Once and Always (The Sequels series)

There is no one like Judith McNaught for making you just sigh at the lovely romance she creates. She's the master, truly. Although this isn't my favorite of hers, it's still awesome and better than most of the other romances out there.
What I didn't like was that while all of her characters are extreme alpha males (and all basically the same except for some minor detail changes), Jason was quite the jerk. Of course, it's nice to see him go from being a big jerk to totally besotted, but still. Like other reviewers, I was deeply disturbed at the wedding night scene and other abusive scenes. He was always shouting at her and man handling her, even deep into the book. I was practically shouting through the book for him to quit grabbing her arms. This book is also pretty formulaic. If you've read her other books, then you know what I mean. The heroines, heroes, side characters, and even descriptions of characters are extremely similar, but I'm ok with that. Her formula works, and her romances are amazing.
This has got to be one of the best endings with Jason thinking she's dead. In all romances, it's clear one can't live without the other, and in this, we finally get to "see" the hero's reaction. Man, I cried right along with Jason! I just wish there had been an epilogue. They'd just barely gotten together before it was all over.
All in all, a touching, beautiful romance. I just have issues with the abuse, obviously.

This is my first Judith McNaught romance. I found the story engaging...the two young daughters of an Irish American doctor and his wife who was from British aristocracy (though the daughters don't know it) are taken to England when their parents die, each given to a different relative. The oldest, Victoria, has been in love with Andrew, the prominent son of a wealthy New York family, her whole life. Andrew has loved her and taught her to hunt, fish shoot and ride. He vows to wed her when she's of age and has told her he loves her and will always love her. She loves and trusts him. But her parents die and she is shipped to England while he's on a trip to Europe. Meanwhile, there's a conspiracy to marry her to her cousin, Jason Fielding, the bastard son of an English Duke who was once in love with Victoria's mother. And Victoria believes Andrew has married another. So, she reluctantly weds Jason. (Frankly I was pulling for the Marquis de Salle at that point. At least he cared for her and was a kind man.) The story was fast paced and intriguing for the most part, but here are the problems: Jason, the ostensible hero, is less appealing than Andrew whose love never failed Victoria. I kept wanting her to end up with Andrew. If the author was trying to say Jason was better for her, she didn't convince me. And then there was Jason's wedding night rape (that is what is was if you read the description and it offended me), his trying to pay for her affections with jewelry as if she was one of his whores, and his continuing to sleep with his mistress after the wedding. Who could ever love a guy like that? Jason was a cad...a mean cad. I kept wanting Victoria to just throw him over. I don't care if he had a difficult childhood or that he was sexy. So what? And when he later tells Victoria he loved her when he married her, it just didn't ring true as his actions said otherwise. Jason's consistently arrogant, surly behavior was too much for me. His big turnabout at the end was anticlimactic. Victoria was a bit too nice for me as well. And everyone's trying to justify the deceit perpetrated on Victoria in the name of matching her with the guy they thought best was just revolting. A good story gone bad. I should add that what makes it so difficult to review this author's works is that she really is a good writer so if she can overcome the story issues she'd clearly be a 5 star author.

Once and Always by Judith Mcnaught was a delightful read! Although, honestly I did enjoy Almost Heaven and Something Wonderful much, much more, O&A was still a tear jerker.
Victoria grew up in a loving enviornment, whereas Jason grew up with a cruel childhood. Many people are afraid of Jason because of his overbearing presence and power. When Victoria's parents die suddenly, she is sent to live with her long distance cousin, who she's never met, and so happens to be Jason, the powerful lord of Wakefield. Jason is terribly annoyed with Victoria's arrival, and tries his best to find a suitable husband for her. However, suprises always pop up, and Jason finds himself slowly falling for Victoria's innocent charms and gestures. BUT Victoria is already engaged to her childhood sweetheart, Andrew, who on his mother's demands was to leave for Switzerland to visit his cousin and 'test' out his long-term relationship with Victoria to see if they can still remain faithful to each other. Andrew's mother dislikes Victoria immensely and sets out to do some deceiving. She tells Victoria that Andrew is already engaged to his cousin, and that she should go on with her life and forget about the past. Feeling hurt and betrayed, Victoria seeks comfort from Jason, and they eventually get married. Many events occur as the two lovers try to sort out their true feelings. When the truth is revealed about all the lies and deceit, chaos arises and Victoria's love for Jason is sorely tested.
One part I didn't like about the novel, is that poor Andrew, who was innocent in all his mother's lies, had to give up his true chance for happiness with Victoria, for it was already too late. It was sad, but that's my opinion, and besides that, the book was wonderful.

Once and Always by Judith Mcnaught was a delightful read! Although, honestly I did enjoy Almost Heaven and Something Wonderful much, much more, O&A was still a tear jerker.
Victoria grew up in a loving enviornment, whereas Jason grew up with a cruel childhood. Many people are afraid of Jason because of his overbearing presence and power. When Victoria's parents die suddenly, she is sent to live with her long distance cousin, who she's never met, and so happens to be Jason, the powerful lord of Wakefield. Jason is terribly annoyed with Victoria's arrival, and tries his best to find a suitable husband for her. However, suprises always pop up, and Jason finds himself slowly falling for Victoria's innocent charms and gestures. BUT Victoria is already engaged to her childhood sweetheart, Andrew, who on his mother's demands was to leave for Switzerland to visit his cousin and 'test' out his long-term relationship with Victoria to see if they can still remain faithful to each other. Andrew's mother dislikes Victoria immensely and sets out to do some deceiving. She tells Victoria that Andrew is already engaged to his cousin, and that she should go on with her life and forget about the past. Feeling hurt and betrayed, Victoria seeks comfort from Jason, and they eventually get married. Many events occur as the two lovers try to sort out their true feelings. When the truth is revealed about all the lies and deceit, chaos arises and Victoria's love for Jason is sorely tested.
One part I didn't like about the novel, is that poor Andrew, who was innocent in all his mother's lies, had to give up his true chance for happiness with Victoria, for it was already too late. It was sad, but that's my opinion, and besides that, the book was wonderful.

Once and Always by Judith Mcnaught was a delightful read! Although, honestly I did enjoy Almost Heaven and Something Wonderful much, much more, O&A was still a tear jerker.
Victoria grew up in a loving enviornment, whereas Jason grew up with a cruel childhood. Many people are afraid of Jason because of his overbearing presence and power. When Victoria's parents die suddenly, she is sent to live with her long distance cousin, who she's never met, and so happens to be Jason, the powerful lord of Wakefield. Jason is terribly annoyed with Victoria's arrival, and tries his best to find a suitable husband for her. However, suprises always pop up, and Jason finds himself slowly falling for Victoria's innocent charms and gestures. BUT Victoria is already engaged to her childhood sweetheart, Andrew, who on his mother's demands was to leave for Switzerland to visit his cousin and 'test' out his long-term relationship with Victoria to see if they can still remain faithful to each other. Andrew's mother dislikes Victoria immensely and sets out to do some deceiving. She tells Victoria that Andrew is already engaged to his cousin, and that she should go on with her life and forget about the past. Feeling hurt and betrayed, Victoria seeks comfort from Jason, and they eventually get married. Many events occur as the two lovers try to sort out their true feelings. When the truth is revealed about all the lies and deceit, chaos arises and Victoria's love for Jason is sorely tested.
One part I didn't like about the novel, is that poor Andrew, who was innocent in all his mother's lies, had to give up his true chance for happiness with Victoria, for it was already too late. It was sad, but that's my opinion, and besides that, the book was wonderful.

The characters in this tired regency romance are absurd caricatures who are incongruous even for this genre. Take the heroine -- she can shoot, swim, ride, play the piano, play cards, prescribe medicine -- all at a high level of expertise apart from being ravishingly beautiful and is able to befriend fierce animals. The hero is a financial genius and ultra accomplished person who takes out his frustrations on pretty much every one in his vicinity. After reading about a quarter of the book, I started skipping the ridiculous sadomasochistic conversations between these two principals. The way the author portrays other cultures -- especially Indian -- shows her to be a poorly read individual whose travel experience is probably limited to a couple of jaunts in Europe. The plot itself is thin and the content of the many long winded conversations is repetitive with little wit or humor to catch the reader's interest. In summary, this is a mindless read with a really repellant hero.

Much like its title, Once and Always, had captured my heart the first time I its covers and kept it ever since (ok, so it's not exactly like the title...)
This book, have always been to me, one of JM's most treasurable masterpieces. Only she can create characters that can make some of the stupidest mistakes yet still redeem themselves and become perfect again by the end of the book.
Victoria's gentle courage and beautiful nature is something that I, as a female, have always strived to be. And despite Jason's flaws and mistakes, he is still one of those men (a JM man) who melts your heart and makes you love him all the same.
I know that some other reviewers have some major complaints about the main characters. And despite Jason and Victoria has dug themselves into my heart and earned a place there for all time, I am not blind to their faults. I do not deny that Jason and Victoria may have some flaws but these flaws did not ruin my image of them, but only seemed to endear them further in my eyes. No one's perfect and I doubt there are not many people who wants to read about perfect heroes and heroines who never make any mistakes. But JM's characters come as close as they could to perfection without making them seem unrealistic and unbelievable. Jason and Victoria are two of JM's most splendid and unbelievable creations (and if you read JM, you will know that's not just any compliment) who will stay with you forever.
The only, ONLY complaint I ever had of O&A is that it ended too soon. It is my only favorite JM book without the famous JM trademark ending. And I pray for the day that she would extend the ending to O&A like she did Whitney, My Love.
Once and Always is a story of two people who finds love when they least expected or wanted it. It is a fairy tale that tells of a courageous, young woman who brings light and laughter to the home and heart of a man who had long forgotten the meaning of love.
Once and Always is a story that will melt even the coldest heart and make even the most skeptical cynic believe in the magic of love and the beautiful world of Judith McNaught.

Victoria Elizabeth Seaton grew up in a small cottage in America. When she loses her parents in a tragic accident, she and her sister find out that their mother was in fact a Countess and their great-grandmother is the Dowager Duchess of Claremont. However, when the Dowager refused to take Victoria in, she and Dorothy were separated - Dorothy goes to live with the Dowager, while Victoria finds herself at the doorstep of Jason Fielding, the Marquess of Wakefield, whose father, Charles Fielding, was her mother's one true love (and vice versa), and who has the 'romantic notions' of pulling off the wedding of the decade by announcing the engagement of Jason and Victoria without their knowledge or consent.

ONCE AND ALWAYS basically has the same elements as SOMETHING WONDERFUL, minus the murder plot. Both introduce the heroine as a child with the same characterizations: naïve, sweet, witty and so full of life. Both are your typical ingénues, who rise from an unremarkable upbringing to become the darling of the ton. Then we have the typical alpha-males as heroes, disenchanted with life, cold and reserved, and distrustful of women. Both also feature the meddling grandmothers - as cold and sour as they can get. But similar elements aside, this book is fantastic. One cannot help but be captivated with this love story. True, Jason is domineering, sometimes cruel and seemingly unfeeling, but as you learn more about his past, how his ex-wife betrayed him and how tragic his childhood was, you cannot help but sympathize and feel for him. And although Victoria may come across as overly nice, she pretty much puts Jason in his place when he's really crossed the line. But the greatest thing is seeing Jason's defences finally breakdown and accept the love and happiness that Victoria is offering him.

Although I do wish that we were given more glimpses of Jason's thoughts and that the ending wasn't rushed (I would at least have liked an epilogue), these minor quibbles do not detract from the utter delight you will feel once you start reading this. I have already read it twice and know that I will read it again.

I Love Judith Mcnaught books and this was no exception.
A beautiful tale of love between two characters - Jason and Tori - that have suffered a lot and their journey to learn to love and trust again (especially by Jason's side).
I enjoyed it a lot even though it has some moments in which I was not very pleased with Jason's behavior ( I have found though, that this is something that is quite common in McNaught books... the type of behavior from Jason that bothered me in this book can also be found in the male characters of Until you and Kingdom of dreams that are two of my favorite books ever )
Highly recommended; I have readed many times and the ending always make me cry.. only four stars because I wish there was an epilogue!!!

