I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley, and it was a light, fun Romance. The best parts of this was the banter between the two main characters. They had been friends/enemies for a long time, and I love a trope of a romance between someone and their sibling's best friends. He. of course, is a rake with a secret kind heart. She has quite the wit. She takes everything very seriously, and definitely gives as good as he does. I like that he has to beg for her. This is a really slow burn--lots more dialogue and less physical--but it's a great quick read. Nothing new and surprising for this genre, but you don't always need bells and whistles. This is exactly what it should be.

This was a very quick read that admittedly didn’t live up to super high expectations but I enjoyed nonetheless for a quick historical romance. If you like the genre then it fits the bill.

My review of this will be available on my blog closer to release date.

Let me preface this by saying I enjoyed the first book in this series. I thought Waters had an interesting take on Regency Romance. It was a fun adventure, the first book. I remember laughing out loud during the entire book, and being unable to put it down. Thus, I was VERY excited when I heard that there was going to be a second one about Diana and Jeremy. I knew that I had to read it, and I was practically squealing in excitement when I learned that it was on NetGalley. I rushed to request the book as quickly as possible.

So here we are. I have been accepted, I have read the book. And I have feelings. And these feelings are not necessarily good. Cue me being extraordinarily disappointed. And I hate saying that. Because this book was supposed to be a fun romp like the first book. It was supposed to be cute and uplifting and give me warm fuzzy feelings that I could cuddle when I was done reading. I could sigh in happiness and just feel joy at the simplicity of getting a HEA in a book. And yet, that didn’t happen. I finished the book and I was just left…wanting. And not in the good way. Hah.

This book has one of my favorite tropes friends/enemies to lovers. There is little more that I enjoy than a good enemies to lovers. Of any sort. I like it all. This book had such promise to me, because it was called To Love and to Loathe. I was intrigued because I thought that this book would be just as good as the first, but it definitely wasn’t. There were some issues I had overall with the book, and that has made it really hard to judge what I wanted to rate this book on Goodreads.

I’m going to start with the writing. Martha Waters is a talented writer. And her writing still shines through even when I am not enjoying the book as much as I want. Honestly, the writing helped make the book easier to read. Waters has writing that is so easily readable, and it makes the experience all the better. You feel drawn into her writing. The dialogue is usually fairly good, and the prose is accessible and quick to read. Overall, I did like the writing, and it helped lift up some of the parts that I thought were less than great.

I thought that the plot would be enjoyable, and it was to an extent. However, the romance portion of the plot I was so ready to love just fell flat to me. I didn’t become invested in Diana or Jeremy’s relationship. And I understand there are supposed to be obstacles and angst in a book, but I just felt…it wasn’t there. It was boring and I found both characters insufferable. I liked them both in the first book, but just not as much in this one. And then we get towards the ending, and the last ten percent is where a lot of the plot goes down. It was frustrating, because I felt that it was very contrived and didn’t work for me. It just didn’t sit right. Generally, I loved their banter, despite the fact I struggled with other aspects of their relationship. There were, a few hilarious scenes.

I loved Diana and her friendship with Violet and Emily. Those portions were always the highlight of the book for me. They were witty and amusing and felt true. They were amazing to read and enjoy. Violet although a background character in this one, still retained her character in this book from the first one, as did Emily. And we do get a bit more of Emily’s predicament in this book even as Diana herself is struggling.

Overall, I really felt this book had so much potential but fell short for me personally. I did enjoy it, but I was so excited, but it didn’t live up to me excitement.

Great follow up to "To Have and To Hoax". A tension-filled "enemies to lovers" story that gets you right in the feels. For fans of Evie Dunmore and Tessa Dare.

Really great historical romance! I loved the main character. She was so fun and smart, but in a way that was appropriate to the era. Would recommend this to anyone who loves Down with the Duke.

After watching Bridgerton on Nextflix (which, funnily enough, is the current background on Goodreads right now) this was exactly the kind of book I was looking for. If you are looking for naughty times however beware that it takes a looong time to get there, but the witty banter will keep you entertained regardless.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is delightful and in desperate need of being made into a movie. It's utterly charming and demands to be consumed in one sitting.

I am so thrilled that this book turns the "I'm not proficient in bed" trope on its ear and makes the MAN the vulnerable party! The writing is witty and appeals to modern sense of decorum and love.

