Read if you like: second chance romance
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Sophie and West were supposed to get married but an accident and a manipulative father kept them apart. Seven years later, they end up faking an engagement to encourage Sophie's sister to remarry.
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I loved Sophie and West. Their relationship was so cute and the tension was built up well. I loved how West never stopped loving Sophie and was willing to do anything to be with her. Very swoon-worthy!

Martha Waters's "To Woo and to Wed" is a delightful romp through the world of Regency-era romance, filled with wit, charm, and unexpected twists. In this captivating novel, Waters masterfully weaves together a tale of love, intrigue, and mistaken identities that will keep readers turning the pages until the very end.

Waters's keen attention to historical detail and her ability to subvert traditional romance tropes was my favorite part. While the Regency setting provides a lush backdrop of lavish balls and grand estates, Waters injects the narrative with modern sensibilities, creating characters who feel refreshingly relatable and complex.

But perhaps the greatest strength of "To Woo and to Wed" lies in its exploration of themes of identity, self-discovery, and the transformative power of love. As Charlotte and Edward navigate the complexities of their relationship, they must confront their own vulnerabilities and insecurities, ultimately discovering that true love requires honesty, trust, and acceptance.

In conclusion, "To Woo and to Wed" is a delightful and entertaining read that will appeal to fans of historical romance and romantic comedy alike. With its engaging characters, clever plot twists, and witty dialogue, Martha Waters's novel is sure to leave readers smiling long after they've turned the final page.

She felt a bit exasperated with herself at the discovery that she, like most other women on earth, appeared to have a bit of a weakness for tall, dark, and handsome men.
To Woo and to Wed by Martha Waters is the final installment of The Regency Vows series and one that fans have looked forward to the most. With glimpses, teases, and small cameos in previous books in the series, Sophie and West finally get a chance to share their HEA and round out a beloved series.

With a nod to Persuasion, Sophie and West (seven years prior) had—what all peerage had assumed—was a forgone conclusion to a courtship and inevitable marriage announcement. No one but Sophie and West knows the truth behind the fallout seven years ago that ultimately ended up with Sophie being married to another and West having survived a horrific accident.

Everyone called him West, it was true; to do otherwise would have drawn more attention to them in company. But this did not diminish the small jolt of pleasure he got every time he heard her say his name.
In their present time, Sophie’s sister, Alexandra, is also a widow and yet found herself with a chance at a true love match. Unwilling to leave her sister behind, Alexandra refuses to consider marriage unless Sophie is happy. You know what that means. It’s shenanigan time. Sophie, being the selfless, stubborn, martyr that she is, goes to the one person she can trust with a fake marriage proposal: Lord Weston.

This is where all the shenanigans begin to unfurl hopelessly around both Sophie and West. Naturally, West is still hung up on Sophie. Obviously, Alexandra begins to suggest wild and more ridiculous situations in order to test Sophie’s feelings regarding an engagement. On top of it all, Sophie remains resolute in following her farce of a plan regardless of how many times West lays everything on the line for her.

For years, all he had wanted—more than to kiss her, or hold her, or make love to her—was simply to talk to her. She was his favorite person to talk to. She was, he feared, still his favorite person, period.
If you’re a reader who enjoys mountains of angst, then To Woo and to Wed is the romance for you. Following each present-day chapter, there is a chapter with flashbacks to a moment in time for either Sophie and West. Their almost romance from seven years unfolds slowly giving more details and even more angst with each reveal. I found myself brought out of the storyline one too many times with how the storyline went. The fact that it was broken up with flashbacks felt more jarring than informative. It also took (in my opinion) entirely too long for Sophie to get with the program. If I had a chiseled, duke, proclaim his love for me (repeatedly), I would not have waited for so damn long.

Overall, Too Woo and to Wed was a pleasant read. I love how all the previous couples make an appearance, and the HEA was very romantic. I think Waters is a wonderful storyteller but I think this second chance romance felt a bit too angsty for me. Still, I cannot wait to see what Waters has in store for all of us readers next!

Sophie and West were nearly engaged at one time before West’s father broke them apart. Years later, they reunite for a mutually beneficial fake betrothal. But will it stay fake?

What I loved:
-seeing characters from previous books
-quick and light read
-fake dating trope

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy!

What an incredible end to the most lovely of series! I got completely swept away in the story of West + Sophie! And the twist towards the end... CHEF'S KISS!!! This is a must for your TBR pile!!

After reading about Sophie and West in the other books, I knew I had to have their story. I am a sucker for second chances and these two never stopped loving one another. After his father threatens her, Sophie goes on to marry another for the sake of her family as much as for West. Now they are both free and he is determined to show her that nothing else matters. West is perfectly in love. He doesn't waiver and he has his sights set on forever and has since he met Sophie 7 years ago.
There was a lot of back and forth in this one and I'm also glad that Sophie was able to share with West why she left all those years ago and it didn't take the whole book to get there. I fell lin love with both of them.
Thanks to Atria, Netgalley and Martha Waters for an early copy.

