After reading another review that much better matched my own thoughts, I am scrapping my original review to write something more honest. I love this author's books, and so I tried to only focus on the good things in the book in my original review, but really there were many things that irked me and even made me put the book down. It's hard to give honest feedback when it isn't positive. I would much rather write a glowing review for this lovely author, but I have to be true to myself.
This book focused so much on Nicholas craving Mercy and how he needed to suppress his sexual desires so often. Because so much of the writing is dedicated to the character's inner thoughts in this book, it was hard to be Nicholas' head. Taking a scene here and there out of context, I have to admit there were some very lovely scenes and if I just squinted enough and gave the characters enough benefit of the doubt, then I could empathize and celebrate with them through their ups and downs.
Also, the kiss scenes yo-yoed for me between romantic and cringey. They were so drawn out and spelled out. I prefer it to be more understated so I can fill it the blanks the way I want the scene to look.
Where are the secondary characters? They are there, but the interactions and subplots all felt half-baked. I wanted side characters that helped me love the characters more and side plots that tested the characters mettle and forced them to fail or become stronger.
Still, I was entertained often, but I wasn't won over. I want a hero and heroine that win me over by the end and who bring out the best in one another.

Fourth in a series, Esther Hatch's "A Proper Façade" follows Nicholas, Duke of Harrington, brother of Patience from "A Proper Charade", as he methodically searches for a wife. He sets his sights on Lady Mercy Rothschild, his polar opposite.

Lady Mercy is shallow, naive, and lives for dancing. She is generally responsible for her own angst as she attempts to manipulate people and their actions for her own benefit. Perhaps this reads as "selfless" to some, yet her one true selfless act near the end is misconstrued. This is understandable, as these people don't truly communicate. While the Duke's motivations are based on his own history, he is nevertheless somewhat misguided.

I never really warmed to the heroine. Yes, she teaches Nicholas to relax, although his devotion is confusing, since she repeatedly pushes him away. In a surprising twist, her parents reveal themselves to be self-serving, under the guise of concern, of course.

Characters from the three previous books make appearances, and while I read them in order, the stories can stand alone. I usually love Esther Hatch's works. They are clean and well-written, with amusing situations and clever banter. Until this one, I've enjoyed them all. However, I'll continue to read this author's tales.

Thanks to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an ARC of this novel.

I loved the book. It had all the right ingredients: strong characters, laugh out loud humour, interesting dialogue and most importantly, swoon worthy romance. I gave it a full five stars because of the epilogue! I think it is one of the best epilogues I have read.
Readers who are aware of Esther’s writing style would know that the language used in her books is not 100% historically accurate. So, if you are a Regency expert, you might not like the language. But good solid writing appeals to me and the writer’s ability to make me smile and sometimes even give a loud chuckle makes me her fan!
I was given an ARC by NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Proper Facade by Ester Hatch, tells of Nicolas Kendrick, Duke of Harrington, who has returned home following his time serving in the army. You will soon see him attempt to fit back into English society!

"A Proper Facade" is a romance set around 1846 in England. When Nicholas was 17 years old, a woman who wanted to marry him for his title aroused his passions in an attempt to entrap him. His father sent him to the army to learn self-disciple. He's been extremely careful with his and other's reputations since then as he realized how damaging his actions could be.

Mercy's more interested in dancing than marriage. She told several people that she wanted to marry for love--like her parents and her sister--and that she believed that the evidence of love is (before marriage) enflamed passions. As in, she wants the guy to get her alone and intensely kiss her every chance he gets. Mercy's the daughter of an Earl. I find it unbelievable that no one told her "lust is not love. Any guy who can't keep his hands off of you cares more about what he wants than about you."

Mercy's convinced that Nicholas' restraint is lack of interest rather than a show of respect and that his comments about the things he likes about her are worthless. Even knowing how he felt about reputations, she set him up several times so he was alone with scheming women who wanted to entrap him into marriage. She finally got him alone and got physical with him to provoke passion, demanding a passionate kiss before she'd agree to marry him. Only after this did she realize that passion doesn't always mean love and that she'd undervalued Nicholas.

