Unmasking Miss Appleby

I enjoyed reading this quirky romance. It had unique elements with a plot that had a mystery with multiple suspects for who was trying to hurt Lord Cosgrove and was a fast paced read. I was initially unsure if I would be able to believe the magical elements or if they would fit overwhelm the historical romance story, but it worked despite my original skepticism. There were two things that kept me from giving this book a five star review. The first being that I thought the power of being able to change shape at will seemed to be too great of a power and should have had more restrictions (possibly funny ones or a requirement to switch back to her original form at midnight....). The second issue I had was that Charlotte (Miss Appleby) seems too nice and good-hearted, even after many years of being treated like a servant by her extended family she barely has any bad feelings towards them. Also she never uses her power for anything frivolous or fun, but just for practical purposes, which made her seem too good to be true.

Unmasking Miss Appleby was a book I chose because the plot description grabbed me right away. Even though I was not a fan of the cover, the story lived up to my high hopes. I really liked Charlotte - she was smart, curious and thoughtful. She wanted to improve her life and took great risks to make it happen. I liked that the magic in the book was kept to just the one small aspect of her gift, which made it even more believable. The romance built at a nice steady pace and you could really see what drew them to each other. It was nice how all the loose ends got tied up at the end. I would definitely recommend this to anyone as a mix of romance and mystery with a small dash of fantasy.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. It is not just well written and has amazing, authentic characters but it is also imaginative and very special. You know, this touch of something different that makes an ordinary story like "she loves him, he loves her and thy find each other against all odds" rather special and something that captivates you.

First I was a bit wary because I wasn't sure, considering the part about faeries and shape shifting and such stuff, if the book wouldn't be a bit too fantastic because I was in a mood for something decidedly romantic. Well, it is romantic - and much more. This book took me on a ride on an emotional roller coaster with the romantic parts (and others) and at the same time I loved how natural the shape shifting part was. It just fits in, people get used to it and it is just a means to an end - and of course it is fun as well. Who did never dream of flying, for example?

The book touches sensitive subjects in an equally sensitive way. Sometimes I was furious, I was shocked, I was sad - alright, there might have been a tear or two - and I was also very happy and a bit (more) sentimental.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and can definitely recommend it!

I enjoyed this book. It was funny in parts and serious in others.

We have a girl who lives with an aunt that treats her like garbage but on her 25th birthday a faerie comes and gives her the ability to change forms. This would be freaking awesome. Anyways Charlotte needs to get away from her aunt and uncle so she takes a job as Lord Cosgrove secretary. In order to do this though he had to be a man. So much fun. Cosgrove has someone trying to kill him and he and Charlotte aka Chris are running around the city trying to find out who is after him. They end up in a whore house which had Chris blushing like girl and Cosgrove just think that he's with a man so he speaks to her like a man.

It was all just really light and funny. The writing was great. The character building was fantastic. The story was completely unique. I was so excited as soon as I read the blurb for the story. It's honestly something i've never read before and I loved it all.

In return for being allowed this ARC, I promised an honest review. What a refreshingly different story. The writing is so well done. A tale of fairies who grant wished to young women who deserve to have them. So different and unusual. Cinderella this is not. Very good read.

The faerie gift adds a refreshing twist to this romance. The sex scenes are racier than some might expect for a regency era fiction.

On her 25th birthday, Charlotte Appleby receives a most unusual gift from the Faerie godmother she never knew she had: the ability to change shape.

Penniless and orphaned she has been living with her uncle & aunt but has been treat as a servant & has been called Charity by the household, she sets off for London to make her fortune as a man. Christopher Albin becomes secretary to Marcus Langford Earl of Cosgrove proves unexpectedly challenging. Someone is trying to destroy Cosgrove and his life is increasingly in jeopardy.

Marcus thinks he’s being targeted because of his views against slavery but Charlotte / Christopher isn’t convinced & she uses her shapeshifting powers to investigate.

When I read the synopsis I wondered whether I’d enjoy the book or read a little & discard it, whilst a love Regency romances I’m not a fan of supernatural novels. I need not have feared, I really enjoyed the book. Marcus was having a difficult time & his new secretary helped him to cope. Charlotte was a strong character who was able to help her employer who she respected & came to love. It, of course, wasn’t your usual romance but the pace of the story was good & kept me turning the pages wanting to find the villain. I’ll certainly look for more in the series.

A very interesting story, absolutely nothing like I expected. The author had me on the edge of my seat with the secrets and mystery. Between the heroine's secret being exposed and the person trying to kill the hero, the reader can't help but to be sucked in and engulfed into every detail.

There is so much to love about this book.

Wonderfully written. I wish the cover was a little better because this book is a hidden gem. Interesting concept and a complete stand alone. I now want to read the rest of the series!

Posted on Les Romantiques - Le forum du site
Reviewed by Rinou
Review Copy from the Publisher

Unmasking Miss Appleby is the first volume in the Baleful Godmother series where the heroines receive the visit of a fairy on their 25th birthday. The author refers to her Fey Quartet Novellas series to learn more about the beginning of the fairy’s arrival in these women’s life.

Charlotte is the poor relation in the family, a bit Cinderella without the cleaning part, and she dreams to leave everything and live something else. So when on her 25th birthday a fairy appears to give her a power, she jump at the occasion and chooses to be able to change form as she wishes. And it’s under the form of a young man that she goes to London to become Marcus’ secretary, without knowing her power will be essential to discover who wants to harm her employer.

