation. I so like reading about a heroine who can bring out her claws and strike back. The heroine has always lived at home, taking care of her father and she took a year off university to help her sick father. Now things have changed, her dad comes back home married and there is friction with her new step-mom which makes the heroine start searching for a place to live. I think the book straddled a fine line between showing the step-mom as being selfish and not that bad, same with the heroine, she came off as self-sacrificing at few moments and very strong and assertive the next.
The heroine finds a temporary job as a house-keeper standing in for a friend. She of course doesn't tell her family what the job is and because she is so young dresses like a woman, a decade older. She mistakes the very rich hero to be a driver at first and questions him at every turn, his working so hard, not eating, his army of servants and more.
Honestly, the romance here is okay, we have a few kisses and the heroine's belief that the hero is having an affair with a married woman and then bam we get a HEA. Nevertheless, despite some shortcomings I liked the book.
March 20, 2017
Another one down on my quest to read the first 100 numbered Harlequin Presents. This one is numbered 85.
I read this one back in the day and remembered it in a general way. It gets four stars for a well rounded story of a girl who is working as a housekeeper for a rich man. She dresses and acts older in order to get the job and hero finds to his bewilderment that he is falling in love with the unappealing looking heroine. At least we know that he loves her for her mind and personality. I could totally see this as a rom com movie.
I read this one back in the day and remembered it in a general way. It gets four stars for a well rounded story of a girl who is working as a housekeeper for a rich man. She dresses and acts older in order to get the job and hero finds to his bewilderment that he is falling in love with the unappealing looking heroine. At least we know that he loves her for her mind and personality. I could totally see this as a rom com movie.
December 9, 2022
A very dreadfully boring Harley. The plot was amazing and it could’ve been a hundred times better if the MCs weren’t so dowdy and there was some spark in their interactions.
The h’s dad remarries and theres a step mom in the picture who isn’t ready to grow up. The h tries to get along with her but there is much resistance on both ends, and I’d say the step mom was nicer and kinder. The h talked back all the time and not in an attractive way. I wish the writer could’ve fine tuned the h’s comebacks so they were sassy as opposed to rude and unbecoming of a young girl.
The h decides to move from her parents house, new mom and all, but boarding is expensive. She tactfully takes a housekeeper job from her neighbor who has fallen ill. The h agrees that she’ll cover for this ridiculous job and meanwhile also get free food and a place to stay.
The H is the lord of the manor. Their meeting scene is predictable. The h thinks he’s the chauffeur and talks back to him in her tacky usual way. The h also disguises herself in hideous clothing and face powder and ‘purple’ lipstick to appear older. Everyone now thinks the h is middle aged and appropriate to work as a house keeper.
The H is intrigued by his new employee who appears to dress up ugly but can’t hold back on her lashing insulting tongue. Soon enough he requests for her to wine and dine with him. Pretty creepy for a man to want to sit and chat with his older house keeper.
The MCs take off on the most boring tales. There is wayy too much talk of business. While the h wants to ensure that she isn’t needy and plays cool, she actually is quite needy and hovers around the H all the time. She constantly berates the H on working too hard or fixes him a meal so that he doesn’t go hungry and tired. A little too eager to play grandmama to the H. She also has the balls to comment that he looks wiped out. I’d fire my housekeeper on such familiar cheekiness.
The H is boring and doesn’t do much to feed his curiosity. They tattle on their life stories where the h has no bedside manners and says anything that comes up in her head. This goes on in circles until you almost fall asleep with nothing happening between the MCs.
I wish the writer could’ve focused on the MCs without bringing in the whole village. The h could’ve been more feminine with a sweet disposition. Her v-card status was unclear.
The h’s dad remarries and theres a step mom in the picture who isn’t ready to grow up. The h tries to get along with her but there is much resistance on both ends, and I’d say the step mom was nicer and kinder. The h talked back all the time and not in an attractive way. I wish the writer could’ve fine tuned the h’s comebacks so they were sassy as opposed to rude and unbecoming of a young girl.
The h decides to move from her parents house, new mom and all, but boarding is expensive. She tactfully takes a housekeeper job from her neighbor who has fallen ill. The h agrees that she’ll cover for this ridiculous job and meanwhile also get free food and a place to stay.
The H is the lord of the manor. Their meeting scene is predictable. The h thinks he’s the chauffeur and talks back to him in her tacky usual way. The h also disguises herself in hideous clothing and face powder and ‘purple’ lipstick to appear older. Everyone now thinks the h is middle aged and appropriate to work as a house keeper.
The H is intrigued by his new employee who appears to dress up ugly but can’t hold back on her lashing insulting tongue. Soon enough he requests for her to wine and dine with him. Pretty creepy for a man to want to sit and chat with his older house keeper.
The MCs take off on the most boring tales. There is wayy too much talk of business. While the h wants to ensure that she isn’t needy and plays cool, she actually is quite needy and hovers around the H all the time. She constantly berates the H on working too hard or fixes him a meal so that he doesn’t go hungry and tired. A little too eager to play grandmama to the H. She also has the balls to comment that he looks wiped out. I’d fire my housekeeper on such familiar cheekiness.
