2.5 stars

This book was fine, I guess? I couldn't quite bring myself to give it 3 stars, because I just didn't really like it that much. I don't know that there was really anything *wrong* with it, it just was boring and I didn't like either character.

I've read that a romance novel is supposed to be an argument for why the main couple should be a couple, and this just really didn't do that. I didn't care about either character, I didn't care about their relationship, I.just.didn't.care.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was super excited to read this one and it didn’t disappoint. I love regency romance and this author does the genre right. Super fun!

A swooney enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, Regency romance. Fans of Bridgerton will love To Swoon and To Spar. Engaging banter and enough tension to move the plot along in a way that held my attention. Overall a solid read.

I really enjoyed this book! I think I've read every book in this series, primarily because Martha Waters writes such enjoyable characters and couples. She has explored a few different tropes throughout, and this one executes a delightful mixture of the "contract relationship" and "enemies to lovers" tropes. If you're already a fan of Regency romance, this book, as with any Martha Waters title, is a great addition to your TBR list.

Such a fun read! It was easy, entertaining, and swoony! It was a little cheesy at times, and the names sometimes get mixed up in my head, but I really enjoyed reading it!

This book was really adorable. The pacing was great. I loved the banter between the characters and it also made me go back and read all the previous books in this series. The main character, Jane, was extremely relatable to me and I adored her!

Such a fun read! Would definitely recommend! The humor was great throughout the story, and the slow-burn romance was great!

To Swoon and to Spar is the fourth novel in The Regency Vows companion series by Martha Waters, but I saw it as a standalone having not read the other books in this world. It follows Penvale, who is desperately trying to get back his family estate. When he gets the chance by marrying Lucy, the ward of his uncle who is the current master of the family estate, he jumps at it. Lucy doesn’t want a husband in her space so she concocts a plan to “haunt him” and scare him back to London. This book was slow for me. I liked the idea of the plot, but I wish the haunting would have packed more of a punch or taken a bigger turn. It was a little underwhelming. Lucy wasn’t the most likable heroine, but I did enjoy seeing Penvale break down her walls and how she blossomed to the point where I felt for her in the end. Overall, this was a cute regency romance but it left me a little underwhelmed.

Instead of my usual rom-com palate, I decided to try a historical romance and the premise sounded fun. This book started slow for me. About halfway through, I finally latched onto the characters and was really into the story. Overall, this was a cute read.

I like this author and this series. Both the covers and the stories are cute. A good standard historical romance. And I definitely would recommend to a friend.

I have been a huge fan of this series (Regency Vows), so I was thrilled to receive an e-arc for review. Everything about this series is wonderful, and this 4th book is no different. A very lighthearted, witty, endearing regency rom-com with all the angst and hilarious banter that Martha Waters is so great at writing. In this edition, The Viscount Penvale marries Jane, a country girl unknown to him, to gain the title to his family home. What follows is an entertaining folly of ghost hunting as the two gradually get to know whom they have married. As feelings develop, you cannot help but route for this couple. It's another charming and irresistible love story, and a quick read as I was excited to see what would happen next. Thank you so much to Martha Waters, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc! Would definitely recommend!

Enjoyed the story - Penvale and Jane were hilarious in their banter and adorable in their chemistry. I would not recommend to students because of the sexual content, but I'd recommend to adults who love Bridgerton!

My only qualm with this series is the immature nature of the MCs. Trying to trick your husband into thinking his house is haunted? That's ridiculous. Why can't the MCs have real problems and real communication needs? Additionally, with this book, it felt that Jane never truly opened up. Penvale did, but she didn't. That annoyed me also.

Each of Waters books has been an enjoyable read, and this one was no exception. This one was probably more like 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for me, I didn't find myself as emotionally invested in this one as previous books in the series. However, it still had its moments of comedy met with charm and heartwarming relationships. It delivered on being a pleasant dose of fun!

I think the follows as the rest of the series did. I wasn’t as invested in this story as the previous ones. It’s still good but just didn’t hit all the notes that I wanted. It felt slow at times and the two MCs just didn’t draw me in. I still enjoyed and loved the romance aspect. I’ enjoy the writing and find humor alright. I just want more after feeling much like the previous stories, same humor, same type of conversations. Needed something fresh for me.

I could not get into this one, the storyline wasn't for me, I liked Penvale but Jane was not my cup of tea. I felt the haunting theme was weird. I like the other books in this series though.

There is very little relatable or enjoyable about Jane for a long while, whereas Penvale is amazing from the start.

I haven’t read the series in a while, so the friend group was a bit separate for me, but I still love them.

Favorite lines
“He largely found that their happiness was rather important to his.” - what a beautiful was to describe friendship

For fans of Bridgerton you will love this! It was a perfect summer read and I was so thankful to get the ARC

Such a fun and light read! The MFC was strong, determined and i loved her whole personality. The MMC was so kind, and sweet and I loved him so much! It was an excellent read! The auhtor had a wonderfull writing style that just kept me glued to the book. I will definetly read more of the work.

a little underwhelming. but cute! the rest of martha walters regency books have been on my tbr forever so i might go back and check them out

You know that thing where you have to get married so you don’t get kicked out of your beloved home, but you don’t want your new husband to spend any time there so you try to make him think the place is haunted so he will leave you alone? But then it turns out your new husband is actually kind of nice and cute, and now you’re just lightly gaslighting a guy you kinda like? You know that thing? We’ve all been there.

Martha Waters is the queen of historical romance shenanigans. I adore her books, her characters, and the hilarious situations they find themselves in. The banter is always impeccable and so is the romance. I’m sad there is only one book left in this series because I have become so attached to the characters! Thank you so much to @atriabooks for the early copy; To Swoon and to Spar is out now!