This book has me absolutely laughing at loud at times! It felt fresh and original compared to the plethora of Regency-era romances out there. Violet and James were just enough without going totally overboard in their quest to win each other back through a whole load of trickery. The secondary characters actually are what really made this book, including their willingness to say to Violet enough is enough, just TALK to James. I was just getting to the point where I was ready to say the same thing about the two of them needing to communicate with each other when it was said for me in the book! Excellent, well written, enjoyable book! I would have liked some of the secondary characters to have had their storylines wrapped up, but if it means we get to see these characters again in the future, I’m good with that!

This was an enjoyable read. It was like "Hating Game" meets an Oscar Wilde play. The plot devolved into melodrama the last quarter of the book, which was unfortunate because the rest of the book was buoyant and funny. The talks of affairs and some of the language between characters seemed more Victorian/Edwardian England instead of Regency, but that is a minor quibble. Overall, very fun!

I wanted to love this book! Seemingly, it checked all my boxes - I love historical romance, I love rom-coms, and I love the trope of marriage in trouble. Yet, I did not love this book. To Have and To Hoax was billed as a hysterical high-jinks filled Regency rom-com with a great hate-to-love plot but sadly, it didn't really work for me. I know it's supposed to be fun and outrageous but it just seemed kind of mean and tedious, and as much as I like an unlikable MC I just wasn't really rooting for anyone. Even though I didn't love it as a whole, I think it had a great premise, I liked the world Martha Waters began to build (the side characters/friends of the main couple were a highlight), and I enjoyed the author's writing style. I've seen a ton of glowing reviews from other readers so maybe this one just wasn't for me. I'm curious to see what the author puts out next and will definitely give it a read!

Wonderfully funny book!! I loved the whole story, with Violet and James having been married for five years, but being separated for four years, it's a story of a man that falls in love with his wife all over again. Violet misses her husband and is highly upset that her husband is in an accident but didn't tell her. She races to be by his side only to find him in great health at a tavern on the way. He has had several trust issues, not only with his wife, but with other family members as well. As she comes up with a plan to get her husband's attention, he sees through her plan, and comes up with his own. In the mean time, they both realize how much they have missed each other and begin to get closer to one another. Great story! I must say though, that there are several scenes that are more vividly descriptive than I am accustomed to reading. This is NOT a "Christian" book. I did, however enjoy the story.

This one is fun, entertaining, quick, hilarious, feel-good reading!

I know so well that:

The characters were so obnoxious, immature, spoiled brats acting like underage, sabotaging their relationship over and over and at least hundred times, I want to bang their heads into each other and scream their faces to kiss and make up! But I loved their story, the hot chemistry, witty dialogues, intriguing pacing. So their childish manners can be tolerable!

The couple’s silent treatment ends with faking sickness games and yes, it was quite fun but the thing I didn’t understand why the author made us too long to learn how they broke up. At least I read more than half of the book but I was still in the dark. I wanted to know how they ruined everything and their reasoning. I didn’t want to pick a side because I know both of the parties have great potential to make meaningless mistakes and at some I wanted to yell and drop the book because of way too much drama!

You know what I keep reading because it is still attention worthy, making me joyful and never ending flirting waltz of the couple and amazing side characters are the best things about this book defeated the negative effects it created on my mind.

So my 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I haven’t read a historical rom-com for so long. It was interesting, exhilarating journey for me even though characters pissed me hell of more than several times.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this witty ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

This was a cute and fun historical rom com about a feuding married couple who resort to what is essentially a prank war to get each other's attention back and repair their relationship. I liked the characters, especially the circle of friends surrounding the main couple, and I liked the concept but I think there could have been a better balance between the shenanigans and the deeper relationship work.

“All is fair in love and war.” Whoever came up with that idea never met Lady Violet Grey and Lord John Audley To Have and To Hoax is a hysterically entertaining historical Rom-Com that proves that while the course of true love never did run smooth, it makes for one hell of ride.

What’s more romantic then the Regency era? Violet and James are your typical Austen style characters. The willful Elizabeth and broody Darcy if you want a comparison. But instead of a drawn out annoyed to love relationship, they fall for each other almost instantly after meeting not entirely by chance. A year of bliss and it all goes to hell. Now they’ve spent four years dutifully ignoring each other.
It all changes when Violet gets word that James has been knocked unconscious after being thrown from a horse. She realizes that she still cares deeply for him and heads for the family stables a few hours ride away. Halfway there she finds her husband at a tavern and he seems perfectly fine. Infuriated she heads back home. It’s then that Violet devises a plan to get him back for the deception, only it doesn't go as planned. What ensues from there is a continual game of one-upmanship. Buddy do we get some hair-brained ideas.

I really appreciated how self-aware this book was. Violet and James could get very juvenile but not without their friends letting them know how absurd they were being. None of their actions came without someone questioning their judgment. The reasoning behind their actions handled in inner monologues was nicely done. Generally books that could be resolved with a genuine conversation frustrate the daylights out of me. The approach To Have and To Hoax made all the difference in the enjoyment level.
One thing that surprised me was how much it felt more like a Contemporary than Historical Romance. While the banter and mannerisms of speech were appropriately used for the time, the dialogue themes gave it a more modern feel. I found myself laughing out loud more then once.

Fans of who enjoy the witty banter of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game will likely enjoy this title.

Debut novels can be a risky proposition but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Violet and Audley May have met in an unconventional way but they were in love when they married. After an argument turns them into more roommates than lovers for four years (yes FOUR years) they find themselves in a battle of quickly escalating machinations. Are they trying to one up each other or just get the other’s attention? Will they ever just sit down and freaking talk to each other? This book tiptoes on the line of what is fun and engaging and what is downright annoying mostly saying on the right side by knowing when to pull back. I was amused and engaged and definitely want to see what is next is next for the author.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this far more than I thought.

Violet and James have hit a snag in their marriage that has lasted four years. Fed up with the coldness, Violet decides that she's going to pretend to have consumption. James quickly discovers the lie and the two play a game to see who win this war first.

The book is very good at backing off before the games Violet and James are playing are too much. There is a delicate line of them being silly and then being irritating. Before I could get tired of the game, the characters start making progress with their relationship. As they've had many issues along with James having daddy issues, it takes a while but it was nice see them communicate and apologize for the problems in their relationship.

I am an avid reader of historical romances set in the Regency period and I was intrigued by the premise of this novel. What worked for me: there was absolutely chemistry between James and Violet and witty dialogue between the two. Violet’s character, especially, made me laugh out loud more than once. The author created a host of interesting and eclectic characters throughout the novel.

What did not work for me: I found the use of obscenities to be jarring and unnecessary. Each time I flinched and it made me think less of our hero and his character. I also found the amount of day drinking and general heavy drinking to be surprising. These two elements made me feel like I was reading a modern novel that happened to be dropped into a Recency background. The incongruity left me unsettled.

Overall, the author is excellent at creating original characters and laugh out loud dialogue and fans of women’s fiction may enjoy the modern sensibilities of this historical romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book- I couldn't put it down, and read most of it in one sitting. I'm not always the biggest fan of romance, but this was done in a smart and playful way. Violet and James are equally entertaining and frustrating protagonists, and I had to know what happened to them. The supporting cast of friends and family are also very entertaining, and I'm hoping that we will be getting sequels featuring them. This is Martha Waters' debut novel, and I can't remember the last time a debut author delivered so soundly on the hype. Bring on sequels!

Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love and got married very quickly. Now, five years into their marriage, the pair haven't spoken since having an argument to end all arguments four years earlier. Their once passionate marriage is now full of cold silences and colder shoulders. But when Violet receives a letter stating that James had been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious, she drops everything to rush to his side at their country home. Imagine her surprise when she meets him at an inn along the road, very much in perfect health and completely unaware of her concern. Violet is outraged and James is confused, and the distant between them only threatens to grow greater.

Wanting nothing more than to teach her husband a lesson, Violet concocts a rather absurd plan of faking a serious illness. However, James quickly sees through his wife's charade, but decides to go along with the ruse. Thus begins a ridiculous game of manipulation, actors posing as doctors, faux mistresses, and increasing flirtations between husband and wife who may not hate each other as much as they thought.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I loved the whole premise and the execution was done so well. It's so ridiculous and witty, and I couldn't put it down. Violet and James are both so stubborn and hard-headed, and usually I would be annoyed with characters acting so childishly, but they were both so aware of how dumb they were being that I didn't actually mind. Their antics were so over the top and pretty comical, but I really loved how their relationship played out. Their back and forth bickering was everything. All the secondary characters in their friend group were also great and added so much enjoyment to the story. If you're looking for a fun but still heartfelt read, check this one out.

