Something Wonderful

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Summary: Touching Historical Romance
Review: A tender romantic novel. The female characters in Judith McNaught's books are very attached to their family or clan. That's usually where trouble occurs & the story takes an unwelcome turn. As for the male character, they're all strong, intelligent, proud & wanted. A conclusion I've reached after reading 3 of the author's books. The books wrap up with the mention of the book's title making it an intelligent endeavour on Judith's behalf to keep the book in your memory.

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Summary: wonderful indeed!
Review: after being strongly recommended by a good friend I decided to read 'Something Wonderful.' I expected you're fairly typical romance gone awry and a predictable ending but this book was anything but!
Fast-paced with witty dialogue, breath-taking scenes and memorable characters this book is my all-time Judith McNaught fave! Its amazing to find an author that can make a reader truly 'feel' the turbulent emotions of characters.
I also recommed 'Whitney, my love' as well as 'Until You' to readers who enojoyed this book as much as I did.

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Summary: Exquisite piece.
Review: After reading the wonderful reviews on this book, I've decided to give Judith McNaught's work a read. I must say, she does a great job at keeping me up all night, clutching onto this dear book in anticipation on what is going to happen. Something Wonderful is just as the title exclaims it to be. As a first novel to read by Judith McNaught, I am now devouring every book she has written one by one.

(I will try my hardest at not spoiling this book for you.) McNaught starts out this novel by introducing her hero and heroine, Jordan Townsende the Duke of Hawthorne and Alexandra Lawrence. McNaught does a beautiful job in describing her characters that you actually feel like you know them. Even though Jordan's cynicism is overpowering, your heart will melt when he shows his softness towards Alexandra when she steps into his life by saving him from an outnumbered attack. And that is how our loves meet. After being saved, Jordan somehow mistaken Alexandra for a young boy and takes her in to care for her. (i.e. check for broken bones, bruises, etc.) By doing so, he obliviously turns the town against her by ruining her reputation. With her reputation beyond repair, Alex's mother demands the Duke to wed Alex since no one else will with the whole town considering her as used goods. Jordan, who has never wanted marriage in the first place, marries Alexandra out of pity for her. It wasn't till later, as he watched Alexandra bloom before his eyes, how much of a delicate rare flower she is and how much his very life depended on her.

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Summary: Highly enjoyable, but...
Review: Definately enjoyable, but not McNaught's best. I found this novel to be highly enjoyable and an easy read for a lazy day. It isn't the most original plot you might find around, but its dialogue certainly makes up for it. However, this book is not without it's negatives. Lively conversations do not make up for rushed scenarios and strange behaviour of the lead characters without reasonable ground. The female lead character, Alexandra, falls in love too quickly wih the hero and is rather spineless when it comes to him. When her dreams of him are blown away and she is told of what kind of a person he truly is, she then does not want to want him, but her body overrules her mind. How typical. The hero on the other hand, strikes me as overbearingly arrogant. Whereas Alex, is just too forgiving of him.

Bad points aside, the book is certainly very humorous with both sides equipped with lots of wit and cheek. This book is certainly not a keeper or a favourite of mine, but I did enjoy it very much. If you like unbelievable but sweet romance, with an extremely rushed but satisfying ending then get this book.

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Summary: Loved it.
Review: I seldom read romance books because i find most of them to be well... extremely mushy at times. Im just not a romantic person at heart ha! Well.. ever since i brought Whitney My Love, i starting to have different impressions of romance books. Really loved the story but the hero in the story seem too cruel to me, oh well. Then i can't wait to know about Clayton's brother's happiness in Until You, yep, like his brother's character too, sometimes i wonder does historical man behave like this, am i truly glad i wasn't born in that era, because it will frighten the hell out of me. Now Something Wonderful, i pick this because i slightly read the first page and im horrify at Jordan's behavior towards his mother, who is obviously having an extra affair with the woman's husband he is bedding... as he say he is not surprised but i am, so it's that part that got me curious how the story will continue with him and Alexandra. The story brought more laughter to me as there is alot, i mean really alot of humor which i could laugh while reading, my mum thought im mad, laughing at a book ha! but the ending is beautiful. I always felt a deep unexplaninable feeling reading Judith McNaught books. I wonder why. She just suck me in and it always leave me heavy hearted reading it and leave me wanting for more of her stories after finishing her book..it's can be overwhelming and intense at times.. abit too much to bear i suppose i still not used to romance book, oh well. I will bear for the wonderful story she bring in this world. Way to go!

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Summary: I fell In Love...
Review: I was always one of those people that are very sceptical of romance books,but one day while on a trip,lacking on reading material..i stumble upon this book for half price.I havent look back since.
This book is fantastic!It left me spellbound for hours and i just do not want to put it down.This book has made me eat all the horrid things i said concerning romance books.The heroine is not your damsel in distress,she got spunk!The hero is not such a prince charming and they dont talk weird at all.No "please darling,let me look at your eyes that looks like two shining stars frm the heaven above'.None of that.
Fantastic read,i've read it 3 times already and i suggest you do the same thing too.You wont regret it.

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Summary: The best book I have ever read
Review: I was not a big romance fan,I was more into horror, butI read this book while bored at work one day. 4 years and a hundred reads later, i still get lost in this story. Every time i read it, just can't put it down! I suggest it to anyone, romance reader or not. The Character's are orignial, the plot twists and turn like mountain road. I can guarantee it's like nothing you've ever read!

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Summary: Something Wonderful
Review: I'm not much of a big romance reader, so one day I decided to just read one. Guess which one I happened to pick up? Yup, Something Wonderful, bu Judith McNaught. And yup, it definitely was "Something Wonderful."

While I was reading the book, I fell in love with Jordan, Duke of Hawthorne. He cynicism really made me admire him, because I'm a cynicist myself. So I really felt like I knew him. Of course their were times when I felt like muredring him when he hurt Alexandra.

Alexandra would be someone who I wouldn't mind having as a friend because of her sweet, unassuming nature and intelligence. That is one of the reasons I admire her. She is extremely intelligent and isn't afraid of speaking up. Her exploits made me laugh hysterically, and feel sorry for her at the same time.

Alexandra saves Jordan's life, and in return he accidentally ruins her reputation. Alexandra's mother insists that he marries Alexandra. Jordan marries her unwillingly, but feels bad that he destroyed her innocent reputation. From there on is battle of wits, passion, and hearts.

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Summary: Melts your heart
Review: this was a good book but oh it could of been better miss macnaught if you read this review please have a heart to the female roles of your books they have to suffer so much before they can find true love, and the male leads as if they are the victims.this book could ofcut of a lot of chapters.

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Summary: An apt title for a really wonderful story
Review: While on his way to his grandmother's country estate, Jordan Townsende, the Duke of Hawthorne, is attacked by thieves then rescued by a knight who suddenly comes out of nowhere. When the knight is injured after killing one of the thieves, Jordan carries his rescuer into the local inn, and to his surprise, he discovers that his knight in rusty armour is actually a young girl. Unfortunately for Jordan, that 'young girl' is actually 17-year-old Alexandra Lawrence, whose virtue is now compromised.

When Alexandra's mother finds out, she blackmails Jordan into marrying Alex, much to their shock. Jordan is furious but feels sorry for Alex, as he knows that he's ruined her chance of finding a husband, and therefore he reluctantly agrees to marry her. Alex tries to change his mind, as she doesn't want to get married especially to someone who is disenchanted with life and doesn't share her love and enthusiasm for it. Still the marriage takes place and by then, Alex fancies herself in love with Jordan, whom she describes as noble and beautiful, while Jordan finds himself more and more fascinated by his bride, whose laugh and exuberance is infectious, and whose innocence and naiveté warms his heart.

However, before they even had a chance to make their marriage work, Jordan finds himself captured in France and presumed dead in England. Alex grieves for Jordan until she is shattered by the realization that the man she fell in love with was nothing but an illusion, and that he was not the noble man that she thought him to be. Meanwhile, while imprisoned, it was the thought of seeing Alex again that kept Jordan going, not knowing that his naive and artless wife has now been transformed into a sophisticated lady with the help of his grandmother, and is now the toast of the ton. So when he finally escapes, he was shocked by the news that Alex was about to marry his cousin, Tony.

With these discoveries, we see them suffer the consequences of disillusionment and betrayal, while trying at the same time to hang on to the dream that they can make it work. And some scenes are almost heartbreaking, like when Filbert tells Jordan how Alex has suffered as a child from her father's lack of affection or how, when she thought Jordan dead, she had stared for hours at his portrait and cried.

Despite a couple of issues - namely the inconsistency with the dates where Jordan was supposed to have been gone for only 15 months, yet some scenes mention how they didn't know each other 2 years before (haven't they only known each other for two weeks before he was shipped to France?), and the lack of details on Jordan's capture, I really loved this book. Alexandra's innocence, optimism and wit are captivating and I loved seeing the effect and transformation it had on Jordan. This book made me laugh and cry and I truly loved it.