I do love a historical romance but this one fell flat for me. I wasn't taken with the characters, and this disappointed me to no end. I don't think it was the writing or the actual plot of the book I just didn't enjoy it at all.

Letty Barton lives a double life. She both is both a debutante and a trained Doctor - Dr Hatfield. She masquerades as an elderly male - no one knows Dr Hatfield is actually female or Letty. Will Lord Antony Ashcroft uncover her secret. They met again when she is caring for his brother. The first time they met she was Letty and there was a mild verbal flirtation. Now he is a scarred war hero and she leads this double life.

An interesting romance illustrating that women really were second class citizens, unable to train or work in professional occupations, merely sit around, do cross stitch and take rea as debutantes or work them selves to death as scullery maids etc. Tony clearly depends on alcohol to forget the war and so it isn’t your traditional N&B historical romance as it touches on serious social issues. I did enjoy the book and hope the Author produces more along these lines.

I received this novel from Mills & Boon via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

An enjoyable historical romance which, while being a really good read, underlines the difficulties faced by women at this period. when they were supposed to sit around looking beautiful, if they were debutantes, or work their fingers to the bone, if they were of the low classes, yet were not deemed clever, hardworking enough to have a profession such as that of a Doctor.

society lady with a secret...

This is a "new to me author" and thanks to MILLSANDBOON insiders, I got the chance to get early access, Firstly I liked the blurb -unusual heroine and tortured hero. Unfortunately, the book lacked a spark, having analyzed why I think it is done to my tastes as a reader.

Our heroine Letty is the 'debutante' who is defying social norms and history by dressing as an elderly male to practise her skills as a doctor. This has been done "legally" ( under the guise of a relative) but to practise as a woman is not. She would prefer to read rather than dance much to the dislike of her matchmaking mama. She lives alone ( bar a servant with her secret firmly held dear) and gets on with living, not having to rely on marriage to support her financially. She quite alright just as she is.

Our hero, Tony having newly returned from the War tries to reenter the social world of his peers, with the love and support of his sister.
Having met years before, when both were fresh-faced and less world-weary they experienced a meeting that stuck with them both.
Later, they meet again as both Letty the social "outcast/spinster' and the doctor as she treats Tony's sister in her pregnancy.

I adore strong female characters in my novels particularly loving unusual heroines even if their 'shy" so reading Letty was both a joy and a frustration. Having read and adored "Hello Stranger (The Ravenels, #4) by Lisa Kleypas" and "The Prince (Devil's Duke, #4) by Katharine Ashe" where our heroines are Doctors, Ashes in a similar scenario of living "a double life" felt more consistent and fleshed out. I found Letty with her unusual social norms ( abruptness, etc) hard to take to, She was written to me with an air of detachment that as a reader I couldent connect to. The pacing of her arc storyline never quite hit its stride.
Tony was also fairy inconsistent, suffering from PTSD, which I thought the author handled well. Flirts with alcoholism in the early part of the novel heavily. Personally, again and this is me stating as me as a reader and not objectively as a reviewer was pushed to the side with the mention of "distractions of being outside London" and the" fresh country air". Alcoholism is not cured by Country air. His arc though, on the whole, was well written.

To go back to the overall pacing with both the characters I found it for the middle part a little dragging. I even considered DNF for having no real sense of an urgency to their romance and the plotting lost its way a little ( staying at Tony's house, sharing a kiss- even this didn't spark a connection to me) BUT I did to carry on their Arcs, and I am glad. (view spoiler) this added a much-needed drama element to the last third of the novel. It propelled our characters onwards to their shared conclusions and completed their emotional and mental journey.

Being both a second chance romance, in disguise, and a scarred hero who is suffering tropes there is lots of really good stuff to admire and like. I will keep my eye out for more by this author. This was a 3.5 star kinda novel.

A note on the steam/Sexy- This was a closed-door romance mainly ( bar a kiss and some expressions of feelings once door is closed and experience). Felt very considerate of the tone of the novel and skill of writing.

+++Thank you to the publisher ( Mills and Boon UK) for this opportunity to read this book+++

She dressed and act like a man in order to be able to treat her patients who pays her with vegetables instead of money. She met Tony while she was treating his sister who was pregnant. Tony is also in pain physically and mentally from losing his father, bestfriend and brother.
Once you start reading this book it is hard to put down.

Absolutely amazing, love love love!

Letty isn't the debutante her mother dreams of, she is more interested in books and science to want to get married to a suitable gentleman but she has a secret, Letty is a doctor...

