I decided not to finish this book. I read up to about 40% , but sadly did not finish the book.
I was quite intrigued by the premise of To Have and to Hoax. A married couple who is estranged, but try to best each other at elaborate hoaxes sounded interesting!
I did enjoy the beginning of To Have and to Hoax. The chemistry between James and Victoria was great. I even enjoyed their occasional sparring. I really wanted more emotional content between James and Victoria. I loved the scenes when they were together, but more often than not they were conversing with their friends and not each other. And the constant lying and spinning stories was getting a bit complicated for me. Sadly, I just could not connect with the characters.

When I received an email pitching this as a historical rom com, I had to try it! The hero and heroine fell in love, got married, and now have barely spoken in the past four years. What follows is a series of mostly hilarious hijinks and pranks between two people who clearly still love each other. I had a feeling their estrangement stemmed from miscommunication, but I didn't mind too much because it felt realistic for the characters and the age at which they married. But the story dragged on just a bit too long and got repetitive, especially when one honest conversation could have cleared up all their issues. It was still a promising start to what could be a series (based on the delightful secondary characters), and I So Liked It (3.5 stars).

***4 ‘Team Violet’ Stars***

This baby definitely made my eyes hurt from all the rolling they did, but I can’t say it wasn’t a fun read. Violet, James and their crew from friends who aided, abetted and hindered their follies in equal measure definitely kept me on my toes and have me crossing those same appendages in hopes that we’ll be hearing more from this unique cast of characters in the future.

Violet and James. These two. I really liked both of them, I did, and they drove me batshitcrazy in equal measure BUT I did tend to side with Violet when it came to the issue that drove a wedge between them for FOUR LONG YEARS. Yes, both are just as much at fault for not finding a way to come to some sort of resolution, but James took stubborn self righteousness to the next level. But I was rooting for them because I loved Violet’s spirit, and how James (when he wasn’t stuck in his misguided belief) truly appreciated and enjoyed all that made her quite unique.

I don’t read much historical romance nowadays, many moons ago that was all I read, but the title and cover drew me in and the blurb hooked me and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience as a whole ~ even when I wanted to reach out and Gibbs smack these characters. And speaking of, there are a ton of supporting characters I want more of. Diana, Emily, Jeremy, Penvale, West, Sophia were all so much fun and definitely helped to make the book an experience.

~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~

Final Score - 3 Stars

When I read the plot of this book, I was immediately thrilled at getting back into reading historical fiction, as it has been a number of years since I've read this genre. However, this book did not ignite that love that I had for it. Instead, I doubt I will read anything historical for sometime.

The plot took forever to develop and in my opinion - should have come to fruition in half that time. At 25 percent into reading this, I was ready to be done with book - however, when I commit to reading a book ... I COMMIT. It's my fatal flaw and this book nearly killed me to do so.

I have never in my life taken over a week to get thru a book. It just could not engage me with its antics or it's characters.

This book could have been something special - as the blurb foretold - but it's execution was off.

If you're a lover of both historical fiction and rom-coms then this is the book for you! Honestly, I'm touch and go when it comes to both genres. Violet and James have quite the interesting relationship. I couldn't imagine one argument causing a rift and complete change in my relationship for FOUR YEARS! But I had to stick with the story to figure out WHY and what happened in this argument. OH James. Oh Violet. The games you play....

The fun part was the back and forth between the two and how they kept trying to pull something over on the other. This did get a little tedious at times. We KNOW you're attracted to each other. We KNOW you still have some kind of love there. So let's get to it! Some repetitiveness and could've probably been a little bit shorter. However, definitely and entertaining read and the sassy Violet made for some hilarious moments.

This is a debut novel and this author has my interest piqued. Need some light entertainment in a heavy world? Come and get it!

I don't make it a habit to DNF ARCs, but there was nothing remotely interesting about this book to keep me going. This book is being compared to Julia Quinn's books and while I'm not caught up with Julia Quinn's newer books, I can say for certain that To Have and to Hoax is <i>not</i> on the same level as Julia Quinn's older classic romances. Waters's prose is pretty good and she nails the historical-romantic-comedy prose, even if it's a little excessive at times. I have no issues with the prose; it's the story, the characters, and the overall execution that didn't work for me.

