Name: To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters
Item: To Have and To Hoax
Author: Trenzle Review

To Have and To Hoax DEALS

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Although I don’t usually read books set in the Regency era and don’t have much time for small-minded arguments, I thought Martha Waters’ debut novel was a deliciously amusing romance. Although Violet and James’ emotional sparring is petty and even grating at times, Waters makes sure readers still want the best for them.

These two are endearingly ahead of their time in terms of the principles of free thought and will and rejecting the conventions of Regency society. They are strong-willed and independent. They are solid, good-hearted people who have let their pasts, pride, and stubbornness keep them from finding happiness.

There wasn’t time for lovesick thoughts, and the mere idea of the word made her uncomfortable. She was most definitely not that. She had read enough to know that, despite the fact that they were typically the protagonists of their stories, the drippy, lovesick girls in books were, without fail, the most horrifyingly dull characters. Violet steadfastly refused to count herself among them.

With wit and charm, James and Violet’s linguistic sparring is razor-sharp, and the social criticism weaved throughout their chats with their various confidantes is frequently amusing. It must be acknowledged that the romance sequences are also very distracting.

To Have and to Hoax is the ideal reading getaway at the moment since, on one level, it’s a fun cotton-candy romantic comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. On another level, this book serves as a timely reminder that we should not let past slights, grudges, or misunderstandings get in the way of our enjoyment since life is too short.

About The Book

An separated husband and wife in Regency England pretend to be ill and have accidents in order to attract attention—and maybe even win each other back in the process—in this new and funny historical rom-com. Lord James Audley and Lady Violet Grey were introduced, fell in love, and were wed five years ago. They got into the fight to end all fights four years ago, and since then they have hardly spoken.

Their once-fervent love affair has been diminished to one of icy, distant politeness. When Violet learns through a letter that James has been knocked off his horse and is now unconscious at their rural house, she rushes to be by his side, only to find him alert and alive in a tavern. She is furious. He’s perplexed. And it’s now clearer than ever how far apart they are.

Violet chooses to pretend to be ill in order to teach her estranged husband a lesson. James recognises it almost away, but he chooses to participate in a game of deception that keeps getting more complex. It involves actors posing as physicians, threats of Swiss sanitariums, phoney mistresses, and a lot of flirting between a husband and wife who may not be as hostile as they thought.

Will the two be able to move over their four-year heartbreak or will they keep downplaying their chemistry? To Have and to Hoax is a charming, witty, and heartwarming romantic comedy that is ideal for lovers of Jasmine Guillory and Julia Quinn.

The Review