To Love and To Loathe is a regency romance (the second in a series) by Martha Waters, who is a UNC alumna. It stars Lady Diana Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess Willingham, primarily at the latter’s country house party.

I just have to say: I wish we could bring back the idea of a two-week party. Let’s do more of that post-quarantine.

Unfortunately, this fell flat for me, and I gave it 2.5 stars. Part of me is wondering: Do I just strongly dislike regency romances, if they don’t feature a Bridgerton? Possibly.

WHAT I LIKED
- In principle, I love regency romances – I love the time period, I love the complications, I love the clothes. So, I love To Love and To Loathe for that reason, because it stays true to what I expect from regency romances.
- A two-week country house party! Yes, give me all of the chaos that ensues at a country house party.
- The storyline involving Lady Helen has a very satisfying resolution, and I hope we get to hear her story later on.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
- It was so obvious that Diana and Jeremy were attracted to each other, but they constantly felt the need to repeat: But we can’t stand each other! They said it so often, I can’t imagine why they never felt like it was too much.
- Speaking of repetitions: Diana specifically says not once but twice that she’d never been compared to a horse before. And she tells people not once but a hundred times that she can’t stand Jeremy. This sort of repetitious chatter is prevalent throughout, and while I get that sometimes it’s intended to show how dull conversation can be in “polite society,” sometimes, I need the Cliff Notes version.

This book had a lot of potential, and I wanted to like it. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t a hit for me.

This was a super fun followup to one of my favorite books of 2020! Diana and Jeremy are both such dynamic characters, and their chemistry is enemies-to-lovers perfection. I love the way Waters writes flirting and banter, and how she embraces historical romance tropes while giving them her own fresh spin. I'm so looking forward to her next book -- something about Lady Emily, maybe? But regardless, will be recommending this one enthusiastically!

This was a fun regency romp with sass. I hadn’t read the first book in the series (To Have and to Hoax) but found that I didn’t need it to fully enjoy this one. Love with a side of snark is definitely my type of book and this one provided plenty of both.

I couldn't wait for the this sequel! To Have and to Hoax was such a fun romance and To Love and to Loathe did not disappoint! Martha Waters is such a joy to read!.

3.5 stars.
There's nothing spectacular or horrible about this one. Just an average, predictable yet enjoyable, Regency romance. I do appreciate diana's spunk though!

To Love and To Loathe is the second installment in Marsha Waters The Regency Vows series. The first book, To Have and To Hoax, is a second chance save-the-marriage romance. To Love and To Loathe is all about enemies to lovers though! I really liked this book- the main characters had such clever banter, there was a ton of sexual tension and the slow burn was timed just right, and all of the characters had such depth. The side characters really elevated the story for me. So many authors just put them in as placeholders or as a means to establish something about the main characters but they really stood out without being overpowering in this work. I had a smile on my face the whole time while reading. I definitely recommend this series for any historical romance or enemies to lovers fans! Perfect for people who like Evie Dunmore’s A League of Extraordinary Women series.
Synopsis: Diana is a widow and Jeremey is her older brother’s best friend and an absolute rake. They have enjoyed their playful arguments at every social gathering for the past few years but when Diana bets Jeremy he will be married within the year things take a very different turn. While Diana tries to find an eligible bachelorette to set Jeremy up with he comes to her with an alternative proposition: they will be lovers for a holiday together. What starts out as a seemingly mutually beneficial arrangement turns into something neither of them expected or want… right? Full of hilarious encounters and beautiful depictions of the countryside- this is a must read!

While I continue to enjoy Martha Water's writing this book did not have some of the sparkle of her first book. I love a good enemies to lovers story but or some reason this one did not move me. It lacked the tension that keeps me hooked and seemed a bit overly long. It was a nice read and a good escape but not one that will stick with me. Even still I am looking forward to book three in the series.

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

I enjoyed this so so much! I love the playful and flirty banter between Jeremy Diana. Whenever both of them are in the same room, more often than not, it's bound to be a funny scene. Seeing Diana with Violet and Emily is also fun because of how much they gossip with each other. It's kinda like being in high school, just not in high school, lmao --and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's not annoying gossip. Only reason it's not 5 stars is because the ending felt a bit abrupt . :)

Fun and refreshing—reading this story was a delight.

