There were some really cheeky and fun parts of this that I loved but ultimately, the childish charades from both Lady Violet and Mr. Audley went on a little too long. I thought the premise was really good and I liked the whole cast of characters, but I felt like I needed a little bit more realism/sense of setting. I also wished Violet and James had reconnected a little sooner.

3.5

Thank you for an advance copy of To Have and To Hoax. Unfortunately I DNFed this book. I just couldn't get into the plot and wasn't able to connect with the characters. Reading is a struggle during COVID.

Oh well.

Martha Waters spans three genres here: historical romance, rom-com, and satire. I like satire, and the other two, not so much. I am rounding my rating up to three stars, because I stepped out of my comfort zone with this novel, hoping for light entertainment; those that enjoy rom-com books may be more enthusiastic than I. My thanks go to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

Lady Violet and Lord James found instant chemistry at a grand ball. Almost as instantly, they were married; then they quarreled and have been estranged ever since. Yet even the stupidest and most imperceptive reader will see that they are still crazy for one another. If one is in doubt, turn the page so the author can hit you over the head with it again. Again. And again.

I enjoy smart satire that leaves something to the imagination. This book tries too hard to be funny. I tried reading the DRC, and when I couldn’t get through it, I checked out the audio version from Seattle Bibliocommons. This made it, if possible, even worse. Overdone prose is made worse by an over-the-top voice actor.

I had been reading too much that was dark and serious, and then the pandemic broke out and I went looking for relief. I found it, but I didn’t find it here.

But again, I have never liked rom-com. If that’s your wheelhouse, you may appreciate this thing more than I do. I pushed through to the forty percent mark; my usual due diligence requires me, if skipping, to then proceed to the eighty percent mark and see if there are joyful surprises that might change my mind. But no.

Fans of the genre may feel differently, but I have to call them as I see them. Not recommended.

This was a DNF for me. But, It was all my fault. I did not realize it was a historical rom-com. I just read it was a rom con. So, sadly, this book was not for me. 1800 is a little too early for my liking!

I received a copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although I do love a good romantic comedy, I don’t typically read regency era romances. That being said, I did enjoy the premise and the two main characters. I found their dialogue to be entertaining and witty. However, I do think the plot dragged on a bit too long. Violent and her husband James spend the book fighting and making up, and I could have done with one less fight.

Violet and James have been married for five years, but they’ve barely spoken to one another in four, after a particularly bad argument left them at an impasse that was never resolved. When Violet gets word that James was thrown from his horse, she rushes to his side, only to find him hale and irritated with her. So she decides to take revenge. By pretending to be ill. And hiring an actor to play her doctor. Things escalate from there, as the pair play a game that might be about revenge, or maybe love.

This was a witty and entertaining historical read. The story beats came at some surprising places, and I wasn’t always sure what would happen. My only complaint is that it was a little too long, and some parts could have been trimmed (for instance, Violet gives James two very similar ultimatums, and I don’t think the book needed both). The secondary characters are a lot of fun, and I hope we’re going to see them in their own books soon.

RATING: 4.5 STARS
2020; Atria Books/Simon & Schuster Canada

I loved this fun historical romance. The hero and heroine met alone on a balcony, fell in love, married and then lived unhappily ever after. Four years ago, a year after the wedding, James and Violet had a fight that cause the two to take separate rooms and live separate lives. When Violet receives a letter about James having an accident, she rushes to his side. She finds out that he didn't want her to know, and this rises her ire. She decides to give James a dose of his own medication. Thus begins a tit-for-tat game and friends take sides. Will pride and secrets keep the two from finding love again.

This historical romance is a lot of fun, and reminds me of Lisa Kleypas (The Wallflowers series). I enjoyed the banter between the Violet and James, but also found their separate background stories compelling. This is the perfect escape novel...I highly recommend this one for the summer!

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

I had high hopes for this novel based on the synopsis, but it fell a bit flat for me.

While there were a few entertaining parts, I struggled to connect with the characters. They came across very immature and I am usually drawn to character driven books and really don’t enjoy the story as much when I can’t connect with them.

I know others have enjoyed this one though!

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the gifted digital copy.

Based on the synopsis I really had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, I have not been able to connect with the characters or storyline. Despite a few attempt, this one is a miss for me.

I will not be sharing my thoughts/opinions on this title outside of NetGalley in a review.

Lady Violet and Lord James had a love match--which was all well and good, until their massive fight. That was four frosty years ago. When Violet is alerted that James is in mortal danger, she abandons all pretense of indifference and rushes to his side, only to find he's perfectly well and didn't even know she's been summoned. She's seething, and decides to make him rue his response. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners and errors and lovers getting second chances. Charming and fun.

I couldn’t get into this book at all. The dialogue was awkward and stilted, and the characters were strange.

Thanks for the early copy!
This was a light read that took me a while to get into.
i liked it! it was perfectly okay.

This book was a lovely, light breath of fresh air that was much needed.

The historical fiction tinged tale of a marriage on the rocks, complete with plots and antics, revenge and double cross was both comfortable and new. I enjoyed the quick language and easy prose, the mentions of period clothing and manners and the addition of the expected codes of conduct of the day. I would easily recommend this as a light read to anyone who wishes to escape to a fun world and enjoy the view from the relaxed moral cheap seats of modern America.

Thank you to NetGalley along with the publisher and author for the chance to read and review this book.

This book was an interesting attempt at a romance + liar book with a historical twist, however, it just didn’t hit right for me.

Both of the MC are attention seeking and are always trying to one-up the other...then they get into a relationship and eventually get married and it’s just downhill from there.

The romance felt off for me and I just couldn’t get into it.



——
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for the copy. I tried to pick this one up but it did not work for me. Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader.

This was very charming, but the miscommunication between the main characters went on until 100%. I loved their relationship, though. It was super cute and the banter was great! Maybe it should have been shorter? Then the miscommunication wouldn't have felt sooooo long?

Absolutely adorable. Definitely give it a try!

*DID NOT FINISH*

Sometimes books just don't work for a person.  To Have and to Hoax is one of those books for me.

I read approximately fifty percent (50%) of this book before I decided to walk away from it.  Because I didn't finish the book, I will not be assigning a star rating (*note: Netgalley will not allow me to share my review without assigning a star rating).

Based on the synopsis, I was hoping to read a fun, Regency rom com featuring a second chance romance of a married couple.  I also knew going in that miscommunication (one of, if not my absolute, least favorite tropes) played a part.

I prefer not to outright bash the book simply because it wasn't my jam and knowing that many will enjoy it. So, here are a few reasons why I abandoned ship:

The pacing is really slow.  By the time I stopped reading, there still hadn't been any actual romance or indication that the main characters were moving towards a rekindled relationship.  There are a few lines hinting at attraction or bottled up desire but they are few and far between.  The bitterness and resentment between the characters became a bit much for me.
I had zero connection with any characters.
The banter has its moments!  Often, though, I found it more petty which made the dialogue dislikeable.
Although I knew miscommunication was part of the story, it became quite cringey and frustrating the longer I read.

As I said before, To Have and to Hoax didn't work for me, but that's not to say it won't work for someone else.  However, I simply can't recommend this book.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. Please note that it, in no way, had an effect on my opinion or review.

I love a good Regency love story and bonus points for the love/hate push & pull between the characters but sometimes less is more. The book was fun but after awhile I just wanted to shake both characters and say, "Enough is enough!" which made continuing on to the end a bit cumbersome. I did get a great feel for the characters and feel like Martha Waters really took time to develop them and think about their personalities but the drama was just a bit too over the top and drawn out for me to absolutely love this book.

This book was fun but ultimately not for me. I enjoyed the era and setting and the banter was fun. Lovers of historical romance will for sure enjoy this.

Violet and James are a love match which is a rarity in the aristocracy where most marriages are business arrangements. However, after only one amazing year of marriage there is a rift between the lovers. Fed up with her husband’s indifference, Violet feigns an illness and then James does some trickery of his own. Both are aided by their group of amusing friends who wish Violet and James would just get on with it and get back together.
I liked all the characters a lot and look forward to the cast of supporting characters getting their own stories of love soon. As historical romances go, this one was pretty light on the history. There was a vague sense of it being some time during the Regency period but not much atmospheric development beyond that. Instead, the story focused on the characters and their growth as people capable of having a real marriage after the fireworks of a courtship end. It was sweet and full of lovely humor. A very good read.