“Jane.”
“Penvale.”
“Jane.”
Just the simple act of the protagonists calling each other by their names has the ability to make me swoon with all the meaning embedded in those simple words! It is the little things in this romance that make To Swoon and to Spar a new favorite.

Jane is the ward of Penvale’s uncle whom owns Penvale’s ancestral home, Trethwick Abbey. A slightly different marriage of convenience trope, Penvale is only able to purchase his home IF he agrees to marry Jane whom has been living in the estate for over ten years. Seeing as these two have never met, they each have their own preconceptions of what the other will be like and Jane especially enters the relationship with a strong distrust for Penvale. She decides to haunt the house in order to scare Penvale into heading to London for good and leaving shy Jane to herself. But Jane doesn’t expect Penvale to be just as stubborn as her, or to love the home just as much as she does. I loved the playfulness and banter between these two. Of the series they are probably my favorite characters and I found myself smiling over their “arguments”. I just knew that these two would end up falling hard for each other because their personalities are so similar no matter how much they try and fight it. I also appreciated the thoughtfulness in the small things that Penvale had towards Jane; the consideration for her just made me smile while reading. And Jane notices little things about Penvale that just endear her to him, such as his needing spectacles or him leaving cinnamon rolls for school children. There is an underlying sweetness and softness beyond both Jane and Penvale’s rough shell. Even Diana’s scenes with Jane were perfection because these two ladies can give as much as they get! It was great seeing the friend group again, and the way Sophie tries to make Jane feel seen is heartening as an introvert living in an extrovert’s world. Each one of Martha Waters’ novels just gets better and better and Penvale and Jane have all my love. The title truly captures who they are towards each other. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more from Martha Waters.
4.5 ⭐️
🔥🔥—the BOOKSHELF!
CW: discussion of deceased parents

This series has been a real joy and the fourth book did not disappoint. I was concerned that nothing could beat Julian & Emily, but the antics of Penvale & Jane & their ghost kept me riveted. I can already think of multiple patrons who will love the Northanger-Abbey-reminiscent vibes.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was just so fun. I love the way we knew Jane was faking the haunting, but then things happened that she could not explain. It kept me guessing whether or not this place was actually haunted until the very end. Their romance blossomed beautifully and the slow burn paid off so well. It was nice to see them get to know each other rather than just be insta-lovey, which isn’t bad, but it definitely wouldn’t have fit Jane and Penvale. 10/10 recommend and I’ll be going back to read the rest of this series now.

How do you get your husband who you married only in name to leave the house? You fake a haunting to make him think the house is haunted...but the question is, do you really want to him to leave? Viscount Penvale has spent his life working to buy back his ancestral home, Trethwick Abbey from his estranged uncle. When his uncle mysteriously shows up one day agreeing to finally sell it... he has one condition: Penvale has to marry his uncle’s ward, Jane Spencer, the daughter of his uncle’s friend who died. Jane has spent her life being traded from one man to another, first from her absent father to her current guardian and now to Penvale. Jane wants nothing more than to be left alone in her beautiful home of Trethwick Abbey, free to be herself, free to read books, and free from all the restrictions of society. Yet here she is being handed over to Penvale, yet when the two meet neither really get along but Penvale tells her he will not marry her against her will, despite how much he wants his home he doesn’t want to force marriage on someone. Jane thinks that Penvale is the lesser evil compared to his uncle and they both agree to a marriage in name only. Yet Jane has a plan to get Penvale to leave, she’ll haunt him with the help of her housekeeper. Yet Penvale isn’t as easily scared as his uncle and the more time they spend together the more they start to find each other’s company nice.... but can their marriage turn into a real love match or was it meant go out? I do enjoy this series by Martha Waters. This is the fourth book in the series and other couples from the previous books do make appearances but you can read it as a standalone. I was looking forward to Penvale finally getting his ancestral home after everything. My biggest eh with this book was the romance between Penvale and Jane. They didn’t really feel like they had any chemistry and their romance just didn’t really feel like it was a romance at all. The story felt a bit meh and the biggest thing was the haunting that Jane schemes, but other than that it really didn’t feel like there was much going on. That’s not to say I wouldn’t read the next books the author writes because I definitely would. I enjoyed her previous books, and this one was okay, I just didn’t like it as much as the other ones in her series. Overall, if you’re looking for a historical romance with a little bit of forced marriage, some mischief, then this is for you.

*Thanks Netgalley and Atria Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I absolutely loved this one! I definitely did Not like Jane at firs, but found I related to her so much once I got to know her character better. I now have a better understanding of what people must see when I’m in social settings And Penvale was definitely swoon-worthy. His devotion and acceptance of who she truly was. His ability to See her and love her. It was just beautiful.