Widowed Lady Diana Templeton is propositioned by her long-time acquaintance Jeremy Willingham, who is a Marquess. The two have had a relationship full of sharp barbs and bickering over the years, so it is no surprise when they decide to make a wager that notoriously single Jeremy will (or will not) be married by the end of the year. Shortly after the bet is made, a concerned Jeremy approaches Diana to make an entirely different type of agreement, and the two embark on a fortnight of learning about one another.

I found this book to be a refreshing take on regency era romance. The characters and plot had a decidedly more contemporary feel to their thoughts and beliefs. There was still the typical marriage plotting that you expect in novels about this time period, but it certainly included a racier side to the plotting than I have read before. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters and the witty banter everyone engaged in through the book. I have not read the first book in this series, but I definitely would. I also wouldn’t be surprised if another book is in the works featuring Diana’s friend, Emily!

This was an easy read. The plot was not complex—it was a predictable enemies to lover trope—but it was a nice break for me in between some “heavier” reads. It’s definitely worth the read if you are intrigued by the description!

***Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC of To Love and To Loathe in exchange for my honest review.

I read this author’s first book in the series (To Have and To Hoax) last spring and liked it, so when I saw this second book was releasing I knew I wanted to read it! And I ended up enjoying this one even more than the first. We have a widowed heroine, flirty banter, heroine’s brother’s best-friend is the hero, a house party, getting rained in and a game of hide-and-seek heating up, a bet, and all the banter!

Diana married a Viscount old enough to be her father when she was just 18-years-old & became a widow a couple years later. Being a widow for the past few years, she has enjoyed the independence she is now able to have as a woman of her time. Diana finds herself making a bet with her brother’s best-friend, Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham, one afternoon that he will be married within the year or he has to pay her one hundred pounds. Diana & Jeremy have always had a slightly flirty, banter-filled relationship with verbal sparring matches. Jeremy takes her up on the bet but arrives at her home a few days later to add a proposition of his own... After ending things with a latest paramour, Jeremy was informed he isn’t as skilled as he might think and he asks for Diana’s help to prove he can please a lady.

I thought this read was super fun, I loved how much banter there was between Jeremy & Diana and how they always tried to one-up one another. I liked seeing Diana take charge of her sexual pleasure during their times together and schooling Jeremy on what did or didn’t work for her. I thought it was fun that the majority of the story takes place at a house party & I just really enjoyed this read.

Thank you to the publisher (Atria Books) for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & review.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for sending me an advance copy of this book for review!

I love a Regency romance, and it’s been a while since I’ve read a good one. It’s also been a while since I’ve stayed up into the early hours reading a book that left me grinning. To Love and To Loathe by Martha Waters was exactly what I needed. I loved the banter, the enemies to lovers arc, the sex positivity, the LGBTQ+ rep, the just-right-for-me open door romance, and the way that no one was raped, ruined, or bereft in the making of this plot (as is often the case with historical romance.) I loved the Clueless vibes (no surprise, as Clueless is based on Emma, a Regency romance 🤣) and I could not stop picturing the dowager marchioness as Lady Danbury from the Bridgerton adaptation. I haven’t picked up the first book, To Have and To Hoax yet, but it isn’t necessary to read the books in order. Like Jasmine Guillory’s Wedding Date series, these books exist in the same world and have character overlap, but focus on different couples. I adored Diana and Jeremy’s journey and I’m definitely looking forward to reading To Have and To Hoax to get a glimpse of them (and get to hang out again in their world for a bit!)

Honestly before Bridgerton I couldn’t get past the first page of anything pertaining to history, let alone a historical romance. The language always felt dry and dated and I would have a hard time understanding the meaning behind words and sentences. After watching that show, I think it helped a lot when it came to enjoyment of books of this era. Though there were times I would get lost in conversations, I still felt the heart of the story radiate through the pages.

Once I got past the first ¼ of the story I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. It got easier to read moving past the pleasantries and formalities of the story and everyone’s role. Once it focused more on Diana and Jeremy I could get enough of their snarky banter and undeniable chemistry that they both tried so hard to deny. The way they antagonised each other made the story fun and entertaining.

I found the opulence, wealth, and high society traditions extremely enjoyable. The writing captured a time period in a fascinating and enjoyable way. It was compelling to see Diana as an independent woman who owns not only her wealth, but also her sexuality. The author did a great job bringing a modern twist to a dated society.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book and has opened a new sub genre that I’m very interested in exploring. Jeremy and Diana had a wonderful repartee and friendship that led to in-depth conversations that I wasn’t expecting from this story. I cannot wait to read more from this author. Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for this ARC and all my opinions are my own.

