To woo and to wed
By Martha Waters

Sophie and West were almost engaged seven years ago, when West was in a terrible accident and only recovered to find out that Sophie had gone and married his friend. Years later they reunite as their friends and family marry linking their lives again. A fake engagement now leads to real feelings but can they actually forgive one another for what happened in their past? Will the obstacles that stopped them before continue to plague their way to happiness?

It’s been a wild ride through COVID with these lovely characters. I had a feeling from early on that West and Sophie’s love story would be my favourite and it turns out so beautifully. Martha Waters does a fantastic job of weaving their before love story with the after. I honestly feel like this is her best writing to date. The story moves quickly and is balanced between the two perspectives. Martha Waters really digs into the reasons relationships fail and the reasons they succeed and she does it was the perfect amount of spice. It was beautiful getting to watch West and Sophie dance around one another and I adored the cameos from the other couples in the Regency Vows series. This story was the perfect ending to a series that got me back reading historical romances after many years of avoiding them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

In this final installment of the Regency Vows series we finally see Sophie and West get their happily every after. There’s all the witty banter that Waters does so well and just about every trope you can put into a romance story. Second chance romance, forced proximity, fake dating, etc. There’s something to make everyone happy here.
You get a duel timeline setting up their original impassionment and the current timeline where they’re falling back into their feelings with the overarching story bringing everything together. It felt like this last story was so full of angst and stubbornness that it became tedious and drew away from the enjoyment. Overall its still a very satisfactory ending to a wonderful set of stories.

I do enjoy a second chance romance. Even if the initial breakup wasn't the most sensible, it is lovely to see the details of it in flashbacks for the main couple. I normally and super hesitant are "we can't be together for your own good" plot points, but is was refreshing to see that trope inverted with Sophie aiming to protect West, rather than the other way around.

To Woo and to Wed is the best book in the Regency Vows series. In this book, we follow the love story of West and Sophie. They have been in love with each other for seven years, but West's father scares Sophie away, causing her to marry another man. Even when Sophie becomes a widow, she still refuses to marry West. Sophie's sister refuses to remarry until Sophie does, so Sophie asks West to pretend they're engaged. This helps them communicate their feelings for each other and understand why they haven't married.

The pacing of the book is incredible. Every time a plotline starts to feel stale, it's resolved. The flashbacks showing how West and Sophie met and fell in love help us see how much they mean to each other. Seeing how their friends and family react to West and Sophie being in love is funny.

According to the author's note, Martha Waters had to push herself to write this book, but it has certainly paid off.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

To Woo and to Wed is the final installment in The Regency Vows series by Martha Waters.

It features Sophie (Lady Fitzwilliam Bridewell née Wexham) and West (the Marquess of Weston/Lord Weston).

Fans of the series have been waiting for this couple’s story, a fact Waters acknowledges quite kindly in her dedication. 😉

Torn apart almost a decade ago by his very bad dad, Sophie and West have been reacclimating to each other throughout the series as their friends pair off.

This book starts 7 years after their initial story and several years into Sophie’s quite contented widowhood.

In an attempt to assuage sisterly fears about Sophie’s loneliness and to forestall West’s father’s renewed machinations, they agree to fake an engagement, much to the stunned delight of everyone (excepting of course his very bad dad).

As their plan progresses, feelings and desires are exposed and honest conversations clarify the past.

There is enough heartbreak to make the second chance point but not too much to take away from Waters’s signature romcom style.

I particularly enjoyed the staggered flashbacks, to their first moments together, an interlude shortly after Sophie was widowed, and just a year before when they began spending time together again.

Readers of the previous books will be glad to see the shenanigans signature to this friend group and delight in the depictions of Sophie’s relationship with her family, particularly her sisters, but also her parents.

This series isn’t particularly spicy, but this installment is definitely the hottest: Sophie takes control and West likes it.

Finally, the couple’s discussions about fertility and motherhood are wildly refreshing for a genre that loves a #babylogue*.

I loved this book and thought it was the perfect end to the series. To Woo and to Wed is out February 6th!



*this is not a critique of the #babylogue

I loved this book! It was so much fun to read. I loved all the characters, especially since many are old friends from the previous books. But I absolutely adored West and Sophie.

