To Swoon and to Spar
A Novel
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4.0 • 32 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
“Bridgerton fans will like this one.” —Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author
The Regency Vows series that is “sure to delight Bridgerton fans” (USA TODAY) returns with this story about a viscount and his irascible new wife who hopes to chase her husband from their shared home so that she can finally get some peace and quiet—only to find that his company is not as onerous as she thought.
Viscount Penvale has been working for years to buy back his ancestral home, Trethwick Abbey, from his estranged uncle. And so he’s thrilled when his uncle announces that he is ready to sell but with one major caveat—Penvale must marry his uncle’s ward, Jane Spencer.
When the two meet in London, neither is terribly impressed. Penvale finds Jane headstrong and sharp-tongued. Jane finds him cold and aloof. Nevertheless, they agree to a marriage in name only and return to the estate. There, Jane enlists her housekeeper for a scheme: to stage a haunting so that Penvale will return to London, leaving her to do as she pleases at Trethwick Abbey. But Penvale is not as easily scared as his uncle and as their time together increases, Jane realizes that she might not mind her husband’s company all that much.
With her trademark “arch sense of humor and a marvelously witty voice” (Entertainment Weekly), Martha Waters crafts another delightful romp for all historical romance fans.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An elaborate hoax leads to unexpected love in Waters's satisfying, slow-burning fourth Regency Vows romance (after To Marry and to Meddle). Jane Spencer has been enjoying her freedom in Cornwall's Trethwick Abbey since the death of her parents and has no intention of allowing a marriage of convenience to Peter Bourne, seventh Viscount Penvale, to cramp her style. She intends to force him to abandon her in the country by convincing him the house is haunted with the help of her faithful staff. Unfortunately, Peter doesn't believe in ghosts and only agreed to the marriage to regain possession of Trethwick Abbey, his childhood home, so he's not easily driven out. The constant disturbances are irritating however, so he plays along when Jane not so innocently suggests the trouble could be a haunting, hoping to catch the mastermind behind the scheme. As he and Jane wander the halls in search of the undead, they discover to their surprise that they actually enjoy being around each other. Love blossoms, but even after their relationship transitions into a true marriage, their shaky foundation threatens their romance. The pace is somewhat uneven, but the goofy faux ghosts and Jane's hilariously blunt personality set this apart. Series fans won't be disappointed.
Customer Reviews
A whacky story
This is the fourth book of this series and by this author and I have thoroughly enjoyed every one, although this was a bit easier than the first three. It is a Regency era historical romance where the main characters each agree to marry in order to have possession of an estate in Cornwall. “Penvale” wants it because it is was his family’s home prior to the death of his parents, and Jane because it is the first place she has fallen in love with the house while living there as the ward of its’ owner. These two strangers marry after a meeting of less than an hour and then return to Cornwall together. Jane is determined to scare her new husband into returning to town so that she has the house to herself. Penvale is just as determined to remain in his childhood home and live up to the responsibilities of its’ owner. What follows is a funny story of two people who begin to know and like each other during he craziness of Jane’s plan. Add in the whacky cast of friends from the previous books in this series, and I did laugh out loud, just less than in this author’s previous work. She has a witty sense of humor and I look forward to her next work of fiction as well. I definitely recommend giving this book a whirl. I am voluntarily submitting this review after reading an advanced complementary copy of this book.
Love the story
Love Martha waters books. Always make me laugh a little with her witty dialogue as well as bring a tear to my eye as her hero and heroine try to find love.