Almost Heaven: A Novel (3) (The Sequels series)

by Judith McNaught

Book Overview

"Beautiful but impoverished orphan Elizabeth Cameron is forced to choose between four unlikely suitors and finds herself drawn against her will to Ian Thornton, a handsome and daring rogue who views... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671742558
• Release Date: June 1991
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 1.4" x 4.1"

Customer Reviews

Almost Heaven...

This romance novel is well-written and solid. The story has a nice pace and the plot draws you in. Moreover, the characters are so loveable. Elizabeth is enchanting, strong, intelligent and beautiful, and Ian is the perfect man for her. He is practically a genius, charming, gorgeous, and protective. The ending of a novel is the most vital part of a book and "Almost Heaven" doesn't leave any questions unanswered. The ending is so strong and leaves you with a sweet closure that makes the characters stay with you and makes you want to revisit them often. If the author ever reads this review I would like to say thank you for an amazing story and breathtaking characters that came to life and seemed so very real. You have a wonderful talent and I look forward to reading more of your work.

A perfection

_Almost Heaven_ is in my Top 3 favorite romances of all time. I love how JM uses both humor and heartwrenching emotions in this book. The love and relationship between the hero and the heroine are very passionate, powerful and beautifully written. Elizabeth Cameron, an English beauty and a countess, is definitely the perfect heroine for this book. She's intelligent, witty, spirited, passionate, humorous, courageous and honorable. She never let the scandal (caused by her attraction to the hero, whom society deemed unsuitable) or her frugal uncle to dampen her spirits or prevent her from keeping Havenhurst (her ancestral home - which is on the verge of being put on the auctioneer's block). She's also very real and NOT entirely flawless.Ian Thornton is not a hero. He is "THE" hero. To me, he defines heroism. He's just magnificent that I always wish I was Elizabeth. He has no equal.There are so many wonderful scenes in this book, and also many wonderful secondary characters such as Lucinda (Elizabeth's duenna), John Marchman (a shy, wonderful man, who is one of Elizabeth's suitors), Bentner (Elizabeth's butler, who is addicted to mysteries) and more._ALMOST HEAVEN_ is the ultimate reading experience, and another book I would recommend is _A KINGDOM OF DREAMS_, which is a medieval.

Still my favorite romance of all time......

It was years ago when I first read ALMOST HEAVEN, up until today no other book can rival it, with the exception of OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon. Everytime I read AH, I always find something new, something that makes me understand the characters more and why they do the things they do. At one glance, ALMOST HEAVEN seems to be a Cinderella-typed of story. But, in fact, it's not. There is NO weak or wimpy heroine/hero here.(You must excuse my English)Elizabeth Cameron, Countess of Havenhurst, makes her debut when she's 17, and meets Ian Thornton, an older and enigmatic man, a man of mysterious lineage, who has a black reputation. Durind a time period, where marriage is according to family wishes, where the important things are title and wealth and bloodline, and where the 'Ton' prefers to feed on gossips and scandals over the most sumptuos meals, our remarkable hero and heroine here fall in love with each other during a weekend party. Ian, not knowing she's a countess, asks her to marry him. But, Robert, Elizabeth's brother, barges in on them, calling Ian with foul names, saying that he's not fit to touch her. When Robert also tells him that Elizabeth is already engaged, Ian feels betrayed and thinks that she's only playing games with him or only to find someone else more exciting than her fiancee to warm her bed. Elizabeth also feels betrayed, thinking him to be fortune-hunter. Her reputation is also ruined when she's seen alone with him by the 'ton'. They meet again 2 years later, and the attraction is still there between these two proud people. Then Ian finally knows the truth about Elizabeth, and he concocts a plan to force the society to accept her again. BUT, after all this, the two of them don't just just live happily ever after. There is more. They have to fight other obstacles, and these obstacles are not just something to spice up the story, unlike in other books. There is something hidden behind all that obstacles. Read the story and try to find it ^_^. Ian and Elizabeth are two characters so admirable and 3-dimensional, and they both leap out of the pages of the book. So real are they, that I can't help but want to know more about them, their childhoods, their lives before they meet each other and more. Ian Thornton is not your traditional hero, he's strong, dynamic, challenging, compassionate, complex etc. While Elizabeth Cameron is definitely Ian's match. I love her integrity and compassion etc. She's both serene and spunky, and she's never the annoying, bratty (is that a correct word?), ultra-fiesty or fiesty-at-the-wrong-time type of heroine, who frequents many romance novels (I think), which I sometimes find very boring and unreal. ALMOST HEAVEN is McNaught at her absolute best, and it just doesn't get any better than this (or Ian Thornton...'G'). Oh, I really wish JM will get back to writing historicals.

awestruck!!

At the age of 18, I have only read about 30 romance novels, most of which were only "so-so". From the moment I read "Once and Always" by JM, I was in complete and utter awe at her talent; I couldn't seem to get enough of her work! "Almost Heaven", however, is without a doubt my favorite one of them all. The characters are so lovable and seem so REAL, making it almost impossible to put the book down. (even at 2 in the morning on a work day :) Elizabeth is wonderfully witty and intelligent; who knew that this sweet, charming girl possessed such an uncanny knack for bargaining? Ian is definitely the man of my dreams. Yes, he was stubborn and extremely exasperating at times, but he said things to Elizabeth that made ME swoon! This book captivates you from the first page to the last; I love it so much, I'm in the process of reading it for the seventh time as we speak...so you can probably guess how highly I recommend it!!