Just in Time

Rating:
Summary: an engaging read
Review: I must confess that I'm a real fan of Judith A. Lansdowne's, so that my feelings about her novels will always be somewhat biased. What I particularly like about her novels is that she doesn't really write about the usual kind of heroes and heroines. Her heroes are not always incredibly handsome or rakish, and her heroines not always beautiful and feisty. And while it is true that sometimes she does tend to have so many subplots going that it's not always really easy to keep track of what's going on, I'll also confess that once having sorted out all the different plot-lines, I've usually enjoyed her novels immensely. For those readers however who've found the multiple subplots and romances to be a bit of a pain, news that "Just In Time" actually deals with only one romance and possesses a much tighter storyline should be welcome. Everyone should note however that the romance here does focus on a much older 40-something couple -- the widowed Duchess of Berinwick and the new vicar of St. Milburga's of the Wood, the Reverend Richard Dempsey.

The Reverend Richard Dempsey has arrived at his new parish only to discover that the Duke of Berinwick who had offered him the living is now dead, and the new Duke of Berinwick has no idea as to why his dead father had chosen Dempsey in particular for the position. (There's a bit of a mystery there and a reason why Dempsey, more a scholar than a priest, was chosen for this particular living.) Adding to the awkwardness of the situation is the fact that the parish seems to be haunted by the ghost of Owain Glyndwr (the Welsh royal prince who fought for freedom from the English in the late 1500s), and the fact that there may be some question as to how the late duke may have met with his death. And then Dempsey discovers that the widowed Duchess of Berinwick just happens to be the very person he fell in love with many years ago, and with whom he still is in love! Now Dempsey has his hands full with trying to figure out what is going on at St. Milburga at the Wood, as well as try to keep his ardent feelings for the obviously grieving widow in check!

Once I got past the slightly confusing (at least to me) opening chapter, "Just In Time" proved to be quite the read. I thought that it was truly refreshing that Judith Lansdowne had written a romance novel that featured a much older couple -- given that the norm is to feature either teenagers or else twenty-somethings. The entire subplot that dealt with how the duchess, once a pampered and somewhat spoilt beauty, but who now strove to become something more with the help of the new vicar, was really nicely done. Also nicely done was how the authour fleshed out the character of the somewhat dour and cantankerous young Duke of Berinwick (some readers may remember him from a previous Lansdowne novel, "Shall We Dance") -- it looks as if there may actually be a book in the offing featuring the duke, and I'm really looking forward to it!

All in all "Just In Time" proved to be a rather satisfying read, although I must admit that the mystery subplot in this case was almost window dressing at times. However, I did think that this was not too important a niggle since the novel was primarily about the romance that develops between the Duchess and the vicar, and about the Duchess's strained relationship with her son. And that's what made "Just In Time" a truly memorable read -- the fantastic manner in which Ms Lansdowne developed those two storylines, as well as certain characters, such as the duke and his younger sister, Hannah. A book well worth the purchase price.

Rating:
Summary: She's BACK!
Review: Judith Lansdowne is back!! Just in Time is Lansdowne at her best.This author seems to fluctuate between really good and really silly. The Bedevilled Duke, Annabella's Diamond, Amelia's Intrigue,and Camilla's Fate were really good, as is Just in Time. The Lord Nightingale trilogy was really silly. Others, like A Season of Virtues, A Devilish Dilemma, and Balmorrow's Bride were somewhere in the middle.

The hero in Just in Time is her best type - an outstanding man who sees his own faults and doesn't expect everything to go his way. He is humble but secure in his own worth. He knows what is right, and stands up for it. He loves the heroine more than he loves himself! The heroine wasn't conceited and self-centered, but was aware of her own flaws. She did not take the hero for granted, but was honored by his love. Also, the characters didn't have silly names, as some characters in other Lansdowne books do. The conflict in the book centers around murder and attempted murder, but the secondary conflict (between mother and son) is very touching.

The secondary characters are just waiting for their own stories. I can hardly wait to read them!

Rating:
Summary: She's BACK!
Review: Judith Lansdowne is back!! Just in Time is Lansdowne at her best.This author seems to fluctuate between really good and really silly. The Bedevilled Duke, Annabella's Diamond, Amelia's Intrigue,and Camilla's Fate were really good, as is Just in Time. The Lord Nightingale trilogy was really silly. Others, like A Season of Virtues, A Devilish Dilemma, and Balmorrow's Bride were somewhere in the middle.

The hero in Just in Time is her best type - an outstanding man who sees his own faults and doesn't expect everything to go his way. He is humble but secure in his own worth. He knows what is right, and stands up for it. He loves the heroine more than he loves himself! The heroine wasn't conceited and self-centered, but was aware of her own flaws. She did not take the hero for granted, but was honored by his love. Also, the characters didn't have silly names, as some characters in other Lansdowne books do. The conflict in the book centers around murder and attempted murder, but the secondary conflict (between mother and son) is very touching.

The secondary characters are just waiting for their own stories. I can hardly wait to read them!

Rating:
Summary: Satisfying and amusing, but not great literature.
Review: Judith Lansdowne writes humorous Regencies, of which this is one. Her "Lord Nightingale" series was hysterically funny - Lord Nightingale being a macaw with a rather, er, peculiar vocabulary. The Lord Nightingale books were thinner, and packaged as lightweight Regencies, which is about right. This one's a little thicker and packaged as a historical; that's why I give it only four stars. There's not quite enough there to justify the length of the book.

What there is, though, is nicely amusing. The Lansdowne touch with animals is evident. Besides an elderly hound (who is very important to the plot), we have a cat with six kittens, Mrs. Quillbristle the hedgehog, and assorted horses. We also have spunky teenage girls, centuries-long family feud, ghosts, a deep, dark family secret, secret caverns, and other plot staples that move the book right along. A bit of a cliche, but nicely done.

Plot? Well, it's a Regency - so you know there's a happy ending. Itinerent preacher who is fonder of archeology than of preaching is invited to investigate some relics. Gets there, finds out his benefactor is dead under mysterious circumstances and the widow is a childhood friend he hasn't seen in 30 years. Villain is trying to kill off family in order to steal relics, with a sub-text of the aforementioned family feud making him feel he's entitle to said relics. (Who the villain is, is telegraphed to us fairly early on, relatively speaking.) Widow has two children, the current Duke, who has one eye, and one of the spunky teenage girls. Mysterious relics get stolen and found again; widow gets kidnapped and rescued; widow and son reconcile; widow and preacher live happily ever after.

It's not at all a novel plot, but with this book, the humorous details and dialogue are the reason to read it, rather than novelty. It's a very nice, amusing read (and it was a great relief, after reading another book, which I have also reviewed, which was totally wrong for a Regency.)

Details for those who like certain levels of various elements in their stories: kissing is as far as we go in the area of sex, and it's consenting adults at that. There are a few bloody deaths or attempts thereto. There is nothing occult- the ghost isn't one, we find out quickly. The fact that the hero's a preacher does not make the book overtly religious or preachy; this wasn't written to cater to the "Christian market."

One last note: this book is supposed to be the first in a trilogy, and we can certainly tell that the next book will be about the one-eyed Duke, and the one after that will be about the spunky 15-year old, when she comes of age. I'm looking forward to them.

Rating:
Summary: Timely return to form
Review: Just at a time when I had almost given up on Judith Lansdowne along comes this book. Gone are the multiple confusing plot lines and incomplete characterizations that marred My Fair Quiggly and Shall We Dance. Although not as good as Amelia's Intrigue or Camilla's Fate - two of my favorites by Lansdowne, this one is well worth reading. I'm not sure it is a keeper - though. The book seems to me to be "setting a stage" for the next in the series, painting a background of a location and introducing us to the characters.

These characters are very well done, especially the Duke and his much younger sister, Hannah; although you should be aware that the primary romance in this book involves the older couple, the Duke's recently widowed mother and the newly appointed clergyman, Richard Dempsey. My favorite of all is Theophilous the hound!

I found that the plot - which involves solving the mystery surrounding the late Duke's death to be less than engrossing, although it served as a device to show the growth of the characters. I like books that tell the story from multiple points of view, as this one does; however, the switches are occasionally abrupt. The motivation of the villain (who is pretty obvious) is one dimensional, in my opinion. I also would have liked a bit more background about Richard's life between when he was a child and the "present" as represented by this book. For more details on the plot see the review by tregatt below.

Rating:
Summary: Poetic, humourous and a BEAUTIFUL love story
Review: Setting - Shropshire, England 1795 --- Richard Dempsey, a clergyman and scholar had been invited by the Duke of Berinwick to become the new rector for St. Milburga's of the Wood. Due to the time it took him to arrive from his other pursuits, the Duke who offered him the living has died and his son William Thorne, a rather sullen young man, is now the new Duke of Berinwick. First impressions being what they were, it was then not surprising that he and the duke did not immediately hit it off very well as Richard's hound, Theophilus attacked the duke's boot - particularly since the Duke was still wearing it.

It is not long before Richard discovers that Williams mother, the dowager Duchess Veronica, was the young girl that he'd fallen in love with at the age of seven. In his eyes every bit as beautiful as long ago, but with her eyes revealing the pain of harboring a mother's secret. Soon Richard and the family's faithful and devoted retainers would be swept into keeping Veronica, along with William and his younger sister Hannah, safe from the madman that had engineered the previous duke's murder. A murder that up until then had been thought to be an accident.

For those readers who look for `classic' regency tales that provide pure entertainment with humor, adventure, and elegant prose, you need look no further. I have found this author to fit the bill in all aspects when looking for just that. Out of the ordinary, are the two main protagonists as they are in the `autumn' of their lives with a second chance at love. You will also find undeniably sweet, the words that every 40 plus woman would love to hear.... "You must be the most beautiful woman ever created by God, and every year of your life, God has added to your beauty inside and out until now, at the very sight of you, my heart cries aloud in wonder..." Poetic, humorous - you'll just love the old hound Thoephilus - and a truly wonderful `love' story. This was a really lovely read! --- Submitted by Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

Rating:
Summary: Poetic, humourous and a BEAUTIFUL love story
Review: Setting - Shropshire, England 1795 --- Richard Dempsey, a clergyman and scholar had been invited by the Duke of Berinwick to become the new rector for St. Milburga's of the Wood. Due to the time it took him to arrive from his other pursuits, the Duke who offered him the living has died and his son William Thorne, a rather sullen young man, is now the new Duke of Berinwick. First impressions being what they were, it was then not surprising that he and the duke did not immediately hit it off very well as Richard's hound, Theophilus attacked the duke's boot - particularly since the Duke was still wearing it.

It is not long before Richard discovers that Williams mother, the dowager Duchess Veronica, was the young girl that he'd fallen in love with at the age of seven. In his eyes every bit as beautiful as long ago, but with her eyes revealing the pain of harboring a mother's secret. Soon Richard and the family's faithful and devoted retainers would be swept into keeping Veronica, along with William and his younger sister Hannah, safe from the madman that had engineered the previous duke's murder. A murder that up until then had been thought to be an accident.

For those readers who look for 'classic' regency tales that provide pure entertainment with humor, adventure, and elegant prose, you need look no further. I have found this author to fit the bill in all aspects when looking for just that. Out of the ordinary, are the two main protagonists as they are in the 'autumn' of their lives with a second chance at love. You will also find undeniably sweet, the words that every 40 plus woman would love to hear.... "You must be the most beautiful woman ever created by God, and every year of your life, God has added to your beauty inside and out until now, at the very sight of you, my heart cries aloud in wonder..." Poetic, humorous - you'll just love the old hound Thoephilus - and a truly wonderful 'love' story. This was a really lovely read! --- Submitted by Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

Rating:
Summary: Just in time! Like finding water in a desert--refreshing
Review: Thank you, Judith Landsdowne! You saved my poor, parched reader's mind. I felt refreshed reading this book.
After starting and tossing many books that had the same sing-song sort of tone, style, characters, etc, this book REALLY STANDS OUT from the crowd.
I'd almost given up reading historical romances ...until JUST IN TIME came along just in time. Thank heavens! Buy this book and rediscover the joy of a well-written historical romance. This one is a keeper!

Rating:
Summary: Just in time! Like finding water in a desert--refreshing
Review: Thank you, Judith Landsdowne! You saved my poor, parched reader's mind. I felt refreshed reading this book.
After starting and tossing many books that had the same sing-song sort of tone, style, characters, etc, this book REALLY STANDS OUT from the crowd.
I'd almost given up reading historical romances ...until JUST IN TIME came along just in time. Thank heavens! Buy this book and rediscover the joy of a well-written historical romance. This one is a keeper!

Rating:
Summary: former fan...
Review: There was a time for me that when a Landsdowne regency was coming out, I would count the days until I could run out and buy it. Then something happened. The Nightingale series came and with it, for me anyway, went much of the joy and just plain fun I used to find in Judith's novels. It is funny how many of the reviewers for this book say Judith Lansdowne is back which is an indication, I think, on just how many of her devoted fans feel that she has left in the first place!! Just in Time just is not that intereting a story and really lacks in the romance department. I do not mind the 40-something romance. But the real romance and fun that can be found in some of her best books, The Bedevilled Duke, Annabella's Diamond, Balmorrow's Bride and Camilla's Fate, is missing. These books could be read over and over again and still enjoyed. I hope that I too someday can say She's Back!