[Brittany’s Review]: To Love and to Loathe (The Regency Vows #2) by Martha Waters

The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham are infamous among English high society as much for their sharp-tongued bickering as their flirtation. One evening, an argument at a ball turns into a serious wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds. So shortly after, just before a fortnight-long house party at Elderwild, Jeremy’s country estate, Diana is shocked when Jeremy appears at her home with a very different kind of proposition.

After his latest mistress unfavorably criticized his skills in the bedroom, Jeremy is looking for reassurance, so he has gone to the only woman he trusts to be totally truthful. He suggests that they embark on a brief affair while at the house party—Jeremy can receive an honest critique of his bedroom skills and widowed Diana can use the gossip to signal to other gentlemen that she is interested in taking a lover.

Diana thinks taking him up on his counter-proposal can only help her win her wager. With her in the bedroom and Jeremy’s marriage-minded grandmother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Willingham, helping to find suitable matches among the eligible ladies at Elderwild, Diana is confident her victory is assured. But while they’re focused on winning wagers, they stand to lose their own hearts.

With Martha Waters’s signature “cheeky charm and wonderfully wry wit” (Booklist, starred review), To Love and to Loathe is another clever and delightful historical rom-com that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Evie Dunmore.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This was my first book by this author and I will most definitely be reading more of her work. If you love historical romance with steamy scenes and hilarious characters, I highly recommend this book.

In the Regency-era book, we meet the widowed Diana, Lady Templeton. Diana is a beautiful woman who has achieved what she wants in her life. With the death of her husband two years prior, she is free to live as a man during this time. She has her own money, her own home, and she doesn’t answer to anyone. But something is missing. Diana’s personality is very straight forward. She doesn’t beat around the bush, but she is also capable of getting what she wants. She is funny and I loved seeing her with the hero in the book.

We also meet Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham. Jeremy is a rake—basically a guy who is gorgeous and sleeps with a bunch of women. And he doesn’t hide this fact. I couldn’t help but love Jeremy’s character. He is funny, charming, and sweet. He’s had plenty of women in his life and has a cocky attitude about it. Until he doesn’t.

Jeremy and Diana have known each other for years but can’t seem to speak three sentences to each other without arguing. But they both feel the attraction. When one of Jeremy’s flings ends badly and he is told his bedroom skills need improvement, he proposes a proposition to Diana. If they have a fling, she will get the passion she wants and allow the other men to see that she wants to take on a lover, and Jeremy will get honest feedback about his skills in the bedroom. I want to say this is an adult romance and has sexual content. While there weren’t many sex scenes, I enjoyed what the author wrote. The sexual tension throughout the book makes you want to fan yourself and you are on the edge of your seat wanting to scream at the characters, “just do it already!”.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book and I highly recommend this book for those who want a sweet, sexy, funny, and historical romance.

Brittany

Hello! My name is Brittany. I’m a newbie nurse by day and an avid reader 24/7. I am a proud romance junkie and will read just about every genre as long as there is some romance. I love to spend my time with my 9 cats—yes, you read that correctly—and posting on my bookstagram account (@_darkreadings if curious). I’m also a hardcore JLA fan.