To Swoon and to Spar

January 16, 2023
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. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary.

February 1, 2023

Viscount Penvale lost his family home, Trethwick Abbey, to his uncle at a young age, but vowed to get it back. Now his uncle is willing to sell, but in exchange Penvale must marry his uncle's ward, Jane Spencer. Jane adores Trethwick Abbey and agrees to marry Penvale simply so she can stay, but all the while she's hatching a plan to oust him just as she did his uncle, by manufacturing a haunting. The haunting, however, doesn't go as planned because Penvale is determined to stay and improve life for his tenants and the local village. Jane eventually realizes Penvale is much more than a privileged aristocrat, and he discovers that her surly demeanor hides shyness and social anxiety. When the two host a house party, all manner of unexpected things happen. VERDICT The fake-haunting plot sounds like gothic romance, but Waters's latest "Regency Vows" novel (which follows To Marry and To Meddle) is a romantic comedy through and through. Although the chemistry between Jane and Penvale lacks a certain spark, readers will still be pleased that Jane ultimately decides to make room for Penvale in both Trethwick Abbey and her heart.--Eve Stano

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Starred review from March 15, 2023
Peter Bourne, Viscount Penvale, finally has a chance to buy back his family's country home, Trethwick Abbey, from his uncle John. There is just one problem. In order for John to sell Trethwick Abbey to Penvale, he insists that Penvale wed his ward Jane Spencer. While Jane would like nothing better than to rid herself of the annoying, intrusive presence of her guardian, she isn't exactly sure that trading him in for Penvale is a step in the right direction. Fortunately for Jane, she has a plan to ensure that her new husband leaves her alone at Trethwick Abbey: convince him that it is haunted. With a refreshingly acerbic sense of wit Jane Austen might have admired as well as a plot that gives a clever nod to the screwball spooky delights of Austen's Gothic-tinged Northanger Abbey and the novels of Mrs. Radcliffe, Waters (To Marry and to Meddle, 2022) proves she is in fine literary fettle as she dexterously delivers another sublimely satisfying addition to her completely charming Regency Vows series.

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