The H is boring and doesn’t do much to feed his curiosity. They tattle on their life stories where the h has no bedside manners and says anything that comes up in her head. This goes on in circles until you almost fall asleep with nothing happening between the MCs.
I wish the writer could’ve focused on the MCs without bringing in the whole village. The h could’ve been more feminine with a sweet disposition. Her v-card status was unclear.
October 14, 2013
Very interesting. The whole point of this romance was that the guy fell in love with the heroine's personality and wit.
July 30, 2026
4 stars.
I enjoyed Love in Disguise a great deal, particularly at the beginning. I like the trope of a heroine disguising herself as an impoverished, dowdy housekeeper, provided she is genuinely competent and has sympathetic, heartfelt reasons for doing so. Anthea met those requirements perfectly.
The book remained entertaining and engaging throughout, with some enjoyable sections of Anthea pining for Mark. Unfortunately, the story began to lose its emotional authenticity once the fraud plot took over. The final section became too melodramatic and slightly farcical, and the romantic resolution did not deliver the catharsis promised by the earlier chapters. Otherwise, this might have been a five-star read.
Anthea is twenty-two and the daughter of a renowned university professor. Her mother died ten years earlier. Anthea had been studying at university herself, but gave up her place a year ago when her father became ill. She nursed him through his recovery while also helping with his research and the writing of one of his books.
Her father has now remarried. His new wife is devoted to him but insecure and rather possessive. She dislikes how much his friends adore Anthea and have known her since childhood, because she feels Anthea continually steals her place at the centre of attention. She therefore begins gently but unmistakably nudging Anthea out of the family home.
Anthea believes she and her stepmother could otherwise get along reasonably well. If she remains, however, their relationship may deteriorate and distress her father. She therefore decides to leave, although several months remain before she can return to university.
Unfortunately, rent is considerably more expensive than she expected. Anthea has proudly refused her father’s offer of an allowance and now needs temporary employment.
At the same time, the family’s former housekeeper, who is also Anthea’s friend, suffers a heart attack just before beginning an excellent new position with a wealthy financier. She needs time to recover and fears losing an unusually valuable job that may not be available again.
For entirely altruistic reasons, Anthea offers to take her place temporarily. She visits the employer’s country house and persuades his current housekeeper—who needs to travel abroad to care for her daughter—to employ her until her friend can recover.
Because Anthea is so young and attractive, she disguises herself. She wears loose, frumpy dresses, powders her face heavily, adds spectacles and pulls her hair into an unflattering braided style. The result makes her appear to be a dowdy woman in her mid-thirties.
Her new employer, Mark, is a wealthy financier who lives mainly in London and visits his country house for weekends and parties. He is absent during Anthea’s initial week of training. According to the outgoing housekeeper, he is a good employer but extremely fastidious and accustomed to having everything arranged precisely as he wishes.
Anthea consequently imagines a crotchety older man.
She is therefore mortified when the young chauffeur she chastises one day turns out to be Mark himself. Anthea returns from shopping to find a young man beside a newly arrived car, holding a cleaning rag. When he demands to know who she is, she considers him impertinent and tells him so.
It was an enjoyable, mildly confrontational first meeting that immediately established some tension between them.
Various complications follow as Anthea struggles to preserve her disguise. She has to keep her father and stepmother away from the house, as well as Roger, a persistent family friend who is determined to marry her. Anthea likes Roger but only as a friend and has no intention of accepting him, despite his repeated proposals.
Meanwhile, she begins growing closer to Mark. Beneath his spectacles, he is very handsome, but he is also overworked, exhausted and neglectful of his health. Anthea steps in to ensure that he eats and rests properly. She is sometimes forced to keep him company during meals because otherwise he will survive on sandwiches rather than eating anything substantial.
Mark seems to appreciate that she speaks plainly, answers him back when necessary and refuses to be intimidated. He increasingly enjoys her company.
SPOILERS
Anthea remains wary because his gaze sometimes seems uncomfortably perceptive, as though he might see through her disguise. He also begins paying particular attention to her needs. When she explains that she dresses badly because she wears whatever she can afford, he buys her a better work dress from Fortnum & Mason.
Since her loose clothes prevent him from estimating her size correctly, even the new dress looks frumpy. Nevertheless, the fact that he immediately buys her something better shows that he is intrigued by her and concerned about her even while believing her to be an ordinary housekeeper.
Mark also begins returning to the country house not just at weekends, but also during the week, extremely late each night after working in London. Although exhausted and surrounded by responsibilities, he seems to find peace simply from being in the same house as Anthea.
This gave the romance some genuine emotional depth. Mark has built a life around earning money, but his success has left him tired, empty and unable to rest. Anthea’s presence quietly fills that void. She gives him companionship, comfort and a sense of home without initially asking anything from him.
During several house parties, Anthea meets Mark’s older Australian business associate, with whom he is negotiating a merger. The man is wealthy and has a much younger wife named Claudine.
Claudine is an exceptionally beautiful and glamorous French-Canadian woman of about thirty, slightly younger than Mark, who is in his mid-thirties. She appears indifferent towards her considerably older husband, who treats her as a treasured possession and is clearly deeply in love with her.
Claudine is constantly hanging upon Mark despite her husband’s watchful jealousy. Their intimacy makes it plausible that she may secretly be Mark’s mistress.
Anthea remains busy managing the house and ensuring the parties run smoothly, but she cannot help observing Claudine and thinking less of Mark because of their apparent relationship. At the same time, she continues liking him personally and finds him increasingly intriguing.
Eventually, Anthea’s deception is exposed when her father and stepmother arrive unexpectedly. Anthea is absent when they first appear, so Mark entertains them with tea. Her stepmother boasts about Anthea’s youth and beauty, unaware that Mark believes her to be an entirely different woman.
Anthea returns to find them discussing her and immediately realises the game is over.
Mark is furious. He accuses her of being as deceitful as every other woman who wants something from him. He believes she deliberately presented herself as dowdy and harmless so he would lower his guard.
The subtext makes it clear that Anthea has already got under his skin. He feels personally betrayed because the woman whose company he trusted was not quite who she claimed to be.
Anthea retaliates that she would not have him if he were the last man on earth. Nevertheless, she begs to remain for the few remaining weeks until her older friend, who is the genuinely experienced housekeeper, can take over.
Mark refuses. He says her lies are all that matter and orders her to leave immediately.
Anthea is deeply upset and begins walking away. Mark then calls her back and abruptly agrees that she may stay. He has seen she is upset but also I wonder if he secretly panicked at the reality of her leaving. It is also evident that, despite his anger, he does not truly want her gone.
He demands that she abandon the disguise and behave as herself.
Anthea is consequently excited about Mark’s next visit, when he will see her as the young woman she truly is. Unfortunately, he returns with another group of guests, including Claudine.
Claudine is furious to discover that Mark’s dowdy housekeeper is actually young and extremely attractive. She warns Anthea away, reminding her that she is merely an employee and claiming that Mark cares nothing for her.
By this stage, Anthea has realised she is in love with Mark. Claudine sees it almost immediately and mocks her for being so obvious. Anthea’s response confirms the truth, leaving Claudine smugly aware of her secret.
This was where the book began losing some of its power for me.
The narrative tries to create angst through Mark’s coldness towards Anthea and his increasing attention to Claudine. However, the situation never felt entirely convincing. It seemed too obviously staged.
At first, I assumed Mark was using Claudine to keep Anthea at a distance but also make Anthea jealous, especially since he'd shown signs of jealousy over her relationship with Roger. This could have worked for me as i love some authentic OW drama. Soon afterwards, however, it became clear that he was keeping Claudine close for another reason.
Mark moves Anthea to his London house after his housekeeper there injures herself. Anthea now looks after him throughout the working week and sees considerably more of his relationship with Claudine.
At the same time, investigators begin visiting the house. Anthea overhears enough to understand that serious trouble may be developing. Mark becomes increasingly tired and strained, while spending almost every spare moment with Claudine.
The moment the investigators appeared, I guessed what was happening. Claudine’s husband, Mark’s friend and prospective business partner, was obviously committing fraud. Mark was covertly helping the authorities investigate him and keeping Claudine close because she could provide information.
From that point, the romantic tension largely disappeared. The book continued dropping hints that Mark and Claudine might be conducting a passionate affair. Anthea overhears Claudine saying that she depends upon him, fears her husband and wants to leave her marriage.
However, the explanation had become too apparent. Rather than feeling anxious that Mark might genuinely want Claudine, I was waiting for the fraud investigation to be confirmed.
The story consequently shifted away from intimate romantic tension and into a rather obvious melodrama about financial crime.
The fraud plot is principally designed to resolve Mark’s belief that Anthea wants him for his money. He continues tormenting her and pushing her away because he remains convinced that she would not care for him without his wealth and believes her original deception proves she cannot be trusted.
There are also several intoxicating kisses during which Anthea becomes overwhelmed by Mark’s physical proximity, although not quite as helplessly as some heroines in similar vintage romances.
Eventually, Anthea misunderstands the investigation and believes Mark himself is responsible for the fraud and about to lose everything. Her willingness to stand beside him then proves she was never interested in his money.
I understood what the plot was trying to achieve, but it felt too artificial. I would have preferred Mark to discover Anthea’s integrity through the smaller, more emotionally authentic moments already built into their relationship rather than through a contrived criminal crisis.
The story also introduces a false engagement.
Claudine’s husband has been in Australia but unexpectedly returns on the one night Claudine remains at Mark’s house until three in the morning—something she has never done before. Already jealous of Mark’s closeness to his wife, he arrives furiously demanding to see her.
If he discovers Claudine in the house, the entire investigation may collapse because she will no longer be able to gather the information the authorities need.