To Swoon and to Spar is a really enjoyable read. Martha Waters writes with humor and skill and I heartily recommend this author be added to anyone’s list of Romance titles. Each one of her titles engages the reader to enter a fun and sassy world of historical romance and, once discovered, the reader will want to read all her books. I am looking forward to the next title by Ms Water.

I adored this fourth installment of Martha Waters’ regency vows series. These books are more comedic and modern than a lot of regency romances and I find them very fun, quick, heartwarming reads. Viscount Penvale is eager to buy back his ancestral home, even when the price is not just a fortune but also agreeing to marry the owner’s ward, a miss Jane Spencer who, despite being the daughter of a gentleman, has never been to London. Not even a haunting can deter him from his desire to run the estate as he and Jane find themselves largely alone - together - on the cliffs in Cornwall. This book was a bit different than the previous in the series as the group of friends make fewer appearances, but they do pop up at the beginning and end and I found Jane to be a delightful addition to the cast of characters. Highly recommend!

This was the best one of the series! The setting of Cornwall and the gothic elements were a welcome break from the ballrooms of London. Jane is a prickly heroine, but do you blame her? Always victim to the whims of fortune and the generosity of random guardians and servants? She also seems to be a bit on the spectrum, possibly, in terms of her social interactions. Her slow-burn growing connection to Percivale is lovely to watch, as they each grapple with their own insecurities and wonder about how to merge their individual visions of the future into one. Funny, heartwarming, sweet, and unique. Highly recommend.

To Swoon and to Spar is the latest installment in Martha Waters's Regency Vows series. It follows our beloved Penvale and a new character, Jane. They’re pushed into a marriage neither wants, and to rid herself of this nuisance of a husband, Jane does the only logical thing: She stages a fake haunting of their house to scare him off. But will she be scared if, instead, they actually both catch feelings for each other? I never knew I needed a mashup between rom-com and haunted house, but it turns out I did, and you probably do, too.

To Swoon and to Spar is the most unexpected and unconventional historical romance I’ve read, and yet it somehow really works. It is, admittedly, a rather silly setup. But I do love haunted houses (horror is my other favorite genre), and making a charade of it while two fools fall in love? It’s priceless. This could be seen as a spoof on the gothic romance—another genre I love—and it’s just delightful from start to end.

In the first three books of the series, we got to know Penvale to a degree. The older brother of Diana, he was always mostly fixated on buying backing their family home. He’s tenacious and will stop at nothing, so it’s no wonder he agrees to marry a virtual stranger just to get it back. In To Swoon and to Spar, though, I enjoyed getting to know him on a deeper level. He’s so practical, methodical, and intelligent, yet also thoughtful and caring. He’s kind of perfect, and I get serious Virgo vibes from him. (My husband is a Virgo, too!)

Jane is a new character, and she may not make the best first impression. She hides behind a shield of sarcasm and verbal barbs, but deep down, she’s just shy and socially awkward. As a person who is also very shy, I loved getting to spend so much time with a character who’s as hopeless at social interactions as I am. (Though I must say, my shyness usually comes out in the form of being polite and unassuming, but otherwise quiet. I’m not rude and hostile like Jane!)

For a while, it’s hard to see how a romance between these two could work. They seem so disinterested in each other, and on Jane’s part, she’s starting at haunt-you-to-leave-me-alone levels. I was doubtful that I’d reach the point of rooting for their relationship. As it turns out, I was wrong on that front. It’s a very gradual journey, but at some point, I could see Penvale and Jane starting to connect and make sense together. Their romance is a super slow burn, an apathetic strangers-to-maybe-friends-to-lovers. But indeed, they do reach a level of connection that is sweet, even if they’re afraid to admit the truth.

One of the cutest moments in To Swoon and to Spar is when Jane convinces Penvale to read a novel for the first time in his life. (Thus far, he’s only read a ton of books on agriculture and homeownership and whatnot.) When she catches him reading Persuasion and crying over all the feels it inspired? Adorable. Jane expresses her care for Penvale in the form of recommending books and encouraging him to get spectacles; he expresses his affection for her by adjusting his plans to suit her shyness and need for solitude. It’s the little things that start adding up that bring them closer together.

The characters from the first three novels play less of an integral role, but their brief presence is still as comical and banter-filled as ever. To Swoon and to Spar only takes place the winter and spring following those books’ events, and already we’re seeing how their relationships are evolving. So sweet! I can’t wait to see all the couples together again in the last book of the series.

