Absolutely stunning. Martha Waters has been a favourite of mine for years and with the final instalment in this series she’s catered directly to my expectations. i’ll love this series forever.

Finally! Sophie and West's book has arrived! This is the long awaited conclusion to The Regency Vows series and I think it ended on a high note.

West and Sophie were once on the verge of betrothal when a meddling father, a horrific accident, and a hasty wedding threw everything into disarray. Now, 7 years later, they are once again drawn together but can their love overcome more hurdles and last forever this time?

This was a sweet conclusion to the series. The previous books have long set up the Sophie/West relationship. This kind of high expectation can go two ways: 1) total letdown or 2) home run! I'm glad to say Martha Waters delivers a hit here! This book had all the delicious angst that I hoped for given that it was a second chance love story. Sophie and West are meant to be and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop both in the past and the present. The flashbacks were a little clunky especially as the story progressed, but I still liked seeing those major milestones in their relationships. The cameos from the four couples from the previous novels in the series added a fun element of found family. I could use a Christmas novella or extended epilogue to revisit them all several years into the future!

I'm excited to see where Martha Waters goes from here. I think her writing has gotten better and better as this series progressed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.

This entire series has been a delight and Book 5 even more so with the main couple constantly surrounded by friends and family, all happily coupled off at this point, cheerfully recapping tier various romantic misadventures and reassuring these two: "but f we could figure it out, I'm sure you can!" These two are almost floated through the whole plot on a cloud of hearts filled with the buoyant air of positivity and love.

I have been anxiously awaiting West and Sophie's book, and To Woo and To Wed did not disappoint! In fact, I think it may have been my favorite of the entire series. I absolutely loved the dual timelines and getting to see what happened in West and Sophie's past alongside the hijinks that bring them together in the present. I was rooting for them the entire time, and as always, it was a joy to see the other beloved characters from the series throughout. It was a beautiful ending to a wonderful series that I am going to miss so much! Bravo!

Thank you @atriabooks for the complimentary DRC

My bookish resolution this year was to work on finishing all the series I’ve started and have on my shelves. This was the first one I’ve completed so far! To Woo and To Wed is the final installment in The Regency Vows series.

These books are so much fun! They would be easy to read in one or two sittings and are guaranteed to leave a smile on your face. I have been waiting for Sophie and West’s story pretty much from the first book and I’m happy to report it was worth the wait. I enjoyed getting to revisit all the previous couples, and the banter had me chuckling. While I think they technically could all be read as standalones, I think reading them in order is best. I didn’t enjoy the first book but I’m glad I read it because in each book the couples from the previous books dip in and out of the storyline. I think you can appreciate each book more when you understand how they all relate to each other. Only complaint in this book is that at times it was repetitive, I think everyone’s mouth ‘twitched’ at some point and Sophie and West seemed to have the same disagreement over and over. Minor complaints though, I still recommend this series for when you’re in the mood for a sweet romance that won’t rake your heart over the coals.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange of a honest review.

Loved this ending and it was a fast, fun and enjoyable read!

This series has been a delight from beginning to end. In this finale, we finally get the full story of West and Sophia, and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Including the banter, hare-brained hilarious schemes, and lack of properiety/spice that Waters has done so well, To Woo and to Wed also adds second chance romance and fake engagement. My only complaint is that new characters are introduced that COULD be more books... c'mon, Martha! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC and allowing me to grin ear to ear the entire time I read it.

Martha Waters brings her enjoyable Regency Vows series to a rousing close with To Woo and to Wed, a charming and witty second-chance romance between two characters who have been dancing around each other for some time. The Marquess of Weston and Sophie, the widowed Lady Bridewell, clearly have a history together and have been crying out for their story to be told. Well, this is it, and although I found one aspect of the novel a bit frustrating, I can say that on the whole, it was worth the wait.

When, in her third London Season, Sophie Wexham met the Marquess of Weston it was… if not exactly love at first sight, something fairly close to it. West is attractive, kind, funny and – unlike so many other men of his ilk – as happy to listen to Sophie’s thoughts and opinions as he is to voice his own. They’ve reached an ‘understanding’ and all it wants is for West to speak to her papa so they can become officially betrothed – but before West can do that, his father, the Duke of Dovington – who has already made clear his opposition to his son’s choice of bride – not so subtly threatens to ruin the marital prospects of Sophie’s four younger sisters should their engagement take place. Furious, Sophie finds West to tell him what his father said; West is equally angry and insists he won’t be deterred – he doesn’t need his father’s permission to get married. But fate and tragedy intervene; West doesn’t meet with Sophie’s father, and not long afterwards, she marries someone else.

