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Incognito
INCOGNITO is a historical romantic comedy set in Regency England that should appeal to fans of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, or Oscar Wilde. From the back cover:
Can a young lady allow her beloved sister to be sacrificed on the marriage altar? Emily Smithfield cannot. So when her mother announces that a marriage has been arranged between Emily’s older sister Lydia and Lord Wesleigh, a man the sisters have never met, Emily offers to marry the gentleman in her sister’s stead. Emily’s act of selflessness leaves Lydia free to marry the man she loves and Emily the bride of a handsome young marquess. Not a bad bargain at all!
Lord Wesleigh, who knows nothing of Emily’s matchmaking scheme, arrives in the small village where the Smithfields reside disguised as a curate, in an attempt to observe his betrothed anonymously. When Lord Wesleigh finds himself more attracted to Emily than her sister, the rules of the game change. Can he make Emily fall in love with him when she believes him to be a penniless curate?
(Originally published by Warner Books/Hachette in 2001.)
Can a young lady allow her beloved sister to be sacrificed on the marriage altar? Emily Smithfield cannot. So when her mother announces that a marriage has been arranged between Emily’s older sister Lydia and Lord Wesleigh, a man the sisters have never met, Emily offers to marry the gentleman in her sister’s stead. Emily’s act of selflessness leaves Lydia free to marry the man she loves and Emily the bride of a handsome young marquess. Not a bad bargain at all!
Lord Wesleigh, who knows nothing of Emily’s matchmaking scheme, arrives in the small village where the Smithfields reside disguised as a curate, in an attempt to observe his betrothed anonymously. When Lord Wesleigh finds himself more attracted to Emily than her sister, the rules of the game change. Can he make Emily fall in love with him when she believes him to be a penniless curate?
(Originally published by Warner Books/Hachette in 2001.)
191 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
January 11, 2019
2019 Review
Changed my mind. Upon re-reading them both, I think I like this book more than Mr. Malcolm's List. The reason is that the hero is less perfect and thus more human and enjoyable to read about. The story feels more Georgette Heyer than Jane Austen and works well because of it. Heyer is simply more fluffy and fun.
The heroine did strike me as a little immature and bore some resembles to the heroine of I Capture the Castle. But as this is not a coming of age story, but rather a romance, it did not bother me much. I found myself overall delighted with the plot. Still only a 4 star read, though.
2018 Review
Charming and fun but not quite as wonderful as Mr. Malcolm's List. It lacks all the random plot tangents. Still worth the read!
Changed my mind. Upon re-reading them both, I think I like this book more than Mr. Malcolm's List. The reason is that the hero is less perfect and thus more human and enjoyable to read about. The story feels more Georgette Heyer than Jane Austen and works well because of it. Heyer is simply more fluffy and fun.
The heroine did strike me as a little immature and bore some resembles to the heroine of I Capture the Castle. But as this is not a coming of age story, but rather a romance, it did not bother me much. I found myself overall delighted with the plot. Still only a 4 star read, though.
2018 Review
Charming and fun but not quite as wonderful as Mr. Malcolm's List. It lacks all the random plot tangents. Still worth the read!
November 13, 2014
This was a really lighthearted, fun read. I liked our heroine Emily, she wants to get out of her small country lifestyle and see the world. She is also perceptive and starts noticing things that don’t quite add up. She puts on her “Nancy Drew” hat and ends up getting herself mixed up in a little adventure. Alex (Lord Wesleigh/Mr. Williams) was a fun leading man. I don’t blame him for wanting to go undercover to figure out what his future wife is like, and although things got a little out of hand, he still maintains his cool. Emily and Alex have great chemistry together, their romance was really sweet and as the story goes on you can tell they really do care for one another. It was a fun read, and probably one I would read again.
The only thing I didn’t really like was the fact that it switched POV randomly throughout the novel. Not just between Emily and Alex but also with some of the supporting characters as well. I can see how the author wanted us to know what was going on here and there, but it can get confusing when it switches too much and at random parts. Once you get into the story though you get used to the transitions and I didn’t notice it as much by the end.
