Esther Hatch sure knows how to write hooking, page-turning books. #AProperCharade was no exception. It had me following Patience's story through her first charade in order to prove her brother wrong, but also, kinda unexpectedly for me, since I had forgotten the blurb, through her second charade as part of her deal with Mr. Woodsworth. I loved Anthony as the hero of this story, and how perfectly they both balanced each other. Her, softening his sharp edges and serious attitude, and him, accepting her as she was, and in the process, accepting himself as well as opening up to the possibility of true love.

Things get kinda tricky there since, just like all of London, we were led to believe Mr. Woodsworth was going to end up engaged to Miss Morgan, but this only adds to the enjoyment of the story. Of course, the thickening of the plot also comes with past, intriguing characters such as Lord Bryant, and once again, I loved his role in this book.

The romance between Lady Patience and Anthony was perfectly swoony (their first kiss is definitely worth the wait), the plot was engaging, the descriptions and research were the right amounts to bring this story to life, and the pace kept things moving at an enjoyable rate till reaching its perfect HEA. So, overall, I'd definitely recommend this sequel in the Proper Scandals series to fans of the author, this series, and/or the Sweet Regency Romance genre. I'm looking forward to starting the next one in the series. ~ 5 stars

A Proper Charade by Esther Hatch is an enjoyable light read with genuine characters you can’t help but like! I really like the whole Lady who is playing the maid and falling for the hero scenario! Such fun! Esther Hatch writes great characters! Don’t miss this one!

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

I did not finish - I have tried reading this book on multiple occasions and just could not get into it.

A Proper Charade is the second book in the Proper Scandals series but works well as a stand-alone. Set in Victorian Era England, this story of Lady Patience Kendrick who pretends to be a maid who then pretends to be a lady is delightful and entertaining. The witty dialogue and humorous situations make for a fun read. The characters are engaging and memorable. Ms. Hatch’s style is expressive and fluid. This is the first of her books I have read, but it won’t be the last. This book will make you smile (maybe even like a “duck”)! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via netgalley but am under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! It was everything I needed in a historical romance.

Patience is a free-spirited Lady, and while born into privilege, she does not wish to uphold the societal rules that come along with an upcoming season in London. Her brother wishes her to attend, but when she voices her wishes he accuses her of being frivolous, and in doing so, Patience sets herself on a path to prove him wrong.

Agreeing to, and telling her brother that she will go to London for the season, Patience secretly makes plans of her own and finds work as a maid in the general's house. Pretending to not be a Lady is quite difficult and a major adjustment for Patience, one that she did not anticipate.

Especially once she meets the General's son, Mr. Anthony Woodsworth who is running the household. He makes it known that she has no idea what she is doing, but he goes along with the charade anyways. As she gets deeper into her charade, and her feelings for Anthony become stronger, she must decide how long the charade can last.

I absolutely loved Patience and Anthony! They had the best chemistry, and I loved reading how their story unfolded. This is one of my favorite reads this year, and I have found a new favorite author in Esther Hatch. Her stories are so well-written, and you absolutely fall for the characters.

I highly recommend this one if you love a good Historical Romance, and especially if you are a Regency fan. I am highly looking forward to the next book from Esther Hatch.

This book was just plain fun! Hatch writes with a playful tone making the interactions between the main characters a delight to read.

A Proper Charade is a fabulous read by Esther Hatch. I adored this story and am giving it five plus stars.

A Proper Charade was so good guys!! I loved it. I have to say when I saw the word Christian in the tags, I was a little unsure and worried because the only other 'christian' romance I've ever tried before I didn't end up liking and I have to say other than not having any smut, this book didn't feel religious or anything so don't be scared like I was lol.

Anyway, A Proper Charade follows Lady Patience as she pretends to be a maid to prove that she can learn to be useful just like her brother was when he went into the army for two years. Now that he's the Lord after their father's death, things aren't the same as they try to figure out their roles. Patience knew nothing of being a servant but she learned slowly and surely. However, when the son of her brother's General asks her to pretend to be a Lady and go with him at a ball, she's thrown back into her own world while still disguising herself.

Yes, the plot is unbelievable but honestly, I didn't care one bit. It was so sweet and I loved the romance and seeing them together as they develop feelings for each other. Overall, this book made me happy. Pure and simple. It put a smile on my face and I had a great time listening to the audio (which I recommend, by the way).


(Thank you for letting me read and review an arc via Netgalley)

Sigh worthy! And simply wonderful. Loved it. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

I love finding new authors that captivate me and delight me! Esther Hatch has done just that in A Proper Charade, a clean historical fiction set in regency London. The premise of the tale was captivating, and the execution was sweetly delivered. The characters provide an opportunity to escape into a romantic charade, and even though predictable, captivating and enjoyable. Patience is such a fun leading lady that I found myself chuckling out loud and not able to put the book down. I highly recommend this clean, historical fiction book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

This is not your typical historical romance and you will have to suspend some of your belief with the plot but it worked for me! The main characters are great. I enjoyed how their relationship and romance unfolded.

This was the first book I've read from this author and I enjoyed it very much. It was very well written and the characters were well thought out.