Lady Templeton, widowed and relishing her freedom, enjoys sparring with the Marquess of Willingham. Her wager that he would be wed within the year is only the most recent barb she's thrown his way, but it also inspires him to proposition her due to her brutal honesty. Can Diana instruct Jeremy on how to be a more engaged lover without falling for him?

I don't always read historical romance, but when I do, it's Martha Waters.

Widowed Lady Templeton cannot help her nonstop banter with the Marquess of Willingham. They push each other's buttons and feed off the quick-witted replies. But they're not friends. And there isn't a spark - not at all.

But this is the ton and Jeremy must marry and Diana loves nothing more than to pester him so she offers up some stakes - if he doesn't marry within one year, she owes him one hundred pounds and vice versa. Jeremy excepts her wager and offers another - that the two start an affair that will mutually benefit them. Diana will signal to society that she ready to take a lover and Jeremy can get some much-needed feedback on his bedroom performance after a blow to his ego from his last lover.

While Diana throws women at Jeremy and tells herself their affair doesn't matter, her heart starts to speak differently. She can't help but feel jealous when the women she thrusts upon him actually get his attention. So now she must decide which wager is most important - love or money.

This was such a fun read. Martha Waters nails the banter while still focusing on character development. Diana and Jeremy are complex characters and while they can be absurd at times, it only makes them more enjoyable. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

A fantastic follow up to Martha Waters debut novel To Have and To Hoax!

The widowed Lady Diana Templeton has strong opinions when it comes to men - mostly that they are unnecessary and disagreeable. The most disagreeable being one of her brother’s closest friends, Jeremy, Marquess of Wilmington. Their interactions always lead to bickering, flirting or in most cases both. Then one evening their arguing leads to a bet that the Marquess will marry within a year or Diana will pay him one hundred pounds.

Diana is surprised when shortly after the wager begins Jeremy arrives at her home with another type of request. His latest mistress criticized his bedroom skills and he knows that Diana will be honest with him in that regard so he proposes a short affair between them. Diana decides that this arrangement will work in her favor - both in finding her own long term liaison and belong to find a match for Jeremy to marry. They soon discover that winning the wager won’t be as easy as they first thought.

I loved Diana and Jeremy’s love for irritating one another in To Have and To Hoax so I was thrilled to discover that they were the main characters in To Love and To Loathe. Their feisty interactions filled with humor and wit did not disappoint. I loved getting a better understanding of why Diana is so opinionated when it comes to men and a deeper look at Jeremy’s apparent blasé attitude. These two characters were exactly what I hoped for and I cannot wait to see what else Ms. Waters has in store for us with her next novel.

This was so fun!!! Oh I thoroughly enjoyed this. I loved all the characters, I loved the setting, the plot was perfect! What an absolute joy to read.

Cute, funny, and full of a lot of banter. The characters are very lively (if disconcertingly occupied with making dirty jokes and witty remarks). The friendship between Diana, Violet, and Emily was fun to read, and the moments of conversation between Lady Helen and Diana were surprisingly heartfelt. And of course, we can't forget about Diana and Jeremy, whose back-and-forth insults and remarks seem a lot like thinly veiled flirting . . . Thanks to Atria Books for providing me a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley!

To Love and To Loathe was a delightful, swoon-worthy Regency Era romance full of witty banter and charm.

Jeremy, Marquees of Willingham, is very unsettled by the remarks of his latest mistress about his skills in the bedroom—or lack thereof. In attempt to prove his previous mistress wrong and regain his confidence, he seeks the help of the widowed Lady Diana Templeton. The two long time frenemies agree to have a brief affair in order to right their reputations. Jeremy needs to test out his bedroom skills on someone who will be completely honest and Lady Diana is hoping that this brief affair will alert the other available gentlemen in town that she is open to taking a lover. With both of them determined to get what they want, they simply cannot let matters of heart get in the way.

I absolutely adored this story. Diana and Jeremy were wonderfully complex characters that had just the right amount of sexual tension between them. I also throughly enjoyed the volleying of witty banter back and forth between the two characters. This story is technically labeled as a sequel of the novel To Have and To Hoax, but it can be read as a stand-alone! If you’re looking for an enjoyable Regency romance that will have you laughing out loud, this is the novel for you!

