To Have and to Hoax sounds a little out of the norm from a typical rom-com style book. I was initially skeptical of Lady Violet Grey’s story, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance! This novel follows Lady Violet Gray and her husband Lord James Audley. Married five years ago following an initial whirlwind romance full of love and lust, they are now four years into an estranged marriage. Barely speaking, hurling insults and sleeping in separate bedrooms both Violet and James are miserable. This novel has a slightly complicated cast of characters, but I found myself invested and enjoyed the complexity of friendships that surround Violet and James. There is a lot of petty drama, scheming and gossiping, but it makes for a delightful, fun and witty novel.

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I throughly enjoyed this book. A good regency romance that uses the structure of that society well is my bread and butter. I thought the main plot so interesting, and found it endlessly diverting. There were a few times I wanted the pace to move faster and the story to pick up the intrigue. There were too many moments to count that if the main characters would just have one conversation they could have cleared it up, but such is life and the resolution to the plot was well worth the drama in the middle.

James and Violet's relationship, lying and ignoring each other aside, was so rich and full of moments that honestly all .I want now is a novel full of those moments that we missed out cause they were being stupid. I hope there are additional books set with these characters and their friends cause Diana and Jeremy have some feelings to work out as well!

This book was a delightful romp! The perfect antidote to the dreary weather outside, To Have and to Hoax was witty and endearing. I love reading smart romantic comedies, but eventually you feel like you've heard every story a few times before. This book felt fresh and new, and it's historical setting gave complications that in a modern romance could have felt cheap, easily solved by a simple text message. I cannot wait to see what Martha Waters does next!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the story but the game playing really got to be too much. Plus I hated that James had to be groveling when she was waaaay more involved in the crap than he.
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This book sounded like a great deal of fun and I was excited to get into it. It started out in a fabulous way and I just loved the two of them together. I was sure they were going to be a wonderful pair!

However, sooner than later, it turned into a grudge fest and the games began. In many aspects this book frustrated me. Although it was fun and tongue in cheek in many ways, when you find out that it had been going on for 4 out of the 5 years they had been married, I was actually sad they had wasted such a beautiful time in their marriage.

The supporting friends were a great addition to the story and each had their hand in the mess along with calling out the duo in their dumb, immature games. The parents… ugh is all I have to say.

Most of the story is dedicated to different ways to mess with each other and I really did not love the fact that James was made out to be the bad guy when she clearly had a huge part in the entire issue.

Don’t get me wrong, overall the story is a wild and wacky story that is loaded with sexual tension as they really do love each other immensely. I wish we could have gotten more of the loving and less of the game playing. A nice balance would have brought this to a 5 star rating.

Fun, witty, and a fabulous first novel. But seriously – get a different cover that is not so boring.

James and Violet meet during her first Season and are caught talking on a balcony without a chaperone. It's not an issue as it's love at first sight for both of them. They marry and live happily for the first year. James finds out that his father and Violet's mother engineered the whole scene and believes that Violet was in on it after he overhears a conversation between her and his father. Fast forward four years and they have been living in an armed state since then. Violet receives a note telling her that James has fallen off a horse and is unconscious and rushes to be with him. Meanwhile James has fully recovered and is on his way home. They meet at an inn and Violet is furious. She hates everything to do with the stables and thinks James spends too much time there. She concocts a plan to make him think she's ill to pay him back. The best laid plans often go awry and this is no exception. Will they find their way back together?
A great story and a quick read. It's both funny and romantic.

Add a Regency setting, a dash of social impropriety, and shades of "Pride and Prejudice" and tada! You have To Have and To Hoax! Following a whirlwind romance, Violet and James are now on the outs and are not afraid to let the world know about it. After a letter arrives urging Violet to make her way to her injured husband's side - only for him to appear, whole and healthy - a hilarious sequence of pranks, lies, and misinformation takes over the relationship. I must admit that this book read like a breath of fresh air and I was sorely invested in Violet and James getting back together and rediscovering their early happiness. I highly recommend this book for fans of lovers - to enemies - to lovers tropes and the classic female-written literature (such and P&P) that this book was obviously patterned on.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Every once in a while I like to delve into historical romance. There is something to be said for societal impropriety. Add in some humor, a second chance romance and you have To Have and to Hoax.

18 and at her first season, Violet is nearly ruined with her friends brother, Jeremy. Alone on a balcony is everything her mother warned her about. Before their lips could connect Lord James Audley happens upon them and warns them of the implications of being found together. Only now, Violet is not afraid of being found with James, alone, on a darkened balcony.

