The release date for the English version of 'To Have and to Hoax' by
Martha Waters is Apr 2020. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
Librarian Note: B07THBFMMT's older cover.
In an effort to attract attention and possibly win each other back, a divorcing husband and wife in Regency England stage mishaps and illnesses.
Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley first met, fell in love, and were joined in marriage five years ago. They had the fight to end all fights four years ago, and they haven't really spoken much since.
Their formerly passionate relationship has devolved into a cold, polite exchange. Violet rushes to be by James' side after receiving a letter informing her that he had been knocked down by his horse and put unconscious at their country house, only to find him at a tavern, fully aware of her anxiety. She is furious. He is perplexed. And it's clearer than ever how far apart they are.
Violet chooses to fake her own illness in an attempt to get even with her estranged spouse. Though James soon sees through it, he chooses to participate in an increasingly elaborate game of manipulation that includes actors posing as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, fictitious mistresses, and a lot of flirting between a husband and wife who may not be as antagonistic as they initially believed. Will the two be able to move past their four-year hurt or will they keep denying their feelings for one another?