Nothing short of love will propel Mercy Rothschild to marry, and she knows exactly what it looks like, or more accurately who it doesn’t look like — Nicholas Kendrick. When the Duke of Harrington, the man who puts duty before love and rules before affection, decides that Mercy meets his requirements in a wife, she will stop at nothing to redirect his attentions, even if it means throwing him in the path of other women. As she comes to know the stoic man behind the facade, she discovers he might be the one she’s always dreamed of. If only her schemes to push him away hadn’t worked quite so effectively.

A Proper Facade by Esther Hatch delivered a comical romance infused with depth and growth. Due to circumstances in life, Nicholas has learned to hide his emotions and rely solely on duty when making decisions. Mercy, on the other hand, has a completely misguided and unrealistic concept of love. I enjoyed watching their struggles and development. By the end, Nicholas learned that doing what was right and following his heart didn’t always have to be mutually exclusive. Meanwhile, Mercy came to see that love is deeper than butterflies in one’s stomach and stolen kisses. Hooked by their tale, I couldn’t put it down until I finished and didn’t realize it was book 4 in a series. I am now off to find the others because I have to read them!

I recommend A Proper Facade to readers who enjoy sweet, fun Regency stories.

This is the fourth book in Esther Hatch’s Proper Scandal series. I’ve really enjoyed the books in this series. Hatch is a talented author who is a pro at creating engaging and interesting characters and placing them in entertaining circumstances. A Proper Façade stars Mercy Rothschild who is being pressured by her parents to find a husband. Mercy has always assumed she’d marry for love when she meets the right man. Nicholas Kendrick is obsessed with being proper and following rules while looking for a wife. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between these two changing and evolving. If you like clean and wholesome Regency historical fiction, I think you’d enjoy this book and the whole series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Covenant Communications through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a quick and fun read, and a bit different than the typical romance of this period. Usually, the man the parents are trying to set up with the girl is all wrong, and she falls for someone else. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy those stories, but this was a refreshing twist.
I felt so bad for Nicholas, being the victim of all of Mercy's schemes. I'm glad she eventually came around. :)

Really loved this story, gave really Pride and Prejudice vibes. I loved Nicholas so much and really loved seeing his romance with Mercy grow. I loved how the story showed that loved is expressed in many ways. Favourite book in the series.

Proper romance full of misunderstandings and change. Really cute series but can be read alone. Brief appearance of characters from previous books.

Nicholas is extremely careful with his actions, especially with relationships, in an effort to fix his reputation after a mistake he made as a teenager. He worries it will drive Mercy away if she finds out what happened. He is very proper and tries to do everything right. Because he doesn’t show affection, she thinks he is only interested in her to help his career. Mercy is desperate for an affectionate love match so she tries to pair Nicholas up with another woman to let her off the hook, not realizing the harm her actions could cause.

This is a clean romance but still full of tension. Nothing beyond kissing but their first intense kiss lasts an entire chapter. Thanks to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for a digital ARC to use for my review.

Mercy Rothschild is a spirited, independent young woman, willing to do whatever it takes to avoid a marriage of convenience. She only wants to marry for love and have a marriage like her parents. So, when Nicholas Kendrick, the oh so proper Duke of Harrington, sets his sights on her, Mercy hatches a plan to push him toward another woman—only to find that beneath his stiff and proper exterior lies the very man she could fall in love with. What has she done and can she undo it?

Mercy's clever schemes to derail the Duke of Harrington's courtship make for amusing and heartwarming moments, especially as her plans backfire in unexpected ways. While I enjoyed seeing Mercy's schemes sometimes unravel, it was watching Nicholas' true personality emerge that kept my attention.

I loved the banter between Mercy and Nicholas and their chemistry is undeniable, making their evolving relationship fun to watch. Their slow-burn romance feels authentic, especially as Mercy comes to understand that love may not always look the way she imagined.

I always love seeing characters from previous books (especially Lord Bryant-IYKYK). Don't worry if you haven't read those yet, this book can be read as a standalone. This is a sweet romance with only kisses. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. via NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own. 4.5 to 5 stars!

Another home run story! I love the romantic tension this author always puts into her stories. This series is one I love, and I wasn’t disappointed by this most recent story, either!

This book has a delicious amount of drama, an emotionally founded third act break up a few delightfully entertaining high jinxes,and Esther’s sizzling chemistry.

But it also holds beautiful underlying messages about real love, perfectionism, guilt and forgiveness.

A very proper duke is looking for the perfect wife. She must be of rank and have good connections to help his career in Parliament. The lady he's attracted to meets his requirements, but she is not interested in his pursuit. Love is what she's looking for. To discourage his interest, she needs to find him another lady. The best laid plans don't always work out, especially with a scandal. Very emotional with some humor and angst.
An author to keep on your TBR.
Kisses only.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Absolutely love this one!!!! What a fabulous continuation of the series! Honestly really enjoy the build up and character development of this one. I think it's definitely way better to have read the previous novels before reading this one to get more context/background.
Lady Mercy is likely one of my favourite MC I've read lately and the scenes do not disappoint!!! 5 stars!

Nicholas is trying to be the man that would make his father proud. But his expectations keep emotions bottled up tight. Mercy has her heart in the clouds. What will happen when these two come together when they both have extremely different expectations about love?

Sounds realistic to me! I loved the balance of humor and heart in this book. So much fun! It also tugged at my heart strings because the audio had a bit of my husband and I in their interactions. (We are both so different, but after 30 years we have proved that love is a living thing that needs daily nurturing.)

