Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Regency Vows series. Viscount Penvale (older brother to Diana, from Book 2) finally has the opportunity to purchase his family’s estate back from his uncle, but he needs to marry his uncle’s ward, Jane, as part of the deal. Jane is socially awkward and kind of sharp, so Penvale’s group of happily married friends are all skeptical of the union. After the arranged marriage takes place and Penvale and Jane are back at the estate, she starts to enact her plan of haunting the castle to drive Penvale away. Jane thinks that he’ll just go back to his life in London, leaving her alone in the seaside as she desires. This one is definitely a slow-burn towards friendship and then love, with lots of humor as Penvale figures out pretty quickly that Jane is the culprit of the haunting. And we get to see everyone back together for a house party towards the end of the book.

A delightful read for regency girlies coming very soon!

To Swoon and to Spar is the fourth installment in the Regency Vows series by Martha Waters, and I think it is my favorite yet.

Penvale has been trying to buy back his ancestral home from his uncle, and finally gets the chance to do so - if he marries his uncle's ward, Jane. Seems reasonable enough for practical Penvale, but Jane has her own motives for the match.

This book is great for those who like a dash of the gothic with their romcoms. I really enjoyed Jane's POV - I definitely related to her desire to read novels undisturbed by *people* in a gloriously ancient home. The pacing felt a little slow towards the middle while waiting for Penvale's friends to finally visit, but I loved seeing Penvale and Jane gradually find their way to each other over the course of the book.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for access to the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️

Penvale has wanted to buy his ancestral home for years. When his Uncle offers to sell it to him in exchange for marrying his ward Jane, Penvale accepts. But little does he know the house is “haunted” by his wife who wants him to leave the house much like his uncle. Will Penvale and Jane sort out their issues and fall in love? Or will their marriage be as haunted as the house?

I really enjoyed this installment of the Regency Vows. Penvale has been a fringe character in the other books so it was great to get his story as well as see old favorites from the previous three books in the series.

I loved Jane as a heroine. She was maddening at times, but I always stan a woman trying to take control of her life (and loves books). Watching them slowly fall in love was fun. The faux gothic haunting narrative was fun and intriguing - definitely a fun twist in a rom com.

After Viscount Penvale and Jane agree to a marriage of convenience so that he can regain his family's estate, Jane plans an elaborate plot to convince Penvale that his home is haunted so that he will leave for London and leave her alone. But as her scheme fails to scare Penvale away, she realizes that perhaps she would like him to stay. I love the first three books in the Regency Vows series, and Martha Waters's quick wit and incredible characters make her books addictive. I loved the idea of a regency romance based on gothic literature and loved all of the references to Jane Austen's gothic parody, Northanger Abbey. But I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters, especially after they started spending more time together. The romance plotline felt a bit forced, and the plot was not always clear and consistent throughout the story. But Martha Waters's writing was still so fun that it was an enjoyable read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. It was a fun read!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Martha Waters for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review!

This is book 4 of the Regency Vows series - you do not need to have read the others to follow along for this one!

This time around we follow Jane and Penvale's love story. Being a ward is the last thing Jane wants to remain. Being involved in a deal of property and marriage... also not in her plans. The Viscount is not what she expects - and things quickly escalate. Witty banter, hilarious haunting pranks, and a new life of the unexpected are all things you can expect to find in this journey.

Read if you love:
- Bridgerton/Jane Austen
- Opposites Attract
- Regency Era
- Marriage of Convenience

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.