A Proper Charade

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 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.

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.

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!