This was a super fun read, though it brought to mind Evie Dunmore's 'A Rogue of One's Own.' But I adored Diana and her sass and independence and her and Jeremey's banter made my weekend speed away. It sometimes had some YA elements in there (reminded a bit of almost a summer camp-y vibe), but it was a cute read.

This book was a nice read. The heroine is a widowed lady who has been attracted to her brother's friend, but he is a wastrel who hops from.one bed to another. The hero has always been attracted to the heroine and when she turned 18, he became very interested. He stays in the background and watches her get married to an old man. He continues his bed bouncing ways when he ends a relationship and his partner denounces his romantic moves, he feels off course and turns to his friend's sister to see if she would be interested in helping him. She's a widow, doesn't want to get remarried and is interested in entering the discreet affair field. She wagers that she can get him married within the year.
This story was about two society people who are the best looking and no one can compare. They party their nights away. The hero works on his estates to save them from the previous lords spending. He looks up all the half brothers he has and is helping to support them and their mothers. The heroine and her friends have a discussion of how sapphic love is performed that really didn't add to the story. The premise of the story is good, but I am removing a star for the sapphic love description it was not needed and didn't add to the story. 4 stars with slight recommendation to read. This is a story that you don't expect any historical references or settings.

What an AMAZING BOOK! I loved the Widow heroine giving lessons of seduction to the rake. This book was amazing.

I really loved chatting with Martha about her book, her recommendations. Her episode will air publication week.

2.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

After the polarizing mess of To Have and to Hoax, To Love and to Loathe is more understated. But it didn’t do anything for me and is much more likely to sink into the recesses of my memory.

Diana seems like exactly the sort of character I’d like: the widow who doesn’t want to marry again seeking to shake off her staid lifestyle with a bit of fun. But I never really warmed up to her, and not to mention she does some really questionable things, liking outing a queer side character to her friends (the historical context compounds the already icky action).

And Jeremy was just another rake ready to make good, and I just never really felt like there was a reason to care. And for a pair who apparently had a somewhat antagonistic relationship in the past, the banter is shockingly banal. Even THatH, as in bad taste as I found some of it, at least seemed to try. These “rom-com” books really aren’t as funny as they promise to be, and it sucks.

And with setups like the widow and the rake in an affair, there really needs to be convincing stakes to make me care if they get together long-term, much less marry. It felt like Diana changed her mind so suddenly without a convincing reason. What is with most historical romances feeling the need to be conventional and have the characters end up married or declare intent to marry just because? I loved the books I read last year that didn’t feel the need to do that, and the affection was actually more obvious there! And it‘s not like they never have to get married! If they care about the legitimacy of their children (and as a peer, he probably does), they can marry if and when that happens, but I just didn’t think this was genuine, and would have been totally fine with the two just remaining committed lovers for the time being.

So, in spite of my hopes, I’ve found that Martha Waters is likely not for me. I do think that there is objective improvement so anyone who didn’t like the first book due to the immense pettiness, but was interested in Waters; style overall might like this better than I did. And if you happened to like the first in all its over-the-top nature, this book is a bit different, but I still think you’ll be satisfied with this book.

Diana and Jeremy have great chemistry! Their banter and flirting is enjoyable to the reader but cringe-worthy to the poor side characters who are forced to bare witness to it.

I liked the fun and flirty writing, I liked the plot and the scheming, but it still moved too slow for me. The games that Jeremy and Diana played got a little tiresome and it took too long (almost the entire book) for them to sleep together. While this is normal for a historical fiction, it was still too much tension and wasn’t believable when the plot line of the book started when they made a deal to do just that.

Love, love this book. If you loved watching Bridgerton, you will love this! It’s basically if Bridgerton was a comedy, it would be this. It’s the second book of a series but can be read as a standalone. Definitely would recommend also beautiful cover

I read To Love and to Loathe, not realizing it was a sequel! However, I will say this book works very well as a stand-alone book. I will probably go back and read the 1st book in the series to get to know the characters on a deeper level.

This book was very cute and fans of Bridgerton will love this one!

This was witty and funny, just not the right book for me. Well written and I would read more by Martha Waters

While I did enjoy Diana and Jeremy’s love story, there were a few aspects that I had trouble with.

