A Proper Facade - Review

A Proper Facade (Proper Scandal, # 4)

By: Esther Hatch

Expected Publication: August 20, 2024 by Covenant Communications

248 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--Mercy Rothschild has always been granted an unusually long tether by her parents, who have never pushed her to marry until she’s ready. She assumes that when the right man comes along, she will marry for love. However, even her long-suffering parents have their limits. As she embarks on her third Season, they begin to pressure her to find a match. And the Duke of Harrington is the perfect candidate.

Nicholas Kendrick, Duke of Harrington, follows the rules of the ton meticulously. When he determines that Mercy is the ideal candidate for a wife, he marches dutifully toward her along the courtship path. Desperate to extricate herself from Harrington’s advances, Mercy concludes that there is only one course of action: she must push her intended into the arms of another woman. But when Mercy becomes acquainted with the man behind the proper facade, her plans come crashing down as she realizes that stiff and proper Harrington might be the very man she’s been waiting for. If only she hadn’t been so successful in her plot to thwart her chances with him.

I have been awaiting another Esther Hatch book for what feels like years. In truth back in September, I read a novella she released in 2023. So it hasn't been that long. But for this series, Proper Scandals, the last release was back in 2021. And I wasn't sure there would be any other books in the series. I never saw anywhere that stated how many books were expected. She did seem to indicate in her author's note that A Proper Facade would be the last book in this series.

Mercy has witnessed love. Her parents were a love match. Her elder sister had a love match even to the point of marrying slightly below her rank. And she has always expected to have a love match. Her parents always gave her the impression that she could take as long as she wanted to find her match. But for some reason, this season her parents have begun to push her towards marriage. She is resistant, to say the least.

Nicholas's family has a history of philandering. His grandfather and great-grandfather were known to be philanderers. But Nicholas's father worked extra hard to turn the family name around. Nicholas once disappointed his father before he died, and now he works extra hard to remain above reproach to make up for it. 

I kept wondering if I'd read Mercy's sister's story in a previous book. Mercy talked about her sister and her love match in a way that made me feel like I should remember reading about it. At first, I thought I was misremembering A Proper Scandal, but then I thought I might have been getting confused with Promised by Leah Garriott. But then I realized that Rosiland's story hasn't been written that I'm aware of. 

Mercy always imagined when her time came that the man of her dreams would sneak her into some hidden alcoves to steal a few kisses because he couldn't help himself. She imagined passion. She basically romanticized her expectations to the point of being a little unrealistic. Sure those things could have happened, but she could just as easily be taken advantage of. Nicholas once acted outside the bounds of society in the name of love, and he only ended up with shame and regret over the experience. He is determined to treat Mercy and her reputation with the utmost respect. And thus he can come off as unfeeling or uninterested in her as a person. These two had a little bit to work out.

A few years ago, I felt like I could not read a book with a romance without one partner sacrificing themselves to the point of hurting both parties in the name of saving or helping their loved one. I got so annoyed with this trend. Self-sacrificing is good when it isn't misguided or easily overcome with a simple conversation. I felt A Proper Facade heading down that path for a bit and worried this course of action would reduce my overall enjoyment of the book that I had been appreciating. Thankfully, I wasn't forced to endure this for too long. 

Favorite quotes:

-"There is no room for enjoyment in perfection."

-"Am I certain I love you? No, but I'm certain you are the only woman I'm going to love for the rest of my life."

That quote continues for quite a while, but I felt like the rest was spoilers so I decided not to include it.

-"I'll play your game today. And then, when you are ready, I hope you will join me in being serious."

A Proper Facade was a good ending to this series. Although, I'm sad to see it go and could easily find a few side characters that I wouldn't mind having a story about. A Proper Facade gets 4 Stars. Mercy and Nicholas didn't have a typical romance, and I liked that they didn't rush into the "I love yous". Have you read A Proper Facade? What did you think? Let me know!