Sophie was easy to connect with and her attempt to make sure her sister was moving forward in life endeared her to me. West’s story line often had me welling up with emotion. He had been through more than any one person should ever have to endure and I longed for him to find his perfect “happily ever after”.

This is a second chance romance with flashbacks to the beginning of things and then following through the years afterwards. They were clearly marked and I found them to be the perfect tool to connect me with the struggle and angst that each character had suffered. Along with those moments of deep emotion, this is filled with the perfect amount of humor and plenty of steam making this a well rounded read and deeply satisfying.

This can be read as a stand alone but would be better understood with the series.

A second-chance Regency romance between Sophie and West, who were nearly engaged until an accident and his interfering father threw them off-course. Sophie married someone else but has recently been widowed. Her sister is also widowed but reluctant to start a new romance until Sophie is settled. Not wanting to hold her sister back, Sophie hatches a plan with West. They will temporarily pretend to become engaged so her sister can move forward, but old feelings bubble up.

I have read this series since the beginning, and while I was sad to see it end, Waters wrapped things up in a really lovely way for her fans and the wonderful characters she created. This swoony romance features fun tropes, witty dialogue, and loads of romantic tension.

I loved Sophie and West and rooted for them. They had a lot of history and feelings to work through, but they also had great chemistry. West has been one of my favorite side characters across the series, so I was excited to see him take center stage. He is a cinnamon roll, and with this book, he became my favorite MMC from across the series--and that's saying something because this series is packed with endearing and memorable characters.

Waters writes comedy well, and the shenanigans among this friend group are always entertaining. However, these books also touch on social commentaries. Set during the Regency era, they examine societal expectations and constraints on women and have feminist themes. And in this one, I also appreciated that there was disability representation.

This is a charming and nostalgic wrap-up to the series, complete with a heartwarming epilogue, and I can't wait to see what Waters writes next!

Wrapping up the Regency Vows series with a second chance romance that had been hinted at in previous books was the perfect ending. The characters were fun, quick, witty, and charming. This was the best way to spend a snow day. I hate that the series is over, but look forward to reading anything else Martha Waters may write in the future. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview.

"To Woo and to Wed" by Martha Waters is a delightful second-chance romance set in the Regency era.

West is such a sweetheart. He added an extra touch of tenderness to the love story that really sweetened the romance. I resonated heavily with Sophie and her complex feelings towards following what she loves while also attempting to ensure that everyone around her is happy. Her conflicting emotions between sacrifice and her own happiness brought depth to her character and the story in general.

The characters in this story are wonderfully crafted, each with their own distinct personalities and motivations. West and Sophie's friends were a delight and added so much joy and humor to the story.

While "To Woo and to Wed" adheres to the conventions of the Regency romance genre, Waters infuses it with her unique voice. In multiple scenarios, she touched on more modern sensibilities regarding women and their rights. All of the husbands in the story were extremely respectful and in awe of their wives. The addition of these extra details enhanced the story in a very positive way.

Overall, I would really recommend this story for lovers of the regency romance genre or anyone wishing to explore this genre more.

Rating: 3.5

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Martha Waters for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Vibes: second chance, fake dating, gentle pain, and what ifs

Heat Index: 5/10

Years ago, West and Sophie were on the brink of an engagement. But a curricle accident killed West's friend and rendered him insensible with a fever--and when he came back to consciousness, Sophie was married to another man. Now, West has an ultimatum from his father hanging overhead, while a widowed Sophie's sister refuses to get engaged until Sophie has found happiness for herself. The solution? Fake a reunion. At least for now.

When I read Martha Waters's first Regency Vows book, To Have and to Hoax, it was very clear to me that the hero's older brother, West, was the real man of the hour. And I can't resist a second chance romance, especially when the heroine--gasp!--actually sees people between her dead husband and the hero. This was a softer kind of second chance, big on the character focus and less so on the plot. This results in a very talky, quiet book, though it comes with no small amount of humor and wit. I can't say I was bowled over by it, but I know it will more than satisfy Martha Waters's fans, and if you're looking for a gentle book to curl up with during Love Month, I think this will fit the bill.

Quick Takes:

--I have to note... In To Have and to Hoax, it's mentioned that West can't have children as a result of his accident. I was honestly really intrigued by this. What did it mean? Was it the fever, with the doctor telling him it had boiled his balls and rendered him incapable of producing sperm? Was it an injury in the accident? Did he... lose something?

I wasn't against any of these things. I feel like we don't have enough romance novels wherein one or both of the characters experiences real physical sexual dysfunction. And I get why. But, you know--people experience that, and people can still have enjoyable sex. There are workarounds, and I'd kinda like to... see more of that?

However, I wasn't disappointed with the followup, because like... This isn't a spoiler for this novel, as it's like, a known thing pretty much immediately. But West did in fact lie to his dad and tell him he couldn't have kids, simply so that his father would focus on West's younger brother producing an heir and allow West to live mope-ily ever after with no pressure to get married. (Part of the plot impetus here is that West's dad finds out he was full of shit, and is now HEAVILY pressuring West to marry and have kids. Chop chop, your dick works, GET A MOVE ON.)

This did not feel like a cop-out, because it's simply so outlandishly petty and dramatic that it made me like West... so much. He was so angry at life, so pissed at his dad, so heartbroken over Sophie, that he literally faked infertility (and maybe impotence?). What a champ. Truly a "if I can't have her, I don't want anyone" move, but in such a RIDICULOUS way that... Dude. I would. And it contrasts to the rest of his character, which is kind of smooth and gentlemanly and intellectual. Like, this makes him seem a bit WACKY. If anything, I think the book could've used a bit more wackiness.

--Similarly, Waters did some interesting stuff with Sophie. Like, she's introduced in the series having an affair with another (prominent!) guy. She isn't put behind glass because she's West's one true love. Honestly, you don't see enough of that in not only historical romance but romance in general. West and Sophie were on the outs! They had no obligation to each other.

This book also had a discussion about infertility and being childfree that is... not often seen in any romances, again, let alone historicals. That was super refreshing.

--Like I mentioned, this is a very talky book. And it's full of supporting character action from previous heroes and heroines. In some ways, this was cute and fun and I think hardcore fans of the series will love that. However, as someone who liked To Have and to Hoax and (uncharacteristically for me) skipped to this one... It was a little much.

I think there's a fine line between having previous couples as supporting characters--which is often natural and feels right--and feeling like they're propping up the new people, or taking attention away from them. They took up a lot of time that could have been spent on West and Sophie alone, and that felt odd, especially since this was clearly such an anticipated couple that Waters was building to even in the first book (and I love that build, even though I did just read the first book before this one).

--I also was a little dubious on West's father being, once again, such a big conflict-starter in this book when he was just that in the first book. Like, yeah, the heroes are brothers. It makes sense in real life that he would be consistently shitty. But this is a book. We needed more variety.

--West and Sophie do have a very emotional connection. They talk a lot, they get deep. It feels very much like a relationship between two people who know each other on a bone deep level, even if they aren't totally familiar with each other's lives these days.

But... it is very dialogue and conversation heavy. I felt we needed a little more than that. A bit more passion, a bit more--well! Bigness. (That's not shade towards West. He seemed plenty big in all the ways he needed to be.)

--As a heads up, West does use a cane as a result of his accident before and resulting chronic pain and mobility issues. It's not a big thing, but I did appreciate it.

The Sex:

Martha Waters writes a nice, romantic sex scene that is what I would call low-mid-heat. There are a few, and they aren't super explicit, but they're definitely sexy. I'm not mad at 'em, but I do think we could've used a bit more passion between West and Sophie.

While I wasn't quite as invigorated by this book as I think I could have been based on the premise, it was a well-written, romantic read. And like I said--if you're a big fan of Martha Waters, you'll be super into it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

To Woo and to Wed the fifth and final book of the Regency Vows series finally delivers the story we’ve all been waiting for! Sophie and West are filled with silent longing and secretly kept love for one another. I enjoyed the fake engagement turned ridiculous scheming that ensued in this steamy second chance romance. As much as I didn’t want this series to end, I am so happy to see these two get their happily ever after, well done Martha Waters.

