This was a lovely conclusion to Waters' Regency series! I've been waiting for West and Sophie's story and this book did not disappoint! The anticipation has been building since the first book!

I really liked the format of including flashbacks from both Sophie and West about what happened in the past. The previous books have given snippets and hints but it was wonderful getting the fleshed out story from their own remembrances and points of view. It made their relationship feel deeper, more layered, their loss of each other so much sadder. The resonance of their "break up" permeates who they are to this day.

West is such a lovely MC. His love and respect and care for Sophie is evident from his first pages. He's thoughtful and kind, tender and funny, so openhearted when he lets the facade he has built around himself crack. Sophie is splendid and it is so satisfying to see her grow from the flashbacks to who she is today and to see her slowly allow herself to be vulnerable and open and let her heart hope again.

The premise of fake dating was fun and it was a wonderful way to get them into forced proximity so they can address all that has gone before. The side characters are familiar and entertaining in their own ways.

I think the book slowed down a bit in the middle but picked up steam again. The ending was lovely and I like how Sophie and West get to live their lives on their own terms, with their own preferences, and agency. It was so satisfying to see them together, finally, in the end.

A lovely conclusion to the regency series.

I was so excited to read this next book in Martha Waters' regency series and I loved it just as much as the others, I feel like the book had the perfect amount of plot and the perfect amount of spice, still leaving some to the imagination. I was also naturally thrilled to finally get a Sophie/West story. I feel like i've been rooting for them from day one.

The anticipation built up from the previous four books makes getting to finally read Sophie and West’s story so much more wonderful. I loved that this book was a bit different from the others, with the inclusion of flashback chapters to Sophie’s and West’s past. It felt like we got to know both main characters on a much deeper level, by seeing the development of their relationship throughout the previous seven years. What I loved most, though, is that we know exactly how West feels from his very first chapter. He is such a thoughtful, tender MMC, and I appreciated that everything he and Sophie does is in attempt to make those they care about happy. At times, this book is just as quirky and outlandish as each previous installment in the series, but those are the aspects I really love about each book. To Woo and to Wed is sweet and intimate, while also silly and fun. I’ve been excited to read these characters’ story since book one, and Sophie and West were definitely worth the wait.

I was so excited when I got the ARC of this book and I read in just two days.
It's the final book in the series and I have enjoyed all the books quite a lot.
This is a second chance romance and we have already met and gotten to know both West and Sophie from the previous books. It's finally their turn to shine, and wow, did they shine, West in particular. We get flashbacks to the start of their relationship and other momentous events in the seven year since they fell in love and were torn apart.
I would say the beginning, first 30% of the story was absolutely riveting. It made me cry and I am usually not a crier at books. I found their reunion really emotional. And I was struck by the sense of longing, of an chance at happiness that's missed and gone forever. Even with the logical knowledge that they will eventually get together, I found their pain of these seven years they lost, the fact that they were not there for each other at the most difficult times, the fact that they could barely see the other without a sense of loss, it was all very powerful and moving.
Their fake relationship went the way of all fake relationships in romance, with the added bonus of confessions about the past that made. Then around the middle of the book, 60-70%, I felt the story lost its momentum. There was this going back and forth on Sophie's part that I found annoying. After all the secrets were revealed, all the attraction and feelings admitted, she still refused to give them a chance with the argument of saving him from his father's anger, from potential disappointment with her likely inability and desire to give him children. She was really making decisions for him very much out of fear of being hurt herself and he was right to call her on it.
The final 30% saw everything resolved to a rather satisfying ending. The over-the-top families and friends shone brightly on the page and brought so much fun and levity to the story. The wedding planning verged on the absurd which very much fits in with the shenanigans from the previous books.
A proper epilogue that brings the whole series to a close - funny and full of love and care and babies (for the couples who want them).
Overall, I quite enjoyed this series and highly recommend it.

CW: grief, near-fatal incident (in the past), hero uses a cane as a consequence of said incident, blackmail,

This might be my favorite from the series. If you know me or have read any of my reviews, miscommunication tropes are my least favorite. So imagine my delight when the miscommunication I thought would finally be resolved in the third act was resolved way before then as they actually talked like adults. There were still things they needed to work through (obviously) but thankfully meddlesome dad conversation wasn't something that was kept a secret.