Just so well done. I adored Nicholas and hearing the dual POV made my heart happy. (Perfect cover!) Another win by @authorestherhatch with characters glimpsed from past stories, but a stand alone gem. A HEA worthy of all swoony sighs and proof that letting those we love see us for who we truly are brings vulnerability that allows unconditional love.

Things that stuck with me:
❤️ cravats need to make a comeback
❤️ all the scheming
❤️ Lord Bryant
❤️ the ending
❤️ did I mention that cravats need to make a comeback?

Will love be able to help these two untie the knots in their lives? Or will society stifle their happiness before love can thrive?

Mistaken assumptions and past mistakes turn a courtship into a comedy of errors. When two members of the ton enter into the ritual of courtship personal attitudes and painful memories get in the way.

A Proper Facade is the newest addition to Esther Hatch’s Proper series. Readers of the series will enjoy getting to see Nicholas in a different light and getting his story. I enjoyed getting to see a different side of him than what we saw in A Proper Charade. I really struggled to love Mercy. I didn’t like her way of going about things and that made it harder for me to connect to this book. Towards the end, I started to like her more, but by then I felt like it was a little too late. I enjoyed the overall story though, and will revisit it again as I did enjoy it just not as much as the rest of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. These thoughts are my own.

Oh this book was exactly what I needed! I thoroughly enjoyed the story and would highly recommend reading the series from the beginning! It is just a delightful series of fabulous characters and they all fits so well together. But rest assured you would still enjoy the book alone!

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book, all opinions are my own.

It was fun to see the strategies of Nicholas and Mercy as they approach the game of making a match. Nicholas thinks he just wants someone to fill the social role of a duchess, but his inadvertent meeting of an eavesdropping Mercy in a hallway awakened his senses and desire for more. Mercy has always wanted a passionate marriage like her sister's, but unexplained pressure from her parents present the conflict of compromising her dreams to please her family and society. The author's use of the game of chess reflects the back and forth between Nicholas and Mercy- presenting their polite side for society but hiding more romantic wishes. I found the struggle of Nicholas to be more genuine as he learned to embrace rather than suppress his emotions. Mercy was definitely more calculated as she and her friend enact plans to trick and mislead Nicholas. With time and experience she realizes that passion can have its downfalls when unsupported by a strong foundation, and is almost too late when she finally sees behind the facade of Nicholas. A sweet romance with complicated dynamics that take our main characters on an emotional journey.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

A Proper Facade was just what I needed to read. The character development happened throughout the story, bit by bit. It is a lovely romance, that shines a light on how we people so often can't see our own value. It can be so hard to just be yourself, and this story did such a great job of working through that issue. Nicholas and Mercy had to learn to trust each other and stop living up to the perceived expectations of society. Esther Hatch did a wonderful job of writing a true love story, where Nicolas and Mercy learn to see each other for who they truly are. Hatch wrote a good story that flowed well and left me wanting to know what could happen next. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Proper Scandals has been an enjoyable series. I was thrilled to see Nicholas Kendrick, the Duke of Harrington, get his own story in A Proper Scandal. Nicholas faces many pressures, including the need to find a wife. His plans for a proper courtship go off track when he meets Mercy Rothschild.

Mercy is young and eager to find true love like her parents had. She believes she must fall in love to marry, making her dream of True Love a challenge for Nicholas's courtship plans. She thinks he’s too old and formal, but her parents are eager for her to marry a Duke.

Watching Mercy lead the Duke on a wild chase was entertaining. While Nicholas had good intentions, Mercy was more focused on making him think about past relationships. She orchestrated some awkward situations with those previous loves, leaving Nicholas completely in the dark. There were moments when I wanted to send Mercy to her room for being so mischievous.

It was fun to see characters from earlier books return, providing support to Nicholas. As the barriers between him and Mercy began to crumble, the story grew more thrilling. The slow-building tension between Mercy and Nicholas erupted into exciting moments filled with dancing, chess games, and a library rendezvous that made me a little giddy. I won't be forgetting that scene for a while. With plenty of misunderstandings, clever schemes, and the eventual breakdown of their facades, they might just discover true love.

I'm sad the series has finished, but I know I’ll read these stories again. Esther Hatch knows how to craft a love story filled with tension, romance, and humor. The relationship between these two very different characters looking for love will keep you entertained throughout this sweet, clean Regency romance.

4.5 Stars

This is a fun and fast read. It was well written and had great characters.

I really felt for the Duke and all the pressure he’d put himself under to be perfect. I liked Mercy too, and was kept on my toes for quite a bit of the story wondering why her parents were pushing her to marry quickly (and for the main characters to realize they weren’t alone in their feelings).

It’s been a little while since I read the previous books in the series, and while I think you could read this as a stand alone, it was fun having previous characters involved here.

Good historical fiction is a joy to read and Esther Hatch's 'A proper' series is no exception. A proper facade is the fourth book in the series, however it can be read as a stand alone story. You will want to go back and read the others in the series after reading it.

Esther Hatch writes strong characters who have interesting problems to overcome. A proper facade is no exception to this. I liked that by the end of the book, they both had learnt something about themselves and each other. It was a pleasure to 'meet' up with characters from other books. All in all, an enjoyable read and happy to recommend it to others.

I receive complimentary books for various sources including, Netgalley, Authors, and other such sources. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received compensation.

I have been waiting for Nicholas' story and it did not disappoint. I am so glad Ms. Hatch decided his story needed to be told. I really enjoyed getting to know Nicholas better and understand his background. I loved Mercy. She was such an interesting character. Her antics were quite amusing, yet frustrating when you understood Nicholas' side of things. I really enjoyed their story and how it played out. It was perfect for these two. I have really enjoyed this series and hate to see it end, but I'm excited for what Ms. Hatch will deliver next.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest review.