Frankly, I don't understand why Nicholas wanted an unpredictable wife, which is what attracted him to Mercy in addition to her connections and her freckles. Especially when that unpredictable nature was turned against him rather than used to support him or build his confidence. I felt like they really needed some time to rebuild trust, so the ending felt rushed to me. There was no sex. The kissing was on the face, and the touching stayed in the face to (his) chest area. There was no bad language.

Everything I love in a Regency Romance. Even though I read all levels of spice for romance, when an author of a proper romance get it right - you still feel that love between the characters.

Esther Hatch is always a must-read for me. Highly recommend A Proper Facade!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

A wonderful romantic historical novel, I found the book to be delightful! Nicholas and Mercy are the perfect pair, they just don't know it yet. It's a bumpy ride but worth the journey with these two lovebirds. Clean and romantic!!

I should start by saying Esther Hatch is one of my favorite authors in this genre, so it pains me to rate it so low. This comes on the heels of having just read the extended version/rewrite of There Goes The Groom. I noticed some similar things.

SPOILERS

The whole premise of the book is that Nicholas is a very physical, passionate man who made a devastating mistake at 17, so now he keeps those passions firmly bridled. Lady Mercy is chosen as his bride for practical reasons (which were quite flimsy). She wants a love match - strike that - a passion match, because everyone around her has had them, and successful ones at that. She doesn't believe Nicholas is capable of passion, at least toward her, so she is determined to break him or foist him off on someone else. That's it. The entire book. There is a -very- little bit thrown in about the starving Irish, which is supposed to testify that these characters have substance and morals and will fight for a cause. But really, it's only about passion.

Because Nicholas and Mercy spend the entire book pushing each other away, there was very little conversation or charm, very few opportunities for humor or connection. So I did not connect with them with either.

I found Nicholas' obsession with Mercy's skin and freckles weird and his constant struggle with general lust painful to read. Mercy was not any better. She's naive, shallow, and reckless, taking strangers into her confidence and setting up compromising situations for OTHER PEOPLE nonstop, instead of just facing her problems with intelligence and grace. She does eventually realize she was foolish (about 75% of the way through the book), but it is too little, too late, in my opinion. And then, she pushes him away -because- she loves him. -_-

I did appreciate that Nicholas had learned propriety, respect and integrity the hard way. But Mercy was determined to break him of all that when it came to her, as if that proved something. Terribly disappointing and an awful message to send. It felt very similar to the situation in There Goes The Groom. I don't like this theme the author appears stuck on, of finding rare men who are strong in their convictions and destroying it in the name of "love" and passion.

So on the whole, I found this story and characters lacking in substance. Would make a lethal drinking game ("passion"). I couldn't recommend this book, but I am not ready to give up on this author yet. I will eagerly await her next novel, hoping for a return to the humor and wit that made her stories so great.

I adored this book (which is no surprise)! This whole series is amazing. I recommend it to everyone I know- A Proper Charade is my favorite but they are all great.
I loved the characters especially Nicholas. This book had romance and humor which I love. Once I started reading I had a hard time putting it down.
It is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. You will however miss some connections plus…. You will love the other books- so I recommend reading them in order.

I loved this book by Esther Hatch. It was a beautiful love story that was well written. I would definitely put this on my “to be read again “shelf.

A Proper Facade is book four in the Proper Scandals series by Esther Hatch. Although I was able to read this book without reading the previous books in the series, I believe readers would have a richer experience reading the books in order.

Set in 1800s England, this book follows the courtship of Lady Mercy and Nicholas, Duke of Harrington. Through a series of miscommunications (or lack or communication/misinformation), Lady Mercy believes Nicholas would rather be courting someone else. She proceeds to try to help set him up with a good match, and while doing so, falls in love with him herself. With a few twists and turns, the couple finally finds their happy ever after together.

