To Have and to Hoax

Books | Fiction / Historical / General

3.6

(483)

Martha Waters

Named a Best Romance of April by Goodreads, Popsugar, Bustle, and more! “A laugh out loud Regency romp—if you loved the Bridgertons, you’ll adore To Have and to Hoax!” —Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author In this fresh and hilarious historical rom-com, an estranged husband and wife in Regency England feign accidents and illness in an attempt to gain attention—and maybe just win each other back in the process.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.

Romance

Comedy

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More Details:

Author

Martha Waters

Pages

368

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

2020-04-07

ISBN

1982136111 9781982136116

Ratings

Google: 5

Community ReviewsSee all

"Liked it a lot but the miscommunication was like dragged on a bit too much. Like it resolved and the story could have continued but like it kept popping up like 10 extra times by the end of the book. Felt like it was unnecessary. Also it seems like this is a pattern for this author to drag out the miscommunication but I liked the story and the writing was also good."

Ruth

"It was all about a husband and wife lying to each other and getting on each other’s nerves… not my vibe"

Cara Grant

"The potency of the characters' love for each other despite their many misunderstands and quarrels is beautifully delivered. I am also a huge fan of the couples friends offering their two cents about the relationship. Not to mention the wit and decorum required for the success of this style. "

E Hinkes

"If you don't like miscommunication and being far too british to talk things out, don't read this book. It was infuriating but fun to read at the same time. You just want to smack the two mcs heads together and tell them to talk to each other. At the same time it was fun, ridiculous and spicy. "

Lauren Smith

"Too drawn out - Violet and James have been married for 5 years, but haven’t spoken to each other in 4 years. Their marriage started out as one of love after being caught together on a balcony, but James lack of trust and desire to prove himself to his father caused the marriage ruin. After receiving a note that her husband was severely injured after falling off a horse, Violet schemes to get her husband to come back to her and abandon the stables given to him by his father for their wedding. Violet faked a sickness, but James figured it out. She then plotted for a lady friend to pursue James, which made him feel awkward. In the end, James realizes that he has always loved his wife and their initial fight, over their parents putting them on the balcony together, was not something that Violet knew about. He has to trust his wife. When they finally talk, they restore their marriage. "

Katie Daly

"Such a great read!! "

Janie

"Hahahaha this book made me laugh. It’s a really good book and I enjoyed it so much! A pretty well done second chance romance."

Carrot

"When reading this book it put me right back into the Bridgerton mode! The extravagant balls and beautiful gowns. I also enjoyed the lengths the main characters went to in order to aggravate the other. Despite this, the plot seemed to halt multiple times where I didn’t have the energy to read on. Every time I though I knew what was happening, it would change. It’s still a good story but not one of my favorites."