Reviewer: Rowena Once and Always by Judith McNaught
Series: Sequels #1
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: April 25th 2006
Pages: 400
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Once and Always, one of Judith McNaught's most masterful and moving love stories, powerfully brings to life the fiery passion of a free-spirited American beauty and a troubled English lord.
Suddenly orphaned and alone, Victoria Seaton sails the vast ocean, eager to reclaim her heritage at Wakefield, the sumptuous English estate of a distant cousin, the notorious Lord Jason Fielding. Bewildered by his arrogance yet drawn to his panther-like grace, she senses the painful memories that smolder in his eyes. When he gathers her at last into his arms, arousing a sweet, insistent hunger, they wed and are embraced by fierce, consuming joy -- free from the past's cruel grasp. Then, in a moment of anguish, Victoria discovers the treachery at the heart of their love . . . a love she had dreamed would triumph not just once, but always.
I read this book for the first time, many many years ago…I believe it was back in ‘99. I remember because this is the book that I took with me on the drive to Utah when me and my family were driving out there for my Uncle Johnny’s funeral. I was pregnant with Brenna, though nobody knew about it and it was while I was reading about Jason and Victoria falling in love that my cousin, Leen asked me if I was pregnant. I remember I was wearing my Calvin Klein jacket that I absolutely loved but I remember being so intensely into this book while at that funeral that the miles that passed through went by in a blur because this book was just sooo frickin’ good.
This is one of those books that had those big misunderstandings that I was bothered about in No Regrets but in this book, the misunderstandings didn’t bother me one bit. I loved seeing Jason melt a little more each passing day in Tory’s company. I loved how Jason fought his feelings for Tory and I loved how Tory finally won him over.
You see, Tory and her sister are orphaned when their parents die in a tragic carriage accident or whatever and they’re shipped off to some distant relatives in England…now, their Grandmother will only take in ONE of the daughter, so Tory’s younger sister, Dorothy goes with the grandma and Tory is taken to reside with another “relative”, Jason Fielding…who is the bastard son of some guy he thought he was his dad but really isn’t. So anyway, Tory is sent to live with Jason and Jason doesn’t like it.
You see, Jason is really bitter about life and love because of the life and the love he had. His first wife was a total b word and she took their son and went and got them killed while she was leaving him or whatever, she was a faithless b word who didn’t care about anyone and it left Jason really cold toward everyone because she took the one thing that he loved most in the world….his son. Having grown up with a set of “parents” who despised him and had him beaten while they lived in a different country then his native, England…Jason was not brought up with the best of homes. He truly is one of those tortured souls and Judith McNaught does a fantastic job of drawing you into Jason’s world and totally rooting him on to find his happily ever after.
There wasn’t one point in the story where I hated Jason, even that dratted scene that nobody likes, the one where they all totally hate Jason for. I don’t and won’t hate Jason because he was finally gentled and found his happy ending with a terrific heroine and I couldn’t have been happier with their story.
Jason and Tory were great together, they both learned and grew together and it was a wonderful journey, one that will always stay with me because I love these two! I totally recommend this story to those of you who wants to read about two wonderfully lost souls finding a love together they never knew existed.
Oh what a sap, I am but I don’t care…this book was good!