Name: Francesca's review of To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters
Item: To Have and to Hoax
Rating: 1.5
Author: Francesca

Martha Waters

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.

A Novel

To Have and to Hoax

Keira 💫

Caitlyn Baldwin

If I ever thought I used too many em-dashes in my writing, Martha Waters assured me that I am doing perfectly fine. I wish this were an exaggeration, but there was at least one em-dash for each page, plenty of them unnecessary.

Miscommunication tropes have always been a hit-or-miss from personal experience, but there is always a point where it simply becomes ridiculous. The main couple refused to talk to each other for four years and became a couple only in name after a supposedly major fight, the context of which the book builds up on in the first few chapters. The reveal, however, simply fell flat because the actual source of their conflict was too contrived and even absurd. It is something that they, as adults, should have been able to solve with a single conversation.

They were often described to love each other, although most of the attraction was shown in the form of sexual scenes with them thinking something along the lines of "How could have I ever thought I could live without them?" with reference to their bodies and the sex. This was the foundation of their relationship that any talk about their "love" felt nonsensical.

The general dynamic was repetitive—they see each other; get sexually aroused despite "hating" each other, described in such a way that was much more detailed than it should have been; both get close to actually talking things out, often with a make out session, before the other party does something foolish that causes them to "come to their senses"; another misunderstanding ensues; and the conflict never gets resolved. It was ridiculous that another misunderstanding got introduced at 82% in to the book, at which point it should have been being wrapped up for the conclusion.

At some point, even the side characters pointed out that perhaps it was time for the two to stop whatever game they were playing; I did not, however, like how they acted as though they had the moral high ground when they were as complicit in and enthusiastic in encouraging their schemes. They were slightly more interesting than the two main characters, although not enough to make me read the rest of the books in the series after my experience with this one.

While I was not expecting any classic-level writing, the dialogue felt a bit too modern that it never really felt like a historical romance. There were instances in which it would try and use archaic words in an attempt to sound historical which just felt too obvious. References to people such as Jane Austen (in particular, Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice) and Lord Byron also felt awfully out of place, like the historical equivalent of pop culture references.

Lastly, and perhaps my main complaint, is how silly some of the sexual writing was that it was almost hilarious. There was constantly a line being drawn between the men and women, masculinity and feminimity, with lines such as "there was something simply so entirely masculine about him", "he was, after all, a man", and "he just looked so very... male". My personal favorite and one that made me laugh out loud was this paragraph, which came out of nowhere: 

"She had observed dogs, on occasion, urinating on trees to mark their territory, and while her instincts had fortunately not yet reached that primitive level, she felt an unexpected sympathy with the desire."

I came close to dropping this several times, and I have never been this happy finishing a book.

Francesca

If I ever thought I used too many em-dashes in my writing, Martha Waters assured me that I am doing perfectly fine. I wish this were an exaggeration, but there was at least one em-dash for each page, plenty of them unnecessary.

Miscommunication tropes have always been a hit-or-miss from personal experience, but there is always a point where it simply becomes ridiculous. The main couple refused to talk to each other for four years and became a couple only in name after a supposedly major fight, the context of which the book builds up on in the first few chapters. The reveal, however, simply fell flat because the actual source of their conflict was too contrived and even absurd. It is something that they, as adults, should have been able to solve with a single conversation.

They were often described to love each other, although most of the attraction was shown in the form of sexual scenes with them thinking something along the lines of "How could have I ever thought I could live without them?" with reference to their bodies and the sex. This was the foundation of their relationship that any talk about their "love" felt nonsensical.

The general dynamic was repetitive—they see each other; get sexually aroused despite "hating" each other, described in such a way that was much more detailed than it should have been; both get close to actually talking things out, often with a make out session, before the other party does something foolish that causes them to "come to their senses"; another misunderstanding ensues; and the conflict never gets resolved. It was ridiculous that another misunderstanding got introduced at 82% in to the book, at which point it should have been being wrapped up for the conclusion.

At some point, even the side characters pointed out that perhaps it was time for the two to stop whatever game they were playing; I did not, however, like how they acted as though they had the moral high ground when they were as complicit in and enthusiastic in encouraging their schemes. They were slightly more interesting than the two main characters, although not enough to make me read the rest of the books in the series after my experience with this one.

