Desperate to find respectable work, Eve masquerades as a young man. When she finds that she is growing attached to her employer, she begins to regret her dishonest ruse.

Evelyn Dixon was not suited to be a governess and work with children. She had acted as her late grandfather’s secretary in her youth and enjoyed her own efficiency. Due to her parents travelling Europe when she was a child, Eve’s knowledge of European languages is extensive. She had been searching for work in London for over two months when her close friend Thomas Patterson, tells her of a live-in secretarial position requiring language translations. The employer, Mr James Quinton, heir to the Earl of Seabrooke, has a strong dislike of women and has no female staff in his household. Eve does not want to return to her relatives and rely on their unkind goodwill to survive. She is so determined to take this position that she cuts off her hair and dresses as a young man. She gets the job!

James Quinton has never had such an efficient secretary; he has even come to enjoy his working hours with the young man. At night he tries to bring Mr Dixon (Eve) out of his shell with port, but Evelyn is very innocent in his attitudes and sometimes quite prudish. When they retire to his country estate, Mr Dixon finds it hard to take time off and relax. He deals well with Penny, James’ sister until she develops a fondness for the young man. Eve looks forward to her daily work alongside James, at night she dreams of him. She knows that a future with him is impossible so is determined to make the most of this time spent together.

The Anonymous Amanuensis had a strong emotional impact on this reader, I felt that I shared in the characters’ triumphs and disappointments, and was urging the pair to find each other despite the circumstances. Eve Dixon knows the price of her independence is a family life. Underneath her tough exterior she is a young woman longing to be swept off her feet, she wants to dance at parties and make love with the husband of her dreams. Readers will share her excitements, indignations and sorrows because she is so realistically described. The torments of her employer, James Quinton, from his hatred of grasping women like his mother, to his disgust by his own behaviour are set against the heroine’s need for the man she has come to love. She sticks firmly to the rules of propriety even when dressed as a male. This book follows a traditional regency format and Judith B Glad’s characters observe society’s very proper behaviour guidelines. There is a love scene in the final chapters, which is not overly graphic and suits the tone of the regency era setting. Regency fans are sure to enjoy the tale of Eve Dixon, a daring high-spirited young woman who falls in love with her stubborn woman-hating employer.

Reviewed by: Naomi