This is the third novel I have read of Martha Waters and I have to say "Too Swoon and to Spar" was the best of the three. I think I have the others 2.5 stars out of 5. This is about where this one lands for me as well but I will bump it to 3 since the writing has improved. I am huge fan of historical romance novels but I just can't connect with Ms. Water's writing style or characters. I found Penvale and Jane to both be completely unlikable. I find it hard to root for them in this novel. It was a slow starter for me and I felt like it had pacing issues. The chemistry was non existent. I give it 3 stars because I do appreciate how the author has made attempts at giving a contemporary feel to regency romance and her books have improved.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Our man Penvale gets a house, a wife, and a wife playing a ghost in the house in this gothic RomCom romp.
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True Historical Romantic Comedy is a rarity. Sure, many historicals have the occasional quip or two, but cut the jokes and the narrative wouldn’t suffer.

In Martha Waters’ The Regency Vows series, however, humor and love are inextricably linked. Her characters tease, cajole, needle, and yes, spar their way into falling in love.

To Swoon and to Spar keeps up the tradition of bantering toward happily ever after, but throws in a curve –– a pinch of gothic romance.

Viscount Penvale has been a favorite secondary character in the series. Buttoned up, smart as a whip, and goal focused, he thinks that a love match isn’t something he requires. Enter Jane Spencer.

Jane shares far more in common with Penvale that she knows (or would ever admit). They both are cerebral, cagey, uninterested in events of the ton, and driven to find a home of their own.

In Penvale’s case, that means he’s willing to marry a woman he isn’t particularly interested in to get back his ancestral home. In Jane’s case, she’s up for a little light haunting to send her husband away long enough to get some quiet time to read.

To Swoon and to Spar pulls from some of the great gothic novels like Northanger Abbey. But the comedic elements bring to mind contemporary fare. In Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ Heroes Are My Weakness, a quirky heroine and a reclusive writer tangle inside a creepy mansion on the Maine Coast. The heroine is a ventriloquist and she uses her skills of voice throwing to drive the hero half mad. In To Swoon… Jane employs secret passageways to the same effect. As expected, both women’s results do not match their plans, but are what drive them together with their great love in the end.

I’d recommend the Regency Vows series to contemporary romance readers looking to test the historical romance waters. While each can be read as a standalone, the characters appear in every book and reading in order means you get to visit with old friends. (And yes, Diana and Jeremy of To Love and to Loathe are still the most delightfully hot for each other couple ever.)

To Swoon and to Spar is perfect for fans of Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove series, Manda Collins’ Ladies Most Scandalous series, and India Holton’s Dangerous Damsels.

Spice Level: 1/5, open door
Tropes: Marriage of Convenience, Forced Proximity, Gothic
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Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster - Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date April 11, 2023.

Martha Waters really said I am going to write a better book each and every single time, and I respect that.

No joke, this is her best book yet. All throughout the first three of the series, seeds kept being planted in my brain that made me hope, hope, <I>hope</i> for a Penvale story, so I was thrilled when I heard the news that it was coming. And a haunted ghost story to boot?! You could not have kept this out of my hands, so thank you Atria Books for letting me read an advance copy.

I thought the premise for this was so entertaining! Penvale has spent his entire adult life trying to build up his personal fortune to buy from his dreaded uncle the home that should have come with his Viscount title. When said uncle shows up out of the blue and offers to sell it, Penvale doesn't even bat an eye at the condition he marry his uncle's ward too. The reason his uncle wants to sell after refusing his offers for years? The house is haunted.

And it was so much fun to read! Perhaps even a little tongue in cheek homage to the gothic writers of the 19th century? The house is, of course, not actually haunted, but I loved reading about Jane trying to scare Penvale while he tries to rationalize everything out of sheer stubbornness. Dressing up in a ghostly nightgown and enlisting the servants to scream bloody murder in the halls is certainly one way for a woman to get her husband out of the house. I have no choice but to stan.

Jane's and Penvale's marriage of convenience was an excellent slow-burn. Neither is particularly interested in the marriage. Penvale thinks his life won't change one whit, and Jane would rather not have a single man make any choices for her. All either of them wants is the house they both love in their own way, not the other person. But eventually, they do come together, and I thought it was so darn sweet. Jane is a shy, taciturn little bookworm who begrudgingly comes to accept that Penvale isn't the lout his uncle was. And Penvale, well, he's in for a rude awakening of what it's like to have someone else in your life that might matter to you. There's an adorable little thread throughout where Penvale refuses to listen to Jane when she says he needs glasses, and it made my heart burst each time.

So, I subconsciously manifested a Penvale book, and this is me loud and clearly requesting a Sophie and West book. I feel like they're the last two characters floating through this series, and I need it desperately.

can i just say that I'd wreck my life for jane? so unapologetic and herself. her motive and how deep her drive to commit to her plan was very applaudable, especially in the era this world is set in. penvale also made a good impression on me. he's your average down to earth, minds his own shit type person which I love. it was good to see a common folk in him. seeing the two come together in this slowburn romance was just half the treat. the story itself besides the romance was very tangible and exciting. the family dynamics and the stakes that were in place to make both the character's goals settle into place before losing their hearts to each other midway will get me every time. never mind the story which unfolded in such a beautiful way that i was cheesing at every page.

anyone who wants to take break from contemporary or fantasy, this one is a great palate cleanser.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for proving the arc; i am eternally thankful to the team over there. all opinions are my own :)

“I assure you, I’m nothing like the young ladies you have experience with,” Jane said, and Penvale offered a crooked grin as he reached out to shake her hand.

“Of that, Miss Spencer, I am already well aware.”


-historical romance, forced marriage, marriage of convenience
-Penvale can finally purchase his beloved Trethwick Abbey from his uncle, the only catch? To marry head strong Jane Spencer
-Jane was a bit difficult to like at first since her character is a quite blunt 😮‍💨
-Pervale was just a sweetie through and through 💞
-I enjoyed this read and thought the story flowed so well!
-Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review ✨

4.5⭐️

“Jane.”
“Penvale.”
“Jane.”
Just the simple act of the protagonists calling each other by their names has the ability to make me swoon with all the meaning embedded in those simple words! It is the little things in this romance that make To Swoon and to Spar a new favorite.

Jane is the ward of Penvale’s uncle whom owns Penvale’s ancestral home, Trethwick Abbey. A slightly different marriage of convenience trope, Penvale is only able to purchase his home IF he agrees to marry Jane whom has been living in the estate for over ten years. Seeing as these two have never met, they each have their own preconceptions of what the other will be like and Jane especially enters the relationship with a strong distrust for Penvale. She decides to haunt the house in order to scare Penvale into heading to London for good and leaving shy Jane to herself. But Jane doesn’t expect Penvale to be just as stubborn as her, or to love the home just as much as she does. I loved the playfulness and banter between these two. Of the series they are probably my favorite characters and I found myself smiling over their “arguments”. I just knew that these two would end up falling hard for each other because their personalities are so similar no matter how much they try and fight it. I also appreciated the thoughtfulness in the small things that Penvale had towards Jane; the consideration for her just made me smile while reading. And Jane notices little things about Penvale that just endear her to him, such as his needing spectacles or him leaving cinnamon rolls for school children. There is an underlying sweetness and softness beyond both Jane and Penvale’s rough shell. Even Diana’s scenes with Jane were perfection because these two ladies can give as much as they get! It was great seeing the friend group again, and the way Sophie tries to make Jane feel seen is heartening as an introvert living in an extrovert’s world. Each one of Martha Waters’ novels just gets better and better and Penvale and Jane have all my love. The title truly captures who they are towards each other. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more from Martha Waters.
4.5 ⭐️
🔥🔥—the BOOKSHELF!
CW: discussion of deceased parents

This series has been a real joy and the fourth book did not disappoint. I was concerned that nothing could beat Julian & Emily, but the antics of Penvale & Jane & their ghost kept me riveted. I can already think of multiple patrons who will love the Northanger-Abbey-reminiscent vibes.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was just so fun. I love the way we knew Jane was faking the haunting, but then things happened that she could not explain. It kept me guessing whether or not this place was actually haunted until the very end. Their romance blossomed beautifully and the slow burn paid off so well. It was nice to see them get to know each other rather than just be insta-lovey, which isn’t bad, but it definitely wouldn’t have fit Jane and Penvale. 10/10 recommend and I’ll be going back to read the rest of this series now.

How do you get your husband who you married only in name to leave the house? You fake a haunting to make him think the house is haunted...but the question is, do you really want to him to leave? Viscount Penvale has spent his life working to buy back his ancestral home, Trethwick Abbey from his estranged uncle. When his uncle mysteriously shows up one day agreeing to finally sell it... he has one condition: Penvale has to marry his uncle’s ward, Jane Spencer, the daughter of his uncle’s friend who died. Jane has spent her life being traded from one man to another, first from her absent father to her current guardian and now to Penvale. Jane wants nothing more than to be left alone in her beautiful home of Trethwick Abbey, free to be herself, free to read books, and free from all the restrictions of society. Yet here she is being handed over to Penvale, yet when the two meet neither really get along but Penvale tells her he will not marry her against her will, despite how much he wants his home he doesn’t want to force marriage on someone. Jane thinks that Penvale is the lesser evil compared to his uncle and they both agree to a marriage in name only. Yet Jane has a plan to get Penvale to leave, she’ll haunt him with the help of her housekeeper. Yet Penvale isn’t as easily scared as his uncle and the more time they spend together the more they start to find each other’s company nice.... but can their marriage turn into a real love match or was it meant go out? I do enjoy this series by Martha Waters. This is the fourth book in the series and other couples from the previous books do make appearances but you can read it as a standalone. I was looking forward to Penvale finally getting his ancestral home after everything. My biggest eh with this book was the romance between Penvale and Jane. They didn’t really feel like they had any chemistry and their romance just didn’t really feel like it was a romance at all. The story felt a bit meh and the biggest thing was the haunting that Jane schemes, but other than that it really didn’t feel like there was much going on. That’s not to say I wouldn’t read the next books the author writes because I definitely would. I enjoyed her previous books, and this one was okay, I just didn’t like it as much as the other ones in her series. Overall, if you’re looking for a historical romance with a little bit of forced marriage, some mischief, then this is for you.

*Thanks Netgalley and Atria Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I absolutely loved this one! I definitely did Not like Jane at firs, but found I related to her so much once I got to know her character better. I now have a better understanding of what people must see when I’m in social settings And Penvale was definitely swoon-worthy. His devotion and acceptance of who she truly was. His ability to See her and love her. It was just beautiful.

To Swoon and to Spar is a really enjoyable read. Martha Waters writes with humor and skill and I heartily recommend this author be added to anyone’s list of Romance titles. Each one of her titles engages the reader to enter a fun and sassy world of historical romance and, once discovered, the reader will want to read all her books. I am looking forward to the next title by Ms Water.

I adored this fourth installment of Martha Waters’ regency vows series. These books are more comedic and modern than a lot of regency romances and I find them very fun, quick, heartwarming reads. Viscount Penvale is eager to buy back his ancestral home, even when the price is not just a fortune but also agreeing to marry the owner’s ward, a miss Jane Spencer who, despite being the daughter of a gentleman, has never been to London. Not even a haunting can deter him from his desire to run the estate as he and Jane find themselves largely alone - together - on the cliffs in Cornwall. This book was a bit different than the previous in the series as the group of friends make fewer appearances, but they do pop up at the beginning and end and I found Jane to be a delightful addition to the cast of characters. Highly recommend!

This was the best one of the series! The setting of Cornwall and the gothic elements were a welcome break from the ballrooms of London. Jane is a prickly heroine, but do you blame her? Always victim to the whims of fortune and the generosity of random guardians and servants? She also seems to be a bit on the spectrum, possibly, in terms of her social interactions. Her slow-burn growing connection to Percivale is lovely to watch, as they each grapple with their own insecurities and wonder about how to merge their individual visions of the future into one. Funny, heartwarming, sweet, and unique. Highly recommend.

To Swoon and to Spar is the latest installment in Martha Waters's Regency Vows series. It follows our beloved Penvale and a new character, Jane. They’re pushed into a marriage neither wants, and to rid herself of this nuisance of a husband, Jane does the only logical thing: She stages a fake haunting of their house to scare him off. But will she be scared if, instead, they actually both catch feelings for each other? I never knew I needed a mashup between rom-com and haunted house, but it turns out I did, and you probably do, too.

To Swoon and to Spar is the most unexpected and unconventional historical romance I’ve read, and yet it somehow really works. It is, admittedly, a rather silly setup. But I do love haunted houses (horror is my other favorite genre), and making a charade of it while two fools fall in love? It’s priceless. This could be seen as a spoof on the gothic romance—another genre I love—and it’s just delightful from start to end.

In the first three books of the series, we got to know Penvale to a degree. The older brother of Diana, he was always mostly fixated on buying backing their family home. He’s tenacious and will stop at nothing, so it’s no wonder he agrees to marry a virtual stranger just to get it back. In To Swoon and to Spar, though, I enjoyed getting to know him on a deeper level. He’s so practical, methodical, and intelligent, yet also thoughtful and caring. He’s kind of perfect, and I get serious Virgo vibes from him. (My husband is a Virgo, too!)

Jane is a new character, and she may not make the best first impression. She hides behind a shield of sarcasm and verbal barbs, but deep down, she’s just shy and socially awkward. As a person who is also very shy, I loved getting to spend so much time with a character who’s as hopeless at social interactions as I am. (Though I must say, my shyness usually comes out in the form of being polite and unassuming, but otherwise quiet. I’m not rude and hostile like Jane!)