Thank you to the Atria and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The novel "To Woo and to Wed" follows the life of Lady Sophie Fritzwilliam Bridewell, formerly Wexham, the eldest of five sisters. Sophie has always been responsible for her younger sisters, so she married Lord Bridewell seven years ago, even though she was deeply in love with West, Marquess of Weston.

Although she had feelings for West, Sophie avoided him after a brief encounter following her husband's death. However, a year ago, she became involved in her friend Violet's schemes. Violet pretends to be ill to win back her husband in "To Have and to Hoax," where Violet's husband, James, is West's brother. Now, Sophie's sister Alex is urging her to remarry and find happiness, which leads Sophie to turn to the one person she believes is unattainable — West. She proposes an unusual arrangement: a fake engagement.

"To Woo and to Wed" is the final installment of Martha Waters's Regency Vows series. I have been waiting for this story since reading "To Have and to Hoax." Walters sprinkled the breadcrumbs of this romance throughout the other books, and I am so happy that we are finally getting their story! Unlike other books in this series, this one is more sombre in tone, given the back story to the main characters, Sophie and West. The book has flashback chapters to give readers insight into the couple.

I was overwhelmingly excited to be chosen for an advanced copy of this book, and I cannot wait for a hard copy to complete my collection. Thanks to Martha Waters, NetGalley, and Atria Books for the gifted ARC.

This, the final installment of Waters's Regency Vows series, finally gives readers closure on Sophie and West. Because there is so much backstory and so much tragedy/angst associated with their story, the tone of this one is less farcical than those that came before, but it still gives readers the humor that the series is known for. And there is even a fake engagement! Waters handles the need to explain Sophie and West's history with well-placed flashback chapters that help explain exactly what happened between them over the past seven years to have led them to the current state of affairs. The flashbacks fit well into the overall story and do an excellent job of setting the stage without having to either frontload everything or have the characters explain everything in lengthy exposition. And though their story is definitely the most tragic of the series, it doesn't stay that way. Readers will get the humor, spice, and warm fuzzies from Sophie and West that they have come to expect from Waters, as well as a dose of modern sensibilities. It is also SO refreshing to have a historical romance - or any romance! - where the heroine doesn't really want kids and that hero is also sort of meh about it! Thank you, Martha Waters, for not giving us a "the right man will make you want babies" story!
Though I am sad to see this series end, it ends on a great note. I cannot wait to see what stories Waters tells us next!

Thank you so much to Atria Books and Martha Waters for my eARC copy of this novel via NetGalley.

Sophie (Lady Fitzwilliam Bridewell's) history with West (the marquess of Weston) is nothing short of tumultuous. Having been near engagement at the time of West's catastrophic racing accident many years ago, they now find themselves in a fake-engagement that is meant to be advantageous to both parties. Can they look past the clear longing they feel for each other and get through their ruse unscathed?

I am so so sad this series is over! I read my first Regency Vows title (To Marry and to Meddle) over a year ago, not knowing it was a part of a set, so I started from the beginning and gobbled them up within a week. That being said, I was overwhelmingly excited to be chosen for an advanced copy.

I could always feel the tension Waters was building between West and Sophie, so I knew their redemption arc was coming, but I had no idea I would love it as much as I do. There's nothing like a man overcome with years of unrequited love with a woman who secretly has felt the same all along. There was laughter, drama, spice, and so much more in this book. I'd recommend this novel, as well as any of the others in this series to anyone who loves their romance with a touch of comedy and wit thrown in. I feel Waters did a great job of building up Sophie and West's personalities over time, while also still including those of the characters we all know and love from the other stories.

Guarantee that over the years this book, and this series, will be something I pick up over and over again when I'm in the mood for a story that just makes me happy.

Sophie has looked out for her four younger sisters all her life. Her marriage gave them better prospects, and her widowhood has given her freedom. Sophie is appalled to discover her widowed sister Alex won’t marry her new love because she is worried Sophie will be alone. The solution? Sophie needs a fake engagement so Alex will marry. The relationship her sisters will believe would be with West, the man she almost married seven years previously. West has his reasons for agreeing, thwarting his father being foremost. But will they convince their families and friends - or themselves?

