A Proper Charade A Novel

Esther Hatch — 2020

"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 free-spirited young woman is anything but proper. Patience's elder brother, a former military man, bemoans his sister's antics but when he accuses her of incurable frivolity, it is simply more than she can bear. 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 irresistibly charming son of the house isn't helping matters. Patience soon finds herself embroiled in a charade far more complicated than 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."-- Provided by publisher.

Reviews

Alicia Haws@aliciareadsit

Oct 5, 2021

5 STARS 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. Follow Me! Instagram | Alicia Reads It - Blog | Twitter