Bookworm Rating: 3.5
The only thing I didn’t really like was the fact that it switched POV randomly throughout the novel. Not just between Emily and Alex but also with some of the supporting characters as well. I can see how the author wanted us to know what was going on here and there, but it can get confusing when it switches too much and at random parts. Once you get into the story though you get used to the transitions and I didn’t notice it as much by the end.
Bookworm Rating: 3.5
February 21, 2025
4 ★ 🎀
⋆☂︎︎.⁺✍︎︎₊•
I loved this! The plot and setting, as well as writing, are so Jane Austen-esque. If you are a fan of her work (or like me, you find her books hard to read but enjoy the premise of them) I would definitely recommend this author!
Her other book that I’ve read: Mr. Malcolm’s List
Age recommendation: 12+
Language: nothing besides like 1 d*mn!
Content: *minor spoilers*
Light romance, minor violence including a kidnapping and attempted SA by the bad guy (not very described and clothes stay on)
Also minor sexual comments and jokes. (I feel like they barely count because they were period appropriate and not too vulgar at all)
happy regency reading lovelies!! 🎀
~~~~~~~~
pre-read ⋆.⁺₊•
so excited to read this author’s debut novel! also grateful I found this at the library 🫶🏼
⋆☂︎︎.⁺✍︎︎₊•
I loved this! The plot and setting, as well as writing, are so Jane Austen-esque. If you are a fan of her work (or like me, you find her books hard to read but enjoy the premise of them) I would definitely recommend this author!
Her other book that I’ve read: Mr. Malcolm’s List
Age recommendation: 12+
Language: nothing besides like 1 d*mn!
Content: *minor spoilers*
Light romance, minor violence including a kidnapping and attempted SA by the bad guy (not very described and clothes stay on)
Also minor sexual comments and jokes. (I feel like they barely count because they were period appropriate and not too vulgar at all)
happy regency reading lovelies!! 🎀
~~~~~~~~
pre-read ⋆.⁺₊•
so excited to read this author’s debut novel! also grateful I found this at the library 🫶🏼
March 21, 2011
Mistaken identities, stubborn lovers and great comedy; what more do you need, but to go read this book. :)
This delightful book by Suzanne Allain is a quick read. It is in the vein of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.
Lady Smithfield has two daughters, Lydia and Emily. Lydia is considered the most beautiful according to Lady Smithfield. Where Lydia is fair and pale and beautiful, Emily has dark hair and she is not considered the ‘beauty’ by their mother. The Smithfield’s are not as well off since the death of Lord Smithfield (Think Sense and Sensibility and the Dashwood’s thrown out of Norland upon Mr. Dashwood’s death). So, it is with great relief and delight that Lady Smithfield receives a letter from the Duke of Alford honoring the arrangement between his late wife and Lady Smithfield. That arrangement is for his son Lord Wesleigh, to marry Lady Smithfield’s eldest daughter Lydia.
Lord Wesleigh does not want to marry a woman he has never met. Lydia is in love with someone else, so Emily arranges to marry Lord Wesleigh instead. Lord Wesleigh decides to go incognito to the town the Smithfield’s live in and observe his bride-to-be from afar before he decides. In a predictable twist of fate Lord Wesleigh prefers Emily to Lydia anyways. Except now Lord Wesleigh will not stop masquerading as someone else until he is sure Emily’s affection is real and she is not after the-not-incognito Lord Wesleigh’s money. Comedy and laughter ensures.
I read this book in one sitting. While it was very predictable in the outcome I laughed out loud on many occasions. It was well written and was an enjoyable Regency romantic romp. If you like Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen you will like this book.
The only dislike I had was that there was not as much character development as I would have liked due to the short length of the book. Personally, I like well rounded and developed characters. I instantly liked most of the characters in this book and was able to identify with them. I just wish there was a little more.
I would read this book again and recommend it to others. A great Regency romp can be had with Incognito.
This delightful book by Suzanne Allain is a quick read. It is in the vein of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.