While I was not expecting any classic-level writing, the dialogue felt a bit too modern that it never really felt like a historical romance. There were instances in which it would try and use archaic words in an attempt to sound historical which just felt too obvious. References to people such as Jane Austen (in particular, Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice) and Lord Byron also felt awfully out of place, like the historical equivalent of pop culture references.

Lastly, and perhaps my main complaint, is how silly some of the sexual writing was that it was almost hilarious. There was constantly a line being drawn between the men and women, masculinity and feminimity, with lines such as "there was something simply so entirely masculine about him", "he was, after all, a man", and "he just looked so very... male". My personal favorite and one that made me laugh out loud was this paragraph, which came out of nowhere: 

"She had observed dogs, on occasion, urinating on trees to mark their territory, and while her instincts had fortunately not yet reached that primitive level, she felt an unexpected sympathy with the desire."

I came close to dropping this several times, and I have never been this happy finishing a book.

menna

ive never wanted to knock two people's head against each other more than in this book (in a loving way)

If you love Sophie Ranald, Jo Watson and Julia Quinn's Bridgertons, you'll love Martha Waters ingenious, laugh-out-loud rom-com, To Have and to Hoax! 'Waters's debut Regency rom-com delights with hilarious, high-concept romantic schemes...this joyful, elegant romp is sure to enchant' Publishers Weekly, starred review 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? 'Endlessly charming...absorbing and clever and at times laugh-out-loud funny' Kate Clayborn, author of Love Lettering 'To Have and to Hoax is a delightful battle of wits that's funny and touching all at once. James and Violet are perfectly matched, and you'll love watching the sparks fly as they both infuriate each other and fall in love all over again' Jen DeLuca, author of Well Met '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

dija

celene

petty couples be making me cry nowadays,,, and also i did not know historical romances can be this sexy??? (this is my first hr read btw omg) i mean look away u guys,,, but im blushing ksnxkdns

Sven Test

3.5 stars! | James and Violet sure were a funny couple. I enjoyed the banter and the back-and-forth a lot, but it felt like it went on for longer than it should have. The games they were playing turned very childish. Other than that, it was a nice hate-to-love historical rom-com! I’m so looking forward to Diane and Jeremy’s story! I have a feeling I will love it!

Mary Rose Gibson

Was this book totally ridiculous and repetitive at times? Yes. Did it keep thoroughly entertained? Also yes.

Liv R

This book was cute & a quick read. The banter between Violet and James was entertaining, and it quickly went beyond those two, with more and more people being added to their tricks. 

I was so intrigued to find out what caused the quarrel/ongoing bickering between the two, and I was not expecting that twist. But I think it worked well for their story, and their characters. 

Very cute read and I am really looking forward to scooping up the next two books in this series!

Liz Carpenter

Kayla 

Oh my this was so funny! I loved the pranks and the sarcasm. All the characters had the best comebacks!

If you enjoy a historical romance with just a sprinkle of steamy scenes and lots of witty dialogue then I think you’ll enjoy this one.

Violet and James are quite the pair. They married rather quickly and just a year into their marriage they had a ridiculous argument and ended up estranged for the next four years. From the start these two had entertaining chats, however I don’t think either one was prepared for marriage or meddlesome parents.

I loved Violet, she is so fun and is always reading and learning new things. I think James was a spectacular co-star as he always stood up for his wife when she was belittled by her mother.

I cannot wait to read the next book in a series, it’s destined to be an enemies to lovers who have a bet amongst themselves.

Anna Agarwal

Kimberly

Witty and delightful read. The intrigue of the characters and plot was a refreshing. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Heather Harrington

**I received a copy of this via the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love and got married very quickly. Now, five years into their marriage, the pair haven't spoken since having an argument to end all arguments four years earlier. Their once passionate marriage is now full of cold silences and colder shoulders. But when Violet receives a letter stating that James had been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious, she drops everything to rush to his side at their country home. Imagine her surprise when she meets him at an inn along the road, very much in perfect health and completely unaware of her concern. Violet is outraged and James is confused, and the distant between them only threatens to grow greater.

