I know what I'm in for when I read a Martha Waters book now — lots of zippy, quippy dialogue and really great character dynamics. The main couple doesn't really present themselves as very deep — but a lot of their initial persona comes from a surface-level projection of who they want society to believe them to be, especially in Jeremy's case. In the case of this book, it was really never a question of if Diana and Jeremy would be together but when. Knocking a star off mostly because of the issue that many other reviewers have cited — the way in which the Lady Helen storyline was treated, with Diana immediately revealing that secret to her friends, put me off, especially since she could have still come to the realization about her feelings for Jeremy on her own without having to divulge that secret — otherwise this would've been a 4-star read for me solely because I felt that there was a little too much focus devoted to setting up other pairings and needed to be more for the one in the present book. But overall, I liked the house party setting and the main couple's banter, and I've heard that later books in the series improve, so I'm definitely willing to give those a shot.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

Before I get into the review, I should warn you that I didn't read the first book in this series. The book read perfectly fine as a standalone, but there may have been some cameos or hidden jokes that I couldn't appreciate to their full extent.

To Love and to Loathe is a historical romance novel that felt very modern with its premise. The book follows two characters who enter in a type of friends-with-benefits situation as a means to learn about sex while also hoping to get rid of their mutual attraction to each other. I, personally, love books/movies that are based on the naive notion that you can do a one-and-done when it comes to sexual attraction. I don't know what it is exactly but that type of dynamic of trying to deny your feelings for someone and not being able to really speaks to me.

I had a lot of fun with these characters. They had great banter with each other and surprisingly healthy relationships with their friends. There is the use of the miscommunication trope towards the end to drive that third-act conflict, but I appreciated how it was handled with some tough love.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A funny romance book. Easy weekend read.

Absolutely adorable! My first historical romcom and Martha Waters book - but not the last. A bit slow to start but then I was hooked

I tried a few different times to read this, hoping I just hadn't been in the mood for it. But ultimately, a DNF at 40%. I liked the characters in the first book and I was really looking forward to seeing them get their own HEA, but I just couldn't get into To Love and To Loathe.

Maybe one day I'll be able to circle back and I'll love them

TO LOVE AND TO LOATHE
By Martha Waters

Something about the style of writing doesn’t mix well with my romance reading tastes.

I found early on that there are big sections of the book where absolutely nothing happens. The conversations are drawn out, they last several chapters and I feel like I’m pulling everything out of the characters.

There is a hesitancy.

And Diana is written in a way where she is strong yet she has all of these pretenses where she behaves differently. It’s creates a character that is not well-formulated and it takes me out of the story focusing on her inconsistencies.

There is a line about her being a widow with title and a fat bank account yet she’s trolling around with a rake. Please tell me why? Make me buy it. What does Willingham have that makes Diana, this woman who has everything’s she’s ever wanted -want him.

Because he’s not written in an enticing way. It seems to be that both of them are more interested in whatever wagers they’ve set and coming in on their bets than figuring out whatever romantic relationship endeavors they may have.

There is also an instructional element to part of the storyline that is as steamy as Gazpacho. There is a way to write this type of scenario differently that could have added to the plot. It was a sorely missed opportunity that happened repeatedly.

There were glimmers of the adult regency romance I wanted but those elements were too far and few between. Some of the language concerning relations felt too stifled, almost censored. Which is odd considering it is an adult title.

I think this book will appeal to readers who love tropes and who enjoy finding them and seek them more than substance.

However, it wasn’t for me.

TO LOVE AND TO LOATHE..⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy!

I wish I had read this sooner. I am a huge fan of historical romance now and I am loving this series. I have even now read the book after this one. I have enjoyed the characters with solving their issues, the banter, and just pretending i'm living in the regency era myself while reading this!

Smart, witty, sarcastic, and the characters are honestly flawed, endearing, admirable, and fully relatable. I wanted to like this book more than I did but honestly it took me a while to finish—it was a tad slow. Yet I enjoyed it and would read another by this author.

To Love and To Loathe is the second book in Martha Water's Regency Era Series. It has a lot to love and a lot to loathe.

Diana is a widowed lady who has made a bet with her brother's best friend, Jeremy, that he will get married in a years time. A month times later, Jeremy proposes that Diana help him with his bedroom skills and he'll show others that she is out in society again. Diana has sworn that Jeremy will be her enemy for now and forever. But will she be able to loathe him forever? Or will love come out to stay with a certain Lord?