The final installment in the series features the relationship that I most wanted to know about since its introduction in book 1! This features a second chance romance at its center, with some serious back history. Normally the books in this Regency Vows series have all felt like historical romantic comedies. While there are always emotional issues that the characters have, there hasn't been deep angst, because the overall tone and mood of the books has been a lighthearted, humorous vibe. This book to me is the most emotionally angsty of them all as it does feature a couple whose love hasn't worked out so well for them over the years, and they have so much baggage to unpack and overcome. While there are moments of humor the tone of this one is less lighthearted.

Overall this series is one for me that I have enjoyed reading and I find fun, but won't ever make my top lists of historical romance recommendations. Come for the fun and enjoy!

Thanks to the publisher and net galley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

“He had no choice—not when the other option was to lose Sophie. And he had never wanted anything in his life as badly as he wanted to marry her.”

I cannot emphasize enough how much I love the characters in Martha Waters’s Regency Vows series. After five books and nearly four years, they feel like my friends. My hilarious, madcap, friends who consistently choose convoluted shenanigans over communication when faced with a romantic dilemma. And you know what? I love them all the more for it.

We have been watching Sophie and West pine over each other since the first book in this series, and now in book five we finally get the chance to see the resolution of a romance seven years in the making. I adored to Woo and To Wed because it was not only a second chance romance for Sophie and West, but was a chance to say goodbye to a group of characters that will linger in my heart for a long time. And I couldn’t have imagined a better love story for our hero and heroine, or a better ending for this strange, dramatic, lovely group of friends.

📚 Read if you like: regency romance, second chance romance, fake engagement, historical romance, a little spice, dual pov

It’s been ages since I read a regency romance and I thought this was really good! It was witty, charming, clever, and laugh out loud funny at times. Also, never before have I cared enough to look up the definition of a curricle vs a phaeton and now I know so there’s that! haha The fake engagement premise was good and caused for lots of funny moments, but their very real love from seven years ago clouds everything and so it’s also very much a second chance romance story.

I really enjoyed both West and Sophie. I thought they fit together well and thought they had a really believable love match. Watching their mutual pining over the course of this book definitely helped the build the story and anticipation. And while there’s not a lot of spice, I do think they’re well suited.

This is the fifth and final book in Martha Water’s Regency Vows series, but it’s the first one I’ve read - and definitely not the last! I never like jumping into a series without reading the books before it but this interconnected standalone series was great to drop into. You get plenty of time with the characters from the previous books without overly telling their stories so I’m excited to read the other books in the series now!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion. This book was released on February 6, 2023 and I definitely recommend it to my fellow historical romance readers.

I was hoping since the first books in this series that we would get West and Sophie's love story, and, finally, we got it! West and Sophie were courting nearly 7 years ago and circumstances pulled them apart. In the current timeline, we see them coming together to pretend to be engaged for a couple of reasons, Sophie to convince her sister to try marriage again and Wes mostly to mess with his dad. Shenanigans happen, as is typical in a Martha Waters book. But we also get to see multiple points of view of what happened between Sophie and West throughout the years, which I appreciated in this second chance romance. This book was really fun to read for the most part. There are a couple of scenes that are more serious, but nothing all that heavy. I also appreciated the way that West's disability was handled. He has used a cane for many years since his carriage accident and we get to see him speak up about his needs in relation to that. I also liked Sophie's candor about her feelings on having children. West and Sophie's relationship is pretty sweet overall and they typically take the time to discuss with each other. I think it was a good end to the series. We got a good wrap up of the other couples from the series. The one thing I wish we could have seen just because it was mentioned a couple of times was a conversation between Sophie and her sister Maria about what had happened. That would have been a really nice way to close out that thread. Overall, I would say if you are looking for a relatively light historical romance series, this is a good choice. I still think Violet and James are my favorite couple. Their story was so fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an e-ARC of To Woo and to Wed, available everywhere in February 2024. I thought the final installment in the Regency Vows series was fine. I was more interested in stories about Sophie's widowhood rather than her time with West, past or present. I was puzzled when she approached him with her plan for a fake engagement because they'd both avoided each other for ages; it was so left field, couldn't there have been more build-up to it? One of the few things I liked about the novel, though, was the author's approach to the potential of a baby. The ending felt so nice. There was no hey, we're going to rush to give them a child.

Second chance romance but make it ✨ regency era ✨

This stand alone novel follows Sophie and West’s journey and is a part of the Regency Vows series, which I have not read. I do not think it’s entirely necessary to read the others prior, but could see how other readers may prefer it.

The novel takes place after Sophie and her sister are both widowed. Her sister has taken interest in a potential suitor but Sophie is worried that her sister is unlikely to remarry unless she does as well.

The story starts with Sophie approaching Wes to fake an engagement which is very confusing since it is set up like they have been avoiding each other for years. However, despite their many obstacles to overcome, I was really rooting for them the entire time and found their love story very charming. I also enjoyed the duel timeline as the story alternates from present and past. Lastly, I know that the miscommunication trope has differing opinions and in this story’s case I find that it does take away from the story instead of add to it.

** thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC and chance to read and review **

This was a really sweet conclusion to this series! I loved the pining and flashbacks to earlier parts of their relationship, although the conflict of why they couldn't be together (and the resolution) was a bit...silly.

Definitely a fun historical romance series to check out if you're a fan of Bridgerton and/or want something lighthearted and fun!

Thanks to Atria Books for an early copy of this book through Netgalley as well!

This was very sweet and enjoyable to read during a busy time. Nothing terribly unique about this regency romance but the predictability was comforting. I liked that the male character’s disability was not a problem for the romance.

Another enjoyable story in Martha Waters Regency Vows series! It might be my favorite! This book has several several romance tropes I enjoy..like slow-burn, and second-chance love. Also did not include a huge unnecessary miscommunication near the end which is always my least favorite part of romance novels.

I loved all the wit, the sarcasm, the banter that I've come to appreciate from this author. Many laugh-out-loud moments for me while reading! And I love that we got to see all the characters from past books in this series.
An entertaining read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a charming end to Waters' Regency Vows series, which I've been enjoying since To Have and to Hoax. The inversion of tricking Dovington was a nice note, and while I found the wink wink element of the gay servants to be boring, the open discussion of their affair was a partial fix on this.

This was such a nice ending to the Regency Vows series!

As a whole, it was a really fun series, with lots of fun literary references. The stories overlap each other quite a bit, so each book gives you a slightly different perspective on the events.

To Woo and to Wed is the fifth book, and tells the story of Sophie and West (the older brother of the MMC from To Have and to Hoax). It's a second chance romance, and the backstory had been hinted at in other books, so I was dying to know what happened by the time I got to this book. Despite their history (and maybe because of it...) they agree to a fake engagement when widowed Sophie's also widowed sister hints that she won't remarry until Sophie does.

Read To Woo and to Wed if: Persuasion is your favorite Jane Austen book, you like big happy families like the Bridgertons, and don't mind main characters who can't get out of their own way.

First I would like to thank Atria Books for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the final book of the Regency Vows series and is Sophie and West’s story. When Sophie’s sister and fellow widow Alexandra starts showing feelings for another man but is hesitant to pursue marriage, Sophie devises a plan to convince to fake court her and prove to Alexandra she is moving on. After an interaction with West, she decides he would be the best option due to their history and convinces him of her scheme. As they continue with the farce of the fake courting and eventual engagement, they are forced to spend more time together and figure out what went wrong all those years ago.

What I Loved:
- Sisters, Sophie has a bunch of sisters and has made it her mission to get them married but now that they are married and she is alone the sisters flip the script and hilarity ensues
- Fake Dating, I am such a sucker for the fake dating trope but with it being a historical romance it just took it to the next level since they had to ramp up to engagement so quick and there isn’t a great way out for them
- Sophie and West, this was a book that I loved them together cause they knew what buttons to push but also wanted to hit them both upside the head often cause they were RIDICULOUS about not speaking their feelings
- End of Series, I think this was a great end to the series as we kept hearing about Sophie and West throughout the series and to have it end with them coming together was such a great cherry on top of the already amazing series.

If you like historical romance, with nosy sisters, supportive friends, fake dating and a love story that spans years I would absolutely recommend this book. Even if you haven’t read any of the other Regency Vows books you can pick this one up and not miss anything.

Sad to see this series end! I think this was my favorite as I have been desperate for Sophie and West’s story since their first mention. This is such a fun gateway to the historical romance genre.

I approached "To Woo and to Wed" without prior knowledge of the preceding books in the Regency Vows series, diving into the narrative with no preconceptions. The culmination of this series, it focuses on the anticipated union of West and Sophie, characters who have danced around each other throughout the four preceding books. Their story, marked by a near-engagement seven years prior, disrupted by West's injury and Sophie's subsequent marriage, finally unfolds here.

The tension between West and Sophie, stemming from past hurts and unresolved feelings, forms the core of this romance. Forced to feign engagement, they navigate a landscape fraught with potential complications. While the series has often veered into silliness, this installment strikes a balance, offering a blend of romance and humor without veering too far into slapstick territory. Despite the weight of past grievances, moments of levity punctuate the narrative, particularly during the staged aspects of the faux engagement.

Overall, "To Woo and to Wed" proved to be an enjoyable read. While not flawless, it managed to hold my attention and provided a satisfying conclusion to the series, fulfilling the anticipation built up over multiple installments.