This was so fun! I particularly loved Jane. I don't usually like trickery in books, but it totally worked for me in this case. The deceit and miscommunication were understandable given that women at this point of history didn't have much control over their lives, and Jane was clever enough to work out a way toward the freedom she thought she wanted. This may be my favorite of the series! I'm excited to see whatever Martha Waters writes next.

Viscount Penvale is a young man living his life but hoping for more. He desperately wants to regain his childhood home from his uncle. When his uncle finally approaches him to sell the manor, he has one stipulation, that Penvale marry his young ward, Jane. Penvale agrees out of desperation but expects little from the match.

Jane is an introvert and is uninterested with London society. She just wants to live in the quiet manor and read her books. So she plans to push Penvale out of the house the way she did his uncle. By scaring him out. She and the staff plan all sorts of nightly terrors to put her new husband on edge. As her hijinx progress, she learns Penvale is not scared easily but also that he is not the overbearing lord that his uncle was. The two spend more and more time together, slowly realizing they might be able to make this marriage one a happy one after all.

I have enjoyed the last few Waters Regency novels, but this one was my favorite by far. Jane was great introvert rep. She embodied all the nerves and IDGAF energy that I identify with. Penvale was also the perfect man to help her slowly realize new boundaries while building trust while also allowing her to say no and mean it. Their banter was great. It's definitely a slow burn but it felt more realistic to me that way. You get some spice, so if that's your thing, you'll have to wait for it but it's there. 

Thanks to Atria Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

Viscount Penvale has had only one goal in mind for most of his adult years: buying back his ancestral home, Trethwick Abbey, from his estranged uncle. When his uncle finally agrees to sell, Penvale is excited but wary since the deal comes with a catch-- Penvale must marry his uncle's ward. When Penvale and Jane Spencer meet, it's clear they couldn't be more different, but Jane will do anything to stay at Trethwick Abbey, so she agrees to wed Penvale in name only.

When the newlyweds arrive back at their estate, Jane concocts a plan to stage hauntings around the manor hoping that Penvale will be so frightened he'll run back to London, leaving her at Trethwick Abbey to do as she pleases. But it seems Penvale is made of sterner stuff than Jane was anticipating, and the more time they spend investigating these so-called hauntings, the more real feelings start to grow.

I've loved the Regency Vows series since the first book, so I hate to say that this latest installment was a bit of a letdown. It had such a fun premise-- who doesn't love a bit of Gothic flare and a supposed ghost haunting a manor on the moors? It was mainly the characters that didn't work for me. I liked Penvale right away and thought he had that dry sense of humor that I'm always a fan of. But it was Jane that ruined it for me. She was constantly described as shy, but instead of endearing me to her, she spent the whole book being defensive and downright rude. Normally, I like a bit of a prickly character, but she took it too far. Her plan of faking a haunting so she could live alone was also a little bananas. Had the chemistry between her and Penvale been better, I could've overlooked it, but even that was shaky. I still think Waters' writing is charming and entertaining, but unfortunately, this is my least favorite in the series.

3.5 Stars
Thank You Netgalley and Atria Books
This is my first Martha Waters Book.
This is an Historical Romance with Marriage of convenience story. Slow burn and cute banters. The banter between Jane and Diana is what I love the most in the book. I love how Diana is protective with his brother Penvale. I love how unhinge Jane is how he conduct those ghostly things to make his husband live. This is so slow burn that I think Penvale and Jane don't have a chemistry. I will try to read more Martha Waters other books and decide if its a go for me

Jeremy and Diana's book was my favorite (To Love and to Loathe) and this one focuses on Diana's brother Penvale. He wants to reclaim his country estate that he lost years before and in order to do so he needs to be married. His marriage of convenience is to a woman named Jane, a ward of the current estate owner, who devises a way to scare off her new husband so he'll leave her in peace to live alone in the estate she loves. Jane was quite a character and was different from the other women in this series. I quite enjoyed her blunt attitude and banter with Penvale plus her schemes to get rid of Penvale and their slow progression toward love was very satisfying and entertaining to read. The haunting scenes were a funny added bonus. A solid four stars. Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Book 4 in one of the regency romance series I have come to love. Thank you Atria books. This was lovely

