This one was SO fun! Totally saw the Shakespearean vibes in this one. Made me laugh but didn’t know it was part of a series. Could probably read this as a stand-alone though.

ARC provided by Atria Books through NetGalley.

(This is like a 3.75 rounded up to a 4)

To Love and to Loathe was a lovely book I got to read earlier this year that surprisingly entertained me. I think historical romances have always been an elusive genre for me. Sometimes the conventions of the genre don’t really lend them to exploring gender politics and patriarchal society in a way that doesn’t seem like they’re hitting you over the head with it. This book does a really good job of incorporating those themes while recognizing that it is a romance novel set in the 1800s and readers still have story beats they want to read.

I enjoyed the frenemies-to-lovers dynamic Diana and Jeremy had and their little interactions in this book's predecessor did intrigue me (at times more than the main couple in the first book). This book really explored their bickering and snippy remarks at one another, and their entire miscommunication shtick was done well.

I found the climactic breakup in the latter half to be a little less fleshed out than it should have been but it was a really fun ride overall. This book felt like a cleaner, crisper, and more complex read. Their agitation and frustration with one another was palpable, which made their recognition of their connection all the better!

Looking forward to the next in this series - perhaps Emily and Belfry?

Thanks once again to Atria books for the ARC!

The author has nailed the regency romance, entwining humor, etiquette, and love. The characters are well-written and leap across the page.

I absolutely adored To Love and to Loathe. A fun little enemies-to-lovers between two people who occupy very different places in society-- and have been forced to carve their own paths. I loved the regency setting, and how strong Diana is in a way that's not quite proper. The whole cast of characters is fun and complement each other really well, and getting to see them all on a trip to the country was delightful.
My two favorite tropes are fake relationship and enemies-to-lovers. While To Love and to Loathe doesn't quite have the former, opting more for a relationship of convenience type situation, it felt very fake relationshippy. And the schemes! So many schemes! Absolutely delightful.

To Love and to Loathe follows Diana and Jeremy as they embark upon a trip to the countryside filled with misadventures fuelled by a bet regarding whether Diana can match Jeremy with a wife. The rakish Jeremy has been in Diana's life for years as a friend of her brother's, and while they exchange barbs, there has also been sparks of chemistry that have left each party questioning the nature of the other. When Diana comes up with a bet she can see him married off within the year, he comes up with a proposal for her to tutor him in other pursuits.

I loved this one. I liked these characters as Waters introduced them in To Have and To Hoax, and getting to know them better in this novel along with returning favourites was a real pleasure. There were definitely moments where the quips exchanged had me snort-laughing, and I enjoyed getting a sneak peak into their past to understand how their stations in society and personalities were at play.

I found the Jeremy and Diana's friendships to be funny and genuine, and that made the story even better as witnessing one's best friends cheering on and shaming during the courting process is one of the best parts of any love story.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I can't wait to see what Waters comes up with next! I really enjoy her universe and the characters she creates within them.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: To Love and to Loathe

3/5

I flew through this book! It was fast paced, intriguing and enjoyable. This book makes me want to read classics and the first one by this author.

What I loved:
-the characters; their banter and chemistry
-the setting, what a fun era to read about!

What I didn't love:
-this book was a bit too long for what they were trying to accomplish.
-the majority of the main characters problems would've been resolved if they would've talked to each other more.

If you love classics, twists on classics, books set in the 1800's and enemies to lovers, you'd enjoy this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical romance. Diana and Jeremy were so much fun. I flew through this book and didn't want to put it down. I highly recommend it for romance fans.

Jeremy and Lady Templeton strike up an agreement to help each other out in the physical department, but vow to never marry. They hope to learn a thing or two from each other in the bedroom and in the meantime figure out how to win a bet about marriage prospects. This is one that is a feisty regency romance with a secret relationship between Diana, a headstrong and clever widow, and her brother’s best friend. All around I loved this one and I thought it was a lot of fun to read over the past weekend.

This one was so good and I love this. It was such a unique story in which I was intrigued from the very beginning. I really liked every moment in this book. Both characters were fantastic.

To Love and To Loathe was such a great royalty story about these two characters falling in love. I really enjoyed it and I’m not very big on royalty books. I really would recommend this one.

Oh man, this is a tough one for me to review because there were parts that I REALLY loved. And I loved the characters individually, but just as a whole this one was missing something for me. When it was good, it was great, but it dragged a lot and the plot was kind of all over the place at times. Very interested to read more by this author, though.

