The heady scent of wildflowers lingered in the air.

“The English countryside in early September was a glorious place. To Marry and to Meddle features Emily Turner, a seasoned debutante and pawn for her parent’s machinations, and Julian Belfry, notorious rake and owner of The Belfry-a theater house that is more like a den of debauchery for the men of the ton than it is a respectable theater house. If all Regency Romances were as well written, full of wonderfully snarky humor, and featured utterly loveable characters like To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters, then I would have been a devout reader ages ago. “In retrospect, things might have gone better if Julian hadn’t been drunk.” With “an arch sense of humor and a marvelously witty voice that rivals the best of the Regency authors” ( Entertainment Weekly), Martha Waters crafts another fresh romantic comedy that for fans of Julia Quinn and Evie Dunmore. But when a fleeing actress, murderous kitten, and meddlesome friends enter the fray, Emily and Julian will have to confront the fact that their marriage of convenience comes with rather inconvenient feelings. But they soon realize they have very different plans for their marriage-Julian wants Emily to remain a society wife, while Emily discovers an interest in the theater. With a marriage of convenience, Emily will use her society connections to promote the theater to a more respectable clientele and Julian will take her out from under the shadows of her father’s unsavory associates. When their lives intersect at a house party, Lord Julian hatches a plan to benefit them both. Meanwhile, Lord Julian Belfry, the second son of a marquess, has scandalized society as an actor and owner of a theater-the kind of establishment where men take their mistresses, but not their wives.

However, due to her father’s large debts, her only suitor is the persistent and odious owner of her father’s favorite gambling house. Lady Emily Turner has been a debutante for six seasons now and should have long settled into a suitable marriage. The “sweet, sexy, and utterly fun” (Emily Henry, author of People We Meet on Vacation) Regency Vows series continues with a witty, charming, and joyful novel following a seasoned debutante and a rakish theater owner as they navigate a complicated marriage of convenience.

Nobody's Pawn by Amy McNulty