This is a solid book, and very much not my cup of tea. Which is strange, because it has a lot of great elements -- banter, familial damage being worked through, a handful of interesting friends together, and a great passion for an intelligent woman. I think I just don't enjoy the needling sorts of relationships, even when they are based in love, and a revenge plot just doesn't hit the spot. ( )

4 years? Really?

It's the most ridiculous book I’ve ever read - and I've read some ridiculous stuff.

I don’t know why I bothered finishing it.

♡◜✧˖°*:･ﾟ✧

🌶️: 2/5 ( )

DNF
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DNF @12%
The narrators are not great.
May or may not come back to it someday.

This was fine.

I didn’t love any of the characters the way I’d hoped too after hearing such good things about this series but it was OK. I liked the idea of rekindling a romance of an estranged couple. Found myself more interested in side characters than our main duo. ( )

Definitely original! It went on a bit too long though. ( )

I can tell they are trying to actually solve the underlying issues instead of ending with a grand gesture and making up, but if that was the goal, it would be much more interesting to skip all the stupid fake illness stuff and have them actually trying (and failing!) to talk until they eventually DO work through the underlying issues.

It’s a fun read, but I was really annoyed by all the supporting characters saying “we’ll have you tried TALKING?” because it’s frustrating to the reader and not in a good way. More of a “I just want to know what set y’all off or I’d drop this book” kind of way.

I really liked the relationships with their respective parents and that they each had a solid friend circle, that’s really refreshing. Each supporting character really felt distinct and had their own personal motivations. ( )

Featuring an estranged couple pulling various stunts to get the attention of the other, this book is entertaining and funny. If you're looking for a fluffy and quick read, I'd definitely recommend To Have and to Hoax.

A miscommunication trope plays a major role in this book, so if that isn't a trope you enjoy, this book will definitely not be for you. The main couple, James and Violet, can be utterly frustrating at times. And yes, the plot could have wrapped up a lot earlier if they just talked to one another about their feelings. But at the same time, the author handled the trope in a way that drew me in and left me wanting to find out more. I see my frustration with the actions of James and Violet as a good thing - it means that Waters made me care enough about the characters to be frustrated in the first place!

There's a certain over-the-top nature about James and Violet and their scheming that can be difficult to believe. But, it also left me very curious about what they would do next, as great page-turners do. I was especially attached to the supporting cast of characters and am excited to read about their adventures in future. (So down for a West & Sophie book!)

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This story was pretty ridiculous at times but I enjoyed it and found the writing to be pretty hilarious. It was aaalmost over-the-top and unbelievable that a married couple would go to such antics after 4 years of barely speaking to each other at all, and normally I wouldn't find that (the miscommunication trope) to be a good or enjoyable story. But hear me out, it worked here. I actually found myself internally yelling at James to take accountability for his actions in the past rather than for the couple to just talk to each other.

And that's because the story actually made sense AND is self-aware.

1. The Argument/Die Horribilis happened when Violet and James were so young. They married young, in haste, and they've always solved their problems with sex instead of dealing with their problems. Obviously sex couldn't solve the problem they eventually had that led to The Argument.

2. Everyone knew what was going on - friends, family, the reader, even Violet and James. Violet and James never shared the reason for their falling out, but friends and family on both sides repeatedly told the couple that it was a ridiculous thing for them to resort to petty and hurtful antics to avoid having an honest conversation with each other. Violet and James frequently reflect on their own overreactions and the possibility of talking their problems out and why that's difficult for them.

3. It was very obvious, to the characters and the reader, that Violet and James still loved each other a lot. Everyone saw that their arguments and provoking anger from each other was just a way to feel something for each other, rather than losing the other person entirely, which helped keep the drama to a minimum because nobody was too offended when they got dragged into Violet and James' mess. ( )

Read the first chapter of this and the ending and decided it wasn't for me and I wasn't going to waste my time. It was ridiculous. The characters are supposed to be regency but who knows. ( )

I love Lauren Willig's books and got this based on her recommendation, but I have to disagree with her assessment here: “A laugh out loud Regency romp—if you loved the Bridgertons, you’ll adore To Have and to Hoax!” This was not funny at all. It was contrived with obnoxious characters (excepting West). I very rarely DNF a book, especially a romance (I think this was Regency period but it was never actually made clear). I also read them quickly, usually in one night. This one dragged over three days as I hoped it might redeem itself at some point.
Violet and James are toddlers who argue over everything. Okay, some couples like to fight to spice up their relationships, but this was over literally EVERY SINGLE THING. For FOUR YEARS! Though they lived in the same house, saw each other constantly, they still maintained the feud which made no sense to me. Why weren't they living in separate houses if they weren't a couple? Even their friends didn't understand why they were arguing, and honestly, their friends weren't much better, abetting the couple in their petty revenge. There was no character development or growth, and I'm confident that at the end of the book, by the next page they were on to another stupid argument and another four-year-long squabble. It was exhausting to me as a reader.
Speaking of which, I had pre-ordered the next book in the series but canceled it by the end of the book as based on their behavior in this book, the hero and heroine are going to be a continuation of this same type of bickering. This is a brutal review for me. I'm inclined to like almost all historical romances (and I read a lot of them), and I'm sure other readers liked the story, but if you really want laugh-out-loud Regency stories, I recommend Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series rather than this. ( )

Too much nonsense for me.
They behave like children.
Not for me. ( )

How would I describe Martha Waters' new novel, To Have and to Hoax? A Regency rom-com!

Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley fell madly in love five years ago. That first year was magical. The next four? Not so much. Lady Violet is determined to have their polite stalemate ended and devises a plan. She will pretend to be ill and certainly that will bring them back together. Right? Uh huh. What is that phrase about the best laid plans?

To Have and to Hoax follows Lady Violet and Lord James from one hair brained scheme to another. It's a fun journey full of missteps, miscommunications - and the undeniable fact that they are still in love. And yes, some of the plot stretches credulity, but that's the whole idea - just go with it.

It was easy to like both lead characters and root for their romance to be rekindled. The supporting cast was just as likeable, with a few quirky additions. But, what I really enjoyed was the dialogue. Waters has absolutely captured the verbal jousting of polite society in the Regency period. The sly barbs that are still perfectly correct, the double entendres that can't be acknowledged, the 'proper' ways of manners and society and more.

I chose to listen to To Have and To Hoax. Listening to the audio version allowed me to hear and experience the cleverness of those conversations much more than so than I would have by reading a print copy. The narrators were two 'new to me' readers - Anais Inara Chase and Joel Froomkin. I thought they both did a great job. And I was glad to have two readers instead of one playing both parts. Chase's voice was light and quick and perfectly suited the mental image I had created for Lady Violet. Her intonation is clear and easy to understand. She captures the tone and tenor of the action and situations easily with her voice. Froomkin is an award winning voice actor. I can see (hear) why! He easily captures and portrays the character of Lord James with his aristocratic tone and measured speed of speaking. But he too captures the emotion and action of the book, giving his interpretation lots of movement. The two play off each other very well and are quite believable as a couple. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of To Have and To Hoax.

To Have and To Hoax was a light-hearted, fun read and a nice distraction from the real world. ( )

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters is her debut book. Lady Violet Gray and Lord James Audley met on a moonlit terrace, and less than 20 minutes later, she was declared compromised, and he did the honourable thing, and they married. Their marriage worked delightfully for the first year because they were very attracted to each other, but when they found out that they’d been set up James not one to trust people decided that Violet must have been in on it and so they’ve spent the last four years estranged and not speaking. When Violet is notified that James has been injured, she rushes to his side broken-hearted that perhaps she waited too long to let him know she still loved him, only to find that he’s fine and wondering why she would bother. Violet decides to make James understand how she felt by pretending to be ill, a plan it is noted her friends thought would inevitably fail, and of course, it does leading to a situation where she knows that he knows that she knows that he knows and much laughter. The story is funny and charming with excellent banter and a Happy Ever After that can only be achieved by letting go of the past, learning to trust and opening your heart. Medium Steam. Publishing Date April 7, 2020. #NetGalley #ToHaveAndToHoax #MarthaWaters #AtriaBooks #HistoricalRomance #HistoricalFiction #bookstagram ( )

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was well-written, with likeable characters and a light, humorous touch, Unfortunately (for me) the whole story was one of a big misunderstanding that had persisted for four years. When the misunderstanding was resolved, this was as a result of the hero having a proper think about things, rather than the revelation of new information, and then immediately there followed a little misunderstanding.

I would happily read more by this author, but hopefully exploring a different trope next time. ( )

Maybe 3.5 Stars

Rating this book has put me in a bit of a conundrum. It is the author’s debut novel and I think the writing style is good and the premise of the story could be a fun one. The main characters got on my very last nerve and I had no problem with frequently putting the book down for a while. The main characters themselves, nor their story, ever reached out and grabbed me to drag me into their romance. I caught myself rolling my eyes and thinking back to the days when my children were just newly into their teenage years and experiencing their first forays into romance. Thus, it almost seemed more a YA story.

I thought perhaps the book suffered a bit of an identity crisis. With more banter, lightheartedness, and zany situations, it could have been a fun, entertaining read. With less of the absurd and more of the emotional development, it could have been a nice, more serious read. As it was, it didn’t fit either category. I also found it to be a bit repetitive – I couldn’t count how many times either he or she realized they still loved the other. Seems to me if you realize it once, then you know it.

Lady Violet Grey, daughter of an Earl, and James Audley, second son of a duke, met five years earlier and fell instantly in love even though she was only 18 and he was 23. They married quickly and had a volatile, rip-roaring first year of marriage. Then, they had a huge row and lived separately, in the same house, for the next four years.

Each of them has parent issues and that is a big part – in addition to their own immaturity – of what drove them apart and keeps them apart. The story begins in the fifth year of their marriage and we learn what happened in the earlier years through remembrances and conversations. We are also party to viewing their reconciliation – though neither of them had that as their goal. Each wanted to one-up the other, to punish the other, neither wanted to admit that they could have been in the wrong, neither wanted to talk (or even argue) the situation out. No, the reconciliation sort of just – happened – while they were annoying each other.

It was a nice enough read, but I wouldn’t read it a second time. This isn’t listed as part of a series, but I can certainly see some subsequent books stemming from this one because the secondary characters were much more intriguing than the main characters. I’d be very interested in seeing stories for West, Sophia, Julian, Diana, Jeremy, Emily, and Penvale. I’ll definitely check this author’s next book out and hope it will feature some of the secondary characters contained within this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

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