Covenant Communications just published a similar story about a lady pretending to be a maid called His Lady in Hiding by Jen Geigle Johnson and having two similarly themed novels published in a short time was a poor move. I preferred this novel to Johnson’s, but the idea of a lady pretending to be a maid and then her employer having her pretend to be a lady? It was ridiculous and badly done. I could have gotten past it if it wasn’t for the ill-timed wrench the author attempted to throw in at the end to thwart the happy ending, but that was just excessive and also poorly done.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Proper Charade

A Proper Charade was a delightful Victorian Romance! Lady Patience Kendrick, daughter of a duke, has had a very easy life. Her brother Nicholas argues that having everything handed to her has made her a bit useless. Taking the challenge quite literally, Patience decides to secretly apply for a job as a maid in the household of General Woodsworth, under whom her brother served in the army. When she arrives, she talks her way into a job and discovers that the General is not at home, and instead his son Anthony is in charge. Patience convinces Anthony that she is indeed a maid, and not a high born lady. When their paths cross in a hilarious manner, they strike a bargain: in exchange for a glowing letter of recommendation proving she has become a successful maid, Patience agrees to act as a Lady to make Anthony’s love interest jealous. Anthony has been trying to gain Miss Morgan’s approval for two years, and drastic measures must be taken. Of course, hilarity and love ensues.

I loved the depth of character in this novel. Each main character had many layers, and while each grew by the end, they still remained true to who they were. Patience and Anthony’s banter reminded me a bit of Emma and Mr. Knightly by Austen. They each held their own and challenged the other. I enjoyed that their relationship grows and stays true through the various obstacles they face together. I so enjoyed this book! A light, fun historical romance!

This is the first book I’ve read from Esther Hatch and I absolutely loved it! Free-spirited Lady Patience Kendrick is born to a life of privilege but struggles to find her fit in society. When her older brother Nicholas claims she is frivolous, Patience sets out to prove him wrong. She finds herself in uncharted and complicated waters as her original “plan” begins to spiral out of her control. What starts off in Patience’s mind as a fun new adventure turns into so much more as she learns about the realities of hard work, growing up and falling in love. A thoroughly enjoyable read, I am looking forward to future books!

A big thank you to Covenant Communications for providing a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #AProperCharade #Goodreads

An entertaining way to spend the afternoon. Sometimes I need a calm, sweet story to escape into—nothing that takes much brain power or worry about my emotions getting hijacked—and this story was that for me.

It isn't often that a regency novel gives you a heroine who wants to get dirty! But that is just what Patience does! She has to prove to her brother and herself that she is worth more than music and stichery. I loved her spunk, her ability to share joy and her realization about herself.
This was a fun read and I am looking forward to more in this series.

A Proper Charade is a delightful read that caught my attention from the get go and I didn't want to stop reading it until I finished the last page. The front cover is beautiful and the storyline was intriguing and I marked it down as a must read for when it was published. I read it in one sitting and stayed up too late, (early) to finish it but it was worth it. I'm happy to say that the book exceeded my expectations and I think I loved it even more than the first book, A Proper Scandal.

Patience and Anthony 's story was so enjoyable to read and I loved their journey to not only finding each other, but finding things within themselves that they were searching for. I think everyone tries to live up to expectations in some ways- whether it be parents, society, etc. This is true in this story. Patience and Anthony, though, both from different backgrounds, had let the opinions and expectations of others dictate their actions, views of themselves and plans for the future. Together they learned how to embrace the new while keeping true to who they are, and realized that who they are wasn't really so bad. They gave each other the freedom to truly be the best version of themselves and found acceptance and love in the process.