I don't typically love rom-com type books but this book was funny and engaging and a really enjoyable read overall.

I’m a sucker for a good romantic comedy and this one was a fun, fast paced read. I really enjoyed the wittiness and felt like the characters were easy to relate to.

This started out as a fun read with a kind of sarcastic tone, but it soon became tedious to read. The book just goes on and on. Why can't Violet and James just get along? I don't know if I will ever find out because I can't stand to finish reading the book. Another thing that bothered me is that the characters had Lord and Lady titles, but they women were often called Lady {insert husband's first name}. This was very confusing because then the husband would be referred to has his title but then sometimes his last name. I have a feeling she was trying to historically correct, but it was just confusing trying to figure out who the author was writing about.

To Have and to Hoax is an exceptionally executed historical romantic comedy. When James sends a letter to Violet, explaining he has been in a riding accident and is possibly in a coma, she rushes to his side--only to find out that he his fine. What ensues is a hilarious feud between the two, with each trying to outwit the other. The prose and humor absolutely make this book, but toward the end, the banter between the husband and wife--and their ever-constant plotting and gaming to outsmart each other--did get a bit tiresome. That was this book's only downfall. It could have been shorter, but it still made for a hysterical read. Even with my complaint about the length, I read it in one sitting, often laughing out loud at the crazy messes these two make. I recommend if you're looking for a decent historical rom-com for light reading.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.

I received a reviewer copy of To Have an to Hoax by Martha Waters from the publisher Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Violet and James are a love match in there regency England community and they were madly in love but after an all consuming fight, four years later there marriage is in serious danger. To get her husband's attention, Violet fakes an illness.

What I Loved: This book is really light and biting. I particularly liked the parts where the couple got along (which wasn't much of the book), but I enjoyed those parts best. I liked the secondary characters as well.

What I didn’t like so much: I didn't love the games they played on each other were silly and you wanted to yell at the characters to just talk (a bulk of the book). I also was wondering what had caused the fight so long before and felt I might have been more invested if I'd known at the beginning rather than the end. Since I had no idea what went on the book seemed mostly childish in their revenge.

Who Should Read It: People who like fun regency novels. People who love revenge games as a trope in literature. Perhaps people who enjoyed Bringing Down the Duke. People who just want a light read.

General Summary: A game of a love match gone sour and the games the couple plays to get the other's attention set against regency England.

This was such a fun and quick read! I loved the humor and romance in this book.

Books described as Regency rom com don’t come around very often so when I had the opportunity to read this I jumped at the chance. This whole book hinges on a huge communication issue between Lord James and Lady Violet. Because of this, I wanted to give them both a good shake to break them out of their spell of childish pranks and pretending. In fact, one of their friends asks if they think they are “overdue for a conversation” Yes, this reader agrees!

The argument has to do with a communication error, which I know can bug some readers. However in this instance it works. People have arguments and fall out due to communication all the time and it's just real life. Violet and James spend a lot of the book pranking each other and while some of it is childish it read as charming to me. The dialogue made me laugh out loud in some parts.

There was some repetition in parts of the book because we are getting the story from two POVs: Lord James and then from Lady Violet.

I really liked the supporting cast of characters, especially James and Violet’s friends; I hope there is a spin off involving them. This is a fun and charming regency romance. 4/5

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc of this novel.

To Have and to Hoax is an enjoyable and funny read! However, it didn't truly feel like a historical novel. To me, historical novels appear much more serious and this was lacking in that department. I will say though that I was laughing a mile a minute. I love the tricks and the way the characters loose their inhibitions! It's just so much fun!

In full disclosure, I probably wouldn't have picked this one up if the publisher hadn't reached out to me. This is because I typically read only contemporary romance. But the description of a history romcom with a Hating Game vibe won me over.

This was a really fun read with characters who could have easily been on the pages of a modern-day romance and characters I think would be so much fun to hang out with. Although the main conflict could have been resolved with an honest conversation, usually a best peeve, it worked well in this novel and led to fun shenanigans' between James and Violet. The secondary characters were fun as well, and I'd love a follow-up between Diana and Jeremy....or Emily and Belfry. Martha Waters - what do you say?