Something about To Have and to Hoax interested me. I think I was intrigued with the idea of two people trying to one up each other with tumbles and maladies. Plus, I love a rom-com, and I was super excited to read one that took place in Regency England! I mean, right now I could use a good laugh. So, even though I requested this a long time ago, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

All in all I got what I was looking for.

The antics between Violet and James were definitely entertaining. I found it hard to believe neither realized that they had to still feel love. However, I also think there’s a good chance I’m just far too pragmatic. It was funny for the first half, at which time I was ready for something to happen that would force Violet and James to finally get real with each other.

Overall, it was an enjoyable fast read. I read it in a day. I was entertained with a light, generally happy story.

3.5 star rating
This historical romance was a fun ride, following a married couple who have become astranged for a variety of reasons. The wife decides to tease and play games with the husband after a scare in which she was back to thinking about her husband.
This one was a little outlandish for me, but I loved the concept of a couple coming back together after life takes them apart for various reasons. Though this one pretty much stayed in it's lane, it was still quite fun. If you love historical, I think you will enjoy this particular one.

For the most part, this was a really fun read, but by the end of the book, I was growing tired of the miscommunication (or lack of communication) and games. Four years is a long time for them to not be on speaking terms, and, while I know they are both young, it seems exceptionally childish. I wish there had been more flashbacks so readers could see how this marriage really was a love match, but we seemed to only ever see lust. But it was a light rom-com, and sometimes that's all you really need.

I enjoyed this book. A huge thank you to the author and publisher for my advanced copy.

Things I loved-

The Characters.

All of the characters in this book were very like able. I enjoyed James and Violet. Their back and forth was very entertaining . I feel as though the pranks they played on each other were very clever and realistic. Nothing was over the top or unbelievable

I also loved the side characters and friendships portrayed in this book.
If Martha Waters decides to write a companion novel featuring Diana- I’d totally read it. Even if she doesn’t I look forward to picking up anything she decides to write next.

The Storyline .

This is a lovers to enemies to lovers trope featuring a married couple. Romances featuring married couples are one of my new favorite things. The conflict was intriguing and well written.
The author had me really wanting to know what the huge fall out was that had taken place between James and Violet. The timing of the reveal was perfect.

Why the book lost a star-

The Writing Style. It took me a while to get into this book. The writing took a while for me to get used to.

The Romance. As much as I was entertained by James and Violet I did not feel invested in their relationship. Of course I wanted to see them come back together in the end but - this book lacked the romance I was hoping for. There was an attraction between the characters for sure but I didn’t feel the love. I think if the author would have written a series of flashbacks to happier times the romance would have been developed better.

Overall this was a very good story and I do recommend it to friends and fellow readers.

Husband and wife pair Violet and James have been estranged for four years. Once madly in love after their first encounter whirls into an unbelievably quick engagement, the two are now barely on speaking terms. So when Violet gets an urgent note from James's best friend that he had been thrown from his horse and lies unconscious, she races to be by his side at the couple's country estate, clearly highlighting that there is some feeling between them, still.

However, when Violet is on the road, she runs into her husband, looking as fit and healthy as ever. He had recovered from his tumble, but no one tried to get in contact with her. She is absolutely furious and the two of them have a nasty fight, although it's not nearly as bad as the argument that estranged them four years ago, so we're told.

Violet decides that, to teach her husband a lesson, she, too, will take ill. She wants him to see how it feels when he's not consulted about matters of her health, but also, as we can sense, she wants him to imagine what it would be like to lose her. Throughout the book, the two plan little deceptions to trick one another while both being completely onto each other's lies. Around and around they go, avoiding the serious talk they must have to finally get their marriage back on track.

This is one of the most best period romances I've read. Admittedly, that's not many, but I certainly know good writing when I see it! The whip-smart dialogue makes this book laugh-out-loud funny. To Have and to Hoax has forever raised my expectations for what's possible in a romance book. Interesting, actually fun to read side characters? Who knew!

