ARC Review: To Have and to Hoax (The Regency Vows #1) by Martha Waters
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Series: The Regency Vows #1
Author: Martha Waters
Published April 7th 2020 by Atria Books/Headline Eternal
Goodreads Synopsis
In this fresh and hilarious historical rom-com, an estranged husband and wife in Regency England feign accidents and illness in an attempt to gain attention—and maybe just win each other back in the process.
Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.
Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.
Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?
With charm, wit, and heart in spades, To Have and To Hoax is a fresh and eminently entertaining romantic comedy—perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Julia Quinn.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This in no way impacted on my view.
I first saw this book on twitter when the author was hosting a giveaway, and decided to enter because a Regency Era romance is something I'm always on the lookout for, and was overjoyed when I won. As soon as I got it, I decided to put off the rest of my TBR, and jump right in.
Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met during Violet's debut year, and it was love at first sight. Now married five years, they've fallen apart, living in separate homes, never really speaking to each other, after a disagreement that they were never able to overcome just a year into their marriage. Even so, there is still affection there, and when Violet hears that James has been injured at the country home, in the stables that she hates, she immediately rushes from their London townhouse to be at his side. When she finds James in a coaching inn on the road to London, as right as rain, she is overcome with anger, and decides a little pay back is needed. While pretending to be ill herself, Violet and James seem to grow together again, and could actually be able to rescue their marriage, as long as they can get over their past issues.
From start to finish, this book was amazing! Whenever I could, I was reading it, and I just fell in love with the characters, from Violet and James, to their friends, and to their family - who I loved to hate. Violet and James' chemistry was apparent even with the silent treatment and arguments, and I was rooting from them all the way through. They were end goals throughout it all, and I was just devouring pages hoping for them to reconcile and fall in love again. Yes, they were immature, and stubborn, but it just worked for them, and for the plot. And the plot had a lot going for it. We have the usual action of a regency era romance - going to the theatre, walks in the park, and condescending parents - but we also had the added sub plots of an actor pretending to be a doctor, their friends betting on who would win, everyone seeming to know everything, but don't realise it, and the obligatory drama that sort of ruined the perfection of the book. I liked the drama, but the lack of communication, especially after 4 years, is the main reason this book is 4 stars, and not 5. We don't actually discover what they were fighting about until later on, in drips and drabs, which was a good thing, as it kept up the tension for the reader too. This book is definitely one I would recommend to historical romance lovers, and I can't wait to read more from this debut author!
Dates Read:
Rating
4 Stars
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