Once and Always

Author:

Judith McNaught

Published:

Pocket Books, 1987 ; 375 pages

Related titles by this author:

Almost Heaven

Subgenre:

Historical romance -- Regency

Setting:

England -- London, 1818

Main characters:

Jason Feilding, Marquess of Wakefield, and Victoria Seaton

Sexual explicitness:

Fairly explicit

Keywords:

Intrigue ; family responsibility, illegitimacy, marriages of convenience, shipping empires

Reader rating:

Reader comments:

I read this book awhile ago and I loved it. I read it several times and I don't understand the reactions this book got. You know it's not suppose to be all that realistic. I love a book that makes me want to cry for the heroine (and sometimes the hero). It was imaginative and I'd read it for the 3rd time! (L.W., 5-19-98) Mmmmm...I love this book better than Almost Heaven. (A.A.A., 5-15-98) The first JM book I read was Remember When- liked it but was not enticed to read more. Than I came across Whitney and I LOVED IT. So Iread all of them. This one was very good! I read Remember again and it was terrible. Standards are helpful Judith. (K.D., 4-4-98) I've loved everything I've written by McNaught. Usually I alternate between hating and loving her heroes, but they are sooo contrite by the end and Jason was no different. McNaught makes me laugh and cry - what more could you ask for? (K.S., 3-1-98) Very touching... One of my favourites. (C.L., 2-8-98) second best book read....after kingdom of dreams......liked victoria and jason instantly.....at my age...18...read it 20 times or more.... real great.... (T.T., 2-7-98) This is my favorite McNaught novel. Jason is a bit harsh but it serves to protect him from his unhappiness. He loves Tory and has to watch while she loves someone else. (D.K., 1-16-98) I loved Jason. He was an aawesome character. I really lliked this book it was one of her best. I really don't like her contemporary romances, but her historical romances are the best. (F.B., 1-15-98) Judith McNaught needs to get out a new book that is as wonderful as a Kingdom of Dreams. No doubt that this book was great but I didn't cry through the entire novel as I have with some of her other novels. After all isn't that why we read romance novels to let go of our own emotions and be able to look forward to seeing a man who isn't so like men in real life today. Jason's character was to much like men today, not emcouraging at all. (I.A.Z., 6-4-97) ONCE AND ALWAYS AND MY HEART SKIPS A BEAT. I thought that Jason was a wonderful character because of his past. I SPENT HOURS READING THE BOOK THROUGH THE HAZE OF MY TEARS OF BOTH SORROW AND JOY. When Tory found out the truth about Jason's past, OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH! (A.C., 6-3-97) i loved the ending when she rushed back to jason to prove she was not dead wish he had more affecton during the story and he needed some humour. (D.F., 5-31-97) OF ALL HER BOOKS THAT I HAVE READ, THIS IS UNDOUBTEDLY HER MOST PATHETIC ATTEMPT AT A ROMANCE NOVEL. JASON WAS A COMPLETE PRICK (HE CHEATED ON HER) AND SHE WAS A HEROINE WITH NO CHARISMA OR PERSONALITY - SHE HAD NO VISIBLE FLAWS AND WAS THEREFORE IMPOSSIBLE TO SYMPATHISE WITH. THE OTHER CHARACTERS DEFY ANY EXPLANATION BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF DEPTH. FURTHERMORE JASON'S PAST HISTORY CONCERNING INDIA DEFIES COMPREHENSION. I'VE NEVER READ SUCH A COMPLETE LOAD OF BOLLOCKS IN ALL MY LIFE AND I HOPE THE NEXT TIME MCNAUGHT ATTEMPTS TO WRITE ABOUT OTHER COUNTRIES IN HER NOVELS, SHE WILL TRY TO DO DECENT RESEARCH FIRST. INTO (K.K., 5-4-97) I loved this book. The characters were great. At times you really dislike Jason as much as everyone else in the book. That's what makes ot so great. I became a part of the book. Well written; but, I wanted more of an ending. That is my only complaint. I will read it again! (B.B., 5-5-97) Once and Always was the first book by McNaught that I read, it took me about two days to read and about two months to stop thinking about it. I completely fell in love with Jason and Victoria. I had to go and buy everything I could find by Judith McNaught once I finished this one. At first I thought I'd only like her historical romances but once I read Perfect I realized that her modern day books were just as romantic and touching. I'm in the process of reading Until You and I'm so glad to meet up with Jason and Victoria again as well as Whitney and Clayton (two more of my favorites). As long as Judith McNaught writes those great romances, I'll be buying them. (J.B., 5-2-97) I was completely mesmerized by the story and I kinda liked it very much. Though it was sort of incomplete in details in the near end, it was okay. I felt so inlove when I read it. Jason's life was real hell and Victoria gradually erased the pain and anger in his heart. It is not that easy to find a man who opens his heart especially nowadays. I just love Victoria's courage to fight back to Jason specially the part when she said "Thank me with a kiss.". It is sure one of the best books of McNaught I have ever read. (C.J.M.M., 4-22-97) Absolutely loved it, I cried my eyes out when Victoria started kissing Jason's scars, and at the end when he thought she was dead. Makes me wish that I had the power to help a man like Victoria did. (J.A., 4-20-97) This book was a bit of a disappointment. Victoria was as witty and charming as they rest of your female heroines but Jason Feilding wasn't nealy as tender and sweet. I liked the ending when Jason finally cried. It showed that she had finally thawed his icy heart. (A.S., 4-14-97) Classic McNaught. Author would do well to go back and reread this one and a couple of her other "older" works to remind herself what a good writer she used to be..... (S.R., 3-11-97) Once and Always was my first McNaught. Loved it so much, I immediately went out and bought every McNaught I could find. I now have all of them, including anthologies! I loved Jason and how much he needed Victoria. Only she could help him love again. (D.L., 1-29-97) I loved both the characters! I actually fell in love with them! I hope to see them again in other books or maybe see a novel about her younger sister Dorothy Seaton. I loved it!! (M.M., 1-13-97) ONCE AND ALWAYS is a typical Judith McNaught historical which means it's better than 90% of anything out there. Victoria Seaton is a strong and vividly written McNaught heroine, however, I had some difficulty warming up to Jason Fielding. I felt his character was too harsh, too aloof and too damaged to be attractive to Victoria. Their initial meeting and subsequent encounters were too abrupt and strident to make me believe Victoria would fall in love with him. It wasn't until a secondary character explained Jason's background that I even felt any sympathy for him. The ending was rushed and Jason's reaction to Victoria's supposed death was out of character (the man didn't even cry when his son died). Still, McNaught knows how to keep a reader hooked and she makes one feel (on an emotional level) for her characters (even the secondary ones) in a way many other authors can't and that's what makes her historicals so good in my opinion. (K.G., 1-8-97) Strong, believable characters. A heroine worthy of McNaught. (P.P., 12-27-96) This is one of those books that never leave the premises, if someone wants to read it, then they can stay here!! I have all of Judith McNaught's books and this is one that stays in the fireproof safe. It's nice to see a man with the character that Jason has, and Victoria is the perfect woman for him. And she's American!! (K.R., 12-24-96) One of my three favorite McNaught books--along with WHITNEY, MY LOVE, and UNTIL YOU. (E.P., 12-11-96)

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