I liked that Charlotte is cautious, she asks the fairy about the flip sides of the power before accepting it. I also liked that she has to master her new form when she changes, as it’s way more realistic that she needs a few minutes to learn how to fly or how to walk on four legs. These changes give way to some funny moments as when she discovers the particularities of a male body, or when Marcus takes her to a brothel during their investigation. I also liked that she weights up the pros and the cons when she has the choice between becoming a looked after mistress or staying a secretary. Besides I found her a bit too nice, big-hearted and too forgiving.

Marcus is quite upright, he has suffered a lot from her late wife’s dishonesty and he’s become a bit withdrawn. He fights to win a vote to have slavery forbidden and I liked his explanation on how he came to his convictions. He gets angry easily but it’s an internal anger he can control most of the time fast. His reactions when he learns about Charlotte’s power are logical and credible, and I also liked how he came to think that to really know someone you have to talk to his/her servants.

The story between them is really cute but at the same time Marcus spends more time with Charlotte as a man and the apparition of his feelings wasn’t really clear. The plot with the person who wants to harm him is complex and allows to make use of Charlotte’s power several times. In the end a really cute novel with which I had a good reading time, and I intend to read the next one (and the prequels novellas).

Likely unsurprising confession here: I'm a sucker for all manner of gender-swap stories. So when I went looking for something light and fun to read, this definitely looked to fit the bill... and it delivered.

I have some quibbles with it. I'm so fed up with the bleeding virgin plot gimmick... and the ways it is executed here are particularly ridiculous (in one case it involves at least day old blood on a handkerchief, the other involves a someone who can shapeshift so I'm pretty sure if she was set on deceit faking an unbroken hymen wouldn't be hard). I can't really argue at Cosgrove's freakout in response to discovering that his male secretary and the young lady he has become enamored with are one in the same. What he says and how he acts is upsetting... but it's also rather true to form within a structured society and mindset regarding gender and sexuality.

But there's a lot to like here, and I particularly like the aspect of a resentful fairy godmother. The relationships develop playfully, and the clues to discover who is threatening Cosgrove are well threaded. It's a fun light fantasy, historical romance read.

I found Unmasking Miss Appleby fun and very unique. This is book one in the Baleful Godmother series and she is that. She has to give Charlotte Appleby a unique gift but it does not mean she has to like it. On the other hand Charlotte knows what will help her the most and goes for it. There are some often used tropes in the book. It starts with Charlotte living with her Uncle and his family who treat her worse than they treat their servants. It is great fun when Charlotte uses her gift to escape and start a new life. It is more fun to see everything that happens to Charlotte as a result. Romance, danger and tension are all a part of what is a fun romp. Great characters and a unique idea make this a must read. I will be looking to see what will happen to the next characters after a visit from the Baleful GoodMother.

Steamy historical romance with paranormal / shifter elements.
Charlotte Appleby is forced to be an unpaid servant in her uncle's home after her father's death. Treated horribly by her aunt and cousin...when her Fairie? Godmother, (neither beautiful or nice) appeared on the designated day. She gave her choices careful thought before choosing metamorphosis, then took the opportunity to flee the house that had become a dreadful prison to her.
She took a secretary position in the form of a man and became as important to Marcus Cosgrove as she became to him as they struggled to solve the mystery of who was tormenting and trying to kill him.
Using her unique gift they chased the answers down in her guise of Christopher Albin and shocking Marcus when she transformed into a bear in front of him.
She seduces him in her original form as Miss Brown. Grab this book and read it for you won't be disappointed in Marcus' reaction when he realizes Christopher is Miss Brown or vice versa. There is a HEA after they solve the mystery but the way there is a steamy and humorous romp.

After some initial trepidation, I greatly enjoyed this book and admired the author. Though I’m hardly the toughest audience, I typically avoid paranormal romance and am underwhelmed by poorly researched historical romance set in England. Years of reading, traveling, and working in and conducting my own research in archives make me cautious, particularly when historical romance novels touch on the subjects of slavery. I’m a Black American reader of historical romance and nonfiction, including sociology. Therefore, the opening chapter nearly put me off; it wasn’t the hero, but his trusted secretary that believes in “Abolition of the trade, sir, not slavery itself. Slavery will disappear as a natural consequence” -- naive, and not supported by historical realities. Right away I wondered if Marcus, the novel’s hero, a supporter of abolition, would share his secretary’s opinion. Mercifully, he doesn’t, and from that point on the reader is swept into a nicely layered, sometimes eerie, magical romance that will make you want to enjoy the entire series. Charlotte, the impoverished heroine is no plucky stereotype; she has potentially dangerous magical powers, empathy, and a keen sense of self-preservation that allows her to maintain a disguise as Marcus’ new male employee. Larkin describes her shape-shifting adventures so vividly that the reader feels surrounded by the damp chill of London streets at night, and smells gin on the breath of hired thugs. The emotional conflict between the hero and heroine is believable, as is the rapport that Charlotte forms with Marcus while still maintaining layers of disguise (her scenes in which she masquerades as a dog are strangely funny and charming). Larkin’s an engaging writer with an excellent sense for detail and atmosphere. Recommended.