To Swoon and to Spar (The Regency Vows, #4) by Martha Waters

To Swoon and to Spar (The Regency Vows, #4) Reviews

• 
  chan ☆

  dnf @50%... boooooored
• 
  Southern Lady Reads

  What do you get when a viscount and a country miss agree to get married after knowing each other for approximately three hours? A clunky but adorable regency romance with *not*so haunted houses, begrudgingly shared interests, and genuinely loveable main characters. 🖤
  
  THOUGHTS:
  - Even though the characters are a bit older than your traditional coming-of-age tale, I still feel like this story had some of those elements because the main characters were so inexperienced in romantic matters! It was sweet to see them experience growing a healthy relationship piece by piece without any insta-love.
  - Jane is such an awesome heroine! I really enjoyed her blunt commentary, and each time, she shocked her companions by skirting around social 'niceties'. Many of them made me smile because I, too, like to speak forthrightly!! She also loves to read - which we all know makes any bookish gal's heart happy! 🥰
  
  FAVORITE QUOTE:
  "Penvale." Jane's voice had slid into outright exasperation. "Do you see how much time I spend reading? Don't you think I would find something else to do if the books weren't about something interesting?" -- THIS. I giggled so much when I read this. Yes... there are plenty of books to read that don't involve smut.. but the ones that do? I feel totally shameless about indulging in a little brain candy! lol, I'm married to a man that doesn't like to read.. *gasps and places hand over heart like the Southern gal that I am*, and it's so hard to explain to him why I read so much. The world of books is full of wondrous things. 😉
  
  NOTES:
  - 🌶🌶/5: Truly, this was a fun one to read because it's so unlike other regency romances in some of the scenes!!!
  - Tropes: Foes to lovers, One bed, marriage of convenience,
  - Quick read - a little over 300 pages
  - Totally random, but I really appreciate when characters aren't described as traditionally the most beautiful doe-eyed folks in the room. Not listing an FMC with perfectly coiled blonde ringlets and blue eyes, or an FMC with black hair and broody dark eyes.. lol we need a little of the other phenotypes too! 😂
  
  **Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for this advance reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. - SLR 🖤
• 
  Halle

  Not my favorite in this series, but The Regency Vows has become so comforting to me, especially as I hurdle towards finals and am drowning in Shakespearian language and the full-page paragraphs of Middlemarchian politics. Like, these characters are my little pals!
  
  But I genuinely did believe that these characters loved each other, and that's probably one of the most important parts of a romance, so, yay. I was a little underwhelmed by the book, I guess? And maybe I wish other new characters were fleshed out more? But it was cute and provided good reading for the good weather, so I'm happy enough.
  
  (Side tangent, though—it should not have been a shock to Jane that Penvale did not read novels! It's 1818! Novels are not only a pretty new thing but also a *woman's* thing! Like, Penvale would read poetry more than he would read novels, because that was seen as serious and masculine while novels were seen as silly teenage girl stuff. Of course I do not look to historical romance for extreme historical accuracy and yet I am still irritated by this.)
  
  3.5 stars!
• 
  Mara

  Somewhere between 3.5 stars and 4 stars - This has the trademark humor I've come to expect & enjoy from this author, and I thought this playful take on a 18th/19th century Gothic romance was very smart! The haunting elements were really over the top & fun. I think the actual romance between the two leads was a little hard to buy, but I liked them both as characters and on paper, their connection as 2 lonely people who found each other made sense. Also - love an arranged marriage/marriage of convenience!
• 
  sil ♡ the book voyagers

  ‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾. DEFINITELY SWOONY AF! To Swoon and to Spar is a slow-burn historical romance about two spouses who find themselves in a marriage of convenience and a haunted house who brings them closer!
  
  Martha Waters definitely gave us such a good slow burn omg. I was like 200 pages in and they hadn't even kissed? WOW. The chemistry and sparks between them were insane, so I was definitely not complaining. Penvale and Jane's relationship developed so perfectly and in the midst of a haunting, they still managed to grow closer. When they were opening to each other, you bet I was swooning so hard and screaming and crying and kicking my feet in the air. This book is so cute!
  