To Swoon and to Spar is an unusual little romance, but I got a kick out of the elaborately faked hauntings and loved both Penvale and Jane as characters. It’s a fun subversion of the gothic romance and a love letter to shy, bookish people everywhere. I greatly enjoyed this book, and I can hardly wait for the fifth and final novel of the series, due next year.

I was hesitant going into this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it in the end. Waters does a fantastic job of blending Gothic elements with the rom-com story line and I would happily read more of these books in the future. I also didn’t expect to love Penvale and Jane as much as did, but they may be in my top ten of favorite historical romance couples.

I have really enjoyed the Regency Vows series by Martha Waters, so I was happy to get a chance to read the newest book To Swoon and to Spar early. As a collective, we have been all waiting for Penvale to get back his ancestral home, and hopefully a happy ending. In order to achieve his goals, he hast to marry his uncles ward Jane. I can definitely relate to Jane’s shyness and love of books, but the hijinks of the ghost haunting was a little far fetched. I wanted to love this pairing, but it was really hard to understand Jane’s motivations at times. This wasn’t my favorite book in the series but I’m still attached to the entire series and will continue to read anything Martha Waters publishes.

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To Swoon and to Spar is one of those unique series novels that works incredibly well as a stand alone. Viscount Penvale has been single-mindedly working for years to purchase his ancestral home that was left to a relative after his parents' death. Jane has wanted nothing more than a place to belong and has finally found it at Threthwick Abbey. An arranged marriage to Jane allows Penvale to return to the home he's missed, but she wants him out so she can continue her contented solitary life. She and the servants dream up a fake haunting through the use of secret passages and things going bump in the night. Penvale and Jane develop romantically and personally as she overcomes social anxiety and he figures out what else there is to life once his obsession is realized. This story is so self-contained that I only discovered after the fact that Penvale's friends have their own stories. Recommended for fans of the smart, slightly quirky historical romance.

VERDICT The fake-haunting plot sounds like gothic romance, but Waters’s latest “Regency Vows” novel (which follows To Marry and To Meddle) is a romantic comedy through and through. Although the chemistry between Jane and Penvale lacks a certain spark, readers will still be pleased that Jane ultimately decides to make room for Penvale in both Trethwick Abbey and her heart.

The full review was originally published in Library Journal, February 2023, v. 148, no. 2, p. 64.

AAAANNND MARTHA WATERS HAS DONE IT AGAIN. I absolutely adore this whole Regency Vow series and I think this one might be my favorite. Though I am a sucker for a good regency romance, Waters' unexpected wit and humor adds such a nice touch to this book. I loved how Jane and Penvale fall in love without knowing it, watching them slowly realize it was so exciting and I just couldn't put it down.

Jane is tired of being told what to do by men- first by her guardian, then by his nephew, Penvale, who she is marrying. Taking matters into her own hands, Jane stages a haunting of their country estate in the hopes that she will drive her new husband away and be left in peace. But when the time comes, will she really want him to be driven away?

What I loved:
-getting updates on characters from previous books
-relationship with the villagers/house staff
-the hilarity of the attempted haunting
-Jane! I could really relate to her as a character with her shyness and her love of reading
-slow slow slow burn

This was a light and enjoyable read that I blasted through in just a few sittings! A fun bit of escapism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reading copy!

This book follows perfectly with the series. It can function as a stand-alone, but it does dovetail with the others. Excellent writing. A great story. Held my interest. Loved the heroine Jane. She was a real person who I identified with.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The concept of staging a haunting in a regency romance is something I have never seen before but made for such a fun storyline. This is perfect for someone who wants an entry into regency romances.

A great Historical Fiction book! Such a good read with lovely banter. Great Beach read or something to read when one is snowed in! 5/5 read!

Lovely escape to visit our favorite growing crew of Regency-era matchmakers. I struggled with the first book of the series and love the "To Love and To Loathe." This picks up from where Penvale is in dire need of a wife and Jane Spencer is in need of a way to rid herself of the man that stands between her and peace at home. Hijinks and hilarity ensues resulting in another tidy romance.

Thank you NetGally and Atria books for an advanced copy. I definitely plan to purchase a copy once it's on sale.

Martha Waters’ latest is just as compelling, fun, and swoon-worthy as her other works! Penvale has worked diligently with a singular focus- to buy back his ancestral home in Cornwall. He agrees to marry his uncle’s ward to secure the house and hijinks ensue. Jane was understandably hesitant to trade one male “authority” figure for another, and her desire to be independent builds empathy. I loved getting to revisit other characters from previous books, but did feel the ending was a little rushed.