Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
5th out of 394 books
—
770 voters
Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet #1)
by
Julia Quinn (Goodreads Author)
Honoria Smythe-Smith is: A) a really bad violinist
B) still miffed at being nicknamed "Bug" as a child
C) not in love with her older brother's best friend
D) all of the above
Marcus Holroyd is: A) the Earl of Chatteris
B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles
C) not in love with his best friend's younger sister
D) all of the above
Together they: A) eat quite a bit of chocola...more
B) still miffed at being nicknamed "Bug" as a child
C) not in love with her older brother's best friend
D) all of the above
Marcus Holroyd is: A) the Earl of Chatteris
B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles
C) not in love with his best friend's younger sister
D) all of the above
Together they: A) eat quite a bit of chocola...more
Paperback, UK Edition, 384 pages
Published
June 2011
by Piatkus
(first published May 31st 2011)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
May 02, 2011
Juliana
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-romance,
advance-reading-copy-or-galley,
amazon-vine-program,
3-stars,
2011-reads,
2011-may-reads,
0-reviewed,
0-own-in-dead-tree-form,
georgian-historical-romance,
set-in-england,
hr-childhood-history,
hr-hero-aristocrat-lord-titled,
hr-hero-late-20s,
hr-hero-nobility,
hr-hero-silent-quiet-type,
hr-heroine-early-to-mid-20s,
hr-heroine-good-girl,
hr-heroine-nobility-aristocrat-lady,
hr-hero-nice-guys-dont-finish-last,
hr-hero-beta-personality-type-sweet,
challenge-2011-rrrc-a-to-z-friends
A simple and light romance, which is sometimes just what you need
When I first started reading romances, Julia Quinn was one of my favorite authors and I fell absolutely in love with her Bridgerton series, as I know many other romance readers did as well. The past few years, her books have been uneven for me, so I was a little nervous about picking this one up. The Smythe-Smiths were famous (or infamous is probably more accurate) but would it be what you expect from a Quinn book - a fun and light...more
When I first started reading romances, Julia Quinn was one of my favorite authors and I fell absolutely in love with her Bridgerton series, as I know many other romance readers did as well. The past few years, her books have been uneven for me, so I was a little nervous about picking this one up. The Smythe-Smiths were famous (or infamous is probably more accurate) but would it be what you expect from a Quinn book - a fun and light...more
I have a bit of a soft spot for historical romance since I began reading the genre last year, but I'd never read one of the most loved authors within this genre. I have heard from many sources that Quinn is a wonderful writer and now having read a novel I couldn't agree more.
"Just Like Heaven" is brilliantly written and just so witty. It's sparkly, lively and funny. The writing is smooth and the dialogue realistic, so much so I didn't realise how many pages I had read before I realised I had nea...more
"Just Like Heaven" is brilliantly written and just so witty. It's sparkly, lively and funny. The writing is smooth and the dialogue realistic, so much so I didn't realise how many pages I had read before I realised I had nea...more
Jul 04, 2011
rivka
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of the Bridgertons books
This is why I love Julia Quinn books: I laughed, I cried, and then I laughed so hard I cried.
As always, the dedication to her husband is worth the price of admission alone. I won't spoil that for you. ;)
On p. 57 (of this edition), was the first bit that made me laugh out loud:
It was 11 pages later that we found out what she was up to. And 10 pages after tha...more
As always, the dedication to her husband is worth the price of admission alone. I won't spoil that for you. ;)
On p. 57 (of this edition), was the first bit that made me laugh out loud:
And Honoria had a plan. It wasn't terribly complicated; she needed only a sunny day, a halfway acceptable sense of direction, and a shovel.
It was 11 pages later that we found out what she was up to. And 10 pages after tha...more
Jun 08, 2011
Jennifer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Julia Quinn's Historicals
Genre: Historical Romance
Setting: Regency England
Hero: Marcus Holroyd, Earl of Chatteris
Heroine: Lady Honoria Smythe-Smith
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Overall Ranking: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
See Full Review Here: http://feministfairytalereviews.blogs...
This is the first of a quartet where Quinn explores the inner workings of the Smythe-Smith family and their infamous musicales. In this book, we meet Lady Honoria Smythe-Smith who plays violin in the musicale and Marcus Holroyd, Earl of Chatteris. Marcus is...more
Setting: Regency England
Hero: Marcus Holroyd, Earl of Chatteris
Heroine: Lady Honoria Smythe-Smith
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Overall Ranking: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
See Full Review Here: http://feministfairytalereviews.blogs...
