I loved this book! I fell in love with To Have and To Hoax at the beginning of quarantine, and was thrilled to hear it was the beginning of the series. To Love and To Loathe follows Diana in her quest to find companionship. A botched last night with his mistress leaves Jeremy feeling out of sorts, and so he turns to Diana for a better review. The two embark on a two week country party with a mutually beneficial agreement between them. What they both don't expect is to fall in love along the way.

I absolutely love Diana. She's a strong female protagonist but not your usual one at that. She finds it difficult to deal with emotions and had a harder childhood. The evolution of her relationship with Jeremy was fun to read, and really showed great development of them both as characters. I laughed, I blushed, I loved. What a great book!

There’s so much to love and nothing to loathe in this book!

Diana wagers 100 pounds that Jeremy will be wed within a year (they’re both friends from TO HAVE AND HOAX). He accepts the bet and offers her another deal: a no-strings attached love affair. A recent lover complained about his prowess in the bedroom and he’s eager for an honest opinion. Neither Diana (already widowed) or Jeremy are interested in marriage, but the more they reveal of their true selves to each other, the more they realize that they might not loathe each other as much as they thought.

Sharp sparring with steamy interludes, fun friends, and one very determined spinster make this read a frothy delight. Both characters show beautiful vulnerability that leads to the perfect ending. A must read for historical romance fans.

I had not realized this was the second book in a series. It wasn't exactly necessary to have read that one first, though, although I did wonder why I should care about certain characters who were brought in with little introduction.

Overall, I feel quite neutral about this book. At times, the story felt a bit too contemporary for being set in the Regency era and with such a salacious proposition for a premise, the attempts at suspense were dragged out for all they were worth. I'm also not sure the queer story line really worked for me because it, too, felt run into the ground.

I might read something else by this author, if she were not setting her story in the Regency period.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for

-m/f frenemies to lovers
-brother's friend
-sex pact/friend's with benefits and a bit of sex education thrown in
-regency romance
-a house party
-a marriage bet
-a hilarious cast of secondary characters
-some amazing and witty banter
-slow burn

I loved this one so much. It turned so many tropes on its head, and had such a feminist plot. While Jeremy was a rake, he still had a lot to learn in the ways of women, and Diana was there to teach him despite her lack of practical experience. Their relationship, banter, flirting, and sweetness with each other was amazing. It was wonderful to see that the sex was not immediately perfect, and Jeremy was willing to listen and learn.

It was also surprising to have a book centering on a sex pact still be a slow burn and it worked so well. I was laughing so much with this book and couldn't put it down. While I have not read the first book in the series and I don't feel you have to, I know am desperate to read it to learn more about these characters and can't wait for the next in the series.

Rating: 5
Steam: 3

I very much enjoyed To Love and to Loathe, an enemies-to-lovers. The undeniable chemistry and clever banter between Diana and Jeremy made this book impossible to put down. It's also a great depiction of sexual communication and learning, as Diana teaches Jeremy how to be a better partner to the women he pursues. But while Diana and Jeremy were wonderful characters to root for, I was frustrated by a the lack of external conflict to keep them apart. I was also frustrated by a plot line surrounding a closeted queer character. Diana promises to keep this character's sexual identity a secret, and then immediately outs this character to several of her friends. This choice is never condemned and Diana suffers no consequences for such a selfish act. It made me uncomfortable as a queer writer and felt like an unnecessary decision on the part of the author. The lack of external conflict and the decision to out the only queer character in the book against their will made this book a three out of five stars for me.

Martha Waters, author of the adorable book "To Have and To Hoax," has crafted yet another wonderfully entertaining storyline in the novel "To Love and to Loathe." Diana, a widowed yet hurting spitfire, and Jeremy, a man totally indifferent to the idea of marriage, have been friends for years. While hurling barbs back and forth, sparks fly and the friendship turns into something else entirely. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the main couple. Waters also includes characters from the previous book, and it was fun to read about them again. I really enjoyed this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

To Love and to Loathe is an enemies-to-lovers Regency romance. While it's the second book in a series, I read it without first reading To Have and to Hoax and never felt lost. I don't usually read historical romances but this adorable cover drew me right in.