  So, it's also really funny as well. Jane marries Penvale because in order for Penvale to get his childhood home, his uncle tells him he needs to marry his ward and his ward is Jane. And yeah, they get married. It's not a love match but they get married! They go to live at this beautiful estate, but Jane wants to be left off alone so she comes up with a plan to make the house appear haunted and scare Penvale off lmao. But going ghost hunting at night only manages to make them like each other more and more.
  
  It was so cute to see all the other couples back! I love seeing them all be friends and just have fun together. And now Jane is part of that! She's such a lonely, shy girl and she has very tall walls guarding her heart. But it was so sweet to see them being knocked down first by Penvale and then all his friends also managed to get inside little by little with their smiles and good hearts. I feel like there's going to be a fifth book because Martha kinda teased it in this book? I so want one! To see them all again but also Penvale and Jane would be adorable. GIVE ME MORE IN THIS SERIES.
• 
  Lizzy S

  deleting my dating apps bc i want to meet someone the old fashioned way (gaslighting my arranged marriage husband into thinking his abbey is haunted so he'll leave)
• 
  Ilhaam

  unhinged is my favorite genre
• 
  A Book Shrew

  Martha Waters really said I am going to write a better book each and every single time, and I respect that.
  
  Full review and more at
  A Book Shrew
  
  No joke, this is her best book yet. All throughout the first three of the series, seeds kept being planted in my brain that made me hope, hope, hope for a Penvale story, so I was thrilled when I heard the news that it was coming. And a haunted ghost story to boot?! You could not have kept this out of my hands, so thank you Atria Books for letting me read an advance copy.
  
  I thought the premise for this was so entertaining! Penvale has spent his entire adult life trying to build up his personal fortune to buy from his dreaded uncle the home that should have come with his Viscount title. When said uncle shows up out of the blue and offers to sell it, Penvale doesn't even bat an eye at the condition he marry his uncle's ward too. The reason his uncle wants to sell after refusing his offers for years? The house is haunted.
  
  And it was so much fun to read! Perhaps even a little tongue in cheek homage to the gothic writers of the 19th century? The house is, of course, not actually haunted, but I loved reading about Jane trying to scare Penvale while he tries to rationalize everything out of sheer stubbornness. Dressing up in a ghostly nightgown and enlisting the servants to scream bloody murder in the halls is certainly one way for a woman to get her husband out of the house. I have no choice but to stan.
  
  Jane's and Penvale's marriage of convenience was an excellent slow-burn. Neither is particularly interested in the marriage. Penvale thinks his life won't change one whit, and Jane would rather not have a single man make any choices for her. All either of them wants is the house they both love in their own way, not the other person. But eventually, they do come together, and I thought it was so darn sweet. Jane is a shy, taciturn little bookworm who begrudgingly comes to accept that Penvale isn't the lout his uncle was. And Penvale, well, he's in for a rude awakening of what it's like to have someone else in your life that might matter to you. There's an adorable little thread throughout where Penvale refuses to listen to Jane when she says he needs glasses, and it made my heart burst each time.
  
  So, I subconsciously manifested a Penvale book, and this is me loud and clearly requesting a Sophie and West book. I feel like they're the last two characters floating through this series, and I need it desperately.
• 
  Sunnie

  Admittedly, this book isn’t for everyone - certainly not for anyone looking for a thriller, although I found it thrilling in specific circumstances. I hate to be so creativity-deprived that I recommend this book to Jane Austin fans because there are so many references to said author. Mystery, certainly; love, but of course; ghosts, without question; angst, lots of it; and plenty of mixed signals thrown in for good measure. I would probably boil things down as a lovely, cozy mystery. I would certainly add it to my shelves to be read again. I loved it!
• 
  Julie - One Book More

  Happy book birthday to To Swoon and to Spar, the fourth installment of The Regency Vows series by Martha Waters. This romance follows Viscount Penvale and Jane Spencer as they enter into a marriage of convenience and get more than they ever bargained for.
  