This is the first of a quartet where Quinn explores the inner workings of the Smythe-Smith family and their infamous musicales. In this book, we meet Lady Honoria Smythe-Smith who plays violin in the musicale and Marcus Holroyd, Earl of Chatteris. Marcus is...more
This book made me 
and 
, sometimes 
, sometimes 
, most of the time 
and overall 
The story - Honoria and Marcus have known each other since they were children. They were friends, well, as much as one can be a friend to your brothers BFF. Daniel (the brother) got himself into trouble, and he made Marcus promise to keep an eye on Honoria (in translation: scare off any suitor imaginable, and then some XD).
Honoria is on the other hand quite desperate to find a husband, so she and her cousins plan a p...more
and 
, sometimes 
, sometimes 
, most of the time 
and overall 
The story - Honoria and Marcus have known each other since they were children. They were friends, well, as much as one can be a friend to your brothers BFF. Daniel (the brother) got himself into trouble, and he made Marcus promise to keep an eye on Honoria (in translation: scare off any suitor imaginable, and then some XD).
Honoria is on the other hand quite desperate to find a husband, so she and her cousins plan a p...more
Jun 11, 2011
Shawna
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of JQ's Bridgertons & sweet, fluffy romance
Shelves:
historical-romance,
historical-romance-regency,
julia-quinn,
hh-musician-rocker-singer-popstar,
childhood-ties-friends-sweethearts,
offlimits-bf-likekidsister-jailbait,
heroine-girl-next-door,
hero-titled-wealthy-lord,
hh-aristocracy-nobility-royalty,
hero-brooding,
humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun,
friends-to-lovers,
brothers-sisters-cousins-family,
feel-good-read-pick-me-upper,
sweet-romance-left-smile-on-my-face,
2011-reads,
5-stars,
best-endings-epilogues,
best-wittiest-banter-dialogue,
best-faves-of-2011,
favorites,
hero-beta,
hero-gentleman,
hero-im-gaga-over,
heroine-debutante-talk-of-the-ton,
heroine-i-adore,
heroine-naïve-virgin-like-a-virgin,
heroine-prim-proper-decorous,
hh-disfigured-injured-scarred-ill,
i-read-own-faves-keepers,
steam-1-tepid,
steam-2-warm,
heroine-desperately-seeking-husband,
hero-nice-guy-gets-the-girl,
series-smythe-smith-quartet,
unrequited-love-crush,
heroine-in-pursuit,
hero-silent-quiet-type-reticent,
syrupy-sweet-sentimental-schmaltz,
favorite-romance-series,
heartwarming,
humor-fall-off-the-couch-funny
5 stars – Historical/Regency Romance
Warning: May cause fits of giggles resulting in inquisitive stares if in public, an irrepressible smile to stay on your face, and cavities from too much sweetness.
This is such a cute, fun, charming, witty, feel-good read, and it was the perfect cure for my stressful, crummy week. It made me erupt with laughter several times, smile broadly throughout, and sigh in sheer delight at the romantic, sweet ending.
The Bridgertons hold a special place among my histori...more
Warning: May cause fits of giggles resulting in inquisitive stares if in public, an irrepressible smile to stay on your face, and cavities from too much sweetness.
This is such a cute, fun, charming, witty, feel-good read, and it was the perfect cure for my stressful, crummy week. It made me erupt with laughter several times, smile broadly throughout, and sigh in sheer delight at the romantic, sweet ending.
The Bridgertons hold a special place among my histori...more
When Honoria Smythe-Smith's brother Daniel is forced to flee the country, he asks is best friend Marcus Holroyd (the Earl of Chatteris) to keep a watchful eye on his sister - to ensure that she doesn't marry a complete idiot =) No matter how much Marcus detests attending seasonal events, he takes his duty very seriously and follows Honoria wherever she goes, discreetly scaring off the occasional suitor. But when Honoria decides to set her cap for Gregory Bridgerton and plans to attract Gregory's...more
05/11/2012 - Just re-read this one and loved it even more the second time! I am so excited to for the next book in the series to come out in a few weeks!