This book is marketed as a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, but I didn't find it funny in the slightest. I don't know about the rest of the book, but the first 36% of the story is lacking in humour and charm. Pretending to be terminally ill is not funny, even if the heroine's husband knows that she's pretending. It is utterly distasteful. I knew the heroine would pretend to be sick because I read the blurb before starting the book, but pretending to be TERMINALLY ILL?? What the hell? What kind of person does that? The blurb led me to believe that the hero and heroine would be funny and charming, but they came across as juvenile and immature instead. Their pranks don't seem to lead to any substantial relationship or character development, at least up until where I stopped reading. I do wonder if all these silly pranks will ultimately lead somewhere and actually move the relationship forward, instead of backwards. Unfortunately, I didn't like the hero and heroine enough to want to find out.

Four years ago, Violet and James had a big fight. They haven't talked to each other since. I don't know what the fight is about because it looks like it will only be revealed at the end of the book. But here's what I gathered from the first 36% of the book: Violet wants James to delegate his work with horses to his employees and to stop being obsessed about proving himself to his father. James apparently thinks that Violet manipulated him about something. From the way Violet and James keep referring to The Fight, it seems as if it was about something <i>huge</i>. But based on the little hints here and there, I can't help but feel like it was probably just a miscommunication that could have easily been resolved the next day if they had just talked to each other. Of course, I can't confirm if that is the case because I didn't finish the book. Either way, it all felt very superficial to me.

The only thing I liked about this book is the secondary character, West, James's older brother. I kind of wish he was the hero instead lol. Overall, To Have and to Hoax won't work for everyone and I suggest reading some reviews before deciding if you want to read it. My review is incomplete since I didn't actually finish reading the book...so you might want to check out other reviews! Maybe you'll actually enjoy this book, who knows? Just because it wasn't for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you.

Violet and James fell in love very quickly and got married even faster. Both still did not have the emotional maturity to face the complicated life of marriage and demonstrate this in their eternal childish and meaningless fights until a situation takes James to the limit and they have a seemingly definitive fight.





Four years later, each one lives their lives separately, but they still have a very poorly resolved history that they may be able to overcome with a little help.

I like comedies and I love historical romances so when I realized that this book brought both of them I decided to venture into its pages and even with some points that I didn't agree with I found myself super involved in the love story of James and Violet. I remembered a TV soap opera that I saw a few years ago with a stubborn and childish couple who loved each other but could not demonstrate and overcome their differences.


Between amusing scenes of clashes between these two, conversations between friends, revenge and moments of passion, To Have and To Hoax brings a different story about forgiveness, lack of communication, love and second chances. What bothered me was the reason why their fight took four years to resolve, I would be more satisfied if the passage of time was months because I didn't see any great dramas to lead to so much discord.
4/5 stars

This was absolutely delightful!

The humor was on point, the characters were all well-fleshed out, and it the story was charming. I cannot wait to read the next in this series!!!

To Have and To Hoax is a rom-com in Regency England. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a historical romance in the traditional sense as it is much more fresh and modern despite the time period setting. Violet & James are a couple who had a big mysterious argument 4 years ago and haven’t spoken since (you’ll eventually find out what it was about). To get each other’s attention and some revenge they start trying to fool each other and come up with schemes. I really wanted to love this book, but will settle for liking it. I love the whole rom com Regency era style, but the book did drag on at times and the hoaxing between the characters honestly got annoying and tired. I was ready to get past that storyline and move towards the inevitable happily ever after. There were some great side characters and I hope the author considers spinoffs about them in the future.

4.5 stars

When I was pitched this novel, I was in love with the concept and thought it sounded so charming and sweet. But it wasn’t until the book actually arrived in my mailbox that I was so ready to start it.

The cover is outstanding and totally matches the sweet rom-com that is written inside of the eye catching wrapping! I couldn’t wait to start reading it and more or less put everything else I was reading on hold to dive into this one.

That bright purple cover just kept calling my name from my nightstand begging to be read! I couldn’t deny it any longer—I had to start it!

Summary
Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.

Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.

Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?