  Penvale has worked for years to buy back his ancestral home from his uncle. so, when his uncle announces he’s finally ready to sell, Penvale leaps at the chance. However, in purchasing the estate, he must also marry Jane Spencer, his uncle’s ward. Jane adores the estate and is determined to live there alone. She, with the help of the staff, “haunts” the house in an effort to frighten Penvale away. But Penvale isn’t as scared as Jane and the others hoped, and Jane soon sees that Penvale is not the man she thought he was. Can this unlikely pair find love?
  
  This was a fun read! It has a lot of humor, some great banter, and the fake haunting was fantastic. At first, Penvale and Jane don’t really get along or understand each other. There is little chemistry between them, and their romance is gradual. I like that this par becomes friends first. They learn so much about each other, especially since they are at a country estate away from the hustle, bustle, and distractions of the city. Penvale begins to see past Jane’s prickly demeanor, and Jane sees that Penvale has much more substance than she originally thought. They both seem a little surprised by their growing feelings, but between their antagonistic and sometimes flirtatious banter and their late-night excursions to investigate the hauntings, there’s clearly a depending bond between them.
  
  Penvale is so thoughtful, especially when he realizes Jane struggles with shyness. Her rudeness and standoffish personality hides her shyness well, but it also doesn’t endear her to anyone. But Penvale understands her. He’s such a sweetheart, and I love how considerate he is of her feelings and worries. Jane is an introvert and content with a solitary life, but Penvale has a large group of friends. Needless to say, they’re quite daunting to Jane. I like how considerate Penvale is of Jane’s feelings and how Jane slowly begins to open up to him and his friends.
  
  This was a fun and romantic addition to the series, and though it’s the fourth book, you don’t have to read the others to follow this one. Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
• 
  Sheena ☆ Book Sheenanigans

  
  

  
  

  Martha Waters has always been a hit or miss for me and surprise surprise! I unsurprisingly got nothing from this.
  
  The storyline was dull with an ill paced plot that was essentially non-existent. Perhaps it was just me but I felt like I was reading the same paragraph over and over again—making it quite obvious the writing style left much to be desired. Then the biggest issue I came across were the main characters, Jane (intolerable) and Penvale (tolerable). They were terribly boring and poorly written. The lack of character traits that typically can draw readers in the storyline and the world that the author created were MIA. With that being said, I can't fail to mention the romance. Absolutely lackluster. Where was the chemistry? Where was the tension? Why were they such a boring AF couple?
  
  Ugh,/i>. To put it bluntly—"To Swoon and to Spar" was an uneventful romance with one dimensional characters that would put you to sleep. I was really hoping for the swooning enemies to lovers banterful romance the synopsis made it out to be. But like I said—I got a whole lotta nada. 10/10 won't recommend it.
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  buket

  this was a marriage of convenience between penvale and jane, she was his uncle's ward and they got married when penvale bought his childhood home back from his uncle. Jane didn't want another man to control her life so she continued acting as though the house was haunted. it worked with the uncle but panvale didn't believe it and i feel sad for him because he was so happy that finally he was able to come back his home and she tried to chase him away.
  
  she wasn't very lovely to me and selfish a lot. penvale tried really hard and they could easily have a good marriage with mutual respect and later with affection. i enjoyed the book more after he realized she was the ghost and talked about it. but the book ended abruptly, i was expecting them to spend more time after they realized both were in love and there wasn't an epilogue so idk the story didn't felt completed.
  
  but i enjoyed their banter and easy conversations. they were funny without even trying.
  