I've enjoyed several of Esther Hatch's other books, but I didn't connect with this plot or these characters. I wanted more interaction between Mercy and Nicholas. A large portion of the book was the character's inner dialogue somewhat magically coming to conclusions. I think more showing and less telling would have helped me connect to this book better. I did enjoy the side characters and I am interested to read the rest of the series.

Content: Clean. Kisses only, no violence or swear words. Mention of past indiscretions in vague terms.

Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for the opportunity to review this ARC. My review was honest and was in no way influenced by the publisher.

I’ve honestly been struggling with writing this review. Esther Hatch is an auto-buy and basically an auto-love author for me. Every single one of her stories has heart, humor, and the swooniest romance. Knowing we finally were going to get Nicholas’s story was huge for me, I’ve been waiting for it since the moment I met him. And while this book was good, I can’t say it was my favorite of this series. I guess the best way to describe this book, which is purely subjective, and MY opinion (which will vary from everyone else’s), would be to compare it to a roller coaster.
This book was full of ups and downs. Moments of indifference and moments of overwhelming feeling and emotion (both from me and the characters). Chapters and pages where I couldn’t read fast enough and chapters and pages I struggled to get through. Interactions that had me sighing happily and interactions that had me so frustrated I had to put the book down. Sometimes I felt like there was too much going on, and other times I wish there was more interactions between the MCs. Basically I felt either completely in love with the story or I felt slightly disconnected.
Nicholas and Mercy both had valid reasons for the person they have become and how they act and move forward in life. Their pasts and family members helped shape them into the people they are in this story. Sometimes these personality traits helped move things along, and other times it held things up.
I will say the “high” moments between these two had me squealing like a little school girl. The moment when Nicholas finally drops his walls was full of delicious tension and combustible chemistry. These two had an undeniable pull towards each other, so to see them give in to that was so enjoyable. I also really appreciate how Nicholas and Mercy were able to adjust their opinions and were capable of trying to see the world how the other does.
And while I wouldn’t say this is a negative review, it’s not an “I’m so in love with this book you HAVE to read it” review. And this kinda breaks my heart. I have chosen to only focus on positivity when writing reviews, so when I’m not completely enamored with a book it becomes so hard for me to know what to write and share.
Overall I did like this story. Esther Hatch is pretty much the queen of writing that swoony tension that builds to the sweetest moments between the hero and heroine. This series is incredible and I do highly recommend any lover of historical romance to check it out.






I received an ARC from NetGalley, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

#ProperScandals #NetGalley

I've loved this series, although they could each be read as a stand-alone. Lady Mercy enjoys dancing and has plenty of gentlemen who ask her to dance. When her parents tell her it is time she make a choice on whom she will marry, Lady Mercy has had two role models, of a love filled marriage, her parents and her sister's, and she will settle for nothing less. The Duke of Harrington shows an interest in Lady Mercy but comes across as someone who keeps her at a distance. Lady Mercy decides to put him to the test.

This is a sweet regency romance, characteristic of Esther Hatch's storytelling. Mercy has never been directly encouraged by her parents to marry, so she's enjoyed searching for someone she can fall in love with. But this season something is different and pressure to wed mounts. Meanwhile the Duke of Hampton decides it is time to marry, to gain influence in parliament and society, and as he logically narrows down the list of candidates, Mercy is the one he chooses to pursue. As much as she tries to thwart his interest and place him in the path of other interested women, he remains steadfast in his pursuit, finding more than logical reasons to be with her and she discovers love can blossom in many ways.

If you enjoy her previous books, or other regency titles, you'll want to add this to your list!

*A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and for the opportunity to post an honest review.

Esther Hatch does it again. I picked up one of her books after hearing an interview on the Hallmarkies podcast years ago, and I have been an auto-buy for her books ever since. A Proper Facade might just be her best yet - stirring, sweeping, swoony, and sincere, it is everything an Esther Hatch book should be turned up to eleven. Also - her covers are always the most beautiful! Highly recommend this one!

Mercy loves her freedom and is in now way close to making a decision on marriage, although she well on her way to becoming a spinster. Her parents have always encouraged her to find a love match. She believes she will simply know who the correct gentleman is for her when that time comes. However, this season, something is different. Her parents are now strongly encouraging her to make a match and the Duke of Harrington is the perfect candidate in her parents eyes. However, Mercy feels no attachment to him and attempts to pawn him of on other young ladies, that is, until she realizes that he really is her match.

Nicholas, the Duke of Harrington, is a rule follower. After having disappointed his late father, he is determined to be a proper gentleman. And part of that is to finally marry. After meeting Lady Mercy, he finds his match, but now he has to convince himself (and her) that he is worthy.

I LOVED this story! The characters connection and passion were outstanding.

I have been waiting for Nicholas’s story and I was not disappointed!

I recommend this series to everyone! Esther Hatch tells such beautiful stories and I adore her characters! She is my favorite!

Nicholas is as straight laced as it gets and following all the rules when it comes to finding his future wife. Will he be able to let his guard down and find a match?

Mercy wants the kind of love she has seen her sister and parents have. She is looking for nothing less than a passion filled match. Can she look past Nicholas’s facade and see his true self?

Follow Nicholas and Mercy as they learn to sacrifice and be loved!

4.5 stars
If you are familiar with Pride and Prejudice, you know that Darcy believes he is showing his attraction to Elizabeth and she misinterprets everything thinking he is showing disdain. This is pretty much what is happening in A Proper Facade. These two characters seem terribly mismatched but mostly it is because, though he is honest in communicating situations with Mercy, he does not communicate his feelings at all. He is stuffy, overly proper and unwilling to show emotion. (Darcy, anyone?) Mercy on the other hand is all about emotion, and passion and is pretty young. I don't remember how old she is but she seemed on the immature side and she is not good at reading people. Then throw in more misunderstandings leading to unfortunate situations. Though Mercy seemed young she was also charming and fun in her enjoyment of life. Though their courtship left something to be desired, once Nicholas opened up the floodgates on his feelings he was pretty swoony and it became apparent that the couple would actually be well matched. Their swoony moments are seriously swoony and they are also playful which is always fun in a couple. I thoroughly enjoyed the epilogue which proved that point. Shockingly.
This whole series has been fun. I always enjoy Esther Hatch books.

Potential trigger: unfaithful spouse
No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary ARC through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

I enjoy Esther’s book and love her writing style. I was excited to read this story as I’ve enjoyed the previous ones in this series. It was fun to see characters from other books prominently as I read.
I have to admit though that this one fell a little flat for me. I didn’t dislike it, but I don’t think I will ever pick it up to read again. There was very little romance until almost the end of the story. One character was entitled and the other very stiff and proper to a fault. There was no emotional connection to either main character and I ended up being frustrated with the entitled character and bored with the stiff proper character. It needed a lot more romantic tension and some spazz to keep the plot moving.
If you like this series though I would recommend you read this one. It’s fun to revisit older characters. I’ll still be picking up Esther’s future books. Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communication for an ARC copy. All thoughts are my own.

I have not read the other books in the series, but had no problems reading it as a stand alone. However, it did make me want to know the rest of the story of other characters I knew must have their own book. At first I was so frustrated with Mercy for not giving the Duke a chance and her scheming to get out of the courtship without disappointing her parents that it took me a while to get into the book. Once I did, I stayed up until 3 am to finish which I haven't done for a long time. Mercy kept seeing glimpses of the true feelings of Nicholas instead of his staid and proper facade that would give her a glimmer of hope. In spite of that, she was too quick to judge him and threw herself into her ridiculous plan to throw him into the arms of other women. When she finally makes him understand what she needs, the chemistry sizzles on the page as much as possible for a clean romance. But once again, she sabotages their match, but for entirely different reasons. Thank heavens Nicholas was able to get past it and resolve the mess she made ending in their own HEA. I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley and Covenant Communications but was not required to give a positive review.