A Proper Facade by Esther Hatch

Mercy is in her Third Season and this slightly tricky. Her parents have never pushed her into an alliance but they seem on edge and though nothing brutal is said, they seem to be tired of her indecision and there is tension in the household.

Mercy has seen marriages working out on deep love like her parents and also her sister and she wants the same for herself. When the Duke of Harrington shows interest, she is disappointed at his clinical approach to marriage. He wants someone who will fit an image of a Duchess, he wants to get rid of his mother to a dowager house but he realises rather late he wants the passion of a strong relationship, but he either doesn’t know how or is curtailed by standards of the time to show his true feelings to Mercy.

The story goes on with a bit of blackmail from his former lover, the Lady Plympton who is determined to get him back,  a sister who elopes with an unknown composer, the fall from grace for Mercy’s family but the story ends neatly - love conquering all.

The characters were strongly portrayed, not at all insipid or missish and that was refreshing.

Sent by Covenant Communications for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.