No woman should have the power to make him feel like he did when she was near. It was too close to hope, and he had given up on hope a long time ago.
Synopsis
As the successful owner of multiple railroad lines, Diana Barton is all too accustomed to fending off suitors seeking to stake their claim on her wealth. In order to keep the wolves at bay, Diana has contrived the perfect plan: appeal to the most notorious rake in London, the Baron Lord Bryant, to ruin her reputation and scare off the worst of the time wasters. Tha ruse will be no hardship-she's secretly been fascinated by the man for years.
Lord Bryant is well aware of his questionable reputation. Indeed, he has cultivated the image carefully, and the last thing he wants is a wife. When he's approached by the younger sister of a business associate, he tells her in no uncertain terms that he cannot help. However, when he sees for himself what she is up against, Bryant grudgingly offers his assistance. Faced with his most complicated entaglement yet, Bryant is firm in his conditions-and Diana knows that to get romantically involved with Bryant would spell certain heartbreak. But as the counterfeit couple grows ever closer, the line between truth and lies becomes blurred, threatening both Lord Bryant's well-laid plans and the future of Diana's railroad business.
Thoughts & Feelings
A Proper Scoundrel is everything I could have wished for and more! I admittedly "cheated" and began reading the synopsis, on the back cover, before starting the novel. For those of you have been around for a bit you know that I usually go into books completely blind. I rarely read the synopsis because I feel like they give so much away. However, since I knew exactly who our "proper scoundrel" was I had a theory as to who his leading lady would be and needed to check. I was completely wrong but am so glad that I was! I was immediately intrigued and dying to know how this story would go since Diana's brother is not a fan (at all) of Lord Bryant.
My very favorite part of this novel was how much we got Lord Bryant's viewpoint. I love when novels give us the male perspective but it is usually a bit limited. Although I didn't keep track, I would guess that in A Proper Scoundrel we get Lord Bryant's viewpoint a little more than Diana's and I loved every single word. In the previous two novels we've gotten to know Bryant a little bit but I always got that sense that we were missing something. Something big! But there was really no denying how many women he flirted with and seemed to be courting. I LOVED that we got to see inside all of the scandals. I won't say anymore on that front because I refuse to spoil anything for you but I will say that you are going to die when you get all the details and everything clicks into place. Esther Hatch did a fantastic job slowly giving us information and letting us see into Bryant and how his past has shaped him. There are so many faces and facades to Bryant and I loved that we got to see them all and understand his reasoning for each.
I also loved our leading lady, Diana Barton. She is a force to be reckoned with and is not afraid to speak her mind. Throughout the novel I couldn't help but think that she would be close friends with Jennifer Moore's Blue Orchid Society Ladies and Anneka R Walker's Rebels. You will quickly fall in love with Diana, I promise. I loved the interactions between Diana and Bryant. And can I just quickly throw in that I love that Diana is the ONLY person, in all three novels, to call Lord Bryant by his first name?! I absolutely loved that small tidbit and how big of a difference it made in their fake relationship when Diana began calling him Everton. I don't even feel like I should call Lord Bryant by his first name in my review because it's a name solely for Diana. SO CUTE!
Anyways, you are going to love the banter between Diana and Bryant. I love how they balance each other out and at the same time push each other. There are so many moments that will make you swoon, giggle, and tear up. Esther Hatch has given us all the feels with this couple and I know that you will love them as much as I do.
Book Tags
Langauge
clean
Steam Level
kissing (it's so good!)
Content & Trigger Warnings
Drinking is mentioned several times but is never "seen" on page. Lord Bryant thinks back to how he used to heavily drink to help him forget, but the headache in the morning wasn't worth it.
Marital intimacy is also briefly mentioned, but never "seen" on page. Lord Bryant was previously married and he thinks back to this marriage and the connecting door between his room and his wife's room. No details are mentioned and these memories/mentionings are completely clean. I didn't feel uncomfortable or scandalized in any way.
Death of a spouse/family member.
Book Information
Title: A Proper Scoundrel
Series: Proper Scandals #3
Author: Esther Hatch
Proper Scandals Series
A Proper Scandal
A Proper Charade
A Proper Scoundrel
Purchasing Links
review posted on 09/05/2023
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