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To Have and to Hoax

A Novel

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To Have and to Hoax

By: Martha Waters
Narrated by: Anais Inara Chase, Joel Froomkin
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About this listen

“A laugh out loud Regency romp—if you loved the Bridgertons, you’ll adore To Have and to Hoax!” —Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author

In this fresh and hilarious historical rom-com, an estranged husband and wife in Regency England feign accidents and illness in an attempt to gain attention—and maybe just win each other back in the process.

Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.

Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.

Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?

With charm, wit, and heart in spades, To Have and to Hoax is a fresh and eminently entertaining romantic comedy—perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Julia Quinn.
Historical Historical Fiction Regency Romantic Comedy

Critic Reviews

"Narrators Anais Chase and Joel Froomkin enliven a prank-riddled historical romance with snarky energy that listeners will enjoy. Violet and James have been married for five years, four of them spent apart after a fight that resulted in an estranged relationship. But now their feelings have changed, and they fake injuries, illnesses, and affairs in order to get each other's attention and fall in love all over again. Chase is the star of this performance as she provides a variety of identifiable characters and a soft tone that conveys emotions across the spectrum. Froomkin offers a strong masculine counterpoint that highlights both the haughtiness of the upper crust and the more vulnerable emotions of other characters."
All stars
Most relevant
The story was interesting, but I found it hard to invest in the characters… and I hate hate hated the male performance.

Could have been better

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I love a historical story, and James and Violet's is a fun one.

Even when i wanted to reach into the story and shake some sense into them both, but particularly Violet.

I love the banter between our lovelies, however I got so completely and utterly frustrated at the games she plays, and the lac of communication between them both.

It does make for a lot of spark when they do get their stuff sorted out. You know there is plenty of love between them, but when outside influences come into play things go awry.

I am a Joel junkie, so I knew I would enjoy his narration. Ms Chase is a new to me narrator, and she is delightful. She brings Violet to life.

An enjoyable tale to listen to during isolation.

Fun and frustating

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