Lady Smithfield has two daughters, Lydia and Emily. Lydia is considered the most beautiful according to Lady Smithfield. Where Lydia is fair and pale and beautiful, Emily has dark hair and she is not considered the ‘beauty’ by their mother. The Smithfield’s are not as well off since the death of Lord Smithfield (Think Sense and Sensibility and the Dashwood’s thrown out of Norland upon Mr. Dashwood’s death). So, it is with great relief and delight that Lady Smithfield receives a letter from the Duke of Alford honoring the arrangement between his late wife and Lady Smithfield. That arrangement is for his son Lord Wesleigh, to marry Lady Smithfield’s eldest daughter Lydia.
Lord Wesleigh does not want to marry a woman he has never met. Lydia is in love with someone else, so Emily arranges to marry Lord Wesleigh instead. Lord Wesleigh decides to go incognito to the town the Smithfield’s live in and observe his bride-to-be from afar before he decides. In a predictable twist of fate Lord Wesleigh prefers Emily to Lydia anyways. Except now Lord Wesleigh will not stop masquerading as someone else until he is sure Emily’s affection is real and she is not after the-not-incognito Lord Wesleigh’s money. Comedy and laughter ensures.
I read this book in one sitting. While it was very predictable in the outcome I laughed out loud on many occasions. It was well written and was an enjoyable Regency romantic romp. If you like Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen you will like this book.
The only dislike I had was that there was not as much character development as I would have liked due to the short length of the book. Personally, I like well rounded and developed characters. I instantly liked most of the characters in this book and was able to identify with them. I just wish there was a little more.
I would read this book again and recommend it to others. A great Regency romp can be had with Incognito.
August 17, 2022
3.5 stars.
I saw this on Allain’s profile after reading Mr. Malcolm’s List, and I definitely liked this one better.
This was a fun concept and I thought it was executed well. Emily and Alexander’s relationship developing (even though it was a pretty short time period within the book) with all the antics going and deception on in the background was enjoyable. I also really liked the side romance of Lydia and Mr. Sedgewick.
Sometimes things would just be told to the reader rather than the scenes actually being written out, and they were things that really should’ve been written out. This especially bothered me when it felt like the climax of the side plot with the highwayman was really told rather than shown to the audience and condensed a lot. I also didn’t like the random POV switches that felt like they were happening way too often.
Overall this was pretty cute and I liked reading it, despite the things that I considered to be downsides.
I saw this on Allain’s profile after reading Mr. Malcolm’s List, and I definitely liked this one better.
This was a fun concept and I thought it was executed well. Emily and Alexander’s relationship developing (even though it was a pretty short time period within the book) with all the antics going and deception on in the background was enjoyable. I also really liked the side romance of Lydia and Mr. Sedgewick.
Sometimes things would just be told to the reader rather than the scenes actually being written out, and they were things that really should’ve been written out. This especially bothered me when it felt like the climax of the side plot with the highwayman was really told rather than shown to the audience and condensed a lot. I also didn’t like the random POV switches that felt like they were happening way too often.
Overall this was pretty cute and I liked reading it, despite the things that I considered to be downsides.
July 12, 2022
Regency romance meets comedy of errors 🎭 This book was so fun! I picked it up after watching/reading Mr Malcolm’s List and if you enjoyed the silly romcom vibes of that story, you’re in for an even bigger treat here. As with the last book, this story could have used a bit more polish (editing errors, dragging on a bit at the end) but you bet your butt I gobbled this up in a single sitting and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. Keeping my fingers crossed it too gets a movie!
December 31, 2025
Incognito—PG
Violence: yes, no details
Language: no
Sex: no
I think this was Suzanne Allain’s first published book and it’s charming. It’s cute, but not quite as humorous as her later books.
Violence: yes, no details
Language: no
Sex: no
I think this was Suzanne Allain’s first published book and it’s charming. It’s cute, but not quite as humorous as her later books.
May 27, 2020
A list of my problems with this:
1. The pacing is so rushed one cannot get into the novel.
2. The Heroine it's painted as the sensible one but it's not. I thought that for once I would get a woman that deals with the constraints of her era and worked them in her favor. Instead she just wanted the guy because parties.
3. The romance is so under developed omg. They just fall in love almost instantly.
4. I forgot the rest.
1. The pacing is so rushed one cannot get into the novel.
2. The Heroine it's painted as the sensible one but it's not. I thought that for once I would get a woman that deals with the constraints of her era and worked them in her favor. Instead she just wanted the guy because parties.
3. The romance is so under developed omg. They just fall in love almost instantly.
4. I forgot the rest.
October 10, 2012
This is a "clean" book. Which would normally be cute to read if the writing wasn't so.... stilted. Or awkward. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, but it's most certainly not what you'd expect from a historical romance (HR) novel. There's a certain style that's supposed to be present, but sadly it was lacking in this.
I like the notion of mistaken identities, but I feel quite removed from the characters most of the time due to the way it was written. The characters sound the same, even if they're saying different things. I get the plot, but I don't feel the heart of the story, which is the main reason for my picking up a historical romance in the first place. Escapism and the ability to feel for the characters - that heartwrenching squeeze around your heart.
If you're not accustomed to the standard style HR novels are written, you might find this enjoyable. For me, this was only okay.
I like the notion of mistaken identities, but I feel quite removed from the characters most of the time due to the way it was written. The characters sound the same, even if they're saying different things. I get the plot, but I don't feel the heart of the story, which is the main reason for my picking up a historical romance in the first place. Escapism and the ability to feel for the characters - that heartwrenching squeeze around your heart.
If you're not accustomed to the standard style HR novels are written, you might find this enjoyable. For me, this was only okay.
October 8, 2009
When ones loved sister is to be married to an unknown man of wealth, what does Emily do for her dear sister? Well, she descides that before her sister meets this man she is going to make her sister woo another man so that she can have the one she loves and Emily will marry the duke. This would have gone well if it hadn't been for the duke who decided that he too was not going through with the arranged marraige if he didn't like the girl. So he comes decised as a curator to the town and stays with a family friend. After, this happens more things that would have normally gone right go wrong for the four lovers. A highwayman comes into town and makes Emily believe that her beloved is really a bad guy who is trying to stop the bad guy. I laughed my way through all of the dramatic iorny that riddled this well writen book.
June 28, 2011
Great story for those who love a clean regency era romance. There is a bit of suspense and comedy too! I read it all in one sitting cause I was so eager so see if Emily would allow herself to love someone poor versus a son of a Duke.. only to later realize they were the same person! great great book! you want them to love each other, you want it to work out and you get frustrated when Emily tries to do the right thing at the expense of her heart but everything always works out in the end to all our relief!
September 30, 2014
The fact I read "Incognito" in one day may give you an idea of whether or not I enjoyed it...
Yay you for guessing correctly! ;) This book was SO much fun! Fast-paced and with no boring parts- I couldn't put it down! I laughed out loud quite a few times, the situations and witty dialogue being my cup of tea!
I am really looking forward to reading Suzanne's 2 other regencies in the very near future, and highly recommend this fun and bright comedy to my fellow regency fans.
Yay you for guessing correctly! ;) This book was SO much fun! Fast-paced and with no boring parts- I couldn't put it down! I laughed out loud quite a few times, the situations and witty dialogue being my cup of tea!
I am really looking forward to reading Suzanne's 2 other regencies in the very near future, and highly recommend this fun and bright comedy to my fellow regency fans.
July 12, 2010
LIKES: great witty dialogue, clean, likeable, fairly original plot given the dependence on familiar characters/scenery from austen and wilde (with a little scarlet pimpernel mixed in)
DISLIKES: sometimes it felt like all there was dialogue, and the characters should have been further developed/explored for a more satisfying ending
DISLIKES: sometimes it felt like all there was dialogue, and the characters should have been further developed/explored for a more satisfying ending
May 20, 2010
This was an absolutely delightful read! The crackling wit, merciless humour and characters that amuse and delight with every word held me in awe from start to finish! I just love how the story takes off from page 1 with never a boring moment. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates a good, heartwarming regency romance !