This fifth and final in the Regency Vows series is a fun take on the fake-betrothal trope as well as a satisfying wrap up to the series. Flashbacks gradually reveal past encounters between Sophie and Alex. I especially enjoyed the relationship between the sisters and the surprises Waters adds to the plot. Hand this to fans of Virginia Heath’s Wallflowers series and those who like how Mary Balogh twines together the lives of friends. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ArC. All opinions expressed are my own.

In the final book of The Regency Vows series, West and Sophie give us a delightful fake engagement/second chance romance. Years ago West and Sophie were almost engaged until West's disapproving father and a tragic accident put an end to their romance. Now Sophie is a widow and in need of a fake engagement to encourage her sister to move ahead with her own wedding. West seems like the perfect person to help perpetrate the ruse. Filled with all the wonderful characters and couples from the first four books in the series, To Woo and To Wed felt like spending time with friends. West's controlling father was the perfect person to hate in the book as he continued to try to control West's life. Sophie and West have a lovely connection and there interactions with each other are sweet and entertaining.

I loved the entire historical romance series that Martha Waters created and can't wait to see what she writes next.

The highly anticipated end to the Regency Vows series, our last couple Sophie and West's story, and the big explanation of why they had tension with each other throughout the series. From Book 1 we knew about Sophie and West being a previous item, but we did not know their back story. We also knew that Sophie was a widow and had slept with another character before he got married. Lastly, we knew West had a tragic accident that left his leg marred and he walked with a cane. All was revealed in this book and their story left me crying and then joyous at the end. It was such a moving story from both sides, Sophie dealing with being an older sister and West dealing with survivor guilt. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

To Woo and to Wed is the final installment of The Regency Vows series by Martha Waters and if you haven't started this series, I encourage you to check them out. They have great characters and stories that will keep you turning the pages.

This book's main characters are Sophie (Lady Fitzwilliam Bridewell) and West (Marquess of Weston) and we have seen bits of them throughout the prior stories but now we get to dive deeper into theirs. Lately, they have been crossing paths more often (due to their friend circle), but it's important to know that they were nearly engaged years ago. But due to West's curricle accident and his father's meddling, things went sideways and Sophie ended up marrying Bridewell.

As the story kicks off, Sophie is now a widow and she is not at all interested in a romance but when her also widowed sister Alexandra mentions her interest in a gentleman, she realizes Alexandra won't move forward with an engagement until Sophie also settles down again. With that in mind, Sophie approaches West with a proposition. Announce an engagement with her and once Alexandra is married, they will break things off. When West agrees to this and decides to take it as an opportunity to win Sophie over, things start to heat up.

I thought this was a great conclusion to the series. In addition to Sophie and West, we get to see the characters of the other books again and I always love seeing how things are going. Sophie goes through some growth in this book and has to determine what she is willing to fight for and she also has to come to terms with the fact that she is not the person solely responsible for making sure her sisters are happy.

If you're looking for a great series to start, grab this one and if you've already read some (or all) of the other books, definitely grab this one as you won't want to miss out on these character's stories. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for new stuff from Waters in the future.

Its so hard to say goodbye!!!!!!!! I fell in love with these characters, since book one, was a little disappointed I missed a book but then its like I didn’t miss anything at all. We get a second chance romance, fake engagement trope, West and Sophie's story and OMG can I love West!!!!!! They both fell in love 7 years ago, and Sophie being the amazing older sister had to protect her sisters first and foremost and I didn’t hate her for it. But 7 years later she gives West a proposition, to yet again help one of her sisters, but little does she know that West had other plans.

I love how we go back and forth between the years they have been apart, leading up to when they finally get together and West is just utter perfection when he wants to get his girl back! The ending?!! EPIC!!!!! How they came together to go against the very person who kept them apart??? Made me so damn proud of West. I was rooting for these two throughout the book I looked pathetic. Lol

Lets not forget Sophie's family, they are so funny, her mom especially, and I cant leave out the chemistry between these two!! . This book was a great ending to the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this novel. I have really enjoyed this series and was so glad to have the opportunity to receive an ARC for the ending. Seeing the love story of Sophie and West and everything they experienced with his father and her choices to try and protect him was lovely. Waters's signature wit was in full force and I adored this. I am so glad everyone was able to receive a happy ending and we got to spend more time with our favorite couples. 4.5 stars.