Judith McNaught has a flair for creating great heroes, and Jason is no exception. Victoria is no slouch either. Add a well-written storyline and you've got another fun read.
Jason is one of those tortured heroes. He has a deep dark past that causes him to distrust women. Victoria is a spitfire, but also is generous and understanding. When these two fight, you won't be able to put the book down you'll be so enthralled. When they fall in love, you'll fall in love. When they fall on hard times you'll feel for them.
The only thing I didn't like about this book was the plot device of using Jason's friend to be Victoria's guide to Jason's past, and heading the star-crossed lovers in the right direction. I think it would have been more emotional and interesting to read to have the two lovers discover together the hurt in their past.
The ending of this book is not to be missed, though (and I won't give any of it away to ruin the fun). If nothing else, buy the book and read it for the ending. You won't regret it!

I have recently become a Judith McNaught fan, but I had a hard time with this one. While I enjoyed the characters and the overall storyline, I found that I had to continually remind myself of the time period and the personal history of each character in order to keep things in perspective and finish the book. I had a hard time with the physical and emotional abuse dished out by the hero of the book. The fact that her husband rapes her on their wedding night and only feels like a monster after he realizes she was a virgin, and then she is the one consumed with how to make things right between them was a pretty big stretch for me, especially considering the fact that the heroine was an intelligent woman with a decent amount of self-respect. Again, I tried to keep the time period of the novel in perspective, as well as the hero's personal pain and history in order to process that as I read. I also had a hard time with the fact that there was more negative relationship drama than positive. There wasn't a strong enough balance for me in terms of all the pain and suffering, versus the short and sweet happy ending. I would have liked more detail and follow-through with the ending than just the last handful of pages of the book. The ending felt incomplete to me.

This is a great romance novel that will warm your heart and make you believe in the power of love when you finish the book. Yes, it's corny, but Judith McNaught's books do that to you, especially this one. The love that Jason and Victoria share are realistic and the obstacles they overcome are also very realistic, which just strenghthens their bond. The process that they go through to solidify their love is described with such heartwrenching detail and complexity. In short, you end up believing in their love for each other, in their future. From the moment Jason and Victoria enter the pages of this book, in their separate worlds, they're such interesting individuals you immediately want to know more about them and can't wait for them to meet and clash their wills with each other (because it's obviously inevitable when you consider their different personalities) and eventually realize they're perfect for each other and fall in love.

Jason is a gorgeous hero, cold and hard on the outside but he's really hiding a warm human being on the inside because of his cruel upbringing. Victoria is also as perfect a heroine as I can conjure up myself, she's so strong and determined yet always managing to be sweet and tender. She, and only she, is capable of healing Jason. My favorite parts of the book would have to be that after they're married and he's cold to her because she is too naive to understand what he really wants (what all men want, really) and then, after she gets valuable advice, tries to 'seduce' him. JM always manages to make her scenes so funny and yet so poignant at the same time. Then, AfTERWARDS, when they are married in every sense of the word, Jason still doesn't accept Victoria fully and she tries to make him jealous and pay attention to her. I thought the ways that she tried to do so were soo cute and funny and smart, and the way Jason reacts just makes my heart wrench. They're just too perfect for each other!! I love it when Jason is trying so hard to be impassive and unemotional but his efforts all come to nothing as sweet natured Victoria always manages to bring his emotions to a boiling point and stirs up the cold world he's created for himself. When he's passionate, when he's tender, when he's jealous, when he's angry, all these emotions come out in their purest, truest form because of Victoria. The reasons they love each other, SHOULD love each other, become clear as the book unfolds...it's such a delightful read.

There are, of course, faults with all books, and in this one I can only find two small one. The first is the role that Uncle Charles play, I find that he's too weak a supporting character and hard to believe he would take it so complacently when Jason rides roughshod over him. The second is the way the novel ends. I WANT MORE!!! The way it ends is so abrupt and I don't fully understand Victoria's reactions, first when Andrew comes back and confronts her, and then after she finds out everyone thought she was dead. So many questions are not fully resolved. Is she still in love with Andrew? Does she regret marrying Jason? Is she still mad with Jason? The ending doesn't really spell all of that out, though of course you know she loves Jason wholedheartedly. But what happened to Andrew and how does Jason deal with this whole Andrew thing? I think we the readers should have more answers than the final scenes provides us.

But overall this book is one of the sweetest, most romantic and compelling novels I've ever read. It should deserve five stars just because one scene actually brought tears to my eyes, and that rarely happens when I read books, especially romance novels.

I really like this book. This book was enjoyable to read. When her parents died, Victoria sailed overseas to England to live with a distant Uncle of hers, Charles, and his "nephew," Jason (who is really Charles' illegitimate son). She has her heart set on marrying her childhood sweetheart, Andrew, and has been engaged to him since before her parents died. However, many are plotting against their union. Andrew's mother plots against the union by hiding her letters from Andrew and letting Victoria believe he has betrayed her. Charles plots to have her married to Jason. Believing Charles to be on his deathbed and that Andrew has betrayed her she marries Jason. Jason, however, is cold-hearted and is incapable of giving her his love and says he doesn't want her love either. Jason was married once before to a woman who turned against him and started having affairs upon learning Jason was a bastard. His first wife and son drowned because of her betrayal. Victoria has to somehow get Jason to love her and open his heart to her before she learns that Andrew never betrayed her and was true to her from the very beginning.

This book was good but the reason I don't give it a complete five stars is simply because I did not like the hero of this book at all. Also I thought it was kind of sad that Andrew was lost to her forever, even though admittedly Jason was probably the better choice because he could provide for her better (although Andrew was well off as well). Yes, the hero redeems himself at the end but I still just didn't like him. He was unreasonably terrible to women and held a low opinion of women. Also some of the ways he treated Victoria was just uncalled for even for someone who had the terrible childhood he did and who had an ex-wife who betrayed him. That being said I always do like Judith McNaught. This is only the third book I've read from McNaught but I really like her style. I certainly never turn a McNaught book down when I see it on the shelves. I really liked how everything turned out with Victoria's great-grandmother in this book. I really like the little old lady she made me smile! Of course, she keeps up her scheming ways until the end to arrange everybody's marriages lol! Also I liked that Victoria wasn't trying to be a business partner with Jason. Jason was always involved in his work and she never got involved in any of it, but at the same time she really wanted a marriage where she could cook, clean and sew and actually love her husband because it was considered unfashionable for marriages of the ton to be like the marriages of "common" and "ordinary" people. All in all, this book was good.

