Love Disguised - Lisa Klein

Love Disguised by Lisa Klein

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Publication Date: July 30, 2013

Source/Format: Netgalley (Thanks Bloomsbury!) || e-galley

[I received this book from the publisher. This in no way affects the thoughts expressed in my review.]

Will Shakespeare is about to meet the girl who will change his life forever. After a mixed-up courtship with the Hathaway sisters ends badly, Will jumps at the chance to go to London, where he can pursue his dream of becoming an actor. There, Will meets the unusually tall (and strong) Meg who has earned the nickname "Long Meg" for her height. She's also fleeing her own past as an orphan turned thief. Disguised as "Mack," Meg was once a member of a band of boy thieves who betrayed her. When Will is robbed by those same villains, Meg disguises herself as "Mack" again--telling Will that Mack is her twin brother--in order to help Will recover his money. As Mack, she finds true friendship with Will. But is there more? And who is Meg really fooling with her disguise? (from Goodreads)

Any mention of Shakespeare, any at all, and I will usually be down to read or watch something. So when Love Disguised popped up on my radar, I just had to check it out. While it was a fun, diverting read, it also fell into the realm of slightly predictable and not very memorable.

As always, here's the list of the things I liked and the things I didn't like about this book:

The references to Shakespeare's works were such fun. It felt like a bit of an Easter Egg hunt, really. With every chapter read, there were plots or personalities that reminded me of what Shakespeare works I have read. I thought it was fun, really, as it's already clear I'm a big fan of Will's. Plus, it seemed to all make sense... In a ridiculous sort of way,

It was basically a mad set of events, reminiscent of Shakespeare's own comedies. Despite being slightly over the top, it was basically hilarious! Honestly, it provided a good laugh when I read it on my plane ride. As I already mentioned, the story was ridiculous but in the best way. At the very least, I was entertained.

There was no real character development. While the cast of characters is no doubt part of the entertainment, they were also easily mixed up. I truly didn't feel much of a connection to any of them, even the main ones. This usually happens when I don't sense that a character's grown throughout the story, which was the case here.

The story was fun, true, but it was also forgettable. The instant I shut the book, it was like I'd never read it. Facts and characters got all mixed up in my head, as it didn't leave a real impression.

In the end, the fact that there isn't much I can say about this book is what really says it all. Love Disguised could have been much more than it was but failed to really meet any of my personal expectations. It's good enough if you're bored on a subway and in need of something to pass the time, but overall, I wouldn't recommend it.