I do think the book was a bit too long. Since the couple's core issue is based on one major thing, every tiff they have in the book seems to revolve around it. Not that couples don't realistically fight about the same thing over and over again (because they really, annoyingly, do), but there were only so many times I could watch the same fight. I would have shaved off 25 to 30 pages and removed a touch of the repetitive language during the sexy scenes.

Besides those minor hang-ups, I adored this. Martha Waters has a serious career ahead of her if she can produce more books like this.

B review: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/to-have-and-to-hoax-by-martha-waters/

Included as my pick in SBTB's April New Releases roundup, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2020/04/aprils-new-releases-part-one/

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Steam: 🔥

To Have and To Hoax was the Regency Romcom I didn't know I needed (honestly I didn't even know it was a thing). I recently read my first lovers to enemies to lovers and this one was just as enjoyable as the first. Most readers will find it to be a quick read and hopefully all readers laugh as much as I did at Violet's sarcasm and wit.

What I loved about this book:

1. The best part about this book were the characters, especially Violet and James. They did seem a little immature and petty at times, but honestly that was part of the fun. The back and forth banter between them was absolutely hilarious and I found myself laughing multiple times. They were both bookish (Violet was very bookish despite her mother's disappointment) and I loved how often the book spoke of their library. As the story goes on they mature, learn to communicate, and finally give into to their explosive chemistry.

2. This is a debut novel and if you've followed my reviews at all you know how much I love reading debuts. I felt like this book was an excellent first book and I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

3. The supporting characters were just as fun as Violet and James and I hoping that a few of them get their own spinoffs. 🤞🤞🤞 I especially loved Violet's friends Emily and Diana, both would be amazing heroines and neeeeed their own books.

While this book is full of chemistry and sexual tension, I found the bedroom scenes to be mild so I think this book is perfect for readers of varying steam preferences. It will transport you to the past where consumption is a worry and people ride horses through the park. With everyone being stuck in the house it was nice to escape to a different time and distract myself with such an enjoyable romcom. I definitely recommend this one to romance lovers!

I don’t know if I’ll be able to sum up how much I absolutely loved this entire book but I’m about to try so please bear with me because this will probably be a mess.

To put it simply, I loved everything single thing about this book. I knew from the sound of it that I was probably going to love it and oh boy was I right because it was such a fun and entertaining read. The entire premise of the story is just so fun, a couple that married for love but has been on the outs for years because of a fight who are now trying to mess with each other by being dramatic and playing pranks on each other. I’m sorry but how fun is that?

The thing that really made this such a great book was the characters, if you’ve got lackluster characters then you’re gonna have a lackluster romance and luckily this one did not need to suffer because I loved them all so much. Violet and James were the best main characters, I loved watching how their relationship was developing while getting information about their lives together before they started hating each other. Their chemistry and individual personalities were just so lovely and made it such a compelling read. Also all the side characters were great! They were totally fleshed out without taking anything away from the main story line, and the hints of future romances was super fun.

I also loved that the author made you work for the ending that you want. Violet and James are flawed characters, and they’re both aware of it. It takes a lot of time (and hi jinks) for them to realize what’s going on and to come to their separate conclusions about themselves and about their relationships. It made the story that much more gratifying because by the end you feel like you’ve invested so much time and energy into their story. I loved them.

And I loved the book in general. I was in a bit of a slump when I started it but I still managed to fly through it in two different sittings because I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up. It’s cute and fun and funny and has some of the best characters. I adored it and I hope that we get more in this world from the author.

I think I have a Regency romance addiction! Ever since reading Bringing Down the Duke a couple of months ago, I have been hooked. Send help!
{Thank you so much to Netgalley and Atria Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review}

To Have and To Hoax is the hilarious love story of Lord James Audley and his wife, Lady Violet. A year after their whirlwind romance and marriage, Violet and James had a huge falling out and have barely spoken to each other for the last four years. A slight mix-up after James suffers a head injury from a horse accident leads to Violet feigning an illness to get back at her insufferable husband. The hilarious hijinks that ensue left me with a smile on my face the entire time!