Her love of science doesn't stop and she works with her brother to secretly apply to medical school. She applies under his name and gets an interview! Obviously she can't practice and attend school as her brother so enter Dr Hatfield, Letty's alias, the only way she can practice medicine; the profession being off limits to women at the time

Hidden in the countryside she is able to practice as Dr Hatfield and her patients don't realise who she really is until Lord Anthony (Tony) Ashcroft comes storming into her world

Letty originally met Tony in London at her come out ball but since then has been the battle of Waterloo and Tony was injured while his friends and relatives are killed. Physically wounded but with mental scars Tony is not coping so well at home and goes to the country with his pregnant sister

Letty and Tony meet again and sparks fly between them, he likes her directness but at the same time finds her a slightly bizarre lady "who comes to tea and stitches up the neighbours?" being one of my favourite quotes. But will Letty's secret come out, will Tony realise that Dr Hatfield isn't who he claims to be?

I loved this book, it showed the huge difference in time between then and now and the roles that women are now able to pursue

This is a story where a very strong heroine triumphs over the odds to get what she wants and I really enjoyed reading Letty's story as would others who like a heroine saving the day!

This novel tackles yet another of the prejudices that were prevalent in Regency times - the fact that women were not permitted to become doctors.
It is good to see historical romance writers looking for more unusual, but politically and societally relevant, topics to cover within the trope. This novel was enjoyable and well written and looked at the Regency world and its constraints on how women were expected to employ themselves, especially the more gently born ones.
According to the Sicence Museum: “Women have always been central in providing medical care, whether offering remedies in the home, nursing or acting as herbalists. However, the medical profession has been male dominated for most of its history. In Europe this came about from the 1400s, when many cities and governments decided that only those trained in universities were allowed to formally practise medicine. As women were not allowed into the universities they could not gain a licence”.
[http://broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/themes/practisingmedicine/women]
Even though there was a woman doctor - Trotula - at the earliest European medical school in Salerno, Italy, in the 800s. And then there was Dr Laura Bassi, who was appointed Professor of Anatomy at the University of Bologna in 1732.
This novel however, is clearly based very loosely on Margaret Bulkley (1792 or 1795-1865) AKA James Barry who masqueraded as a male doctor for 46 years, and who was a successful British Army surgeon serving in India and Cape Town, South Africa,

A Debutante in Disguise is a standalone book by Eleanor Webster. It is the first book I have read from this author but it definitely won't be the last.

Back in the day when women weren't allowed to be doctors that is exactly what Letty Barton wanted to be. She wanted to help the people that couldn't afford medical care, but of course, if she ever had to look after a wealthy person she would! But not as herself. In order to perform as a doctor, Letty had to dress as a man. She had all the training, done under the guise of her alternate self, Dr Hatfield, but had none of the qualifications because of course, she couldn't falsify her name.

Lord Anthony Ashcroft used to be a charming, happy flirtatious young man. When Letty met him at a ball years ago, there was a definite spark between them. Life got in the way of anything coming from that one meeting. Since then Ashcroft has become an embittered, scarred war hero after fighting at Waterloo. He lost his brother and his father, and the things he saw in battle forever haunt him.

Ashcroft has the chance to meet Dr Hatfield when Elsie, his widowed sister-in-law, his very pregnant sister-in-law needs a doctor and her usual one is unavailable. She is showing all the signs of pre-eclampsia, although of course there wasn't really a name for it at the time. The other doctor told Elsie that she mustn't drink anything except the occasional sip of water! Letty was quick to tell her otherwise. She left with Elsie feeling much better but didn't expect to see her again in her guise as the doctor because Ashcroft thought the other man her superior.

Letty gets to meet Ashcroft again but this time as herself when she finds an injured man on the road and has to take him to the nearest house, Ashcroft's, to see to the man's injuries. She knew it wouldn't be considered unreasonable for her to be able to sew a few stitches in a head wound. After doing just that she gets to spend time with Elsie and pretty much from that moment Elsie decides she wants to match her brother-in-law with her delightful new friend.

What follows is the budding romance between Letty and Ashcroft. The spark of attraction is still there but Ashcroft believes himself too scarred both physically and mentally to be any good for any woman. Letty can't let herself get involved either because of her double life. So they can't give in to that attraction. Or can they?

I fully enjoyed the romance of this story, and I very much looked forward to a happy ending for Letty and Ashcroft. I couldn't see how it could happen, especially when of course Letty's double life is to be discovered. I was very happy with how things turned out for them. What I also enjoyed about the story is the subterfuge employed to allow Dr Hatfield to exist. It was very cleverly done, although it's rotten that Letty couldn't be a doctor as herself. I am so glad we don't live in those times now!

I am very happy to recommend this book.