April 2, 2009
Mistaken identities and mistaken intentions, but not a mistake to read. I really enjoyed this book and found myself smiling often and laughing uproariously two or three times. Keep on the beaten path (and out of the bushes) and read this sweet confection of a romance.
April 13, 2010
Fed right into my Jane Austen feeding frenzy. I have been reading all of Georgette Heyers delightful Regency Romances and this book came to my attention as in that same vein. I loved the French farce element. The end made me laugh out loud.
July 6, 2011
Trying to be Georgette Heyer with only half her charm. Not horrible but not Heyer.
January 20, 2022
So terrible. Not realistic enough, too corny.
April 4, 2022
Nope, not good at all. Underdeveloped characters, super rushed plot, and a romance devoid of chemistry. Wouldn't recommend.
October 24, 2022
This was a fun book to read. It didn’t require a lot of thought, which was what I was in the mood to read. It wasn’t on the same level as Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer, but I still enjoyed it. I have read one other book by this author, and another is on my to-read list. They’re good candy reads.
Emily (19) had more personality than her sister, Lydia (21), but I found her somewhat immature at times. I suppose that’s not unexpected given her age, but I sometimes found it surprising that Alexander (29) fell in love with her. When I think more on it, I can’t help wondering the same about Emily’s feelings for Alexander. What was it that they really saw in each other? I’m not entirely sure, except that Emily was different from other women who had pursued Alexander, and Alexander was the first man to pay attention to her. His attempts to make her jealous bothered me, and I found him to be rather petty and inconsiderate defending women’s feelings.
I think my favorite character was Alexander’s father.
How it ends:
Note: A little mild language.
Emily (19) had more personality than her sister, Lydia (21), but I found her somewhat immature at times. I suppose that’s not unexpected given her age, but I sometimes found it surprising that Alexander (29) fell in love with her. When I think more on it, I can’t help wondering the same about Emily’s feelings for Alexander. What was it that they really saw in each other? I’m not entirely sure, except that Emily was different from other women who had pursued Alexander, and Alexander was the first man to pay attention to her. His attempts to make her jealous bothered me, and I found him to be rather petty and inconsiderate defending women’s feelings.
I think my favorite character was Alexander’s father.
How it ends:
Note: A little mild language.
January 20, 2025
If you forgo the reality-check and read this as a whimsical story, this is a very enjoyable book. It’s a light regency rom-com complete with insta-love, hidden identities, and comedic miscommunications. The writing style is quite different. It almost feels as though you’re skimming over the top of a minstrel’s tale, without diving into its depths or joining in with the characters, looking down rather than out. It should not be taken seriously.
Being that I enjoy a good minstrel’s tale, I flew through this book with a smile.
Content:
There’s no foul language, violence, or sex. The romances are clean with only a few lightly described kisses. There is no real mention of faith or God to speak of.
Trigger warning - there is an attempted sexual assault and abduction of a female character (she is saved before anything happens)
Being that I enjoy a good minstrel’s tale, I flew through this book with a smile.
Content:
There’s no foul language, violence, or sex. The romances are clean with only a few lightly described kisses. There is no real mention of faith or God to speak of.
Trigger warning - there is an attempted sexual assault and abduction of a female character (she is saved before anything happens)
March 31, 2022
The description: INCOGNITO is a historical romantic comedy set in Regency England that should appeal to fans of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, or Oscar Wilde. Hardly, and you better NOT start this book if you believe you are going to find something remotely similar to any of these authors.
The writing was too juvenile for me, behavior not consistent with Regency period. The 2nd couple was boring but the 1st couple was very implausible and I never believed their so-called romance. There happens many ridiculous things like kidnapping, another suitor, jealousy acts done by both leads out of spite, etc, etc. The heroine is introduced as funny, witty and not too pretty, but not even half through the book and she is acting silly and everyone is saying she is pretty.