The whole book is filled with lovely supporting characters, some returning from A Proper Scandal. It was nice to be introduced to new characters and hear a little bit about the old ones. Lord Bryant in particular was fun to read about again. For a "bad guy" you sure want good things from him and feel like what you see on the outside isn't what is real and want to figure him out. The situations that Patience found herself in was funny and I can only imagine how hard it must have been to be a maid and not know how to do any of the work. The charade within a charade was silly and fun and really gave the characters time to get to know one another in a way that probably wouldn't have happened in that time period. The ending was very satisfactory and gave a happy ending to not only the main characters, but several others. I highly recommend this book and it is one that I would like to read again.

I loved this book! The characters are so fun. Lady Patience had me laughing out loud with her antics. Anthony was the perfect counterpoint for her character. I won't spoil it for anyone but the fire starting scene was brilliant. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a sweet romance with humor.

I love Esther Hatch stories. They encompass real life experiences with love makes this such a small and loyalty. This one is no different and I loved every word written.

The gorgeous cover was the first thing I noticed about this book, and the intriguing story line sealed my interest. I love to read novels set in the Victorian era in England. It’s such an interesting cultural period full of elegance, rules, and sometimes eye-opening social customs and manners. A Proper Charade is a delightfully unique tale set during this fascinating slice of history and is full of colorful, well-drawn characters. Lady Patience Kendrick is an adventuresome, impetuous, somewhat quirky, but completely loveable heroine. Anthony Woodsworth is mostly serious, but charming and endearing when Patience gets involved with him. Together they make a delightful and memorable couple. Their witty banter and hilarious antics had me snickering and sometimes laughing out loud.

Esther Hatch is a favorite author of mine. Her stories are brimming with heart, wit, and charm and never fail to captivate me. Her previous novel A Proper Scandal was also delicious and fun. I’m anxiously awaiting more of her books. This is definitely one for the keeper shelf.

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

I loved this book! I loved the writing, the voice, the romance, and of course, the characters.

But here's what impressed me more than anything: I love that this book included a heroine who gets herself into awkward, funny and unique scenarios without it feeling unbelievable or like I'm reading a screwball comedy. In some other stories with funny situations comparable to the multiple "charades" Patience finds herself embroiled in, they play out in such an over-the-top and/or unbelievable way that I kind of find myself rolling my eyes or feeling like the author was trying too hard. haha! But in this book, with each hilarious scrape Patience, together with Anthony, found herself in throughout the story, I was always fully invested and along for the ride. And each comedic or awkward situation pushed the story forward rather than feeling like something forced. I loved how unique the plotline was, but yet how believable. I laughed and swooned and at one point, even teared up in a scene between Anthony and his father!

So yeah, I'm a huge fan of this book and I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for whatever Esther Hatch writes next.

What a fun read! I loved it. If you are looking for a clean, well written book that hooks you on the first page grab this book. It covers the whole range of emotions and will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. This book was an absolute joy to read. Thank you Covenant Communications via NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this wonderful book. All opinions expressed are my own.

"A Proper Charade" is a charming story of two decidedly different people finding their way to happiness. While Lady Patience Kendrick is flighty, impulsive and naive, she is also sweet and fun-loving. Anthony Woodsworth is a bit OCD with his stern demeanor and his unusual list-making compulsion.

The humor in this novel is delightful. Lady Patience is the most inept maid ever; an early scene featuring sealing wax is rather funny. Both she and Anthony grow as human beings. Their banter is amusing and witty.

The novel takes a more serious turn when Patience deals with her mother. It is quite touching; grief manifests itself many different ways. The characters are well-drawn, including the secondary players. Lord Bryant is fabulous here, and I hope he gets his own story. Nicholas, the Duke of Harrington deserves one too. Although Miss Morgan doesn't deserve an HEA, I'd still like to see more of her character.

This novel is well-edited and clean. Thanks to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for a copy of this enjoyable novel. 4+ stars

I was drawn to this book because of the stunning cover and the premise, which sounded like fun. A lady pretending to be maid pretending to be lady sounds like a lot of fun!

The story itself - while quite unrealistic - could have been good, but I didn't like the writing. The dialogue felt very weak, even in scenes where there was supposed to be confrontation. Patience's character felt naive and childish, Anthony lacked depth. The supposedly funny banter felt more awkward than funny. Being historical romance, I would have also liked more attention to detail and historical accuracy.

What I did like was the fact that this book was  more "clean" and innocent compared to most books in the genre. While I admit I enjoy steamy romance, I would gladly read more books where the focus isn't on physical/sexual attraction, but rather the relationship itself.

What a wonderfully fun story. Lady Patience Kendrick is anything but patient and some around her may find they need patience to deal with her. She tends to speak her mind, and doesn't always act like the lady she's been raised to be which gets her into some awkward, but funny situations. The family has been in mourning for two years following the death of her father. After another row with her brother Nicholas about her inappropriate behavior for a lady, and that she wouldn't have the opportunity to be "cured of any frivolousness" like he had when he joined the army, Patience comes up with a plan to do just that. She'll get a position as a maid in the home of General Woodsworth, the man Nicholas served under when he was in the army.

Besides loving the gorgeous cover, I loved reading about Patience's adventures while working in the Woodsworth household. Needless to say she wasn't a very good maid, but she was much better working with the children. When Patience agrees to Harry Woodsworth's plan it reminded me of the movie Victor/Victoria--Julie Andrews' character pretends to be a man, impersonating a woman.

Patience was much better suited to Anthony than the snooty Miss Morgan was. She didn't really want Anthony, and was stringing him along waiting for his father to receive a title. When that happened her true nature was revealed. Patience brings out the true Anthony who wasn't as boring as he first appeared to be, they make such a fun couple. I loved the part the book The Ugly Duckling plays in this story.

This is part of the The Proper series, but each book is a standalone. I received a complimentary copy from Covenant Communications and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

<b> JOYFUL, CHARACTER DRIVEN HISTORICAL ROMANCE</b>

This is one of those historical romance books were you just feel happy all the way through. You smile, you laugh and you look forward to the inevitable happy ending.

<blockquote><i><b>"You are quite bold for a misbehaving servant on her first day."
- Anthony</b></i></blockquote>

<b>👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍</b>

<u>Anthony</u>: I read a lot of historical fiction and usually it is of the more... erotic kind (don't judge, I have urges). This, however, is not of the steamy variety and that might be part of the explanation as to why I loved Anthony, our hero, so very much. Usually, in the 'adult content' historical fiction, the heroes are always rogues or rakes that are inexplicably ripped despite never working out. Anthony was so much more wholesome and I really loved it. He was serious about finding a wife, he was orderly and contemplative. He enjoyed lists and plans. He was totally different and totally crush worthy!

<blockquote><i><b>"I want you to pretend to be a lady."
- Anthony</b></i></blockquote>

<u>Patience</u>: Patience, our heroine, has such a delightful, sunny disposition she really brightened up this book. I also really enjoyed her tenacity and perseverance - especially in situations where people tell her, she can't do something. I felt like her sunniness and her spontaneity was the perfect fit for Anthony.

<u>The Ugly Duckling</u>: As a Dane, I love any Hans Christian Andersen reference - but I especially loved how his fairy tale <i>The Ugly Duckling</i> was incorporated into this story. I will not go into this much more because I want you discover this gem on your own, but I will say this: some things are overheard and misunderstood and hilarity/adorableness ensues.

<blockquote><i><b>"Lady Patience Kendrick seemed to think I was more like a duck"
- Anthony</b></i></blockquote>

<u>Premise</u>: While quite unrealistic, the premise of this book (Lady Patience pretends to be a servant who pretends to be a lady to help Anthony get engaged to someone else) was very fun and engaging. It is not often that I am able to enjoy an unrealistic premise/plot - this was one of those times.