Normally, enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, but the lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers storyline in this one was even more fun. The back-and-forth banter between Violet and James had me cracking up. My only complaints are that the book was a little slow to start and there were times when I was just so irritated with Violet and James and their lack of communication, but it did make the growth of their relationship even sweeter in the end.

If you like enemies-to-lovers, give this one a try for a little something different! To Have and To Hoax is available now!

4/5 stars!

Regency romances have always been a genre I’ve enjoyed, but I’ve found them to be great escapism reading during our current COVID-19 crisis. To Have and to Hoax was a delightful novel full of romance, humor, and unforgettable characters.

At a party during her debut season, Lady Violet Grey is found alone on a balcony with Lord James Audley. Lord Audley being an honorable man, proposes to her and they are the great love match of the season. Five years later, the couple is found to be anything but a happy love match. They had an argument four years earlier and have lived in a cold silence since then. What was this argument about and what extremes will Violet go to to capture her husband’s attention again?

To Have and to Hoax was very entertaining. I couldn’t wait to see what scrape Violet and James would get into next to try to outdo each other. I also loved when they would figure out that they had been had by the other. It reminded me of a 1930’s screwball comedy in a Regency England setting. The romance was rather steamy at times and very romantic. I really loved the overall story of Violet and James coming to terms with the mistakes they had made in the past and figuring out how to make their marriage work in the future. I also vastly enjoyed the side characters. I really hope Waters writes another book with these characters as I would love to see what the future has in store for them.

Favorite Quotes:

“However, bloodshed did have an odd way of spoiling an evening.”

“But as I cannot undo the past, I am merely going to do the best I can in the present.”

Overall, To Have and to Hoax is a delightful comedy and historical regency romance.

Book Source: Review Copy as part of the Simon & Schuster Blog Tour. Thank-you!

I loved this story and I am always a sucker for a good historical romance. The characters were fun and I enjoyed their banter throughout the story.

Thank you for my ARC in exchange for a fair review.

“I’d rather spend my days arguing with you than in calm conversation with anyone else in the world.”

This book was utterly delightful to read. James and Violet were so much fun- their dynamic, their plans, the way they interacted with other characters. It was all wonderful. I love a good second chance romance, especially if the couple is already married and To Have and To Hoax delivered on all fronts. I really liked that even while estranged you can see how much Violet and James love each other even when they don’t want to admit it. And that over time they both realize what needs to be done on BOTH ends to fix their relationship.

The machinations in this novel remind me of a Shakespeare comedy. Where they all know what’s going on and they all know that the others know, but now they’re committed and they have to go through with their plans. I loved it so much and it made me laugh so many times.

I very sincerely hope that there are more books planned for this universe. I don’t know if this is planned as a series, but I’m not gonna lie, I already have the couples I like picked out.

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It is an utter delight from the very first word!

A married couple that have been estranged for the last four years, discover that they’re not so indifferent to each other after all. But forgiveness isn’t easily won. Hijinks, hoaxes, and verbal sparring make this a laugh-out-loud read.

The attraction between Violet and James is undeniable (and steamy!). Their friends fill out the ballroom with interest and intrigue (I can envision many companion novels).

A perfect read for Julia Quinn fans.

If you’re looking for a historical romance with plenty of heart and humor, look no further than TO HAVE AND TO HOAX.