The writing was too juvenile for me, behavior not consistent with Regency period. The 2nd couple was boring but the 1st couple was very implausible and I never believed their so-called romance. There happens many ridiculous things like kidnapping, another suitor, jealousy acts done by both leads out of spite, etc, etc. The heroine is introduced as funny, witty and not too pretty, but not even half through the book and she is acting silly and everyone is saying she is pretty.
June 14, 2023
great clean read.
Suzanne is a great writer. The book is well written and thought out, the plot is fun and the bit of adventure adds spice.
I purchased this book back in 2015 and just re-read it in 2023. Glad I already owned it as I'm pretty sure it was much cheaper before Mr Malcolms list became a famous movie.
I generally won't pay more than $6 for a book. So I'm a bit bummed her titles are so expensive. I read too much to pay more, I would go broke buying the more expensive ones.
I did just purchase her latest book and it was quite good as well. I will say it was worth the extra cost.
I'm always thrilled to find authors that write well and have well developed plots. This is one of them.
Suzanne is a great writer. The book is well written and thought out, the plot is fun and the bit of adventure adds spice.
I purchased this book back in 2015 and just re-read it in 2023. Glad I already owned it as I'm pretty sure it was much cheaper before Mr Malcolms list became a famous movie.
I generally won't pay more than $6 for a book. So I'm a bit bummed her titles are so expensive. I read too much to pay more, I would go broke buying the more expensive ones.
I did just purchase her latest book and it was quite good as well. I will say it was worth the extra cost.
I'm always thrilled to find authors that write well and have well developed plots. This is one of them.
February 11, 2021
Delightful story about an arranged marriage. Emily has agreed to marry Lord Wesleigh in the place of her older sister who is in love with someone else. Wesleigh arrives disguised as a penniless curate to observe his prospective bride, not realizing that Emily has taken her place. He falls in love with Emily, but she has agreed to marry him in the guise of his lordship, not the curate who she doesn't know is the real lord.
It's a story much in the mode of Georgette Heyer or Mary Balogh, and a quick fun read.
It's a story much in the mode of Georgette Heyer or Mary Balogh, and a quick fun read.
December 22, 2022
Fun little book to lift your mood! At first it has the obvious elements of a Jane Austen ripoff, then veers into a PG Woodhouse imitation, and finishes off with a nod to The Scarlet Pimpernel. Took me a little over three hours to read and I went from being in a somewhat sour state of mind, hating most of mankind and the horse it rode in on, to having a pleasant feeling of satisfaction. Derivative but delightful!
October 29, 2021
Another adorable story. There was some confusion for me by way of Sir Marcus, who was pretending to be a fop in order to hide his spy services, but then was actually a fop later on? It didn't exactly mesh for me, but the playful banter in the story was so entertaining and the proposal with an audience made me laugh out loud.
November 20, 2021
remember so little that even reading the reviews could not get more than a wispy image of the story and its unfolding what can I say. entirely unmemorable. just read Malcomb's list, seems the same lack of zing if any attempt to compare with Heyer. date of reading is today, this read cannot remember when.
September 2, 2024
It's so bad guys. The writing is atrocious. The characters have no depth. The plot was weird. She couldn't decide what she wanted to include between the secret identities, the highway man, family members playing match maker, or high society Victorian era romance, so she just bunched it all together. Bleh! It has some promise, but such poor execution. Don't waste your time.
December 17, 2021
Love this. The switch between Alexander and Marcus was funny when neither could keep their roles straight. There were little bits of humor throughout, misunderstandings , and just enough romance to keep me happy. The last chapter was hilarious.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
February 16, 2022
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Too cute! Funny and entertaining. I can count on Allain to fabricate outrageous situations and likeable characters that keep me in stitches throughout. She's a joy to read and is firmly on my auto-read list.
Too cute! Funny and entertaining. I can count on Allain to fabricate outrageous situations and likeable characters that keep me in stitches throughout. She's a joy to read and is firmly on my auto-read list.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews