Martha Waters

"The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham are infamous among English high society as much for their sharp-tongued bickering as their flirtation. One evening, an argument at a ball turns into a serious wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds. So shortly after, just before a fortnight-long house party at Elderwild, Jeremy's country estate, Diana is shocked when Jeremy appears at her home with a very different kind of proposition. After his latest mistress unfavorably criticized his skills in the bedroom, Jeremy is looking for reassurance, so he has gone to the only woman he trusts to be totally truthful. He suggests that they embark on a brief affair while at the house party-Jeremy can receive an honest critique of his bedroom skills and widowed Diana can use the gossip to signal to other gentlemen that she is interested in taking a lover. Diana thinks taking him up on his counter-proposal can only help her win her wager. With her in the bedroom and Jeremy's marriage-minded grandmother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Willingham, helping to find suitable matches among the eligible ladies at Elderwild, Diana is confident her victory is assured. But while they're focused on winning wagers, they stand to lose their own hearts"--

A Novel

To Love and to Loathe

Named a Best Romance of April by Goodreads, Popsugar, Bustle, and more! “A laugh out loud Regency romp—if you loved the Bridgertons, you’ll adore To Have and to Hoax!” —Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author 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.

To Have and to Hoax

The “sweet, sexy, and utterly fun” (Emily Henry, author of People We Meet on Vacation) Regency Vows series continues with a witty, charming, and joyful novel following a seasoned debutante and a rakish theater owner as they navigate a complicated marriage of convenience. Lady Emily Turner has been a debutante for six seasons now and should have long settled into a suitable marriage. However, due to her father’s large debts, her only suitor is the persistent and odious owner of her father’s favorite gambling house. Meanwhile, Lord Julian Belfry, the second son of a marquess, has scandalized society as an actor and owner of a theater—the kind of establishment where men take their mistresses, but not their wives. When their lives intersect at a house party, Lord Julian hatches a plan to benefit them both. With a marriage of convenience, Emily will use her society connections to promote the theater to a more respectable clientele and Julian will take her out from under the shadows of her father’s unsavory associates. But they soon realize they have very different plans for their marriage—Julian wants Emily to remain a society wife, while Emily discovers an interest in the theater. But when a fleeing actress, murderous kitten, and meddlesome friends enter the fray, Emily and Julian will have to confront the fact that their marriage of convenience comes with rather inconvenient feelings. With “an arch sense of humor and a marvelously witty voice that rivals the best of the Regency authors” (Entertainment Weekly), Martha Waters crafts another fresh romantic comedy that for fans of Julia Quinn and Evie Dunmore.

To Marry and to Meddle

If you love Julia Quinn's Bridgerton, you won't want to miss Martha Waters' ingenious, laugh-out-loud and sweepingly romantic historical rom-com, To Marry and to Meddle! 'Sweet, sexy, and utterly fun' Emily Henry 'Awash with light, witty banter, unadulterated confessions of love, and plenty of steamy, corset-unravelling sex scenes' Kirkus Reviews 'Meshing the classic Regency theme of defying societal expectations with all the wit and humour of a rom-com . . . a fun romp full of smiles' Publishers Weekly 'Waters' prose harkens back to Georgette Heyer, but Emily and Julian's individual journeys of learning to like their authentic selves are timeless' BookPage .............................. Marriage isn't always smooth sailing . . . Lady Emily Turner should really be married by now, but with a dowry of her father's debts, her only suitor is the odious owner of her father's favourite gambling house. Lord Julian Belfry is the second son of a marquess, but has managed to scandalise polite society with his acting career and the fact that he owns a less than salubrious theatre. Crossing paths at a house party, they discover that a marriage of convenience might benefit them both: Emily can use her society connections to add some respectability to Julian's theatre, while also managing to escape the dubious world of her father. With differing ideas on the roles each will play in their marriage, and an on-the-run actress, a murderous kitten, and some meddlesome friends adding to the complications, Emily and Julian will have to confront the fact that their marriage of convenience might be leading to some rather inconvenient feelings. .................................. Praise for Martha Waters' ingenious rom-coms To Have and to Hoax and To Love and to Loathe, out now: '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 The Regency Vows series continues! To Have and to Hoax To Love and to Loathe

A sparkling marriage-of-convenience Regency rom-com!

To Swoon and to Spar

Chamailleries amoureuses

Roman

Wie man einen Lord gewinnt

— Bien sûr, je ne vais pas mentir en me prétendant éperdument amoureux de vous... Lady Emily est sidérée par la demande en mariage de Julian Belfry. Pas très romantique ! Au moins est-il honnête. Propriétaire d’un théâtre à la réputation sulfureuse, il souhaite gagner en respectabilité en l’épousant. En échange, elle pourra mener sa vie à sa guise. Pourquoi ne pas saisir cette chance d'échapper à l'emprise de ses parents ? Emily accepte. Mais quand elle goûte à la liberté, la plus convenable des femmes peut tout oser...

Regency - Quand lady Turner s'en mêle

Sie weiß, dass er weiß, dass sie weiß, dass er es weiß! London 1817: Als Lady Violet Grey und Lord James Audley sich vor fünf Jahren trafen, verliebten sie sich und heirateten Hals über Kopf. Nun sprechen die beiden seit vier Jahren kein Wort mehr miteinander. Aber als Violet die Nachricht erhält, dass James einen Reitunfall hatte, macht sie sich sofort auf den Weg zu ihm. Nur um ihn dann wohlauf anzutreffen, wenn man mal von dem heftigen Kater absieht. Um ihrem Ehemann eine Lektion zu erteilen, täuscht Violet vor, krank zu sein. Soll er sich doch mal Sorgen machen! Doch James durchschaut sie und sinnt auf Rache. Zwischen kleinen und großen Lügen, Verstrickungen und Peinlichkeiten, aber vor allem neu entfachter Leidenschaft merken die beiden schließlich, dass sie sich eventuell gar nicht so sehr hassen, wie sie glauben...

Martha Waters

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