With charm, wit, and heart in spades, To Have and To Hoax is a fresh and eminently entertaining romantic comedy—perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Julia Quinn. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
I completely agree with this summary, if you enjoy Julia Quinn you will love this book, but I would also say that this book would appeal to fans or rom coms as well, not just historical fiction. This book was so funny and I found myself laughing at numerous points in the story. Sure there were times when both James and Violet got on my nerves, but for me it felt intentional. I think the author truly meant for the reader to feel like the friends of couple—sympathetic to each character but yet dying for them to reconcile and be together once again.

And that’s exactly how I felt, eager to see them together. The chemistry between Violet and James was charged and electric. I loved them together and their shared passion for one another. I also loved watching the four year long standoff slowly dissolve into a truce that was tender and vulnerable. Their reasons for not being together fit well for each character and the revenge plots were a gold mine of comedy.

This novel had a lot to love about it. I was hooked from the beginning and not only did I love James and Violet, I found the secondary characters equally well developed without eclipsing the main story and characters. In fact when this book was done, I was hoping that the other characters might get their own romances in the future because I think there is certainly enough there to bring fans of this book back into the world the author has created.

For me this book felt a lot more young and hip than perhaps some of Julia Quinn’s books. Don’t get me wrong I love Julia Quinn, but this book felt a lot more fresh, and more for a younger audience. I don’t mean like a YA novel, I mean more like a mid twenties to mid thirties. I think anyone who loves historical romances would love this book but I think the demographic target would be mid twenties to mid thirties.

I was truly impressed with the author’s writing and skill level as this is her debut novel. The steamy bits were full of heat but not in an over the top fashion, the tender romance between the two characters fit well, and the comedy was fantastic. I would love to see this one become a film because it has all the right ingredients!

Book Info and Rating
Paperback, 352 pages
Expected publication: April 7th 2020 by Atria Books
ISBN 1982136111 (ISBN13: 9781982136116)
Free review copy provided by publisher, Atria Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: historical fiction, romance

This is the first historical fiction book I have read in a while, and it was such a fun treat! I loved how much of a strong, independent woman Lady Violet Grey is and how it is that trait which captures the attention of Lord James Audley. Violet and James meet, fall in love, and are married quickly. Soon, they have a misunderstanding which leads to a silent treatment that lasts for 4 years! The end of this disagreement comes in the form of a back-and-forth prank war. The husband/wife bickering and one-upping is hilarious. This is definitely an interesting take on a rom-com, which helps to set it apart from other books on the shelf. I would recommend to anyone interested in a period piece love story! SO CUTE! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Two people fall in love. And quickly get married. A year into their marriage they have a falling out. You don’t learn the nature of the falling out until a ways into the book, but when you do....my goodness is it stupid.
One of the parties was completely in the wrong over the falling out. The other party is a tit-faced, ninny who, in a childish attempt to be hurtful, drags the thing on...for four years.
I don’t think it’s fun to read bickering. These two are a pair of shrews who suck the joy from any scene in with they co-exist with ham-fisted attempts at bludgeoning the other to death with idiotic juvenile insults.
This book is boring, silly, and ridiculous. If you want to see a marriage fall to pieces and then resurrect in a way that is believable and exquisitely torturous read Sherry Thomas.


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After being caught alone on a balcony by her mother during Violet’s first debutant season, James and Violet have no other choice than to marry. However, they fall in love, so it isn’t a burden to either of them for the first year of their marriage. Unfortunately, a huge misunderstanding occurs, causing an argument that lasts four years. Violet is tired of the silent treatment and decides to elicit her husband’s attention once again, but will it turn out how she hopes it will or push him farther away?

Regency Romance isn’t a genre I’ve read before and I don’t know if I would read another, but, this one I found funny, entertaining, steamy and romantic. The characters are unique, relatable and genuine. The story is cute but predictable, with a few interesting twists.

This was a really fun light Historical read. I enjoyed the banter and overall storyline. The character development drove this for me. If your a fan of this type of historic setting I recommend this read.

More like 3.5 stars rounded up? There were parts of this that worked for me (the banter between the MC, the author’s quietly humorous writing style) and parts that didn’t (towards the end it really became kind of irritating that they just WOULDN’T TALK, but then again all their issues were more wrapped up in problems beyond the marriage and those needed working out first). But this was a fun read overall! I’d be interested in more if the author ends up turning this into a series, especially since it seemed as though a couple different pairs were teased throughout.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed To Have and to Hoax. I’m new to historical romance but I loved the angst and the switching perspectives. I enjoyed the games they played with each other, and how it felt like the “they don’t know that we know that they know” episode of friends, but set in Regency England.

