I love a great RomCom and I love Historical Fiction reads. What happens when you combine both? Well you get a fantastic regency read - To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters.

I enjoyed this superb book that was unique and a story very well told about once in love Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley. Their falling out after a devastating quarrel had me in stitches as Violet and James play out a ruse with fake illness, fake doctors to get each others' attention. What we find is that there was nothing fake about their love for each other.

This was a great romcom that made me laugh out loud and was just what I needed for an amazing escapist read. I thoroughly enjoyed and loved this fun read.

To simply state I loved this book is a complete understatement. Adore, smitten, head-over-heels are a little closer.

The writing was smart, both characters were complicated and stubborn. The grand gestures were done impeccably and no matter how infuriating both were being, I couldn’t help but keep cheering them on.

This will go as one of my favorite books of 2020 and I hope there are more from this author in this world.

This book had a good beginning and premise, but then it fell flat.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for an advance digital copy, the opinions expressed are purely mine.

I didn't quite make it all the way through this one. It just didn't hold my attention as much as other books were pulling at me. It is really hard to do a marriage in crisis well and this one just didn't suit me.

To Have and to Hoax has a great premise that falls a bit short on the delivery. The beginning was sweet and fun, and I also liked the initial antics between Violet and James, but I think this one could've done with a dose of less is more. Those amusing antics aren't nearly so amusing when they continue to go on and on and on. What it all boils down to is a whole lot of miscommunication or complete lack of communication, both of which went on for much too long - long enough to get a bit tedious. Maybe things would've been different had we been told what caused the rift earlier in the story or maybe not, but too many things just didn't work in this one. For starters, how this couple went four years without communicating. Four years? That's taking the silent treatment to a whole new level. Don't get me wrong, there is some really good writing here, but the story was just way too much. I love romantic comedy, and I can get behind silly situations, antics, and banter, but roughly 350 pages of it without a resolution in sight was more than I could take. Basically, this one is a mildly amusing romantic comedy that went on for much longer than necessary.

Special thanks to Berkley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

So, the good news is I really liked the historical romance components of this book! The writing is cute & fun. The not so good news is that I need couples to communicate! The more romance I read, the pickier I get. So, had I not been spoiled by the Bridgerton series, I likely would have enjoyed this one more. If you're new to the genre, you may love it!

I loved the premise of this book, but I don't think the book delivered. It was definitely cute and well-written, but the ending was almost a foregone conclusion which made it difficult for me to stick with until the end.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

To Have and to Hoax was a big disappointment for me. While I don’t normally read “Regency” romance novels, because I tend to find them distracting with historically inaccuracy in tone as well as facts, a friend had recommended this title to me. The cover is cute, and the premise sounded fun. So when the publisher approved an ARC for me from NetGalley, I was excited.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. While To Have and To Hoax had a clever premise, and started off well for the first few chapters, it didn’t live up to that premise. It is full of toxic relationship behavior between the two protagonists, and lots of sexist, gender-binary-obsessed language. Men are constantly referred to derogatorily. Normally, I’m all about punching up, especially if it’s done cleverly, but the constant, “ugh, boys are stupid. amiright?” from Violet and her friend Diana was exhausting and annoying. One wondered why they bothered being in relationships at all if they hated men so much. The male characters were similarly bewildered by women, and blamed everything on their gender, although not in such nasty language. Need examples? In the prologue, Violet thinks about a specific behavior she ascribes to males, and says “really, it was enough to cast in grave doubt the intellect of the entire sex.” Later, her husband’s friend Jeremy says “I am a man.”: “as though that explained everything, and given Violet’s experience with men, she supposed it probably did.” Violet is also given to thinking very violent thoughts towards men, constantly pondering how she’d like to shake or hit or stab or otherwise injure men who frustrate her. It’s an oddly hostile tone for a m/f “romance” novel, even a lovers to enemies to lovers husband/ wife romance like this.

Honestly, in general the writing is shoddy. There is so much telling instead of showing. Any actual sexual tension is replaced by repetitive reminders of just how attractive/ beautiful/ sexually alluring Violet and James find each other. Constantly. At great length. The author repeats a number of words and phrases as well. The worst offender was the use of the word “said” as an adjective meaning aforementioned. This is used at least half a dozen times that I noticed. Towards the end of the book, the author actually used the word “aforementioned” instead, and I cheered a little. Then I stopped and wondered WHY she had to find other ways to say that concept? I don’t notice an overabundance of that word in other novels. Why can’t Waters write effectively enough to not constantly use that phrasing? She also uses the phrase, “and yet here she/ we was/ are” at least three times. Violet also makes a habit of giving snorts of disdain throughout the story. The repetitions kept catching my eyes and distracting me.

The shenanigans in which the main characters engage in this story felt over the top and unrealistic, as well as off-puttingly dishonest and nasty. It’s not just a matter of faking illness, as mentioned in the description. (although seriously, who would believe a perfectly healthy energetic young woman without a bad cough had consumption suddenly? or would have allowed her to continue to go out into society if they did?) James and Violet also try to hurt each other by flirting with other members of society inappropriately. They put the reputations of other friends and acquaintances, as well as their own, at risk. There’s sex in a not private room of someone else’s house that was hosting a crowded ball they were attending. Just so many jarring instances that had me wondering what the heck the author was thinking and how much did she really know about the era in which this book is set.

The only things that felt realistic were unpleasant things. Waters certainly captured well the entitled attitude of the the lady of the house towards her servants, and it was really obnoxious. Mostly it’s Violet creating extra work for her servants through her ridiculous attempts to hoax James. Chasing servants up and downs stairs all day long with stacks of books from the library, for instance, after which Violet feels that “she had risked death by boredom today, which was brave in its own way.” Or admitting that the servants probably had better things to do with their time, but so did she (by which Violet meant her consumption hoax), and she required their assistance with it. There’s also a moment or two where even James chortles at the expense of his servants, at for instance how efficient and professional his butler was. Realistic? Perhaps. Odious? Definitely.

I was annoyed at 40%, and disgusted by 60%. I finished the book by heavy skimming instead of reading. Why did I even keep reading this book, when it annoyed me so much? Well, for one, I hate to leave ARCs unread. I appreciate that the publishers shared them with me even when I don’t enjoy the specific title I’m reading. Also, I had spent the time to read half of the book already. I hated to waste time by not finishing a book that could count towards my reading challenge and reading totals for the year. And finally, I was actually interested in two couples of side characters, West and Sophie, and Violet’s unmarried friend and the aristocrat who was running a theater, both of whom’s names I’ve already forgotten. The book seemed to be running out of steam about halfway through, so I was sure that we’d get some time with those other couples. But no, they got short shrift so that Violet and James’ actions and thoughts from the first half of the book could be repeated ad nauseum, with a bunch of psychobabble about James and Violet’s issues that also sounded inappropriate for its time. That kind of introspection may be something we take for granted now, but I am skeptical that prior to the development of the field of psychology, it was something normal people had a lot of time and language for analyzing. Even if it was appropriate, it was long and drawn out and tedious. This book could have been at least 40% shorter and would probably have been much more enjoyable if it was.

I was intrigued enough by the secondary couples/ characters set up in this book that I was considering seeking out the sequel to this book when it’s published. But as I read further in To Have and To Hoax, it became apparent that the next book would be about Diana, one of my least favorite characters, and Jeremy, and that the dynamic being established between them was going to be as antagonistic as the primary relationship in this book, with even less apparent reason for the antagonism. No thanks. I had enough of that already.

I realize reading this book during a pandemic, when I am struggling to concentrate on books, might be doing the book a disservice. However, I don’t think, given the quality of writing, that I would have enjoyed this book under any circumstances. If you enjoy humorous “historical” romances and aren’t too worried about historical accuracy and don’t mind silliness and toxic behavior, perhaps you’ll enjoy this book more than I did. As it is, I can’t recommend it. There are better authors and better stories out there in this genre.

Thanks anyway to #NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing an advanced copy of #ToHaveandToHoax . This is my honest opinion.

This was such a fun book to read! Was it believable? Maybe not, but it was a great escape and I laughed all the way through.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Summary

Violet and James married for love. But 5 years later, after a huge blow out 4 years ago, they can't stand each other. But when Violet receives a letter that her husband was thrown from his horse and is unconscious, she rushes to his bedside. Only once she arrives, he is completely okay. This kickstarts an all out war. But deceiving each other forces them both to acknowledge their real feelings - they might not hate each other after all.

Overview

➸ POV: 3rd Person

➸ Violet Grey: 23, No sense of "meekness", Curious and Snarky, Married 5 years

➸ James Audley: 28, Second son to a Duke, Gentleman, Closed off and Untrusting, Owner of profitable stables

➸ Content Warnings: Toxic relationships

My Thoughts

This was a fun regency romance, but unfortunately it didn't quite live up to expectations.

I really loved the beginning of this! I thought the characters were funny and charming. They main characters' meet cute was adorable, and James was lovably grumpy. But this book really started to drag for me around the 100 page mark..