I admit that Judith McNaught has a flair for drama, and I stopped reading her books after finishing Kingdom of dreams, coz that was just SO corny for me. But I started reading again and found out that "Once and Always" is the perfect, new beginning for me. Of course, as a McNaught, u'll never run out of those witty come-backs or some of her oh-god-how-i-love-you-so lines from the main characters, and an over the top climax. When I read McNaught, I forget about realism and I get carried away with the emotions she worked up on both her characters and her readers. But even as I love this book, there are still some flaws. I read some stories where the father lost his son and that will be the main conflict in the story where the hero has a hard time getting over the incident. Here, I find it difficult to believe that Jason has felt something genuine for Jamie, his son. He didn't even cry when he died, yet he did cry when he thought Victoria died. I know it made the plot a little easier to maneuver, but I thought that part was a little bit shallow. Anyway, I still gave this book 5 stars not because of technical or moral weaknesses but because u'll surely enjoy this book and fall in love with it just like I did.

this book is simply wonderful. i liked that there is more emotion placed on BOTH characters. jason and tory are not perfect people, both have their own personal demons to battle especially upon becoming married to each other. but they are perfect for one another.

as is denoted by a McNaught novel, this story is laden with heart-wrenching scenes and unforgettable lines. we all know that in the end the couples always end up with one another in such romance books, but there's just something inexplicably unique in having characters (esp sexy, hunky, de-lish heroes) with flaws. jason is a very embittered and cynical man and having him commit a grievous sin against tory (which i also hated and is very controversial) just shows that not every romance tale is perfect.

i must admit that the ending was quite weak. it felt as if it was written in a hurry. but all-in-all, i really loved this story. hmmm...not as good as Until You, though...

There are some very good reviews of this book following, so I will be brief with my 2 cents worth! I love Judith McNaught's writing and this is a very good book - well conceived and convincing. If you are new to her brilliant romances, I would suggest you read Something Wonderful or Almost Heaven first. Although these Regency Romances are all from the same time period and have some common threads, Once and Always is a little darker and more disturbing. The characters are well developed and Jason's cruelty toward Victoria and mistrust of women in general is explained well as the story enfolds. Having said that, there are some very disturbing sex scenes in this book. I think Jason Fielding is the only one of Judith's alpha male characters that can make Clayton (Whitney My Love) look like a choir boy! While this is not my favorite McNaught book, I still have to give it 5 stars for an excellent storyline and memorable characters.

This book was... incredible.
It was intoxicating from the very start. How can you not be hooked by a book that starts off with a wife taunting her husband about her lover... and him... supringly not choking her out!!! I abso loved Jason. I really felt like he was the best of McNaught's characters. well... other than Nikki... but im not going to go into how dispointed i was with his story.

SO, the story is about a beatiful American girl, Victoria, who is suddenly orphaned, along with her sister. SHe is sent to live with distant English realitives, and end up with the man who loved her Mother, and his illigellenment son, Jason Feilding, who son and faithless wife was killed years before in a ship accident.
Although, Victoria is set on Marrying a boy from her villiage (like Whitney from Whitney, my love), she can't fight the attraction she feels for JAson, and try as he might... he can't ignore her.
THe story is beautifully written, and the love is so vivid, it will have you yearning for your own once and always kind of love. I've read my fair share of books, but i have the pleasure of saying this one is one of my all time faves!

Mcnaught is able to bring such emotion to these characters. I wanted them so much to find happiness. I just felt bad for Andrew and when the book ended, my thought was "What about Andrew?" Regardless, I enjoyed the story all the way through - very enjoyable read. As far as the "rape" some other reviewers complained about, I didn't see it. When I read those reviews, my first thought was "huh?" I remember a lack of caring and gentleness but not a rape. So, I guess what we read is definitely open to interpretation and one must also remember context, and time period. Recommend! Finished Whitney, My Love 2 days ago and recommend it as well - like it so much I picked this one up and read it immediately.

put in one part young, innocent, and beautiful heroine, one part emotionally tortured hero, and one part sensual love scenes and it's the making of one of the more moving romantic novels you'll ever read.

judith mcnaught is quickly becoming my favorite romantic novelist and here's why: she is one of the best authors when it comes to character development, her heroes are alpha male (which is my favorite kind of hero, frankly), and there is always deep emotional depiction within her books. NONE of her heroes fall lightly. they might start off as cold and emotionally distant but that guarantees that when the hero falls, he's gonna fall so hard that he can't ever get up.

and so it goes with "once and always". victoria seaton is the innocent beauty sent to england from america after her parents are killed. she is to stay with her "uncle" charles. turns out, charles has a plan. he has announced her betrothal to his nephew, Jason Fielding before she has even gotten there.

Jason Fielding, Marquess of Wakefield, is about as emotionally distant as a hero can get. By this time he has already lost a wife and son when the ship she stole the son away to as she was running away with her lover, crashes at sea. can you see why he isn't willing to love anyone? need more reason? he had the kind of emotionally tormented childhood that will make you cry when you read about it. he's not just mean because he's a man and is supposed to be mean. he's mean because he thinks himself unworthy of love and incapable of giving it. it is for this reason why the story of this romance was so compelling and moving. jason is one of the most emotionally vulnerable alpha hero i've read about. while much of what he did initially to victoria wasn't all that nice, mcnaught writes of him in such a way that the reader can see his vulnerability right through his actions.

victoria is a wonderful heroine. she is kind and spirited and is definitely not a door mat. she doesn't just let jason take advantage of her, which is always important when the hero is so dominating. of course she's beautiful, but that's just one of her many attributes.

he goes on with his emotional distance through most of the book, but there are cracks in his emotional facade, albeit small ones. however, one of the highlights of the book is actually the SECOND time victoria and jason are sexually intimate. BIG CRACK. then, for those who have read "kingdom of dreams" there is a de ja vu moment during another intimate moment between victoria and jason. i won't give it away, but i'll say that it's probably even MORE moving in this story, and that's saying ALOT. his emotional barrier shatters after that, a really satisfying moment for me.

by the time we get near the end where jason finally shows he has a heart, i was in tears. what a moving moment.

the only downside is that there was no epilogue. i would have loved to see if victoria had a son so that jason could again know the fatherly love he had stripped from him when his son was killed.

other than that, this book was damn near perfect. i HIGHLY recommend it.

