Customer Reviews

Something Wonderful

5 star:		(131)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In my opinion, the best Judith McNaught book I have ever read. Set in England in the early 19th century, young Alexandra Lawrence meets the handsome Duke of Hawthorne and sets in motion a story that will make you laugh and cry, as is Ms. McNaught's specialty. The young Alex marries the cold-hearted Jordan, her heart filled with love and admiration. Tragedy strikes, tearing the two apart, only to meet again when the awkward duchess has bloomed into a beautiful, sophisticated young woman. I've read this book cover to cover about four times and each time I discover something more magical about this wonderful couple created by romance author, Judith McNaught. It's an intelligent, witty, passionate, romantic, funny, and heart-warming story of a young girl who believed in "something wonderful."

Once again, this is one of my favorite Judith McNaught book!

Jordan, the rich & powerful Duke of Hawthorne, known also as a handsome rake was travelling to the countryside where his mother is staying when he met trouble in the highway. A knight in a rusty armour came to his rescue. When the person in the armour suit, who he assumed was a young boy, was knocked unconscious in the process of saving his life, he had to make sure he would be ok, returned to his family & be well compensated. Therefore, in good intention, he carried the boy to the nearest motel. When Jordan took off the armour suit & clothes to check for any open wound, he realized that the boy he thought was actually a young girl. Alexandra was already half naked & half conscious when the hotel hostess came inside the bedroom. That good intentions turned into a black cloud which created a scandal in Alexandra's small town, ruining her reputation & her chance of finding a decent husband, which infuriated her mother. Since Alexandra's family were impoverished when her father died, her mother took this opportunity to better their situation. Forced to marry each other, their life changed forever....

Even if she wasn't ready to marry, Alexandra found herself already half in love with Jordan. On the other hand, Jordan who have no intentions of marrying, let alone falling in love, decided to wed Alexandra. Afterall, he owed her for saving his life. However, What Alexandra's unaware of is he plans to leave her in one of his estates, fully financially compensated, including her mother and only to be visited once or twice a year for show. He intended to live his life just the way he was before he got himself in this mess.

Alexandra Lawrence was a tomboyish, innocent, naive young country girl when Jordan first met her. She was so naive that she was so unpretentious with her emotions. She speaks her mind and shows her emotions freely. She was romantic & full of imaginations. She's overwhelming & she amazes him as well. She was totally different compared to the Ladies Jordan is use to being with. But before Jordan can see Alexandra flourished into a beautiful Swan, he got himself into another trouble. This time, Alexandra wasn't there to rescue him...

When Alexandra was initially introduce to the Ton, She acknowledge her love for Jordan which made her the laughing stock of the Ton. She didn't know the true character of Jordan. She always believed him to be good hearted, a gentlemen & a sensitive person. However, as she matures, what she eventually heard and found out was an exact opposite. She is no longer the naive country girl who Jordan played like a fool. That's when she decided to be the Belle of every Ball. She stopped sulking, came out, enjoyed herself immensely & became every man's desire.

This book have so many twists & turns that just makes you want to read it until it ends. Aside from the suspense of finding who wants to kill Jordan, Alexandra's growing relationship with Jordan makes this book very romantic and heart quenching. There is so many scenes I love in this book but the ending was the powerful and the best one of all. Jordan's confessions, his touching words of noticing colors & the jewel gifts that Jordan gave her made me cry. I was overjoyed! Once you read the book, you will know that the jewel he gave her had other significance. A deeper, thoughtful meaning! Jordan mother's hatred to Alexandra & her acceptance in the end was also heart warming. The "situation" that J.M. wrote in order for the two to be close was really sad. That "situation" gave Alexandra & the dowager duchess a special bond. One of my favorite scene was also Alexandra's second wedding to Tony, Jordan's cousin. Oh, you must read it to find out. Don't want to give it away for you... But it's so excitingly funny! There is so many wonderfully described secondary characters in this book, all of them contributed to the success of this story. I liked every one of them! Though, I specially loved Alexandra's two loyal servant & friends. The blind Filbert & the deaf Penrose. Alexandra childhood and her relationship with her father was really sad. The confession of Filbert to Jordan about Alex's past made me cry. After reading this part, you simply want the best for Alexandra and what she finally gained in the end was truely what she deserve. Loved this book. Glad I have it in my collection! Pick it up, read it... you won't be sorry!