I realize this is the second in a series, and that some referencing to the previous book and characters is expected, but I felt like we were being reminded of the story of the “previously estranged” and “newly reunited” violet and Audley every chapter. Not to mention the clear setting up of future books for Emily and Sophia. I don’t mind the references but they were too frequent and often distracting from the main story.

Also I adore a strong female character, but willfully stubborn ones for no reason are frustrating. Diana frustrated me until she finally acknowledged her feelings for Jeremy, which wasn’t until 3/4 of the book had gone.

However it did have a slow burn with a touch of spice and Jeremy and Diana, once they got their act together, were actually a great couple to root for.

Okay, let me start with what I loved because overall, I REALLY enjoyed this book, but there was just something towards the end that just... it was a big no.

What I liked:
Enemies to lovers
Lots of banter
So much scheming
Lots of sexual tension
Cocky, yet troubled love interests
It was so easy to binge read!!
If you’re looking for a historical romance that’s easy to binge, then this might be for you.

Now onto the thing that left an awful taste in my mouth. The way a certain side characters sexuality was handled was done very poorly. Outing someone who came out to you in confidence -even if it is just to your best friends- is NOT okay. I really don’t know how this was included in the book, otherwise it would have gotten a higher rating

This book comes out April 6th, thank you Atria for the gifted book in exchange for an honest review!

LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS! I am loving the trope of regency romance of sleeping with someone to "learn" and then them falling for each other. Just filled with so much angst I can't handle it. Also a great book to get someone into reading historical romance! I haven't even read the first book of this series and understood most of what was happening. Great book!

There is no doubt Martha Waters is a good writer. She does an excellent job capturing the time period and engaging her characters in that fast paced dialogue indicative of the genre. This is a fun book with witty banter and there were definitely times that I did laugh out loud. Diana makes a bet with Jeremy that he will wed within the next year and he propositions her to help him improve his “bedroom skills.” I love a book with an enemies-to-lovers trope and I am ALL about the ANGST. But I will say I did have a hard time liking the heroine, Diana. I found her insufferable at times and she engaged in just way too much gossip for me. But overall, it was a cute story, a great distraction, and a quick read. And if you love regency romances I think you will really enjoy this one!

A quick read, not particularly well-written but entertaining nonetheless. Served the purpose of being fast and fun, to break up heavier, more thought-provoking reading.

We loved this book. The setup sounds hilarious: Jeremy is a typical HistRom rake who recently got some not-so-stellar feedback on his performance. To reassure himself that he's actually not all that bad in bed AND to take advantage of the persistent attraction between him and one of his longtime acquaintances, Diana, he proposes a friends with benefits situation. Diana decides that the benefits do sound enticing, so she agrees that they can start their FWB sitch at Jeremy's annual house party. (Side note: don't house parties sound great? It's like a vacation home with all your buddies except you're so rich you can pay for people to make your food and clean the rental.)

What really sets this book apart, though, is the critical eye Martha Waters casts on male privilege and communication skills in relationships. Of course we are reading this through a historical lens, but sometimes using that lens can allow us to see our own era more clearly. Great emphasis is placed on the facades women assume to succeed in their one lifepath (marriage), with a similar focus on the veneer of masculinity. This is exactly what we want out of Historical Romance: a fun story, a real romantic connection between the main characters, with a nuanced exploration of social issues that can be applied to the "real world" as well. We were entertained, impressed, and completely satisfied with the conclusion.

HJ Recommended Read

To Love and to Loathe is the second book in the Regency Vows series but was good as a stand-alone. It was an enemy to lover’s rom com with main characters that create sparks whenever they meet. Their banter was witty, and you could feel their attraction to each other under the elevated tension between them. It was a fast-paced, light historical romance full of humor and entertainment.

Widowed Lady Diana Templeton and Jeremy Overington, the Marquess of Willingham, were known to bicker constantly by Society. Adding a wager to their ongoing disagreements only increased the tension between them. Diana wagers that Jeremy will marry within the year which delighted his grandmother. Diana is shocked when Jeremy proposes they have a brief affair at his house party at Elderwild, his country estate. This will give Diana the opportunity to let other gentlemen know she is interested in having a lover once their affair is over.

Jeremy enjoys provoking Diana and intends to win this wager since he has no desire to wed. When he wants to know the truth about his bedroom skills after his last mistress criticizes him, he knows who to ask for a true opinion. His upcoming house party is the perfect place to have a short affair with Diana to learn the truth. His opinion on marriage changes when he realizes he wants more than a short affair, but can he convince Diana to change her mind?

