I received a copy via Netgalley. Thanks to Atria Books for an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. James and Viola married young and for love - something rare in the ton. The year of bliss came to an abrupt end following a heated quarrel. The next four years are filled with icy silences and no forgiveness on either side.

When Viola receives a note saying James has been tossed off a horse and is unconscious, she rushes to his side -- only to meet him, hale and hearty. Angry words are said, and Viola determines she must make James realize how she felt. This Viola embarks upon her illness. The pranks continue to escalate throughout the book. There was so many amusing conversations within this book. I laughed several times, not just at James and Viola, but their friends.

So why not 5 stars? I felt like the writing was a bit off - there was too much telling and not enough showing. A few of the people appearing in the story felt more like caricature rather than characters.

All in all I really enjoyed the book. I absolutely adore books with witty conversations, and this book had that. I look forward to reading more books by Martha Waters.

Welcome, welcome, right this way! Step right up to witness endless, inane bickering between adult characters with the emotional maturity of middle schoolers.

Violet and James Auden were happily married until they weren’t. After an argument about a year into their marriage (that goes unexplained until about halfway through the book), they barely speak to one another for the next four years.

That’s where our story truly begins, and what follows is an endless game of emotional chess between the spouses. Except that they both play chess like the proverbial kid who eats the pieces.

Violet and her friends cook up schemes to inflict upon James, all designed to somehow simultaneously piss him off and win him back. The ladies fancy themselves “outspoken,” “progressive,” and all sorts of other buzzwords that should indicate a desire to break with convention. Unfortunately, they mostly come off as desperate and juvenile.

We’re supposed to believe that these women are admirably unconventional and ahead of their time because they speak their minds and claim they don’t want men dictating their lives. Yet in all that speaking of the minds, the only thing they ever talk about is men.

While I admire Violet’s desire not to be cowed by convention that would suggest her presence in the world should be largely ornamental, most of her boldness takes the form of childish, foot-stomping tantrums, shrill declarations of revenge, and attempts at manipulation. Violet claims she doesn’t want to be ruled by a man, but men are the only things she ever seems focus her attention on.

It’s a cute attempt at protofeminism, but the result is exactly the opposite of that. The heroine fancies herself empowered and as defying convention, but really she’s just louder about her conventional thinking. She thinks herself a rogue of the status quo, but she’s simply immature and undisciplined.

Though he too has plenty of flaws and also lacks emotional maturity, her husband is in many ways better at conveying an attitude of progressiveness than his wife. And while he can be thoughtless and clearly has a paralyzing fear of honest communication, in the end he’s really a pretty alright dude.

Which is great and all, except that Violet was supposed to be the hero of this story. James is an emotional toddler almost as much as she is, but at least he mostly maintains a sense of decency.

And yet, the really tough part of this book to swallow is how careless Violet and James are about how their petty desire to constantly one-up each other consistently disregards the feelings of other people. Sophie and West (who are, not coincidentally, the only truly decent people in the book) get the worst of it, but it comes back on the other friends of the couple as well, all of whom are (whatever their flaws may be) far better humans than the characters in the central relationship. Certainly, they don’t mean to hurt others, but their selfishness (especially Violet’s) has that result just the same.

This is not to say that the reader will hate Violet. I didn’t. But I did find her obnoxious more often than not, and her behavior is cringeworthy most of the time. Did she capital “L” Learn A Lesson? Of course she did, because narrative structure dictates she must. But in the end, it isn’t enough.

This wasn’t a bad idea for a book, but the intent and the product are a complete mismatch. At the very least it should have passed muster as a light, cute romance, but the tone is too grating and the characters too emotionally stunted for that to play satisfactorily either.

I received an ARC of this for review.

Violet was lucky enough to marry her husband James for love, but four years later they still haven't made up after their biggest quarrel. When Violet finds out James was thrown from a horse and never gave a thought to how'd she feel, a new duel begins between them as they both aim to get their revenge and teach the other a lesson all while getting friends tangled up in their schemes. And yet their outrageous scheming might be enough to bring them back together again.