Anthea therefore pretends that she is the woman spending the night with Mark while Claudine escapes through the back door.
Mark then explains that Claudine’s husband will spread the story. It may reach the press and publicly identify Anthea as a housekeeper sleeping with her employer. Anthea is distressed because the scandal will embarrass her respected father.
Mark proposes a false engagement to protect her reputation.
The story ultimately resolves much as expected. Anthea wrongly concludes that Mark will be arrested for fraud and lose his fortune. She rushes to him, insists that she cannot believe he deliberately stole anyone’s money and promises to wait for him even if he goes to prison.
She also makes it clear that she will work and support them if necessary.
Mark is shocked and elated. Anthea has inadvertently confessed her love while proving beyond question that she wants him rather than his money.
He is already under considerable strain because he has been forced to hand a friend over to the fraud investigators. He feels exhausted, guilty and miserable about the consequences. Anthea’s arrival gives him the emotional comfort he desperately needs.
Unfortunately, by then the climax had become too melodramatic for me to feel its intended impact. The heightened emotions and romantic tension had already fizzled out. Nothing genuine was keeping the pair apart. Thus, their declarations did not provide the cathartic or emotionally satisfying conclusion promised by the beginning. They felt more like the necessary final step in wrapping up the fraud storyline than the natural culmination of the romantic journey.
That was disappointing because the earlier relationship possessed much more authenticity.
Anthea repeatedly notices that Mark is exhausted by his life and fundamentally dissatisfied. He earns enormous amounts of money but receives little pleasure from it. His success has left him dispirited, overworked and unable to rest.
Her company gives him peace. Even before he knows who she truly is, he drives from London to the country house late at night simply to sleep beneath the same roof. He eats properly when she is with him, talks to her, listens when she challenges him and gradually begins relying upon her presence.
She therefore fills a genuine emotional absence in his life. Her warmth and companionship mend something in him that professional success cannot reach.
Anthea has no emotional wounds of her own unfortunately. Despite losing her mother young and temporarily surrendering her education to care for her father, she remains bright, happy and generally optimistic. She has grown up as the cherished daughter of a successful academic and has led a relatively comfortable life.
However, she never becomes unlikeable or useless. She convincingly works hard, runs Mark’s houses efficiently and cares for those around her while retaining her cheerful personality. Her decision to become a housekeeper is motivated by loyalty to her friend rather than personal gain, and she remains diligent once employed.
Mark also has enough emotional complexity to remain sympathetic. His suspicion and harshness can be frustrating, but his exhaustion, loneliness and growing dependence upon Anthea give him depth.
Overall, I enjoyed Love in Disguise very much. The disguised-housekeeper premise was fun, Anthea’s motives were credible and admirable, the initial tension with Mark worked beautifully, and the story kept me engaged throughout. There was enough pining from Anthea to maintain my romantic interest without making the book overwhelmingly angsty.
Had the novel continued building upon the quieter emotional connection between them, this might have been a five-star read. Instead, the fraud investigation, false engagement and exaggerated misunderstandings made the ending feel more like a farce than an emotionally authentic resolution.
Nevertheless, the strengths substantially outweighed the weaknesses. The central couple were likeable, their relationship had genuine depth, and the book was consistently entertaining.
Four stars. I would definitely read more by Rachel Lindsay. I had initially believed this was my first book by her, but later realised I had already read and enjoyed another one even more, so I am now interested in exploring more of her work.
I enjoyed Love in Disguise a great deal, particularly at the beginning. I like the trope of a heroine disguising herself as an impoverished, dowdy housekeeper, provided she is genuinely competent and has sympathetic, heartfelt reasons for doing so. Anthea met those requirements perfectly.
The book remained entertaining and engaging throughout, with some enjoyable sections of Anthea pining for Mark. Unfortunately, the story began to lose its emotional authenticity once the fraud plot took over. The final section became too melodramatic and slightly farcical, and the romantic resolution did not deliver the catharsis promised by the earlier chapters. Otherwise, this might have been a five-star read.
Anthea is twenty-two and the daughter of a renowned university professor. Her mother died ten years earlier. Anthea had been studying at university herself, but gave up her place a year ago when her father became ill. She nursed him through his recovery while also helping with his research and the writing of one of his books.
Her father has now remarried. His new wife is devoted to him but insecure and rather possessive. She dislikes how much his friends adore Anthea and have known her since childhood, because she feels Anthea continually steals her place at the centre of attention. She therefore begins gently but unmistakably nudging Anthea out of the family home.
Anthea believes she and her stepmother could otherwise get along reasonably well. If she remains, however, their relationship may deteriorate and distress her father. She therefore decides to leave, although several months remain before she can return to university.
Unfortunately, rent is considerably more expensive than she expected. Anthea has proudly refused her father’s offer of an allowance and now needs temporary employment.
At the same time, the family’s former housekeeper, who is also Anthea’s friend, suffers a heart attack just before beginning an excellent new position with a wealthy financier. She needs time to recover and fears losing an unusually valuable job that may not be available again.
For entirely altruistic reasons, Anthea offers to take her place temporarily. She visits the employer’s country house and persuades his current housekeeper—who needs to travel abroad to care for her daughter—to employ her until her friend can recover.
Because Anthea is so young and attractive, she disguises herself. She wears loose, frumpy dresses, powders her face heavily, adds spectacles and pulls her hair into an unflattering braided style. The result makes her appear to be a dowdy woman in her mid-thirties.
Her new employer, Mark, is a wealthy financier who lives mainly in London and visits his country house for weekends and parties. He is absent during Anthea’s initial week of training. According to the outgoing housekeeper, he is a good employer but extremely fastidious and accustomed to having everything arranged precisely as he wishes.
Anthea consequently imagines a crotchety older man.
She is therefore mortified when the young chauffeur she chastises one day turns out to be Mark himself. Anthea returns from shopping to find a young man beside a newly arrived car, holding a cleaning rag. When he demands to know who she is, she considers him impertinent and tells him so.
It was an enjoyable, mildly confrontational first meeting that immediately established some tension between them.
Various complications follow as Anthea struggles to preserve her disguise. She has to keep her father and stepmother away from the house, as well as Roger, a persistent family friend who is determined to marry her. Anthea likes Roger but only as a friend and has no intention of accepting him, despite his repeated proposals.
Meanwhile, she begins growing closer to Mark. Beneath his spectacles, he is very handsome, but he is also overworked, exhausted and neglectful of his health. Anthea steps in to ensure that he eats and rests properly. She is sometimes forced to keep him company during meals because otherwise he will survive on sandwiches rather than eating anything substantial.
Mark seems to appreciate that she speaks plainly, answers him back when necessary and refuses to be intimidated. He increasingly enjoys her company.
SPOILERS
Anthea remains wary because his gaze sometimes seems uncomfortably perceptive, as though he might see through her disguise. He also begins paying particular attention to her needs. When she explains that she dresses badly because she wears whatever she can afford, he buys her a better work dress from Fortnum & Mason.
Since her loose clothes prevent him from estimating her size correctly, even the new dress looks frumpy. Nevertheless, the fact that he immediately buys her something better shows that he is intrigued by her and concerned about her even while believing her to be an ordinary housekeeper.
Mark also begins returning to the country house not just at weekends, but also during the week, extremely late each night after working in London. Although exhausted and surrounded by responsibilities, he seems to find peace simply from being in the same house as Anthea.
This gave the romance some genuine emotional depth. Mark has built a life around earning money, but his success has left him tired, empty and unable to rest. Anthea’s presence quietly fills that void. She gives him companionship, comfort and a sense of home without initially asking anything from him.
During several house parties, Anthea meets Mark’s older Australian business associate, with whom he is negotiating a merger. The man is wealthy and has a much younger wife named Claudine.
Claudine is an exceptionally beautiful and glamorous French-Canadian woman of about thirty, slightly younger than Mark, who is in his mid-thirties. She appears indifferent towards her considerably older husband, who treats her as a treasured possession and is clearly deeply in love with her.
Claudine is constantly hanging upon Mark despite her husband’s watchful jealousy. Their intimacy makes it plausible that she may secretly be Mark’s mistress.
Anthea remains busy managing the house and ensuring the parties run smoothly, but she cannot help observing Claudine and thinking less of Mark because of their apparent relationship. At the same time, she continues liking him personally and finds him increasingly intriguing.
Eventually, Anthea’s deception is exposed when her father and stepmother arrive unexpectedly. Anthea is absent when they first appear, so Mark entertains them with tea. Her stepmother boasts about Anthea’s youth and beauty, unaware that Mark believes her to be an entirely different woman.
Anthea returns to find them discussing her and immediately realises the game is over.
Mark is furious. He accuses her of being as deceitful as every other woman who wants something from him. He believes she deliberately presented herself as dowdy and harmless so he would lower his guard.
The subtext makes it clear that Anthea has already got under his skin. He feels personally betrayed because the woman whose company he trusted was not quite who she claimed to be.
Anthea retaliates that she would not have him if he were the last man on earth. Nevertheless, she begs to remain for the few remaining weeks until her older friend, who is the genuinely experienced housekeeper, can take over.
Mark refuses. He says her lies are all that matter and orders her to leave immediately.
Anthea is deeply upset and begins walking away. Mark then calls her back and abruptly agrees that she may stay. He has seen she is upset but also I wonder if he secretly panicked at the reality of her leaving. It is also evident that, despite his anger, he does not truly want her gone.
He demands that she abandon the disguise and behave as herself.
Anthea is consequently excited about Mark’s next visit, when he will see her as the young woman she truly is. Unfortunately, he returns with another group of guests, including Claudine.
Claudine is furious to discover that Mark’s dowdy housekeeper is actually young and extremely attractive. She warns Anthea away, reminding her that she is merely an employee and claiming that Mark cares nothing for her.