I don’t usually read historical romances however, the blurb for this book drew me in and I’m so glad. James and Violet were tragic and hilarious and this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters is her debut book. Lady Violet Gray and Lord James Audley met on a moonlit terrace, and less than 20 minutes later, she was declared compromised, and he did the honourable thing, and they married. Their marriage worked delightfully for the first year because they were very attracted to each other, but when they found out that they’d been set up James not one to trust people decided that Violet must have been in on it and so they’ve spent the last four years estranged and not speaking. When Violet is notified that James has been injured, she rushes to his side broken-hearted that perhaps she waited too long to let him know she still loved him, only to find that he’s fine and wondering why she would bother. Violet decides to make James understand how she felt by pretending to be ill, a plan it is noted her friends thought would inevitably fail, and of course, it does leading to a situation where she knows that he knows that she knows that he knows and much laughter. The story is funny and charming with excellent banter and a Happy Ever After that can only be achieved by letting go of the past, learning to trust and opening your heart. Medium Steam. Publishing Date April 7, 2020. #NetGalley #ToHaveAndToHoax #MarthaWaters #AtriaBooks #HistoricalRomance #HistoricalFiction #bookstagram

I am a huge historical romance fan and this cover definitely caught my eye. This sounded like it was going to be an adorable romance between a bickering married couple and I was excited to read their story.

When this started, I thought the romance was so cute. Something had happened four years ago, one year into their marriage, that caused Violet and James to hate each other and barely speak to each other. When Violet gets a letter that James is hurt and might never wake up, she freaks out and jumps to be by his side. When he recovers quite quickly, they're both mad at each other for their reactions, which sparks the need to toy with each other for the rest of the book. Their banter was cute, but I do wish that we knew what caused their rift a bit earlier on. It was some big mystery as to why they both felt betrayed and we didn't get the reasoning until well into the story.

As James and Violet continue to play games with each other, I definitely became annoyed by how much they refused to talk to each other. If they just had a conversation four years ago on the night they argued, this whole book would have been avoided. The rest of this book only continues because they just won't have an honest conversation with one another. If you do not like the miscommunication trope, you are going to be annoyed reading this. At the end of the book, everything wrapped up a little too neatly as both characters had their confrontations with people who have wronged them and it felt too forced for me.

While this was a cute story in the beginning, the middle and the end of this story more annoyed me than not and I just wanted the characters to talk already. Sadly, this one wasn't as endearing as I wanted it to be.

Martha Waters does a smashing job with her debut novel To Have and to Hoax. This regency romance brings together Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley. They have a year together happily married and then a misunderstanding leads to them hating each other. What transpires from there is a plot to one up each other in a series of plots designed to see if there are still feelings of love there.

This is a fun and lighthearted novel that brings to the fore the adage: "The opposite of love isn't hate; it's indifference." So, where there is hate...there might still be love.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

During her first season, Lady Violet Grey met and was caught up in a whirlwind romance with Lord James Audley. A true love match, they were hastily married, but after a year of wedded bliss, they had one fight that brought their relationship to an apparent halt.
Four years later, they barely speak to each other and, after what could be construed as a simple misunderstanding for other people, they’ll embark on a game of deceit and manipulation that will either bear a winner or kill them both.
Unconventional as she is, Violet won’t take her husband’s indifference without a putting up a proverbial fight and the very proper James will not allow his wife to manipulate him further. With the complicity of their extremely meddling friends, these two will also involve an actor and other people in the play of their discombobulated relationship just to get on each other’s nerves.
As soon as I read the blurb I knew I had to read this story. I Love Lucy meets War of the Roses in this fun and romantic tale. I found myself laughing out loud more times that I expected while I fell in love with the stubborn couple.
The writing was fluent and extremely creative, though I found the book a tad long for my taste. Still, it was a witty and charming read about two people in love who fight for their relationship in the most unconventional way.


3.75 stars

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5* rounded up.

This was well-written, with likeable characters and a light, humorous touch, Unfortunately (for me) the whole story was one of a big misunderstanding that had persisted for four years. When the misunderstanding was resolved, this was as a result of the hero having a proper think about things, rather than the revelation of new information, and then immediately there followed a little misunderstanding.

I would happily read more by this author, but hopefully exploring a different trope next time.

Review published at Booklover Book Reviews website: https://bookloverbookreviews.com/2020/04/to-have-and-to-hoax-by-martha-waters-book-review-fiesty-flirtations.html