First the things I liked!

Violet was such a strong heroine. I loved how confident and self-assured she was. Even when everyone was telling her to act differently, she was steadfast in her decisions. She was intelligent, sarcastic, and openly against a lot of societal norms of the time. I love strong, feminist characters in historical!

James was a grumpy hero with a secret heart of gold - my favorite. I really liked that we got his thoughts as well as Violet's. I liked knowing his motivations for his actions and it made him a really likable character despite his flaws.

However... I thought the writing in this was so repetitive and arduous. There was such an overabundance of unnecessary punctuation. There was absolutely no need for that many dashes, parentheses, etc. Every sentence started to feel cumbersome to get through. And if I had to read James' age one more time I was going to lose it. We get it! He's 28!

But the story itself was repetitive too. Not only were phrases used over and over again, but the characters kept repeating their actions. I think this book could have been 150 pages shorter and equally effective. By the 75% mark I was sick of the back and forth lying.

Overall the drawn out, repetitive nature of this book really brought my rating down. While I enjoyed the characters and banter, the pacing just was just too drawn out. This is a debut novel though, so I'm really interested to see what Martha Waters writes next!

My review is live on Goodreads and will posted to my blog on June 3, 2020

This book took me a while to finish, partly because I never really developed a connection with the characters, but mostly because of the over the top drama. One thing that prevents me from investing in a romance is if the conflict feels contrived or drawn out. All of the drama surrounding Violet and James felt extremely immature which I'm sure was playing for laughs, but I couldn't believe the lengths that they went to to get the other back. They are stubborn and willful to a fault and I couldn't invest in their love story when I couldn't take them seriously. Miscommunication as the driving conflict doesn't interest me and it's hard to believe that they lived in the same house for four years and they didn't resolve this sooner.

I loved this book in the beginning. The first chapter showed such promise. I loved the two main characters and I was excited to see where their story was going to lead. But then, after a few chapters, the book started to go downhill. The main characters were behaving in an incredibly childish manner and the plot turned into a farce. I really struggled to even finish the book. It got to the point where I didn't even like the main characters very much anymore. This was so disappointing because the book was really good in the beginning.

To Have and to Hoax grabbed me initially by the cute cover and the clever title and then by the author, who is a librarian living in North Carolina (my home state). Throw in the rom com genre and I decided I had to read it.

Think Downton Abby meets Jasmine Guillory. There is the lure of big houses, butlers, lady maids, dancing at balls and a gong to signal dinner but accompanied by this playful banter of an estranged husband and wife.

James and Violent have an instant connect, love at first sight. They marry just a few months later (because that is what you do in 1812). They have a blissful first year of marriage which is abruptly halted by one argument and a huge misunderstanding that leads to the next four years of living under the same roof but as separately as possible. Violet receives a telegram one morning (see Downton like), letting her know James was in a riding accident and she finds herself having more feelings for her husband than she has in years. After rushing, as fast as you can in a carriage, to be with James, she finds her husband to be just fine. This sets Violet off on a road to revenge and quite possibly falling in love her with husband again.

This was such a fun and different read in the contemporary romance space, given it is more historical. It was great to read something written that was comical and witty, which is not something that you usually see in England during the early 1800s. In addition to James and Violet, I also loved their friends. Near the end of the novel I found myself thinking, I wonder if Diana and Jeremy will have a book next? If they do I definitely would read it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for this eGalley copy to read and provide an honest review.

Violet and James are hilarious! If you loved Bringing Down the Duke, you'll love this story as well! It sounds like a hard to pull off plot, but Waters does a superb job and creates characters that you want to root for even while you laugh both at them and with them. Violet and James have a wonderful chemistry, and there are just enough twists and turns, just enough will-they or won't-they to keep you turning pages. This one's a gem.

Entertaining and witty. Martha Waters as written an engaging laugh out loud historical romcom. Lately I’ve been all about the romcom and this one had the unique twist of also being a regency romance. Lord James and Lady Violet are in an unhappy marriage that they cannot get out of. When the couple met there was such a spark between them, but they have not spoken a word to one another for the past two years. When Violet receives news that James has been thrown from a horse she rushes to his side, just to find out that he is just fine. Violet is livid and this sets off a chain of trickery and mind games between the couple. Fake illnesses and phony mistresses. Would this couple ever find their way back to one another?

Violet and James were simultaneously enchanting and insufferable. The banter between them was both humorous and tedious. I liked James and Violet and could see that they were meant for each other they were both very selfish, entitled, and immature. At some point I was so frustrated with them and I didn’t even know what it was that tore these two apart in the first place. One of my only complaints with this book was I would’ve probably appreciated knowing what the conflict was a little earlier in the story. But in spite of that this really was a story filled with laughs and Whimzy.

This book in emojis 🏰 🐎 👨🏼‍⚕️

*** Big thank you to Atria for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This wound up being a DNF for me 25% of the way through. I picked this book up multiple times and then just never picked it back up.

I thought the premise was going to be a fun one. It sounded like a bunch of shenanigans would happen.

What I found was a girl, yes a girl, who was to angry that she would not talk to her husband for four years. And a boy, yes a boy, who was not brave enough to talk to his wife. To me this was just utter immaturity. I could have looked past that if the plot ever moved, and silliness happened. However, these two never had chemistry from the get to and the story dragged for me. Yes I only make it a quarter of the way in, but after multiple attempts this was a DNF.

This was a miss for me. I was so looking forward to this story but the characters are barely on the page together. It was too much women’s fiction and not enough romance for my liking. I love the idea of the storyline but the execution was missing a bit for me. DNF at 27%

What a freaking delight this book is. Every little typical Regency prototype move from the billions of other books I have read in this time period is turned on its ear. We meet James and Violet when she is caught in a compromising position at one of the ton's balls during her first season. Their chemistry is instantaneous but the circumstances of their meet-cute are not...

But more on that...

Madly in love (lust) they marry in haste--- for one year of this marriage they were blissfully happy .... fast forward four years later and they can barely stand to be in the same room as each other given a Big Misunderstanding.


When word is sent to Violet that James has been thrown off his horse, she is confronted with the possibility of his death and their failed attempts at reconciliation. When James is fine and well, Violet interprets the act as a malicious one and starts her own string of hoaxes: including the employ of a fake doctor and a diagnosis of consumption.


If missed opportunities and failure to communicate drive you nuts... well then this will annoy you frantically BUT that is the whole point: Waters is nuanced and fun and poking jest at the genre she is so competently writing. Her voice is splendid and fresh, her infuriating couple are so fireworks-and-flint made for each other that even their spats read like the most detailed make-out-scene. One in a trillion authors could pull this off: reverently paying homage to and yet mocking the very undercurrents of the conventions she is promenading in lovely display.


And yet she makes us fall in love with this frustrating lot and root for them at every turn. This freaking, wonderful, annoying, beguiling romp of a book! Heart-clutch love here, friends!

They're in love with each other and they know it and you know it and the author knows it-- but they're also stubborn as stubborn soulmates can be.

An absolute high confection dish of a tale iced with brilliant descriptions and layered with sumptuous wit and dialogue.


I highly recommend this and will be reading Martha Waters for the rest of time.


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I love the cover: it's so appealing and would certainly grab my attention at the bookstore.

I really wanted to like this book, as I love romance filled with witty banter and chemistry, but this one fell flat for me. It was a tad too long, many sections not really relevant that I found myself skimming quite frequently in the first half. I enjoyed the second half much more, but still had a hard time investing in the story (the writing wasn't very strong, the plot line a bit messy)

I truly appreciate the publisher providing me with the arc for me to enjoy.

A couple months ago I kept seeing To Have and to Hoax all over Instagram. It sounded like such a fun fast paced book, that I was excited when I was able to read an early copy of the book. I don't know if it's just me in a weird quarantine mood, but this book was just an okay read for me.
I really enjoyed Violet as a character. I love how she's willing to speak up and stand up for herself and does what she wants. Usually when characters have an instant connection I roll my eyes, but I actually enjoyed it here and thought it was done realistically.
My biggest complaint with this book is the whole faking an illness aspect. After reading about James freaking out about Violet being sick, I realized how cruel it was of her to play with his emotions like that, even if their marriage isn't doing so well. I felt a little eh about the illness aspect of the book when I read the synopsis, but I didn't let that stop me from reading it.
The faking and tricks on each other went back and forth a little too long for me, and made this book longer than it should've been. Violet and James kept making progress with their relationship, but something would set them back and they'd have to start over again. Towards the end it was frustrating seeing the same thing happen over and over again.
I really enjoyed James as a character. He had a lot of growing up to do throughout the book. At the beginning he couldn't acknowledge his feelings and wouldn't talk to anyone about anything of substance. To Have and To Hoax was him learning to open up to his wife, his friends, his brother, and himself.
While reading, I felt like there were quite a few setups for future books in a series, and I hope that's real and we get more books set in this world. Even though this book was just an okay read for me, I definitely want to read more from this author.