To Swoon and To Spar by Martha Waters
The Regency Vows #4
Publication Date: April 11, 2023

The Viscount Penvale has worked for years to buy back his family’s ancestral home from his estranged uncle. When his uncle proposes the sale of the estate back to Penvale in exchange for marrying his ward he never considers his uncle might have an ulterior motive for ridding himself of the property. Penvale quickly learns the property is haunted but this estate is not being haunted by your average ghost.

I’ve been following Waters on Instagram for years now. As a part-time librarian and connoisseur of historical romances, she’s basically been my number one source for discovering must read books. I recall her frequent story posts about how difficult writing this book was. I wish to report her that it most certainly paid off and you would never know. The words and the shenanigans (and boy are there a lot of them!) flow what looks to be effortlessly through the course of the novel.

Penvale and Jane aren’t your typical historical romance characters. They are a bit older, a bit more jaded, content with their own lives and entirely relatable in their motivations and thinking. Love is the furthest thing from both their minds but both are smart enough to see the opportunity their arranged marriage presents. Their initial meeting starts off on the wrong foot combined with Jane’s shy and assertive personality, they are certainly aiming towards enemies to lovers but settle more for ‘people who attempt to pleasantly tolerate one another’s existence’ while living their own lives to lovers.

The book of course has some witty banter and dash of jalapeno pepper level spice. Waters' writing gets better with every book so I can only imagine what she has in store for us with the next!

If you are looking for an easy to read, fun and often silly romance, look no further! I solely swear this ghost won’t send you packing!

Thank you to Atria Books for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one just fine. The middle really dragged for me. I wanted more time with Penvale’s friends and more time with the main characters. I wanted to see them developing feelings for each other and it just wasn’t there

I've enjoyed all the book in this series so far. Penvale and Jane were fun to get to know and I enjoyed the "haunting' element. I wish, like always, we got more "in love' time after they all admit their feelings, but overall this was a quick, fun, and light read.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the e-arc!

Here’s what I loved:
• the Northanger Abbey vibes
• marriage of convenience
• Cornwall setting
• opposites attract

Jane and Penvale were such different characters and I loved how the author changed my first impressions of them over the book. She peels back the layers of each of them, making them even more endearing than before.

Steam: one open door scene
TW: ghost pranks

4.5

I have been a big fan of this series and found myself looking forward to each new book but I have to admit that when I first heard the premise of this one, it gave me pause. No disrespect to Penvale but I was probably least interested in a book about him out of all the characters, not to mention to premise certainly seemed a bit out there. But I am pleased to report I really enjoyed this book!

One of the most rewarding things about this read was seeing how much Waters has grown as an author. This is by far her tightest book yet, which made it compulsively readable. Her writing remains sharp and witty. What was most surprising about this book was how much I ended up really enjoying the plot. I really liked this sort of spin on a gothic novel and how the hijinks were silly and fun yet rooted in very legitimate reasons - namely, a woman fighting to exert some modicum of control over her life in a world with limited options. I also really found Jane to be an interesting, complicated character. I loved how prickly she was and watching her slowly open up to and relax around Penvale, who challenged all her preconceived notions both about aristocratic men and her own dreams, was lovely to read. Also, this book went from 0 to 60 in the steam department and oh my, that was a great surprise.

Overall, this might not be my favorite in the regency vows series but it might be the best, if that makes sense. This means that my excitement and hype for the final book about Sophie and West is at an all time high. I need it nowwwwww.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest revew.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This is another great addition to The Regency Vows series by Martha Waters. It’s sweet, charming, funny, and very swoony. I loved it! The Viscount Penvale has always wanted to buy back his childhood home, Trethwick Abbey, when he finds a loophole - marrying an orphan ward of the house, Jane Spencer. But shy and grumpy Jane does not want a companion in the house, so she thinks up a scheme to frighten him away. But, will Penvale and Jane actually fall in love with this marriage of convenience? I really like Waters’ writing style. I think that she writes the inner workings of character’s super well, with great pacing. I think she’s also very funny and clever, by coming up with very smart plot points that seem refreshing in a genre (historical romance) where there is a lot of competition to be original. I also love a good “hate to love”, marriage of convenience plotline, as well as an angry or frustrated woman because of the control of men and the patriarchy. And this book has all of these things! I recommend this book for fans of Waters, historical romance, comedy, ghost stories, and romance in general.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this novel. I have read the Regency Vows series in total and I truly enjoy it. Seeing Penvale find someone to match him and the entire haunting plot was a wonderful romp. I was also surprised with who became the ghost and their reasonings closer to the end as well as glimpses of the other main characters of the Regency Vows series. If there are more coming, I cannot wait to see it with Sophie and West (please!) as this was super cute. A real battle of brains with lovely sparring, this novel was everything I wanted.