I admit, this is the first book that I have by Judith McNaught. The book was very well written and I see that she is very talented. Throughout the book , I felt that Alex was constantly trying to prove to Jordan that she is good enough.
Alex first meets Jordan during his holdup with the thieves. She saves his life and what is the thanks she get?? He 'dies'/disappears on her 4-5 days after their marriage, the 'ton' ostrasizes her, she's jerred upon and made into a laughing stock and she is under the delusion that something wonderful is going to happen to her. Even though she had a painful past, she still sees the positive aspects of life. She still loves life, the good and the the ugly. Even though her father lies to her and gives her a tin locket (instead of the gold one), she still believes there is something wonderful in her future. Even when her dad dies and she comes face to face with his 'other' wife and daughter , she still believes in that 'something wonderful'.
Jordan is the complete opposite. There is no such thing as something wonderful. Yes, his family is wealthy beyond ur wildest dreams and he can buy anything and everything he wants. He had a nonchallant mother and a strict/demanding father. He has been molded to hide his feelings, cram useless info into his brain till he has a headache and torture himself trying to impress his father. As if thats not enough, he desregards the opposite sex and uses them like chattle. He's a player (and proud of it) and sleeps with different women as often as he changes his clothes.
Here are some of the reasons that I still feel that she is too good for him:

1.she always manages to forgive him as soon as he give her one of his 'melting kisses'

2.Half the time he didn't even bother telling her the truth, as if she is not old enough and mature enough to handle it.

3. He always sees the bad in people, especially her. even though she is good, truthful, generous, thoughful, and lovable. He sees her as a sceming manipulative bitch. Come on Jordan. What is wrong with you??
Talking to fictitious characters should give u a clue as to how great of a book this is. You have got to read the book to get the rest of the story. It only gets more interesting. I promise.

This is the first Judith McNaught novel I have read and it won't be the last! Something Wonderful is one of the most emotive, romantic, funny and poignant romance novels I have ever read! This is definitely not a run-of-the-mill Regency romance. Alexandra Lawrence isn't the typical seventeen-year-old. She is tomboyish, preferring to wear men's breeches over skirts, a literature and philosophy enthusiast, always quoting Plato and Horace, and is the breadwinner at her humble country cottage. She is also quite an expert at fencing, and that is how she meets Jordan Townsende, the Duke of Hawthorne. On his way to meet his grandmother at her country estate, he is accosted by bandits, but a mysterious young lad jousts his way into the incident, saving Jordan's life. Jordan discovers that the lad is actually a lass, a petite young woman with beautiful aquamarine eyes. Due to a misunderstanding, he is forced to marry her. Jordan is seemingly a heartless, rough and incorrigible womanizer and figures out a way to keep Alexandra at bay so he could continue his fun and debauchery among the people of the ton. But things don't turn out that way, to say the least. Alexandra thinks "something wonderful" has happened when she meets Jordan. However, the route to love is a long, difficult one, and Jordan is a far cry from the noble man she had romanticized in her mind. And she discovers that after she is introduced to the ruthless gossipers of London society. What transpires is a love story with so many twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages until the late hours of the night.

This is one of the most riveting stories out there. I don't want to go into too many details in this review, but, as said earlier, I will summarize by saying that this isn't your typical, predictable Regency romance. Jordan and Alexandra are one of the most compelling couples I have read. The characterization is flawless, the story development is compelling. You will laugh, cry and be infuriated with these main characters, especially with Jordan. He is a hero that seems arrogant, ruthless, even borderline violent in some occasions, but his true colors show with each passing chapter. His scenes with Alexandra are truly mesmerizing. He and Alex are three-dimensional protagonists with a great deal of depth. One might say that this is the typical story of a reformed rake, but it is actually more than that. I cried with Alexandra during her disillusionment when the ton made fun of her devotion to Jordan and her blatant lack of knowledge of his wicked ways. But Jordan goes through a great deal of things as well. Someone is trying to kill him and had succeeded in banishing him for a while, turning him into a prisoner of war (during the French Revolution), but he is determined to find the person who wants him out of the picture. The mystery aspect of this novel is quite well done and I was surprised with its conclusion. Again, as for the Jordan and Alexandra story -- it is one of the most beautiful ones I have read. There are some symbolisms and staggering love scenes. As already mentioned, they are great protagonists with so much nuance. I like some of the secondary characters as well, like the Duchess, Anthony, Roddy and Melanie. The ton were portrayed as bored party-goers that live and breathe to gossip and make secret bets against their peers, as I have no doubt that they were in that time period. Something Wonderful is one of the most... well, wonderful novels I have read in quite a while. There are some inconsistencies though. McNaught should have done her math with the protagonists' ages. At first, Jordan is eighteen and Alexandra is thirteen. Nine years later, Jordan is twenty-seven and Alexandra is seventeen going on eighteen in a few days. If my math serves me correctly, she should have been twenty-two years old after the time lapse -- unless the first chapter in which we are introduced to a bit of the protagonists' respective histories did not occur during the same year, in which case the author or the editors should have pointed that out. Also, the author refers to Jordan as "Jason" in a couple of chapters. Other than that, I loved this novel. I kept rereading certain passages because they moved me to the core. McNaught is on my must-read list. I have purchased A Kingdom of Dreams and cannot wait to give it a whirl.

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.