This was a hilarious and light-hearted romance with charming characters that is a perfect book to put a smile on your face.

3.5⭐
While this historical romance series isn't my absolute favorite, I think they're really fun and witty regency rom-coms.

This sequel to To Have and to Hoax, is a hate to love/friends to lovers romance. Which sounds like a weird but really fun combination.

The hero, Jeremy, has been friends with Diana's brother since they were young. But during Diana's first season, the two strike and odd friendship that consists of endless banter and bickering. While neither is particularly trustworthy of the other, they can't help but acknowledge they also feel a magnetic pulled toward each other.

I thought this book had fantastic banter and chemistry between the main characters. I loved the forced proximity of the house party and I loved Jeremey. This definitely had some of my favorite romance tropes!

However, I did think the pacing was a little slow during throughout middle. This plot relies very heavily on the heroine's plotting, and I found it got to be repetitive in her scheming. BUT, I did appreciate that there was no ridiculous third act fallout. When the conflict did finally come to a head, it was discussed and resolved quite quickly which I appreciated.

Overall this series is fun, witty, and super charming.. Martha Waters writes fantastic banter, female characters, and strong but lovable heroes.

My review is live on Goodreads and will be posted to my blog on 3/22 at 9am

I never fully connected with this story - I found my mind wandering and attention span drifting. It was a good book, but not one that I fully could connect with.

If you've watched and enjoyed Bridgerton, like half of the rest of the world, then it is quite easy to slip into To Love and to Loathe and immerse yourself in the scheming and dreaming of the Ton. Predictable story line, but do sit back and enjoy the ride as you wait for the characters to do exactly what you are waiting for them to do.

To Love and To Loathe is the follow-up to Martha Waters’ 2020 début historical romance, To Have and To Hoax.  Our reviewer was less than impressed with it, citing problems with the premise and immaturity of the leads, and overall, reviews were mixed. With so many other books to review on my plate, I didn’t get around to reading it, so I can’t offer an opinion.  But I wanted to give the author a try, so I picked up this second book in The Regency Vows series, because I am a sucker for that whole Beatrice and Benedick sparring-couple-who-are-desperately-in-love-but-would-deny-it-to-the-death thing.  And I’m glad I did, because To Love and To Loathe is funny, clever and sexy, featuring complex, well-rounded characters and incorporating pertinent observations about the nature of privilege and the unfairness of the patriarchal norms and laws that deprived women of autonomy.

At the age of eighteen, the Honourable Diana Bourne is well aware that most men are fools, but a man doesn’t need to be clever to be possessed of a hefty fortune, which is exactly what she’s looking for.  Since the death of their parents, she and her brother have lived with relatives who have seen her as nothing but a burden and who resent the expense her presence incurs.  So Diana is determined to snare a wealthy husband so she will never have to worry about something as vulgar as money ever again.

The one tiny glitch in her plan is her brother’s best friend, Jeremy Overington, Marquess of Willingham, who while just as much of a fool as every other man, is nonetheless a massively enticing fool who has only to walk into a room to turn the head of every woman in it – and set Diana’s heart beating just a bit faster than would like.  But no matter how handsome and charming Jeremy is (or how strongly she’s attracted to him), he’s irresponsible,  overly fond of drink and women, and – most importantly – almost broke, so he won’t suit Diana’s purposes at all.

A few years later, Diana is a wealthy widow and Jeremy is still cutting a swathe through the beds of the bored wives and widows of the ton.  Their inability to agree on anything is widely known throughout society, as is the fact they’re engaged in a game of one-upmanship involving a constant barrage of well-aimed barbs and cleverly chosen put-downs.  On one particular evening when Willingham again scoffs at the idea of matrimony, Diana impulsively wagers him that he’ll be married within the year – or she’ll pay him the sum of one hundred pounds.  Of course, Willingham accepts – and only afterwards does Diana realise it was perhaps not the wisest thing she’s ever done, because honestly, she can’t see him marrying in the next twelve months, either.

