Just In Time (Zebra Historical Romance) [Paperback]

Judith Lansdowne (Author)

Book Description

Series: Zebra Historical Romance | Publication Date: March 1, 2003

The Reverend Richard Dempsey accepts the comfortable living in the hinterlands offered him by the Duke of Berinwick. But when Dempsey arrives at St Milburga's of the Wood, he discovers the church in ruins, his patron dead, and Berinwick's family threatened by a madman. Thirty years ago and more, Richard Dempsey would have risked everything for Veronica Longwood. Now that she is the widowed Duchess of Berinwick, will he still risk all to protect her and her children from the consequences of an ancient rivalry?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Invited by the Duke of Berinwick to become the new rector for St. Milburga's of the Wood, Richard Dempsey arrives in Barren Wycche only to find the Duke has died in a mysterious carriage accident. However, William Thorne, the new duke, agrees to let him stay. Richard then discovers that Veronica, the dowager Duchess of Berinwick, is the girl he fell in love with so long ago. And it seems that William, along with his mother Veronica and younger sister, Hannah, might all be in danger from the same party who killed the previous duke. Richard then joins with the rest of the Thornes' devoted retainers to keep the family, and the woman he loves, safe. Lansdowne plunges readers into a delightfully twisted plot involving supposed ghostly visits from a Welsh legend, a centuries-long feud between two families, a mother's attempt to apologize for a past mistake, and a second chance at love between two old friends in this adventure-laced regency that neatly balances wit and danger with dazzling results. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821774212
• ISBN-13: 978-0821774212
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,639,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an engaging read, March 6, 2003

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just In Time (Zebra Historical Romance) (Paperback)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Poetic, humourous and a BEAUTIFUL love story, March 22, 2004

By 

M. Rondeau (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Just In Time (Zebra Historical Romance) (Paperback)

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 ---

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars She's BACK!, March 5, 2003

By 

Mary E Mason (Oak Ridge, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just In Time (Zebra Historical Romance) (Paperback)

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!