Diana, Lady Templeton, a young widow remains uninterested in remarrying. Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham, is a confirmed rake who's known Diana before her Debut Season. The two have a well-known antagonistic relationship.

Diana offers him a wager. He marries within a year or she pays him 100 pounds.

And then Jeremy's latest conquest gives him poor marks for his lovemaking skills. So he offers Diana a proposition of his own. They enter into an affair and she gives him an honest critique of his abilities.

As you might expect, hilarity, antics, and feels all ensue.

The main characters and their friends were all well-developed. In some ensemble romances, I end up identifying characters by hair color but not this time.

The constant banter was fast-paced, bubbly, and sparkling. Jeremy's grandmother was imposing, terrifying, and a hoot. Totally transparent in her manipulations to get Jeremy married off to continue the family name.

I appreciated Diana's forward-thinking about women's role in society compared to men's. And the privilege that money gives. Probably not entirely historically accurate but I also enjoyed the frank discussions about grief and mourning.

Medium on the steam scale which felt perfect for the tone of the book. Read this for the banter and characters' relationships with each other not for explicit sex.

This is a perfect read when you need a sweet, clever HEA

Thank you NetGalley and Aeria Books for the ARC.

Lady Diana Templeton is a young widow who flirts incorrigibly, especially with her brother’s longtime friend Jeremy, the Marquess of Willingham. But their flirting is more bite than bark. However, Jeremy knows that despite his embarrassing situation —his previous mistress told him he’s not so great in bed— Diana will tell the truth and actually help him improve his bedroom skills. And so the two agree to a fortnight of liaisons while at a country house party. But feelings are catching for these two have vowed to never we (again)!

Trifling insipid, but the banter is mostly good. Could have done with more “meat”— maybe to do with Jeremy’s dichotomous feelings toward his deceased brother. Either way, all of the plotting for Lady Helen was boring, yet took up too much of the text in the story.

On the chaste to steamy scale, it’s a 5.

To Love and to Loathe was such a fun read! Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start by saying that I have not read Martha’s first book, To Have and to Hoax, but I love that it was not required to do so. Each book in this series follows a different couple, making it easy to start with the book of your choosing and go forward or back if you want. I do think, however, that the series would benefit from being titled and numbered so that it would be easy to figure out the order they were released.

I adore Regency era books and this was no exception. I love seeing how differently society carried on while also seeing how, as people, we’re still fairly similar. And this cast shows you all of that. From a strong group of girlfriends willing to ensure each other knows the ways of the bedroom, to older brothers with horrible timing, and an adorably fierce, absolutely not to be messed with, grandmother who might just have a trick or two still tucked up her sleeve.

In To Love and to Loathe we follow Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham and Lady Diana Templeton. The former a self proclaimed rake and eternal bachelor and the latter a young widow content in her independence with no desire to remarry. Jeremy and Diana have known each other for 10 years already as Jeremy is a friend of Diana’s older brother and they’ve been verbally sparring from the start. Which means we get to be witness to plenty of witty banter full of pointed barbs and constant one-upmanship. Not to mention the undercurrent of sexual tension. It’s always fun to watch these types of relationships unfold.

My one wish was that more attention was paid to the sexual tension in particular. It just could have benefited from more time. More time for the reader to feel the tension and more instances of steamy scenes that went beyond kissing to confuse the minds of our characters as their true feelings unfold. I did love what we did get to see in this regard, which is why I wish for more of it!

Overall, this book was a joy and a great escape from a suboptimal week in real life. It ranks a little low on the steamy scale, but I have every intention of going back to the first book and reading further books in the future! Also, I LOVE this cover! So much more eye catching than the first book.