This novel had a few cute moments, but ultimately I found it very difficult to suspend disbelief. The plot lacked the support it needed to feel plausible, even for a Regency romance. The character motivation seemed flimsy.
When Lady Patience is told by her brother that she's flighty and irresponsible, she decides that the best way to make him change his mind is to go work for a month as a maid in the household of his former commanding officer. The commanding officer isn't at home, but his son Anthony is. Anthony soon recruits Patience for a charade of his own--to pretend to be a fashionable lady he can court, in the hopes that it will move forward the courtship he's been working on for two years with another lady. Unfortunately, it's hard to believe as a reader that either of their charades were really necessary. Patience comes off as naive, and Anthony comes off as gullible.

‘A Proper Charade’ follows Lady Patience, a young lady with anything but patience. Upon hearing from her brother, a duke, that she has not known a hard life, she sets about to find employment. She decides to masquerade as a maid, for her brother’s hero, General Woodsworth. However, she finds that the general is absent, yet his son, Anthony is in residence. It soon becomes apparent that Patience is not that good at being a servant, but Anthony soon enlists her to help him win over a woman that he has pursued for two years. What follows is such an entertaining story, full of witty dialogue and a sweet romance.
Patience is so full of life, that it is hard not to enjoy her character and whilst Anthony, is a bit stilted, their time together was very entertaining. The secondary characters interspersed in the story, made for a great read.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

While there is a lot to love about Ms. Hatch's writing, her characters are easily my favorite thing. Patience was my favorite character so far, and no wonder. She is intelligent, surprising, funny, but also imperfect and vulnerable. And I loved Anthony's character as well - very different from a typical hero. I loved his quirks.

This book really had it all for me. A sweet story with depth, healing, growth, and plenty of humor. I loved the duck smiles. :D

This is not the first book that Lord Bryant surprised me in and I appreciated that.

The only thing I didn't like was a resolution at the end. It seemed pretty bold for Miss Morgan to feign ignorance. And it seemed like an announcement or a scandalous kiss in the middle of the ball would have settled a situation once and for all.

I'm only disappointed that this is a brand new release and I can't expect any new books from this author likely for a year. Can't wait!

This was a fun read. I think some might say the plot was improbable but I'd say not impossible. Perhaps terrible maids were kept on just for being charming in those days. Just go with it. Patience was rather adorable and I loved that she made such a difference in Anthony's household. She is one of those people who is likely to change people's lives in a positive way where ever she goes. I loved Anthony's lists and plans as well even if he is a little slow to figure out that his hopeful intended was dragging her feet and not just her parents. She was just a little too anxious to try out flirting with other men for the intention of her plan to be sincere.

As I was reading this book, it got far too late and I needed to get to bed. I was so disappointed to have to stop reading 3/4 of the way through. I just wanted to keep going. I realized that there had been nothing distracting in the book. I was fully into the story the whole time, just enjoying the read. And I hope everyone looks a little like a duck to their sweetheart.

No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

It's nice to find new (and clean) authors who can make me smile with their adorable little regencies.

Take for instance this book - you got a girl who is high in her status but wants to prove herself equal like that of her brother (who fought in the army). So she decides to disguise herself as a maid, go to the said general of army that her brother boasted about, and pretend to be a maid for one month. The point of this is to prove that she has worth, and that she can be someone. However, when she gets there she finds not the general but the general's son.

The general's son, meanwhile, has other issues. He has been courting a girl he has liked for two years and is wanting to propose. However, she wants to stall it a bit because she believes her parents won't approve. And, what better way than to get people talking and to push the parents to react than to see other people? His intended has her eye on a rake... while he decides to turn his new maid into a lady.

Of course, like a Shakespearian play, you get switched identities, instant crushes, secret confidantes, etc.

The reason that I rated this down a star is because I found at times the writing to be not very fluid? Mainly when it came to their inner-personal thoughts. I also found while simple, it could use a little more plumping in the story - more near reveals of her identity, more building of the relationship between the son and our lady in maid's clothing.

Still, it was a cute read. I do recommend if you're down for a cozy read.