4.5/5

I was so happy I got this book! Let me start this review by saying I am not a fan of second-chance romances. I typically skip them in a series like Regency Vows, but I did it for Sophie and West! We learned so much about them through their friends and family in the Regency Vow universe, and I couldn't wait for them to find happiness with each other. It was sweet, it was cure, it was heart wretchingly perfect.

To Woo and to Wed tells the story of Sophie and West. The book is told in the times before and after Sophie is married to one of West's friends. Sophie and West reconnect after Sophie is widowed. There is a fake engagement with lots of humor and friendship along the way.

I thought the book was a really well written. I have not read the rest of the series, so I was definitely lost at times, but the story was still good. You can tell this was the conclusion of something pretty great. I would like to go back and read the rest of the series. Yay for more books on my TBR! **rolls eyes and laughs out loud**

Sophie and West had amazing chemistry. I like that the author included their relationship before Sophie's marriage. It made their relationship even more meaningful.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

i received an eARC from netgalley and am extremely thankful for that! thank you to them and atria books for providing me this opportunity.

this series has been dear to my heart, and i’ve throughly enjoyed multiple things. the writing style, the plot variations, the characters, the comedy. sometimes with series, especially one with five books, you could see authors repeat themselves at some points. they can get tired. some characters may shine more than others.

if you’re scared of that…just read this. and be happy to read a series done the right way.

after reading the four other books, i was worried maybe this would be the pairing i wouldn’t fall for. but, martha truly went out with a bang. sophie and west were…wow. strong, funny, witty. they are amazing characters who could have stood on their own, but luckily found their way to each other. i feel like i specifically need to shine the light on west. he was so well rounded and such a joy to read. and the way he loves sophie made my heart leap out of my body so many times. the way he talked to her…jesus.

sometimes i’m iffy about second chance romances but this was absolutely perfect. that paired with a fake engagement? and some forced proximity, with balanced friendship and banter. yeah. sign me up multiple times. and the pining. ugh. perfection.

thank you, martha, for a perfect end to this series. i enjoyed every moment.

I stumbled on this author some time ago and while I wasn't super impressed before, I decided to give it another try. This was better than some of the previous books in the series, but the constant back and forth between the MCs previous timelines and the current was excessive. It felt like the author hadn't completely developed the storyline and had to throw another backstory scene in that didn't fit.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks @netgalley @atriabooks and Martha Waters for the chance to read and review an early copy of To Woo and To Wed. It’s out on February 2, 2024.

The fifth and final book in Martha Waters’ Regency Vows series follows the love story of West and Sophie. Seven years earlier a tragedy and ducal meddling prevented them from being engaged and wed. After being widowed, Sophie turned aside all thoughts of falling in love, knowing that the only time she had had ended in disaster. But when her sister’s happiness depends on her belief that Sophie will have her own martial bliss, Sophie proposes to West that they fake an engagement just as long as it takes for her sister to marry. West never got over the loss of Sophie and when his father threatens to sell his late mother’s favorite property if he doesn’t marry, he decides to accept his fake betrothal to Sophie. But spending time together finally forces them to confront their complicated and fraught history—and just might give them a second chance at happiness.

Martha Waters writes with such wit and heart. This story was especially powerful with its themes of sacrifice and what you’re willing to do for your loved ones. I highly recommend it.

Steam: 🔥🔥
Tropes: fake dating, bad dad, double wedding, marrying for the wrong reasons

I love a good regency book now and then, and this was a fun one. Seven years ago, Sophie and West had been on the road to betrothal. Due to his father’s meddling and a tragic accident, Sophie ended up marrying someone else. Now as a widow, she’s content with the way things are until her also widowed sister seems hesitant to move on unless Sophie does as well.

Wanting her sister to be happy, Sophie enlists West to pretend being engaged to her so her sister will become so as well. Obviously things evolve as the two never lost feelings for one another. I enjoyed reading about them finding their way back.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was very excited to find this book on NetGalley because I’ve read the rest of the series and was looking forward to the final book. I was not disappointed. To Woo and to Wed picks up the story of Sophie and West who were thwarted in love 7 years ago. Now Sophie decides to feign an engagement so that her sister will marry her suitor. But, since this is a romance, Sophie and West find that they can get over the past and be happy for the future.
Like I said before this is exactly what I was expecting. It’s a bit more open door than I usually read, but I still liked it.

I was so happy to have received this ARC- I’ve been reading the Regency Vows as they’ve come out and started following Martha on Instagram during the spring of 2020 when all I could do was be pregnant and read while stuck in the house. Her recommendations helped stack my TBR and got me through some difficult times and I’ll be forever grateful!

This was my favourite of the five, and I’ve always loved Sophie and West and hoped their story would live up to the hype. It did exactly that! Perfect pacing, lovely interactions and I loved all of the secondary characters. Definitely add this to your list and I recommend all five in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria books for letting me get my mitts on this early!

"To Woo and to Wed" is the fifth book in Martha Waters' "The Regency Vows" series. This particular book is focused on Sophie and West, two young people who have plans to marry. However, when West's father threatens Sophie to stay away from West, their plans go awry. As they continue to run into each other over the years, they realize that their feelings never truly went away. Sophie then devises a fake dating scheme as they continue to navigate their feelings.

I've really enjoyed this series by Waters. Unfortunately, this particular couple didn't have the same chemistry or draw me in like the characters from the previous books. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

If you've been following this series, you've been on the edge of your seat waiting for Sophie and West to figure themselves out. Well, dear reader, they do!!! It takes a lot of hard conversations, wooing, and some timeline jumping, but it is well worth the wait. I adore this couple's tenacity and undeniable spark. I would love to give it 4.5 stars as it's almost perfect, but that's not allowed. My only count against this book is that it takes our Heroine way too long to admit her issues even after everyone around her tells her what they are. West knows from the start what he wants, but Sophie's fear is holding her back. She suffers greatly from Oldest Child syndrome and there's a really great conversation between her and one of her sisters toward the end. Really, a wonderful story and all the devious tricks we've come to love from this family.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"To Woo and To Wed" is the final installment in Martha Waters' Regency Vows series and, in my opinion, it was the best one yet. The emotional depth and growth of our main characters, Sophie and West, and the strategic use of flashbacks made this a full circle story of growing up (and into oneself) and second chance love. It was fun to see the other characters from the series, and the book/series ended on a high note. Loved this one!

It's time to say goodbye to the 'Regency Vow' gang and what a treat of a swan song Martha Waters has delivered with 'To Woo and to Wed'.

Throughout the series we've known West and Sophie were engaged seven years ago, but after an impetuous curricle race left Jeremy's brother dead and West with a permanent limp, Sophie married another man, who has since died. Through flashbacks we learn all the reasons why their engagement fell apart.

Waters masterfully balances the sparkling wit and banter she is best known for, while tackling an underlying serious tone with all the long-held hurts, insecurities and pining. This book has slow-burn Persuasion vibes in the best way. I devoured this book in one sitting because I needed to know what happens next.

I really mourned those lost seven years along with Sophie and West and it was fantastic to see their character growth. Waters understands the neccessity for a second chance romance - that they've learned their lessons from the first time so they earn their happy ending.

For anyone missing the rest of the gang they're forever present, interfering with each other as well as being the most divine found family. There's some developments with a few characters too!

'To Woo and to Wed' is full of the same sharp banter and charm that have made the Regency Vows an auto-buy, while serving up a compelling, slow burn second-chance romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

I am so sad to see this series end. I've really enjoyed all the books in the series, and am finally glad to see a resolution to Sophie and West's story. There is not a lot new to this story, as we've seen Sophie and Wes throughout the other books, but this book wrapped up their story very nicely.

3.8
I really didn't need the silly contrivance that brought the main characters together here, as it was abundantly clear it would have happened regardless of the circumstances. That said, it was fun...ish.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

And so we come to the end of the Regency Vows series. I've truly enjoyed all of these books and find them to be delightful and such fun reads. I don't think you HAVE TO read all the previous books in the series before this one, but it will definitely increase your enjoyment of this story in particular. There are a lot of callbacks to previous plots in the other books in this conclusion.

Sophie and West are such a good pair. I love their banter and their camaraderie. I also appreciated how they could bicker and be honest and have vulnerable conversations all in one interactions. I really appreciated the flashbacks throughout this book, since we've been getting hints of their relationships for the other previous books.

Synopsis:
The final installment in the Regency Vows series follows the heir to a dukedom and a young widow, once very much in love, as they reunite years later to fake an engagement for the benefit of her sister.
West, the Marquess of Weston, and Sophie, Lady Fitzwilliam Bridewell, have lately been spending a considerable amount of time together. But West and Sophie are not new acquaintances. In fact, years ago, they had once been nearly engaged until West’s almost fatal curricle accident and his meddling father threw them off course.
Now recently widowed, Sophie has put aside all thoughts of romance. But when her widowed sister, Alexandra, mentions a fondness for an earl, Sophie realizes that she may be holding her sister back. Alexandra won’t move forward with an engagement until Sophie, too, settles down again, and so Sophie approaches West with a plan. They will announce their engagement and break things off once Alexandra is happily married. It’ll be simple. After all, it’s not like she is going to fall for West a second time, not when Sophie has sworn not to risk her heart again.

So I have really enjoyed this entire series, and the endcap of these books does not disappoint. Sophie and West have existed through all the other books and so we kind of know them, but the book really fleshes out their backstory and relationship. I thought that the author did a great job of having flashbacks that increased the stakes for what is otherwise a fairly obvious pairing, and an outside obstacle that the reader knows is fairly easy to overcome.

One side note: I do think that to really enjoy these books, you need to read all of them and in order. I had a little bit of trouble keeping track of who was who because it's been awhile since I read the others, and THEN I realized I HADN'T actually read book 4 of 5 so that was at least partially my fault. But there's a lot of inside joking that's more fun if you're reading them all in order and fairly close together.

I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for the possibility of a review.

What an end to a fantastic series! I've been waiting for Sophie and West's story since we first got an inkling of what it might be, and I'm so happy that it lived up to my expectations. Given that this is a second-chance romance (not usually my favorite), there was just the right balance of angst, banter, friendship, and hilarious situations. I really love the found family aspect of this series, and I think it's worth it just for that alone. I'll miss it so much, and I can't wait for this book to come out in audio so I can reread the entire series!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!</i>

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I have not red the previous installments of the series but it did not affect my understanding of the story. It is very much a stand alone! I loved the premise of love gone awry and overcoming all challenges for love. I especially loved the main characters Sophie and West. The author did a great job of making you route for them! Definitely recommend this quick regency era love story!

I love the intertwined lives of the Regency Era novels. This was the perfect end to wrap up their love stories. A delightful read that I didnt want to put down. The Duke finally met his match and I love that the females if this renegade group are all strong willed and witty. I enjoyed the flashbacks throughout their 7 year relationship to help better understand the complexity of West and Sophie’s relationship.

To preface, I didn't realize that this book was the fifth book in a series. Maybe that would've changed things.

I felt like this story was extremely slow and drug out. What made the pace hard was the lack of investment I had with all the characters. I wish we saw more of Sophie with her sisters (maybe that was in pervious book). I also wish Sophie and west would've had more actual conversations.