An interesting romance as Letty fights against social convention to train and practice as a doctor by disguising herself as a man, and encounters the traumatised Tony who is suffering the after effects of fighting at Waterloo.
There is plenty of drama as Letty constantly fears her secret identity being discovered whilst quietly falling for Tony as she tries to help him through his troubles. Both characters are strong, and the story is well paced and constructed as, inevitably, Tony sees through 'Dr Hatfield' and has to make a choice between exposing Letty's deception or accepting her need to pursue her career whilst realising that she could be the one person who could change his life for the better.
Strong romance and likeable characters, this enjoyable story makes for good reading, and Tony's inner turmoil is very well written.

Letty has been able to train as a doctor, disguising herself as a man and with the help of her brother and his wife. She is popular with the poorer people in her area, respected as a doctor, but lives with the constant fear of discovery. She is determined that she will not marry, never having cared for a man and determined to keep practicing as a doctor.

Tony lost both his best friend and his brother at the Battle of Waterloo, then his father soon afterwards. He’s left with scars, nightmares, and the responsibility for his family estates. He’s heavily dependent on alcohol when he meets Letty and his pregnant sister befriends her. It’s a huge risk for Letty to keep spending time with Elsie when Tony ask Dr Hatfield to be Elsie’s doctor, but she can’t suppress her need to help people.

I loved Letty’s conviction about being a doctor. She is absolutely set on what she is doing and why. She’s not one of these historical romance heroines who either finds a noble calling right at the end of the book, or realised that they can set aside what they’ve always planned to do in favour of marrying the hero. It was also good to see a hero who isn’t the gorgeous rake everyone finds attractive.

While there were many aspects of this book I enjoyed, I felt like there was a lot of potential that went unexplored. I would have liked to see a much more detailed development of Tony coming to terms with his scars and more of a look at him coping (or not) with the after effects of the battle. We very briefly see that he’s clearly an alcoholic, then all of a sudden he’s not drinking anymore. While some people can choose to just stop, most people who are dependent on something have to fight to build new habits without those vices. The author never explains why Letty is called ‘Lettuce’, either. It seems like it was just to make one small joke in the opening chapter. Those complaints aside, it was an enjoyable read, a nice little escape, which is what I always hope for with a historical romance novel. I’m giving A Debutante In Disguise 7 out of 10.

4..5 stars
This book emphasises what it must have been like for a very intelligent woman growing up in this period. This is the case for Letty Barton, who had the ability and yearning to become a doctor but her gender held her back. What a brave person she was to undertake all that she did. Her role as a doctor brought her into the lives of Lord Anthony(Tony)and his sister, Elsie. Tony was still suffering from the trauma he experienced during the war, particularly at Waterloo. Letty also met them at a garden party. It isn’t long before Tony and Letty realise they are attracted. However Letty doesn’t intend to marry as this would hinder her work as a doctor and how will Tony react if or when he discovers her deception. This story slowly pulled me in until I was anxious to see how it all resolved. A very satisfying read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Determined to help people, Letty Barton has a double life whilst attending events in society she psent most of her time training to be a doctor. No-one must know 'Dr Hatfield' is actually a woman. Letty has used her father’s inheritance to buy adjoining cottages & she now spends her time tending to the sick. Called to an emergency at the home of Lady Beauchamp, she comes face to face with Elsie’s brother, Lord Anthony Ashcroft. They’d met years before when he was full of life but Waterloo has changed him & now he’s a brooding, scarred war hero but there is a spark between them.
A well written, enjoyable read with good characterisation. I liked both Letty & Tony, I loved how Tony's injuries both physical & mental were highlighted. I always have difficulty with women masquerading as men & found it hard to believe that Letty had spent years without being recognised. I found I was drawn into the story & once I’d finished it I just had to search for information about childbed fever. I enjoyed Tony & Letty’s journey to a HEA
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Women's education was not the norm in Regency times, so a well-educated woman, either had to waste her skills, or use subterfuge to achieve her full potential. Letty is a medical doctor, who works under a pseudo name, disguised as a man. Her life is complex, two identities two lives and when she meets Lord Ashcroft, it becomes even more so.

There is intriguing chemistry between the Tony Ashcroft and Letty, in her female persona. Both sense a familiarity that they cannot pinpoint. The unlikely romance is full of intrigue, confusion and sensual heat.

It is an entertaining quirky, romantic read, that highlights Regency society's unforgiving conventions, in respect of both women and those of less than perfect countenance.

I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

An enjoyable historical romantic story, of social class niceties.

What is acceptable, expected behaviour, both in private and public.

What occupational restrictions are frowned upon for women, regardless of their knowledge, experience, understanding and capabilities.

This is all wrapped up in a finding, recognising and welcoming love, with a happy ever after ending.