Once and Always (1) (The Sequels series) Mass Market Paperback – September 20, 1990

SPOILERS. This is my favorite of her works. Jason is damaged and complicated and terrified of loving anyone (though he really wants to) after a lifetime of rejection, abuse, a loveless mercenary first wife, and crippling loss. He is self made in a world of jaded, lazy, self-serving wealthy men who imagine themselves masters of the universe because of a lucky birth into titled families. He is already an outsider the minute he comes to London. Illegitemacy is never forgiven. It is only tolerated for him because of a cover story his father/uncle concocted to make society accept him. Victoria is a sheltered country girl, but brave enough to be herself in the twisted and bound up world of the British aristocracy. Both of them want a child to love in this world of absent emotion where they are alone. Tory is exactly what he needs. The contrast of these two characters is wonderful and when Jason falls, he falls hard.I do need to comment on some of the bad reviews. AGAIN, SPOILERS. It is clear that well done historical romances may not be for some of you. This book was written decades ago. JM dis not shy away from the realities of the day that are often whitewashed in romances now. Men kept mistresses because marriages between wealthy people were often loveless business arrangements for the financial and political betterment of the entire family, not just the two being married. Entire families were bankrolled for a lifetime by one good marriage. (Which, if you have read it, explains Pride and Prejudice.) Because marriages were transactions amongst the aristocracy and because they weren't legal until consummated, sex was also a transaction. Imagine being 18 and married off to a 40 or 50 year old of the day and then being expected to produce children. Imagine being a man rejected by his wife after an heir is produced. The families of women sought protection for them in the form of wealthy husbands because they could not be property owners or start careers. Men needed heirs. Marriages were a cattle call on both sides.In this book, sexually uninformed Victoria unwittingly leads an older Jason to believe that she is not a virgin (the unforgivable for young women of the day), and that he should keep a mistress like everyone else. She drinks too much on their wedding day because she is scared, but if she isn't a virgin and prior kisses have been passionate, what is Jason to think after his own experiences with his last wife but that Victoria has faked everything to get her hands on his money? That she sold herself? Why, then, should Jason be blamed for treating the marriage like the transaction she seems to want by assuming she had already had sex and then keeping his mistress? If you view the events of the wedding night and immediately after in these contexts, you begin to see how socials mores of the time taint things. Jason is not intentionally cruel. Bitter and disappointed, but not cruel. His actions are in line with most ither marriages of the time.Some are looking at the book through the filter of modern romance or fluffier historical romances where this is little to no mention of outside sexual experiences. If you are doing so, you are bound to be disappointed. Men and women at the time did things that we don't understand now. I am sure we would be just as baffling.When Victoria finally finds her voice and tells her husband what she really wants, it is a thing of real beauty. Jason's response is so poignant, that you finally get to see the man underneath the thick emotional armor. The way they love each other openly in front of society is enviable and satisfying.

I read this book when it first came out in 1987. I loved it then and I love it now. One of the main reasons I love it so much is how the male lead, Jason Fielding, is written.***SPOILERS AHEAD***I've seen several reviews here that say Jason is unlikable and abusive but let's look at the influences in his life. He was raised from birth by an insane, abusive, religious fanatic. He was told daily that he was a devil and that he was worth less than nothing. He spent the next several years in the company of rough men and sailors. He married a woman that only wanted what he could give her materially and otherwise treated him like trash. Then he met the father that had dumped him like so much garbage as a baby and only showed up later to get what he could from Jason, even using Jason's son as leverage. From there, Jason is forced to live a lie in order to be accepted by "polite" society. The one person he truly loves is his son, who is killed when Jason's wife runs away with her lover. Jason is a man who is deeply scarred emotionally.Enter Victoria. Young, idealistic, caring, not afraid to say what she thinks, and also reeling from great loss. Jason is immediately attracted to her because she is so far removed from every other woman he's known. I think Victoria scares him as much as she attracts him and he doesn't know how to deal with someone like her. Here's a woman that could potentially see him for who he really is and love him anyway. Her heart belongs to someone else, though, so Jason tries to keep her at a distance. When her heart gets broken by Andrew, Jason is there for her.Due to the meddling of Jason's father, Jason & Victoria end up getting married. Assumptions, misunderstandings, lack of knowledge, and Victoria's innocence make for a horrible wedding day and night. Jason is ashamed of the way he treated her but as far as Victoria knows, that's how marital relations are.When Victoria finally learns about Jason's past from his friend, she falls completely in love with him. She doesn't tell him what she knows about him until they have a huge fight and he claims he's not fit to even touch the hem of her dress. She tells him she know all about his past and loves him anyway and the walls around Jason's heart finally disintegrate and they live almost happily after.Almost because Andrew finally shows up to take Victoria back to America and marry her. She has to break his heart and when Andrew leaves, has a fight with Jason's father and then runs away to her great-grandmother's house. She doesn't realize everyone at home now think she died by drowning until a friend comes to tell her great-grandmother that Victoria is dead. Victoria rushes back to Jason and convinces him that she's alive and then they really live happily ever after.

I first read this book years ago and have always loved it. Judith McNaught has always been one of my favourite authors and this book in particular (all her regency novels, truth be told) are "classic" imo.While there are sooo many new romances and wonderful books in adult fantasy and dark romance (like works from Sarah J Maas, KF Breene, Tiffany Roberts, R Lee Smith, Kathryn Ann Kingsley, Jennifer L Armentrout, and so many others) that pop up daily, this book remains unforgettable for me.I'm so happy to have this book in kindle format now so that I don't have to keep handling my old, worn out paperback copy of this and further damaging it every time I want to reread this timeless story.Now, we just need to make sure we get all of Jude Deveraux, Rebecca Brandewyn, Amanda Quick, Johanna Lindsey, and Julie Garwood's works (along with a few other of the talented authors who produced similar works of this genre around the same writing time period) added to kindle so that we can enjoy them again and again through the years without our hard covers and paperbacks falling apart.

This is my second time reading this book. Just as good the second time around 👍Hope Judith McNaught has another like it.

My only question… what happened to Dorothy? (The sister) This one was a page turner. I liked the characters and storyline, although there seemed to be one too many curve balls.

I was excited to read this book after reading so many great reviews but it wasn't as great as I had thought. There was too many unnecessary misunderstandings between the main characters that could have been replaced with developing their relationship.

I'm such a fan of Judith. This book took me from being quiet, stunned, surprised, and dying with laughter. I can read it again and again.

i actually bought and read the book due to your review i would not dare to tell you how to think or fell as this is absolutely impossible but unlike you i loved this book and get really frustrated when people scream rape and racism when i read a book of a certain era i want to feel the atmosphere and all it entails many people are offended as the think with their 2012 brain if you think of what that era entailed ofcourse he'd force his rights on her and of course the brits would see the indians as dirty i lived in south africa and they were hated up until Mr Mandela was freed and people are offended about the 1800 or how a guy of the highest nobility stunningly rich extremely handsome 30 years old would force himself on the stunningly beautiful 18 year old? that said i also believe these are what they are stories a few moments of escape in a make believe world like you would enjoy a disney story line even though other would argue cartoons are violent too !!but if we are to take all 2012 political beliefs then where would the escape be and if we were to show the 1800 era noone bathed that often so there you have it these books bring out our own thought and secret wants the rape scenes for me represent that guy we always wanted feared possible by some inexperience at a young age but still hoped in some way to make ours the racism if everyone is really honest out there we all have some form of racism in us it is human nature!!!the poor american guy was also bashed as colonial the brits too as too haughty people should really accept what was true of the era or at least some what !i mean wars were fought between brother and brother nevermind other nations please see the bigger picture here these are not university history books!!!!! i hope books like this continue to be written it was a wonderful a few hours for me!

I loved this book. One of her better stories - if that is possible. Her characters are so strong and believable that I am never tempted to skip any pages or look at the last page to see how it ends. Here we had action from the word 'go'.

This was the first historical romance I read and it got me hooked on the genre. The chemistry between Jason and Victoria sizzled and the minor characters such as uncle Charles and Dorthory were adorable.

Such a beautiful book , I couldn't put it down.

I do not usually read historical books,BUT TOOK A CHANCE ON THIS & WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISEDI do not usually read historical books,but took a chance on this one & was pleasantly surprised.I did enjoy it & will but Judiths books again.