I loved the meddlesome friends/family, the delightful relationships, and West and Sophie finding their way back to each other.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

So, I wish I would’ve read the other books before going into this one. But usually with stories like this I like to pick and choose which ones I read and this one sounded super cute. Our main characters West and Sophie were at one point almost engaged but they were thrown off course by issues arising. Sophie ends up marrying someone else, but unfortunately becomes a widow.
I enjoyed the fake engagement plot of this book, it honestly was a perfect decision for these two characters since it helped Sophie realize her feelings and it ended up turning into a real marriage! Sophie and West were such a perfect book couple and I had tons of fun reading their story. And I loved the regency aspect of it all ( I’m a complete sucker for regency era stuff ).
The only issue I had was at times I felt like the book was dragging and there’d be points I’d be wishing the chapter was over already. But other then that this was a pretty solid book!
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Great ending to the series. I loved West and Sophie’s second chance romance. It was fun and endearing. Martha Waters always writes easily readable books.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Final book in the series, Wes and Sophie's love story has its moments, but the "father's threat" trope was a drawback for me. Missing the humor of earlier books, yet the satisfying conclusion to the series makes it worth the read

3.5 ⭐️

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and Atria Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Publishing: February 6, 2024
Series: The Regency Vows #5
Pages: 336

“To Woo and To Wed” is the last installment of The Regency Vows Series and I was not disappointed at all with this final story. I have read all but the fourth and can say that outside of my rating of the first, the stories have gradually increased my loving Martha Water’s writing of regency romances…this one being the favorite. I enjoyed the plot, the characters, the humor, and wit that it all tied together so very well throughout the chapters. A second chance at love, forced proximity and fake engagement trope somehow put some balance between the hero/heroine (Sophie and West)…oh yeah and throughout the banter too. Moderate steamy but just enough for this story. A nice HEA where the characters confront all of complications of the past to bring them happiness in the end. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book!

4.25/5 Stars!! To Woo and to Wed was the fifth and final installment of Martha Waters’. The Regency Vows series, and it did NOT disappoint. We FINALLY got Sophie & West’s story, and it was everything I wanted it to be! This is a second chance, fake engagement, historical romance set in the regency era. I believe these are all interconnected standalones, but I have read each of them.

Things I loved:
-The flashback scenes. In a second chance romance, I need the flashback scenes. I love seeing what happened and how they initially fell in love.
-The gradual growing back of trust and increased communication. It felt natural and not at all forced or instant.
-The banter. Duh.

Things I didn’t love:
-I wanted them to talk through their problems together more.
-This book ended the series and I want more :(

This book was a stunning conclusion to a series I have very much enjoyed! I can’t wait to see what Martha Waters has for us next!

I've read all of Martha Waters' books despite generally not being a fan of regency romances, and this was one of my favorites. I think it is a real feat of writing. It ties up the series beautifully, and it's funny and sharp and well paced, but more than that, it is *romantic.* Like, swoonily romantic! In so many romances - romances I enjoy - I'm of course rooting for the two heroes to get together and enjoying the story, but I don't feel that pull at my heartstrings. Here, I did. I will say I think a great deal of how rewarding this felt was having read the four books prior to this, but as the last in a series, I don't think that's a bad thing.

Finally West and Sophie’s story! This couple has intrigued me throughout all of Martha Waters regency vows series and I am happy to report that West and Sophie’s story both past and present absolutely does not disappoint. Perfect conclusion to the series.

Many thanks to Atria and NetGalley for an eARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5

I was so happy I got this book! Let me start this review by saying I am not a fan of second-chance romances. I typically skip them in a series like Regency Vows, but I did it for Sophie and West! We learned so much about them through their friends and family in the Regency Vow universe, and I couldn't wait for them to find happiness with each other. It was sweet, it was cure, it was heart wretchingly perfect.

To Woo and to Wed tells the story of Sophie and West. The book is told in the times before and after Sophie is married to one of West's friends. Sophie and West reconnect after Sophie is widowed. There is a fake engagement with lots of humor and friendship along the way.

I thought the book was a really well written. I have not read the rest of the series, so I was definitely lost at times, but the story was still good. You can tell this was the conclusion of something pretty great. I would like to go back and read the rest of the series. Yay for more books on my TBR! **rolls eyes and laughs out loud**

Sophie and West had amazing chemistry. I like that the author included their relationship before Sophie's marriage. It made their relationship even more meaningful.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

i received an eARC from netgalley and am extremely thankful for that! thank you to them and atria books for providing me this opportunity.

this series has been dear to my heart, and i’ve throughly enjoyed multiple things. the writing style, the plot variations, the characters, the comedy. sometimes with series, especially one with five books, you could see authors repeat themselves at some points. they can get tired. some characters may shine more than others.

if you’re scared of that…just read this. and be happy to read a series done the right way.

after reading the four other books, i was worried maybe this would be the pairing i wouldn’t fall for. but, martha truly went out with a bang. sophie and west were…wow. strong, funny, witty. they are amazing characters who could have stood on their own, but luckily found their way to each other. i feel like i specifically need to shine the light on west. he was so well rounded and such a joy to read. and the way he loves sophie made my heart leap out of my body so many times. the way he talked to her…jesus.

sometimes i’m iffy about second chance romances but this was absolutely perfect. that paired with a fake engagement? and some forced proximity, with balanced friendship and banter. yeah. sign me up multiple times. and the pining. ugh. perfection.

thank you, martha, for a perfect end to this series. i enjoyed every moment.

I stumbled on this author some time ago and while I wasn't super impressed before, I decided to give it another try. This was better than some of the previous books in the series, but the constant back and forth between the MCs previous timelines and the current was excessive. It felt like the author hadn't completely developed the storyline and had to throw another backstory scene in that didn't fit.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks @netgalley @atriabooks and Martha Waters for the chance to read and review an early copy of To Woo and To Wed. It’s out on February 2, 2024.

The fifth and final book in Martha Waters’ Regency Vows series follows the love story of West and Sophie. Seven years earlier a tragedy and ducal meddling prevented them from being engaged and wed. After being widowed, Sophie turned aside all thoughts of falling in love, knowing that the only time she had had ended in disaster. But when her sister’s happiness depends on her belief that Sophie will have her own martial bliss, Sophie proposes to West that they fake an engagement just as long as it takes for her sister to marry. West never got over the loss of Sophie and when his father threatens to sell his late mother’s favorite property if he doesn’t marry, he decides to accept his fake betrothal to Sophie. But spending time together finally forces them to confront their complicated and fraught history—and just might give them a second chance at happiness.

Martha Waters writes with such wit and heart. This story was especially powerful with its themes of sacrifice and what you’re willing to do for your loved ones. I highly recommend it.

Steam: 🔥🔥
Tropes: fake dating, bad dad, double wedding, marrying for the wrong reasons

I love a good regency book now and then, and this was a fun one. Seven years ago, Sophie and West had been on the road to betrothal. Due to his father’s meddling and a tragic accident, Sophie ended up marrying someone else. Now as a widow, she’s content with the way things are until her also widowed sister seems hesitant to move on unless Sophie does as well.

Wanting her sister to be happy, Sophie enlists West to pretend being engaged to her so her sister will become so as well. Obviously things evolve as the two never lost feelings for one another. I enjoyed reading about them finding their way back.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was very excited to find this book on NetGalley because I’ve read the rest of the series and was looking forward to the final book. I was not disappointed. To Woo and to Wed picks up the story of Sophie and West who were thwarted in love 7 years ago. Now Sophie decides to feign an engagement so that her sister will marry her suitor. But, since this is a romance, Sophie and West find that they can get over the past and be happy for the future.
Like I said before this is exactly what I was expecting. It’s a bit more open door than I usually read, but I still liked it.

I was so happy to have received this ARC- I’ve been reading the Regency Vows as they’ve come out and started following Martha on Instagram during the spring of 2020 when all I could do was be pregnant and read while stuck in the house. Her recommendations helped stack my TBR and got me through some difficult times and I’ll be forever grateful!

This was my favourite of the five, and I’ve always loved Sophie and West and hoped their story would live up to the hype. It did exactly that! Perfect pacing, lovely interactions and I loved all of the secondary characters. Definitely add this to your list and I recommend all five in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria books for letting me get my mitts on this early!