To be both so beautiful and so rich... woe is Grace Sinclair.

Grace has been raised in a vicar's home ever since her parents died. The vicar and his wife have just been like family for all the years that they've stayed together, until Grace grew to be of marriageable age. She has become a woman with beauty and a sizeable dowry, and that has put off possible suitors for the vicar's very own daughters. His wife decides to push her out of their home, to London where Grace's aunt lives. It is a relief, somewhat, to be away from the men who only wanted to marry her for her wealth; away from men who only saw her for her beauty. She is positive that life in London will take a better turn, but her uncle ruins that possibility. Grace is given a choice: to marry the man of his choosing within two weeks, or he will ruin her as the rake he is. Cue the shivers. Cue the disgust. Thankfully, the very man she is tasked to seduce is the nicest man there ever was. Only, will she be able to do so within the time given to her?

My first thought upon reading the blurb: what drama. After reading a very tame and boring historical romance previously, this is extremely refreshing. And how Nate and Grace came to be together really pulled at my heartstrings!

Out of all the characters, my favourite has got to be Nate. He's kind, humble, so passionate and hard-working. The author has made him a very interesting man, you see — more than all the other lords out there: he is a man who aims to build railroads around the country. The ease and convenience for his fellow countrymen would most definitely be felt by his plans. Ambitious, what with all the money required to make it happen, but still heroic all the same. Grace, in comparison, is an okay character. There's nothing much about her that stands out, merely an innocent miss who is able to capture the hearts of so many men. But she is the reason why the book, as it nears its ending, didn't quite capture my attention.

The build-up in Grace and Nate's relationship is written well and nicely paced. Descriptions of their feelings are specified in their different POVs. The twist that comes up at the middle really adds extra points to this book as well. Totally recommend this book to all historical romance lovers looking for a clean read!

This review is written based on the ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley.

A Proper Scandal is a really fun read! Grace and Nate are loveable characters, the story line is enjoyable, and if you like damsels in distress -- it's got that there for you too! The good news is there's a happily ever after -- which is a must for any romance. Give it a read!

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review. The opinions are my own.**

Amazing book! Couldn't put it down from page one. Grace is an amazing character, she has such spunk and tenacity in an untenable situation. Truly enjoyable read with a unique plot.

This was such a charming book! I wondered by the title how it would turn out, what with it being a "proper" scandal and all. But I was utterly charmed by Grace, our heroine and the many adventures and scandals she found herself in. Especially her initial meeting with Nate Barton, our hero.

I giggled many times at Grace's antics. Maybe because I feel like she and I are similar in many ways. Not necessarily her "scandalous ways" but her personality. Ok, I put scandalous in parantheses because she doesn't know how to be anything but proper and watching her attempts to flirt with Nate was very humorous.

Grace finds herself in London, living with her aunt and her recent(ish -by a couple years) husband and his daughter Georgina. Grace is an orphan and had been living with the vicar and his wife after the death of her parents several years prior. But she finds that she must move on and upon arrival at her new home, discovers she will have to be quick on her feet as well as secure a marriage quickly if she wants to remain safe. (yes I'm being vague on purpose) ;-)

There were many secrets and twists throughout this story that I felt added to the whole of the story and had me enjoying it even more than I initially thought I would. Especially every scene with Grace and Nate in it. From the misunderstanding of identity, to the garden party, to the parasol malfunction, to Mrs. Stetson and her antics, to a fast paced horse ride at the end, and the scandal of arguing on the street in front of everyone. Oh, how I loved these two!

There are a couple other characters whom I didn't care for. A couple whom I wasn't sure if I would care for them and I came to find them charming and quite entertaining...as well as the possibility of a future story hidden in there. Hmmmmm... I can't wait to see what Esther Hatch is working on next for us reading fans! This is a delightful read that I highly recommend picking up and enjoying! My oldest daughter discovered it was on my Deseret Bookshelf subscription and she listened to it before I was even halfway done with it. She had some big smiles and giggles and was constantly asking me what part I was at. Then she'd give me a knowing smirk and say to me to hurry up faster and finish it! Silly girl!

Content: Clean. Some mild innuendos but nothing graphic. A character is kind of creepy and follows Grace around making her feel uncomfortable. An attempted attack on Grace by that character but nothing happens and it is not a graphic scene. Some kissing and talk about marital relations but nothing in detail.

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I loved this story! It was paced well and the characters were well developed. I was always ready to pick this book back up and hated to put it down. The story line was original but it still had elements that were unoriginal. I would try to predict what would happen but then would be wrong everytime.

Oh my goodness! One of the top five most favorite books I have read all year! I felt like I knew each one the characters personally. Grace and Nate had great chemistry throughout. In fact, my 11-year old daughter said this would be the best romance movie ever!! 😉

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists,
and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive
reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this
in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

This was an adorable regency read. It was sweet, funny and also highlighted some of the social justice issues of the times. Grace was innocently hilarious – and so unable to create scandal. Poor Nate is left boggled at every turn. He can’t quite figure out what Grace’s game is until he finally give up and just accepts he can’t resist her. Nate is quite the gentleman, and Grace is equally honorable. The situation that Grace is put into is beyond her scope, but she bungles through leaving love and joy in her wake. What a fun read! I definitely recommend this as an enjoyable Regency romance with some twists and turns that will keep you turning those pages until the end.

I was so excited to read this new book! Have you seen it? I started it last night and couldn’t put it down, finishing it today. It was a cute story of Grace Sinclair, an heir and beauty who has never had a chance for her season, and on top of family trouble, everyone seems to be trying to marry her off for their own advantage. I loved the banter between her and Barton although I found myself shaking my head at Grace often! I felt the book had some good twist and turns and was a fun, clean book to read. I can’t wait to read more from Esther Hatch in the future. I wouldn’t complain if we got some continuation stories of some of the supporting characters from this one! Great clean book!

A proper scandal is about Grace Sinclair who has been sent to London to live with her Aunt. Grace quickly realizes the situation in London is not what it seems and she has to marry quickly.

I loved the idea of this story and felt sympathy for Grace and her predicament.

I had trouble that Grace seemed to pop up different places with no explanation of how she got there. It also seemed like it was not very historically accurate, especially the way the characters spoke and acted.

This nice, light novel is perfect for a reader who enjoys clean romances. 2.75/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Romance, clean; period
This was gorgeous read. While Grace's actions weren't perfect for me as a reader, I loved how the story progressed and some of the social justice issues that were brought out, as well as some of the side characters. While Grace's naivete might be a drawback to some modern sensibilities, I think her desperation, her want to escape the hardships, disappointments, and true danger that she is facing in her Aunt and Uncle's home with his unsavory character, insinuations, and machinations as a selfish and unprincipled person.
Grace and Nate's interactions, frustrating, comical, awkward, absurd, pushing limits, but still with a side of sweetness, interest, chemistry, and sincerity as they thought about each other after their moments made for a lovely, heartfelt read. One of my favorite kinds of books with honest hurting hearts, and beautiful attraction. So many lovely scenes and moments to savor after this read, while it wasn't perfect, it was still a fun escape.
The cover is gorgeous too. Another plus for me as a reader. I could envision this scene in my mind just from the gorgeous cover.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a recency era romance that was sweet and clean. The main characters Grace and Nate fall in love uber a case of mistaken identity. I was thrilled the wicked uncle in this novel got what he deserved. I enjoyed the protocol, the balls, and the gowns described in this novel and plan to read more by this author. I can easily see a second work about Diana or Georgians and hope that it happens!!! A delightful and quick read;

I received an ARC of this book. Grace is such a delightful character! She is in a tough situation...a leacherous, evil Uncle breathing down her neck, a cousin who is guiding her, and Nate...sweet, honest Nate. I hate reviews that tell the plot so I will just tell you that this author is new to me. She is very talented in making you love or hate her characters. Ms Hatch develops their personalities and you will find yourself cheering our heroine on to her HEA.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I've never read anything by this author before and she is definitely someone I will read again. The plot was a little unbelievable in places hut in the same way that most historical romances are - big misunderstandings - but despite that I enjoyed this book.
It was very well written and the 2 main characters were likeable and I really wanted them to be successful.
A lovely light read and, though it is a clean romance, that doesn't stop this author from making you feel the passion between Grace and Nate.
Wonderfully written enough for me to overlook any far fetched points. 3.5 stars.

