4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Where do I begin??

This was my first book by the author. I wasn't sure what exactly to expect. I would describe it as more of a cozy mystery.

It was a little more crude than most books I usually read. There was quite a bit of talk of infidelity and affairs. And then some crass speech from some characters, or at least 1 in particular were a little cringe worthy, especially with regard to bodily functions. Despite that I really enjoyed it.

This is set before the Regency period, and the author gave such vivid descriptions of the characters and their looks, I could easily visualize them, and I don't usually visualize what characters look like when I read.

I had been thinking not too long ago that I would like for an author to write a book that focuses more on the staff and servants than the nobility in the household. This book did that!

I'm not sure how believable the ending is. And I felt it came to an abrupt stop. There were some things that I felt were left hanging. A nice epilogue would have been welcome.

I was given an audio copy of this book through Netgalley. I cannot give enough praise to the narrator. She did a fabulous job of narrating and giving all the characters unique voices. She acted the parts so well! I'd love to hear her read more books.

I want to sincerely thank Dreamscape for the complimentary audiobook, and I am happy to provide honest feedback.

1784 London. Miss Tiffany Woodall didn’t murder her half-brother, but she did bury him in the back garden so that she could keep her cottage. Now, the confirmed spinster has to pretend to be Uriah and fulfill his duties as the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian while searching Astwell Palace for Uriah’s missing diamond pin, the only thing of value they own. Her ruse is almost up when she is discovered by Mr. Samir Lathrop, the local bookseller, who tries to save her from drowning while she's actually just washing up in a lake after burying her brother.

I think Tiffany was a compelling protagonist and this is an interesting take on a mostly realistic issue women faced in the late 1700s and beyond. I felt like the pacing was off and there was a lot of different plot points, but overall this was a fun and quick read.

Thanks so much to Samantha Larsen, Marni Penning, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel! It has its cliche Mrs. Doubtfire moments---such as needing to be somewhere as oneself as well as in disguise at the same time---but that's inherent in such a plot. Also I couldn't predict whodunit, which always makes for a more entertaining mystery.

I found Tiffany likeable and sympathetic, though the name "Tiffany" didn't seem to suit her. The incidents in which the love interest, Mr. Lathrop, kept "saving" her were adorable to me, but I can imagine some readers rolling their eyes. Tiffany's a bit older than the average MC, but I didn't mind; it added an interesting layer to her character.

I don't know if I'd have enjoyed this book as much if it had been narrated by someone else. Marni Penning did such a wonderful job injecting energy and charisma into words that might have otherwise fallen flat. That's not to say the writing was bad, more that a lesser narrator could easily have made it sound boring. Penning consistently voiced characters differently; some of the voices, such as the judge's perhaps, could grate on some readers, but I appreciated them.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this novel, and if Larsen continues it as a series, I'll gladly follow along.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! After Tiffany’s awful half brother dies, she has no choice but to disguise herself as him. With him gone, she would be thrown out of their small rooms and she would be penniless and destitute. Enter the ruse. It is so much fun! She has to fool everyone around her and solve mysteries while she is at it! It was an absolute delight! The audio was particularly great. The narrator did an amazing job on all of the voices and making them different. Sometimes, a woman doing a mans voice, or vice versa can be tricky. But this lady did a fantastic job!

This is a fun historical mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a badass leading lady. I thought Tiffany was such a compelling main character and I loved seeing things from her perspective.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Tiffany Woodall is enjoying being on her own ever since she found her brother dead in his bed and buried him in the back garden she has had no one to tell her what to do or when to do it and when she dresses up like her deceased brother she seems to have even more freedoms. He worked for the Duke and Duchess As the librarian, in order not to lose the little cottage she calls home she dresses up like him and shows up to work every day. When the duchess tell her she needs her to find books for her guests that are coming in for a party Tiffany knows she will have to face Mr. Lathrop again not only does she have a crush on Mr. Lathrop but the last time they met he took her bathing in the creek for her drowning and saved her despite she had no clothes on but because needs must she goes dressed as herself she goes to the little bookstore One of the perks of being the librarian is that she gets to read the books even though there’s enough happening at the house to entertain anyone. Sarah who is the ladies made his dalliances with seemingly every good looking man in the household inches also a thief but wind she turns up dead and they learn she was poisoned they also learned she wasn’t the attended victim more was she the first to be murdered. When a footman is arrested for the murder and Tiffany’s secrets also become public she knows her life is on the line. There is way too much in this book to give a detailed summary I haven’t even mentioned the detestable vicar who wanted Tiffany to marry him A mother his 14 motherless children. I loved Tiffany Mr. Lathrop and so many other great characters in this book I thought the narrator did a great job she had great comedic timing and made the book that much funnier and OMG is that funny a total five star listen. If you love Victorian era mysteries then you love A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larson, I certainly did I absolutely love this book! I received this book from NetGalley and dreamscape media but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen narrated by Marni Penning - Addictive, witty, swoony and just all around great story, I love the sound of the narrator, honestly well spoken and literally draws you as if you're placed in the scene of the crime!

I just reviewed A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen. #ANovelDisguise #NetGalley
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Thank you to Dreamscape and Netgalley for the review copy of the audiobook of A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen AKA Samantha Hastings.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the main character in this historical murder mystery is FORTY. I had to put 40 in caps because usually in historical fiction the over the hill old maid is about 26 and I have to roll my eyes.

Main character Tiffany is forty  and lives with her older half brother Uriah who is super stingy and basically treats her like a servant and second class citizen. When he dies suddenly and rather grossly in his bed Tiffany is about to become homeless and penniless as the cottage they live in is provided by Uriah's employer so she decides to take on his identity, put on his clothes, wig and face powder and go to work at his job as Librarian to the local Duke. By necessity she also needs to quietly bury her brother in the backyard in the middle of the night so no one knows he's dead. As you do....

To keep up the appearance of both of them still living at the cottage Tiffany has to live the lives of both siblings and as Uriah she gets to see a different side to a lot of the local people. Some are decent but some are awful.

She soon learns that her brother had made an arrangement with the creepy widowed local minister with 14 children to make her his third wife. Tiffany has no intention of doing that.

Tiffany spends a lot of time with the staff at the Duke's palace where she now works dressed as Uriah. She also gets to read lots of books, something her brother would never allow.

She meets a kind, half Indian bookseller who is also the local constable and sees more of him when he is tasked with investigating the suspicious death of a staff member at the palace who has died incircumstances very similar to how Uriah died. But if Uriah's death wasn't of natural causes then whoever killed him must of course think they failed and might try again on...Tiffany as Uriah. She needs to solve the crime before she becomes a victim herself.

The book is set in rural Georgian Era England, approx 1780s. Pre Jane Austen, The French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars and the Regency Era. I dont think I've read much if anything set at this time but have read lots of Regency Era fiction. There are lots of mentions of men in powdered wigs, face powder, rouge and stick on beauty marks.

There are lots of unpleasant smells, lice, snorting of snuff, sexism, racism and other injustices. The criminal justice system was pretty bad at the time.

I really enjoyed watching Tiffany come into her own. From drudge with little rights and no autonomy to independent woman.

The author also writes as Samantha Hastings and I've read several of her other stories and recommended them all.

One thing I did really like about this one was that the heroine was in her 40s instead of being a young 20 something, which is very rare in historicals. I also really enjoyed Samantha Larsen’s humor in this. However, it was difficult for me to care about the plot, so I had to put this one down for awhile.