This is a fun historical rom-com that doesn't take itself too seriously. The story takes the idea of scheming instead of talking about a problem to the extreme in a comedic way. The banter between Violet and James keeps the story lighthearted and made me eager to see them reunite. The inability to just talk is a pet peeve of mine in the genre, so I enjoyed seeing this riff on it.

I wanted to love this book and I did most of it. I liked Violet and James individually and all the side characters, so there was a great deal to like overall. However, the fight that lasted four years due to no communication and everyone believing the worst about their spouse on no less than an overheard conversation? Such a great idea and while some of the stunts were funny, it was brought down by incessant ridiculous fighting that lasted way too long. The ending did make it worth sticking it out. I hope the author keeps writing and while some fighting or misunderstanding is necessary and enjoyable, please don't go overboard and you'll have lovely books. 4.5 stars for characters and set-up, 2 stars for constant fighting. Averaged out to 3 stars.

This book was an absolute blast to read! The characters were vibrant and complicated and frustrating. Our main pair James and Violet were once a love match, but after a falling out four years ago they barely keep up an outward appearance of marital felicity. James and Violet could be frustrating for some readers (and their friends) as they refuse to discuss what caused their big fight. The tricks that they played on each other were so funny. I found myself laughing at their antics. Their banter was exceptional. The side characters were also great. Diana and Emily were a lot of fun and it was interesting to see the way that they interact with each other and with James' friends, Jeremy (who is also Diana's brother) and Penvale (who's first name I can't remember). They each had their own, strong personalities. I really hope that they get their own stories in the future!

Not only were the characters super well-written, the plot was fast-paced and dynamic. There was family drama and romantic drama and friend drama. It was truly so much fun to read. I would highly recommend this book!

*Received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

“To Have and To Hoax” by Martha Waters is a period romance starring a couple who fall madly in love but four years later are dancing in a circle of pettiness after an unknown fight weakens their bond.

Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley meet at a ball and soon marry. But four years into the marriage, they’re practically separated due to a massive argument neither wants to rehash the details of. When James falls off his horse at his stables and suffers a head injury, Violet travels to see him after receiving the message of his dire condition. The message sent by one of James’ friends seems to be premature as James quickly recovers with Violet angry about the worry the situation causes. She rushes back to their home while James arrives home later. To get back at James, Violet concocts a plan where she pretends to be ill with consumption, a vague enough disorder to cause the same amount of worry. James becomes worried, but the worry slips away once he realizes the doctor who diagnoses Violet is a famous actor. Now James knows Violet’s charade as Violet tries to keep up with charade. They end up trying to outdo each other to the point where they figure out what really debilitated their marriage.

This novel is a funny 1800s British aristocrat romance where Violet and James are constantly sparring without acknowledging the deeper reason why they feel they have to keep fighting to keep each other’s attention. In the meantime, they plot their next comeback with their friends, who have become involved in the tangled web of their tumultuous yet comedic relationship.

Overall, it’s an entertaining read with good back-and-forth between the main characters.

I had a little bit of a hard time with this book, though there were certainly parts I enjoyed!

My biggest issue was the amount of text / description between dialogue. It slowed down the pacing for me. Every bit of dialogue was surrounded by loads of description about the character's expressions, mannerisms, thoughts, etc which just made this exhausting to read. All of that honestly could have been cut in half.

I also had an issue with the faking illness factor - as someone who's chronically ill myself. It's just not something I love to see, because fighting sickness on a daily basis is a reality for many people.

That said, I enjoyed the banter and hate to love aspects. One of my favorite tropes is second chance marriages where they never really got to experience marriage life to begin with (or in this case, not very long). There were certainly several amusing parts!

I may wait to add this to Goodreads as I don't like to leave negative feedback publicly at this time, but I do appreciate the chance to read and I wish the author well!