For a while, it’s hard to see how a romance between these two could work. They seem so disinterested in each other, and on Jane’s part, she’s starting at haunt-you-to-leave-me-alone levels. I was doubtful that I’d reach the point of rooting for their relationship. As it turns out, I was wrong on that front. It’s a very gradual journey, but at some point, I could see Penvale and Jane starting to connect and make sense together. Their romance is a super slow burn, an apathetic strangers-to-maybe-friends-to-lovers. But indeed, they do reach a level of connection that is sweet, even if they’re afraid to admit the truth.

One of the cutest moments in To Swoon and to Spar is when Jane convinces Penvale to read a novel for the first time in his life. (Thus far, he’s only read a ton of books on agriculture and homeownership and whatnot.) When she catches him reading Persuasion and crying over all the feels it inspired? Adorable. Jane expresses her care for Penvale in the form of recommending books and encouraging him to get spectacles; he expresses his affection for her by adjusting his plans to suit her shyness and need for solitude. It’s the little things that start adding up that bring them closer together.

The characters from the first three novels play less of an integral role, but their brief presence is still as comical and banter-filled as ever. To Swoon and to Spar only takes place the winter and spring following those books’ events, and already we’re seeing how their relationships are evolving. So sweet! I can’t wait to see all the couples together again in the last book of the series.

To Swoon and to Spar is an unusual little romance, but I got a kick out of the elaborately faked hauntings and loved both Penvale and Jane as characters. It’s a fun subversion of the gothic romance and a love letter to shy, bookish people everywhere. I greatly enjoyed this book, and I can hardly wait for the fifth and final novel of the series, due next year.

I was hesitant going into this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it in the end. Waters does a fantastic job of blending Gothic elements with the rom-com story line and I would happily read more of these books in the future. I also didn’t expect to love Penvale and Jane as much as did, but they may be in my top ten of favorite historical romance couples.

I have really enjoyed the Regency Vows series by Martha Waters, so I was happy to get a chance to read the newest book To Swoon and to Spar early. As a collective, we have been all waiting for Penvale to get back his ancestral home, and hopefully a happy ending. In order to achieve his goals, he hast to marry his uncles ward Jane. I can definitely relate to Jane’s shyness and love of books, but the hijinks of the ghost haunting was a little far fetched. I wanted to love this pairing, but it was really hard to understand Jane’s motivations at times. This wasn’t my favorite book in the series but I’m still attached to the entire series and will continue to read anything Martha Waters publishes.

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To Swoon and to Spar is one of those unique series novels that works incredibly well as a stand alone. Viscount Penvale has been single-mindedly working for years to purchase his ancestral home that was left to a relative after his parents' death. Jane has wanted nothing more than a place to belong and has finally found it at Threthwick Abbey. An arranged marriage to Jane allows Penvale to return to the home he's missed, but she wants him out so she can continue her contented solitary life. She and the servants dream up a fake haunting through the use of secret passages and things going bump in the night. Penvale and Jane develop romantically and personally as she overcomes social anxiety and he figures out what else there is to life once his obsession is realized. This story is so self-contained that I only discovered after the fact that Penvale's friends have their own stories. Recommended for fans of the smart, slightly quirky historical romance.

VERDICT The fake-haunting plot sounds like gothic romance, but Waters’s latest “Regency Vows” novel (which follows To Marry and To Meddle) is a romantic comedy through and through. Although the chemistry between Jane and Penvale lacks a certain spark, readers will still be pleased that Jane ultimately decides to make room for Penvale in both Trethwick Abbey and her heart.

The full review was originally published in Library Journal, February 2023, v. 148, no. 2, p. 64.

AAAANNND MARTHA WATERS HAS DONE IT AGAIN. I absolutely adore this whole Regency Vow series and I think this one might be my favorite. Though I am a sucker for a good regency romance, Waters' unexpected wit and humor adds such a nice touch to this book. I loved how Jane and Penvale fall in love without knowing it, watching them slowly realize it was so exciting and I just couldn't put it down.

Jane is tired of being told what to do by men- first by her guardian, then by his nephew, Penvale, who she is marrying. Taking matters into her own hands, Jane stages a haunting of their country estate in the hopes that she will drive her new husband away and be left in peace. But when the time comes, will she really want him to be driven away?

What I loved:
-getting updates on characters from previous books
-relationship with the villagers/house staff
-the hilarity of the attempted haunting
-Jane! I could really relate to her as a character with her shyness and her love of reading
-slow slow slow burn

This was a light and enjoyable read that I blasted through in just a few sittings! A fun bit of escapism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reading copy!