Martha Waters writes another winner! This story between long time friends Diana and Jeremy has witty banter and lots of flirtation. These two have always had chemistry over the years but thought they disliked each other and loved to argue and provoke the other. They agree to a mutually beneficial arrangement of becoming lovers. Before this even happens they learn things about the other that they hadn't noticed before. As their friendship blooms so does their romance and they fall in love in a funny roundabout way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✓ Regency Era, ✓ Enemies to Lovers, ✓ Brother’s Friend, ✓ Witty Banter, ✓ Secret Trysts, ✓ Slow Burn

UMM can I just say that I loved this book? Because?? WOW. It’s not often that I pick up a historical romance, but I feel like this could be the start of a kick for me.

This is not a book that I would pick up at first glance at the summary. Truthfully, I actually passed on it over three times, contemplating if I wanted to read it. It seemed like it would have been filled with romps in the bedroom—not wrong, just not my thing. But NO! This was a sweet, well-executed certified Slow Burn. So if you’re like me and also look for books more heart-warming over heart-pumping, do not fear!!

This book had some of my favorite tropes:

enemies (who secretly find the other amusing and attractive, but don’t let them know!!) to lovers,
misunderstood playboy who changes his ways for love,
love interest exasperated but ultimately amused by the main character’s sharp tongue and low-blows,
main character who believes in the love interest and sees the “real them” (which no one ever does), and
“yes, he’s a doorknob but he’s my doorknob. Only I’m allowed to call him that!”.
Jeremy aka Marquess of Willingham has somewhat of a reputation. You see, he has taken quite a bit of mistresses over the years and prides himself in skills of the bedroom sort. That is until his latest bedmate gave him a less-than-stellar review that has left him with a bruised ego and concerns his skills may not be up to par after all. That’s when he makes a proposal to one widowed Diane, who he knows quite well has no reservations about telling him like it is and knocking him down a few pegs. She’s the perfect person to have critique him—to reassure him that the critiques were just insults of a jilted love. Diane also could benefit word getting out about their tryst, as she’s open to taking a lover but doesn’t know how to make it known. So they both shake on the agreement, which will start at the two-week house party Jeremy is hosting.

That’s when the BOM CHICA WOW and slow realization they love each other outside of the sex starts, right??

WRONG.

Throw out all of your ideas of how a friends-with-benefits trope usually works in romance. Because what starts is a journey of them finding out who the true Jeremy and Diane are, throwing jabs at each other that become less scathing and more fond over time, allowing the other a safe space to be who they are and to be vulnerable, a marriage bet that backfires in the best way, and a house party in the country to serve as a backdrop to their love story.

I quite simply couldn’t put this book down. It gave me the butterflies! Definitely one of my favorites of the year.

I received this arc from net galley. The sequel was just as fun as her debut. Regency romance with a feminist and modern twist. Diana and Jeremy have so much chemistry and any reader is sure to root for them!

I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This is book 2 in a series, and I have not read book 1 nor anything by the author, so it was all new for me. This genre was also new to me, I don't usually read romance at all, let alone Regency era books. So, with that being said, I did enjoy the book overall. I thought it was fun, a bit spicy, and if I were more of a romance fan, I probably would like the book more. I did find myself skimming some of the passages, but that was not due to the writing or story development.

An author I have enjoyed and follow reviewed this book and loved it, so I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did, it's nice to read something new and different. But I think I'll go back to my Golden Age Detective mysteries. :)

I will be recommending this steamy Regency title to all the patrons that just finished reading the Bridgerton series and want to keep the fun going! I loved the premise of this book and there are many laugh-out-loud funny moments.

Regency era romance with the feel of a fun and witty rom com. I enjoyed the witty banter between the two main characters. Well written and entertaining. Fans of Evie Dunmore will love this charming and clever novel.

Martha has done it again! She once again created characters I couldn't help but fall in love with and a story I could not put down! I was so thankful that I read 'To Have and To Hoax' only a short while ago so that I did not have to wait very long to know what was to become of Diana and Jeremy with their playful banter and bet. I found myself smiling and chuckling often and was delighted with the turn of every page, as I'm sure you will be too. For anyone that is looking for a period romance with plenty of comedic moments, then you'll undoubtedly want to pick this novel up!

My only hope is that these characters will continue to live on with the continuation of their storylines in more books to come!

This was an enjoyable, if predictable, romance that was a great way to start the year. Lots of great banter & dialogue! You know where it's going as soon as Jeremy and Diana commence their affair, but it doesn't diminish the evolution of their relationship or the fun I had watching it unfold. I would recommend for anyone else who enjoyed Bringing Down the Duke!

This is not my normal time period to read about, but I figured I would give it a shot because the synopsis sounded great. Unfortunately, I found myself skimming and not really paying attention to the story so I did not finish this one. I do think it is all me though, the story was cute so far and well written, just not for me.

Gah where do I begin???

So far I am in love with this series - it's awesome and refreshing. Very Austen like. Jeremy and Diana are an awesome couple and I really love their story!

Jeremy has loved Diana for a long time yet she is practical and needs security for herself and her brother. This has her pushing away true love. Though they fight like cats and dogs, Diana and Jeremy really have a great bond. I wish book 3 was already here!!!

This was a fantastic friends to lovers story! I loved the angst, the silent glances, the unwavering thinking of each other and so much more. Their banter was hilarious and made their eventual love affair even better. This was fast past and had great character development. I didn't think I could like any book more that I liked her original but I do!

I absolutely adored the dual POV and hearing about hoe they both felt. This story was emotional, hot, funny, and made me giddy. I knew I was going to love this one and it did not disappoint. Highly, highly recommend!

I am somewhere between 4 and 4.5 so, per my review policy, I'm going to default to a 4.5. While I enjoyed the first book, my main issue with it was that the trope combo felt a little too YA for an adult romance. This book does not have that issue but at all... we've got best friend's little sister. We've got "bang it out of our systems." We've got "teach me how to bang." We've got reformed rake and the world weary widow. So a lot of trope candy that works really well for me. Then we've also got A+ banter, a great group of found family, and a lady artist in the Regency. So... yeah, overall this just hit the spot for me overall.
The only thing that makes me hesitate a bit is the portrayal of a sapphic side character in this book. I am not a part of the community being represented, so I can't say for sure, but there was just something about the way that character was portrayed that felt rather off to me. I'll defer to own voices reviewers for their take on that one
Hoping we get Emily & Belfry's book next!

I really enjoyed this book and finished it in 24 hours. It was fun to read a historical fiction rom-com set in the 1800s. I immediately loved the two main characters and loved the depth that they were given the further into the book I got.

Diana, a widowed woman finally experiencing freedom, makes a bet with Jeremy, a notorious player, that he'll find himself married within the year. I was immediately intrigued by their quick witted banter and their clear chemistry. After he finds himself embarrassed after a lover criticized his work in the bedroom, he makes a deal with Diana that will benefit them both. I was worried the book would focus too heavily on an aspect of their deal, but was pleasantly mistaken. There was so much depth and their developing relationship was enjoyable to follow.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a sweet romance (especially enemies/friends to lovers)

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for an advance copy of this book for review.
If you are a fan of enemies-to-lovers romances, witty banter, sassy heroines, reformed-rake heroes, and just general historical romance loveliness- you need this book in your life. Martha Waters has somehow used some of the most well-loved tropes in the romance genre and made them feel fresh. I couldn't put this book down. The selling point for me was the razor-sharp dialogue between Diana and Jeremy. The dialogue is smart, witty, and swoon-worthy. It was hard to stop reading because I just needed to know how the book ended for these two. In addition to the brilliance of Diana and Jeremy, the author fills the pages with a whole cast of characters you will love. From Violet and James from To Have and to Hoax to Penvale, Emily, and the diabolical Lady Helen you will want to spend a day playing parlor games with all of Water's characters.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3791757077
StoryGraph Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/5ddae39b-b08b-476d-a762-1d582cae3a70

Instagram Teaser Post (full review to be posted on Instagram closer to Pub Day):
https://www.instagram.com/p/CK_2EbkA2ZI/

Even better than her first in the series; I loved the personality and wit of the characters in this book! Diana is the widowed Lady Templeton, locked in a war of words with her brother's friend, Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham. When a mutually beneficial arrangement materializes to potentially help them both in different ways, and they both retreat to a country home with a cast of characters, nothing could possibly go wrong...

I loved Diana's character and saw a lot of myself in her. It was so fun to watch her weigh her independence and freedom as a widow with how she was growing and learning what she wanted. Jeremy's grandmother may be my favorite however :)

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book! Excited for the next installment!

I don't know how I got so lucky to receive an ARC of this adorable novel, but I'll take it! You'll remember Jeremy and Diana from To Have and To Hoax and, just as I suspected, they did not disappoint. Their chemistry burned up the pages and their banter was nothing short of perfection. The Regency Vows series is exactly what we need right now!

When I read Martha Water’s first novel, To Have and To Hoax, I enjoyed it, but I was so intrigued by the cliff hanger, I couldn’t wait for the sequel. To Love and To Loathe not only lived up to those expectations, but surpassed them. To Love and to Love focuses on Diana and Jeremy, the who single friends who can’t stop bickering. Jeremy, the ultimate bachelor however, gets in a bit of a pickle when Diana bets him that he’ll be married by the end of the year or he’ll have to give her 100 pounds (which is a lot then).

These characters (even the side characters) are so much fun and their banter is excellent to read. You spend the entire book wishing that you could spend the weekend with these characters.

A wonderful continuation of the series—we always knew Diana and Jeremy would be one of the next couples in this series. Not quite as laugh-out-loud funny as “To Have and To Hoax,” but still a fair amount of witty banter. The concept of the marriage bet didn’t seem quite as high a stake for Jeremy as it was for Diana. My ARC of “THATH” seemed to have expired on my Kindle, so I couldn’t go back to refresh my knowledge of the characters and compare the writing from then and now. Still, the series is fun, and I will continue to recommend it to my library patrons.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me an advance copy of Martha Waters' "To Love and to Loathe".

I will admit, I was super ecstatic to read this book because I ADORE Jane Austen AND because I was coming off a Bridgerton high, and "To Love and to Loathe" felt like the perfect combination. However, despite my claim that I'm a Jane Austen fan, I have to confess that I don't usually read regional era books. So, naturally, my curiosity and excitement for Waters' book were absolutely genuine.

From the first page, we are introduced to this world that Diana and Jeremy inhabit; we are right in the thick of the ton when we first see them bicker, loathe, and feel something else (attraction, affection?) for each other. We are also immediately introduced to why, to each other, they are completely undesirable. Diana is seeking a rich husband, and while Jeremy comes from wealth and just inherited a title, he's just not that stable for her to even contemplate. And for him? Well, Jeremy is content with sleeping around to even entertain the thought of marriage.

Naturally, a few years later, the two come together when she is widowed and he is seeking feedback in a certain (ahem) department.

I found the story to be an enjoyable, quick read with just the perfect amount of humor, drama, and charm. However, there were parts that lagged that tended to take me out of Diana and Jeremy's story.

*** TRIGGER WARNING*** The heroine outs an LGBTQ side character to multiple people for absolutely no reason other than to create a “humorous” moment in the book.

I am so mad. This book was on its way to being a 5 star book for me until the heroine outed the side character. I took away a star for each person she outs the character to and honestly if I hadn’t enjoyed the rest of the book so much up to that point (the first outing scene is 80% of the way through the book) I would have DNF’d and given it an automatic 1 star. If you don’t know why outing is bad, here is the Wikipedia page on the subject. There is no excuse for this to be in books from a major publisher 2021.

I was excited to read this book. I read the the first book in the series a few weeks ago and I did not enjoy it (it was very bonkers and did a lot of telling rather than showing), but Diana and Jeremy’s quipping was one of my favorite things in the book. I was looking forward to their enemies to lovers romance. I will say most of the tension and their arguing took place in the first book, and I’ve seen reviews who hadn’t read the first book noted that they missed the build of their relationship. Rather than stick to the enemies to lovers trope I was expecting, this one turned to a combination of “just once to get it out of our system” and “educational kissing”, both of which I enjoy, but not as much as enemies to lovers.

As I noted above, in the first book I struggled with the author telling rather than showing, this book was a great improvement in the writing style. Other than the prologue, it stayed in the present and there was a lot more dialogue and things actually happening. I loved Diana and Jeremey’s interactions and the delightful conversations throughout the book. It was the little things that delighted me the most, like Jeremy not knowing that women can feign pleasure or Diana purposely only calling Jeremy by his title because it pisses him off.

Like I said, I really enjoyed almost all of this book, unfortunately the things I didn’t greatly impacted my overall enjoyment. In most books I can overlook some flaws, but there are just things that are never acceptable and outing someone in a time where it could get them killed is never going to be okay.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books / Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.