3.5 stars

The first book in this Regency series featured an improbable plot and great chemistry between the two main characters, and this one continues that theme.

Jeremy, a marquess noted for his drinking and womanizing, and Diana, a titled widow with an acerbic tongue, have long enjoyed an adversarial relationship. They make a wager about whether or not Jeremy will be married within a year and the battle is on. Diana schemes to throw likely candidates his way with the connivance of his imperious grandmother.

But somewhere along the line, the situation changes. Two things happen: Jeremy seeks her help in polishing his bedroom skills, which will also send a signal that the widow is ready to branch out. But the two cannot escape the fact that along with their barbed words, they are generating a huge amount of erotic heat.

A humorous romp -- thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is the second book in The Regency Vows series but can be read as a standalone. This book follows Diana and Jeremy as they agree on a friends with benefits arrangement and all that entails. Add to this fact that they wagered 100 pounds on whether or not Jeremy would be married within the year and it makes for some great banter and tension between the characters.

I was laughing out loud for the majority of the book, I even choked on my coffee at one point because the scene was just so funny, and smiling through the rest of it. The chemistry that these characters have is so evident and present it just had me rooting for them to get together the entire time. Jeremy and Diana are the definition of frenemies to me, they love to get the other to react and love bickering with each other and it makes for some great content. I loved watching these two characters go from a casual relationship to getting to know each other better, and I loved seeing them realize that they’re in love with each other.

This book dragged me out of a reading slump and had me grinning like a crazy person the whole time, I loved it so much, I would highly recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of historical romances.

Another miscommunication-based, hijinks-laden regency romcom from Waters, this time following the seemingly cold-blooded widow and shameless rake.

Waters has a playful and cheeky style of prose that fits well with the overall mood and displays general competence in the genre.

However, the same annoyances I felt in "To Have and to Hoax" were unfortunately present in this installment as well. We've got the contrived and shallow drama. The uninformed traits (am I suppose to just believe that characters are xyz without being shown examples of it?). The irritating/useless side characters. The hypocritical and petty MCs (again same issue with Regency Vows #1). Are they adults or teens? Maybe they were all a little emotionally stunted in the Regency era?

I'm sure this sort of book would appeal to someone devoted to the enemies to lovers trope and wants something light from the regency romance category. There are lots of antics that would either be fun or (if you're like me) eye-rolling without being entirely insipid.

I had no emotional investment until about 60%, which is way too late as I couldn't muster the energy to care despite the strong emotional scenes in the second half. A fitting, if not entirely satisfactory, ending. 3/5

“ The last thing I ever intend to do is something as unutterably foolish as to fall in love.”

To Love and To Loathe is a sweet and steamy historical romance, perfect for fans of the Bridgerton series or Evie Dunmore's League of Extraordinary Women.

”Now that I have the advantage of a widow’s portion and the accompanying freedom, I don’t see why I should ever wish to tie myself to another man again.”

Lady Diana Templeton is young, beautiful, wealthy, and a widow. Her much-older husband passed away just a few years into their marriage, leaving her well-off and free to live according to her own desires, rather than society's expectations. Diana enjoys her freedom and has no desire to fall in love or marry again... but a rather indecent "proposal" from the rakish Lord Jeremy Willingham may lead to more than she bargained for!

”She realized that of course she loved him. Now what on earth was she to do about it?”

This was a perfectly enjoyable read, packed with all the tropes and trappings I expected to see in a historical rom-com: the constant back-and-forth banter of enemies-to-lovers; the bad-boy rogue who is actually a rather tortured soul with daddy issues; the before-her-time feminist who believes that society's construct of marriage isn't for her; and even a Victorian twist on no-strings-attached sex.

”I want to be the person you know you can demand everything of, because you deserve everything.”

I can’t say that I noticed anything particularly novel or unique about this story, compared to other historical romances I’ve read, but I found nothing to complain about either. Overall, it was just a nice, fun, and flirtatious read, with plenty of charm!

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A huge thank-you to Martha Waters, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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This is a cute read which had light-hearted banter, enemies to lovers trope and some angst. In short, exactly what I wanted to read at that moment.

