Tag: Regency Vows series

REVIEW: To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters

REVIEW: To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Lady Emily fears her father’s debts will keep her single – or tie her to a terrible husband – no matter how pristine she has been able to keep her reputation. So when Lord Belfry suggests they marry, it seems like a great solution for Emily. He will take care of her father’s problems and rescue her from a dismal future. In turn, the theatre owner hopes Emily’s class and reputation will help him establish a more suitable clientele for his business.

Once Emily has a taste of freedom from her disapproving parents and from her hyper-vigilance over her own behavior, she’s not sure she wants to stay quiet any more. But Julian can’t see what Emily could bring to his business – or his life – other than their initial agreement.

Review

This is book 3 in the Regency Vows series after To Have and to Hoax and To Love and to Loathe. I LOVED this book. It was truly a perfect fit for me. It’s romantic and funny. There’s just enough conflict to move the story and characters along but not so much as to be painful or stressful to read.

I loved Emily and Julian – separately and together. The premise completely worked for me – a touch of fake relationship, but different enough to feel fresh. And the transformation of Emily over time felt believable as well as fun to watch.

Fans of this series should not miss this. But newcomers can start here, too. I still have not read book one (the premise doesn’t click for me). But while there are references to the earlier books, they are general enough that the reader knows there is history there, but not in such a way to leave the reader feeling like they are missing something important.

This is the sort of book I would read again – comfort reading at its best! Sweet, endearing, funny, sarcastic, and romantic. Check it out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BONUS REVIEW: To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters

BONUS REVIEW: To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Marquess of Willingham had always made her heart race a little. Even when she was newly debuted and on the hunt for a husband of means, the Marquess was a tempting distraction. But Diana knew the only way she’d have any sort of future would be by marrying well. While handsome and charming, Jeremy had a reputation as something of a womanizer. And he had no money.

As a second son, Jeremy had been happy with his life of leisure – and pleasure. But the death of his older brother left him holding the family responsibilities – and debts. On a whim, one night five years ago, he had teased at marriage with Diana, and she shut him down, hard. Those debts were a dealbreaker for a woman hoping to secure a good match.

But now Diana is a wealthy widow. And Jeremy is still single. The two can rile one another up like no other. In their squabbling, Diana bets Jeremy that he will be wed within a year – something he protests vehemently. But it gets him thinking that Diana could help him with a bit of a “problem.” His last mistress critiqued his skills in the bedroom, and he needs someone who will be brutally honest with him to give him some feedback. The arrangement will help Diana out, too. She doesn’t want to marry again, enjoying her freedom. But she would like some romantic company, and an affair with Jeremy would signal to the ton that she was interested in such relationships. What could go wrong with such a proposition where both parties should come out winners?

Review

This was fun! I had skipped the first book in this series because I didn’t care for the couple or the premise. It just wasn’t a good fit for me. But the sassy, snarky couple at the center of this story was a much better fit. Their story of finding love was delightful. And I could see the author setting up some possible sequels with other couples from the social circle, and I would definitely pick those up.

As tropes go, this is enemies-to-lovers in a way. But the sass of the characters always has a flirty undertone, so I don’t think they were ever really “enemies.” But they had some baggage to work through before they could see each other clearly. The bedroom skills story thread was thankfully not as awkward as I feared it might be. It really was a smaller bit of the story than the summary led me to expect. I enjoyed watching Jeremy find himself again through Diana’s encouragement. He needed someone to see him and speak truth to him that he would hear. It was supremely satisfying.

Historical romance fans, romcom fans, and fans of the first book, To Have and to Hoax, should be sure to check this one out. (Language, sex, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.