To Swoon and to Spar may be my favorite Martha Waters novel yet!

Viscount Penvale finally has the opportunity to own his childhood home: Trethwick Abbey. The catch? He has to pay a little more than I offered plus marry his uncle’s ward. Jane is headstrong and not afraid to speak her mind, no matter the company she finds herself in. While the two barely know one another, they agree to the marriage and travel out to the Abbey. Jane however; has a plan: kick out her husband by convincing him the house is haunted. Quickly, she realizes that Penvale isn’t afraid of haunts. But is she ready to give her heart fully to her husband? Better yet, is he ready to open up his heart to something more than just his childhood home?

I found myself flipping the pages and becoming interested quickly in the fourth book from the Regency Vows series. Waters haunting plot left me laughing and I was curious to discover when the Viscount would discover who was really behind it all. I was rooting for Jane to be kind to her new husband and and for Penvale to find that home is more than just a house. I cannot wait for the story to continue with another couple and was glad that the other couples got time in this latest book.

Thank you Atria Publishing and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

This romance series is entertaining but each works as a standalone. It features fiery couples who managed to come together and make sparks despite their bickering. In this novel, Lord Penvale has agreed to an arranged marriage in order to purchase back his family home. The previous owner's ward Jane was part of the deal.

Jane is not an easy woman to deal with. She is painfully shy and not good at social interaction. She is intelligent enough to know that she puts people off and mostly she just wants to be left alone with the house she has grown to love and her books. She agrees to the marriage to escape from her guardian.

As usual, the two find themselves grudgingly drawn to each other despite themselves. Penvale is a good man and unusually considerate of Jane. He and Jane surreptitiously study each other because they are intrigued. The plot is outlandish and has Jane and the house staff manufacturing ghosts and hauntings and mysterious bumps in order to drive Penvale away. The problem is, that Jane comes to the conclusion that she doesn't really want him to go but doesn't quite know what to do about it.

Mostly fun with characters you want to see find happiness. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was my favorite book so far in this series! I loved that Penvale finally got his estate back, and I thought the idea of his uncle’s ward coming along with it was genius. The nods to the gothic genre were fun, though this book was not spooky/scary at all since the reader knew what was happening. I loved the descriptions of the Cornish countryside and the little village.

I’m crossing my fingers for West and Sophie’s story next!

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to find out we were finally getting Penvale's story when this new addition to The Regency Vows story was announced. He always had delightful banter with his sister and was there to impart either sass or wisdom when his fellow friends were blind to their own feelings in the previous books. The fact that this featured a marriage of convenience and a fake haunting was really just a cherry on top, LOL.

Jane took a little bit to warm up to but once Penvale, and then us as the reader, found out that she came off as harsh and grumpy almost as a coping mechanism for being painfully shy I just wanted to give her a big hug. I get that. Watching her make plans to spook him out of his own ancestral house was freaking hilarious and I loved the times when you could tell even she didn't know what was going on. I was giddy when there was any occasion when a bed was shared hehehehe and watching them slowly come to understand one another and slowly fall for each other was such a delight. I will always gobble up any and all further crumbs Waters decides to give us.

<i>Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.</i> &hearts;

(ARC from NetGalley) To say that I’m obsessed with this series would be an understatement.
The ever serious and determined Penvale is SO CLOSE to acquiring his childhood home. His uncle just has 2 conditions- raise the price 10% and he must marry his charge. Jane is tired of being told what to do by men so she gets the inspired idea to haunt them into leaving her alone.
This was truly so silly and goofy and yet, had such a tender, emotional depth I wasn’t expecting at all. I’m delighted and CANNOT wait to get my hands on Sophie and West’s story!

To Swoon and to Spar is book 4 in The Regency Vows series. This series has been hit or miss for me but mostly because I have to connect with the characters and some I do and some I don't. In this case, I did and I really enjoyed the book. There are overlapping characters from one book to the next and they do have active roles in this book but I don't think I missed too much.

Penvale is the mmc. The Viscount has been trying to buy back his ancestral home for years but his uncle has been holding out until one day he says he's willing to sell but the catch is that Penvale must marry his uncle's ward, Enter Jane our fmc. Jane has been passed from one man to the next and while she has no real desire to marry, she will if it means she can stay at Trethwick Abbey...possibly on her own if she can convince (scare) the Viscount back to London after the marriage.

When they meet for the first time, neither is really impressed with the other. He thinks she's sharp-tongued and she thinks he is aloof but they agree to marry and return to Trethwick Abbey. When they get there, Jane and the household staff decide to stage a haunting but Penvale isn't as easily scared as his uncle was. As he sticks around and they get to know each other better, they both realize maybe they can make the marriage work while living in the same house.

If you're looking for a new historical romance, definitely pick this one up. I may go back to read the one that I missed to see if it hits differently this time around.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, I loved Penvale and Jane's story! I liked that it was at a bit of a remove from the rest of the group. It stands on its own really well.

I don't know how I feel about Gothic romances, having not read too many (and not particularly enjoying the ones I have read). That said, this was delightful! I know it's not a traditional Gothic romance -- the steamy bits would be too scandalous for that. But the Gothic elements were appealing and I'd read more in this vein.

It was lovely to see Jane and Penvale come into their own. The ending felt a bit rushed but it was very in keeping with who they are. The slow burn of it all had me flipping pages as fast as I could. There were parts of the narrative that were repetitive but they were few enough that they didn't annoy me for long.

If you've enjoyed the series so far, go read this ASAP. If you're new to this world, you're in for a real treat!

To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters was a cute, fun read. Pretty much like the other books in this series.

Rounded down from 4.5 stars.

I loved this book! Both Jane and Penvale were delightfully stubborn and thick headed… until of course they weren’t. I loved their bickering, and Jane’s strong-willed personality. I definitely will be checking out the rest of the authors books! Watch out, everyone. I’m entering into my historical romance era.

Penvale and Jane are thrown together in a marriage of convenience because they both want the same thing: Trethwick Abbey, the ancestral home of Penvale's ancestors lost to the payment of his father's death duties. But while Penvale expects to settle down to making the Abbey a productive estate and living up to the memory of his father, Jane just wants to be left alone in the house she has come to love. But when she decides to use the same trick that drove off Penvale's uncle, the former owner and her former guardian, Jane slowly starts to realize that her husband isn't the man she thought he was... and that maybe she doesn't want him to leave after all.

I love everything Martha Waters writes and will happily read everything she decides to grace us with. Her humor and wit are exceptional and the relationships she builds, both romantic and platonic are realistic, warm, and satisfying. Penvale is known from her previous novels in the same world and it is gratifying to see him get his own happily ever after. Jane, new to the scene, is a relatable fish out of water going from an impoverished daughter of a gentleman to a viscountess without really being prepared or willing to take on the role. The way in which these two very different people get to know one another provides a lot of laughs alongside softer moments that help the reader get to know them, too. As always, Waters' humor is on point and the slow burn she creates between Penvale and Jane is just right. We also get a peek at characters from her previous novels and I can only say that I sincerely hope West and Sophie get their story next!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read To Swoon and to Spar early in exchange for an honest review.

The 4th book in the Regency Vows series, and just like the 3 prior stories, To Swoon and to Spare is charming, funny, snarky and smart. Viscount Penvale has spent his entire adult life focus on one goal, to repossess his childhood home. Ten-year-old Penvale and his little sister were forced to leave when their parents died and the estate went to their unpleasant uncle Bourne. They grew up with indifferent relatives without love but from each other. Now he can finally afford to buy back the estate in Cornwall and has made several unsuccessful offers to his uncle. Unexpectedly, Penvale’s uncle show up in London with a counter offer. He’ll sell the house as long as the deal includes Penvale marrying Bourne’s ward, Miss Jane Spenser. Penvale agrees to this loveless, arranged marriage because, as a viscount, he needs to marry at some point anyway and he’d do practically anything to get the estate. Jane is 21, shy, sarcastic and prickly with stunning violet eyes. She’s faked the haunting of the estate to get rid of Mr. Bourne and now she can do the same to get rid of a husband. Let the games begin….

This book is the perfect nod to gothic and Austen-era books. It was wonderful to fall back into this world and the characters that we’ve grown to love. This time we get Penvale’s story which is set on a windy cliff in Cornwall complete with a ghost or two. It was the perfect escape to my mid-March slump.

I was given an advanced readers copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀⁣
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I adored this historical romcom! I always forget how much I love historical romance when I’m not reading them. This was a great reminder for me to pick up more of them. ⁣
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Viscount Penvale has been working his whole adult life to be able to buy back his family home that was lost to him as a child. His uncle is finally willing to sell…on one condition. Penvale must marry his uncle’s ward, Miss Jane Spencer. ⁣
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Jane Spencer is sick of being passed around from man to man like property. Threthwick Abbey is the first place that has truly felt like home to Jane and she’s not above a little bit of trickery to get the estate all to herself. She got rid of one male…she can get rid of another. ⁣
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This follows Jane and Penvale as they adjust to married life with the little added mix of a ghost..⁣
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This was funny and I loved how Jane was not at all the proper London lady but was finally accepted by her new husband and his friends. ⁣
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This is the first book I’ve picked up by @marthabwaters but you can bet I will be picking up her whole backlist! ⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! It was most enjoyable ❤️