I understand that this is the second book in the series, but I think it works well as a standalone because I really don't think I missed much. There are some references to the previous book but you get the gist because it is explained well.

I did not realize this was the second book in the series. I unfortunately have not read the first one so felt like I couldn't start with the second in a series even if it is new characters.

This is a Regency-era romance with a wonderful twist. Diana, a widow, wants to put the word out that she'd like to have a discreet affair with a gentleman (she's allowed to do that in Regency society because she is a widow). Jeremy, a Marquess, is unmarried, and he is privately worried because one of his lovers recently mentioned that he was lacking in the bedroom. He wants to shore up his confidence, so he propositions Diana -- they will have an affair, and that will allow him to regain his confidence, and it will enable her to quietly signal to the "ton" that she is open to an affair. It's all a lot of fun, because there is great banter and a light hearted relationship between these two characters. Of course, they fall in love, with a little help from Jeremy's aristocratic grandmother, who heartily approves of Diana. I would recommend this wonderful book to Regency readers who aren't sticklers for traditional formula Regencies -- think Evie Dunmore as opposed to Julia Quinn.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters. I didn't read Waters first book but I didn't have any trouble picking up this book on its own. I really enjoyed the Beatrice and Benedick vibe of the love interests in this book, with fantastic banter while they did everything in their power to avoid admitting having feelings for each other. I felt all the feelings really strongly and enjoyed their character growth and all the obstacles that came between them along the way—mostly self-imposed, as it should be. This was so sexy and fun and I enjoyed every minute of it. Definitely recommend it!

I liked this book but didn't love the heroine (Diana).
She was too mean for me. The banter was suppose to be fun but Diana took it to biting comments about Jeremy's character. It just didn't work for me.
Also, there were so many characters introduced in a short period of time that I got confused and couldn't keep anybody straight.
I enjoyed the discussions about the differences in freedom of men and women of the time. And the ending was totally SWOON WORTHY.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to read To Love and To Loathe because I enjoyed Waters’ debut novel To Have and to Hoax so much. I love the Regency setting with a bit of modern language that blends with the novel’s romantic comedy narrative. The witty banter and side quips is what makes it so charming. This sequel focuses on Diana and Jeremy who decide to enter into a romantic engagement. The reader knows it will be quite chaotic but will want to see how it all turns out.

I liked reading Diana’s and Jeremy’s story about their relationship and their individual struggles. Diana’s loud rebellious nature makes her an interesting character. She’s been told that she’s unladylike because she’s outspoken but she doesn’t let it deter her. In fact, it’s one of the qualities that Jeremy finds really endearing about her. Jeremy’s a playful marquess who deals with the heavy weight of his brother’s death and then has all the financial responsibilities thrown on top of him. He uses humor to deflect his true feelings and Diana helps him to cope and finally let himself grieve. Though the two fight like cats and dogs they have a lot in common and are actually quite sweet to one another. They always challenge each other which always makes their relationship exciting.

This book is so much fun to read! I love the characters and their personalities. It’s so entertaining. Especially the friendship between Diana, Emily, and violet. I love how they always take it upon themselves to be nosy in a good way. They truly are for one another and they have such a tight-knit friendship. I liked seeing characters from the previous novel coupled with new characters. There’s something about Waters’ writing that makes her stories so enjoyable. I love how she gives her Regency stories a more modern twist. Her style of writing makes regency even more fun to read since it’s a genre I typically don’t seek out. The modern sensibilities mixed with the humor make it feel like I’m watching a rom-com movie in real-time.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved all the banter and chemistry between the main characters. Diana has me both cracking up and cringing with her antics. Loved the slow burn between her and Jeremy, I kind of wished there were more scenes with just the two of them. The other characters were amazing too, although the plot twist was a little weird how it was handled, and I’m not sure it was even necessary, but the ending made me swoon. 😍 This is a series I will continue to read for sure, I really hope Emily’s story is next. 🤞🏻

I enjoyed this book! It’s about a widow named Diana and a Marquess named Jeremy who make a deal at a ball which is that Jeremy will marry within the deal or Diana will lose one hundred pounds. But later that day, he arrives at her room with a different deal and needs help with his bedroom skills. Diana decides to help thinking she will win but both realize they can lose their hearts.