It definitely deviated from the first three in regards to storyline and themes. Viscount Penvale has been working his whole life to buy his childhood estate from his uncle who bought it out from under him when he was a mere child and the refused to sell it back to him. With the condition of marrying the Ward his uncle acquired, Penvale finally has his life's aspirations- his childhood home. However, Jane has concocted a situation with the servants to make it seem like the old manor is haunted. Together Penvale and Jane work together to figure out how to coexist and live among the ghosts.

I love the protagonists we're both wholly themselves without question or difference. It's so lovely to see. Clearly miscommunication at the end but it was done well. Mostly because the two jumped to assumptions. Meanwhile Jane got to be Jane and feel more comfortable in her own skin. And Penvale took pride in his job as Viscount.

And they learned to know each other. So so incredible. And honestly Penvale might be my favorite lead so far in the series. I love a considerate gentleman.

I can't wait for more from Waters :)

My main note is that should be called "To Spook and to Spar" since there's a lot of spooking and little swooning.

All jokes aside, I loved this one. The premise sounds super cringe but it works on page. Jane agrees to a marriage of convenience, assuming her new husband will leave her alone in the country; just what she wants. But he stays around, so she makes the house seems haunted in an attempt to drive him out.

Jane is shy but prickly; loveably unlovable. Penvale was level-headed with a bit of spunk.

There was so much potential for second-hand embarrassment but the characters kept their dignity and still reached new emotional depths with each other.

It was all very readable! Enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Overall I enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite of The Regency Vows series. I much preferred the 2nd and 3rd books. This romance was a slow burn, and at points, I didn't understand why they would work as a couple, but in the end, they overcame their differences and grew to understand each other. I give it 3.5, rounding to 4.

If you like a marriage of convenience, a shy heroine coming into her own with a kind suiter, and some 'ghosts,' this book is for you.

By and far my favorite of the series, I devoured this. And it’s more shocking because based on the couple selected I was most disinterested in reading! I had assumed another pair of people would be book four (and should obviously be book five’s) so was disappointed heading into this. Instead, I was laughing out loud at some parts and was captivated by the characters. Waters did a good job balancing the absurdity of some scenes with heart and I’m even more excited for her next installment.

I think my favorite thing about this book was Jane. I love a good female lead, and boy was she spunky. She was so much fun to read! I thought I would be lost, since this is the fourth book in The Regency Vows series, but I wan't at all. It actually makes me want to go read the other books in the series. Penvale and Jane's relationship was a slow burn, which I am not a huge fan of, but the enemies to lovers was right up my alley.

To Swoon and to Spar 3.5/5 ⭐️
🗓 Release Date: April 11th
🏰 Slow Burn
🏰 Enemies-to-Lovers
🏰 Marriage of Convenience

Thank you so much NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Martha Waters has become cemented as one of the best romance authors around. This book is filled with love, a little spice and the signature wit that we have come to expect. Highly recommend!

I find that quite often, books in a historical romance series tend to get stale after the first few outings, however, this book completely defies that trend. I honestly love the conversations and the hilarity between Jane and Penvale. While I miss Violet and co, I love that this book takes the couple away from the action and complete nonsense of their friends. My only issues with this book are: that I didn't get the "falling in love" arc from Penvale. He wasn't in love and then all of a sudden, he was, and the fact that Diana seems meaner in this book than in previous books and her jokes don't come off as funny, but as cruel. Overall, a very very cute read and I think the banter between the couple is top-notch.

