To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters: Review

I really enjoy a good regency novel every now and then. I was called to review this book by the fun sounding synopsis and wacky sounding bit. I hoped it was as good as it sounded. Here are my thoughts on this upcoming book release by a new author.

To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters
Publisher: Atria Books (April 7, 2020)
ISBN-13: 978-1982136116

ABOUT:
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 by Martha Waters Review

This book sounded like a great deal of fun and I was excited to get into it. It started out in a fabulous way and I just loved the two of them together. I was sure they were going to be a wonderful pair!

However, sooner than later, it turned into a grudge fest and the games began. In many aspects this book frustrated me. Although it was fun and tongue in cheek in many ways, when you find out that it had been going on for 4 out of the 5 years they had been married, I was actually sad they had wasted such a beautiful time in their marriage.

The supporting friends were a great addition to the story and each had their hand in the mess along with calling out the duo in their dumb, immature games. The parents… ugh is all I have to say.

Most of the story is dedicated to different ways to mess with each other and I really did not love the fact that James was made out to be the bad guy when she clearly had a huge part in the entire issue.

Don’t get me wrong, overall the story is a wild and wacky story that is loaded with sexual tension as they really do love each other immensely. I wish we could have gotten more of the loving and less of the game playing. A nice balance would have brought this to a 5 star rating.

Fun, witty, and a fabulous first novel. But seriously – get a different cover that is not so boring.

4 STARS!

Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free ebook so she could evaluate and use it for this post. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.