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.
“Martha Waters makes a splashy debut with this pithy and charming historical rom-com . . . . Readers should have no trouble providing a laugh track themselves, considering the dizzy situational comedy and charming antics that await them, all underscored by the most essential element of all—an abundance of heart.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“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 of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
“Anyone who has ever wondered what happens after the happily ever after in a Jane Austen novel will love Martha Waters’s To Have and to Hoax.”
—PopSugar
“Waters’s debut Regency rom-com delights with hilarious, high-concept romantic schemes . . . . Waters gently lampoons genre tropes without sacrificing genuine feeling. Self-aware and brimming with well-timed epiphanies, this joyful, elegant romp is sure to enchant.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