By this stage, Anthea has realised she is in love with Mark. Claudine sees it almost immediately and mocks her for being so obvious. Anthea’s response confirms the truth, leaving Claudine smugly aware of her secret.
This was where the book began losing some of its power for me.
The narrative tries to create angst through Mark’s coldness towards Anthea and his increasing attention to Claudine. However, the situation never felt entirely convincing. It seemed too obviously staged.
At first, I assumed Mark was using Claudine to keep Anthea at a distance but also make Anthea jealous, especially since he'd shown signs of jealousy over her relationship with Roger. This could have worked for me as i love some authentic OW drama. Soon afterwards, however, it became clear that he was keeping Claudine close for another reason.
Mark moves Anthea to his London house after his housekeeper there injures herself. Anthea now looks after him throughout the working week and sees considerably more of his relationship with Claudine.
At the same time, investigators begin visiting the house. Anthea overhears enough to understand that serious trouble may be developing. Mark becomes increasingly tired and strained, while spending almost every spare moment with Claudine.
The moment the investigators appeared, I guessed what was happening. Claudine’s husband, Mark’s friend and prospective business partner, was obviously committing fraud. Mark was covertly helping the authorities investigate him and keeping Claudine close because she could provide information.
From that point, the romantic tension largely disappeared. The book continued dropping hints that Mark and Claudine might be conducting a passionate affair. Anthea overhears Claudine saying that she depends upon him, fears her husband and wants to leave her marriage.
However, the explanation had become too apparent. Rather than feeling anxious that Mark might genuinely want Claudine, I was waiting for the fraud investigation to be confirmed.
The story consequently shifted away from intimate romantic tension and into a rather obvious melodrama about financial crime.
The fraud plot is principally designed to resolve Mark’s belief that Anthea wants him for his money. He continues tormenting her and pushing her away because he remains convinced that she would not care for him without his wealth and believes her original deception proves she cannot be trusted.
There are also several intoxicating kisses during which Anthea becomes overwhelmed by Mark’s physical proximity, although not quite as helplessly as some heroines in similar vintage romances.
Eventually, Anthea misunderstands the investigation and believes Mark himself is responsible for the fraud and about to lose everything. Her willingness to stand beside him then proves she was never interested in his money.
I understood what the plot was trying to achieve, but it felt too artificial. I would have preferred Mark to discover Anthea’s integrity through the smaller, more emotionally authentic moments already built into their relationship rather than through a contrived criminal crisis.
The story also introduces a false engagement.
Claudine’s husband has been in Australia but unexpectedly returns on the one night Claudine remains at Mark’s house until three in the morning—something she has never done before. Already jealous of Mark’s closeness to his wife, he arrives furiously demanding to see her.
If he discovers Claudine in the house, the entire investigation may collapse because she will no longer be able to gather the information the authorities need.
Anthea therefore pretends that she is the woman spending the night with Mark while Claudine escapes through the back door.
Mark then explains that Claudine’s husband will spread the story. It may reach the press and publicly identify Anthea as a housekeeper sleeping with her employer. Anthea is distressed because the scandal will embarrass her respected father.
Mark proposes a false engagement to protect her reputation.
The story ultimately resolves much as expected. Anthea wrongly concludes that Mark will be arrested for fraud and lose his fortune. She rushes to him, insists that she cannot believe he deliberately stole anyone’s money and promises to wait for him even if he goes to prison.
She also makes it clear that she will work and support them if necessary.
Mark is shocked and elated. Anthea has inadvertently confessed her love while proving beyond question that she wants him rather than his money.
He is already under considerable strain because he has been forced to hand a friend over to the fraud investigators. He feels exhausted, guilty and miserable about the consequences. Anthea’s arrival gives him the emotional comfort he desperately needs.
Unfortunately, by then the climax had become too melodramatic for me to feel its intended impact. The heightened emotions and romantic tension had already fizzled out. Nothing genuine was keeping the pair apart. Thus, their declarations did not provide the cathartic or emotionally satisfying conclusion promised by the beginning. They felt more like the necessary final step in wrapping up the fraud storyline than the natural culmination of the romantic journey.
That was disappointing because the earlier relationship possessed much more authenticity.
Anthea repeatedly notices that Mark is exhausted by his life and fundamentally dissatisfied. He earns enormous amounts of money but receives little pleasure from it. His success has left him dispirited, overworked and unable to rest.
Her company gives him peace. Even before he knows who she truly is, he drives from London to the country house late at night simply to sleep beneath the same roof. He eats properly when she is with him, talks to her, listens when she challenges him and gradually begins relying upon her presence.
She therefore fills a genuine emotional absence in his life. Her warmth and companionship mend something in him that professional success cannot reach.
Anthea has no emotional wounds of her own unfortunately. Despite losing her mother young and temporarily surrendering her education to care for her father, she remains bright, happy and generally optimistic. She has grown up as the cherished daughter of a successful academic and has led a relatively comfortable life.
However, she never becomes unlikeable or useless. She convincingly works hard, runs Mark’s houses efficiently and cares for those around her while retaining her cheerful personality. Her decision to become a housekeeper is motivated by loyalty to her friend rather than personal gain, and she remains diligent once employed.
Mark also has enough emotional complexity to remain sympathetic. His suspicion and harshness can be frustrating, but his exhaustion, loneliness and growing dependence upon Anthea give him depth.
Overall, I enjoyed Love in Disguise very much. The disguised-housekeeper premise was fun, Anthea’s motives were credible and admirable, the initial tension with Mark worked beautifully, and the story kept me engaged throughout. There was enough pining from Anthea to maintain my romantic interest without making the book overwhelmingly angsty.
Had the novel continued building upon the quieter emotional connection between them, this might have been a five-star read. Instead, the fraud investigation, false engagement and exaggerated misunderstandings made the ending feel more like a farce than an emotionally authentic resolution.
Nevertheless, the strengths substantially outweighed the weaknesses. The central couple were likeable, their relationship had genuine depth, and the book was consistently entertaining.
Four stars. I would definitely read more by Rachel Lindsay. I had initially believed this was my first book by her, but later realised I had already read and enjoyed another one even more, so I am now interested in exploring more of her work.
September 18, 2015
3.5 stars.
This book was so funny. The charade and the misunderstanding manage to be hilarious instead of aggravating.
Mark's unflattering generalization about women really annoyed me, but he had been hurt by a woman in the past and he was more bark than bite. He won me because he started to feel something towards Anthea while she's still disguised as a plain older woman.
The tone turned a bit brooding after Anthea found out that she's in love with Mark, but the ending was so cute I giggled like a schoolgirl.
This book was so funny. The charade and the misunderstanding manage to be hilarious instead of aggravating.
Mark's unflattering generalization about women really annoyed me, but he had been hurt by a woman in the past and he was more bark than bite. He won me because he started to feel something towards Anthea while she's still disguised as a plain older woman.
The tone turned a bit brooding after Anthea found out that she's in love with Mark, but the ending was so cute I giggled like a schoolgirl.
June 10, 2018
Light weight romance, good breezy read.
The girl needs to move out of home urgently because her absent minded professor daddy remarries at the age of 60 ! Her step mom needs space, so Anthea needs a temporary place to stay until she can move into her college hostel when her term begins.
A chance vacancy comes about at the heroes house. For a housekeeper in his country bungalow. Assuming the guy must be a oldie rich man, Anthea takes up the job. But since she is too young to be taken seriously, she puts in a dowdy appearance pretending to be a non glam 30 something.
Surprise , surprise. The guy is a rich finance tycoon but also hot and hunky ! They instinctively warm up to each other even when the pretenses are on. They discuss business, family etc without getting touchy feely.
But when the pretense is off, sparks begin to fly. Not just their minds, they realize their bodies are in absolute sync too ! Good for them.
Smart practical girl, rich but sensitive guy. Simple story with a tinge of fantasy and comedy. Lovely read.
The girl needs to move out of home urgently because her absent minded professor daddy remarries at the age of 60 ! Her step mom needs space, so Anthea needs a temporary place to stay until she can move into her college hostel when her term begins.
A chance vacancy comes about at the heroes house. For a housekeeper in his country bungalow. Assuming the guy must be a oldie rich man, Anthea takes up the job. But since she is too young to be taken seriously, she puts in a dowdy appearance pretending to be a non glam 30 something.
Surprise , surprise. The guy is a rich finance tycoon but also hot and hunky ! They instinctively warm up to each other even when the pretenses are on. They discuss business, family etc without getting touchy feely.
But when the pretense is off, sparks begin to fly. Not just their minds, they realize their bodies are in absolute sync too ! Good for them.
Smart practical girl, rich but sensitive guy. Simple story with a tinge of fantasy and comedy. Lovely read.
June 23, 2022
Anthea's father remarries, and Anthea realizes she needs to leave home. Unfortunately, it is too early for university to start. She needs to look for a job. One opens as a housekeeper because a friend has taken ill and cannot go to the job when scheduled. Anthea takes the job so it will be opened for her friend. She has to disguise herself as older. She does and does a good job. When happens when her employer discovers her deception?
I enjoyed this book. It is as relevant today as when it was written in 1975. I chuckled as Anthea and her employer, Mark, poke at each other. He knows something is not right but cannot figure it out. Anthea pulls no punches with him. I chuckled as I read those scenes. They were fun. When the truth comes out, he's upset but knows she's right about her ability to do the job. Eventually, Anthea realizes she's fallen in love, and she has to hide it. I liked how she lets him know of her love.
This was a good read. I have always liked Rachel Lindsay's writing.
I enjoyed this book. It is as relevant today as when it was written in 1975. I chuckled as Anthea and her employer, Mark, poke at each other. He knows something is not right but cannot figure it out. Anthea pulls no punches with him. I chuckled as I read those scenes. They were fun. When the truth comes out, he's upset but knows she's right about her ability to do the job. Eventually, Anthea realizes she's fallen in love, and she has to hide it. I liked how she lets him know of her love.