A solid 3 stars! I've been a fan from book one of this series and the author writing is on trend. This can be read as a standalone. He's wanted to return to his ancestorial home since he became an orphan however his uncle refuses to sell it back to him until now. However, he must marry the ward to gain access. She's sarcastic, clever and sick of men! She has a plan to rid her husband from HER home. This will make you laugh hard and smile at the pranks.


******************************************I received an ARC for my honest review from NetGalley.********************************

Martha Waters is undoubtedly my favorite historical romance author, and her latest series, "To Swoon and to Spar," is truly a gem. As someone who generally does not gravitate towards historical romance, Waters' writing has completely captivated me. Her ability to seamlessly blend humor, romance, and historical accuracy is truly impressive.

The characters in this series are incredibly endearing and relatable, and their witty banter and undeniable chemistry make for a thoroughly enjoyable read. Each book in the series is unique and engaging, with twists and turns that keep me on the edge of my seat.

Additionally, I can't help but mention how adorable the covers of these books are! They perfectly capture the whimsical and romantic nature of the stories within.

I have loved this series since I read to Love and to Loathe at the end of last year and have been eagerly awaiting the last two books. I will admit Penvale was not really on my radar as a character I wanted to know much about before this book came out but since reading to Swoon and to Spar I have become a fan! My feelings toward Jane, on the other hand, was a slow burn throughout the story that went from dislike to tolerance, then to acceptance and dare I say even like. I can’t say I loved her character and in fact I found it a bit hard to get through the first few chapters because she was so unkind to Penvale and his friends for what seemed like unwarranted reasons.

The story takes up with Penvale finally being given the chance to buy back his ancestral home from his uncle. This sale comes with a caveat, marry his ward and get the deed to Trethwick Abbey in Cornwall. Penvale ensures that his uncle’s ward, Jane, is willing to marry and three weeks later he has his family estate as well as a new wife. Jane sees Penvale as another man who wants to control her and so she decides to try and rid herself of him by staging a haunting at the estate in order to scare him off. Little does she know he has been working on getting this estate back for much of his life and he won’t scare as easily as his uncle. Who will win in this battle of wits in the end?! When push comes to shove will they even want to win?

Such wonderful writing from Martha Waters as always. It was nice to see the characters from other books in the series make an appearance if only briefly in some cases and the premise of the story was really cute. I was rooting for Penvale’s happiness from the start and he was a wonderfully developed character. I tolerated Jane for most of the story and grew to like her by then end. But my tolerance of her made the book slightly less enjoyable then it otherwise could have been if she had just been shy and not hostile because of that shyness; lashing out when she felt uncomfortable. Overall this was a good book and I cannot wait for Wes and Sophie’s story in book 5!

Arranged Marriages, Haunted Houses, and Quick-Witted Foes to Lovers....Oh my!

Viscount Penvale is about to get everything he ever since his tenth birthday, his ancestral home back. Sold to pay off his father's debts upon his death, Penvale isn't missing the chance to buy back his house from his uncle. The one caveat, he has to marry his uncle's ward.

Jane is sick and tired of men ruling her life. She may have agreed to marry the Viscount, but it doesn't mean he has to stick around the country. She decides to take matters into her own hands with some inspiration from non-other than Ms. Jane Austen.

Who will win in the battle of love? Both of them.

What I liked!:
-I really loved the slow burn, one bed aspect of this book. It wasn't as spicy as some other historical romance, so it was a nice change to focus mainly on the plot.
-I also loved the 'haunting' storyline. I was cracking up. The use of Jane Austen's books to further the plot gave me all the meta vibes.
-I liked Jane. She's not the typical "gorgeous but doens't know it" or "diamond of the first class' heroine we get. She also HATES the London and prefers the country. It was nice change of pace.

What I didn't like:
- While I did like the description of Jane being something we don't normally see, I noticed they used the same description of her over and over again. I mildly got tired of seeing "Stern, striking, not beautiful"-ish vocabulary.
-Diana. I liked Diana's character in the previous books, but I thought she was A LOT, in this one. I get she's protective of her sibling and is used to being the Alpha but she grated on my nerves this book.