Seven years later, and Sophie has been a widow for almost as long as she was married. She and West move in the same circles and have mutual friends – his (late) best friend David was the brother of Jeremy, the Marquess of Willingham (To Marry and to Meddle) who is married to Sophie’s friend Diana – but they’ve taken care to treat each other like mere acquaintances and have never spoken about their past relationship. On the surface, there’s nothing keeping them from rekindling their romance should they wish, but there are a lot of strong feelings running beneath – guilt, resentment, anger, grief – that are easier to ignore than to address.

Then Sophie learns that her sister Alexandra – who, like her, is a widow – is likely to turn down a proposal of marriage from the man she loves because Alex doesn’t want Sophie to feel lonely or left out. Well. Sophie didn’t gave up her own chance at real happiness seven years earlier so her sisters could sacrifice themselves for her. If the only way she can make sure Alex accepts Lord Blackthorn’s proposal is by becoming engaged herself, then that’s what Sophie is going to do. Unfortunately, however, she knows only one man who a) is likely to go along with her scheme for a short-lived fake engagement and b) her family will find a believable choice as her partner in a whirlwind romance.

While West’s better judgement tells him it’s a bad idea, he agrees to go along with Sophie’s plan. All he’s ever wanted is her happiness, and if seeing Alex married is the way to do it, then he’ll do whatever he can to help. It’s clear he’s still in love with Sophie but is so wrapped up in layers of guilt and sorrow that he’s kind of stuck in place and unsure how to act around her. Sophie, meanwhile, has learned to present a face of supreme confidence and unflappability to everyone around her that is hard to penetrate. But with their ‘engagement’ providing an excuse for them to spend time together, they slowly begin to let the other in and to realise that while seven years have passed, the connection they felt to each other back then has never lessened or gone away. They have things they need to work through – and I liked that the author includes some flashback chapters here and there to fill out the backstory – and they have some very honest conversations about their feelings for one another – then and now – and about what they want.

West is a charming cinnamon roll hero - kind and funny with a dry sense of humour and so obviously head-over-heels for Sophie. I liked the way the two of them fall so easily back into their old patterns of teasing and banter – they really know how to push each other’s buttons – and the way West very quickly sets out to prove to Sophie that they are meant to be together, despite everything.

I enjoy second chance romances when they’re done well, and that’s definitely the case here. The chemistry between West and Sophie is electric and there’s just enough pining and angst to keep things interesting and moving at a fair clip. But then at around two-thirds of the way through, things start to flag and begin to feel a little repetitive – and that there is really only one thing keeping West and Sophie apart becomes glaringly apparent. And it’s the same thing that has been keeping them apart for the entire book – Sophie. Or, rather, Sophie’s tendency to think and act for others in what she believes is their best interest and without consulting them first. Even after West has made it very clear that he still loves her and wants to be with her, Sophie persists in trying to save him from himself – whether from his father’s threats (no surprises that the disapproving Duke still disapproves) or trying to save West from disappointment because she might not be able to bear children – but doesn’t explain why she’s refusing him. West eventually realises what she’s doing and that she’s doing it because she’s scared of being hurt; I was pleased that he calls her on it, but frustrated because she was willing to risk their happiness simply because she wouldn’t have a simple conversation.

That’s my only real complaint about the story and is the reason I couldn’t award To Woo and to Wed DIK status. There’s a great bunch of secondary characters here - mostly friends and family from the previous books – who bring a lot of warmth, humour and affection (and, sometimes, common sense!) to the story (I had to chuckle at the absurdity of the wedding plans) and the not-too-sweet epilogue rounds out the series nicely. Martha Waters is one of the few authors of historical romance whose books I still look forward to reading, and I’m eager to see what she comes up with next.

To Woo and to Wed is the last and fifth book in the Regency Vows series.

