To Marry and to Meddle is the third novel in the Regency Vows series. While each novel features a new couple, the time is continuous and events from the previous novels are referenced in this story. The timeline of this novel begins shortly after the end of the second novel as the group of characters are still at the estate and Jeremy and Diana have gotten together. I absolutely love the inclusion of their story in this one as the two of them are preparing for their upcoming wedding while the main story moves forward. The reader also gets to revisit Audley and Violet as they are featured secondary characters in this story.

This story follows Emily Turner who is six seasons in after her debut and she currently has no prospects for marriage. She is controlled and sheltered a lot by her parents, and she must constantly portray the image of perfection to keep her family’s status despite her father’s debts. Second-son of a Marquess, Julian Belfry, who owns and operates the Belfry theater in London, was attracted to Emily when he first met her and sees her as the perfect key to gaining approval of him and his theater in Society. Not only will Emily be able to elevate his status, but he can also help her by paying off all of her father’s debts and provide her an escape from her family’s control. This was a great conversation between them as Julian and Emily discuss terms before they agree that a marriage of convenience will work for them. The main portion of the novel follows the two of them navigate their marriage as each tries to fulfil their end of the bargain and discover that they each may be developing real feelings for each other.

The marriage itself happens fairly early in the novel, which may feel a little rushed if a reader is new to the series. For me, I loved this set up as it gave a lot of time for the couple to discover each other, including the adoption of the “demon” cat, which added a bit of fun to the story. Not only is there the element of the two characters trying to navigate married life, but there are also obstacles that come with each of them dealing with their families plus the theater subplot. Julian and Emily were fantastic together as I loved their communication. They may not be perfect, but they try hard to be as open as possible with their feelings with each other. This is a contrast to the couples in the other two novels as they experienced more deception compared to Emily and Julian. While it fit well with their characters, I did miss the one-upmanship type games between the couple. I still loved the two of them together, so it did not take away from my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, this novel was a very fun read. The characters are all likable and they complement each other well. As I read all three novels in the series, I love how the characters were consistent throughout each as I did not sense sudden changes in their traits from novel to novel. As Emily and Julian are each introduced in the earlier novels as secondary characters, it was excellent to get to know them more. They had great chemistry and banter and their relationship built up well as they began to feel more for each other than just partners. I did not see any reference to additional novels to the series online or in the back of this novel, but I hope there are more in the series. I would love to see a story about Penvale, Sophie, or any of the other secondary characters along with getting more updates on the past couples!

**I want to give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Atria Books, for a review copy of this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Martha Waters is just my go to historical romance author. Her characters are always so fun and witty. I’m smiling while reading her books and it’s the best feeling. I love this series so much.

3.5 stars

Lady Emily and Lord Julian agree to a businesslike marriage. He hopes to gain respectability, something he lost when he got involved in the theater business. She is anxious to escape the company of a loathsome man who her father is indebted to.

Lady Emily has always been pleasant, proper, intelligent and well-behaved. But one of the consequences of becoming a married woman is that she finds herself eager to throw off the shackles of her expected obedience, somewhat to the surprise of her new husband. She discovers the delicious freedom of expressing an opinion of her own, and exercises that freedom frequently and happily. Lord Julian, not ever expected by society to marry, and having been semi-estranged from his family, is startled but not displeased to discover that his bride has more spirit and thoughtfulness than he had thought.

Neither had expected their relationship to move from businesslike to romantic. But their road to realizing they have actually fallen in love is entertaining, sometimes touching, and often humorous. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was very cute - possibly my favorite of the series so far. The two main characters, Emily and Julian, go open-eyed into a marriage of convenience. Emily wants to get out from under her mother's thumb and her father's debts, and Julian wants to marry a proper lady to help rehabilitate his image and that of his scandalous theater. I typically enjoy the marriage of convenience trope and this was no exception - they marry early in the book and are able to develop a relationship after the fact. Nothing shocking or unexpected happened, but honestly I don't come to a Regency romance looking to have my mind blown. I wanted something sweet and cute and witty and that's exactly what I got. I hope there will be many more books from Martha Waters!

