This book was SO cute! I was unfamiliar with the author before reading this one and have now checked out her other ones to read! I love that it’s historical fiction but still feels contemporary. I laughed out loud at this one. 5 stars for sure!

Romantic comedy and wit meet Regency England in ‘To Marry and to Meddle’ by Martha Waters. While you can definitely read this book as a standalone, the experience is enriched if you’ve also read ‘To Have and to Hoax’ and ‘To Love and to Loathe,’ which are the other books in the Regency vows series. This is the kind of novel that will snap you out of a reading slump so fast, you’ll forget you were experiencing one in the first place.

Lady Emily Turner has always done everything she possibly can to avoid scandal, even though her family is steeped in it. Bogged down by her father’s extensive debts, Emily has no suitors beyond the odious man whom her father owes. Lord Julian Belfry is no stranger to scandal himself, as he owns a theater that is less than respectable. When they meet at a party, Julian hatches a plan: a marriage of convenience. With her connections, Emily will bring a more reputable crowd to the theater, and Julian will save Emily from constantly being under the thumb of her parents and her father’s less than savory associates. They like each other just fine, but there’s no expectation of love… until both begin to feel some rather inconvenient feelings.

This novel is so fun. It’s super witty, charming, and just delightful to read. Obviously, narrative conflicts exist, but they never feel too overwhelming. Instead, you just get to sit back and enjoy the ride. There are hijinks aplenty… a fair amount involving a very spirited feline… and there are moments of banter that left a smile on my face long after I read them. The chemistry between Emily and Julian is also such a joy. They're great as friends and as lovers.

If you love Regency romance and enjoy when its tropes are refreshed and reimagined, you will love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another fabulous addition to this series staring spunky heroines. There was witty banter, fun characters and a marriage of convenience. I love the appear center of some beloved characters from other books in the series. I can’t wait to see who gets their story told next!

Thank you to Net Galley and Artria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am absolutely obsessed with the series, so of course I jumped on the chance to read To Marry and to Meddle, and this book absolutely did not disappoint.
Lord Julian proposes to Lady Emily, offering up a marriage of convenience: he can help her escape from a life spent being courted by the odious man her father owes money to, and she can help elevate his status in the eyes of society and bring some legitimacy to his theatre. Neither of them has feelings for the other, and it's a pretty straightforward business agreement. Except, of course, that things are never quite that simple.
I read this book in one sitting the day I got it, and it somehow exceeded my (already quite high) expectations. I definitely wholeheartedly recommend this for any fans of Martha Waters, marriages of convenience, scheming plots, or regency romance.

A marriage of convenience that began with a bargain, may lead to so much more! Emily and Julian started their relationship with an agreement to help one another. But as they get to know one another, what they thought they wanted turns put to pale in comparison to what they actually need! A fun, witty read! Martha Waters has done it again!

I have been waiting for this book for so long. Although I loved reading the first two stories, the whole time, I really wanted to know more about Emily. She's interesting partially because she's the only unmarried debutante of the three, but to be honest, my favorite thing about the first two books was that we didn't get blushing virgins. Emily is more than that. She's still learning to get to know herself, but what she does know is that she doesn't want to be trapped in the life her parents created for her. You've got to respect Emily.

I was a little annoyed that when all the society women asked Emily how she met Julian, she didn't think to say, "Why, we met at the Belfrey." She is, after all, trying to help the theatre's reputation. But that was really my only issue with a book that made my heart sing. I can't wait to see what's coming next from this author, because she's got a true fan in me.

What a sweet, funny, romantic period novel. Just the perfect light and fresh story to consume in a weekend. I liked it, and while it’s not my new favorite book, it’s one I’d happily recommend for anyone looking for some period drama vibes.

Thank you netgalley and Atria for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

First off, thank you to Atria Books for providing me a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley. I discovered Martha Waters' work through a NetGalley ARC of the previous book in this series - "To Love and to Loathe" - which I really enjoyed, and was so excited to get the opportunity to read the third book! I was especially intrigued about Emily's story since in the 2 previous books, she seemed a lot more reserved than her friends Violet and Diana.

