TO SWOON AND TO SPAR

Published April 11, 2023 by Atria Books (US) / Headline Eternal (UK)

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. 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.

PRAISE FOR TO SWOON AND TO SPAR

“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.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“An elaborate hoax leads to unexpected love in Waters’s satisfying, slow-burning fourth Regency Vows romance…the goofy faux ghosts and Jane’s hilariously blunt personality set this apart. Series fans won’t be disappointed.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Sweet and swoon-worthy.”
—Woman’s World

“A romantic comedy through and through . . . [Readers will] be pleased that Jane ultimately decides to make room for Penvale in both Trethwick Abbey and her heart.”
—Library Journal

“I simply could not put [it] down . . . Bridgerton fans will like this one.”
—Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"I loved this book more than I can say. It was instantly endearing, hilariously witty, and an absolute joy to read. Jane was the most wonderful heroine, and Penvale was a hero truly deserving of her. The delightful narration had me constantly smiling when I wasn't outright laughing, and the slow burn, marriage-of-convenience romance melted my heart. To Swoon and to Spar will be joining Waters' other books on my favorites shelf, just as soon as I've finished rereading it!"
—India Holton, bestselling author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels