“She and the Duke of Harrington were going to play a game, but not a game of chess. The most dangerous game of all: a game of courtship. And if she played it correctly, she might not win, but hopefully, neither of them would lose.”

I have read the first three books in this series several times, and I loved this one, too! I’m so happy Nicholas, the Duke of Harrington, got his story written, even though I’ll admit that I couldn’t remember who he was, so I reread the rest of the series before starting this one. 😊 He is so set on being proper and not giving society any gossip fodder, while Lady Mercy wants someone who isn’t afraid to show his love by sneaking kisses in ballrooms. Mercy is sure the stoic duke is not for her, but she doesn’t want to disappoint her parents who are understandably thrilled a duke is singling her out, so she comes up with a plan to get Nicholas to fall for someone else. I thought this story was unique and fun, and it has a few little surprises as well. Esther is definitely a favorite author of mine, and I can’t wait to read more from her!

4.5* The characters in this book were multi-dimensional. They leap off the page with vibrancy, and I love the insights I have into both of their heads. Esther Hatch and her swoony kissing scenes has done it again! This story is the last in a series, and though it has many references to others in the series, it can stand alone.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

'This was the day Nicholas Kendrick, Duke of Harrington, would find himself a wife.'

This book. Deep breath.
I loved it. All the capital letters. (Except I don't love actually capitalizing my words. It's a whole thing)
Nicholas was the best. And Mercy, too. She was so daring and naive and lovely and kind. And Nicholas was so proper and good and protective but also passionate. And the epilogue? Come on. 🫠😍

So. If you like Victorian romances, Esther Hatch, books that break rules, chemistry, swooning, the rest of the Proper series, and chess, read this book. Immediately. It's just so good.

Nicholas Kendrick had done things wrong in the past when it came to his relationships with women. So, he decides to maintain the proper facade when it comes to courting Mercy. He is perfect at dancing, keeping his distance, not evoking any type of emotion or romantic actions that would damage her reputation. But, Mercy is unaware of this and looks for a way to end their courtship from the perfect, but stiff and boring duke. Misunderstandings on both of their parts make this a push and pull kind of courtship that is funny and at the same time nerve wracking. I just wanted him to kiss her, but it makes for a great slow burn to their kiss


Things to love:
ballroom dances
ex-soldier
white roses
love for the Irish
marriageable candidate list
flirting advice
chess moves
cat-and-mouse game
cravat scene

“True love,” she would say, “isn’t about fairy tales or magical encounters. It is about seeing someone for who they truly are and wanting to be with that person always, no matter what.”

This is the fourth book in the Proper Scandals series and can be read as a standalone. However, with characters appearing in this story, you may want to read the other books to enjoy their stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All views are my opinion in which I was not required to write a review.

If there was a "Most Swoonworthy Kiss" award, this book wins!!!

And Just like that this book is my NUMBER 1 read this year! Considering this is book number 201 that I have read this year... that is saying something! But it's not just the kiss, the whole story was the best storyline! Esther writes romance the exact way I like to read it. It is such a hard book to put down!

Nicholas needs to marry so he can be taken seriously as the Duke. Mercy needs to marry because her parents are putting pressure on her. He plans for a marriage of convenience. She is only interested in marrying for love. She wants someone that is going to "show" they want to be with her. He is against "showing" his feelings because he thinks it'll reflect poorly on him. They couldn't be more different! When Nicholas sets his sights on Mercy, she wants out, but to keep her dignity at the same time. So she plots a plan to make him fall for someone else... But is that really the best idea? And what if it works too well, and she changes her mind. What if his plan of only a marriage of convenience becomes near impossible the closer he gets to Mercy?! Why are Mercys parents pushing her to marry?


This story, oh my goodness. I didn't want to do any adulting and just read and be a witness to Nicholas and Mercy's story.

This story is a must. If you are a clean romance reader, this is for you. If you want swoonworthy kisses and all the feels ... definitely grab this! Gosh I want to read it all over again!

This was fun. It took me a little while to get into the book but I ended up enjoying it. A Proper Facade is the fourth book in Esther Hatch’s Proper Scandals series. Nicholas finally gets his own story and it was cool to learn more about him.
Nicholas was a complicated character. He had made mistakes in his past and he feared letting himself make mistakes again. I really liked Nicholas and seeing him grow throughout the book. He feared letting go of control but as the book went on he learned that he didn’t need to be perfect.
Mercy was interesting and she had to grow on me. She felt a bit childish at times but she grew slowly throughout the book. Mercy had an idealistic view on love because of her family but Nicholas snuck up on her.
It was sweet to read about Nicholas falling for Mercy and seeing his perfect match in her. He had to learn to let her in. Mercy slowly found herself falling for Nicolas and she had to learn that love didn’t look the same for everyone.
I really liked the side characters, you got to see cameos of old characters and that was a lot of fun. The story was interesting although there were parts that felt a little slow. However I did end up enjoying the book. I would recommend A Proper Facade to those who had enjoyed Hatch’s other books and those who enjoy historical romance. A Proper Facade is a clean historical romance.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

If you have been following the Proper Scandals series by Esther Hatch, then you will enjoy A Proper Facade, the fourth book in the series.