To Marry and to Meddle is a cute regency era-ish romance. It's a fairly quick read and entertaining. There is some spice, but it's pretty mild. All in all I enjoyed reading it, but it's not one that's going to stick with me.

Lady Emily Turner has been a debutante for six seasons. She is no stranger to scandal due to her family. Lord Julian Belfry is a rake and owns a theatre, disowned from his family. The two decide to have a marriage of convenience. Emily to help the Belfry theatre to gain acceptance from the ton.

This was my first Regency Vows book and definitely not my last. I loved the Bridgerton feel of the book. I loved the boldness of Emily finding out who she is. Julian proved to be a good match.

I absolutely loved this book! I have been a fan of Julian since the first time we met him in the series and I was so excited for his book and it totally met all my expectations. The banter in this book is so stellar and Marth Waters continues to write books that are delightfully bonkers. This one was even more fun because it was a fun love story between Emily and Julian, and we got to catch up with the rest of the cast of characters. I really hope we get to see more from this group because they are some of my favorites!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of TO MARRY AND TO MEDDLE by Martha Waters. I enjoyed TO LOVE AND TO LOATHE, so I was very much looking forward to more from Waters. Almost nothing happened in this book, even considering it's a Regency romance. There were no balls. There was almost no drama. There was no major scandal. But you know what? I still enjoyed it. The story centered around a marriage of convenience, and that's just a trope where you can't go wrong in my book. Once Emily and Julian started hooking up, I was sold. Their romantic tension and character growth was just so good that not much else really needed to happen for me to be drawn in. That's what character driven plots are about, people. So, I definitely still recommend this book if you love a good, slightly spicy historical romance.

After six seasons, Lady Emily Turner should have secured a marriage proposal by now. But thanks to her father's debts, the only man to show her any interest is the loathsome owner of a local gambling hall where those debts were racked up. Emily will do whatever it takes to keep her family's name out of the scandal rags, so she has no choice but to grin and bear the unwanted attention. Despite it all, Emily has never given up hope of finding a love match.

Lord Julian Belfry, the second son of a marquess, would rather spend his nights overseeing the plays put on by his theater than standing around ballrooms full of people who look down on him. Julian is aware that his theater doesn't have the best reputation, so he concocts a plan: to show the ton that it's a respectable establishment, he needs a prim and proper wife to boost his standings. When Julian and Emily's paths cross at a house party, they hatch a plan to benefit the both of them. They agree to a marriage of convenience where Emily will use her social connections to promote the theater, and Julian will save her from her father's bad decisions. But, things start to get very inconvenient once real feelings begin to stir.

I loved the other two books in this series, so I was very much looking forward to this one. I don't think the plot was as solid as the previous books, but I still liked it a lot. Emily and Julian are complete opposites-- she being very reserved and his rather rakish reputation--, but they worked so well together. They had great banter, and there were so many times I was either laughing or swooning over their interactions. Waters did a nice job balancing the steamy moments with genuinely adorable moments (aka every moment between Julian and his tiny kitten nemesis), and I loved watching the pair fall for one another. Aside from their relationship, I loved the dynamic between Emily, Violet, and Diana. Their friendship is what truly shines throughout these books. They're so hilarious, and I love how they champion one another so much. If you like historical romances that have a more contemporary feel, I can't recommend this series enough.

Okay it was kind of missing the drama I've come to love and expect from this series and the resolution to the "conflict" felt very anti-climatic but I just loved Emily + Julian together so much that I didn't even care.

Definitely made me laugh out loud at points, especially during the scenes with familiar favorites Violet + Diana and their spouses.

Add this to your list of regency romances to read in 2022 (but I would recommend reading the first two books first for maximum enjoyment!)

This was the best of the trilogy! Julian and Emily were the best characters and easy to care for while hoping for a happily ever after. I loved the way they watched out for each other and tried to follow the rules of their marriage of convenience. Emily needed someone like Julian in her life to help her build her own backbone which in turn caused Julian some issues. They definitely had a long road, but it was littered with sweet bits even during the difficult parts and hurt feelings. And the murderous kitten… Cecil Lucifer Beezlebub! Best name ever and I loved his shenanigans and I’m not a cat person. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for providing a copy of the book for an honest review.

Thank you to Atria Books//Martha Waters for the ARC - out everywhere 5 April!

