The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer

 Robin, Prudence and their father fought for the wrong side in the Jacobite Rising in 1745.  After its failure, their lives were in danger if anyone found them in England, so their father devised a plan to keep them safe.  Prudence, who has a sturdy build, dresses as a young man, and Robin, who has a delicate frame for a man, as a woman. Their plan is to lay low in London, but a chance experience pulls them into the spotlight of the Ton. It also brings them to the attention of the large but handsome Sir Anthony Fanshawe, and the charming young heiress, Leticia Grayson. Both siblings start falling for their unknowing companions. Can their father's crazy plans free them from the masquerade they are forced to play?

Here is another Georgette Heyer.  It is set earlier than many of her books, and it seems she felt like she had to change the dialog to suggest the time period.  The result, combined with a very expressive narrator, made the story sound like a melodrama. Almost every line is  overstated and the characters seem more like caricatures than real people. Reading it is a little like watching and old black-and-white movie. This is not necessarily bad, but it took some getting used to. Still I ended up enjoying the book.  It has some very funny scenes, and some rollicking action sequences. The character of the father is a bit extreme but I found him amusing. It is not my favorite Georgette Heyer book, but it is a fun read. (1928, 416 p.)