To Have and to Hoax Review

Hello, all!

You all know I love historical fiction, especially one set in England in the Regency/Victorian eras. I also love a good rom-com, so when I heard about To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters, I jumped at the chance to read it. Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!

Pub Date: 4-7-20
Historical Fiction - Contemporary

Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love and got married very quickly. Now, five years into their marriage, the pair haven't spoken since having an argument to end all arguments four years earlier. Their once passionate marriage is now full of cold silences and colder shoulders. But when Violet receives a letter stating that James had been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious, she drops everything to rush to his side at their country home. Imagine her surprise when she meets him at an inn along the road, very much in perfect health and completely unaware of her concern. Violet is outraged and James is confused, and the distance between them only threatens to grow greater.

Wanting nothing more than to teach her husband a lesson, Violet concocts a rather absurd plan of faking a serious illness. However, James quickly sees through his wife's charade, but decides to go along with the ruse. Thus begins a ridiculous game of manipulation, actors posing as doctors, faux mistresses, and increasing flirtations between husband and wife who may not hate each other as much as they thought.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I loved the whole premise and the execution was done so well. It's so ridiculous and witty, and I couldn't put it down. Violet and James are both so stubborn and hard-headed, and usually I would be annoyed with characters acting so childishly, but they were both so aware of how dumb they were being that I didn't actually mind. Their antics were so over the top and pretty comical, but I really loved how their relationship played out. Their back and forth bickering was everything. All the secondary characters in their friend group were also great and added so much enjoyment to the story. If you're looking for a fun but still heartfelt read, check this one out.

Rating: 4/5