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A review by altogetherbooked
To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters
4.0
To Marry and to Meddle is the third in Martha Waters’ Regency Vows series which centers on a group of friends in Regency Era England. Each book seems to focus on a particular romance trope (e.g. the first book was marriage in trouble, the second was “enemies” to lovers) and the plots are extremely charming and funny—I’ve heard them likened to “Regency rom-com.” To Marry and To Meddle is a marriage of convenience story. Lady Emily Turner has been raised to be the perfect lady and she’s had to be, in order to stay about the scandals caused first by her older brother (who died after winning a duel and fleeing to the Continent) and then her father’s money problems. She has never felt like she has had any control over her life and has only been able to be her true self when in the company of her two closest friends. So when Lord Julian Belfry, the scandalous second son of a powerful duke, approaches her with a marriage bargain she takes agrees. He will have a very proper wife to help salvage his reputation (and that of the theater he owns and manages in London) and she will be able to escape the confines of her parents and the odious gaming hell owner to whom her father owes money and she is afraid she will eventually be forced to wed. Of course this marriage of convenience quickly turns into something more. There is also a scene-stealing mischievous kitten in the mix!
I thought this was a delightful addition to the series. It was great getting a chance to see Emily come into her own and finally be able to be loved and appreciated for her true self. I also enjoyed seeing how Julian progressed from the shallow seeming rake we were initially introduced to in the first book (note: while this can definitely be read as a standalone, I think readers would get more out of the story if they’ve read the previous books which really do set up Emily and Julian’s story more fully). I’m glad to hear that two more books are in the works—the next is focusing on Penvale (the older brother of Book 2 heroine). While he wasn’t in this one all that much I remember being intrigued by him in the earlier books so I can't wait to see what Martha has in store of us next.
I thought this was a delightful addition to the series. It was great getting a chance to see Emily come into her own and finally be able to be loved and appreciated for her true self. I also enjoyed seeing how Julian progressed from the shallow seeming rake we were initially introduced to in the first book (note: while this can definitely be read as a standalone, I think readers would get more out of the story if they’ve read the previous books which really do set up Emily and Julian’s story more fully). I’m glad to hear that two more books are in the works—the next is focusing on Penvale (the older brother of Book 2 heroine). While he wasn’t in this one all that much I remember being intrigued by him in the earlier books so I can't wait to see what Martha has in store of us next.