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A review by librarybyemily
To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters
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.
*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.