Their first year of marriage was amazing, but a fight has left their last four years lonely with no affection or conversation. But Violet has had enough and plots to get James to show that he cares.

This becomes a case of he knew that she knew that he knew that she was faking an illness. This goes back and forth for quite some time and often feels petulant and childish but the ending outcome is everything you want a funny, historical romance to be.

So what happens? You'll want to one click to find out.

I look forward to more books about the secondary characters in this book and some follow up with Violet and James.

I really enjoyed thus cute and humorous couple, James and Violet. This novel had a unique plot and let me feel the realities of real marital love and problems, even if it took a while to address, it was worth the wait! There were antics, hilarious and steamy moments, and chemistry. I also loved the color and cover design. Super adorable regency romance! I will be looking forward to more from this author!

This was so much fun! I thought I'd enjoy this book, but I was not expecting to inhale it quite the way I did. I liked both James and Violet a lot, and I appreciated how they both came to realize and either call themselves out or listen to others call them out on their flaws. The whole friend group was very fun, and I see a full series taking shape. A few things pushed the limits of believability, but it didn't impact my enjoyment of the story and they were things I felt fine just going with. I'm a huge Georgette Heyer fan, and this very much felt like Heyer for the modern reader. I personally did not love Bringing Down the Duke as much as many others seem to have, but I'd say this one is better than that and anyone who liked that would really like this one!
**Plus, there's a Friends reference "They don't know we know they know!"

This married couple, sort-of-enemies-to-lovers, regency romance is FUN. It’s one of the funniest historicals I think I’ve ever read. Despite how frustrating they could be at times, I loved Violet and James and their chemistry together. The banter was perfect, the kooky antics they both cooked up hilarious, and the much-anticipated steamier scenes delivered. I’m surprised this is Waters’ debut as she writes like an old pro. I’m excited for whatever she writes next!

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I really liked the world Waters created with these cheeky and charming characters. This was a unique twist on a married romance as the couple has only been married for one year before a massive argument results in their 4-year estrangement. Some of the argument has to do with a miscommunication (heads up there if those sorts of things bother you in romances), but a lot of the estrangement was a result of personal obstacles the characters needed to overcome in order to forgive, trust, and move forward.

I found both Violet and James easy to like, but I think their group of friends is what won me over. I have high hopes Waters is going to be making this a series and we’ll get books for Violet’s and James’s friends, too.

There is a lot of pranking in this book, and some immature choices. It didn’t bother me, but I can see how some readers may find it annoying and might wear their patience thin. What made it fall short of a 5 star read for me was that I found it repetitive at times, and I was expecting it to really make me laugh out loud a lot… and it didn’t really. I knew when that was its intention, and it made me smirk to myself many times, but something wasn’t matching up for me for some reason. It could be my current headspace, could be my expectations were too high or misplaced, who knows. I do think the humor will appeal to a lot of readers though. It felt very much like a historical rom-com (which I’ve been on the hunt for). Something just slightly missed the mark, and it’s honestly bothering me that I can’t quite put my finger on why.

I know that was kind of a mixed review, but all that said, it was a fun take on a historical romance that’ll be a great spring read when it releases April 7th.


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

Oh, man, I loved this book. The banter was perfect. the main characters delightful., and the humor spot-on. The supporting characters were endearing (and/or infuriating) in their own right, and I hope to read their books someday.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free review copy of this book.

The premise of this book got my attention right away and some of the reviews convinced me to give it a read.

It is entertaining, although I do feel that it went on a bit long and started dragging for me about 80% through (I skimmed the last 15% or so to be honest). There is a lot of back and forth, bickering and pranking between James and Violet. Their hi-jinxes are amusing if not laugh out loud funny, and I did appreciate Violet being independent and smart, and them staying faithful to each other even in spite of their fight. Even some of the pranks were funny and since I read the blurb before reading the book, I knew what to expect in that regard.

However, probably what bugged me the most about this book was the fact that they maintained a fight for four years over something that could easily have been solved with several honest discussions. I understand why it was a fight in the first place, but seems like it dragging on for four years was a little much. I did like that their friends were telling them repeatedly to talk to each other and that they were being ridiculous.

All in all, it was entertaining but I felt it could've used some further editing and maybe to be a bit shorter. It does seem that the author set up a few other story lines that might be turned into future books, and I would happily read and review those as well. I think if you are going to pick this book up - be sure to read the blurb and maybe a few reviews to be sure that this is what you are looking for! If you are someone who gets driven crazy by characters not talking about their issues or extravagant pranks, this might not be the book for you. If you are willing to look past it and want a book with witty dialogue and lots of heat between the main characters, plus a great supporting cast, then I think you would enjoy this one.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

I didn't finish this. I didn't want to read about lies and trickery. I thought it would be fun and I'm a general fan of the genre but I kept finding excuses to read anything else.

