This series is charming, and To Marry and to Meddle doesn't disappoint. I love that the will they/won't they, do they/don't they is dispensed with from the beginning, leaving us to simply enjoy a building realization that the marriage of convenience is actually a (surprise!) love match. Lots of fun.

A great continuation of the series -- I really enjoyed finally getting to see how all of the hints at the relationship between Julian and Emily played out.

Martha Waters does not disappoint! To Marry and To Meddle is the third book the absolutely adorable and delightful Regency Vows series. I love a series that hinges on female friendships. These three women are there for each other and all of their delightfully hysterical escapades. I was really looking forward to Emily’s turn getting to be the main character. And I was not disappointed. I love the series and this last book was wonderful!

When I am recommending romance to friends who are new to the genre, Martha Waters is always my go-to recommendation.

Thank you to #Netgalley for ARC

This is one of the best books I have read in a while! It was entertaining and really kept my attention through the cute interactions between the characters and the endearing things that they experienced throughout the story. Lady Emily is captivating because she is, atypically, a very diverse and "round" character. She is not your typical protagonist in that she does not just fall in line with the way she is "supposed" to behave. Julian is equally as endearing in his complexity as he simply refuses to comply in fitting the mold of what is "expected."

Their romance, though initially accidental, is so sweet. I loved watching their relationship develop and found their flirtations irresistable! This one is not to be missed. It is excellent!

Agreeing with what seems to be a lot of people, this is by far the best book in this series. Emily and Julian are THE BEST. I was obsessed with them individually, but together...wow. Just wow. This pair is one that I know if they existed in real life and I met them, I would be left with the distinct impression that they are great together. And it's because they are! I feel a lot of marriage of convenience books skip having the characters be friends and partners in crime, but this book leans into it! Though the characters are both using each other in the beginning, they clearly like being around each other and are intrigued by each other. I think this also contributed to their chemistry, because oh my god!!!! Good news everyone, they have chemistry!! I was so perfectly convinced that these characters were stupid in love with each other by the end, which shouldn't be a high bar but sometimes is.

All in all I had so much fun reading this book and can't wait to see what the author does next! BTW this is a great intro romcom/historical romance, so if you or anyone you know is interested in the genre, this is a perfect first read.

Having read “To Love and to Loathe” and loved it, I thought “To Marry and to Meddle” would be on the same level. So far in this series, they remind me so much of the Bridgertons by Julia Quinn. The story too was a delightful, historical regency rom com that had its hilarious moments. I loved the characters and their roles blended perfectly into the story. I found myself laughing out loud in various scenes in the story because the plot was so uniquely written you couldn’t help but do that. What I loved most was the heroine, Lady Emily and her transformation into a strong and powerful individual. I love the relationship between the hero/heroine as it seemed so believable and not just words on a page…loved the idea of falling in love even though it wasn’t there in the beginning. There was banter, wit and a lot of heat that I so look forward to while reading historical romance. Enjoyed this one more so than the other. Just a fabulous book that was nicely written. Totally recommend the read. Looking forward to reading the first in this series and more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Aria Books for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars. This is the third book in this series (although it can be read as a standalone), and it's probably my least favorite. It's a good story, but pales in comparison to the previous two.

If you are a fan of the series Bridgerton, then this book is for you. The society gatherings, uptight mothers, town gossip and scandals all make this a amusing read. Then throw in two unlikely characters as a couple with a blooming romance and you are set to curl up with a book you won't want to put down.

To Marry and to Meddle was a delight. Waters' books are the perfect blending of Regency romances and the modern bright-covered rom com. Getting to revisit her hilarious version of Regency England and spend more time with her delightful characters was the perfect way to spend a weekend. It is easy for romance series to get repetitive but each book in this series has a unique plot and develops very distinct characters (while still letting you spend time with your old favorites). Perfect for period romance fans of Julia Quinn or Sarah MacLean but also a great first historical romance for readers who love laugh out loud, banter-heavy modern romances!

To Marry and to Meddle is book 3 in Martha Water’s The Regency Vows series and I’ve had a fun time with this series following 3 gal pals. Each of the books can stand on their own but I do think you’ll miss out on the details that roll in from the previous books. This book starts off at the same house party that in the previous book Diana and Jeremy get together at (To Love and to Loathe) and of course you will see the couples from the previous books in this one.