I have read A Proper Scandal and a Proper Scoundrel, but the book I missed, (A Proper Charade), was the one you need to read before reading this one. While it can be read as a standalone, I felt the Duke of Harrington's talk of his sister's "scandal" was not as scandalous as it was supposed to be and I felt like I had missed something.

As for the Duke and Mercy, I did enjoy their relationship, but I felt Mercy was too quick to judge and the Duke stuck in his ways. On the other hand, if they hadn't been that way, this would have been a very boring book! I was glad they were able to get over themselves enough to give each other a chance because this was a very sweet romance. They were perfect for each other. Each was amusing in their ways and I loved the ending!

My only disappointment was that this was not a faith-based book. There was not one mention of God throughout the entire book. However, if you like a clean romance (with kissing) you will probably enjoy A Proper Facade.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Covenant Communications through NetGalley for my honest review.

This was a nice enough book, but the miscommunication was quite ridiculous at times and I couldn't really feel any chemistry between the characters.
I love regency romances, but I couldn't get into this one for some reason.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Proper Facade starts out slow, but the anticipation builds as the miscommunications and mistakes pile up! I loved watching Mercy and Nicholas get to know each other and realize that their initial impressions weren't accurate. The whole time I just wanted to scream at them to actually be honest with each other, but that would take the drama out of the story, right? The two characters had amazing chemistry once they stopped getting in the way with their stubbornness!

I definitely recommend this one to anyone who loves Regency stories!

Thank you to Covenant Communications, Esther Hatch, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

Mercy is in her Third Season and this slightly tricky. Her parents have never pushed her into an alliance but they seem on edge and though nothing brutal is said, they seem to be tired of her indecision and there is tension in the household.

Mercy has seen marriages working out on deep love like her parents and also her sister and she wants the same for herself. When the Duke of Harrington shows interest, she is disappointed at his clinical approach to marriage. He wants someone who will fit an image of a Duchess, he wants to get rid of his mother to a dowager house but he realises rather late he wants the passion of a strong relationship, but he either doesn’t know how or is curtailed by standards of the time to show his true feelings to Mercy.

The story goes on with a bit of blackmail from his former lover, the Lady Plympton who is determined to get him back, a sister who elopes with an unknown composer, the fall from grace for Mercy’s family but the story ends neatly - love conquering all.

The characters were strongly portrayed, not at all insipid or missish and that was refreshing.

Mercy Rothschild has been surrounded by people in love with their partners, so she knows what love looks like. So, when her parents who have never pushed her to marry until she’s ready, suddenly appear to be forcing her to marry, she agrees to it, quite reluctantly. When Nicholas Kendrick, the Duke of Harrington, seems to be set on Mary, she at first agrees to a courtship; however, Nicholas, seems so fixated on following the rules of the ton, Mercy concludes that there is only one course of action: she must push her intended into the arms of another woman. Yet, the more time that they spend together, Mercy begins to realise that Nicholas might be the very man she’s been waiting for but her initial plan, might now backfire on her.
This is another delightful book in the series ‘Proper Scandals’ by Esther Hatch. My only complaint as that there is too long apart between books as I have loved every instalment. From the first time that Mercy and Nicholas meet, I was completely absorbed in this romance. Whilst Mercy cannot see the charm and goodhearted nature of Nicholas, as he is caught up in protecting her, he is captivated by Mercy. I found that in holding back the truth from each other, led to complications in this romance. It was so endearing to see how the time spent together, gave them an opportunity to see each other truthfully. This was a beautiful romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Proper Facade by Esther Hatch, 248 pages. Covenant Communications, 2024. $17.
Language: PG (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Deciding that it might be time to look for a wife, Nicholas (25yo) sets out to find a political partner, not a distraction that will tempt him to return to the man he was before joining the army. On the other hand, Mercy (20yo) is determined to only marry for love—even if that means foisting this dispassionate duke on someone else.
Nicholas and Mercy’s story is built upon the avoidable drama of miscommunication. The antics were slightly more cringey than entertaining because of what readers knew about how much the actions were going to hurt the other—unwitting—party involved. There were also a lot of references to the couples in the previous books, though this story is technically a standalone. But the ending is perfectly cheesy and swoony, so all's well that ends well.
The majority of characters are either British or Irish. The language rating is for British swears. The mature content rating is for mild innuendo and kissing. The violence rating is for mentions of war conflict and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Well, I just loved this story and these characters! There were twists and turns and miscommunication, and lack of communication, and still a happily ever after!

If you love sweet historical fiction, you'll love Mercy and Nicholas and their complicated path to true love!

I received a netgalley arc, but all enthusiastic opinions are my own!

A Proper Facade by Esther Hatch is a delightful read. At first, I found the pacing to be slow, but it did pick up and became a story that forced me to stay up WAY past my bedtime furiously turning pages to see how things ended for Mercy and Nicholas. Of the characters, Nicholas is my favorite. In his youth, he made some mistakes and those mistakes incurred the disappointment of his father. Nicholas has been working tirelessly for years to make-up for those mistakes and the disappointment he has caused. Nicholas decided that the best thing he could do to make up for his past was to be perfect — follow every rule of propriety and Society to the letter. He decided to suppress his emotions and passions. Besides, all emotions and feelings ever did for him was get him into trouble, so hiding them can only be a good thing, right?! Then Nicholas meets Mercy. In quite the funny meet-cute, Mercy puts Nicholas’s rule following to the test. I love how Mercy and Nicholas meet, I love how she wakes him up from his robotic, stringent rule-following stupor, and I love how she brings out his passions and emotions. It was so much fun to watch! I also loved how Nicholas wakes Mercy up to the fact that love is not all about gushy feelings, gifts, and stolen passionate moments. Rather, it’s about choosing every day to be a constant, stable, dependable support for one another regardless of what life throws at you. It’s about passions and emotions, sure. But it’s also about sharing disappointments, struggles, and frustrations. Love is about growing into a partnership and being part of a team! I really enjoyed this message, and I had so much fun watching Mercy and Nicholas bumble their way to this truth.

A Proper Facade is a fantastic and fun Regency Romance that I highly recommend. It is a well-written Historical Romance filled with unique and endearing characters and timely themes. If you love Historical Romances, this is a story you do not want to miss!

I received a copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley, in order to review. I am under no obligation to leave a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is my first Esther Hatch book. My expectations may have started out a bit high given the company she keeps with her podcast. I got part way in and was really struggling with the only conflict in the story being about Mercy’s fairytale expectations and Harrington’s too proper approach to courtship.
Slowly, I was reeled in and by about 60% I did want to see things work out. I’ll admit I mostly kept going, at least until about 50%, because I’d agreed to provide a review.

The final outcome is that I like the book quite a lot. The author builds the desire for the romantic outcome while shining a light on how people and relationships aren’t perfect. For a love to grow and flourish persistence, patience and forgiveness are needed. In this case at least it meant a dance partner for life.
Thanks to Netgalley and Covenant Communications for the opportunity to read this book and get to know a new to me author.

Because of his past mistakes, he sought to redeem himself by becoming the Duke of Sombersides, all proper and honourable. She wants nothing less than a love match, so she sought to match him with someone suitable instead. Misunderstanding, getting to know each other, scandals and finally seeing each other for who they are is the journey they had to travel together with friends and families. Enjoyable read.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

I liked Nicholas from the get-go, but I didn't quite get why he was so interested in Mercy (beyond physical attraction). I could understand her hesitation to get involved with him, but the way she handled it...yikes! Poor Nicholas! I would have liked to see more growth in their feelings for each other; both of their feelings seemed to arise rather quickly (although at different times). That said...I really enjoyed when they actually opened up to each other and shared their real fears and concerns and how the book ended. Overall, not my favorite of the series but still a fun read.
3.5 stars.

I read a DRC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was my first book by Esther Hatch. I had high hopes as the cover caught my eye and the book description was interesting. I laughed out loud after the second sentence! I found myself chuckling at Nicholas often, he was very witty. I loved Nicholas, so very proper but simmering to a boil underneath. I did not like Mercy. She was too stubborn (annoyingly so) about seeing Nicholas’ interest in her as genuine and doing everything she could to turn his eye to women from his past. Once Nicholas kissed Mercy she finally got over herself, then we get a 3rd act break-up. I’m glad he decided to question Mercy to get his happy ending.

This ARC was provided through NetGalley by the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.

No question about it: you’ve got to add this series to your TBR! A Proper Facade returns readers to the company of beloved characters (looking at you with heart eyes, Lord Bryant) but also introduces new ones who will keep you hooked. Although this one wasn’t my favorite in the Proper Scandals series, I still enjoyed Esther Hatch’s voice in her writing—never any complaints there. I’m excited for more stories from her! 3.5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this book. I loved the characters. I loved how the theme of the book was about loving a person for who they truly are. I think we all hide behind masks built by others perceptions of us. It’s hard to take that mask off. But we must if we want to truly love and laugh. And I think life was created to love and laugh. The author did a great job with character development and the storyline went smoothly.