Title: To Marry and to Meddle (The Regency Vows #3)
Author: Martha Waters
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication date: April 5th, 2022
336 pages
5/5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis
The “sweet, sexy, and utterly fun” (Emily Henry, author of The People We Meet on Vacation) Regency Vows series continues with a witty, charming, and joyful novel following a seasoned debutante and a rakish theater owner as they navigate a complicated marriage of convenience.
Lady Emily Turner has been a debutante for six seasons now and should have long settled into a suitable marriage. However, due to her father’s large debts, her only suitor is the persistent and odious owner of her father’s favorite gambling house. Meanwhile, Lord Julian Belfry, the second son of a marquess, has scandalized society as an actor and owner of a theater—the kind of establishment where men take their mistresses, but not their wives. When their lives intersect at a house party, Lord Julian hatches a plan to benefit them both.
With a marriage of convenience, Emily will use her society connections to promote the theater to a more respectable clientele and Julian will take her out from under the shadows of her father’s unsavory associates. But they soon realize they have very different plans for their marriage—Julian wants Emily to remain a society wife, while Emily discovers an interest in the theater. But when a fleeing actress, murderous kitten, and meddlesome friends enter the fray, Emily and Julian will have to confront the fact that their marriage of convenience comes with rather inconvenient feelings.
With “an arch sense of humor and a marvelously witty voice that rivals the best of the Regency authors” (Entertainment Weekly), Martha Waters crafts another fresh romantic comedy that for fans of Julia Quinn and Evie Dunmore.
Review
The Regency Vows is a super solid regency romance series following a group of society ladies and their romantic endeavors. To Marry and to Meddle is the third book and follows Lady Emily Turner, the picture perfect lady on the ton. Emily must be perfect in order to balance out her father’s scandalous behavior with his debts to a less than reputable business man. Emily has been forced to court her father’s debtor for several Seasons and is ready to be out from under her parent’s rule. Lord Julian needs to fix the reputation of his theater to prove it’s worth to his estranged father. Together, they decide to enter a marriage of convenience to achieve both of their goals.
I adore marriage of convenience that turns into true love. It’s a beautiful trope, especially suited for regency romance because there were more reasons at that time to need a marriage of convenience than there is in current times. I love how Emily grows and changes as she is finally able to be herself instead of the perfect lady of the ton her family needs her to be. She has such a thick skin and it’s completely clear why Julian falls for her. Emily and Julian are my favorite couple of this series hands down so far.
I give this a 5 star because I enjoyed every single minute of the book. I don’t have any critiques or downsides to give. I just can’t wait for the next one!
Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Happy reading, folks!
Baltimore Bibliophile 