Unfortunately, I have to say I was a little disappointed with this book. It had a really interesting premise - a marriage of convenience story and a heroine who becomes involved in the management of a theatre - it sounds really unique! (also a kitten, which is always fun) While I did enjoy Emily's characterization, and the appearances of characters from the previous stories, the book overall bored me. The chemistry between Emily and Julian was *kinda* there, but I never completely bought it. I felt like any conflict in the story was contrived (and resolved in a way that wasn't satisfying or unique).

Although I didn't love "To Marry and to Meddle", I will still look forward to further work by Martha Waters. Waters has a knack for writing entertaining dialogue and the friendship with Violet, Diana, and Emily is one of my favorites in a historical romance.

My favorite of the series! Emily and Julian have the great chemistry and their banter is sarcastic, witty and full of adoration.

I absolutely adored the first two books in this series so I was so excited to read the third installment. Emily and Julian's story was sweet and satisfying, and made for an easy read. I especially liked Emily coming into her own and her character development over the course of this book (and the two previous ones). Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes, and while I thought there should have been more of a slow burn to the characters relationship, instead of the immediate romantic relationship and acknowledgment of their chemistry, I felt like the relationship was true to their characters.
While this isn't my favorite of the series, I still enjoyed the experience regardless. Fingers crossed that Sophie and West are next!

I absolutely love this series! I was so excited to get to read Julian and Emily's story. Julian Belfry owns a somewhat seedy theatre, The Belfry, where men of the ton go with their mistresses, not their wives. (You might remember Julian from To Have and to Hoax as the "doctor" who diagnoses Violet's case of "consumption". In exchange, Violet agrees to go to his theatre for a show with her friends.) Julian decides he wants to revamp the image of his theatre and expand his audience, and this is where Emily comes in! Julian proposes a marriage of convenience (side note: one of my favorite tropes, gets me every time) where she will help him by talking to ladies of the ton in hopes of giving a new image to The Belfry.

Julian and Emily both have issues with their families that they find ways of working through with the support of each other. I love how Julian sticks up for Emily and how Emily nudges Julian towards a reconciliation with his family. And what do you know...they catch some feelings along the way! Seriously, the marriage of convenience trope where they realize they love each other is one of the best.

Martha is superb at writing fun banter. Not only with the couple themselves but with the friend group as well. Now that we thoroughly know Violet and Diana's stories from the earlier books in the series, it's so fun to see their personalities and interactions in this book. Emily is a bit more timid than Violet and Diana but she definitely comes into her own in this story.

This series is honestly just perfect historical romance and I cannot recommend it enough. I was so pleased with Emily and Julian's story. I had a big smile plastered to my face at the end!

Thank you to Atria Books & NetGalley for the eARC!

Just like the other two, this book was so cute! The writing improves every book. This story was swoon worthy and the banter was amazing and real! A quick, fun read.

We've been waiting for Emily and Julian's book since reading To Have and to Hoax, and their story didn't disappoint. Julian proposes a marriage of convenience - Emily can escape her family and unwanted suitor, and Julian will gain respectability with Society. Once their hasty marriage takes place, though, Emily wants to change the rules.

The structure of this book is impeccable! Emily has spent most of her adult life placating her demanding family, while Julian has spent his thumbing his nose at his. Through navigating their relationship with each other, they're able to define what they want out of external relationships as well. We continue to love the friend relationships depicted in the series - female friendships are a huge part of the book, and the male friendships are equally representative of the importance of human interaction. OK that sounds a little pretentious, but it's really nice to read romances with actual friendships, not just an isolated couple who support each other against the world!

Honestly the only thing missing from the book was a little more sexual intimacy for our couple. We don't need every book to be super steamy, but since Emily and Julian are deepening their relationship outside of the bedroom, we would have loved to see how it translated into the bedroom, too.

Emily and Julian marry at the very start of this fun story. It is a marriage of convenience, but it seems to be working out well -- until there are complications. This author has a talent for writing a great love scene that is lengthy and involved without being overly graphic. That is an important quality, because the love scenes take up a lot of room in this book! A wonderful title that I look forward to recommending to Regency romance readers who are up for something a little less stodgy and traditional -- fans of Evie Dunmore, for example.

I’ll start off my saying that I wasn’t aware this book was the third in a series. But, I didn’t feel lost and you can definitely read it as a stand-alone in my opinion. It was a great fun read! I’m definitely going to back to go read books one and two from the series and perhaps a reread of this again. Win win!