This was a good read. I have always liked Rachel Lindsay's writing.
June 7, 2025
Engagingly preposterous plot leads the two stubborn, outspoken main characters to their HEA. Author Lindsay effectively crams farce, a love triangle, financial double dealings, and an “in name only” engagement into this slim volume.
The heroine is honest, feisty, and possesses a naughty sense of humor, while the supporting characters are very entertaining. The leading man is rather standard issue, but he does fall for the heroine based on her quick wit and not her looks, which are “disguised” due to a delightfully ridiculous plot contrivance.
The heroine is honest, feisty, and possesses a naughty sense of humor, while the supporting characters are very entertaining. The leading man is rather standard issue, but he does fall for the heroine based on her quick wit and not her looks, which are “disguised” due to a delightfully ridiculous plot contrivance.
August 3, 2021
2021 READ: 5 STARS!
It's like Jane Eyre but in a funny way. I actually like both FL and ML and I feel giddy reading about their scenes. This is my second RL book and I'm curious about her works.
My review is not for intelligent discussion. It's what I felt/thought while reading the book. For 2021, I would rate the book this way:
1 - DNF'ed
2 - does not exist
3 - did not like
4 - it was okay
5 - I like it / I enjoy reading it (but it doesn't mean I recommend it)
It's like Jane Eyre but in a funny way. I actually like both FL and ML and I feel giddy reading about their scenes. This is my second RL book and I'm curious about her works.
My review is not for intelligent discussion. It's what I felt/thought while reading the book. For 2021, I would rate the book this way:
1 - DNF'ed
2 - does not exist
3 - did not like
4 - it was okay
5 - I like it / I enjoy reading it (but it doesn't mean I recommend it)
October 10, 2025
This was just a great book, imo. I adored the H and h's interactions and falling in love, and that he was already falling for the h even before her disguise was uncovered. LOL at her malicious compliance with his demand that she wear more colorful clothes with the most hideous over the top disgusting dress ever!
July 23, 2024
Dnf- I stopped reading about 2/3 of the way in
The h and H were not likable. The heroine especially was rude and unpleasant, and based her existence on lies and untrue assumptions. I couldn’t get into it.
The h and H were not likable. The heroine especially was rude and unpleasant, and based her existence on lies and untrue assumptions. I couldn’t get into it.
June 20, 2020
I wish this was longer. It's that cute.
June 23, 2020
Rachel Lindsay was a harlequin romance writer far ahead of her time. Great, smart heroines ... great story development. I wish more romance writers had her depth.
September 10, 2024
Even though I liked the premise the heroine was annoying and the hero never showed any sign of liking her much less falling in love wi5 her throughout the book.
June 25, 2025
Heroine (21/22) has a mixed personality - one minute she seems middle aged and then we hear she's vivacious and fun (didn't seem it to me). I think her disguise suited her personality. She is likeable (just a bit boring when she realises that she is in love with him).
The hero (34) is rich and therefore thinks he is magnetic, even after she tells him she finds him dull (he says after that he thinks she wants to bed him and that the heroine is jealous of the OW - that seemed against the geek style persona). The married OW always hanging around was boring (and I think in bad taste), as was the business affairs.
The author has written some wonderful characters before, but I didn't feel any chemistry between these two.
2 1/2 stars from me.
The hero (34) is rich and therefore thinks he is magnetic, even after she tells him she finds him dull (he says after that he thinks she wants to bed him and that the heroine is jealous of the OW - that seemed against the geek style persona). The married OW always hanging around was boring (and I think in bad taste), as was the business affairs.
The author has written some wonderful characters before, but I didn't feel any chemistry between these two.
2 1/2 stars from me.
September 24, 2013
hilarious one ! very funny, very nice !! a bit slow though due 2 cumbersome details n thus the book lost 2 stars 4 me. but then it's an oldie, i guess in those times the book was a definite 5 star. i actually really liked their story n it was a fun one n i was hooked from the start. i wanted 2 know what gonna happened next as it was entertaining, interesting n fun but the pace was slowed due 2 too many details as i already told. neway if some1 knows the modern version, do lmk ! nice read:)
September 29, 2019
To do a friend a favor ~ and also because it suited her at the time to get away from home ~ Anthea offered to take over temporarily the friend's new job, as housekeeper to the high-powered tycoon Mark Allen. But Mr. Allen, it seemed, preferred his housekeepers to be staid and middle-aged, so Anthea assumed a disguise.
But no disguise could hide her growing awareness of her acid-tongued employer or help to conceal her dislike of the lovely Claudine who seemed determined to marry him...
But no disguise could hide her growing awareness of her acid-tongued employer or help to conceal her dislike of the lovely Claudine who seemed determined to marry him...
November 20, 2014
This book had me laughing out loud a few times. Entertaining and sweet.
September 29, 2011
Reread.
I'm still liking it.
I'm still liking it.
Read
January 6, 2016fun
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews