This book is a lighthearted historical romance with tropes such as arranged marriage and found family. Both are tropes that I adore. Even though I've yet to read the other books in this series, I loved seeing the friend group. It was super fun!

I'm a huge fan of historical romance and the arranged marriage trope. So, naturally, I was pretty excited about this one. Sadly, this book was not for me. It fell quite flat and pretty 'meh' most of the book.

One of the most important things a book needs to have for me to like is great characters, with good development, foundations, and overall congruence. Unfortunately, this is precisely what the book needed. There were numerous characters that I liked. But the FMC was so hard to like. She was incongruent. At times, her actions and inner monologue made no sense at all. For me, she was outright annoying. The other side character, 'Diana,' was a bit irritating. I didn't understand her much because I've yet to read her book. And I didn't find her actions funny, but rather bothersome. Also, Jane and Penvale's relationship was odd. I felt no chemistry whatsoever.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Who knew a slow-burn marriage of convenience set in a haunted mansion could be so much fun?

Viscount Penvale has spent years trying to buy back his ancestral home from his uncle, to no avail. But now his uncle has made him an offer: marry Jane Spencer, his uncle's ward, and Penvale can have his home back. Despite not hitting it off, Jane and Penvale marry because they both have their reasons for wanting to go back home. There's just the slight issue of the house being haunted left to deal with.

This was a refreshing take on the Gothic romance. The hauntings were a little bit too over the top at times, but it never drifted over into the ridiculous.

Both Penvale and Jane were interesting characters to see grow throughout the story. I needed a bit of time to let their romance convince me, but I ended up loving their romance.

The couples from the previous books in the series made an appearance too, which was a nice little finishing touch to the story.

A good slow burn, marriage of convenience, forced proximity, 'haunted house', some very funny moments.
This was good and did make me laugh at times.
I do enjoy regency romances, but im not sure what it was about this one that just didnt hit as well as some others that Ive read. Maybe its because its more comedic? But still a good and enjoyable read.

Penvale and Jane are coerced into a marriage of convenience in this sassy regency romance, but it's ok - Jane has a plan to get rid of her unwanted husband. Another triumph from this stand out series!

Cute regency romance… very slow burn but once we got there oh my… really enjoyed the spooky ghost “hauntings” too

2.5* A regency marriage of convenience that unfortunately didn’t live up to the previous two books for me.

I’ve read all the books in this series so far and it’s been an odd one for me because I really enjoyed Books 2 & 3 but Book 1, and this one, just haven’t hit the mark despite having potential and me wanting to love them because they sound great!

Despite the ‘haunted house’ premise of this book having potential, the romance seemed to lack the spark that would make it stand out against the many other regency romances. There was nothing entirely endearing about the lead couple themselves that made you root for them to be together and whilst some parts of the book were enjoyable, namely the main character’s interest in smutty books and the very reasonable notion of fearing cornish seagulls, there was nothing remarkable about the characters or the plot. I had such high hopes and this was such a disappointment after how much I enjoyed Diana’s, Penvale’s sister’s, book.

A fun take on the Regency romance. There are next to no stakes and while the ghost aspect of the story felt a little odd, it was a storyline I haven't read before! Very interested in reading the rest of the series.

I have been enjoying this series a lot and this latest installment was no exception.

I was curious about Diana’s brother Penvale from the start, who always appeared a bit on the side, standing apart from the main group.

I love the romance, starting with a marriage of convenience – both Penvale and Jane have clear ideas what they want and how to get it. He wanted the family home back/his happy past restored into the present and she wanted freedom from his uncle/independence from men in general.

And here comes the faux haunting which was fun and served to bring them closer together.
I really appreciate how socially awkward and stern the heroine was. She was no hostess naturally and Penvale grew to love that about her. And I do love a heroine who reads romance! Overall, they were nothing like the other expected them to be and seeing them discover and appreciate the good qualities of the other made a great romance for me.

I really liked how they came to realise that what they wanted initially has changed. Getting his family estate back was not enough for Penvale, it didn’t feel in the void of losing his family, didn’t make him less alone. Jane on the other hand, realized she didn’t want to be alone and rather enjoyed Penvale’s company. She didn’t suddenly become the perfect socialite but she found things she enjoying doing, including being the company of friends.

I was not sold of the very public grovel/talk of feelings in the end. Those two are rather private people, Jane in particular, and her gaining courage to go after Penvale felt true to the growth of her character; admitting her love for him in front all of his friends, not so much. I really felt they needed a more intimate discussion.

This minor quibble aside, I greatly enjoyed this historical romance.

Loved this, it was right up my street! I'm a big Bridgerton fan and this was a similar style. It was witty and slick. I would recommend.

3.5 stars

I have really been in the mood for a Regency Romance recently - I'm not sure if it's because I just finished watching Queen Charlotte or because it's been a topic of conversation in one of my seminars recently - but either way, this definitely satisfied my craving! I had heard of this series, and again, was slightly hesitant to dip in with To Swoon and to Spar because it's the 4th in the series, but it didn't matter at all! I actually think it being about Penvale, the older brother of Diana, was a good dynamic to read about, and I loved the different locations of Cornwall and London. I thought the pace of the slow-burn romance between Jane and Penvale was perfectly timed, and though I found it a bit slow to get into I found myself really wanting to dive back into it towards the end. I'll definitely be going back and reading the first 3 in this series!

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC 🥰😘

To Swoon and to Spar tells the story of Viscount Penvale who’s been working his whole life to buy back his ancestral home, Trethwick Abbey, from his relative. Penvale is delighted when he finally gets the chance to do so but only if he marries his uncles ward, Jane Spencer. Penvale, of course, does so!! He’s wants the property back in its rightful place!! Problem is Penvale doesn’t realise what he’s getting himself into at all. Janes got a scheme, she wants to be left alone in Trethwick Abbey and plans to scare Penvale back to London but the table turn as while James trying to get Penvale to leave she may learn that she doesn’t mind his company that badly after all…

This book was so brilliant!! I loved the regency humour with the little comic/gothic parts added in!! 😂❤️ It was so romantic and fun. I loved the married of convenience/ arranged married/forced proximity trope for these two!! Penvale and Jane were made for each other!! ❤️❤️ I’m so excited to read the rest of the series!! 😍😍

Please add this book to your TBR!! 5✨

This was laugh out loud funny and an absolute joy to read.
We've got strangers to lovers, sarcastic friends, ghosts, sheep and books. What's not to love.

I love this story. It is full of humor. Penvale and Jane are both very passionate.
The banter between these two is superb. I love Jane, she is straight forward and strong willed. I enjoyed the setting of the old seaside estate and the Gothic romance vibes.
I have read the previous books in this series. The book can also be read as a standalone.

3.5 stars

I can definitely see this series becoming a comfort series for me. I requested this book because I read and enjoyed the first book last year so, even though I haven't yet read the other two books in the series, I thought I'd give this one a try.

When Penvale agrees to a marriage of convenience with Jane, the ward of his calculating uncle, he thinks he's finally achieved his life's goal: winning back the estate that was lost to him when his father died. Little does he know that Jane has already paid claim to the house and is determined to get him out, even if it means staging a haunting! One thing Jane didn't expect when she was planning her scheme to oust Penvale from his own home: that she might actually like the man!

This was a fun and light-hearted Regency romance with just enough emotional depth to help me connect to the characters. It did remind me quite heavily of To Marry and to Meddle (the concepts are quite similar even though one is a marriage in peril and one is a marriage of convenience) but that's not necessarily a bad thing! I enjoyed To Marry and to Meddle so of course I also enjoyed To Swoon and to Spar.

I particularly enjoyed Jane's character. I definitely saw a lot of myself in her and could 100% relate to her struggles with socialising and knowing what to say. I think some readers might struggle with her bluntness but I found it kind of refreshing to be honest. One thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the way Penvale's sister treated Jane. I haven't read Diana's book, so maybe she reads as more sympathetic once you've read that, but in this book she just seemed pretty nasty. I did love how Penvale stood up to her re Jane, though!

Overall, this was a solid romance for me. Not my favourite of all time but definitely one I'd happily read again if I'm in the mood for something quick, light-hearted and easygoing.

<i>’Why had she had the bad luck to marry a man who seemed determined to make her like him?’</i>

This was a fun quick and easy regency romance with a marriage of convenience between two people who believe they are happiest alone.
I enjoyed the rural Cornish setting in this one, and although I found the motives of the FMC difficult to follow at times, I did appreciate having a main character who suffers with social anxiety, and watching her learn to accept herself and others. I found the MMC incredibly understanding and a lot kinder about some situations then I would have been 😂
Jane and Penvale did seem to lack the strength of character we got from Diana and Jeremy in ‘To Love and To Loathe’, but I still found it a cosy comfort read with amusing banter and character growth.

A big thank you to Martha Waters, Atria Waters, and NatGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. To Swoon and to Spar comes out April 11, 2023.

To Swoon and to Spar is the fourth in a series of interconnected historical romances, I have loved the other ones in the series and I don’t feel any different about this one. In this one Viscount Penvale has spent most of his adult years saving money to buy his ancestral home. He finally has the chance to buy it back from his uncle, the only catch is he has to marry his uncle’s ward, Jane. Jane has spent years having her life determined by men and she was sick of it, so in a scheme to get ride of her guardian she creates the ruse of the home being haunted. Even when she agrees to marry Penvale she decides that she is going to keep up the haunting in the effort to get her husband to head back to London. But over the course of her scheme and Penvale learning how to run his estate Jane might find out that having a husband might not be the worst thing in the world.

This book was such a delight to read, it was full of humor, heart and a “haunted” house. Jane was a refreshing character to read in the fact that she has pretty bad social anxiety so she come off as being cold. But through the book you she her starting to open up to not only Penvale but also to his friends and the surrounding village. Watching Penvale learn how to be lord of the manor and also learn that the house he spent most of his life obsessed with isn’t actually everything. It was a slow burn type of novel so it takes a while for both of them start warming up to each other but once they do they have a great romance. The only thing I wish was for there to be an epilogue. Otherwise if you are looking for a low stakes “gothic” novel full of love and funny ghost shenanigans To Swoon and to Spar is the book for you!

This book is a triumph in the post-Bridgerton regency era of romance novels. I found the forming of the relationship between Jane and Penvale to be both sweet and hilarious. Strong characters like Jane are so well received in books and I totally adored reading their love grow.

I received an eARC of To Swoon and to Spar. Here’s what you can expect:
• Marriage of convenience 👰‍♀️🤵‍♂️
• ‘Haunted’ house 👻
• Only one bed
• Dual POV
• Slow burn 🔥

This book had me laughing so much! FMC Jane using the ‘haunting’ of Trethwick Abbey (the MMC’s ancestral home) to scare away the men in her life so she could be left alone was brilliant!
Jane’s stubborn and blunt nature was entertaining and I liked that she was described as having more striking features than what’s considered traditionally beautiful in regency romances.
This is the 4th in the series but can be read as a standalone although I believe earlier books have featured the MMC’s friendship group. I’m looking forward to going back and reading the rest of the series. ☺️

So this is the 4th of the Martha Waters regency series and I was so excited to request this book as I really do enjoy Martha’s writing style. This regancy novel follows Penvale, who after many years has his offer accepted to buy back the ancestral home from his uncle-there is a catch however, with the purchase of the house, Pennvale must also marry his uncles ward Miss Jane Spencer.

This is such a comical book, the lengths that Jane and the staff go to scare of Penvale are funny but also extreme. I felt a bit bad for Penvale as he is only trying to be nice to everyone and also help the staff and the community. I do enjoy that Jane does get Penvale interested in her hobby which is reading,which I feel really helps them bond and become closer. If you have read the series then this would be a good one to continue with, I don’t really feel you can read this as a stand-alone otherwise you will miss the other characters backstory and love tale.

Hurrah! The gang is back and it’s a joy to be back with them. This time it’s Penvale’s turn as he takes on a marriage of convenience to the caustic Jane, in order to regain his family seat. The story gives us Water’s signature mix of banter and high jinks within the framework of high society & manners set by London’s ton, with the addition this time of a beautiful Cornwall estate, as Penvale & Jane conquer their ghosts, both metaphorical and actual, in order to find true love. I was desperate to get my hands on this latest installment and it did not disappoint. A fab fun read.