Huge thank you to Atria and Netgalley for sending me an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

The mighty fall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think it will be tough for this author to follow up on her first book but this story is a wonderful addition to her series. With delightful characters that seem to come alive, they capitulate you right into the story.

Do you know those personalities that just love to pick on and annoy each other? Regardless if it’s a love or hate situation you know those types of people. In this story, the title speaks for itself.

Delightful banter, teasing, and manipulation to the extreme, (at one point Diana was even ticking me off), to the heated sexy realization that maybe they are right for each other. This book has everything packed into it with the emotional highs that you will love which carry you throughout the story.

Waters has created another awesome story that just touches your soul. With fabulous supporting characters, which we know from the first book, there’s got to be more books to come and I just can’t wait to see what else she dishes.

Witty, fun, sexy, and passionate, just a feel-good story all together.

What fun! I loved To Have and to Hoax, and it was wonderful to see James and Violet Audley living in matrimonial bliss in the second installment. To Love and to Loathe offers the same delight, humor, and romance in this regency take on friends with benefits. I loved Diana's story and the twist on this trope. At times I felt like the characterization was a bit rushed, but it came together in the end.

I got really into historical romances in 2020 because, like some of you I’m sure, I wanted a momentary escape from reality. I’ve always loved stories, whether books or shows or movies, that take place in the 19th century and during the Regency period (Pride and Prejudice will forever be a favorite of mine). So, with all of that, I was so thrilled that I received an advanced copy of Waters’ upcoming release, To Love and to Loathe.

I LOVED her first book, To Have and to Hoax, and I absolutely ADORED this one as well! Jeremy and Diana are right up there with Violet and James for me. They have a love/hate relationship—y’all know I’m a fan—that gets turned on it’s head when they make a bet on whether or not Jeremy will be married in one years time.

Of course, nothing goes to plan for either of them as their forced proximity at Jeremy’s shooting party makes them rethink and reconsider their feelings for each other. Their bet changes and adapts throughout their time at Elderwild, so much so that the ending was absolutely not what either of them anticipated.

I don’t want to spoil too much for anyone, but let’s just say I laughed out loud—something that doesn’t happen a lot for me when reading—and clapped for the feminist perspectives and undertones throughout the novel.

If you’re a fan of historical romances, or even if you’ve never read one and are on the fence, I highly recommend getting To Love and to Loathe when it’s released on April 6, 2021.

I really enjoyed this second book in the series by Martha Waters. Her writing is sharp and the relationships between characters feels real. This is a pretty chaste book, and the conflicts at the end are a bit overwrought, but the world building between this book and the first book is great and I look forward to the next one.

A regency romp about a young widow who strikes up an agreement with an old frenemy/ womanizing bachelor.

Diana and Jeremy have a relationship that oozes sexual chemistry. The pair embarks on an agreement to become lovers for a short time after Jermey receives less than stellar reviews from a former lover. With his confidence shaken, he asks Diana to help him out. She agrees in hope that being with him will let other men know she is serious about taking a lover, as well as give her some bedroom experience she is missing.

As the two spend more time together, their normal banter is taken up a notch, as well as their intense attraction. New understandings, respect, and appreciation for each other are found.

It’s a fun and easy read. Full of witty banter and sexy moments.



***Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for gifting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.***

I love love love the premise of enemies becoming lovers and was so excited to see how Waters was going to make this happen. I have not read her previous book, but after reading To Love and to Loathe, I am so excited to! Great character development and so well written. Highly recommend!

To Have and to Hoax was a gem of a book that I had happened upon last year and ended up absolutely thrilling me. I knew immediately after finishing that I would read whatever else Martha Waters wrote, and I'm so pleased that To Love and to Loathe shines just as bright as it's predecessor.

The only thing better than the promise of a frenemies-to-lovers situation, it's when said book delivers successfully on that promise. Jeremy and Diana's interactions in To Have and to Hoax had me hoping for a book focused on their story, and this did not disappoint in the least. There was so much to love: their constant bickering and witty remarks, the subtle attempts at undermining one another, the sizzling chemistry, the very obvious underlying romantic feelings obvious to everyone except themselves.

Besides the excellently written romance, I found Jeremy and Diana to be complex characters with personal struggles that resolve with character growth throughout the book. There is just so much emotion within the pages and I really loved reading it. To Love and to Loathe is a wonderful historical romance and I highly recommend it!