I loved Jordan and Alex's story. It is so touching and wonderful. The power of love is an amazing thing and is shown in this story. If you have never read McNaught this is a great first story. I have re-purchased this book twice since I wear them out re-reading them. In fact this story gets better with each re-reading.

Alex is a young girl that still believes their is good in everyone including her selfish family. Jordan is a disolutioned soul who find nothing good in anyone. One chance meeting and Alex in the role of unlikely heroine saves Jordan. He takes her home to her unusual family and is dismayed to see how she lives. Still Jordan has made himself a promise and that is to always keep himself on guard against those that would only take from him. Alex teaches Jordan that not everyone is out to get something from him. He is slowly learning this when tragedy happens and he is taken away from Alex. What follows is the growing up of one young girl, and the faith that she inspired in a tired soul (Jordan) as a way of motivating Jordan to get back to her.

A must read if you are a McNaught fan, and it is a great first read if you have never read McNaught before. This is classic McNaught at her best.

From the first page, I was sucked in and wanted to keep reading and reading and reading and reading. Why? Because I was anticipating when the hero would realize that he loved the heroine. But nope! It wasn't until reading 80% of the book that we truly see that Jordan actually LOVES her. Sure he kisses her and sleeps with her before 80% of the book. But it just wasn't romance to me. Why? Because throughout the book we are reminded that he has many mistresses, sleeps with only beautiful women, and doesn't believe in love. I have read hundreds of romances where the heros were rakes, but the authors show the transformation. However, in this book the hero didn't change until the end. Sure when he was gone for a year he thought about her, but it's impossible that he loved her, because he didn't even love her when they were married for 4 days. Suddenly, while he's gone he thinks about her. But when he comes back he's still arrogant and cruel. The ending of the book was beautiful and that's why I am giving this book 2 stars instead of one, but where does all his love come from? One minute he doesn't like her and then the next page he's declaring his love for her - it's just unbelievable. For a similar story to this one but written beautifully, read Lisa Kleypas's Because You're Mine. The hero is also a terrible rake and doesn't believe in love. But throughout the book we actually see the transformation, making that romance book believabe.

If I could rate this book a 10+, I would.
A lot of people has already written a summary of the storyline so I will skip that and just tell you to grab a copy of this book! I'm an avid fan of historical romance and have read hundreds of books but this one is by far the best I've ever read. This is definitely a keeper - one I would be reading over and over again until I wear out the pages (then I will just go out and buy another copy).
The characters were well rounded and very believable with none of the usual "jump to conclusion" headstrong attitudes that borders on the ridiculous to generate an interesting plot line.

The suspense/mystery element of this book did not overshadow the romance but there was still enough of it to create some tension and a lot of surprises for the reader. I never guessed the identity of the culprit until the moment of revealation.
This book had me sighing, laughing, crying and smirking right throughout. There were as many laugh-out-loud moments as there were gut-wrenching tearful ones. There were moments of such tenderness it had me sighing, moments of sizzling sexual tension that had my pulses racing wildly, witty repartees that had me smirking and incredibly funny moments that had me giggling like an idiot. I loved this book from the first opening lines right to the last word penned.
This book is definitely SOMETHING WONDERFUL!!!

It was many years ago when I read the first Judith McNaught book. In those days I really did not even like historical romance but still enjoyed her books. It has been a long time since I read Something Wonderful for the first time but it still is one of the very best books I have ever read. Like all McNaught books, the depth of the characters is so much more than other writers can begin to accomplish. She just does so much more with emotions and by the time you finish this book if one is not truly sitting there barely able to read the words because of the tears streaming down your face. I can't remember a book I have felt recently so overwhelmed with the plot as I was this book. Jordan is truly a difficult challenging rogue who is perhaps it seems one of the most unfeeling men of historical romance. By some twist of fate he meets Alexander and she is just a very young breath of fresh air to him. She totally captivates him and even though he is forced to marry her he finds this might in fact be the most wonderful thing that has ever happened in his life. But of course before he can even begin to appreciate the wonderful loving, totally refreshing darling wife he is taken captive and almost dies only to come back 15 mos later to everything in his world being totally in uphevel including his wonderful wife standing at the alter ready to marry his cousin Tony. There is no way to even begin to write here how unbelievable this book is. All I can say is like most reviewers read this or truly any other of J McNaught's books and you will not be disappointed. If I could give this book 10 stars it would not be enough. This book is truly Something very very wonderful!!

Judith McNaught does it again! This is Jordan and Alexandra's captivating love story set in Regency England. This novel can be compared to a blending of "My Fair Lady", "Cinderella", and "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous". The characters are well developed so the reader truly understands Jordan's severe actions & arrogance and Alex's bravery & naivety. There are many heartwarming and humorous moments in this quick read. It is never boring. In addition to the satisfying romance, there is an underlying storyline of suspense/intrigue. If you are a fan of regency romances, this novel will not disappoint. It is especially meaningful to those McNaught fans who have read Whitney My Love, Almost Heaven, etc.