as an avid devourer of all things martha waters, i was so excited ti read this one! i was a bit nervous as i generally prefer the regency period but this one comes much later, in the 1930s. i was intrigued at the murder mystery aspect but much prefered the interactions between characters. martha waters is so good at story development!

When Ms. Waters first announced she would be writing a mystery/romance inspired by the "Golden Age of Mystery," I squealed with delight. When I found out I received an ARC for this book, I squealed even louder, and promptly devoured it.

"And Then There Was The One" was such a lovely book. I love mysteries and romance, and I think I love it even more when the two are combined! As a hardcore devotee of Agatha Christie, this hit all the right notes. She weaves in nods to the classic mystery authors while also slightly poking fun at the genre (the "Murder Tourists" lol) in a way that felt so effortless. It was so charming, and I loved the chemistry and interactions between Georgie and Sebastian. They are a great duo--both in romance and crime-solving!

I will read anything Waters writes and Martha, PLEASE WRITE MORE MYSTERY ROMANCES THANK YOU!

A cozy murder mystery with a charming 1930s village setting and just a hint of romance. Georgie, the local sleuth, teams up (somewhat reluctantly) with Sebastian, a flashy assistant detective sent from London. The mystery itself is fun, full of red herrings, gossip, and Agatha Christie vibes. I especially enjoyed how it poked fun at cozy tropes while still embracing them. The romance felt a little undercooked, but the banter and slow build tension made it satisfying by the end. Would definitely read another Georgie and Sebastian case.

And Then There Was The One was a solid read, though it didn’t completely capture me. The premise was intriguing, and there were definitely moments of tension and emotion that pulled me in. However, the pacing felt uneven at times, and I found it hard to fully connect with some of the characters and their decisions.

There were a few twists that kept things interesting, but the overall execution didn’t quite deliver the punch I was hoping for. It wasn’t a bad book by any means, just one that didn’t fully resonate with me.

This book was a refreshing and fun read with just the right amount of mystery and romance. I loved the characters, the mystery was compelling and the story was engaging. As someone who sometimes gets icked out by some cringier aspects of some contemporary romance, I didn’t experience that with this, it was all very cute with good banter. Would be a great pallet cleanser.

This book is relatively short but contains a good complete story in both the mystery and the romance. And I would be interested to read the story of one of the other couples shown throughout the story.

4.5 ⭐️
1.5🌶️

I’m a big Agatha Christie fan and have read just under 40 of her books so the premise of this book really had me hopeful. When I first started reading it felt as if I had somehow been dropped into the story about 1/4 of the way in. So much so that I had to check my kindle to be sure I hadn’t accidentally skipped ahead in the book. Once I verified that I was in fact in the first chapter, I settled in to try to ground myself in the book. Unfortunately, this continued to be an issue for me as the book continued. DNF at 20%.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication.

Is there anything Martha Waters can’t write? After five fantastic regency romances, the best anti-Christmas Christmas contemporary rom com, she now applies her sparkling wit and banter to a 1930s cosy mystery/romance set in Cotswolds. I adored this.

This has her signature acerbic wit with well-layered characters. Serious-minded Georgie is a self-described curmudgeon, contrasted nicely with flirtatious Sebastian who is such a sweetheart. I loved their slow-burn romance as fiercely independent Georgie, slowly realises how Sebastian values her insight and takes her seriously. He also knows how to call her out, such as her stubbornness to remain in her village despite desiring to work in botany in London. Sebastian, in turn, also experiences Georgie take him seriously, after being seen as a bit of a screw up in comparison to his high-achieving siblings. They were the perfect complement for each other.

An expertly balanced historical rom com with a cozy mystery that plays homage to Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers and small English villages. I devoured this. If Martha wants to write a series featuring Georgie and Sebastian solving mysteries, take my money please!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

A cozy mystery with a hint of romance. This story had me dreaming of the Cotswolds and you can’t help but get lost in the tale.

The mystery here for me is why I kept reading this. The book was ruined for me by Georgie, the Bicker Queen. I just got so sick of her picking fights, arguing with every breath, and bossing everyone around. Towards the end, Sebastian tried to excuse/explain her behavior with some amateur psychology, but regardless of why she was the way she was, she was just annoying and irritating. The mystery fell a bit flat, too -- lots of red herrings, almost too many. I noticed that it has good reviews, so my opinion should perhaps be taken with a grain of salt. I just know that I will not read another of this series.

I wanted to love this book. It has everything I love in books: small villages, amateur sleuths, and a handful of murders. And it mentions Agatha Christie? Sign me up! Unfortunately, the mystery fell flat and the emphasis on the romance side just didn’t make sense. Georgie was okay, but Sebastian was insufferable. I didn’t by his act or his reasoning, and I did not like them together. If you’re a fan of Marth Waters, give it a read. If this is your first interaction with this author, I’d pass.

This was exactly the adorable read I needed.Georgie and Sebastian’ are such beautiful couple, reading and watching their love grow made me so happy. I highly recommend it if you love mystery & thrillers with romance.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Uber-competent and practical Georgiana Radcliffe has become a bit of a sleuth after helping to solve several murders in her otherwise sleepy 1930s Cotswolds village. When yet another person dies under mysterious circumstances, Georgie can’t help but think something nefarious is afoot no matter what everyone else thinks. She reaches out to a famous London detective for assistance only to be saddled with his handsome but seemingly dim assistant Sebastian Fletcher-Ford. Together Georgie and Sebastian investigate and Georgie soon learns there may be more to Sebastian that he lets on and more to life than the charming Buncombe-Upon-Woolly.