The Marquess of Weston and the then Miss Sophie Wexham were in love and on the verge of a betrothal before the meddling of West’s father and a tragic curricle accident. Even though West survives, he wakes finding his best friend dead and Sophie now Lady Fitzwilliam. Seven years later and three since being widowed, Sophie is content in her widowhood but her younger widowed sister has found love again and wants Sophie to as well. Going so far as to say she won’t remarry if Sophie doesn’t remarry as well. Sophie enlists West’s help in faking a betrothal to get her sister down the aisle. All seems to be well until except for wedding plans getting out of hand and that West can’t pretend forever that his feelings for Sophie are real and never went away.

This is a new to me author but I’ll be adding the first four books of this series to my TBR. I loved this book. The tension and longing was delightful. I loved these characters and that they had always done what was expected of them but still hadn’t found happiness. It was only when they stopped allowing fear to control their lives was it within reach. I was also endeared to them because they were ordinary but in each other they’d found something extraordinary. I loved the FMC and her ability to win people over with her wit. I did think the FMC change of thinking was sudden and I wished the MMC would’ve been more passionate in not relenting even though he never wavered. There are a lot side characters with the MC from the previous book plus all the sisters and their significant others of the FMC. The best of both worlds with a found family and a large supportive family.

There was two encounters with at least two more occurring off the page. I enjoyed that their experiences were on an even playing field with the FMC taking a slightly more authoritative role.

Net Galley and Atria Books provided an advanced ecopy of this book.

I'm so pleased to finally read West and Sophie's (love) story. It features all the best tropes! Second chance, fake romance/engagement, he falls hardest, meddlesome family; I loved them all. Plus this is such a perfect final chapter to his series. Well done!

This series shares the problem that many romantic series have. There have been so many previous stories and all the characters and their matches appear in this story. I have read the earlier books and enjoyed them, but couldn’t remember much of the plot for any of them. So all these characters are introduced and I couldn’t keep them straight. It was hard to remember which were the heroine’s sisters and who were her friends or which women matched with which man.

We have a fake betrothal for a rather dumb reason. I like that the hero is still in love with the heroine and is willing to do anything to convince her that they deserve a second chance. It does take him long enough to decide to do something about her concerns about his father’s threats. He realizes that is what is holding back; why doesn’t he do something about it?

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I’ve been wanting to see West and Sophie get together since book 1: TO HAVE AND TO HOAX. Their second chance romance is a perfect way to end the series. Sophie’s sister is reluctant to secure her own happiness before her sister’s, so Sophie comes up with a plan: a fake engagement with former fiancé. The only snag, they’re both still in love with each other. Humorous and full of heart, it’s a happy ending worth waiting for.

I’m so happy with the ending! Sophie and West went through so much for their HE. Definitely a recommended read for everyone who loves romance novels

To woo and to wed
By Martha Waters

Sophie and West were almost engaged seven years ago, when West was in a terrible accident and only recovered to find out that Sophie had gone and married his friend. Years later they reunite as their friends and family marry linking their lives again. A fake engagement now leads to real feelings but can they actually forgive one another for what happened in their past? Will the obstacles that stopped them before continue to plague their way to happiness?

It’s been a wild ride through COVID with these lovely characters. I had a feeling from early on that West and Sophie’s love story would be my favourite and it turns out so beautifully. Martha Waters does a fantastic job of weaving their before love story with the after. I honestly feel like this is her best writing to date. The story moves quickly and is balanced between the two perspectives. Martha Waters really digs into the reasons relationships fail and the reasons they succeed and she does it was the perfect amount of spice. It was beautiful getting to watch West and Sophie dance around one another and I adored the cameos from the other couples in the Regency Vows series. This story was the perfect ending to a series that got me back reading historical romances after many years of avoiding them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

In this final installment of the Regency Vows series we finally see Sophie and West get their happily every after. There’s all the witty banter that Waters does so well and just about every trope you can put into a romance story. Second chance romance, forced proximity, fake dating, etc. There’s something to make everyone happy here.
You get a duel timeline setting up their original impassionment and the current timeline where they’re falling back into their feelings with the overarching story bringing everything together. It felt like this last story was so full of angst and stubbornness that it became tedious and drew away from the enjoyment. Overall its still a very satisfactory ending to a wonderful set of stories.

I do enjoy a second chance romance. Even if the initial breakup wasn't the most sensible, it is lovely to see the details of it in flashbacks for the main couple. I normally and super hesitant are "we can't be together for your own good" plot points, but is was refreshing to see that trope inverted with Sophie aiming to protect West, rather than the other way around.

