To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters: A Book Review
I absolutely love Martha Waters' writing style. She has made me appreciate historical romcoms with the Regency Vows series and To Marry and to Meddle was another fun installment as the third book in the series.
Listening to by Anais Inara Chase and Joel Froomkin narrate this story was like being transported in time and dropped into a world where a woman’s dowry could make or break her chances of becoming wed. In this case, Emily’s family is in severe debt but that doesn’t sway controversial theatre owner Julian, in pursuing an opportunity to elevate his reputation by marrying Lady Emily. While they both agree that this union between them will get them out of situations they’d rather not be in, the growing attraction between Emily and Julian was swoony. I especially loved how Cecil the kitten mauled Julian with perfected timing and the nickname Julian bestows on him. There was just so much to love about this story and it was such a fun audio to listen to.
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for the gifted copy and Simon and Schuster Audio for the advanced listening copy. Thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
Book Description
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.