I thouroughly enjoyed this book from front to back, it took me from start to finish in one read. A natural page-turner.

This book is fast-paced, not lagging during scenarios or lacking in wit. The heroine, Victoria or Tory for short, is a rare delight to read about and it is very amusing to read her attempts to 'seduce' her husband, whilst being very innocent about the whole thing. This being because of years of witnessing her parents loveless, but happy marriage, she assumes that Jason will want to do the things that they had, such as play chess and read together. Her arguments with Jason are aplenty in this book, and range from being very hurtful, to simply teasing and humourous. A big plus to the story, it was very sweet and funny to read about. That said, the reformation of Jason was very moving.

The downside is, there isn't much focus on Jason himself. His past is extremely heart-wrenching, and it definately did soften my attitute towards him, not to mention that it did sadly justify his actions and words towards Victoria. The other thing that made me rate this book with a 4 star instead of 5, is that of the ending. Don't get me wrong, the ending is very touching and fitting as well, but it was too short compared to all the bumps in the road Victoria had to get over to get there.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance with characters you actually feel for. It's a wonderful, easy-breezy read that you can't help but enjoy and delight in.

Judith McNaught has once again wowed me with another one of her wonderful efforts. Once and Always is a roller coaster ride of twists, turns and emotions that kept me riveted from beginning to end. This novel has what I have now gathered to be McNaught's signature protagonists -- a fierce and overly optimistic heroine and a hero you want to kiss and then strangle, or strangle and then kiss, as it is the case with this novel. Victoria Seaton travels from New York to England after her parents die in an accident. She and her sister will be taken care of by distant relatives. Her great-grandmother does not want to look after Victoria because she resembles her traitor granddaughter, so she accepts to care for Dorothy only. Charles, a distant cousin, becomes Victoria's guardian and no sooner does he take her under his wing than he announces her engagement with his nephew, Lord Jason Fielding, in the London Times, without their knowledge. Jason is a heartless, cynical man who has never allowed anyone to get too close. And as he sneers and hisses at Victoria, his uncle, who is actually his father, for Jason is Charles's bastard son, stops at nothing to bring these two together, for he believes that Victoria is the one for Jason. There are many twists throughout the novel.

I'd like to warn the reader that the stuff I mention in this review are not spoilers per se. You'll have to read the book to truly grasp everything. I won't mention anything other reviewers haven't mentioned already. I should also warn you that the characters will frustrate you to no end, especially Jason. He is a piece of work! I hate how mean he is to Victoria almost throughout the whole novel. For a while I thought he was truly heartless in spite of knowing part of his horrible past. But I gained a great deal of sympathy for him after I read about his sordid and gruesome childhood. He is more than just a cliche romantic misogynist and the proverbial Duke of Slut that are made popular in dozens of Regency romance novels on bookstore shelves. Jason is a complex anti-hero with a great deal of depth and you see fleeting moments of kindness and vulnerability throughout the novel. Like other reviewers, the fact that he continues to visit his mistress after he meets Victoria and agrees to continue his engagement to her is upsetting. But in Jason's defense, he is Victoria's fiancé in name only, for she too is as indifferent to the forced arrangement as he is. In other words, I don't think it could be considered infidelity on his part when there is nothing going on between them. Also, those scenes with his mistress are important, for they show how empty, meaningless and superficial his relationships had been before he surrenders to Victoria. I liked the symbolism of the stray dog/wolf that Victoria finds and how this foreshadows the things Victoria has to do to win Jason's heart. Victoria is a strong heroine and I enjoyed her optimism and determination with Jason even when he made things difficult for her. She is a little too good, patient and perfect at times though. It would have been nice if she had a flaw or two, like the heroine in A Kingdom of Dreams. I guess her one flaw is that she is very naive. I also hated all of the misunderstandings between them that lead to that horrible first sexual encounter. If Jason had a scrap of common sense, he had realized that she was nervous about her first time. Anyway, as for the historical setting, this is a Regency romance, which means you get the usual mindless, useless rules and gossips of the haute ton, but here things are done in a more entertaining, more developed manner. As for the other characters, I loved Charles, Captain Farrell and the servants. All of those characters give the story some comic relief with their clever schemes to make Victoria and Jason come together. Even though he appears in the novel in only two scenes, I also liked Andrew. The last scene with him is heartbreaking.

All in all, I love this novel. I have read Something Wonderful and A Kingdom of Dreams and I don't know which one of the three I've enjoyed the most. Once and Always is similar to Something Wonderful, except that this one has a darker storyline. Yes, this has the cliché plot about a seemingly heartless, impassive, alpha male-ish anti-hero who in fact has noble feelings buried deep in his wounded soul and the special woman who opens up his heart once and for all. But the story is written in such a beautiful way that it feels as though you're reading this kind of story for the first time. It is very well written, with flawless characterization and fluid story development. I disagree with the reviewer who says that Jason's change of heart is abrupt. We know the reasons to his apparent callousness when we realize that he is self-conscious and insecure about his past, and that is why he feels incapable of loving someone and unworthy of being loved. I think the one-star reviewers had a hard time enjoying this novel because it isn't the typical sugarcoated romance, but one with intricate, at times selfish and not entirely likeable characters (like Jason and Charles) in which you have to dig deeper than the surface to fully understand and sympathize with them. When I read a novel, regardless of the genre, I want it to be emotionally driven, to make me feel things. I don't like reading books with a storyline as lightweight as tissue paper unless that is what I'm in the mood for. This novel is a treasure. I don't think I have written a review this long in quite a while. When I write long reviews, it is usually to point out the bad things in a novel, not the opposite. The fact that I've written a large review about a novel I love speaks volumes. The one major flaw I find is that there is no epilogue. Anyway, I am hooked on Judith McNaught and I shall give her other historical romances a whirl. I have Whitney, My Love already lined up.

