To Have and to Hoax promised me romance and comedic value, and HOO BOY, Martha Waters sure did deliver.



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. 

 
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.