To Marry and To Meddle, the third book in The Regency Vows series, is like cake: it's sweet, it's fluffy, and it fills your cold empty belly right up! Your heart, too. It's precisely the kind of regency romance you want to curl up with whenever you're feeling as if love is dead in the water or you're in want of something lighthearted and warm to perk you up. Plus, Emily and Julian and their marriage of convenience is the icing on top of an already delicious romance dessert.

Perhaps I am biased but I don't think you can go wrong with a marriage of convenience trope that becomes inconvenient for the characters when *f e e l i n g s* start to rear their interfering little heads. It's adorable! I'm a hopeless sap for it every time!

(Catch my smile growing three sizes as I write this.)

In this story, Lady Emily Turner and Lord Julian Belfry come to a business arrangement that will benefit them both. Through a marriage of convenience, Emily will use her good name and reputation to corral a more respectable audience to the Belfry theater, which presently only seems to attract gentlemen and their mistresses. Meanwhile, Julian will pay her family's outstanding debts to save her from an unsavory match with the contemptible Mr. Cartham, a boil as well as a blackmailer, and pluck her out from beneath her parents' thumbs once and for all.

However, thanks to a couple interfering friends, clashing expectations, and pesky feelings of love and protectiveness, their marriage turns out to be a far cry from business-like.

In any sense of the term...

What I liked about this book is that it was less brazen than the first two in the series. Granted, that's not to say there wasn't good banter or wit to be had, because there was, or that there weren't absurd moments, because there were, with Cecil and his murderous cat claws among them, but that this story was without the one-upmanship, scheming, or deception that was present between Violet and James and Diana and Jeremy in the first two novels.

The characters in this were quieter. Softer. The plot more internal. It was about identity and exploring what that could mean and I liked how this featured Emily trying to figure out who she was, how she could throw off the yoke, the cage, society and her parents had placed her under most of her life, with Julian giving her the room as well as the support she needed to be to do that. Likewise, Emily helped Julian work through some deep-seeded anger and resentments he'd harbored toward his father, who had disowned him years earlier for refusing to sell his theater. They were a well-matched couple. It was lovely to see them blossom, watching as their hearts lost control but they took the wheel so they could drive their own lives forward.

If I wasn't already a devout Martha Waters fangirl, I'd be clamoring to be one after reading her latest offering. Need a smile? Read this. Need something sweet? Read this. Need a forehead-kiss-in-a-book? Read this.

I'm telling you, do it--because this was cuter than a kitten's paws!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Such an adorable story and I loved the writing style, each book is progressing so much! This story has so much witty banter and in romance, that’s one of my favorite tropes along with the marriage for convenience, of course. Pick this series up!!!

This is a fun series, and I was looking forward to reading Emily and Julian’s story. I am glad that I had read the other two first as there were a few callbacks to the earlier books, and I don’t think I would have understood the dynamics as well without reading those first.

While I enjoyed the plot—marriage of convenience, second son/theater owner with upstanding lady—I felt like the romance took a bit of a backseat to the personal development arcs the main characters faced as they tried to establish adult relationships with their respective parents. This was still interesting and well-written but not what I anticipated.

I definitely look forward to reading future books in this series and by this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

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

I accidentally missed the second book in this series. I will definitely read it, but I don't think it's necessary to enjoy this book! I don't usually read regency novels, but this series it just too good!

Finally, it’s Emily’s turn! I’ve been waiting to see how her story would unfold since finishing the first two books in The Regency Vows series earlier this year. Emily Turner, who’s being blackmailed into spending time with the owner of a gambling hell, teams up with Julian Belfry, a theatre owner who wants to be welcomed by high society, in a marriage of convenience that benefits them both but turns out to be more complicated than either imagined.

I absolutely adore Martha Waters’ characters, and Emily and Julian are no exception — they might be my favorite couple so far! I love love love the friendships that exist between these characters: it’s so clear, even if you haven’t read the other books, that these characters are fully formed people and not just afterthoughts in a larger story. Their bonds, conflicts, and banter are funny, relatable, and bring so much to this world. I loved the conflicts and vulnerabilities inherent in their journey and I loved every minute of watching Emily and Julian find their way to each other. I’m already crossing my fingers for a fourth book in the series (Sophie and West, anyone?!) but either way, I’m looking forward to reading what Waters writes next.