As usual, Judith McNaught is worthy of 5 stars writing yet another awesome book! I read this in one day, truly not able to put it down once. The house could have fallen down around me and still I would have sat there with a silly grin on my face, reading away.
Victoria is thrust as a suddenly orphaned beauty into the home of a distant relative with a very frightening repuation. Though afraid and homesick, she sees through his rockhard exterior to the saddened and lonely man inside and offers him a love like no other. And oh my God... no one can tell a story like JM!!
These characters came alive before my eyes from page one. Victoria was amazing. In the midst of all the snobby London ladies, she appeared so sweet and refreshing and I just wanted to shout at Jason to open his eyes and trust her! And Jason was so afraid to love again... so hurt from his horrid past yet very protective of this young girl who could make him laugh, ingnite desire deep within him and even cause him to engage in a duel causing him to be shot by a tree (he he... very funny).
The plot was amazing and the characters deep, complex people you could care about. Jason had thought Victoria to be a gentle, courageous, spirited angel... and he was oh so right. She was the perfect heroine and the perfect match for a man such as Jason... and though he was difficult and arrogant throughout much of the book it was plain to see the hurt and need for love inside him. Not to mention the fact that he was just plain *yummy*. Strong yet gentle leading men are definetely the best.
If you haven't read this book, I recommend it highly. And then do yourself a favour and read the rest of Judith McNaught's books, starting with A Kingdom of Dreams (breathtaking). I bought her entire collection and they are reserved a permanent spot on my bookshelf.

McNaught is a wonderful writer. I first read this book when I was in elementary school after having found it at a used book sale, the cover dog-eared and the spine covered in creases. Given that I practice family law, one can become cynical about love and marriage. But, I always reread this inspirational story every few years to renew my faith in love (corny but true). The story is fast-paced, the dialogue and banter light and witty, the descriptions a lovely escape from the everyday (has anyone ever visited Chatsworth - that's Wakefield in my mind). Additionally, the secondary characters, though not all of them, are fleshed out. All of these features complement the heavier, emotion-laden scenes--and here McNaught excels, she really knows how to wring every emotion out of you. <<Spoiler>> Many reviewers have commented that this story is darker, more haunting than McNaught's other novels--with good reason, as McNaught herself said in a blog, she wrote this novel after her husband died in an accident and she was still grieving. She noted that the scene toward the end of the novel where Jason locks himself in his study captured her own very personal anguish at the time.

I like Jason's character because he's more complex than your typical alpha male - I don't like alpha males who don't have some underlying reason for their behavior. Despite his tough and brusque demeanor, his character was so touchingly vulnerable. Despite being a marquess, his is not the traditional upbringing of the haute ton hero. Most peers would not have grown up in abject poverty, suffered constant abuse as a child, had to teach themselves to read and write, and spent a good portion of their lives as a sailor and later, a merchant and shipper. Most Regency aristocrats inherited their wealth or married into it and all the while, they had capable estate managers to assist them. Jason came into all of his wealth on his own after a few apprenticeships (for his title did not come with money) and he had the hunger and determination not just to survive a painful childhood, but to succeed. If this were a contemporary novel, someone who suffered and lost as much as he did would need boatloads of therapy before he would be able to trust, let alone, love anyone.

Suffice it to say, in addition to not following the typical path to becoming a marquess, had Jason grown up in an aristocratic household with a mother, aunt, nanny, sisters or some other more loving female role model--had he not been treated so badly by the woman who raised him and his first wife, perhaps he would not have developed the cynical belief that all women are either crazy or conniving gold-diggers. It explains why he holds women in such low regard and treats them so badly. Even after he came into his wealth and title and moved to England, nothing in the aristocracy's rules and social mores would have contradicted that belief. So, it is understandable why he refuses to get close to anyone as a way to shield himself from getting hurt. McNaught does a subtle job of cluing the reader into Jason's feelings because you need to read between the lines that all of his words and actions were an attempt to disguise or hide his growing attraction and eventually, love for Victoria.

As for the heroine, Victoria, she's such fun to read about because she's just so plucky. She is perfect for Jason because she shares two things in common with him, she is an outsider looking in on aristocratic society in Regency London and she's suffered loss. For these reasons, she can empathize with his sense of loneliness. But the other wonderful thing about her is that her personality is the polar opposite of Jason's--she is warm and trusting because she grew up in a warm and loving household and a community that valued family and marriage. Having a father who worked for a living, she values work. She is someone who does not place a great value on material things or social status but instead values family, friendship, and relationships. When she finally falls for Jason, it's such a lovely thing because she loves him for him, not only for his title and wealth.

While Victoria might have come across as too forgiving, I felt that it was an important key to her character that Victoria had an enormous capacity to give and therefore, love. It is this ability that allows her to look beyond Jason's callous words and actions and sense how alone and desperate for love he is even if he is not consciously aware that he craves it. In addition to her capacity to love, she has a lot of stubbornness and determination which equips her for the challenge of taming someone so hardened. I was rooting for her to win Jason's heart and as a result, change him for the better.

My one complaint is that you don't fully learn about Jason's past until well into the novel but then again, the realization unravels for the reader in the same manner it unfolds for the heroine, making the subsequent scenes that much more poignant. If you're someone looking for a good roller-coaster of a Regency romance novel, pick this up--you won't be disappointed.

I have recently become a Judith McNaught fan with the reading of my all-time favorite A Kingdom of Dreams which was fantastic and the other two in the series were pretty good....Whitney, My Love and Until You. I thought Once and Always was ok, but I tired of Jason's continually ill treatment of Victoria and a little confused by his 180 personality turn in the end. I have to keep reminding myself that the treatment of women and arranged marriages with "kept" women was customary for the time period, but I tend to like my heroes to "forget all other women" and persue the lady only. Of coarse, this was a nice twist if you're tired of the same old, same old - for Jason was a tortured, bitter sole that unleased on the undeserving Victoria...who took it and took it until finally he saw her worth and truely fell in love with her. To lightly quote the book....."he would love only once, but that love would last always."

The Hero of my Regencies have to be believable enough to be my Hero...Jason Felding was every bit my Hero and more.

Judith Mcnaught is truly a great story teller. It's impossible to not feel a whole slew of different emotions during the exhilirating ride of pleasure reading one of her books.

Besides that, she is accurate for the genre, her books always reeks of well researched topics and gives you an over all education.

That is the very existence of a good book for me.

Although I like a little drama/suspense with my Regency, and there wasn't enough of it in this book, however, the overall presentation of the novel made up for it.

Two thumbs way up.

(Please read synopsis on main page)

Everyone seems to think that this book is the best of all... However, i think, as compared to Whitney, my love , Until you, Almost Heaven... Once and Always seems to lose out. I admit that it is awfully romantic and enjoyable..however, Victoria seems to be the only one making all the efforts. True, Jason had a sad past.. But the terrible ways he treat Victoria was really upsetting. ( wedding night, and the night at London after the Ball, ...) and Jason's thoughts were not reveal to us, readers much... I thought the ending could be have been better, showing more of what happened after that.. their happy marriage.. Still, it was satisfying enough and enjoyable too.

I have recently become a Judith McNaught fan with the reading of my all-time favorite A Kingdom of Dreams which was fantastic and the other two in the series were pretty good....Whitney, My Love and Until You. I thought Once and Always was ok, but I tired of Jason's continually ill treatment of Victoria and a little confused by his 180 personality turn in the end. I have to keep reminding myself that the treatment of women and arranged marriages with "kept" women was customary for the time period, but I tend to like my heroes to "forget all other women" and persue the lady only. Of coarse, this was a nice twist if you're tired of the same old, same old - for Jason was a tortured, bitter sole that unleased on the undeserving Victoria...who took it and took it until finally he saw her worth and truely fell in love with her. To lightly quote the book....."he would love only once, but that love would last always."

The Hero of my Regencies have to be believable enough to be my Hero...Jason Felding was every bit my Hero and more.

Judith Mcnaught is truly a great story teller. It's impossible to not feel a whole slew of different emotions during the exhilirating ride of pleasure reading one of her books.

Besides that, she is accurate for the genre, her books always reeks of well researched topics and gives you an over all education.

That is the very existence of a good book for me.

Although I like a little drama/suspense with my Regency, and there wasn't enough of it in this book, however, the overall presentation of the novel made up for it.

Two thumbs way up.

(Please read synopsis on main page)

Everyone seems to think that this book is the best of all... However, i think, as compared to Whitney, my love , Until you, Almost Heaven... Once and Always seems to lose out. I admit that it is awfully romantic and enjoyable..however, Victoria seems to be the only one making all the efforts. True, Jason had a sad past.. But the terrible ways he treat Victoria was really upsetting. ( wedding night, and the night at London after the Ball, ...) and Jason's thoughts were not reveal to us, readers much... I thought the ending could be have been better, showing more of what happened after that.. their happy marriage.. Still, it was satisfying enough and enjoyable too.

My mother and I both read Judith McNaught's books, and we love all of them! Once And Always, set in England, is one of her better ones. We start with Jason, the rich man whose heart has been broken by the death of his son and the scorn of his dead wife, who had run away to be with her lover, taking their son with her. Then, Jason's new wife Victoria enters the picture. Scared and confused, she runs from his touch but earns his desire, unintentionally, and then intentionally, making him want her. With good character plotting, scenes that made me cry, and some good humor, Once and Always is a book I would recommend to anyone.

Judith McNaught works her magic again!! This book is heart felt and heart wrenching at the same time. I encourage everyone to read this book. Once I started reading this book, I could not seem to stop. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but I will briefly comment on this story. It takes place in the early 1800's and I was hesitant to read a book about Dukes and so forth, but I truly enjoyed the story and loved the descriptive details JM provided. I really hope you enjoy this book as much as I do, and you will not regret your choice of reading this book!!

Okay i don't understand why everyone has a problem with Victoria being almost perfect? That fact is,is that she isn't. Sure she was beautiful, (so r alot of people), She could play the piano beautifully...but she had flaws. Just like reality, sum people can do things better than others. but Victoria had problems trusting too much, not paying attention, and she was smart but didn't have common sence. Those are flaws...not accidents the writer makes...

Jason...he is the perfect hero. I'll admit i didn't like that he went to his mistress, but sum reviewers thought he was more sympethetic to his mistress than to Tory. Okay he didn't trust Tory, he assumed she only wanted him for his wealth, while he KNEW thats why his mistress wanted him...Jason is a tortured soul...you just have to give him time...

its a great book don't miss out b/c of some one else's review. At least borrow it, or get it from the library, take a chance. JM is a fantastic writer...

São poucas escritoras que conseguem tocar e nos envolver tão intensamente como Judith Macnaught. Adoro seu descritismo e suas maravilhosas e românticas histórias ! Recomendo este livro e vários outros desta incrível autora. Quem ainda não leu um de seus romances recomendo à viajarem nesta incrível história romântica !:)!I recommend to all the people whom they desire to add in its lives a good dose of romance! Its heart goes to beat the 100000000 more than for the moment! Sorry, but my english is not very well

This is truly one of Judiths best works, sweet and heartwarming it makes you laugh and cry in the same breath. You fall in love with Jason Feilding at first description and throughout the book are torn between cheering for him and Victoria or keeping him for yourself. The heroin is smart and independent, standing up for herself and feircly protecting everything she holds dear. Yes, this is a definite read for anyone who loves to watch two people fight their love the entire way, but in the end give in the their deepest desires

This has always been one of my favorite period pieces. The characters are strong willed and Jason is a tortured soul. The only comment I would make is that Victoria turns into a complete wimp by the end of the book and the number of misunderstandings is a stretch. But wonderful book!

I very rarely write reviews because books, like paintings, are such subjective forms of art.

Having written that, I must say that I agree 100% with "slmchicago" aka L. McCreadie's Dec. 31/04 review. She summed up all of my frustrations with the book completely. I heartedly think you should take time to read her review.

My biggest issue was with the fact that Jason kept going back to his mistress to satisfy his "needs" well after he was aquainted and "supposedly" enamoured of the heroine. Had I not have read the fabulous "Whitney My Love" or my personal favourite "Almost Heaven" I would have given up based on this distasteful proclavity in the hero's character; especially when his relationship with his mistress is by far more tender and passionate than that which he eventually has with the heroine.

This was the reason I gave up on Judith Ivory's The Beast. In that book the hero's mistress was married. How can a person fall for a hero who has no moral barometer? It is very off-putting to me as a reader since I can never quite believe that the hero will be faithful to the heroine in the long run.

I read romances for the fantasy that "love conquers all." If I wanted to read about marital infidelity I'd choose Jackie Collins.

A disappointed McNaught fan.......

I thought the book was great, like all the Judith McNaught novels I have read so far.
The very first chapter hooked me up, althogh after that, and up until about the middle of the book, I had a bit of a difficult time accepting Jason, and that is the only complain I have about this book. I think it took too long for a love story to develop between the main characters. I had already read half the book, and still there were no tender feelings between Jason and Victoria.
And I must admit that the scene of the "wedding night" made me feel very angry at Jason, as well as his stupidity the next morning, when instead of understanding Victoria's reaction, and trying to reassure her and console her and beg her forgiveness for his savage behavior, he went into a rage and tumbled down her door, making her feel even more miserable and scared than she already was.
But after that I started to like him and understand him more and more, until the final scene that melted my heart and brought tears to my eyes.
I consider this book a heart wrenching novel about pain, loss, childhood trauma and passion but above averything else, love and its healing powers.
Read it and you won't be dissapointed.

I've read every Judith McNaught book there is and Once and Always is my all-time favorite. I don't know what it is about this story, but it really touches me everytime I read it. I like the fact that Jason was not as controlling as some of the other leading men in her novels (I couldn't stand Clayton in Whitney, My Love, for example), although he was a very strong and commanding character. I thought Victoria was a strong heroine and had a lot of self-respect. Their story was so moving, but it was extremely funny at times too. Although I enjoyed her books Something Wonderful and Perfect, I felt that they lacked something that this book had. All in all, this book has everything you could possible want in a JM novel. I also recommend Almost Heaven and Paradise.

I found this book slow moving and repetitive. The characters were not likeable and one note. It was difficult to see what connected them. Their relationship felt like quite a stretch and hard to believe. I found this relationship and some of the scenes more abusive than Whitney my love yet I didn't read of any outcries when I was looking into this book. A forgettable novel that I am glad to be finished with.

I loved this story. I loved the characters. They where so great. Now some parts in the story are a bit cheesey I admit. like when the uncle goes off on how wonderful and perfect she is. Gag! but, she really is a wonderful character. And I cried near the end. Not to give away any of the plot. but it was so touching. YOu can really see her with Jason and yet you are torn between him and her and Andrew and her. Well, at least i was cause, i love those childhood sweetheart thing. too bad she couldn't have them both. I wouldnt have minded if they had made this book a bit longer. And shown then falling in love better and connecting and stuff. Wonderful....So, far out of Until you, whitney my love, this is my favorite of the three

Jason and Victoria are one of my favorite couples ever--and I've read a lot of Romance Novels. Victoria is a tender hearted beauty who despite her fears helps Jason heal from past wounds. Jason is not the most entertaining of Judith's heroes. However, his vulnerability hidden by a hard exterior draw you to him. I love the devious uncle in this book and am thankful he has the couple's best interest at heart.

With just the introduction of Jason Fielding and Victoria Seaton, I automatically fell in love with this novel. Judith McNaught has created a magnificent work of art that is "clearly destined for greatness." I consider this novel to be the closet thing to perfection. I was not surprised that I found myself laughing and crying along with the characters. Ms. McNaught has once again been able to draw her readers into a dream. This is truly one of her best piece of writings yet! Theses characters have managed to spark every emotion inside me through their tender gestures. The love between Jason and Victoria has the ability to enchant readers everywhere. I highly recommend this novel but only if you are willing to witness a piece of perfection!

What can I say? Judith McNaught has a great formula! I've reread this book over and over again alongside Whitney, My Love, Double Standards, and Almost Heaven, although I would say that I like the others better. The plot itself is nothing spectacular but the story moves along well. It's the characters that shine. Jason's quite the man, Victoria is lovely, clever, and a true heroine, and the supporting cast is properly loving of the main characters and also humourous. Their love is a greatly tortured one. Let your heartstrings be tugged!

I agree with most of the reviews about this book. It is so much darker and I had a hard time letting go of the depressing feelings even after the book ended. The end when he believes her to be dead (I won't ruin it for you) was such a poignant moment that it almost moved this book up to 4 stars instead of 3.

I enjoyed the story and the characters but I knew I probably wouldn't read it again so I turned it into the used bookstore (something I haven't done with any other McNaught book). I would still recommend this book over a lot of authors' best works, though.

Until You STILL remains my favorite McNaught novel, however this will not disappoint you. Truly an entertaining read. I put it third behind Whitney My Love and Until You, better than Kindgdom of Dreams. The only element I didn't approve of was Jason visiting his mistress after they were married...more disgusting than their wedding night, but I guess essential to the development of the storyline. Overall, it is one of McNaught's better writings and you shouldn't miss out on it.

This title speaks for all of Judith McNaught's works, once you start reading her books, you will always look for more. It was the first book I read by Ms. McNaught and I wasn't disappointed. Even though it wasn't as fast paced as her other novels, it was good too. Victoria has a strong character and is a great heroine. Jason is also great. You can get an update of their lives in UNTIL YOU.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. What I loved most was how Victoria finally reached Jason's heart and helped him believe in her and love after all the pain and hurt he had suffered. This is the twelfth JM novel I've read -- my hat's off to her, once again, for an unforgettable and truly touching story. The ending was one of the best of all her books -- it made me cry and then laugh. My only criticism is how come there was no epilogue? I would've loved to have read about Jason and Victoria welcoming their child into the world.