To Woo and to Wed: A smart and swoony Regency rom-com of second chances!

Martha Waters

Feb 2024 · Hachette UK

About this eBook

'[E]ffervescent... Sophie is a refreshingly candid protagonist, whose ability to stand up to the duke is evenly matched with the care and concern she has for her sisters. Waters's fans will be sad to see this series end but deeply satisfied by this fetching finale' Publishers Weekly

The final instalment in the "hilarious and steamy" (PopSugar) Regency Vows series follows the heir to a dukedom and a young widow, once very much in love, as they reunite years later to fake an engagement for the benefit of her sister.

They have the best of intentions...and the worst luck in love.

West, the Marquess of Weston, and Sophie, Lady Fitzwilliam Bridewell, have lately been spending a considerable amount of time together. But West and Sophie are not new acquaintances.

In fact, years ago, they were almost engaged, until West's almost fatal curricle accident and his meddling father threw them off course.

Now, having recently lost her husband, Sophie has put aside all thoughts of romance. But when her widowed sister, Alexandra, mentions a fondness for an earl, Sophie realises she may be holding her sister back. Alexandra won't move forward until Sophie, too, settles down again, and so Sophie approaches West with a plan. They will announce their engagement and break things off once Alexandra is happily married.

It'll be simple. After all, it's not like she is going to fall for West a second time, not when Sophie has sworn not to risk her heart again.

Are you up to date with all the Regency Vows books? Don't miss:

To Have and to Hoax
To Love and to Loathe
To Marry and to Meddle
To Swoon and to Spar
To Woo and to Wed

.............

Praise for Martha Waters' ingenious rom-coms:

'Waters' prose harkens back to Georgette Heyer, but Emily and Julian's individual journeys of learning to like their authentic selves are timeless' BookPage

'A worthy addition to the trend for historical romantic comedies and highly recommended for fans of Evie Dunmore' Library Journal

'Packed with saucy banter and delightful period details, this Regency rom-com is completely charming' Hannah Orenstein

'Pure fun on every page' Sarah Hogle

'A Regency author to watch. The sexual tension in this delightful debut was off-the-charts!' Lauren Layne

'A laugh-out-loud Regency romp - if you loved the Bridgertons, you'll adore To Have and to Hoax!' Lauren Willig

'Delights with hilarious, high-concept romantic schemes . . . this joyful, elegant romp is sure to enchant' Publishers Weekly, starred review

'Cleverly conceived and brilliantly executed' Booklist, starred review

'To Have and to Hoax is an authentic romantic comedy . . . This fun and fresh historical debut will delight readers with humor and romance' Shelf Awareness

'Endlessly charming . . . absorbing and clever and at times laugh-out-loud funny' Kate Clayborn

'To Have and to Hoax is a delightful battle of wits that's funny and touching all at once' Jen DeLuca

Ratings and reviews

One gripe is that I found it hard to understand Sophie's reluctance to marry West. But anyone who knows my reviews knows I focus on the negatives, overall I enjoyed this novel, although I found the four other couples quite difficult to distinguish between which was not such an issue in the previous book I read. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

About the author

Martha Waters was born and raised in sunny South Florida, and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She works as a children's librarian in North Carolina, and spends much of her free time traveling. To Have and To Hoax is her first novel. To discover more find her online at: www.marthawaters.com Twitter and Instagram @marthabwaters