First and foremost, I would like to say that I often find myself not wanting to be seen reading a romance novel because of the covers. This cover is beautiful and it makes my day to see a romance cover that can be taken seriously when on display in a store or bookshelf. 👏🏻

I loved everything about this book. It was a welcome transport from the emotional turmoil that has been the past year. I connected so much with the main characters of Diana (aka the widowed Lady Templeton) and Jeremy (aka the Marquess of WIllingham) and throughly enjoyed every moment of their bickering, flirting and overall chemistry. When they are in public together, it seems like they are constantly at each other's throats over trivial things, but it is a ruse for the electricity between them. In private their dialogue pulls readers into the characters themselves. We are shown what makes them tick and what is behind the masks they present to society.

I tend to give too much away if I carry on with the full plot , but I found myself sincerely hoping that this would be made into a movie at the end. Upon finishing this book, I immediately purchased Martha Waters' first book, To Have and to Hoax. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book. I loved it so much
and have already preordered my own copy. 💗

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is well timed with all of the current buzz about Bridgerton as it reminded me very much of the same era. While parts were entertaining with the back and forth love story, I felt it seemed slow to get to the ending that we knew was coming.

This book was just what I needed after watching Bridgerton. I adored the bickering and the sparks between Jeremy and Lady Templeton. The chemistry was flaming! This was a great beach read and just what I needed to escape world events.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked it, but I feel like the initial set-up was lacking - as in, the original proposition that brought the characters together. It felt forced!

To Love and to Loathe is witty, flirty and fun. I honestly loved it. I'm not a huge fan of historical fictions, I find them hard to get into but I really enjoyed this one. The banter between Diana and Jeremy was amazing. I'm a sucker for some good sexual tension banner and this book if full of it. The characters are well written and fun. It's also steamy. I was pleasantly surprised by how stream their scenes were. The chemistry between them was palpable.

A fun follow up to anyone who enjoys Julia Quinn, historical romance, regency romance, and enemies to lovers plots!

As many of you know, I'm on a bit of a regency romance kick! And I was lucky enough to have this arc in my arsenal.

Overall, it was okay! It was cute and I loved the back and forth between Diana and Jeremy. This was the second installment in a series, but you definitely didn't need to read the first to understand the characters or story. It tended to drag in certain moments, which made me lose interest in the story progression.

I'm not sure how I felt about Diana's character, quite honestly. I found her to be a bit much, and not in the way I normally like. What really made me dislike her was when she found out a secret about another character, something that could have potentially ruined her, and decided to share with her friends, even though Diana promised the other woman complete secrecy. That made me give Diana major side eye. 👀
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Thank you Net Galley and Atria Books for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

In Martha Waters new book, To Love and to Loathe, readers are taken on a fun romp through the lives of dueling aristocrats. Both characters, who have sworn off marriage for good, find themselves at war with one another over a "friendly" wager. Now, what was once a simple game becomes more complicated and more hilarious. Readers will find themselves laughing out loud as they traverse with the characters through pithy conversations and intricate interactions. A worthwhile read, Waters has created a cast of characters that leave her readers with the desire to know what comes next at every turn.

Diana and Jeremy have always been life long frenemies, full of snarky banter, and unresolved sexual tension. A few years down the road and Diana has become a widow and Jeremy’s grandmother is trying to get him to marry. Thus begins their first bet: If Diana manages to get Jeremy married within a year he owes her 100 Pounds. Diana, now a widow, is finally free and has her money, her freedom, and is enjoying being able to flirt and just live. Jeremy, experiences a rather alarming breakup with his mistress who calls to his attention that he might not be as great in bed as he had thought. Jeremy proposes to Diana, an arrangement in which she becomes his lover and helps him on his bedroom skills and in turn he’ll help her by gossiping to other gentlemen that she’s interested in a lover. Throw in some friends, various matchmaking plots, some twists and turns, and the very sweet romance that springs between these to characters who just love to loathe and poke fun at each other. This story was one to definitely love, and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a cute rom com!

*Thanks Netgalley and Atria Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I was SO excited to get to read this book - with an eye-catching illustrated cover & an adorable play on words title, this one was a must-read for me!

While normally I’m a stickler for reading books in a series in order, I was so excited to read this one after winning a paperback copy thanks to @bibliolifestyle that I went ahead and devoured it in pretty much one sitting, with no regrets.

I adored this delectable Regency-era romance that gave me the strong female character in English high society that I didn’t know I needed before this.

“The last thing I ever intend to do is something as unutterably foolish as to fall in love.”

Nothing like famous last words to really set the pace for your romance novel & let you know it’s about to get good….

Diana and Jeremy were the ultimate frenemies you knew loved to hate one another until they’re so close to that line they agree to a proposal that will change everything. I was 100% HERE for the simmering looks, built-up tension between them, and the exposed secrets that kept coming in this book!