I don't read a lot of historical romances, but I picked up this one on a whim because the cover was ADORABLE and I thought the premise sounded intriguing. Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham, has recently been criticized by a mistress of his for his rather lackluster skills in the bedroom. Seeking confirmation of his sexual prowess, or worst case, an instruction on how to improve, he takes up a limited-time affair with long-time verbal sparring partner, the widowed Diana, Lady Templeton. Lady Templeton sees this as an opportunity to signal to the menfolk that she's been a widow long enough and is open to take a lover--plus to get Jeremy out of her system, as she's had an attraction to him for years (even though she hates his guts a little bit).

This book was super enjoyable. Diana and Jeremy were excellent, fleshed out characters, and I loved their crop as friends as well. When I picked this up, I hadn't realized it was actually a sequel--you definitely don't need to read the first one to read this one--but now I WANT to go back and read the first one. For a book supposedly about sex education, there's not really much of that here (sex or sex education), so don't be disappointed if you were looking for loads of steam (though there is some), but the plot moves at a steady clip, with constant verbal banter and character development that make excessive steam unnecessary. Diana and her friends are women ahead of their time but determined to figure out how to make a place for themselves in a man's world and, honestly, doing a pretty darn good job of it. The book definitely teed up a third and perhaps fourth book in this series, and I can't wait to read them all! Maybe historicals are my things after all? At least when they have spitfires like Diana as the heroine.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for my eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

5 stars - 9/10

Ideal for those who love the witty banter of 2005's Pride and Prejudice movie, one I could watch on repeat. This book delivered the right relationship tension, humorous dialogue under a quintessential regency veil, and lovely supporting characters in the background. The country holiday provided the perfect backdrop with people stuck inside with each other and forced to interact. It is heavy on the "feelings monologues" that I find unnecessary in these kinds of books, but ultimately, it is an entertaining and swoon-worthy read, and I found myself smirking or outright smiling on more than one occasion. I also might be speaking as though I have hailed from Regency England myself.

Enemies to lovers

Lady Diana Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham grew up together in high society England. Both witty and single, they decide to place a bet. Jeremy will marry within the year, or Diana will give him one hundred pounds. After spending time together, and opening up about their lives, the two find themselves in a friends with benefits predicament.

This book was better than the first. Although it says this is a stand-alone, you really should read them in order to know the characters and their backgrounds. Similar to the first book, many side characters are brought forth, leaving room to continue the series with another couple- possibly Emily’s story.

I loved the Austen feel, and Diana’s love for art. But it wasn’t as romantic as I hoped, and not a lot happens during the course of their stay. There was still a lot of miscommunication between Diana and Jeremy. Overall, I’d continue reading the series just to see what happens with Emily and Sophie.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for sending me an advanced copy!

Martha Waters is back at it again. Historical romance with heart and intrigue. Diana and Jeremy are perfectly matched, in ten years of acquaintance they have traded more barbs than they can count, but Jeremy wants to add more to his relationship with the widow Templeton.
I enjoyed Diana's wit and ambition and independence but that soon turns to stubbornness and I liked Jeremy as a foil for her. He comes with his own issues and as they look past what they think they know about each other they learn they are more than what they've assumed for years. I liked their romance and story but I'll admit it wasn't as strong to me as the previous book.
We also get to see Violet and Audley from the previous book which was so much fun! I can't wait to read Emily's story and find out what hijinks she will be getting into.

Review posted on GoodReads (October 20, 2020)
Review Linked.

3.5/5 Stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for sending me an E-ARC for an honest review.

I was super excited to read this book. I heard really good things about it, and I am always a fan of Historical Romance.

I did really enjoy reading this book, however, I did not love it as much as I wanted to. I think the reason it turned out to be 3 stars instead of 4 stars was that I felt bored in some areas of the book. The plot was not as fast paced as I wanted. I really only found myself caring about Lady Helen and the two main characters Jeremy and Diana. I did not get enough information or time with the other characters to really care that much about them. In the end, I thought the book was good, but I would have liked a bit more world building. However, the romance was super fun and I loved it a lot!

Thanks for reading!
Caden

Awwww well wasnt this pure delight !

First off - the cover - don’t change it I love it. And
Completely understand the reference now with the picture.

I love jeremys grandmama, everything about her screams poise and Emily Gilmore in the most amazing way (all of Emily’s good qualities).

I could’ve used a couple more extended nights of ahem fun between the two of them - doesn’t need to be In detail, but to show they had more time together, maybe even a morning waking up together.

I love that the banter and playful hate wasn’t too mean (some books get too carried away with that and it makes it too hurtful).

They had great chemistry In the pages. I was rooting for them the entire time. Lacked some of the depth I’ve seen In other romComs though. Perhaps it’s because they didn’t have to “tackle” something for as long as other books I’ve read in this same genre.

Also- I always appreciate a book more when it shows both characters viewpoints!

I never felt bored and it was a perfect escape from 2020. It flowed well and I read it in two sittings.

I feel a little protective over Helen and that she shouldn’t have told her friends about Helen. It didn’t seem in her character felt a little gossipy.

I am rating it a 3.75-

Thank you NetGalley and atria for this ARc in exchange for honest review.

This book is perfect for a rainy day! Jeremy and Diana's relationship as childhood frenemies lent itself so well to creating these moments that are so funny, but charged with sexual tension. While the book started off slow the pacing picked up and I could not put it down. Somehow I missed Waters' previous book, but I instantly grabbed it after reading To Love and to Loathe. I cannot wait to recommend this to my friends, family, & followers!

2.5 stars (good characters but boring plot). Oh how I wanted to love this book. The main characters, Jeremy and Diana, were so lovely. Their back stories were each really compelling. I love the complexity of how Jeremy deals with his brother's death, and Diana's work to try to make a way for herself in a world that has no space for women's autonomy. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough time devoted to exploring either story. Rather than spending time with Jeremy when his brother dies and he takes over the Marquessate, or with Diana as she find her first husband and then lives through his death, we are told about each experience. The main content of this book is a utterly boring house party where the two leads realize that they are in love with each other, and as a result I never quite felt the romance between them blossom. I think that this book would've been much better had the author begun with the events of the prologue and then took us through the events that were so informative to each character's development ending with a last chapter or two of the house party. With no build up the book is just a dull waste of time, which is unfortunate because Jeremy and Diana deserve much more as characters (not to mention Helen!)...

*A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺
𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

I adored the first book in this series and I'm thrilled to say that this 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 as addictive. Perfect pacing with a historical setting and steamy romance with amazing chemistry between the two characters, Jeremy and Diana.

They are both complex and multidimensional characters. I loved that they could both hold their own and challenge each other.

Beautiful and immersive writing that reads like a big screen movie!! Love it and I'm already anticipating next book by Martha Waters!

Highly Recommend!!

I really wanted to love this book, but it was a struggle to finish. The premise is great. The hero is relatable. I liked the side-characters immensely. The heroine was, well, not that likeable. She starts all with an "all men are trash" belief. (And while, yes, some men are trash, she thinks they are all stupid and worthless. This is a weird attitude for a heroine in a romance.) The heroine also plots to get her lover married off to a terrible woman because she wants to win a bet and also to keep anyone from getting ideas that she should marry her lover. The heroine just isn't very likeable, which makes the story less enjoyable. I managed to finish it, but it was touch and go there for a while. I would only recommend this, if you don't mind an immature and a little bitchy heroine. Apparently, I do mind.

3.75 stars

I really wanted this to be a Julia Quinn book and although it had a great flowing plot, the characters just fell flat. I wanted more from Diana and her character, but all we got was too much dialogue and house parties and not enough background from her.

Alas, it was still a fun read but I felt a little disappointed.