Martha Waters never disappoints; her entire Regency Vows series is one incredible love story after the next, and even though this is my 4th favorite so far, I loved reading it.
Jane was my main problem. I loved her schemes and shenanigans and appreciated how her history with men informed a lot of choices she made when it came to Penvale, I wasn't a fan of her choice to bring the hauntings to a hlat for the reason she did. She felt that Penvale was perhaps not the typical member of the gentry that she assumed him to be, and thus felt he did not deserve the nightly tortures of the hauntings. I wish she would've realized that Trethwick Abbey was his home just as much as it was hers, that he also had memories and emotional history attached to the place, and that's why she stopped the haunting scheme.

But overall, that's a minor issue, because I was immensely gratified that she was the one to go to him and bring him back in the end.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

I was drawn in by the cover of this one initially. Historical romance isn't really my thing but I thought I'd give this one a chance. Unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me.

This was an enjoyable read. The second half picked up in pace from the first but the first half still contained lots of great moments including Jane's haunting scheme. I enjoyed this storyline - it was so unique!

I also enjoyed seeing Janes character development as the book progressed, not only learning more about her but who she and Penvale were together. Plus jane is a book lover and Penvale is a cinnamon roll - what more could you ask for?
This was a really cozy read with armchairs by the fire and Cornish coasts all set in the winter/spring which felt like a refreshing change.
There were lots of lovely tropes and aspects including; one bed, marriage of convenience, dual POV, forced proximity and reverse grumpy sunshine.

This is book four in a standalone series. There are some guest appearances from previous book characters which was nice however it is definitly not necessary to have read the previous three books to understand or enjoy this one.
If you like historical romances you should definitly enjoy this one.

I loved this so much more than I thought I would! It’s been ages since I’ve read a regency romance and this one is up there with the best. The dynamic between the two main characters was perfect - it was enemies to lovers, but more intense and endearing than this trope usually is. I loved the depth of Jane’s character, the way her shyness manifested itself. I actually haven’t read the others in this series and I’m looking forward to making my way through them now 🥰 I also very much appreciated the Jane Eyre vibes.

I was very excited to read ‘To Swoon and to Spar’, having bought all the other books in this series last year and really enjoyed them (particularly the second two).

While there were definitely elements of this book that I appreciated, however, overall I feel it’s the weakest of the series. For me, it didn’t have the emotional heft of ‘To Love and to Loathe’ or the quiet, sneaks-up-on-you appeal of ‘To Marry and to Meddle’, and this was due largely to the characterisation of the heroine.

I often like a prickly protagonist, male or female. That having been said, I found myself struggling with Jane, the heroine of ‘To Swoon and to Spar’. Penvale, the hero, is immediately relatable; his backstory is introduced earlier in the book and readers of the rest of the series are already well acquainted with his determination to reclaim his ancestral home. He also tries harder than Jane to make their marriage of convenience a pleasant one and to be polite in general. Getting to know Jane is a slower process, though, and I never reached the point where I found the motivations for her behaviour to be either reasonable or sympathetic. Instead, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated with her incivility and dedication to evicting Penvale from his home. Trying to scare him away even after she learns how much the house means to him and she sees how he is improving the lives of the staff, tenants and local villagers seemed mean-spirited and completely unnecessary. I have sympathy for someone who’s shy, but she just came across as a bit of a jerk, to be honest.

Given the protagonists’ personalities, the setting for their eventual declarations of love struck me as very unlikely and thus the intended emotional impact just didn’t land for me.

On the plus side, Martha Waters’ writing style is charming as always, I laughed out loud at a number of points throughout the book, and it was fun to see more of Diana and Jeremy along with glimpses of the other characters from the rest of the series and updates on their lives. Some of the group scenes have real comedic sparkle and I enjoyed spending time with these characters again. I’ll be back for West and Sophie when their book comes along.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. I very much appreciate the opportunity to read it and provide my thoughts.

I absolutely loved this. Such a funny and charming regency romance with great nods to the classic gothic literature of the time. I really loved the relationship between the two and the beusotful Cornwall setting. A truly joyous reading experience

As a big fan of historical romances, this was amazing. I don't think I've read one as funny as I found this book!
Jane secretly pretending to be a ghost to get rid of the men in her life, I can't say I can blame her 😂
Overall the characters were likeable and had great banter
I'm looking forward to reading more from Martha 🩷
Thankyou Netgalley and Headline Eternal for the ARC

A truth universally known is that a regency romance will include a (to be reformed ) aristocratic hero who is not attracted to simpering misses, an opinionated heroine who initially resents said hero but is forced to be in close proximity, in this case through a marriage of convenience. In The Swoon and the Spur both Jane and Viscount Penvale love a house, the same house and are willing to go to extreme lengths to have it to themselves. Throw in a ghosts, a stolen inheritance, charismatic friends to meet, and foes to be vanquished before love prevails.
There is plenty of tongue in cheek humour and the result is a very knowing but enjoyable romp. I have not read Martha Walters before but I will look out for her works ( this is the fourth in a series). Thank you to the publishers for a review copy.

I have loved all the other books in Martha’s brilliant series, and this is my favourite of them all. Jane was a wonderful, determined heroine who knew exactly what she wanted, and I loved how Penvale was slightly unsure of himself, chasing a dream because of his tragic childhood but not quite sure what he would do if he got it.
Cornwall, crumbling houses and ghosts are three of my favourite things, and this wonderfully sparkly, funny and tender romance delivered so much goodness. I loved the slow burn of Penvale and Jane getting to know each other, showing each other their wounds, and I loved all the ghostly scenes, which were funny and dramatic. Northanger Abbey is my favourite Jane Austen novel, so it’s not a surprise that I loved this. The ending was so satisfyingly romantic. This book is a total joy.

I loved Emily and Julian, their characters were so well drawn. At times Martha Waters reminds me strongly of Georgette Heyer. A funny Regency novel and I recommend it highly. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.