I have read all of Martha Waters' books, and this is my favorite. Such an entertaining premise with a delightful and unexpected heroine! I normally am not a big fan of "slow burn" romances, but I didn't even mind it here--in fact I liked it--given the setup and the context of the rest of the story. Really such a pleasure.

A good addition to this series. While it didn't quite have the laugh out loud moments the others in the series did, this one was still a good read. It was nice to see a different side of Penvale and get to know his character better.

In the latest in the series, Penvale finally has what he wants in his sights, his family's manor that was previously taken by a scheming uncle. The only thing in his way is the slight inconvenience of marrying his uncle's ward who he hasn't met before. It doesn't stop him and since Jane wants to keep living in the only home she's ever known, she agrees. She just needs to continue her quest that got the previous owner out. The consequences and confusion make the story. It's a must read!

Technically, I'd give this a 3.5 stars but bumping it up to 4 stars because of all the Jane Austen references, which I loved!

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with a digital review copy of Martha Waters' latest book in her Regency Vows series. I first discovered Waters' books through NetGalley (with To Love and to Loathe), and it's been a pleasure reading and following these characters through this series. "To Swoon and to Spar" features Penvale, Diana's brother who's been set on gaining back the ancestral home (Trethwick Abbey) from his uncle, and finally has the opportunity to do so. With one catch - he must marry his uncle's ward, Jane Spencer. Jane is a fascinating heroine in that she's shy, in a way that comes off as incredibly prickly. I haven't read a character whose shyness isn't seen as a personality flaw or something that has to be "overcome", which is so refreshing to me, someone who is also shy.

The premise of the book, with Jane wanting to just have Trethwick Abbey all to herself without a pesky husband getting in the way, and resorting to staging pretend ghost hauntings (i.e. spooky thumping, items reappearing in weird places, loud shrieks at night, etc.) to get Penvale to leave, is a little contrived and silly, but not surprising for this series. We've already seen someone faking consumption to get back at her husband for a years-long mutual silent treatment, so pretend hauntings aren't all that weird. I found the story a little lackluster without the delightful shenanigans of Violet, Diana, and Emily (although we do see glimpses of them toward the end of the book), but I did enjoy the developing relationship of Penvale and Jane as they grew to understand each other. Overall, this was a cozy addition to the series and I'm looking forward to what's next from Martha Waters!

Such a unique book, I loved the plot and oh my god the characters we're so amazing!! I definitely will be recommending it!!

For fans of Bridgerton, this delightful romp follows a Viscount and his new wife, in name only, in their early marriage. Will they find their way to love?

Martha Waters continues to hone her craft to perfection with every new book she puts out. I have loved every book in this series and she has topped each previous book with an even better one without fail. To Swoon and to Spar is a lovely tribute to gothic literature in romcom format. I loved Penvale in all his regency himbo glory. Jane was a delight to read about. Through all her anxieties and shyness, she was a lovely romantic lead who carried the emotional arc of the story. I loved the slow release of the romance. Marriage of convenience to friends to lovers is now a favourite trope thanks to this book!

Martha Waters continues to hone her craft to perfection with every new book she puts out. I have loved every book in this series and she has topped each previous book with an even better one without fail. To Swoon and to Spar is a lovely tribute to gothic literature in romcom format. I loved Penvale in all his regency himbo glory. Jane was a delight to read about. Through all her anxieties and shyness, she was a lovely romantic lead who carried the emotional arc of the story. I loved the slow release of the romance. Marriage of convenience to friends to lovers is now a favourite trope thanks to this book!

I don’t know how many different ways I can say Martha Waters is an absolute delight, but she’s an absolute delight! This absolute romp of a romcom includes fake hauntings, her characteristic banter, and a heroine you can absolutely root for. She continues to improve with every novel (which is impressive given how stellar she’s been from the beginning). Do yourself a favor and add her to your “must read” list!

Martha Walters is back with another swoon worthy romance! This time we meet Penvale (introduced in earlier books in the series) and Jane. A marriage of convenience is tested when their home may haunted. I highly recommend for fans of Walters, and romance readers alike!

It's cute. Very Martha Waters. If you've read her others, you will enjoy this one. We are likely to purchase a couple copies as her others have travelled well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Martha Waters has always been a hit or miss for me and surprise surprise! I unsurprisingly got nothing from this.

The storyline was dull with an ill paced plot that was essentially non-existent. Perhaps it was just me but I felt like I was reading the same paragraph over and over again—making it quite obvious the writing style left much to be desired. Then the biggest issue I came across were the main characters, Jane (intolerable) and Penvale (tolerable). They were terribly boring and poorly written. The lack of character traits that typically can draw readers in the storyline and the world that the author created were MIA. With that being said, I can't fail to mention the romance. Absolutely lackluster. Where was the chemistry? Where was the tension? Why were they such a boring AF couple?

Ugh. To put it bluntly—"To Swoon and to Spar" was an uneventful romance with one dimensional characters that would put you to sleep. I was really hoping for the swooning enemies to lovers banterful romance the synopsis made it out to be. But like I said—I got a whole lotta nada. 10/10 won't recommend it.

I keep saying I don’t like historical romance, and I am a liar!!! This book was so clever and swoony and just fabulous! Jane and Penvale had excellent banter and chemistry and I sped through this book.

5 stars!

I haven’t read a lot of historical romance, so i was excited to read this one and discover a new type of romance! It started out a little slow, but overall i think it was a cute romance with fun characters!
If you’ve read the first 3 books, I’m sure you’ll like this one.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest book review!

I have enjoyed the other books in Martha Waters' "The Regency Vows" series, so I was excited to see that she has another book out! "To Swoon and to Spar" continues in the same time period and social circle of her previous books, and it was fun to see the beloved characters from previous books. This particular book centers around Viscount Penvale and his new wife, Jane. In order to reclaim his former home, Penvale must also marry the woman who lives in it. But Jane is not as plain or boring as her name might sound. Rather, she's smart, spirited, and striking. While she loves the home, she doesn't love sharing it -- especially with a man! So she and her staff work on convincing Penvale that it's haunted. But what will happen once Jane realizes that she actually is starting to feel some affection for Penvale? And will her plan backfire?

It was so nice to be back in this world of Waters' making, and I enjoyed the fun camaraderie between Penvale and Jane. They had some sweet chemistry and it was enjoyable to "see" them fall for each other. I wish we could have had a little more of a conclusion to the storyline but it was otherwise such a fun book to read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Fun and atmospheric in a way that worked within this gothic spoof. I have to say it was a little slow though. Could’ve been even wackier, and that would’ve suited me fine. Still, these characters felt realistic and toned down for a romantic comedy. Often times the characters are extremely high-maintenance. I’ll continue to read this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for allowing me to read the eARC of To Swoon and to Spar in exchange for my honest review.

I found To Swoon and to Spar delightful from the beginning. This is the first book from Martha Waters that i have read and I can see why so many people enjoy her books.

The marriage of convenience trope is one of my favorites when it comes to romance so I was very excited to dive into this world. The banter between Jane and Pervale was delightful and it only got better as the characters began to understand one another. There were several moments during the book where I had a smile on my face while watching the two lovers poke and prod at each other only to end up unable to resist their charms. The haunting of the estate is a quirky plot device that made sense to the story and added depth to Jane's character.

This was a lighthearted, entertaining read that kept me engaged until the very end.

I loved this book—both faux gothic novel and romance all in one. My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard!

To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters

Viscount Penvale has been working for years to buy back his ancestral home, Trethwick Abbey, from his estranged uncle. And so he’s thrilled when his uncle announces that he is ready to sell but with one major caveat—Penvale must marry his uncle’s ward, Jane Spencer.

When the two meet in London, neither is terribly impressed. Penvale finds Jane headstrong and sharp-tongued. Jane finds him cold and aloof. Nevertheless, they agree to a marriage in name only and return to the estate. There, Jane enlists her housekeeper for a scheme: to stage a haunting so that Penvale will return to London, leaving her to do as she pleases at Trethwick Abbey. But Penvale is not as easily scared as his uncle and as their time together increases, Jane realizes that she might not mind her husband’s company all that much.

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Thank you NetGalley for an ARC! This is my first book in the Regency Vows series and I loved it! Waters writes amazing banter and I literally AM Jane. All she wants is to read all day in a beautiful castle? Mood.

4⭐️

Martha Waters excels at lighthearted romance with a heaping of (alleged) hauntings in her latest regency novel.

To Swoon and To Spar begins by introducing us to the prospect of a quick union of convenience between Penvale and Jane, two MCs that, on paper, have little in common — except for their shared adoration of Trethwick Abbey, Penvale’s childhood home. And that home is actively haunted by terrifying ghosts — who are really no more than the clever tricks of Jane, a woman stuck in a patriarchal society that doesn’t allow for her to make her own choices, forcing her to take matters into her own hands to create the life she really wants.

To Swoon and to Spar is a quick, easy read. I was drawn in by the premise — who doesn’t love a staged haunting to beat a deeply inequitable system — and I got somewhat invested in the slow-burn between Jane and Penvale.

Full disclosure, a regency romance isn’t my go-to genre of choice — and I didn’t read the predecessors in this series — but still found this enjoyable enough to recommend.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*