This was quite cute. It’s the second in Martha Waters’ series about a group of friends and the romances that are developing among them. Diana and Jeremy are always sniping at each other so much that it’s clear that they’re about to go from enemies to lovers. Their repartee is quick and witty. Diana makes some pretty silly plans to maneuver people to do what she wants. These plans never seem to work out the way she hopes, but that doesn’t stop her efforts to manipulate everyone.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Hilarious. I found this to be such a delightful read. A mix-up of troupes, this one has a little something for everyone. Jeremy has something to prove after being disgraced in the bedroom and he thinks that Diana can help. Diana, for her end of the bargain, is ready to date again after the death of her spouse and hooking up with Jeremy just might signal that to potential suitors.

I'm not sure how it all works, but I enjoyed this one and look forward to what comes next from Waters!

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

I thought that this was an absolutely lovely story. The character of Diana is so well done, and her independent streak and witty retorts made me love her even more. This is the second Regency-era romance that I've read, and I love this period. Martha Waters does a very good job at setting the scene without too much description. It is very easy to feel like you're also spending the summer in the country along with the characters.

There are two narrators, Jeremy and Diana, and I found it a little bit confusing in the beginning to keep them straight. This is the second book in the series and while I did not read the first one, I was able to find my way and keep track of all the characters about 10 or so pages into the story. So don't let the fact that it's a sequel deter you from reading! I also wished that there was a little more dialogue among Violet, Emily, and Diana, but I guess I'll have to just read the other books!

3.5/5

I love a good historical romance. My first love for historical romance series was the Bridgestone series (which I read back as a freshman in college). Ever since then I have read as many historical romances as I could get my hands on. I came across this author’s book To Have and To Hoax last year. I read it at the beginning of quarantine around March 21. I loved that one and couldn’t out it down. I remember hoping it would be a series. My wishes came true!
Book 2 follows Diana (Lady Templeton) and Jeremy (Marquess of Willingham). Widowed Diana bets Jeremy that she can find him a wife without a year. A few weeks later, Diana is shocked to find Jeremy at her door when his latest mistress questions his skills in the bedroom. Jeremy trusts Diana to tell him the truth so he has an idea.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (If you read the first book in the series you will see some familiar faces! I love checking in with characters in earlier books! Best parts of a series)
Thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for a copy! It comes out April 6 and you can get your own copy!

Of late, there haven't been many books that compel me to stay up all night reading but this one caught me completely unawares. I knew I'd enjoy it as this kind of thing is right up my alley but I didn't realise quite how much I would enjoy it. I couldn't go to bed last night without finishing it.

It's one glorious, delicious seduction. The slow burn and sarcasm are perfectly balanced. Witty repartee and one-upsmanship are lovely when they're done well, and they're very well done here. But the story also has unexpected depths. I liked the peek behind the societal curtain but even more so, I liked the gravity of Diana and Jeremy. There's a richness to both of them that seems effortless. I well and truly enjoyed them.

I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone:
- adores the friends-with-benefits trope
- who likes smutty romance tempered with reality
- is an Austen fan but felt like moments were missing...

I am usually not a huge fan of regency novels BUT for some reason, the exception is Martha Waters. With my favorite trope of a somewhat enemies-to-lovers, we are given a historical romance with comedy, angst, and depth that can make even the most anti-historical romance reader weak in the knees.

I liked this story of a widowed Lady and the rakish Marquess that is reluctantly drawn to her. It was a fun cute story. A light read.
However there was a lot of “tell” not “show” in this book. The telling often contradicted the showing. One thing in particular was the constant telling of how clever a mastermind Diana was but her “schemes” didn’t feel like well planned out chess moves. And she often seemed unaware and unobservant. And so that characterization provided to the reader was never really portrayed in the character’s actions.
There were a few instances where some descriptions were repeated word for word on the very next page and that can be a bit disappointing, but not insurmountable to reader enjoyment.
Overall I liked it, but thought there was room for improvement. I will likely read this author again in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read in exchange of an honest review.

Wow! What an exciting new voice in historical romances! Martha Waters has created a lovely group of characters who are all interesting and test the limits of what they would've been allowed during that time period! I hadn't read the first book when reading this so I missed a little backstory but no overall impact on the story! Dian and Jeremy are a great couple and the will they won't they combined with their banter was top notch!
Can't wait to read more from Martha Waters!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!