This is the second book of The Regency Vow but could be read as a stand-alone novel. I loved the story plotline and it gave me Bridgerton vibes. During this time, I was watching the show and reading the book which was a great combination and totally had me in the mood for courting and balls. The writing was well done but at some parts of the story, I felt that the pacing was off. It was either too fast or too slow. The conflicts in this book keep you hooked into the story that you do not want to miss. This book is also written in two POVs ( Diana and Jeremy) which made the story so much better!

I loved the characters in this book, especially Diana. She is the fierce woman who keeps her chin high and can bring down men. I love her powerful character and sarcasm in this book. I also enjoyed Jeremy though he was one of those men who need a woman in their life. I enjoyed both Diana and Jeremy’s chemistry plus their bedroom experiences *wink*. Both characters had great character developments and I had so much fun with their journey. There were some great side characters too but they don’t play major roles in this book. I think they might show up later in the series and have their own books which I can’t wait for!

The ending was well done and I swooned over it. It was so cute and a must-need ending! I really enjoyed the steaminess and romance in this book which was something I have never read in a contemporary romance. There were some minor problems with this book but this was such a great and fantastic read. I totally recommend this book which is perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Christina Lauren.

There was a lot I ended up liking about this book- the easy discussion of the disparity in power and freedom between men and women during the time, the clear talks of consent and desire, strong, independent women, and lots of humorous moments as well.

However, I had trouble getting into the book, you're introduced to so many characters all at once at a house party, it was impossible to keep them straight. Paragraph after paragraph was full of who was dating who or used to date who or was related to who and I just couldn't keep track and found I didn't really care. Eventually, probably 50% of the way in to the story, I finally was able to keep the characters outside the main ones straight.

While I love an enemies to lovers type story, the banter in this one just seemed plain mean to me. It wasn't witty repartee so much as it started as direct deep insults about Jeremy's very being. I get that it was supposed to be funny but it just came across as nasty to me, at least for the first part of the book. It got better as the book went on.

For a book that is supposed to be about a widow teaching a rake (a rake, by the way, who was bemoaning the fact that it had been nearly a fortnight since he had been laid) how to pleasure a woman, it was exceptionally slow burning with very little steam. The premise would indicate there would be a lot more going on than one brief scene.

I did like Jeremy for the most part, aside from the fact that he was a player, and found the end of the book to be super romantic. Overall it was fine but not for me.

Possible spoilers ahead. This book was very hard to get into. It says that it takes place in 1850s but I can't picture this happening in that era. A woman whose husband died wants society to know she is ready to date again, a man who gets around wants to prove that he doesn't want to get married. They make a wager and who who will lose. There are too many characters to keep track of in the this story. Some have described it as Bridgerton but I don't see it. It is totally missing Mrs. Whistledown! I have never read any book by this author but the writing did not draw me in. I was disappointed in this book. I wanted to like it.

This was almost a 4 star. It was so close to being a 4 star!!!

I haven't read the first installment to the <i> Regency Vows </i> series, but I was still able to enjoy this book without any issues in relation to that, and it even made me want to read it - as well as the likely next installments, as these seem like the fun, fluffy, light reads that I am sure to enjoy.

This book follows the perspectives of Diana and Jeremy during a fortnight-long house party at the Marquess' house. During this time, we watch these two place a bet on Diana being able to find Jeremy a wife in a year, and Jeremy seek Diana's assistance <i> in the boudoir </i> as he has recently been informed of his lackluster skills. In short, we have ourselves a Regency-era friends with benefits.

I am not one to enjoy historical fiction very much, but this book provided a light and funny take on it, which was perfect for me. The characters are likeable and not difficult to care about. As I mentioned above, I was very close to giving it 4 stars because, although it wasn't becoming one of my favorite books ever, it was providing me with good entertainment.

And then came the plot twist, and I simply wouldn't feel comfortable not taking out a star. There is a side-character who we find out is a lesbian about 60% into the book, and this changes the course of the story. Aside from that, our main character tells her best friends this shortly after finding out, without getting permission from the other character, who she had just been speaking to, and could have easily asked. Granted, the author is portraying queerness in such a homophobic age in a light manner, as nothing negative comes from this reveal, but the execution definitely could have used more tact.