To Woo and to Wed is the best book in the Regency Vows series. In this book, we follow the love story of West and Sophie. They have been in love with each other for seven years, but West's father scares Sophie away, causing her to marry another man. Even when Sophie becomes a widow, she still refuses to marry West. Sophie's sister refuses to remarry until Sophie does, so Sophie asks West to pretend they're engaged. This helps them communicate their feelings for each other and understand why they haven't married.

The pacing of the book is incredible. Every time a plotline starts to feel stale, it's resolved. The flashbacks showing how West and Sophie met and fell in love help us see how much they mean to each other. Seeing how their friends and family react to West and Sophie being in love is funny.

According to the author's note, Martha Waters had to push herself to write this book, but it has certainly paid off.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

To Woo and to Wed is the final installment in The Regency Vows series by Martha Waters.

It features Sophie (Lady Fitzwilliam Bridewell née Wexham) and West (the Marquess of Weston/Lord Weston).

Fans of the series have been waiting for this couple’s story, a fact Waters acknowledges quite kindly in her dedication. 😉

Torn apart almost a decade ago by his very bad dad, Sophie and West have been reacclimating to each other throughout the series as their friends pair off.

This book starts 7 years after their initial story and several years into Sophie’s quite contented widowhood.

In an attempt to assuage sisterly fears about Sophie’s loneliness and to forestall West’s father’s renewed machinations, they agree to fake an engagement, much to the stunned delight of everyone (excepting of course his very bad dad).

As their plan progresses, feelings and desires are exposed and honest conversations clarify the past.

There is enough heartbreak to make the second chance point but not too much to take away from Waters’s signature romcom style.

I particularly enjoyed the staggered flashbacks, to their first moments together, an interlude shortly after Sophie was widowed, and just a year before when they began spending time together again.

Readers of the previous books will be glad to see the shenanigans signature to this friend group and delight in the depictions of Sophie’s relationship with her family, particularly her sisters, but also her parents.

This series isn’t particularly spicy, but this installment is definitely the hottest: Sophie takes control and West likes it.

Finally, the couple’s discussions about fertility and motherhood are wildly refreshing for a genre that loves a #babylogue*.

I loved this book and thought it was the perfect end to the series. To Woo and to Wed is out February 6th!



*this is not a critique of the #babylogue

I loved this book! It was so much fun to read. I loved all the characters, especially since many are old friends from the previous books. But I absolutely adored West and Sophie.

Sophie was easy to connect with and her attempt to make sure her sister was moving forward in life endeared her to me. West’s story line often had me welling up with emotion. He had been through more than any one person should ever have to endure and I longed for him to find his perfect “happily ever after”.

This is a second chance romance with flashbacks to the beginning of things and then following through the years afterwards. They were clearly marked and I found them to be the perfect tool to connect me with the struggle and angst that each character had suffered. Along with those moments of deep emotion, this is filled with the perfect amount of humor and plenty of steam making this a well rounded read and deeply satisfying.

This can be read as a stand alone but would be better understood with the series.

A second-chance Regency romance between Sophie and West, who were nearly engaged until an accident and his interfering father threw them off-course. Sophie married someone else but has recently been widowed. Her sister is also widowed but reluctant to start a new romance until Sophie is settled. Not wanting to hold her sister back, Sophie hatches a plan with West. They will temporarily pretend to become engaged so her sister can move forward, but old feelings bubble up.

I have read this series since the beginning, and while I was sad to see it end, Waters wrapped things up in a really lovely way for her fans and the wonderful characters she created. This swoony romance features fun tropes, witty dialogue, and loads of romantic tension.

I loved Sophie and West and rooted for them. They had a lot of history and feelings to work through, but they also had great chemistry. West has been one of my favorite side characters across the series, so I was excited to see him take center stage. He is a cinnamon roll, and with this book, he became my favorite MMC from across the series--and that's saying something because this series is packed with endearing and memorable characters.

Waters writes comedy well, and the shenanigans among this friend group are always entertaining. However, these books also touch on social commentaries. Set during the Regency era, they examine societal expectations and constraints on women and have feminist themes. And in this one, I also appreciated that there was disability representation.

This is a charming and nostalgic wrap-up to the series, complete with a heartwarming epilogue, and I can't wait to see what Waters writes next!