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Review~ To Love and to Loathe
To Love and to Loathe
Category: 4-Star Review
Tags: 4-star, eARCS, NetGalley, Review
Author: Martha Waters
Genres: Adult, Historical, Romance
Series: The Regency Vows
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: April 6, 2021
The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham are infamous among English high society as much for their sharp-tongued bickering as their flirtation. One evening, an argument at a ball turns into a serious wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds. So shortly after, just before a fortnight-long house party at Elderwild, Jeremy’s country estate, Diana is shocked when Jeremy appears at her home with a…
The second book in the Regency Vows series was fun-filled and entertaining, featuring my favorite couple of the series so-far.

The series continues with the same cast of characters, focusing this time on Jeremy and Diana. I loved this couple and enjoyed their banter and bickering throughout the book. And while this had a bit of an enemies to lovers feel, I believe that Jeremy and Diana were always friends deep down, and destined to fall for each other.

Diana is a strong minded widow and knows what she wants in life. She enjoys spending time with her friends and arguing with Jeremy, who is one of her brother’s closest friends.

Jeremy is seen as a womanizing rake, but in reality cares very deeply for other people, including those in his employ, his friends, and those hurt by his family in the past.

Together Diana and Jeremy are well matched, meeting each other as equals. They enjoy baiting each other and look forward to opportunities to best each other, whether through attempted matchmaking, wagers, or teasing.

I can’t wait to continue the series and see Jeremy and Diana progress in their relationship as we spend time with the other couples in their friend group.

Disclaimer: I received a DRC through Net Galley on behalf of the publishers for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 rounded down to 3.

I liked this one much more than the first one in the series! To Love and to Loathe was more about self preservation and didn't include the dreaded miscommunication trope.

Diana and Jeremy are two "players" who have always run in the same circle of friends. They come together over a showdown of wills and they both set out to prove the other wrong. Diana is so fiesty and fierce. She stays true to her convictions and will not sacrifice her beliefs to satisfy societal expectations.

Jeremy has the weight of his family's expectations on his shoulders but he's determined to handle things in his own way.

Both of these main characters are headstrong players, determined to live life on their own terms. I enjoyed their banter and quick wit. And I loved the way in which their romance authentically blossoms.

Lady Whistledown recommends (in a regency tone of voice):

In the Regency Vows series by Martha Waters, “To Love and to Loathe” is revealed as the second volume of this delightful collection. I confess to perusing these tomes in a most disorderly manner (with reading books three and five first), a practice I do not recommend, yet each volume stands alone in its own right. The widowed Diana Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham, prominent figures in English High Society, are renowned for their quarrelsome exchanges and flirtatious repartee. One fateful evening, amidst a grand ball, they engage in a wager wherein Jeremy must secure a marital union within the year, or else Diana shall forfeit one hundred pounds. A trifling wager between acquaintances, one might say. However, Diana is taken aback when Jeremy pays her an unexpected visit at her country abode, proposing an entirely different sort of challenge—a mutually advantageous arrangement.

Jeremy, having recently endured disparagement from a former paramour regarding his amorous talents, implores Diana to assist in assuaging his wounded pride, putting his aptitude to the test within the boudoir. In return, Diana shall gain the affections of a paramour sans entanglements. But what shall come to pass when sentiments become entangled in their liaison? And how shall matters transpire if Jeremy's matrimony-minded grandmother, intervenes in the selection of his future bride?"

Much like the other books I’ve read in the series, the witty exchanges within Diana's social circle remain unparalleled in 'To Love and to Loathe'. Jeremy's endearing yet roguish charm, coupled with his occasional overabundance of confidence in his masculine prowess, rendered him quite lovable. The comical bedroom scenarios added a touch of levity, and the burgeoning chemistry between these erstwhile adversaries turned paramours struck a perfect balance. I earnestly recommend this series in its entirety to those in search of an amusing and light-hearted read that whisks you away to a bygone era.