Esther Hatch was a favorite new author for me in 2019. I read both Roses of Feldstone and A Proper Scandal. Both books were such pleasant surprises for me and Esther Hatch became an author added to my stalk list. When I saw A Proper Charade was coming to publication, I began stalking Netgalley and Edelweiss hoping I wouldn't miss it. *And as far as I know, there was never a review galley for A Proper Charade so I used part of my Mother's Day gift card to buy it. (*They did eventually list it on NetGalley, AFTER publication.)

I will say that I know before reading every book that the characters are going to encounter conflict, but there's something to me about conflict being too obvious or unavoidable that makes me dread books sometimes. So I was a little on the fence about the description of A Proper Charade. The drama between Patience and Anthony is inevitable because he will have to eventually learn that she is not who she claims to be. And from watching multiple seasons of Catfish, I don't believe I ever saw an episode where one party lied about their identity, and the other party decided to move forward with the relationship. Ultimately, every time they would decide the lies were too much.

Well, I'll have more faith in Esther Hatch next time. She worked each piece of the story out in a way that I felt completely okay with. Certainly, there were times when I felt Patience's charade was too easy to figure out and thus doomed. But Esther Hatch wrote just the right amount of discovery and subterfuge.

A Proper Charade gets 4 Stars. I enjoyed each step of the journey between Patience and Anthony. The side characters were each supporting without taking over too much from the main couple. I'm looking forward to Esther Hatch's next book and will begin stalking immediately. Have you read A Proper Charade? What did you think? Let me know!

I enjoyed this book. Patience and Anthony are a great couple. I love how she teases him. I think I had a smile on my face over half the time while reading this book. I highly recommend it.

This was reminsent to me of one of Julie Klassen's books, as it follows the nobility as servant storyline.

I found some of the story hard to believe and the way the author described the hero at times was much less than flattering. However, I did like him. I thought the author also addressed some of the class differences and how breaching the two classes in romance would be difficult. Even breaching the difference in station between nobility would be difficult.

Overall, this is a light read, perfect for reading to relax.

I found this book to be ok. It was well written, but I was not bowled over by the main characters. The storyline had promise. I felt there was opportunity, that wasn't harnessed, to create a more in-depth story and characters.
Being a Regency fan this in no way will prevent me from reading future stories from Ms. Hatch.
Thank you Esther Hatch, Covenant Communications and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

This chaste book is dragged down by a lackluster heroine, an unbelievable plot, and weak dialogue.
Patience is supposed to be a free-spirited, honest heroine but her maturity level is that of a young teenager rather than a woman soon to be presented to society. She impulsively decides to prove to her brother that she isn’t frivolous by working as a maid for a famous general. She has no skills as a maid; her mistakes are continuously covered by men who overvalue her bright personality.
The general’s son is the highlight of the book and written in a more believable characterization, if possibly on the spectrum. He implausibly asks the new maid to pretend to be a romantic partner as part of a scheme concocted by a female friend.
While the book was weak overall, some aspects did show that the author has promise. I would read a book by this author again in a few years.

I found this book a bit of a chore to read. The cover is beautiful, and I kind of liked the first book in the series, but this one was so implausible and clunkily written, it felt like a very long read.

Antony was so repressed and lacked any dynamism or agency, Patience was not fully rounded as a character, although she was the most engaging in the book. The relationships between the MC’s and both of their families felt stilted and unrealistic, and the dialogue just didn’t ring true to me. I really struggled to finish it.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

A Proper Charade by Esther Hatch, 224 pages. Covenant Communications, 2020. $15.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
While a lady by birth, 20-year-old Patience is determined to show her brother that she is more than a lady of leisure. So, of course, the only practical course of action is to pretend to be a maid and serve for a month in another household without the knowledge of her mother and brother. Then Patience will know what the real world is like.
Patience’s story is probably the most enjoyable book I’ve read all year. Yes, I knew from the start how it would end, but I appreciate reading a cheesy romance where the two main characters don’t have to hate each other at the beginning before they fall in love. While I waited for the moment Patience’s plan would inevitably fall apart, the scene was not as painful and exaggerated as is often the case in books like this. I liked that Patience and her love interest had to change, but the changes were not radical nor impossible in the time frame.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

t has been a while since I read a ‘regency romance’ which had only romance and no mystery or additional plotline. I read quite a few in college and then reached a saturation point. It has been a decade since then, but I never binged like that again. I have seen quite a few available but never really got around to requesting it. This, somehow, luckily slipped through the cracks.

We meet our Un-ladylike Lady Patience. She is tired of her brother insisting that she has it easy. To prove her stamina, she decides to impersonate a maid in the household of the man who her brother served under. Once she gets her foot in the door, she finds herself involved in more plots than just hers. There is nothing surprising about the way the story unfolds, but the characters are truly lovable. The romance felt natural and expected and I shed a few tears for them as well. The sibling relationships as well as the (initially) flaky mother are all shown in a very genuine light. There are misunderstandings, secrets as well as more impersonations. Quite a few of the scenes made me chuckle out loud. Overall, I had fun reading this book! I do not want to describe our leading duo in more detail because the gradual increments with which we get to know them was more than half the pleasure.