Lady Emily Turner has had 6 unsuccessful seasons and after spending her entire life being agreeable and not making a stir, she’s about to start a scandal…by marrying the disinherited-scandalous second son of a Marquess, Lord Julian Belfry. Due to her father’s large debts, the only suitor in Emily’s life has been the persistent and odious owner of her father’s favorite gambling house. When Julian overhears what’s going on, he steps in instead to offer up a marriage of convenience with Emily…get her away from the odious gambling house owner and help him gain some prestige for the theater he owns.

I did feel a little dropped into the story and was surprised when at 13% in Julian and Emily were already married. The first half of the book did take me a while to get into, but once they settled back into Julian’s home and started their married life together I was more into it. I liked that Julian loves owning his theater, he took it from nothing and fixed it up into a popular spot frequented by society men. I appreciated that he never wanted to be an idle gentleman of the ton, with no purpose or job. He does have a complicated past with his father, who wanted Julian to sell the theater so it wouldn’t hurt his younger sister’s reputation for her society debut. When Julian wouldn’t, his father disinherits him instead and Julian becomes the “black sheep” of his family. Emily equally has some complications with her family, they molded her into this “perfect” society darling and now that she’s free to be her own person, they still try to have a say in her life and fit her into the box of the person they want her to be. I liked how Emily wanted to be a part of Julian’s daily life and involved in his theater business. The kitten Cecil that they rescue provided some cuteness and humor. I did want more from this read in the end, but it is a light, low-angst historical romance read that I can see others enjoying.

Thank you to the publisher (Atria Books) for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & review. To Marry and to Meddle has a release date of April 5, 2022.

4.5 stars

Martha Waters has created an enchanting place with fascinating characters. Do not be alarmed – you will still see Violet and Lord Audley from To Have and to Hoax, as well as Diana and Marquis Willingham from to Love and to Loathe. But this story centers around their sweet and quiet friend Lady Emily Turner and their newfound rakish friend Julian Belfry.

Emily has always done what she was told to do. She never speak out, acts out and is able to withstand scandal… scandal caused by her own father. During summer gathering, away from her overbearing parents, sweet, sensible Emily is approached by Julian with an offer of marriage – a mutually beneficial arrangement. An arrangement where Emily will be out from under her parents constant eye and rules, and helpful toward Julian on making his theater a more respectful venue.

Emily slowly becomes her own, more talkative, questioning and voicing her own opinion and Julian is finding that he enjoys married life and wondering why he was so hell bent on making the theater more respectful and not leaving it the way it is. These two are quite perfect for each other and I thoroughly enjoyed reading their story.
I can’t wait to see who the next book will be about – perhaps West (Audley’s brother)?

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the third book in the series. It could be read as a standalone but you might appreciate the characters more if you have read the first two books. After reading this, I have read the whole series.. this one is by far my favorite. In the prior books, the romance element is all games and sabotaging one another. This one was very female empowerment in a time not meant for that. I recommend this one over the others in the series!

I was provided with a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun regency. I didn’t realize initially that it was the third in a series, but now that I’ve read it, I’m excited to go back to the first two titles and get to know Emily’s two best friends. And I can tell there’s at least one more book likely to come in this series, which I look forward to as well. Martha Waters’ female characters in particular are refreshing and modern to me without feeling horribly out of place in the regency setting. I found the chemistry between Emily and Julian believable, and I rather enjoy the whole “we got married and then we fell in love” premise that works so well with the regency genre. This one had nice hints of spiciness, but nothing extremely explicit if that’s not your jam. Definitely worth a try, even if you read it as a stand-alone like I did!

What a charming story! Lady Emily, a well-mannered debutante, and Lord Julian, scandalized theater owner (and second son of a marquese) may have married each other to help each other's reputations but they quickly come to learn that their marriage is so much more. I read this book in one sitting- it is entertaining, full of fun characters and oh so romantic. Having not read the first two books of "The Regency Vows" series, I was worried that I may be confused by the storyline but that was not the case. In fact, I now plan to go back and read the first two books.

I have been impatiently waiting for this book. Emily Turner is probably my favorite character from this series and I couldn't wait to read all about her story so when I was approved for this arc, I stayed up all night reading. And, it was definitely worth it! I cannot wait for you all to read Emily Turner's story!

"In a marriage of convenience, love would be the most inconvenient surprise of all."