  “I don’t speak baby,” she told him.
  “What am I supposed to do with it?” he asked.
  “Try… cuddling it?” she suggested.
  The look he gave her implied that she may as well have suggested climbing into bed with a lion, but he gingerly pressed the baby to his chest. He looked at Jane. “Now what?”
  “I’ve seen people pat them before,” she said helpfully. “On the back, I believe?”
• 
  maddie (ve schwab’s version)

  they’re so unhinged I love them
• 
  Caz

  I've given this a B- for narration and a B for content at AudioGals. (Basically the female narrator wasn't that good.)
  
  To Swoon and to Spar is book four in Martha Water’s Regency Vows series of lively, character-driven historical romances, but it’s the first one I’ve listened to. I read and enjoyed books two and three, so thought I’d give this one a go in audio, and while I did enjoy it, it didn’t have quite the same sparkle as the previous two.
  
  Peter Bourne, Viscount Penvale, (brother of Diana, heroine of book two,
  To Love and to Loathe) has spent most of his adult life trying to amass sufficient funds to purchase back the family home, Trethwick Abbey in Cornwall. Unusually, the property wasn’t entailed, so when Penvale’s parents died, the place had to be sold in order to pay the massive death duties and his uncle, who had made a fortune in his years with the East India Company, stepped in to buy it. Penvale was only ten years old at the time and could do nothing to prevent the sale to the brother he knew his father despised, and he and Diana (who was five) were packed off to live with their aunt.
  
  You can read the rest of this review at
  AudioGals.
• 
  Ashlee Bree

  Nobody enjoys a good gothic romance more than I do. I like a story that has atmosphere, that features a setting with drafty rooms and stately architecture and echoes that reverberate throughout foyer. I like the feeling of a sprawling estate with history, especially if it's eerie history. I'm here for the creaking of stairs, for the isolated quiet, for the moans after midnight, and for the blowing snowdrifts that wisp around a newly, but conveniently, married couple as they settle into their Cornwall estate, both of them thinking that nothing much in their lives will need to change.
  
  As a result of that, I was excited to get early access to this book. I've been a fan of The Regency Vows series since it's inception and was looking forward to this Northanger Abbey meets Bridgerton foray into an English country manor with Penvale and Jane. However, while I again appreciated Water's cheeky and subversive style, which has been a hallmark of this series so far and something I've come to love and expect from it, I didn't love this one as much as I hoped I would. It wasn't my favorite.
  
  Similar to Emily and Julian in To Marry and To Meddle, Penvale and Jane enter into a marriage of convenience.
  
  For years, Penvale has been looking for a way to buy back his ancestral estate from his uncle. He's finally offered the opportunity to do so, but only if he agrees to marry Jane, his uncle's ward. Jane agrees to the match because Trethwick Abbey is the only home she's ever known and she doesn't want to leave it. However, she's not all that keen about being handed from one man to another, wanting her own freedom, her own independence, so she devises a plan to try and haunt her husband out of house and home so he'll return to London and she can be left alone. In peace.
  
  Alas, Penvale is too poised and practical to be spooked with ease. And Jane, as she comes to spend more time with him, comes to find that she doesn't mind (might even like!) her husband's company.
  
  So the question becomes: who's really haunting who here? What if it's love - not a ghost - that's lurking in the hidden staircase?
  
  There wasn't anything inherently wrong or bad about this story. In fact, I liked that readers were in on the fake-haunting gag from the outset because it added a level of desperate absurdity to things, which was amusing. I also enjoyed being more removed from London. The Cornwall setting was blustery yet cozy, making me want to prop up by the fire with a warm blanket, some tea, and a pair of fuzzy socks as I read.
  
  Where I struggled, I think, was connecting to Penvale and Jane as a couple. Their personalities didn't mesh well for me, with him being so serious, pragmatic, and deadpan all the time and her being so sharp and prickly. Though Jane was characterized as shy, I found her to come across as more hostile than anything, especially toward Diana. She could be downright rude. Almost mean at times. I did warm to her eventually, but there was a lack of lightness to her and their dynamic as a whole that I found wanting.
  
  Probably my least favorite of the series so far. Still fun, though! Lots of cameos from other characters as well.
  
  Here's hoping West and Sophie are next! 🤞🏻
  
  Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.
  
  
  BOOK BLOG
• 
  Cait | GoodeyReads

  Thank you to Book Club Favorites and Simon and Schuster for the gifted copy!
  
  I SWOONED.
  
  
  BLOG ||
  INSTAGRAM
  
  This was my first book in this series that I’ve read and I enjoyed it! I am a sucker for marriage of convenience tropes and I thought this was a slightly different take on the start of their relationship.
  
  I thought Penvale and Jane had some good chemistry and really did have that nice slow burn as they realized how much they truly connected with each other. I loved the forced proximity and one bed moments and watching their passions ignite.
  
  The only thing I didn’t quite get was the ghost-based plot? I don’t know, it seemed kind of silly when the story came out at the end. Without that, I think it’s a great historical romance and it was easy to read as a standalone! I noticed the mentions of the other couples but that doesn’t bother me! There were a good group of friends and I’m thinking about now going back and reading the others.
  
  Overall audience notes:
  - Historical Romance
  - Language: a little
  - Romance: brief/vague open door
  - Violence: low
  - Trigger/Content Warnings: grief/loss depiction, loss of parents recounted
• 
  Emily Rambles

  Jane is tired of being told what to do by men- first by her guardian, then by his nephew, Penvale, who she is marrying. Taking matters into her own hands, Jane stages a haunting of their country estate in the hopes that she will drive her new husband away and be left in peace. But when the time comes, will she really want him to be driven away?
  
  What I loved:
  -getting updates on characters from previous books
  -relationship with the villagers/house staff
  -the hilarity of the attempted haunting
  -Jane! I could really relate to her as a character with her shyness and her love of reading
  -slow slow slow burn
  
  This was a light and enjoyable read that I blasted through in just a few sittings! A fun bit of escapism.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reading copy!
• 
  Claire aka DocReads

  To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters
  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and Simon&Shuster for the ARC
  
  I absolutely loved this funny and charming historical romance.
  
  I love a good marriage of convenience, with some enemies-to-friends-to-lovers. Viscount Penvale’s uncle has ownership of the family estate, and agrees to sell it to Penvale if he also agrees to marry Jane - the uncle’s ward.
  
  Penvale has been trying to regain ownership of this estate his whole life, and all Jane wants is to live in peace in the estate and be left alone. To that end, she and the servants had been staging a haunting of the estate to scare away the uncle, and now they are applying the same strategy on Penvale.
  
  The premise is mildly bonkers and very well executed. The dialogue between Penvale and Jane crackles and made me laugh out loud on several occasions. Neither is exactly as they seem to each other initially, and I liked the way the slowly built trust.
  
  I especially loved Jane. She has a hard time in social situations, frequently says things that fall outside social norms, and has a lot of internal struggles that gave me the sense that she may be neurodiverse. Whether or not that was the intent, I appreciated the ways she grew somewhat more comfortable, while maintaining those key character traits. I loved that Penvale loved her and accepted her as she is.
  
  A great addition to this series of books, looking forward to the next one!
• 
  Ashlee (bookswithnopictures)

  4.5 stars
  Clever and whimsical and a joy to read! Martha's writing, simply put, makes me incredibly happy. She's developed this series that I look forward to with each release and is in a class of her own. I love the humor she uses within this slow burn romance. A marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes.
  Penvale's mission in life is to recoup his ancestral home from the hands of his uncle. He's offered more times than he can count whatever funds he can scrape together and was denied each and every time. He could not be more surprised when his uncle finally counter offers and Trethwick Abbey is within reach. The only caveat is that he now must also wed his uncle's ward, Jane, his now stubborn and somewhat unwilling bride. Jane's recourse is to run him off with the hauntings of the abbey.
  I read and listened to this book over a couple of days. Anais Inara Chase and Joel Froomkin fit the personalities of Jane and Penvale perfectly. I think Joel has this quality that makes him sound like a pompous dandy and it is absolute perfection.
  Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Simon Audio for the gifted copy and alc. All thoughts in this review are my own. This releases 04.11.2023.
• 
  Lauren (thebookscript)

  One word.
  
  Delightful.
  
  A fun, comical premise with an arranged marriage between two indifferent people who want the same thing. To be left alone in Trethwick Abbey but they will get married to obtain that….if they have to.
  
  I thought the audio truly amplified the characters. I think they have great growth as they come to respect and regard each other in higher esteem.
  
  I loved the banter, the faux haunting and the dynamic between Penvale and Jane as they come to realize how much they have come to care for each other.
  
  This is a perfectly bingeable book that took me by surprise with how much I loved it. My first by waters but certainly not my last!
  
  *light swearing and 1 open door scene with a couple moments of “almost”.
  
  Thank you Simon and Shuster for my audio and Book Club favorites for my physical copy.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Maddy

  “I assure you, I’m nothing like the young ladies you have experience with,” Jane said, and Penvale offered a crooked grin as he reached out to shake her hand.
  
  “Of that, Miss Spencer, I am already well aware.”
  
  
  -historical romance, forced marriage, marriage of convenience
  -Penvale can finally purchase his beloved Trethwick Abbey from his uncle, the only catch? To marry head strong Jane Spencer
  -Jane was a bit difficult to like at first since her character is quite blunt 😮‍💨
  -Pervale was just a sweetie through and through 💞
  -I enjoyed this read and thought the story flowed so well!
  -Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review ✨
  
  4.5⭐️
• 
  Olga Volodina

  Прелесть что такое: главные герои вообще не очень хотят жениться, а тупо хотят дом (получить который можно благодаря браку).
  Потом, конечно, любовь-морковь, такую возможность упустили: могли бы просто всю книгу обсуждать ремонт, способы перекладывания паркета и всего такого.
• 
  Polly

  Исключительной милоты история (как и все предыдущие в этой серии) про то, что иногда есть такая штука, как слишком много готических романов в жизни юной девицы.
• 
  Olivia

  I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
  Thank you to Atria Books for providing me this arc via Netgalley!
  The concept of faking a haunting was the reason that drove me to request this book. It sounded so fun and innovative, but in reality, I don't think it was done as well as it could have been. The characters weren't very lovable as well, so all that together didn't make this an enjoyable reading experience. In general, I don't recommend this book, but if the concept is appealing to you, check it out and make your own mind about it!!
• 
  carmine

  2.25 stars
  
  Sadly still not as good as the first book, but at least it's marginally better than the last two installments. The heroine was extremely rude and unlikeable here that it really soured my mood during the first half. The second half was decent if not boring at times. Truth be told, there was nothing even remotely remarkable about this book except maybe the whole staging a haunted house bit—this was unique, especially in HR, so I'd give the author that.
  
  Like I said in my past review, I have no idea why I trust this author so much even if I don't particularly enjoy her books overall but I'll still be tuning in for the next book in the series.
  
  The Regency Vows series
  #1 To Have and to Hoax 4/5
  #2 To Love and to Loathe 2/5
  #3 To Marry and to Meddle 1.5/5
  #4 To Swoon and to Spar 2.25/5
• 
  Sophie

  I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
  
  Ever since he lost his ancestral home at the same time as losing his parents, Peter, Lord Penvale has sought to get it back. Now owned by his estranged uncle, Penvale knows that it won't be easy, and when his uncle turns up in London stating he'll sell it, Penvale wonders at the catch. So when it's revealed that to buy the house, he'll also have to marry his uncle's ward, Jane, Penvale is relieved that that is all. Marrying Jane wasn't in his plan, but he'll do it for the house, and it's helped by how beautiful she is. However, Jane has no intention of living in London, and will do everything to have solitude in her home - even if that means masquerading as a ghost to force Penvale to flee.
  