To Love and To Loathe is a fun story with a laughable cast of characters. The chemistry is flying off the pages with Jeremy and Diana. However, Martha Waters throws a lot of other subplots in the novel that make their feelings feel like second place. This is the second in the series however; may easily be read as a standalone.

I have not read any of Martha Waters' previous works, so it was interesting to dive into the second book in a series without prior context. With that being said, the main characters were enjoyable to read, they were both relatively good individuals with their roles within society. The chemistry between the two was delightful, to say the least, given the way they seemed to antagonize each other. However, while it was fun read there was not enough for me to see Diana and Jeremy falling in love with each other. I mean chemistry does not always equate to automatically falling in love.

I do love a good enemies to lovers trope. It was a cute quick read but I wouldn't say a favorite. It was definitely worth the read but nothing noteworthy for me.

I don't normally read historical romance but this one sounded intriguing and I wanted to try out the genre so I picked this one up.
What worked for me in this novel were the characters. They had a very easy, playful banter between them that I enjoyed. Their interactions made the book for me.
This was a light, easy read if you are in the mood for something simple.
I do wish there was a little more plot beyond just "the social season". It felt a litttle slow because of the lack of real plot.

I really enjoyed this book, although it moved along fairly slowly, which is a given for romances in the Regency era. I really enjoyed the characters and the little games they played to get what they wanted.
This was an entertaining book, 4 stars.

Synopsis:
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 very different kind of proposition.

After his latest mistress unfavorably criticized his skills in the bedroom, Jeremy is looking for reassurance, so he has gone to the only woman he trusts to be totally truthful. He suggests that they embark on a brief affair while at the house party—Jeremy can receive an honest critique of his bedroom skills and widowed Diana can use the gossip to signal to other gentlemen that she is interested in taking a lover.

Diana thinks taking him up on his counter-proposal can only help her win her wager. With her in the bedroom and Jeremy’s marriage-minded grandmother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Willingham, helping to find suitable matches among the eligible ladies at Elderwild, Diana is confident her victory is assured. But while they’re focused on winning wagers, they stand to lose their own hearts

Diana and Jeremy bicker throughout the first book in this trilogy, but it was more brother/sister to me. I was interested to see how Waters parlayed them into a couple. The premise was fun, but the execution didn’t live up to expectations. Diana proved herself too much of a mean girl and never made it to heroine in my opinion.

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

Am I upset with myself for finishing this one? Honestly, a little.

It had a very promising start. Good premise. Then all of a sudden it was like extra fast and extra haughty. By the end...I was just glad to be finished.

The absolute best part of this Martha Waters series are the titles. They are perfect! But the books... are totally fine, too. To Have and to Hoax sets the stage for our three friends and their prospective (or current) lovers, and To Love and to Loathe picks up the thread almost immediately after the last book. Finally everything has gone right for the nearly-failed marriage and we can focus on Diana, the best friend. This book does some things wonderfully- I did enjoy the witty banter, and the hate to love (that was always love, of course). I also love a good backstory where he has to figure out his stuff before they can have a relationship. That said, the issue in the last title was two people who simply didn't both trying to communicate, over and over. Here, they are communicating, but consistently doing the most idiotic thing they can imagine.

Mostly I forgave them by the end. And it was light, fun, and I read it very very quickly. This is happy regency fluff with nice writing and fun whimsical characters. Just go in ready to smack the characters over and over again, and you'll be fine. Three and a half stars rounded to four (because I love a snarky heroine), with a hopeful eye for book three.

This historical fiction romance has a cutesy cover and an intriguing premise but in the end I felt like it wasn't very original, and I struggled to keep interest.

The writing style is fun, with a bit of a tongue in cheek style. But ultimately this just wasn't for me.

loved it and loved it. Read it and liked it. Iliked this series of books. Thanks netgalley for this book.

This was my first ever Regency romance!
Let it be known that I grew up in a household that reveres Jane Austen so the regency era of contemporary romance novels hasn't ever been anything I've been particularly drawn to. I think it's because I have always enjoyed the books from the actual time itself and have never really looked to expand my reading in that direction. But with popular shows like Bridgerton (based on the popular romance series by Julia Quinn) and PBS reincarnating Sanditon, the regency romance seems to be having a moment - consider my interest piqued.

This book was charming and fun, I found it to be a delightful novel for a first attempt at reading in this genre.
Romance readers who enjoy the classic enemies to lovers trope will certainly find this a fun read. My one recurring thought while I read this was that the writing seemed rushed in places and scattered in others, and that might very well be a case of "me" not the actual book.

Overall a fun dip into the regency romance waters, I certainly enjoyed this and will be looking forward to my next read in this genre.