A Proper Charade by Esther Hatch

A Proper Charade by Esther Hatch ISBN-13: 9781524412319 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Covenant Communications Released: May 1st 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lady Patience Kendrick was born to a life of privilege, and with the London Season looming, she finds herself facing unprecedented pressure to adhere to the rules of society. Unfortunately, the lighthearted young woman is anything but proper. Patience's elder brother, a former military man, accuses her of incurable frivolity. Determined to prove her brother wrong, Patience undertakes a drastic experiment: she will disguise herself as a maid and demonstrate her ability to work as hard as anyone.

Taken on as household staff by her brother's former general, Patience soon learns that willingness and ability are two very different things. While her plan sounded promising in theory, the reality is that she is out of her depth - and the son of the house only makes things worse when he asks her to pretend to be a lady. Patience soon finds herself embroiled in a charade far more complicated that she imagined. With both her pride and her heart at stake, she is determined to prove her brother wrong - even as her plans spiral delightfully out of control.


My Review:
A Proper Charade is a romance set in the mid-1800s in England. The historical setting was a loose backdrop for the action as it's improbable that the events in the story would ever have happened in reality. Still, it's a fun, sweet romance. Lady Patience isn't spoiled but she's never been required to do much for herself or others. Her very serious brother, now a Duke after the death of their father, wishes that she had a way to learn to appreciate how much the servants and others do for her. She doesn't want to be ungrateful or thought poorly of by her brother, so she's determined to become a servant in the house of the general that her brother served under. The son of the general notices her manners and asks her to pretend to be a lady that he's interested in to prompt the parents of the lady that he's courting to accept his suit.

The tone of the story is lightly humorous due to silly mistakes Patience makes while learning to be a servant and her generally lighthearted view of life. The hero is somewhat oblivious to social cues, which gets him in trouble when trying to win the lady of his choice and also means he doesn't question why Patience has the manners of a lady even though he notices them. He helps her to learn some of the servant jobs and also appreciates how she brings joy into his household. As they spend time together and come to appreciate each other, they become friends that help each other and build each other up. Due to the difference in their rank, their growing love is more one of yearning than lust.

The characters were likable, and I cared about what happened to them. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this to fans of sweet romances.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.