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| Until You | 
 enlarge | Author: Judith Mcnaught
Publisher: Pocket
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  151 reviews
Sales Rank: 82644
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3
ISBN: 0671880608
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780671880606
ASIN: 0671880608
Publication Date: April 1, 1995
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Help save a tree. Buy all your used books from Green Earth Books. Read -> Recycle -> Reuse!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Not as memorable or as riveting as her other books... November 23, 2005
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Judith McNaught's regency romances all have one thing in common: alpha males that for some reason or other are love cynics and misogynists whose lives change the minute they meet that one special woman who defy them with their wild spirits. McNaught novels have another thing in common: misunderstandings, misunderstandings, misunderstandings. It has so far been the McNaught signature in her novels, or at least in her regencies. Until You, the sequel to Whitney, My Love, isn't an exception to that formula. In Whitney, Stephen was a charming, flirtatious fellow who helped his brother and Whitney through their obstacles. He seemed so refreshing and so unlike McNaught's signature heroes that I couldn't wait to read Until You. However, I was disappointed to see that Stephen is pretty much like the other male protagonists in this effort. In this novel, Stephen becomes a callous, cynical type after he obtains various titles and inherits several estates from an uncle. He feels women only want him for his titles and wealth, but his life changes when he accidentally kills a man with his carriage and has the unfortunate responsibility of telling the man's fiancee what happened. But the man's fiancee suffers an accident at the pier where the ship docks and she loses her memory as a result. Stephen is instantly lustful for her. However, neither he nor the American beauty knows that she is actually the fiancee's chaperone. There are various twists throughout the novel.
It would have been great if Stephen had been a nice, uncomplicated man and Sheridan was the one who gave him a hard time for a change, kind of like A Kingdom of Dreams (except that Royce was the typical McNaught alpha male), but the author had other ideas. It seems to me that she only knows how to write one type of hero. Stephen here is completely different from the way he was in Whitney, My Love. He was good in the beginning though, when he was concerned for Sherry and wanted to be as accommodating as possible, but things take an unpleasant detour when the misunderstandings reach a head and he is as nasty as the other heroes in the other novels. The author tried to convince the reader that Sheridan was a spirited, no-nonsense heroine, but aside from a few scenes in which she puts Stephen in his place, she is nothing but a ninny to me who lets Stephen treat her like a common prostitute. The whole thing about her wanting him to forget about his mistress (though he'd obviously forgotten about her) during their second love scene left a bad taste in my mouth. Why couldn't she just tell him up front that she was unhappy about the mistress? That is where the "ninny" part comes in. Sherry made me roll my eyes almost as much as Stephen did. I came to the conclusion that these two characters were simply dumb. Anyway, despite those poor points, the novel did keep me riveted from cover to cover, just like all of the other McNaught novels. They made me feel emotions and kept me wanting to know whether they'd work things out in the end. Like other readers, I was upset that Stephen never uttered "I love you" in the novel. The author made it clear that he did in fact love Sherry, but the readers want to read those three little words anyway. His uttering "until you" instead of "I love you" wasn't good enough for me. As for the secondary characters, I was glad to see that all of the couples from the previous McNaught regencies were in this one and that they were Stephen's friends. Whitney and Clayton have secondary roles here and I was happy to read about them again. But since they are only secondary characters here, they don't show that spirit and passion that characterized them in Whitney, My Love. All in all, compared to the other novels, Until You is a middling read. It wasn't as emotionally driven as Once and Always and Something Wonderful and the protagonists weren't as memorable as the ones in Whitney, My Love and A Kingdom of Dreams. This is probably the last I'll read of the Westmorelands and I shall miss them. I do look forward to reading the novelette about Nicholas DuVille, one of my favorite characters of this series. I hope McNaught hadn't turned him into another "wounded soul" as well. I love the aforementioned heroes, but a little variety wouldn't hurt. I'll miss McNaught regencies and I'll give her contemporary efforts a whirl. She is one of my favorite romance authors and I must read all of her stuff.
 Great! March 2, 2000
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
This was the first JM book I read. Barrowed it in the library and read it in 1 day. I couldn't and wouldn't put it down. The characters were great. The only set back was that the amnesia thing took too long. It could have been shorter. Until You is a great love story and it's funny as well. After reading this book I had to have it for myself. I didn't know that Until You is a sort of sequel from Whitney, My Love. I now own all the regency romance books of Judith McNaught. In 1 weeks I read them all! Lost a lot of sleep but it was worth it! She's a great writer!
 Disappointing and un-satisfying April 19, 1999
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
UNTIL YOU is the second book about the Westmoreland family and a sort of sequel to WHITNEY,MY LOVE. It is natural that the reader will compare them. I feel disappointed that we encounter the same 'big misunderstanding' formula but the worse is that it is not half as well-written as WHITNEY,MY LOVE. This book has not got the McNaught touch or flair.The characters are shallow and inconsistent and the story lacks credibility.I particularly find the beauty of Sheridan unconvincing. In her American homeland, she had never turned any heads. On the boat across the Atlantic, nobody paid her any attention. Then suddenly in London, she was lauded a beauty.Stephen Westmoreland was no better. At the beginning of the book, he was the perfect man-about-town --- smart,dashing, intelligent, sophisticated, suave and charismatic.But the moment he met Sheridan, he behaved like a besotted fool who found her every antic and faux pas amusing and charming.Is this the Stephen we know? The man who could have the pick of almost any beautiful woman in London but would not be ensnared? Sheridan lacked the glamour,the sex appeal,the intelligence, the wit , the sharp tongue , the social polish.... everything that Whitney possessed and endeared her to everyone.Sheridan was brazen , impertinent and saucy without being endearing. I was especially appalled by her going down the dining room barefooted in her peignoir for breakfast and stunned the butler and footmen. I cannot believe that Stephen , an epitome of urbanity and social grace could tolerate her lack of propriety, etiquette and refinement. It is totally out of character. In WHITNEY, MY LOVE, we have Clayton watching Whitney grow up and blossom into a beautiful and alluring young temptress. He was drawn to her gradually through a period of several years. But in UNTIL YOU , the romance did not develop, neither did the characters, the writer contrived them so that everything appears artificial and superficial. Stephen felt a sense of guilt towards Sheridan for her amnesia and a sense of duty towards her well-being but this is not love. I find myself growing more and more annoyed as the story progressed. I pray fervently that Ms McNaught would write a better book on Nick DuVille.
Better than Whitney My Love! August 14, 2000
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I've read this book more than once and it's one of the few romances that's left an impression on me. It's my absolute favourite! I think what makes it SO good is the characters especially Stephen! He's my dream man! Judith McNaught does a wonderful job of making you fall in love with him and Sheridan. I loved every single part of the book, except when Stephen was angry with Sheridan because he thought she lied to him. By the way, that seems like kind of a trend with Judith Mcnaught, having the heroes think that the heroines are brilliant actresses who lied to them? Anyway, all I gotta say is do not pass this one up! It will make you laugh and cry, and if you like it read Whitney My Love too (although in my opinion it's not as good). However Stephen is so adorable in it!
the very best July 21, 2001
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
"Until You" was the first book by Ms. McNaught that I read. I was utterly spellbound from start to finish, and actually did not get up until I had finished. Miss Sheridan Bromleigh is a good heroine, and you certainly appreciate her feelings. She is not why the book is so compelling, or at least not the main reason. Lord Stephen Westmoreland, the Earl of Langford, is an extremely compelling hero. He is breathtaking, and a very good reason to read this book. Combined with good narrative, an able heroine, and witty dialouge as well as true romance, Lord Westmoreland makes "Until You" one of the best romance novels I have ever read, if not the absolute best. I highly recommend this book, even if you have not read any other McNaught books, because although it is a "follow up" (Stephen appears in his brother's story, "Whitney, my Love"), "Until You" is by far the best novel Ms. McNaught has written, and I think I would have been put off of her had I read "Whitney, my Love" first. One of the most well written aspects of the novel, is the tension that exists between the characters. It is amazing, and it truly draws you into the story. You feel what the charactes feel, and it differentiates this from a regular romance novel. Read this book. You will surely be glad you did.
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