If you have enjoyed the antics of The Regency Vows series to date, you are sure to enjoy To Swoon and to Spar. It has plenty of slow burn swooning and Jane Austen reading and even a little bit of ghostiness, a la all the great gothic novels. All in all, very sweet, very romantic. I will say, after the first three books, I wanted a little more of an epic love story for Penvale - it took a long time to feel the chemistry and subsequently the heat between Jane and Penvale; the book made up for it by having our sweet hero weep over Jane Austen and start to show *some* emotional vulnerability by the time we reached the finish line and I thought it all tied up amiably + neatly!

This might be my favorite of the series! I've been waiting for Penvale to get a story and hoped it wouldn't disappoint. Penvale must marry his uncle's ward in order to take possession of the family estate, but his bride is no shrinking violet. She has no interest in a husband and what results in all the sass and humor we've come to expect from this series. I loved the Northanger Abbey nods and the haunting storyline was hilarious. I can't wait to see what comes next in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I would like to thank the person/people at the publisher for reaching out to me with a review copy of this book, because it finally gave me an incentive to read the other books in the series, all of which I owned but hadn’t gotten around to yet. All of which I adored, because they were romantic and unhinged in a delightful way.

This entry in the series was probably the most unhinged in terms of plot and I love it for that. As someone whose favorite Austen novel is Northanger Abbey, I couldn’t help but love the gothic tone to it, and I honestly found myself giggling a couple of times at the antics.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable regency romance romp, and I couldn’t help but appreciate the dual POVs. Without seeing Jane’s POV chapters, I could easily see how one might come to dislike her character, but seeing inside her head and the reasons for her seeming rudeness gives context and empathy to all that and makes the inevitable romance feel more authentic.

I am eagerly crossing my fingers for another installment: West and Sophie, maybe? Pleeaasee?

I could read Martha Waters' Regency Vow series forever! The series as a whole is engaging, warming, thoughtful, a tad steamy, and overall a lot of fun to read. Every time I sit down to read one of Waters' stories, I am immediately immersed back into this world and get taken in by the characters she has so lovingly created. To Swoon and to Spar is no different in that respect, but we see a modern take on an age-old trope - an arranged marriage. Penvale wants Trethwick Abbey back so badly that he agrees to his uncle's terms to marry Jane (his uncle's ward) without ever having married her. It wouldn't be the first time in history that women were used as bartering tools, but Waters gives Jane Spencer a voice and a clear attitude with which she attempts to force Penvale out of Trethwick for good. Jane Spencer goes not seem like a lovable character, but she is one that I feel like a lot of women could relate to. She has a mind of her own and uses it to trick the men in her life to do as she pleases, but is blindsided by the kind and caring behavior her husband, Penvale, demonstrates. A marriage born out of the exchange of an estate turns into a love story between two unlikely mates. Learning to love one another as you grow and seeing the best attritbutes in a partner, I think, is one of the most realistic parts of a marriage that not all love stories tell. So, kudos to Waters for writing another brilliant tale of love - and all that love entails.

P.S. Would highly recommend reading on a rainy day with London Fog Latte in hand. It was perfection.

I love a light romance with substance as a palate cleanser and this one did the job well. I loved the challenges of shyness as a theme. I could have used some more spice, but this was still very enjoyable in a PG-13 way. This is my first book by this author and I would definitely pick up another one.

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!