After being orphaned years before, Grace Sinclair was taken in by the vicar and his wife. Now, as a grown woman, her beauty is making it difficult for the vicar's daughters to find suitors, and so, Grace is sent to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. She heads to London where she soon finds that her uncle-by-marriage is a horrible person who intends to use Grace for his own purposes. While he makes it clear he wouldn't mind forcing himself on her, he restrains--only because he needs her to wed the son of a man whom he owes money in order to keep himself out of debtors' prison. So, with her virtue intact, she has strict instructions that within two weeks, she must be caught in a compromising situation with Mr. Barton so that he will be forced to marry her. While creating such a scandal is abhorrent to Grace, staying in her uncle's home seems worse, especially when she meets Mr. Barton and finds he might be one man she could actually fall in love with. Nate initially seems determined to stay away from her, but when he starts to soften toward her, Grace wonders if she can actually follow through with tricking him into marriage.

This book was so funny and yet heartfelt, too. Grace was really sweet and unconventional (I had just had to laugh at some of her interactions with Nate!)--and woefully bad at creating her needed scandal. I liked seeing how she wore down Nate's resistance just by being herself. I also love Nate and how he's such a gentleman and doesn't take advantage of Grace even when he's given ample opportunities. I found both characters to be well-developed and just loved being able to watch their journey together. If you're looking for a fresh Regency clean romance that will have you laughing, this is your book!
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I didn't love this author's first book, however this one was fantastic.

I love how she wrote Grace’s character so up front and honest. Her story line was a different take than I had read before and I love how she didn’t hold back.

I would love to know more about Lord Bryant. He could have a really interesting story. The side characters were written really well, interesting enough to round out the book, but not distract from it.

The author also did a great job of writing from the male perspective. It’s no surprise that men often lead with the physical. Often an author leaves it at that and doesn’t develop the man’s perspective beyond that; which leaves you with a very two dimensional character. I really like how Esther made him still very much a man, but well balanced.

There are so many re-readable scenes in this book. I would read more of Esther Hatch in a heartbeat.

https://bookconfessionsblog.com/2019/06/07/a-proper-surprise/

The main character - Grace - is fantastic and the story unfolded brilliantly in the first 2/3 of the book. Unfortunately, the author could not bring the ending to a successful conclusion (in my opinion).
Still, quite satisfactory. This little novel fulfilled its purpose: a few hours of pure escape.

#AProperScandal #NetGalley

This book was hard to put down. Grace is an orphan, with a sizable dowry, living with the vicor's family. The vicor's wife, wants her two daughters to marry, but because of Grace's beaty, no one notices her daughters. Grace is sent away, to liive with her aunt and her aunt's deplorable husband. This book made ne laugh out loud, I loved Grace's no nonsense attitude, and her determination to stay one step ahead of anything getting in her way.

What a charming historical!

I really enjoyed this story and the way the relationship developed between Grace and Nate. Grace is at a crossroads in her life. Her parents are both gone and the family she's been staying with has arranged for her to move in with her uncle and his wife. Grace tries to make the most of her new situation but she soon discovers it's not the best, although she does have allies.

Rather than waiting for her fate, Grace takes it into her own hands and decides Nate is the man for her. Nate is a gentleman and rebuffs Grace's advances, and that make for some humorous situations. Fortunately, they see each other for who they are, and are able to get past the problems.

This is a great story with an original take and I highly recommend it. Very good writing too, and you all know how picky I am about good writing.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

The title of this book lets the reader know right off that this isn't going to be a typical story line. I mean how can a scandal be proper? Generally in books of this era anyone trying to create a scandal is considered the bad person. I would want to protect the character that is the victim in the scandal. But the author has us loving Grace so much from the beginning that we rather hope she will succeed. The meeting of Grace and Nate is unusual and cute. And I wasn't really sure how it was all going to play out in time. I mean I knew there would be the happily ever after but I didn't know how they would get to that point.
Grace is pretty hopeless in the art of flirting and she is even worse at trying to compromise someone. I'm pretty sure when attempting this, one would want to leave their victim in the dark as to the goal instead of stating it straight out. But because she is so blundering at all of it she is even more adorable.
Her family however are not adorable. Particularly her step-uncle. He is a horrible person in every way.
Nate is pretty bad at avoiding compromising situations even when he is aware of what he is walking into. He can't quite walk away. But it is endearing since he is always concerned for her and therefore follows along.

I am so excited to have found a new to me author. This historical romance is humorous. In fact, I found myself giggling out loud a few times. I also enjoyed the unique storyline. I found it to be original. The heroine and hero are pretty open about their feelings for each other. I found that part to be refreshing. Most books aren't like that. This a clean read with swoon worthy kisses. This was a fun read for me. I enjoyed it and will look for more books by this author.
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and this is my honest opinion.