3.5 Stars for this sweet, quick read that lives up to the rest of the series. Hoping to get a Sophie and West book next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Martha Waters books are pretty much all 5 star reads for me. Between the humor, the characters, the lovely English setting, and the relationships (both platonic and romantic), I feel like her books are the whole package. This one was no different. We love a good marriage of convenience trope. Additionally, the cinnamon roll heroes. Penvale was an absolute gem. He and Jane certainly clashed at first, and he wouldn’t always respond in a way that was kind. What endeared me to him was how he always made sure to set it right and work at communicating better with her. Jane was a little harder to love. Although we get some of her background, for the most part I was just annoyed at her continuing to try and scare off Penvale. Enough is enough! I appreciated how Waters took the time to develop Jane’s feelings—it definitely wasn’t insta-love and felt more accurate to have this reluctance to trust and love. All in all, enjoyed this one terribly. Would recommend :)

I’ve been such a fan of this series, but I think this was my favorite one yet. Martha Waters writes historical romance that reads as easily and quickly as contemporary romance to me. Full of heart and endless banter, Penvale and Jane stole my heart.

Viscount Penvale has been trying to purchase his family’s country estate back from his uncle for years but his efforts have so far been unsuccessful. Until his Uncle comes to him willing to sell Trethwick Abbey on one condition - that Penvale marry Jane, his Uncle’s ward since her parents died. It isn’t until the sale goes through that his Uncle decides to tell Penvale that the place is haunted — good luck!

Jane must be one of my favorite hist rom heroines yet. She finds herself tired of living a life where all the important decisions in her life are made by men, so she takes things into her own hands and stages a haunting to scare off those men. Jane’s style is hilariously blunt and her dialogue with Penvale, Diana, and the others was the highlight of the book for me. I loved watching her reluctantly fall in love with Penvale, and it’s clear Penvale’s gone for her pretty quickly even though he swore this marriage of convenience wouldn’t change a thing for him. I loved the friendship they built and the simmering tension that came along with it. Once I picked this book up, I could not put it down. I also loved we got to see so many of our friends from earlier books in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed and early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Another installment of Waters Regency Vows series, To Swoon and To Spar is Penvale’s story. The Viscount finally has a chance to purchase back his ancestral home from his irritating and unpleasant uncle. But the purchase comes with a catch—Penvale must marry his uncle’s ward Jane.

And Jane is less than pleased about the deal. She’s come to love the Abbey and would just as well be left on her own to do as she will. So she hatches a plan of her own, that will see her married but also assure she isn’t bothered by having a husband cluttering up the estate.

Jane and Penvale have the same love of the estate and the same goal to restore it to its previous splendor but they certainly don’t see eye to as far as their own relationship.

Or do they?

As the days and weeks pass they find themselves becoming as invested in each other as they are in the Abbey. But they are both simply terrible at letting each other know.

The arrival of their entire set—Audley and Violet, Jeremy and Diana, Julian and Emily, West and Sophie (when will they get their own book?!)—upends everything and despite some bumps in the road sets them on their way to their own happily ever after.

This is a fun romp, much in the vein of the previous books. An enjoyable read, with familiar characters, and new plot twists that embroil the MCs. I think To Marry and to Meddle was my favorite so far but this is a close second.

Waiting for West and Sophie to get their HEA now.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This steamy enemies-to-lovers Regency romance continuation of Waters' series that includes To Marry and to Meddle will delight fans of the series or newcomers to Waters' work (although I recommend reading To Love and to Loathe first since it's hero/heroine feature prominently as secondary characters in this one, and it is also my personal favorite in the series). The antagonism is believable, the premise deliciously absurd, and the sparring full of crackle. I recommend the whole "Regency Vows" series to fans of the genre!