Reviews

To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters

marylou26's review against another edition

lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

bookmarkedtbr's review

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

cobaltbookshelf's review

3.0

3.5 stars

Instead of my usual rom-com palate, I decided to try a historical romance and he premise sounded fun. This book started slow for me. About half way through, I finally latched onto the characters and was really into the story.
Overall, this was a cute read and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

ksanders013's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

anyoung9's review

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I've listened to almost all of the books in this serious and enjoy them. I find myself laughing out loud and smiling multiple times. The sense of humor in these books is my favorite part. I didn't feel as connected to Jane and Penvale as I did with other characters, though.

kathyortiz's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

eventyrlys's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

cserlin66's review

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

erickert's review

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

librarybyemily's review against another edition

3.0

To Swoon and To Spar is a charming and witty romantic comedy you don’t want to miss! Martha Waters is a wonderfully talented author (with great literary taste, I might add). I had such a great time with Penvale and Jane as they both discovered what truly made them happy, including their budding romance.

*SPOILERS*

What I liked:
- Each side character was beautifully developed. Not once was I confused at who was who which is remarkable considering the amount of names dropped in this book.
- The language was balanced enough so you could immerse yourself in the Regency period without feeling like you were reading a novel that was *actually* from the Regency period; it felt like fun more than it did work.
- The whole glasses situation was super cute
- Although I detest miscommunications, it seemed to fit here because this was an arranged marriage and just the general context for the miscommunication.

What I did not like:
- I wish there was more but I also don’t. I felt like some parts could have been cut so that we could get more romance between the two. I like a good slow-burn, but I found myself craving more, which, in itself, is a good thing, but.
- Jane should have called Penvale Peter after falling in love with him. Where were the nicknames?!? Where?!?!
- Why is Diana so rude to Jane? There is literally no motivation for this character choice, even with her stubborn, matter-of-fact personality. This can easily be overlooked, but it stood out to me for some reason.
- I wish the author name dropped some more period romances aside from Jane Austen. I know this choice stems from the authors love of Austen, but as an academic, I would appreciate more variance in the name dropping.

Overall, a great book. These are such nit picky dislikes, so don’t pay too much attention to me.