I did think the miscommunication went on for a little long. Four years seems like a stretch for these characters not to give in and talk. I did really enjoy the character’s growth. I wish there was more of the talking and working together to communicate better for a longer chunk of the book. I also wanted to see them being together and on the same side for longer at the end.

I LOVED their friends and can’t wait for the sequel!

Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley were introduced on a balcony. Minutes later, they were engaged. The year that followed was one of newlywed bliss. Then the Argument happened and the once madly-in-love couple stopped speaking to one another. For four years.

When Violet receives an urgent letter saying her husband has been thrown from a horse and is on his deathbed, she races to Audley’s side. ..unfortunately for Violet, her husband is the perfect specimen of health. She decides then and there to get back at him – this time by hiring an actor to play a physician and pronounce Violet to be on her own deathbed – thus setting off an endless game of one-upmanship between the spouses.

I’m going to keep this brief. To Have and To Hoax caught my eye the moment I first heard about it and I’m delighted to say it didn’t disappoint! The banter here is nothing short of delicious: fans of Julia Quinn and Tessa Dare, even contemporaries (!) will feel right at home within these pages. The secondary characters are all marvelous and I’m hoping for follow-up novels ASAP! I will admit that this one was a tiny bit too long (or at least felt like it could have been pared down a touch), but overall I enjoyed it immensely and am very excited to see what Martha Waters does next!

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Atria books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Regency romance isn’t a genre I would normally read, but I saw an amazing review for this book and wanted to give it a try and I’m glad I did .

This book is pretty hilarious . It’s basically a take on the Friends episode “they. don’t know that we know that they know we know “ ( with a lot of steamy sex.scenes thrown in)

There’s romance, friendship, family drama, strong female characters . ... the regency part, which can be stifling, is just a setting and nothing more.

My only negative on this book is that it could have been a bit shorter ...

I would highly recommend this to anyone who’s looking g for some light reading.

There’s definitely an opportunity for a second or third book with some of the minor characters and if there are I would definitely read them

4.5 stars

When I started this book, I truly had no Idea what it was about. I actually thought I might be reading a paranormal or a rom com mystery because of the title, but I was way off base. This is a historical romance and I haven’t read one of those in years, so for me to say this was a totally enjoyable read, says a lot. I loved the premise, the characters, especially Violet and James. Their relationship was a hoot. The secondary characters were strong and I thought well written. Thanks for a fun afternoon read and if more historical romances read like this one, I would read a lot more than I have lately

I'm not much of a romance reader, but I do love a good chick-lit! This one is no exception. To Have and to Hoax is an adorable read and kept me grinning from ear to ear. 

Our story starts with Lady Violet Grey meeting her soon to be husband Lord James Audley. It was love at first sight for them, but less than 5 years into their marriage they barely speak to on another. When Violet thinks that James has a life threatening injury from being thrown off the back of a horse, she rushes to be by his side. No matter they no longer talk to one another, she still finds that she is in love with the man. When she arrives, she finds James to be completely find. Enraged at finding that her husband cares so little about her, that he would not think to inform her he is fine, Violet schemes to get his attention and teach him a lesson. 

Of course, as in all rom-com type stories, Violet's schemes go awry. What she didn't expect is for James to decide to play along with her schemes, and add in a few of his own. Between the immature pranks and the constant miscommunication, hilarity ensures, I assure you. 

All of the characters, not just Violet and James, are wonderful. They have just the right amount of depth for a light hearted story but it's really the witty dialogue that draws the reader in. 

I've always been a sucker for a fiction books set during the English Regency period. I love thoughts of ladies and gentlemen going to balls and imagining the aristocrats of the day. This book was no different. Water's does a fabulous job of world building and intertwining the story into the local gossip. Her writing is also completely on point and I cannot believe this is a debut. I will most definitely be on the lookout for her next book. Maybe we'll even get another story about Violet and James. 

Overall I loved this book and would recommend it for anyone who enjoys or needs a light-hearted book. Also if you enjoyed Bringing Down the Duke you will certainly enjoy this gem.