Overall, I came out of this book with mixed feelings, but as I mentioned, I am still interested in reading the other installments, and I hope the issue will be brought up with the author so that it isn't repeated in the future.

<i> Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for this e-ARC. </i>

After absolutely adoring the Bridgerton Netflix series, I was definitely ready for some 1800s England romance.⁣
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I loved how feisty Diana was throughout the story and loved the enemies to lovers banter, she and Jeremy had between each other. ⁣
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I loved the hilarious chats between Violet, Emily and Diana reading anatomy books to figure out sex, since Emily was a virgin. ⁣
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I enjoyed this story, and liked that it was modernized, but I don’t think it’s going to be very memorable. The lack of communication between Diana and Jeremy at times got a bit frustrating. Overall, I liked the characters, banter and scenery.⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
Thank you @simonbooks and @netgalley for an ARC for my honest review. ⁣
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This book starts as all good party stories do, with a bet of epic proportions. What is this bet you ask? Jeremy, Marques of Willingham, will marry within a year or The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton, will give up 100 pounds, which Diana thinks is easy enough, both intelligent and clever she knows how to play the fiddle of high society and matchmaking.

However, then things get complicated.

After a mistress brings down Jeremy's confidence in his bedroom skills he proposes that he and Diana embark on a brief affair while at his house party--- he can get reassurances about his bedroom "skills," and she can use the gossip to single men she's interested in a lover. Can these enemies keep it strictly physical or do feelings arise?

What could have been better?
Sometimes, it felt like the pacing of the story dragged in sections and I felt like I was "pushing through" to read. Also, I wish there were more moments where Jeremy and Diana were intimate or by themselves in the story or that it extended beyond the party.

What I did like?
I liked the enemies to lovers trope. I thought it was well done and the revelation of their feelings was timed well and felt like a natural evolution. Going off of that, the banter between them? It was excellent. I always enjoy when characters dialogue can make me laugh and the quips between them felt and sounded natural.

What did I love?
I loved Diana, and I, also, loved Jeremy's grandmother. Both of them were strong, calculating, intelligent, and always scheming. They felt like strong women for the time period and I loved seeing that and the way, not just the two of them, but all the women seemed to have their own manipulations and schemes going on in a time period where they did not hold a lot of power.

Overall, I found the read enjoyable and would suggest it to anyone who loves enemies to lovers reads and likes period pieces!

3.75 stars rounded to 4 for netgalley.

I want to thank Netgalley, Martha Waters and Atria Books. for sending me an advance digital copy of this book. All opinions will remain my own, as always.

If you’re someone who loves a regency era story and a romantic comedy then this might be a great book for you. I enjoyed a lot of aspects about this story - the two main characters have some intense chemistry and their love to tease relationship was full of flirtatious fun. It’s also a rom-com with a good amount of steam too.

I also loved the way this book delved into the topic of marriage and how it can be so many different things to women of that era - whether it grants them freedom, constrains them, whether its done for money or love, or whether its a forced fate or a dream some will never have.

(Spoiler ahead) One aspect of the book that I didn’t love came near the end of the book when one of the main characters is told something in confidence regarding the sexual orientation of another character and very quickly tells the revelation to many of her friends. I really wished this part of the story was changed or left out as sharing this sort of information should never happen or be encouraged. It really made me dislike this character when I was really liking them until then.

Aside from that part, I did enjoy the writing style of this author and the story as a whole.

Usually, I'm a big fan of period romances, and while this one provided plenty of humor and sharp dialogue between our two leads, it just wasn't for me. It feels done before.

This was a fun read !

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria for my advanced copy.

To Love and to Loathe was just as entertaining as Martha Water's previous book To Have and To Hoax.
You do not need to read this series in order. They are more like companions.

I love a good enemies to lovers romance. Diana and Jeremy make a great couple. There was great banter, amazing chemistry and a good amount of tension.

Why This Book Lost a Star- The writing took a minute to get into.

Overall- I definitely recommend this book to other romance readers. I look forward to news on a third installment in this series.