"Emily, for her part, was quite desperate for someone to see that she was capable of something beyond what was expected of her."
#3 in the Regency Vows series!
Look, if Emily Henry (author of Beach Read!!) says a book is "sweet, sexy, and utterly fun," you follow that recommendation like a holy commandment and you say please and thank you while you do it.
Julian (theater-loving rogue about town) and Emily (beleaguered perfect society princess with a shitty fam) enter into a marriage of convenience, only to discover that their true feelings for each other are not very convenient at all. They embark on a journey of theatrical self-discovery, accompanied by a hellish kitten, nosy parents, and bemused friends, with a guaranteed happy ending because that's what we all came here for. Very cute, lots of cat content, much banter, genuinely snort-laughter worthy depictions of friendship, excellent weekend read!
Unlike some other series, I think you need to read these in order. There are tons (maybe too many tbh) callbacks to the previous books, and I imagine that would be a slog to get through if you're unfamiliar with them.
Read if:
-- You want to dip your toe into Regency romance, but don't want to up the spice factor too much
--You conned your husband/wife/partner/roommate/sibling into letting you get a cat, and they DEEPLY regret it
-- You want a quick read

Well that was an absolute delight! Very charming and more earnest than the first two books in the series, with less slap-sticky humor, and it sooooo worked for me. The romance here is everything, but I also appreciated Emily’s self-discovery, and Julian’s encouragement of her journey. Loved it!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The two main characters are delightful. Lady Emily Turner has been out for six seasons. She is lovely and proper but her brother caused a scandal in the family and her father has large gambling debts so there is no dowry. While at a house party she is approached by Lord Julian Belfry (a second son) who is prosperous and runs a theater. He suggest a marriage of convenience hoping Emily’s properness will get higher class patronage to the theater. He in turn will pay off her father’s debts and get her out from under her parents control. Julian also has daddy issues wanting his father's approval.

Waters writes with lots of humor and warmth. There is almost a tongue in cheek style in her phrasing. Even though this is a marriage of convenience it is expected to be a true marriage and there isn’t hesitancy about consummation. Steamy bits are left to the imagination. Julian and Emily fit together in a easygoing way. I love how they watch each other, whether seeing reactions or just ogling. There is an easy going banter between the two and Emily banters well with her friend group too.

This is the third in a series and the other two couples are part of Emily’s friend group. I read easily as a stand alone but knowing the friends would increase the fun. This is for those who enjoy humor, low angst and some heat. I’m happy to have read it and will seek out the other two in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored To Have and To Hoax and To Love and To Loathe, and To Marry and To Meddle was the perfect follow up! Waters returns to the delightful trio of friends, this time picking up with Lady Emily Turner's story. Lady Emily and Lord Julian Belfry enter a marriage of convenience... but is it that convenient at all? Just as with the first two, I devoured the banter, the wit, and the romance.

One of the many things I love about Martha's book is that they are just so much fun to read. Her banter is so witty, her characters so developed and her stories so well done, that you can't help but to enjoy it. I've been a fan of Martha since her first book in the series and this one didn't disappoint. I love how she takes these historical troupes in romance, leans into them but also flips them on their head. The stories are historical but still feel very modern. I also love that Martha explores what happens after marriage, which not a lot of historical romances do. It's the lead up to the marriage but then that's where most historical romances stop. But each of the books in this series takes you behind the curtain and shows that there is still a lot more story to tell.

And though, I love all of the characters in this world, I think Emily and Julian might be my favorite. Since the introduction of Julian in book 1, I was hoping that Emily & Julian would get their own book. It's a sweet love story between Julian and Emily, but it's also about these two finally realize that they don't need to be anyone else but themselves. I loved that Emily was able to find her voice and that she was free to be who she always wanted to be. I also loved how supportive Emily and Julian were of each other, and how their well-thought-out plan never stood a chance.

If you want to read a fun, witty and sweet historical romance, I can't recommend this book (and the other two books in this series) enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and Aria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lady Emily Turner comes from a scandal-ridden family, but has always been of unimpeachable character herself. For six seasons she has tried to be as agreeable and perfect as she can to benefit her parents. But now, to escape the attentions of the horrible man to whom her father is indebted, she is talked into marrying Lord Julian Belfry, a notorious second son who owns and runs a less than respectable theater. Lord Julian is looking for a wife who can help him rehabilitate the theater's reputation and his own, while Lady Emily craves freedom and security for her family.

