A review by annerollins
To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I think this might be my favorite book in the REGENCY VOWS series. It combines the "hoax your spouse" plot of TO HAVE AND TO HOAX with a traditional marriage-of-convenience-between-strangers plot. The characters are both lovable and watching them fall in love is great.
Why not five full stars? Because the female lead is very shy/socially awkward, and there is a little bit of the traditional "shy person learns to interact with other people more" trope here. It's not overwhelming, but to me, that trope is both problematic and overdone. I would've been happier if Jane did NOT feel the need to turn into "New Jane" at the end in order to get what she wanted. A character gaining more confidence in social situations is a great development, but an introvert doesn't actually need to throw a house party. Like, ever.
Authors: please just let unsocial characters remain unsocial. They don't need to learn to be more extraverted!
Why not five full stars? Because the female lead is very shy/socially awkward, and there is a little bit of the traditional "shy person learns to interact with other people more" trope here. It's not overwhelming, but to me, that trope is both problematic and overdone. I would've been happier if Jane did NOT feel the need to turn into "New Jane" at the end in order to get what she wanted. A character gaining more confidence in social situations is a great development, but an introvert doesn't actually need to throw a house party. Like, ever.
Authors: please just let unsocial characters remain unsocial. They don't need to learn to be more extraverted!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content