Historical mystery? Historical rom-com? I’d say this is Martha Waters’ take on a cozy mystery with a strong romantic subplot. It was fun and light and had her signature wit and send up of classic genre fiction tropes (here on the mystery side). Overall it was a lot of fun. I think it’s hard to have both a fully fleshed out mystery and a fully fleshed out romance in a single standalone novel and the romance here may have gotten the short end just a bit (honestly, I better understand why historical mystery writers usually go the slow burn route over multiple books—more time to make the relationship sing). But I still very much enjoyed grumpy bluestocking Georgie and golden retriever himbo Sebastian solve crimes in the Cotswolds (along with a bevy of fun side characters). After a historical romance series, a contemporary holiday romance, and now an historical mystery—is there anything Martha Waters can’t write?! And Then There Was the One is out Fall 2025.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for the e-arc; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a big fan of Martha Waters, particularly of her Historical Romances. I have read all of her work, and I was excited to receive an advance copy of And Then There Was The One. This book is a delight. It is a cozy mystery and a romance set in a picturesque village in the Cotswolds in 1930s England. The title is similar to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”, and cozy murder mysteries have an important role in this story.

Georgiana Radcliffe and her friend Arthur have had a busy year in their village of Buncombe-upon-Woolly solving multiple murders. They enlist the help of England’s most famous private eye, who sends his secretary instead, to solve a recent murder in their village. Sebastian Ford-Fletcher is dashingly handsome, and initially seems interested only in charming or seducing ladies and eating large amounts of desserts and sandwiches. Georgie is dismayed and extremely annoyed at the prospect of spending a week with Sebastian, but as they get to know each other, they both learn that initial impressions about the other person were completely wrong.

I am not a fan of cozy mysteries, but I thoroughly enjoyed the investigation of the murders in Buncombe-sur-Woolly, including the murder tourists who have invaded their village, providing much comic relief to the story. Sebastian, Arthur and Georgie work tirelessly and discover many of the townspeople’s secrets as they solve the murders. The characters’ personalities, backgrounds, and sense of humor come to life as they investigate the townspeople and solve crime.

Martha Waters writes quirky love stories with lots of humor. She is particularly skilled at weaving emotions and attraction into her stories. When they meet, Georgie and Sebastian seem to be complete opposites who would never fall in love. Waters slowly builds the attraction and interest between these two characters to develop into a strong bond by the end of the book. Georgie is completely attracted to Sebastian, despite her determination not to like him. I loved the deep respect and admiration Sebastian has for Georgie, which is not typical of that time period. Their first impressions are completely reversed by the end of the book, and the reader is captivated by the love story between Georgie and Sebastian.

I wasn’t sure about reading a cozy mystery, but I really enjoyed this book. The mysteries and the lovely English countryside setting were entertaining and added depth to the story. I was really happy to see Georgie and Sebastian solve the murders and also find their HEA by the end of the book. The humor in Ms. Waters’ writing sneaks up on the reader, but her books are extremely funny, including this book. I liked the queer representation in this book in the relationship between Arthur and Constable Lexington.

Thank you to Martha Waters, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.75 ⭐️’s. I need to book a trip to the Cotswolds immediately. What a lovely, cozy mystery this was.

I wasn’t necessarily in the mood for a historical mystery with a romance subplot and yet I still enjoyed this read! I felt transported to the English countryside where there were cute names like the Sleepy Hedgehog Inn or the Scrumptious Scone Bakery.

Georgie and Sebastian’s banter was so fun, I loved the quick quips.

And Sebastian…I loved how down bad he was for Georgie despite being such a flirt with all women.

Sebastian: I don’t think you believe I mean it when I flirt with you
Georgie: Of course I don’t
Sebastian: Well perhaps you ought to try
Georgie: Try what?
Sebastian: Try believing it
🫠

Some points off because the actual mystery didn’t grip me and I could’ve used some more suspense. Also there were too many mystery novel references. But overall, this was a fun read.

Thank you to Atria Books eGalley and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Cozy mysteries are my new favorite genre and this was fantastic. The cover is gorgeous! Georgiana was such a fun character to follow along with. Sebastian was fantastic too, I love him!

Murder mystery historical romance set in 1930s England? Why not. This was the first historical romance I’ve ever read and I really enjoyed it I will say that the romance was more of the sub plot while the murder mystery was the main plot.

The line about her aunt having been married multiple times and it being a feat that she hasn’t harmed any of her husbands took me out.

The way the mystery unfolded was really fun and surprising! I didn’t guess the perpetrator at all!!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc!

This was not my favorite of Waters as it felt more of an Agatha Christie fanfic rather than an actual book. It was fine just not super memorable.

I was excited to read another novel by Martha Waters and intrigued by the “cozy mystery” genre. While I did find the village and the characters quite lovable, the story unfolded a bit too silly for me. Sadly, I like not a love but I am excited to see what Martha writes next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not one to usually read historical romances or mysteries but I'm so glad I gave this one a chance! I found to And Then There Was The One to be delightful, charming and funny. Georgie and Sebastian had great chemistry and I often found myself giggling throughout the book. I really enjoyed the romance aspect of this book, and thought it was intertwined really well the mystery aspects. I love a good mystery and loved following along with this one, it kept me guessing. Reading Georgie and Sebastian try solve the mystery was also hilarious.

I can't wait to recommend And Then There Was The One to my friends when this is published!

This was a refreshing genre mix of cozy murder mystery with a romance subplot. The only thing this novel was missing for me was a hook and some suspense - it had an intriguing and unique plot, but it was a very casual read.

I like Georgie, quietly confident and sure of herself but grumpy. Oh look, is it me? The romantic aspect of Sebastian and Georgie’s relationship I think could have taken more development, but I appreciated the friendship that was slowly built amidst the teasing due to their differences. Sebastian has such golden retriever energy that even when he’s annoying, you can’t help but love him.

Martha Waters is becoming one of those authors that I’ll always read whatever she releases! Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC!