The Regency Vows, Book 3
From the publisher:
The “sweet, sexy, and utterly fun” (Emily Henry, author of 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.
“Sure to delight Bridgerton fans.” —USA TODAY
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This is my first time reading this author, so I haven’t read the first two books in the series – but I could tell I was missing information. Nevertheless, the story pulled me in and the characters came to life on the page.
Lady Emily was an interesting character; a dutiful daughter, an intelligent woman, and a woman always in complete control of her emotions. When Lord Julian proposes this marriage of convenience, Emily is thrilled to escape from under her parents iron-fisted rule, and happy to jilt the man who’s been squiring her about for a few years, without a proposal in sight. Not that she wants to marry the odious man, but the scandals that have befallen her family leave her out of the running for most men.
But Julian is different. He owns a somewhat disreputable theater and is estranged from his family because of it, especially his father who gave him an ultimatum to either sell the theater or he would be cut off. Julian is making tons of money from the theater and doesn’t need his father’s money, but deep down he would like his approval. So he hatches this plan to marry a proper society woman in hopes of getting the ton to come to his theater – the wives, not just the mistresses.
Of course they fall in love, but both are afraid to admit it, and to admit what it might mean for their plans. But no worries, Julian and Emily mend fences, support one another, and get their happily ever after. Now I have to find the first two books in the series!
4/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
TO MARRY AND TO MEDDLE by Martha Waters. Atria Books (April 5, 2022). ISBN: 978-1982190484. 336p.
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