I absolutely adored this read. This was so refreshing. It was witty and quite humourous. It's a very captivating read. Definitely worth the purchase.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

What a delightful book! I'm a big fan of historical romance and this novel was a wonderful bit of escapism - exactly what I was looking for. The romance, comedy of errors plot-style and charming cast of characters made this a very enjoyable read. The main characters, James and Violet, had great chemistry, the supporting characters were funny and well-rounded (I hope to read future books about some of them!), and the pacing kept me engaged throughout the story.

Highly recommend!

While both fun and funny, To Have and to Hoax is certainly worth your time! Travel back to Regency England as you encounter Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley, who once were very much in love. They had an epic fight, fell out essentially, and have barely spoken to each other in a number of years. When unexpected circumstances arise and Lady Violet goes to aide Lord James, only to find with great confusion that circumstances were not as she anticipated, this book takes off and takes you on a wild ride filled with moments of considering who can out-ruse the other and "play the game" best. The spark and charm accompanied with the wit of this storytelling is not only entertaining but will have you laughing out loud! What a fresh, refreshing love story this is! I highly recommend!!

In the span of five years, Lord James and Lady Violet met, fell in love at first sight and got married. And then four years ago these two love birds had a fight to end all fights and now they can barely speak to each other or to be in the same room with one another. In such a short time, their very passionate love turned into a cold, polite union.

Then, Lady Violet receives a letter from one of James' friends saying that he has been thrown from his horse and that his condition is very serious. Violet rushes to her husband only to see him standing upright, alive and hanging out with his friends. She's beside herself with anger and outrage and James has no idea what is going on.

Lady Violet decides to devise her own plan to get back at her husband and pretends that she's come down with an illness. She even convinces an actor to pretend to be a doctor to make her story more believable. But Lord James senses that something is afoot and ends up finding out that his wife is indeed fine and well. He can't understand why she would do such a thing.

He came into their marriage thinking that he was unworthy of her but he doesn't realize that Violet has been head over heels in love with him from the moment she laid eyes on him. And through this whole ordeal, she's been trying to get him to love and notice her back because she misses him and as you read, you will see that he is still very much in love with his wife. They've been estranged for so long that they can't figure out how to get back to each other.

I really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend to anyone who loves a good romance.

Lady Violet Grey is forever being warned by her control minded mother to not “ruin” herself. So, when Violet finds herself caught alone on the balcony with Lord James Audley, there is only one recourse…marriage.

Skip ahead 5 years, and this once in love young couple find themselves barely speaking. Going on 4 years since their massive argument, Violet finds herself in receipt of a note from one of her husband’s friends saying James has been in an accident and is unconscious. Fearing the worst, Violet flees to his side only to discover he has recovered…and the fight, once again, is on…

Frustrated. Frustrated is the best way I can sum up my review of this story. Frustrated that once the context of the “massive argument” comes to light, I’m left scratching my head as to why they never just TALKED TO EACH OTHER! Frustrated in disbelieving that they refused to speak for 4 years (FOUR YEARS!!!) over what could have been cleared up in 4 minutes of simple communication. This constant game playing and bickering was not my idea of a romance, nor did I find it amusing. Some readers enjoy strife and drama, so if that is the type of romantic escape you enjoy, give To Have and to Hoax a try. While well written, the plot was just not for me.


**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

This book was hilarious! I started it Friday night, and I hated myself the next day because I stayed up way too late reading it. I loved it. Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley have been married for four years, and for the most part, they have hated each other. In Regency England there are no divorces, so they just need to live with each other. Until James suffers an accident and you have Violet running to him. The accident, was not a big one, and Violet feels duped! This starts an all out war on who can play this game the best. I often found myself laughing at their incredible and hilarious plans.

I definitely recommend this book to romance readers and anyone looking for a good rom-com regency edition. I will be posting a review closer to April.

The perfect breezy, easy palate cleanser after Catch & Kill. A noble couple, 4 years into a cold marriage, are pushed back together after a riding accident was blown out of proportion. So begins a hot war into one-upping each other, while revealing the big (not really that big) fight that started the whole thing. This book isn’t going to change your life, but it’s a fun, funny book.

This was almost an enemies to lovers trope. Maybe lovers to enemies to lovers is more descriptive. Violet and James met and were married relatively quickly and had a wonderful first year. Then there was the Argument and four years of chilly silences and avoidance. And then James fell off his horse and was knocked unconscious. Violet rushed to his side- to discover he wasn't quite as injured as she thought. This interaction sparked new rules of engagement that led to events that were both humorous and cringeworthy to witness. These characters were young and immature and had some serious growth during the book- I liked their almost painful self-realizations and how they worked to be both honest with and true to themselves (and, eventually, each other).

Also, lots of interesting side characters to look forward to in future books!

Just an FYI- I would consider this more YA or New Adult than Adult Romance. There were just a couple open door scenes, and the characters are young-ish.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was hesitant about reading this book because I felt some War of the Roses vibes going and I did not want the main characters actions to make my eyes roll for their childish actions. Yet, the author made it work. I actually laughed and found them endearing instead of irritating. I love a good romance when the characters are truly in love despite all their actions to the opposite.

This was such a fun book to read! I was fortunate to read an ARC and devoured it on a long snowy evening. The story takes place in Regency England. Young Lady Violet Grey finds herself in a compromising position with a much older and experienced cad during the first party of her season. Fortunately Lord James Audley steps in to her rescue and ends up proposing marriage. Lady Violet, smitten with the dashing Lord James accepts and they begin a whirlwind courtship and a happy, romantic marriage. Fast forward 5 years and the pair are barely speaking. It is apparent that James no longer trusts Violet, and she is furious that he won't believe her. We don't find out exactly why until much later in the story but its great fun trying to figure it out.

Violet is not the typical woman of that time period - instead she has a curious, agile mind and is not afraid to speak up or even dare to laugh in public. Thankfully, she has a delightful group of friends to support her, as does James. It is one of his friends who dashes off a letter to VIolet informing her of an accident involving a horse that rendered James unconcious. Violet, realizing she might still have feelings for her husband, rushes to his side, but is surprised to find James on his way home looking none the worse for wear. Violet angrily retaliates resulting in a comedy of errors so funny that I laughed out loud many times.

Martha Waters writes in a style that easy (and fun!) to read. The desciriptions of the time are detailed to the point that you feel like you're experiencing it for yourself. The characters are very well developed - I expected to hear a carriage pull up and prepared to meet them in person. Anyone would love this book. It is an excellent first novel - I look forward to reading ( and meeting) more of Walters's creations!!

2.5 stars

I loved the idea of To Have and to Hoax, the debut from Martha Waters, but the actual execution of the story left me somewhat bored in the end.

There are some wonderful moments in the book. I laughed out loud on more than one occasion and I appreciated all of Waters' characters. As a whole, the cast of To Have and To Hoax is absolutely delightful. Their witty banter was perfect and I appreciated how interlaced the group was and how their dynamic helped move the story forward when it started to drag.

But, the entirety of the plot was, for me, dragged out for too long. I found myself quickly bored with James' and Violet's antics which moved from funny to over done in no time. And, more so, the conflict that should have carried the story instead crumbled when the cause of James and Violet's separation is revealed.

There is some heat, but it is late in the story-which was fine for me. Waters did interest me enough to want to read any sequels featuring Jeremy and Diana as a couple. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a cute take of cat and mouse among a married couple. I appreciated the time period as this is not my usual era I read.

This book has me absolutely laughing at loud at times! It felt fresh and original compared to the plethora of Regency-era romances out there. Violet and James were just enough without going totally overboard in their quest to win each other back through a whole load of trickery. The secondary characters actually are what really made this book, including their willingness to say to Violet enough is enough, just TALK to James. I was just getting to the point where I was ready to say the same thing about the two of them needing to communicate with each other when it was said for me in the book! Excellent, well written, enjoyable book! I would have liked some of the secondary characters to have had their storylines wrapped up, but if it means we get to see these characters again in the future, I’m good with that!