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters is the 2nd book in the Regency Vows historical romance series, and my first book by this author. I do not normally read historical romances, but I have to admit this one was fun. I love the quirky people and situations in this book, and watching the characters grow. I found this book to be a quick read, and recommend it to all readers who enjoy a sweet romance, especially historical ones.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Martha Waters’ follow up to last year’s “To Have and to Hoax” was a mixed bag for me. I frankly detested the heroine for most of the book. She was manipulative and mean. She didn’t treat any of the people who love her very well, particularly, Jeremy, the hero of the book. I completely didn’t understand Jeremy’s attraction to her, and didn’t believe that he was continuing to court her despite her behavior.

On the positive side (!), Waters’ writing is sound. I’ve read a few too many cringe-worthy love scenes recently, so this is notable.

This is an undemanding, light read, and if you can find something to love in the heroine, an enjoyable one!

I really enjoyed this absolutely charming novel. Stories surrounding the often pampered people of The Ton is always quite fascinating and intriguing to me. The arrangement made by Diana and Jeremy led to many comical moments and the banter between them was the best. Along with that comes scandalous behavior, moonlight rendezvous and the need for everyone being in everyone else's business. It was fairly obvious how the story was going to end but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride!

I want to start by saying that I don't read a lot of historical romance and can't say if this is typically what the genre looks like. What I can say though is that I really disliked Diana. So much that I didn't even want to finish reading this. I should have stopped after Diana outed another character (for no reason, but really is there a "good enough" reason to do this?). I love enemies to lovers troupe but this was all over the place. I didn't even want Jeremy to fall in love with Diana because I was annoyed by her.

This is the first book I have read from Martha Waters, I wont continue on with this series and not sure if I would read anything else by her.

Loved this title!! It’s a perfect hate/to-love type romance. If you’re a fan of “Bringing Down The Duke” you will love this new release!

To Love and To Loathe is the newest Regency romance from Martha Waters! If you are looking for a witty rom-com with a Regency twist then look no further! Thank you so much to Atria Books and Netgalley for my gifted copy!

Diana is a widow who enjoys her life of freedom and independence. She has no plans to marry again, but she would not mind taking a lover. Diana and Jeremy, the Marquess of Willingham, have always bantered while conversing and dancing at the society balls so they each make a proposition to each other. A week-long country house party at Jeremy’s estate turns everything on it’s head!

This is just the type of fun book that I will always love to read! There’s a lot tension created from the wagers and the meddling from the house party guests. The witty banter is on point and reminiscent of more modern romantic comedies, but Martha Waters makes it fit perfectly into a Regency romance. This is a must read for fans of Regency romances, but if you are a fan of rom-coms and want to dip your toes into a Regency romance this one is great!

I was sent an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To Love and to Loathe is the second book in The Regency Vows series, but I ended up reading it as a stand alone and was able to follow along no problem. Although the premise was enticing, the characters and dialogue fell flat for me. There was nothing new or exciting about the two MCs Jeremy and Diana, and the dialogue was lacklustre at best. Not a bad read by any means, but it likely won't be a book I remember in a couple weeks.

I am going to be really honest here: The first book in this series didn't meet my expectations. This book, however, was a lot of fun and a great read! I enjoyed the banter and the foreplay of the main characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Diana Templeton is a widow not looking to wed again and Jeremy is a Marquess and a rake that isn't looking for a wife. The sharp tongued pair are at each other's throats with every interaction, but with a simple wager they find that they both have a lot to lose, including their hearts to each other.

I didn't realize this was the second book in a series when I picked it up, but like most romance series you can read them as a standalone. If you are someone that doesn't like to be spoiled, then I would recommend picking up the first book before this one because there are references to the previous book. I am not one of those people and I'm totally fine with spoilers believing it's more about the journey than the destination.

That said Diana and Jeremy had intense chemistry that reminded me a lot of the Duke and I so like many other reviewers I do believe this would be a great option for those still suffering of Bridgerton withdrawal or looking for something in the similar vein. There are a lot of historicals out there touting their similarities, but this one has the vibes to back it up.

I have tried and tried and TRIED to finish this book and it is just not happening. Everytime I started again I figured whatever barrier is the issue would go away. And it never it.

I don't know why exactly either, I really enjoyed the first book in the series and was looking forward to this read.