I love a marriage of convenience trope so much! We all know they will fall in love even though they didn't marry for that reason, and it is always fun to watch how that develops. For Emily and Julian, there is a great deal of humor and sexiness involved, but what I liked most was that both of them grow and change in the relationship they build together, helping each other become more than they were before. The family dynamics on both sides are also an excellent element in the story, as are the secondary characters from the two prior books, but the standout is Cecil, the kitten who ruins Emily and Julian's wedding night. Call me a sucker, but I love it when pets become part of the narrative! I loved this book - it may actually be my favorite of the trilogy - but I do wish there was slightly more time spent on reminding readers of the lead up to this story at the beginning of the book. Martha Waters is one of my favorite new romance writers and I hope she keeps writing for years and years and years to come!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read To Marry and to Meddle early in exchange for an honest review!

A cute third installment but it needed more depth.

I read and enjoyed To Love and to Loathe and couldn't wait to pick up the third in the series! The characters, especially the recurring friends, are fun and lovable. The snarky banter is adorable. The story itself didn't hold enough drama and the plotline felt too minimal. I realized I was flying through this book but mostly because not much happens. I wanted more especially from Julian as one of our main characters. There's not a lot of depth to him and Emily gets more but still not enough. Julian also read as more disrespectful than anything throughout the entire book. I also think he and Emily needed something to bump up the chemistry.

The theater, the cat, the familial issues are hardly brought into the story when they could have filled it with enjoyable mayhem. Also, the marriage of convenience trope demands TENSION.
Hardly any to be found here.

I did enjoy Emily and Julian finding themselves and each other. Again, the story is sweet and a very quick read. It's especially fun if you wanted to follow up with Diana and her fiancé.


Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for my ARC!

To Marry And To Meddle is the third installment in the Regency Vows series. This book follows Emily and Julian who are mentioned in the first two novels and their whirlwind marriage of convenience. We also have the addition of our previous leading couples from the other novels. Emily and Julian end up having more in common than they think and what starts off as a contract between two strangers quickly becomes a relationship. Both are sick of the societal pressures and trying to fight against the plans their parents have set out for them. This marriage is a way to defy all of society’s commands.

Julian and Emily get married to each other to shake up the public’s opinions about them. Julian is the owner of a rowdy theatre and Emily is the picture of the “perfect” society wife. However, when their newlywed life becomes mundane she and her best friends, Violet and Diana, come up with a scheme to put a spark in Emily’s marriage. I love the friendship this trio shares and that they care so deeply for each other. They constantly get into these wacky schemes which makes the story even more entertaining.

I loved the progression of watching Julian and Emily starting to develop feelings over the course of the story among their schemes to fool the public. The quiet moments where they get to know each other were endearing and made me smile. Also, I appreciated how they both go on a personal journey of learning to love each other and themselves just the way they are. They get so wrapped up in what others think that they’ve become a shell of themselves.

This book was fun to read! It’s funny snd lighthearted like the rest of the series and navigating through Julian and Emily’s love story was entertaining! This series is a regency romance that’s got a slightly modern sensibility that can appeal to new readers of this sub-romance genre.

Emily should have been married by now, but her father's gambling debts are too big to be ignored. Her mother orders her around. She's dating the man that holds her father's debt but she doesn't like him. Then she meets Julian.
Atria and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published April 5th.

Julian owns a theater and his father told him he had to sell it. He said no and he was sent out of the house with his father saying he was no longer his son.

So Julian has problems with his father and Emily has problems with her mother. They agree to get married as a matter of convenience. They would tell each other the truth and they got married quick.

As they settle into married life, Julian finds he has married a virgin. That causes him some worry but it all works out. Emily starts becoming her own person. She finds Julian defending her.

She wants to go the theater but he doesn't want to ruin her reputation. She finally talks him into it and she gives him ideas for the show. She also invites his father to come and watch.

The last part of the book is the best, so don't give up on it...