Just Like Heaven

I can't believe it's taken me this long to read a Julia Quinn book! It's been a while since I've immersed myself in a Regency Romance, and Just Like Heaven reminded me of all the things I love about the genre. The story centers on the developing romance between Lady Honoria Smythe-Smith (Is that a great name, or what?) and Marcus Holroyd, the Earl of Chatteris. They've known each other since childhood (Marcus was best friends with Honoria's older brother, Daniel), and now as adults they're friendly, but not particularly close. That is until Honoria has her first season in London, and suddenly Marcus is lurking in ballrooms all over the city, frowning at her as she attempts to find a suitable husband. Oddly, every suitor who pays court to her seems to suddenly lose interest. Honoria despairs of ever finding a man who will offer for her hand, and her continued single status means she has to play violin (very badly) in her family's annual musicale. (The Smyth-Smith girls are relieved of this duty once they wed.) A visit to a friend's home in the country exposes Honoria to an eligible gentleman and also leads to several run-ins with Marcus who lives nearby. How long will it take Honoria to realize that the perfect mate she's been searching for has been under her nose all along? And when will Marcus stop thinking of Honoria as a child and embrace the beautiful, feisty woman she's become?This is an incredibly charming story, with likable leads who have chemistry right from their very first encounter. I loved Honoria and Marcus's sparring sessions and all the comedic bits early in the book. I will never be able to see the words "mole hole" again with chuckling. I am a sucker for love stories where the two people have known each other forever and their feelings for each other sneak up on them. I also enjoy it when a potential couple's relationship deepens and becomes more intimate because one is nursing the other through a serious illness/injury. A scenario such as this takes up a good part of the middle section of the book and those chapters are quite compelling. I think it would be hard not to fall in love with someone under the circumstances in which Honoria and Marcus find themselves. Of course, they are parted and there are misunderstandings that lead to them questioning each other's motives and true feelings. But all is resolved in a satisfactory way and the book ended happily with the return of a character who will feature prominently in the next book of the series.For me, this book was the perfect blend of comedy, romance, and drama. Witty dialogue enhanced the story, and I thought there was just the right amount of steam in the love scenes. I would highly recommend this book to fans of the Historical Romance genre. I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series!

Sometimes I forget just how much I love the writing of Julia Quinn. The Bridgertons series is my absolute favorite historical romance series, one that I re-read from time to time whenever I am in the mood for a fun, witty, romantic period romance. I don't know why I waited so long to begin this break-off series centering on the family of (non)musicians who have hosted the atrocious Smythe-Smith musicales so wonderfully found throughout the Bridgerton books. I am so glad to have read this book at this time. It was a like a glass of fresh water for me, something perfect for a lazy autumnn weekend to keep me swooning and chuckling and sighing with the wonderful characters and dialogue found throughout this book.I think I'll make this a brief review. This is a story so similar to the other Julia Quinn books I have read, but it does not seem like a tired premise. It feels fresh and sweet, and I loved it.The things I liked:Marcus. Quiet, somewhat brooding, but a wonderful friend to Honoria for most of her life. He is an eligible bachelor who never really seems like an eligible bachelor for any part of the book. He shies away from society, and, whether he realizes it yet or not, he only really has eyes for Honoria. A great hero for this story.Honoria. Yes, she is a terrible musician. But she embraces her lack of skill. She revels in the tradition she is thrown into, and she brings joy to so many of the pages in which she appears. Her care for Marcus as he is at death's door was beautiful.Friends win in the end. I LOVE romances where good friends end up together at the end. These two aren't just together because they find each other attractive. They are together because they love being around each other. The conversations are sweet and funny and real. Loved that!Julia Quinn's wit. I LOVE the way Julia Quinn writes her romances. As a reader I can feel the joy she has as she writes. It really does show on the page. Whether her books are my absolute favorites or just ones that I moderately enjoyed, I always love reading them. This one is one of my favorites, making it all the more wonderful to read.Some amazing romantic scenes when Honoria and Marcus first realize that they love each other. That has to be a bit jarring -- realizing that you are in love with the person you have thought of as a sibling for so much of your life. These scenes are just beautiful and heartwarming and swoon worthy. Loved them!If you are a Julia Quinn fan, you should love this (not so) new series. If you haven't read any Quinn books, start with the Bridgerton series and then start this one. There are great characters that cross over into this story (Colin -- love him!, and Mrs. Danbury, to name a few). A highly enjoyable historical romance. Four stars!

Who would ever think we would want to get to know the Smythe-Smiths after enduring their annual musicals in book after book? Thank goodness we never had to actually listen to the music! Julia Quinn managed to take background characters and turn out a wonderful story of their own, seeing these poor girls from the other side of the stage. And that is part of the fun. From cousins who actually want to perform to those who would rather push the piano out of the window - and nearly do, they make up a fun and funnny family. I have this one in paper but simply had to have more than one version of it. A delightful romance that starts with the two - actually the three, her, him and her brother - as young children and made me laugh out loud. My husband said at one point, "So, something in there was funny?"My favorite part was also the most suspenseful, and that is Marcus' fever. Amazing how easy it was for people to die back then, and what small things made the difference between life and death. Lady Winstead's deep affection for this young man she viewed as another son, how hard she and Honoria both worked to keep him alive - vividly done. I don't think anything could possibly have made this better.And just as a plus, we also have cameo appearances from Colin and Gregory Bridgerton, Lady Danbury, and a governness whose book I will have to find and reread. All in all, a book to keep and enjoy over and over again.

i love to read romance novels but i'm very picky about which authors. this was my first novel by her and i cant wait to read more! this was actually laugh out loud funny throughout and i loved it!

A would recommend this book, I have read the other Bridgerton books and like those, this does not disappoint. A great start to the new series, a great mix of plot and character building. A great read.

I've read quite a lot from Julia Quinn and I must admit this isn't one of my favourite. The love story between Marcus and Honoria is very sweet, they've known each other since forever, they've been like family really and love simply came natural to them. But nothing significant happened in more than half the book and then, almost at the end, too much happened. It's like 70% of the book is deadly slow and the rest rushes to an hopefully satisfactory conclusion. I liked the end and of course Julia Quinn's fun and witty style, but I really hope the next books in the series are better than this

Simple but wonderful, as all Julia's stories. You will want to read more titles of this saga!

Ummm....so many moments that made me go all fuzzy with emotion and love for Honoria and Marcus....simply heavenly this book