Thank you Martha Waters, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ebook ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you for the opportunity to review - I've recommended this to my book clubs, as I think this would be a really fun comparison read to some other recent adaptations of similar structure.

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters is a delightful and charming historical romance that is a perfect fit for readers who adore lighthearted, humorous, and swoon-worthy stories about enemies-to-lovers, Regency-era romance, and witty banter, with a dash of playful competition and a strong focus on love and relationships.

This is the book that got me hooked on Martha Waters’s Regency Vows series. If you love a second chance, not-quite-enemies to lovers story with lots of banter and witty, lovable characters—this is the one. Diana is a unique heroine in that she can be pretty prickly, and Jeremy is so charming.

Waters is doing something with Regency romance that I think is really new and fresh. The setting is distinctly Regency, but the characters all feel like they could be your friends. I genuinely want to hang out with this group. Does it slip into anachronism? Sure, but not as much as you’d think.

In sum: I adored this book, and I think anyone who loves Regency Romance and wants something light and fun will appreciate it! This is book 2 of the series, but I read this one first and didn’t have any issues getting into the story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I started this but didn’t continue. It was fine, but just wasn’t the book for me right now. I don’t know if I’ll come back to it.

I love a good enemies with benefits situation, but unfortunately this one didn’t quite work for me. I thought the writing was good, but I just wasn’t invested in the romance, Definitely would read more by this author though!

Rated 3.5/5, rounded up to 4/5.

At the center of this historical romance are young widow Diana and reluctant Marquess Jeremy; they have known each other since they were young children and are constantly bickering. The plot of the novel is set in motion due to a wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds. Diana begins to shamelessly push marriageable women into his path, more concerned with besting Jeremy than she is about potentially losing a decent sum. At the same time, Diana is attending a house party at Jeremy's estate, at the beginning of which he approaches her because his latest mistress told him he's horrible in bed and he's looking for honest feedback/tutelage and trusts her to not artificially inflate his ego. Thus, they embark on what is supposed to be a brief affair but is quickly complicated due to suppressed feelings.

I struggled quite a bit in rating this one, because while it was well-written and witty, it failed to rope me in as expected. I usually love a historical romance with common tropes and character archetypes (which this installment is full of!) There usually has to be something that sets it apart from similar stories in the genre to earn enthusiastic praise. Perhaps I have just read too many books similar to this one that I've burnt myself out. Either way, I'd still recommend it to fans of the genre, particularly those who enjoy enemies-to-lovers.

What I enjoyed
-The writing overall was stellar - charming and witty throughout.
-Jeremy and Diana were just unique enough to be enjoyable as the main couple. Jeremy was a classic rake, but not an insufferable jerk like many in the genre. They're both emotionally stunted but in different ways and due to different reasons; it was rewarding to see them make great progress in overcoming these flaws. I loved how Diana did not seem to care about being likeable and wanted to take full advantage of the power widowhood provided her
-Jeremy's grandmother made the perfect number of appearances, in my opinion. She was very much the omniscient older presence that often pops up in the genre, who knows the hero and heroine will end up together before anyone else.
-I was extremely invested in the side plot between Emily and Belfry... I was living for every update on their situation and will have to read To Marry and to Meddle to get the full picture. The author is definitely talented at teasing the next installment!

What could have been better
-For a novel whose premise revolves around "sex lessons", I found there was a disappointing amount of actual sex. There is a heavy makeout session at the beginning of the arrangement that makes you think the rest of the book will be steamy, but it takes a considerable amount of time for the main couple to actually have sex. Even the first heavy petting session is more clinical than sexy as Diana had to give Jeremy constructive feedback which he did not take well at first.
-The whole side plot with Lady Helen was not properly executed in my opinion. I feel like the author didn't quite have a handle on who Helen actually was as a character, especially considering how much she features in the story.

Tropes to expect
-Enemies to Lovers - although enemies-to-friends-with-benefits is probably a more accurate description
-Mutual pining that is majorly suppressed
-Regency House Party
-Hero is a notorious rake
-Hero is a second son to an impoverished estate who absolutely did not want to inherit his title
-Young widowed heroine who was in a marriage of convenience with a much older man
-Hero is the close friend of the heroine's older brother
-The meddling and snarky grandmother figure


Overall, this was an enjoyable, light read. Definitely give it a try if you like enemies-to-lovers set in the regency period with sharp banter.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a cute regency read! I enjoyed the dynamic between FMC and MMC. Their dislike-to-lovers banter made the story the most enjoyable for me. I appreciated having a strong, unapologetic FMC who knew what she wanted! And while I do believe there was potential in the story, I struggled at times to continue reading. The pace of the storyline wasn’t working for me and I had to lean on certain scenes and dialogue to end up pulling me through.

This was my first novel by Martha Waters and while I didn’t love it, I am intrigued enough that I may give her other books a try.

Synopsis:

Jeremy and the widowed Diana are infamous for their bickering and flirtation. One evening an argument turns into a serous wager - Jeremy will marry within a year or Diana will pay him 100 pounds. After his latest mistress unfavorably criticized his skills in the bedroom, Jeremy goes to Diana suggesting they embark on a brief affair so he can receive an honest critique and Diana can use the gossip to signal she's interested in taking a lover. Diana takes him up thinking it will help her win the wager but while they’re focused on winning wagers, they stand to lose their own hearts.

Review:

A lighthearted regency romance that was easy to read. While this is the second in a series, it was perfectly fine as a standalone. I loved that Diana was a strong and liberated FMC who knew what she wanted. Friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes and this book did it well. It made me laugh, it made me blush, I enjoyed this book from start to finish!

Thank you to Atria for my digital copy!

I liked this second entry in Martha Waters’s series quite a bit better than the first. I really liked both the main characters in the previous book, and I was excited to read their story. I thought Waters did quite a good job with character development in this novel. Jeremy and Diana’s relationship was particularly satisfying. I would have liked to see more steam in the book given its plot, but I went in prepared for the steam level this time. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

To love and to loathe had such potential, but unfortunately I wasn’t a fan of it. The characters dialogue went on for ages sometimes and I felt like the main character, Diana, was not a great character and I had a hard time reading her.

That being said I did love the flirting between her and Jeremy so I did give a three star review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for letting me give my professional opinion of this book.

thanks to netgalley & atria books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the beginning of this book, especially the prologue portion. Diana is smart, funny, and sharp, if a bit too mean. As a young woman, she wants financial stability above all else. Waters writes Diana with excellent clarity and there's a lot I like about her point of view. Comparatively, our hero, Jeremy, is a bit less defined. Diana definitely has a crush on him, but it feels unwieldy especially in light of his less encouraging financial situation. So the book starts with her firmly rejecting him. And that scene was the best part of the book.

Most of the book takes place several years later. Diana is now a widow and is looking to explore the option of seeing some men romantically in casual way. Jeremy has been seeing women and unexpectedly gets some criticism of his sexual abilities. He seeks a enemies-with-benefits situation with Diana in the hopes of finding out the truth. And so it goes. For the most part they have a friendly dynamic, but sometimes say things in a kind of mean way. There's a good scene specifically around Diana critiquing Jeremy's lack of attentiveness to her cues in bed. But it all just sort of blends together without much happening. Towards the end there's a bit of a step up in the conflict, but it's a scene that should have happened a lot sooner because otherwise the conflict is pretty contrived throughout. Ultimately disappointing, especially given a strong start.

Finally - there's a big authorial mistake when Diana outs a LGBTQ side character. This is presented as a completely normal and okay thing to do. It's off putting and makes it harder to continue being invested in her as a main character to root for.

This book is all about the slow burn. Diana is a strong independent heroine and I loved her sharp tongue. I liked the frenemies to lovers angle and there were a few unexpected twists I didn’t see coming. But overall, it was somewhat of a middling historical romance. I did not read book #1 - I didn't feel like I was missing anything but I do think it would've provided more insight to their personalities.

Thank you to the author Martha Waters, Atria Books, and Netgalley for providing me the eARC.

3.75 STARS

After the reading the previous book in this series, To Have and to Hoax, I was excited to read Diana and Jeremy’s book. They had appeared as friends and also the most interesting characters in the broader cast to me. To Love and to Loathe did not disappoint.

Here we have the widow and the rake who have long had a simmering attraction but are now both free. Diana and Jeremy agree to a no-strings affair limited to their time at his country estate for an extended house party. When the sparks fly, though, they cannot get enough of each other.

(There’s surprisingly little and late spice given the premise. That said, I liked the slow burn throughout the book and felt it gave richer, gradual relationship development than I had initially expected.)

Diana was one of my favorite types of heroines to read: self-assured and strong but not overly antagonistic. The banter is light and teasing, never mean. Jeremy as the hero, however, was my favorite! He’s carefully created the carefree rakish facade but possesses hidden depths. He’s discreet with his affairs, honorable in general, a good friend, and protective of his family legacy. I liked that while Jeremy was not always ready for a commitment, he shows signs of uncharacteristic softness and truthfulness toward Diana—and only for Diana. The author makes it clear that Jeremy respects and admires Diana’s intelligence and fieriness, not just her looks. Diana challenges Jeremy. Jeremy recognizes in Diana an equal, and it’s beautiful.

Kudos to Martha Waters. While I enjoyed the previous book, this one showed such improvement in the writing craft. The pacing seemed more even throughout (although we still get telling not showing and navel-gazing). The contained setting and forced proximity allowed for a more tightly written plot. The comedic rompy elements of the plot were entertaining. Also, the dowager marchioness as the shrewd matchmaker was a hoot. The side characters surrounding the main couple at this house party played significant roles as nuisances, sounding boards, and humor additives.

This is not a standout historical romance but a perfectly fun time and nice historical rom-com.

I just love Martha Waters' plots so much. They're a little ridiculous and a little "okay but why on earth would you do this" but sometimes that's just what the heart wants. 3 stars is typically a little low for me but I didn't like how the main character outed a queer side character without her input, which would have been insanely dangerous in this time period and also just a shitty thing for someone to do. If this had been a plot point where the mc learned more about this stuff that would have been one thing but I really didn't like it.

I remember being worried if To Love and to Loathe would live up to my feelings about To Have and to Hoax and somehow, it surpassed them. I can't exactly pinpoint what it is about Diana and Jeremy that is so perfect to me - they're funny and kind and complicated and so, so wonderful together. This book was such a joy to read, and I know that it's one that I'm going to come back to over and over again.

I didn't realize that this was actually book #2 but it's not entirely necessary to read the first before this one. The dialogue and plot were enjoyable and made this a quick and easy read.

To Love and to Loathe is a hilarious historical romcom set in the Regency period in England. Diana and Jeremy were frequently in each other’s company due to the pairing of their very close friends, and were well known among the ton for their bickering. After an argument at a ball, they wagered that Jeremy would marry within the year or Diana would owe him one hundred pounds. Jeremy then received an unfavorable critique of his bedroom skills from his mistress. He approached Diana, a widow, with a counter proposal. He trusted her to give him honest feedback on his prowess during a brief affair during a house party, and Diana could use the gossip from their liaison to signal to other gentlemen that she was interested in taking a lover. Diana somehow believed that accepting this scheme would increase the likelihood of winning her wager. However, while the two were each focused on winning, they might have won something even better. I adored this book. The witty banter between these two resulted in a lively read with plenty to laugh about. It was interesting to see how the constant bickering between Diana and Jeremy translated into red hot chemistry and two people who fit together better than anyone can expect. I couldn’t put this book down and couldn’t wait for the next book in the series. This author has made me a bonafide fan. I recommend this book for lovers of regency romance. It is not one to miss! I am voluntarily leaving this honest review after reading an advanced complementary copy thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books.