Shortly after the wager is made – and just before Diana is to travel to Jeremy’s country estate for his annual house party – he comes to her seeking her help on a very delicate matter.  His most recent mistress implied he couldn’t satisfy her in bed – and Jeremy can’t get her accusations out of his mind.  Looking for reassurance, he turns to the only woman he knows he can rely on to tell him the absolute truth – and suggests to Diana that they embark on a brief affair during the house party.  Diana isn’t inclined to agree to this – until he points out that a discreet affair with him will send the right signals to other gentlemen that she is interested in taking a lover.

“I’m not certain that the signal I’m looking to send is that I’ve joined the legion of women who’ve lifted their skirts for the Marquess of Willingham.  I’m surprised they haven’t formed a society. With matching hats.”

She’s still not convinced – until Jeremy points out:

“If nothing else, it would finally dispel whatever this is between us,” he added, waving his hand at the space between them… “And don’t tell me you don’t know what I mean… Because I know you do.”

Of course as any romance reader knows, the old let’s-do-it-once-to-get-it-out-of-our-systems chestnut never works the way the participants intend it to.  Diana and Jeremy are obviously head-over-heels for each other from the get-go and have been that way for years, but there are obstacles preventing both of them from fully acknowledging the truth of their feelings for one another – obstacles that feel authentic to who these two people are; complex, flawed but immensely likeable characters who learn about themselves as they gradually reveal more of their true selves to each other.

I really liked that Diana and Jeremy were so clear-sighted about each other, even as they had things to learn about one another.  Jeremy viewed the younger Diana’s eagerness to marry as somewhat mercenary, but didn’t know the reasons behind it; Diana suspects Jeremy is hiding his intelligence behind the wastrel he presents to society, but hasn’t fully understood the depth of his grief and anger over the death of the older brother who left him with a title and responsibilities he’d not been brought up to and didn’t want.  They’re both perspicacious and fully up to each other’s weight when it comes to their ‘merry war’, and their chemistry as they snark and flirt their way towards their HEA is terrific.

I liked them individually and together.  Diana is clever and funny and her status as a widow means she’s allowed more freedom to do as she wants than an unmarried woman would be, so her reluctance to consider giving up her independence in another marriage is understandable. And I loved Jeremy, a decent, considerate, generous man who has spent years making certain no-one would ever expect anything of him or take him too seriously because of his deep sense of unworthiness.  Their inner conflicts are very well articulated and I loved watching them come to a greater understanding of one another.

I really enjoyed the book, but there are a few things that keep it just out of DIK territory.   Part of Diana’s plan to win the wager involves her trying to find someone else to get Jeremy married off to – and she decides to throw him together with Lady Helen, a young woman known to be desperate to find a husband and who is widely disliked.  Hints are dropped that Lady Helen is not what she seems, but Diana doesn’t know this and her determination to marry the man she loves (even if she isn’t ready to admit to it) to a young woman who is so patently wrong for him and would make him utterly miserable just didn’t sit right with me.  I get that it was a mark of Diana’s desperation not to admit to how she felt about Jeremy, but it felt childish and petty.

The Big Mis that occurs near the end is a misfire, and I wasn’t wild about the amount of time given to setting up a future book in the series, which interrupted the flow of the main narrative. It’s well done and skilfully integrated into conversation and multi-character scenes, but I could still have done with a bit less of it.

All in all however, To Love and To Loathe is great fun. The writing is crisp and clever, the characters are engaging and the dialogue sparkles.  For those of you who – like me -  have been struggling to find really good historical romance lately, I’m happy to say that it’s well worth a look.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent retailer
Visit our Amazon Storefront

I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, desperate to know how things were going to end between Diana and Jeremy. I could not put down To Love and To Loathe. If you love enemies to lovers tropes then this is a must read for you!

This novel alternates between Diana and Jeremy's perspectives. Both characters are trying so desperately to have a persona that is a complete facade. Jeremy: a flighty Casanova type. Diana: an independent woman who has no time for love. Once they get to know each other in a more intimate setting they realize that these personas are not the true versions of the other and then love begins to bloom.

What should have been a sexy proposal in the bedroom begins an actual relationship where they are able to divulge the deeper parts of themselves and become vulnerable to each other.

I did not know until the authors notes at the end of the book that this is a sequel. I'll admit that there was a scene that didn't make sense entirely that probably would have been more comical had I read the previous book. But even with that scene, reading the first book is not completely necessary to enjoy To Love and To Loathe. I certainly will be purchasing it now though! Martha Waters has found herself a fan!

Many thanks to Atria books and Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.