Be prepared to laugh, swoon, & cheer on all of these delectable characters — Do yourself a favor and pick this one up, and I daresay treat yourself with To Have and to Hoax because I am sure it is just as wonderful!

Thank you NetGalley & Atria for an eARC, I will be recommending this one to everyone 4.5 stars for me!

Martha has done it again! Her writing style and story line is absolutely amazing. Always left wanting more from her lovely stories. Looking forward to reading more from her.

A cute, sexy Regency rom-com that I very much enjoyed reading! Funny enough, after binging Bridgerton on Netflix I had decided to read all of the Bridgerton books, and took a break in the middle of those to read To Love and to Loathe...which ended up being very similar to those books, with its scheming main character, sizzling sexual tension, and of course the Regency setting! This is a great read, especially for those who appreciate a good Regency romance!

This was a good fluffy pandemic-times read and I would certainly recommend it to patrons as such. It wasn't my favorite read of the month-- it felt a little too modern at times?, but it was overall enjoyable. Getting updates on the characters from To Have and to Hoax was fun but I think I ultimately liked that book and those characters more. Diana and Jeremy didn't quite have the umph to make the ending super satisfying. Plus there just weren't enough steamy scenes in To Love and to Loathe.
It was cute though, and definite escapism in these crazy times. but it's probably a 3.5-4 star read.

This is the perfect book to pick up if you're in need of a light-hearted story that makes you laugh and snort to yourself alone in your bedroom. In the usual Waters fashion, this is about two absurd, impossible people trying to rile each other up at every opportunity. Which is a very interesting dynamic considering this is a friends with benefits romance. Double the interesting if said impossible couple has person a trying to marry person b off to someone else to win a bet. I mean, this is set for a disaster. Or is it?

A feel good Regency romcom that never fails to immerse the reader in its story.

The description of this book, as well as the cover, caught my attention, which is why I requested the eARC from NetGalley. This was a quick, easy read, with several moments that made me smile, or even laugh. That being said, I wasn't drawn into Jeremy and Diana's story as much as I expected.

Diana is a young widow, with no desire to remarry. Jeremy is a rake, a long-time friend of Diana's brother, and has had a fascination with Diana for many years. The two like to needle each other, to see which can get a rise out of the other. Wagers are made, bargains are made, eventually love is found.

I'm not sure if the character development was lacking, if the storyline just wasn't believable enough, or what. But, I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an advanced copy of To Love and To Loath. I loved Martha Waters’ previous book To Have and To Hoax, so I was so excited to see her story continue with To Love and To Loathe. Although this novel picks up where To Have and to Hoax left off, it can be read as a stand alone book. It follows the widowed, Lady Templeton and her relationship with the renowned rake Lord Willingham. I was highly entertained by all of the quirky characters and laughing out loud every couple of pages. Like before, I became so absorbed in the story that I raced through this book and ended up staying up late to finish it in a single day. I adore the world that the author has created and can’t wait for her next installment.

For me period romances are really hit or miss – I either love them or I hate them...or loathe them or love them, I should say. While loathe is a strong word for how I felt about this book, it's in the same family. I simply didn't connect with the characters and the story in a way that made it worth reading. But, I think this book would appeal to many other readers, especially those who primarily read period pieces. Just not my cup of tea.

This book is a welcome addition to the Historical Regency genre! Sparkling wit and simmering chemistry, it was truly a delight. Highly recommend for fans of Tessa Dare and Sarah Maclean!

A cute and light hearted romance. It definitely had the feel of a modern romance set during a historical period. It didn’t feel especially atmospheric it true to the time period, but it was a fun and easy read. Very low stakes and characters weren’t deeply developed, it had a hard time capturing my full attention. The story was ok, but there wasn’t any sense of immediacy or drama, I found it difficult to be “gripped” as the story trundled along on expected pathways. Fans of contemporary romps looking to sip their toes in a historical romance may enjoy this one while fans of gritty or accurate historical romance may find it less fulfilling.

While not traditionally a regency romance sort of reader, the cover and the premise of this book stood out as possibly fun, and I decided why not?

And I'm so very glad that I did decide to give it a try. Diana, the widowed Lady Templeton, and Jeremy, the yet unmarried Marquess of Willingham, have known each other for a long time, flirting and bantering with an occasional edge for most of that time. Jeremy, scorned by a woman who lays question to his abilities to please a woman, goes to Diana to propose an affair, and of course also to boost his ego. Diana, who did not have much experience with her older husband, decides she has something to benefit from as well before she goes on to take on other liaisons. Neither are interested in marriage, but of course, both are drawn to the other.

What follows is a story with fun banter, society scandals, some sexy times, a lot of very direct conversations about relationships and sexuality, and of course a man and a woman who are very definitely not interested in love and marriage, determining that they might want precisely that.

Highly recommend for fans of more modern regencies, and perhaps anyone who enjoys romance between two smart characters, with flirtatious dialogue, and finding openeness and vulnerability. This was an excellent read to finish out 2020 and begin 2021.