  Well, I loved this book! Every book in this series has been so good, but I think they are getting better and better. Jane and Penvale's relationship was hilarious. Their first meeting, and subsequent marriage, was not the best, and both went into it knowing that they were marrying for the house. Jane had lost her parents and came to be in the uncle's care due to his friendship with her father, and she hated the three years with him. Not the house though, or the servants, who became close friends to her in her solitude. Together they created the illusion of a haunted house, going so far as to place a bloody christening gown in his bed to force him to leave. Jane was overjoyed, until it was revealed that Penvale would buy it, and marry her. Even so, Jane thought that a London lord would be bored soon enough in Cornwall, and she could push him over the edge a little.
  
  I adored the way that Penvale and Jane rubbed each other up the wrong way, while also revealing parts of themselves to each other without truly realising it. Penvale was quite smart - though he refused to admit he needed spectacles - and he saw through Jane's ruse, and her shyness, quite quickly. The fact he let her have her fun, though, and does what he can to make her happier with her new position as Viscountess, proved that he was a good man, and was in the marriage for the long run. This was definitely a slow burn romance, and there were plenty of moments where I was neigh on shouting 'just kiss'! The last quarter had me on the edge of my seat, and I was worried that there was too much between them for Jane and Penvale to be able to love each other, and be together properly! A fantastic book, and I hope Sophie and West's story is soon!
• 
  Erin S

  In many ways, this is my favorite so far of the series. Penvale has easily become my favorite of the heroes thus far, autistic-coded Jane was a shoo-in for my favorite heroine, it's a marriage of convenience with slow burn (two of my jams), set in Cornwall (one of my favorite places on the planet), and as the zany, farcical antics of this series go, the ones in this novel followed a logic that did not make me like the perpetrators or their relationship less (I'll say no more lest I spoil anything).
  
  I will say that while I did like Jane and was happy to see an autistic-coded heroine, she definitely read as an autistic character written by an allistic author. Aspects of her characterization rang true, while others felt a little slapdash. I don't necessarily think that authors can't write identities outside their own, and I may even be wrong about the author herself, but this read to me as okay but not authentic representation, and I wish it had gone through (more?) sensitivity readers to nail Jane's experience.
  
  Looking forward to Sophie and West's novel!
• 
  Shannon

  This was a fun and FUNNY Regency romance that might just be my new favorite in the series! I loved that this was a dual POV, strangers to lovers marriage of convenience that featured two prickly/socially awkward, lonely people who find solace and love where neither was expecting.
  
  Set in Cornwall, this book had fake hauntings, crazy seagulls, cameos from past characters and some delicious steam! Great on audio narrated by Anais Inara Chase and Joel Froomkin. If you aren't a big historical romance fan, this series is definitely a standout and worth giving a try. Perfect for fans of authors like Elizabeth Everett, India Holton or Evie Dunmore.
  
  Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
• 
  solomiya

  What a delightfully entertaining book! I've loved this series for so long, and I'm happy to say that it just keeps getting better. Dare I say that Penvale and Jane take the cake as my favorite couple in this mischievous group of friends? Yes, I dare, because, omg these two kept me wanting more, and I was stealing any chance I could get to read just a bit more. They are deliciously antagonistic, sarcastic, moody, and ultimately perfect for each other. I'm so glad I got the chance to read this one early!
  
  I only wish we got a bit more at the end, if not a full epilogue, then at least one more scene of them together.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!
• 
  Jenni Sauer

  Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this! No review was required and all thoughts are my own
  
  This book was so sweet, oh my goodness!!! I loved Jane and Penvale so much. The stakes were honestly very low and I think this might be the weakest book in the series, but it's still really fun and sweet and I loved it! I ADORED Jane, she reminded me of Jane Eyre, and this book had light-hearted Jane Eyre meets Northanger Abbey vibes :3 Penvale was so sweet and different than the other heroes in this series. I love how pragmatic both Jane and Penvale were, and how their relationship threw them for a loop because it didn't fit into the pragmatic lives
  
  All in all, I really loved this one and can't wait for the next book in the series!
  
  🎶Honest Man by Ben Platt