Wanting nothing more than to teach her husband a lesson, Violet concocts a rather absurd plan of faking a serious illness. However, James quickly sees through his wife's charade, but decides to go along with the ruse. Thus begins a ridiculous game of manipulation, actors posing as doctors, faux mistresses, and increasing flirtations between husband and wife who may not hate each other as much as they thought. 

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I loved the whole premise and the execution was done so well. It's so ridiculous and witty, and I couldn't put it down. Violet and James are both so stubborn and hard-headed, and usually I would be annoyed with characters acting so childishly, but they were both so aware of how dumb they were being that I didn't actually mind. Their antics were so over the top and pretty comical, but I really loved how their relationship played out. Their back and forth bickering was everything. All the secondary characters in their friend group were also great and added so much enjoyment to the story. If you're looking for a fun but still heartfelt read, check this one out.

SnarkByThePage

This book was a lovely, light breath of fresh air that was much needed. 

The historical fiction tinged tale of a marriage on the rocks, complete with plots and antics, revenge and double cross was both comfortable and new. I enjoyed the quick language and easy prose, the mentions of period clothing and manners and the addition of the expected codes of conduct of the day. I would easily recommend this as a light read to anyone who wishes to escape to a fun world and enjoy the view from the relaxed moral cheap seats of modern America. 

Thank you to NetGalley along with the publisher and author for the chance to read and review this book.

Alicia Haws

⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 STARS

I was so excited to read this book! Regency Era is one of my very favorites, and I couldn't wait to read this debut! 


  'To Have and to Hoax'
 is the story of Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley who met and fell in love 5 years previous. 1 year into their marriage however, they had a huge fight and have barely spoken to each other since. One day however, Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and is unconscious, and being very alarmed, races to be with him. When she reaches their country estate, she discovers him at a tavern. He had woken and was completely fine and unaware of her concern. Violet, now extremely angry, decides to teach James a lesson and fakes her own illness. With the help of her friends, and an actor pretending to be her doctor, Violet feigns consumption, but James quickly sees through her game and decides to play along. Very quickly, the couple realizes that they may not hate each other as much as they thought, but they have to decide if 4 years of hate is too much to overcome.

I thought the writing was simply fantastic. Especially for a debut novel, and so I really look forward to more from Martha Waters in the future. I loved the charming and witty characters, and the unique twist on the RomCom with an already married couple in Regency England. I found that Violet and James were both easy to like, but their friends were fantastic, and I hope that Waters makes this more of a series and we get to see the friends stories as well.

I personally enjoyed the pranks and immature choices that this couple made, but I know that these two things + the miscommunication from their fight could be things that others may have issue with. 

The reasons that this wasn't a 5 star read for me? At times the dialogue seemed slightly too modern for what I prefer in a Regency. I also felt that the times that I knew were supposed to make me laugh-out-loud just didn't. I found myself smiling a lot, and there was one particular part that made me cry, but the humor fell slightly flat for me. I also felt that there were certain things said that were highly repetitive. So for me it may just be that my expectations were too high, or it could have been my headspace currently, but it just fell slightly flat in those areas, so I gave it 4 stars. 

Overall though, I found this debut novel to be highly enjoyable, and I look forward to more from Waters in the future--especially if she comes out with stories for the side characters which were such a gem in this novel. 


  **Special Thanks to the Atria Books for providing me a review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.**



  


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Lea Rummel

To Have and to Hoax is a historical rom-com set in early 1800s England. Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley were married five years ago after meeting and falling madly in love. But for the last four years, the couple has been estranged after a fight that rocked their marriage to the core. When Violet receives word from her husband’s friend that he has been injured, she rushes to find him. Upon discovering that he is perfectly fine, she becomes enraged that he did not tell her himself. In an effort to get revenge on James, Violet comes up with a supposedly “brilliant” plan.

I loved that the novel was told from both James and Violet’s perspectives so that we understood each of their motives and how two people who live in the same house that are married can see events so differently. It’s a great reminder to try to see things from someone else’s perspective, especially your partner. The lessons that I took from this novel are that conflicts often stem from a misunderstanding or from miscommunications. I think this is a fun read with some great lessons for us. There were times when I was frustrated with the characters’ actions and there were times when it felt like it was taking me forever to read this for some reason. But overall, it was a fun escape from our current reality.