In To Marry and To Meddle, an eligible young lady and a wealthy reformed rogue agree to a marriage of convenience, in order to bolster his reputation and to help her escape her parents’ plans for her future. Their relationship is amicable and pleasant, with a mediocre amount of chemistry. They are friendly and kind to each other, and there is little in the way of conflict or tension throughout the book.

"If I marry you, people will be forced to look at me differently. To look at my theater differently. And you—you’ll be free to live a life of your own choosing."

The wedding took place in Chapter 2 (out of 23) and the remaining 90% of the book deals primarily with Emily and Julian adjusting to marriage and figuring out how they fit into each other’s lives. To be honest, because there was so little action within the storyline, it took me far longer than it should have to figure out what the actual plot of this book was supposed to be.

"You don’t simply marry a person. You marry their family, too, even if you’d rather have nothing to do with them."

Despite the uneven pacing, To Marry and To Meddle is an enjoyable portrayal of Regency-era life in Britain, and Emily, Julian, and their friends are sweet and likeable characters. I did enjoy reading this one, even if the plot of the story left something to be desired!

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Thanks to Martha Waters, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"To Marry and To Meddle" by Martha Waters is the third installment in the Regency Vows series and it was just as delightful and fun to read as its precedents. Emily and Julian were enjoyable characters to follow and had such a sweet, supportive relationship. I enjoyed seeing characters from the previous books in the series, and really felt that their interactions fit nicely into this story.

A well-paced, fun, modern take on the regency romance genre!

I have enjoyed the first two books in the series immensely and was super excited for the third one. It absolutely lived up to my expectations and went well beyond them. It's delightful, fun and whimsical. there are some ridiculous shenanigans though less than in the previous two book. There is a stronger internal conflict coupled with great banter and awesome friendships. I appreciate how the whole series avoids series drama and gives us a doze of pure fun instead.
I was already a fan of both MCs whom we meet back in book 1. Belfry was interesting and just a cinnamon roll under the disguise of a rogue but it was Emily was stole the show for me. I liked everything about her, her journey to be herself (that she could only undertake once she got married), her curiosity, her boldness couple with occasional doubts and hesitation.

It was the fact that Belfry was he was (supportive, kind, open-minded) that in turned led Emily to be more outspoken, more confident in her opinions and desires.

As I have come to expect, the writing was great, the story flowed easily and had me laugh out loud numerous times. The supporting cast was interesting, full-fledged even if we see them for just a couple of pages.

Ii don't read enough historical romance to compare this story to other books in the subgenre but I am very much becoming a fan of the author and I am excited to see what she will write next. I hope there will be more books in the series, I desperately want to read West and Sophie's story

In short, this is an exquisite historical romance - passionate marriage of convenience, some friendly shenanigans, a bit of family drama. I can highly recommend the whole series (so far :) if you are looking for an escapist, feel-good historical romance, I highly recommend all three books..

This book was such a breath of fresh air. I do believe that this author has created a new genre - historical romcom. This book which was a typical proper-lady-married-to-rake-to-make-him-proper was anything but typical. The jokes and wit came at unexpected moments when the older than average heroine was slightly courted then quickly wed to a rake. The hero, a second son of a Marquess, owned a theater and it catered to gentlemen who could come with their mistresses, and made very good money. The hero was estranged from his father for this and was trying to prove to his father that he was good enough. All they had to do was their expected roles and all would be well, and the upper parts of society would come to his theater with their wives. Well, it didnt quite happen that way. The heroine was being escorted by a gaming hell owner that her father owned a lot of money to and was black mailing her father over some secret. The hero had to plan his final courting and proposal at a house party that the heroine attended with a chaperone. Quite an ingenious idea on the part of the hero.
The best parts of this story were when the main characters acted like real human beings. Most stories typically give their character lofty ideals and manners, but all of these characters felt like real human beings. The story was well written and was easy to read. The characters and settings were supportive to the story and all made sense. There were no spelling or grammatical errors. I give this book 5 out 5 stars. I recommend reading and then reading again.

Notorious rake meets a young lady of the ton whose dad is in debt up to his eyeballs. He'll marry her and erase bad dad's debts, but she has to help him make his theater a place where men will take their wives and not just their mistresses.

The story was fun and the characters are charming, but the repetition and will-he won't-he plot lines are a bit forced. I was craving more drama or deeper conflict. But, if you just want to read for the kisses, frocks and carriage rides, go for it.