5 years ago, Lady Violet and Lord James fell in love quickly. Then just as quickly (and mysteriously) they fell out of love after the fight to end all fights. They have been estranged for 4 years.

Once we learn that cause of their martial distress it all makes sense. We learn how important trust and communication is in marriage, no matter what decade or century we’re in. The funny part is, under all of this nonsense, it’s obvious they still love each other.

The hilarious goings-on, combined with this unique plot, will have you laughing and shaking your head throughout.

I'm not big into historical fiction for the most part, but the blurb for To Have and to Hoax called out to me, so I figured I would give it a try. With a less adept writer, this could be the kind of book that would annoy me beyond reason - childish main characters, a rift that could be fixed with a single conversation, endless drama - but somehow, it works. And it works well.

Most of that is due to the fact that both Violet and James, our main characters, know they're being idiots. They're just too wrapped up in the game to want to stop. Their behavior, funny as it could be at times, showed both of them that their problem(s) didn't just stem from one argument, but that their entire marriage needed a rehaul. And that takes work, not just dueling. Dueling can be fun, hard work...not so much.

Violet and James are both delightful, whilst being idiots. I love a woman who's wickedly smart in a time where she has to hide it, and a man who finds that attractive, not tedious. Their sexual tension was a current running through the story, even - no, especially - in times of anger. Their physical relationship is hot. Even with all the neckties and chemises.

My one complaint with this story is that at a certain point, the drama became too much, dragging out and becoming a bit tedious. As the story progresses, both Violet and James are in on the lies and their games but continue to refuse to talk it out. Then when they finally talk, all the blame falls to James, which irked me a little. Sure, he's probably more to blame, but Violet used silence as a weapon and also acted childish in her refusal to help the situation. I'm all for a man groveling, but damn, he went the extra mile.

I'm hoping this becomes a series since there were so many hints that that was the intention. Martha Waters proves in To Have and To Hoax that she's a writer to watch. I'm here for more regency men being taken down a peg by witty ladies who are more than capable to do so.

I've picked up - and put down - quite a few books lately. I've had trouble concentrating on stories that don't grab me right away. Luckily To Have and To Hoax sucked me in and kept me entertained throughout. Violet and James marry after a whirlwind romance, but early on in their marriage they have a blow out fight. This book takes place 4 years after the fight, when the two still have not reconciled and exist in a chilly, unhappy marriage. After James is in a riding accident that Violet thinks is more serious than it is, she decides to show James how she felt by pretending she's sick. That escalates into a war between the two, and, of course, the realization that they don't actually hate each other. This book was very fun, and Violet and James were a good match for each other. I also really liked the side characters - Violet and James's friends were great, and there were definitely some hints for subsequent books. All that being said, if you hate books in which the conflict is just that the characters won't talk to each other, this one is not for you. Multiple characters mention this to Violet and James - if they'd just talk it out everything would be resolved. Violet and James really have to work through their issues - they seemingly reconcile and then get mad at each other quite a few times. While I enjoyed this, it did get a little repetitive - James has issues with his father, and we hear the same thing several times. (Also, I didn't quite get his hatred for his father - his father's behavior didn't seem that much different than most paternal duke behavior in the era, and it didn't seem egregious to me, but maybe I missed something.) The other thing that bothered me was that Violet's mother is overbearing, and the book set me up to expect her to stand up for herself, but I didn't feel that conflict was resolved well. Overall, though, this was a fun read with a great heroine, and I look forward to the next book by this author.

I think Martha Waters worked some magic here! Other than bad writing, nothing makes me DNF a book faster than characters acting immature/annoying. But in this case, she made it work. From the beginning, she managed to make me root for these two characters, making the fact that they were acting like silly IDIOTS endearing instead of irritating.

Whatever she writes next, I'll be reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. To Have and to Hoax has some elements of Julia Quinn, a little bit of Jane Austen, and a charm that's all Waters's own. Although there were a few times where I wanted to yell, "Just talk to each other!" at the characters, Waters does a convincing job of exploring why they found it hard to have a real conversation about their issues. Really fun.

Really very cute. I have a tendency to dislike Regency(ish) romances for whatever qualities they have which are dissimilar to P&P, cruel of me, I know, but this had very little of the poorly researched etiquette and sensually exposed ankles that mar the genre in general.