Sarah Williams

3.5/5 stars

TO HAVE AND TO HOAX follows Violet and James Audley, a once passionate couple that has lived in relative silence for four long years. Five years ago, Violet and James married after getting caught in a seemingly compromising position at a ball during Violet’s first Season. While their marriage was hasty, the connection the two felt was real, and their marriage became known as one of the few love matches in the town. Their marital bliss lasted for a while until, four years ago, they had the fight to end all fights. Since then, they’ve barely spoken to each other, preferring to pass the time in cold silence and feigned indifference.

Then, Violet receives a letter informing her that James has been thrown from his horse and knocked unconscious. Rushing to be by his side, she runs into him while on her way, finding him very much alive and conscious. After that, Violet decides that she’s had enough of being a footnote in her husband’s life and pretends to take ill—seriously ill. James catches on quickly and hatches a plan to retaliate, setting their game into motion. 

Despite how little of a connection I felt with Violet and James, I found TO HAVE AND TO HOAX charming and fun. I liked Violet and James together and I even liked both characters on their own (you gotta love a woman who loves her some scandalous poetry). Still, I found it hard to understand or sympathize with the situation they found themselves in. I think if it had been only a matter of months of silence I would’ve had a much easier time but four years felt ridiculous.

I also would’ve enjoyed it if they’d been more playful. It’s hard not to compare this to YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER and I was trying my hardest not to—they’re sufficiently different that I think the comparison is unfair—but I found myself wanting more of the playful banter and escalation that was in YDEO. Violet and James kept referring to the connection the two once shared, how they missed their inside jokes and banter:

For a fleeting moment, James caught her glance, the lines around his eyes crinkling slightly in amusement. In that instant, it was as though the past four years had never happened, as though they were still in the habit of sharing private jokes, of allowing their eyes to meet across a crowded room and reveling in the knowledge that they understood one another better than anyone else.

But I largely had to take the two of them at their word for it; it was only towards the end that I got to see that side of them, to see the friendship underlying their love. 

My issues with Violet and James aside, I enjoyed this story. I think, in large part, that’s owing to Martha Waters. While I didn’t connect with the story, I loved her writing style which was quick and clever while also era-appropriate. 

James had never realized that the word illustrative could contain such a wealth of illicit meaning. It was a rather—dare he say it?—illustrative moment.

I smiled to myself while reading this on more than one occasion. I was impressed by Waters’ ability to deliver stylistic conventions of regency romances—ornate descriptions, sweeping declarations—with a modern flair, resulting in a book that neither felt too dated or stuffy nor insincere as a regency romance. 

I didn’t love this book, but I definitely enjoyed it and I think that if you’re someone who doesn’t necessarily need a lot of banter in your romances, you’ll enjoy it too. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher In exchange for my honest review. This has not impacted or influenced my review or my opinions.

For more reviews, check out my Instagram and my Blog!

Jessica 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Tik Tok | You can find my review here.

(3.5) 
  As always, a copy of this book was provided by the authors in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.


You can't go wrong with a good rom-com to warm up to. This spring will see the release of To Have and to Hoax--and it is totally worth the wait. Those warm and fuzzies that we all adore when it comes to romance can be found in this one, with the added bonus of wit and humor sprinkled in for good measure. To Have and to Hoax is pure, heartfelt and humorous romance that will leave a smile on your face.

Get ready to meet Lady Violet Gray and Lord James Audley. They are a mess. But I was more than enchanted by their brand of messiness. To Have and to Hoax is just as entertaining as its title may convince you to believe.

Tension galore! Banter! Humor! Romance! Sparking chemistry that may as well light itself on fire! Some good old fashioned competition between a married couple! By all accounts, the relationship at the center should be utterly annoying and distressing in its dysfunction. Somehow, it just works and was able to coax more than a dozen smiles from me.

Something about this one is so charming, I was smitten from the start. (No, really, I saw the title and was like, oh, yes, hello.) When passion turns to disdain, there's a lot that could go wrong in the love stories. There's an air of immaturity in the feuds and the way the characters carry themselves, but it's all in good fun and leads to an otherwise highly engaging, entertaining romance.

Caitlyn Baldwin &
To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters

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