______________________________________________________________________
10/05/2011
This was an adorable book. I can't think of a better word than adorable to describe it. What a pleasant surprise it was too. This is the first Julia Quinn book I've read, and I will definitely continue with her books. What I loved most about it was the witty dialogu...more
______________________________________________________________________
10/05/2011
This was an adorable book. I can't think of a better word than adorable to describe it. What a pleasant surprise it was too. This is the first Julia Quinn book I've read, and I will definitely continue with her books. What I loved most about it was the witty dialogu...more
This was a refreshing and light-hearted historical romance novel in the same spirit and setting as Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series. I found myself chuckling outloud several times while reading. I always loved how bad the Smythe-Smith quartet was portrayed in the other books, so I was delighted to read about them as the main focus.
A couple of things that make Ms. Quinn's books stand out to me:
1) intelligent writing style - you can clearly see Quinn is well educated
2) a storyline that doesn't get...more
A couple of things that make Ms. Quinn's books stand out to me:
1) intelligent writing style - you can clearly see Quinn is well educated
2) a storyline that doesn't get...more
Jan 20, 2011
Lady Valee
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-romance
Finally a cover! This is a book I'm dying to read, specially since our lovely author LK decided to take a year and not write any books in it, so ,JQ, it's all up to you. We, your adoring fans, are here waiting and dying to read more of your work.
Can't wait to get my hands in this book.
Can't wait to get my hands in this book.
A really fun, light-hearted story. There's a bit of angst, but it's not too strong. Julia Quinn doesn't really do angst.
But there are a lot of laughs and the chemistry between the two leads is excellent. I liked them both quite a bit and the developments seemed very organic. It's a trope I like -- two people who've known each other since childhood -- so that was a plus as well.
This book is set in the Bridgertons world and there's some overlap with "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton". So now, of course, I...more
But there are a lot of laughs and the chemistry between the two leads is excellent. I liked them both quite a bit and the developments seemed very organic. It's a trope I like -- two people who've known each other since childhood -- so that was a plus as well.
This book is set in the Bridgertons world and there's some overlap with "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton". So now, of course, I...more
****Update: I relistened to this audiobook. This is such a feel-good story. I loved it much more the second time. I can't recommend it enough. JQ is definitely one of my very favorite authors.
Just Like Heaven and Ten Things I Love About You are my favorite JQ books. (I haven't read the first few Bridgertons)
******************
Audiobook: Rosalyn Landor Narrator.
Fantastic series. High recommend, even for those who aren't fans of Rosalyn Landor. Julia Quinn's stories are made even better by Rosa...more
Just Like Heaven and Ten Things I Love About You are my favorite JQ books. (I haven't read the first few Bridgertons)
******************
Audiobook: Rosalyn Landor Narrator.
Fantastic series. High recommend, even for those who aren't fans of Rosalyn Landor. Julia Quinn's stories are made even better by Rosa...more
Just Like Heaven is a delight. It's actually one of the first romances I've read where there has been actual story and real effort gone into creating a plausible basis for the feelings our protaganists have for one another. Indeed, many romances I've read work as romances, but not so much as a work of fiction I'd typically enjoy outside of genre. I'm often left wanting for more fleshed out characters, motivations for actions, and for our heroine to act like a normal human being with the ability...more
Jun 18, 2011
Kelly22
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of funny sweet historical romance
Shelves:
beta-hero,
childhood-ties,
favorite-couple,
favorite-hero,
favorite-heroine,
favorite-story,
friends-to-lover,
historical-romance,
beloved-favorites,
prim-proper-prudish-heroine,
virgin-herione,
viscount-earl-marquess,
witty-humerous-funny-comedy,
hero-good-boy-gentleman,
julia-quinn,
overtly-possessive-jealous-hero,
5-stars,
family-moments,
hero-gods-gift-to-woman,
hero-bashful-starchy-silent,
banter-all-the-way,
favorite-series,
hh-aristocrat-peer-royal-nobel
5.00 stars - Historical Romance.
Did I mention the word ‘Bridgerton’ and their creator bring a goofy silly grin in my face every time I hear it? So when I saw it was a Quinn, I couldn’t stop myself from reading it and guess what I wasn’t disappointed in the least! It is immensely Julia Quinn at her best! I thank her for saving me out from a clutter of poorly written historical romances with a bitter taste in my mouth!
Just like heaven is all about a sweet romance with a capital JULIA QUINN style!...more
Did I mention the word ‘Bridgerton’ and their creator bring a goofy silly grin in my face every time I hear it? So when I saw it was a Quinn, I couldn’t stop myself from reading it and guess what I wasn’t disappointed in the least! It is immensely Julia Quinn at her best! I thank her for saving me out from a clutter of poorly written historical romances with a bitter taste in my mouth!
Just like heaven is all about a sweet romance with a capital JULIA QUINN style!...more
★★★★½ This book is a delight! Ms. Quinn has managed to take an amusing inside joke from her Bridgertons series, change it into a charming anecdote, then transform it into an enchanting love story, plus make it the start of a developing series. Wow!
After eighteen years, no one attended a Smythe-Smith musical without some inkling of the horrors that lay ahead.Sure, it is a light, fast, fun read. However, the illness Marcus Holroyd, Earl of Chatteris, contracts is no laughing matter. Honoria Smythe...more
Bah! .. whatever happened to JQ??? She is known to write on the lit end of historical genre, but sincerely, the story left me ... hmm. empty. lacking.
I liked he fact that Marcus and Honoria have known each other through childhood. their bantering,and how comfortable they were around each other was the number one factor i kept reading the book.The story however,was just FLAT (to me).
the redundant, self-doubting train of thought from the characters drove me I-N-S-A-N-E. I supposed she tried to ma...more
I liked he fact that Marcus and Honoria have known each other through childhood. their bantering,and how comfortable they were around each other was the number one factor i kept reading the book.The story however,was just FLAT (to me).
the redundant, self-doubting train of thought from the characters drove me I-N-S-A-N-E. I supposed she tried to ma...more
Jul 27, 2011
Viohlet
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
EVERYONE
Shelves:
publisher-avon,
historical-1800s,
can-not-wait,
3rd-person-pov,
favorites,
friends-sibling-or-siblings-friend,
friends-to-lovers,
hero-3-m-r,
hero-dark-mysterious-and-oh-so-sexy,
hero-i-loved,
hero-i-wanna-marry,
hero-protective-possessive,
hero-to-die-for,
heroine-6-brunette-black,
heroine-2-g-l,
heroine-i-loved,
humourous-funny,
majorly-awesome-hero,
majorly-awesome-heroine,
hero-earl,
series,
read-4-loved,
read-in-2011,
series-follows-family,
set-in-english-country,
set-in-london,
stars-5,
11-books-i-own
I loved this. There are no words to describe how awesome this was. Definitely one of her best yet.
I loved the characters in this. The hero and heroine are so awesome, and the heroine doesn't even have a hint of TSTL. The dynamic between them was also different then it has been between the hero and heroine in the past, and I found myself choking up on multiple occasions because I was just so invested in these characters and their relationship.
I also enjoyed the constant references to characters a...more
I loved the characters in this. The hero and heroine are so awesome, and the heroine doesn't even have a hint of TSTL. The dynamic between them was also different then it has been between the hero and heroine in the past, and I found myself choking up on multiple occasions because I was just so invested in these characters and their relationship.
I also enjoyed the constant references to characters a...more
The beginning was extremely slow, and I simply couldn't get into this book. It lacks the humor and warmth that Quinn is famous for, and I found Just Like Heaven to be a huge disappointment until the last 100 pages or so.
All the other books by JQ always have lots of family scenes and sibling bickering, but they were mostly missing from this book. There were only a handful of scenes with the Smythe-Smith family, and next to none with Honoria's siblings.
All the descriptions about the dreadful eve...more
All the other books by JQ always have lots of family scenes and sibling bickering, but they were mostly missing from this book. There were only a handful of scenes with the Smythe-Smith family, and next to none with Honoria's siblings.
All the descriptions about the dreadful eve...more
Jun 11, 2011
Rane
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
regency-romance-napoleonic-era,
pure-fluff
This was the perfect pick-me-upper- beach read. It had all of JQ's humor and trademarks (with a few cameo appearances from characters some of her older books) The book was light and airy and while not as strong as her other books, it did give a great insight into the infamous Smythe-Smith family and their tone-deaf love for music.
The book didn't feel very much like a full length novel as much of the action and story was taken with the heroine nursing back to health the hero and the hero and h...more
It's back to the "porn" shelves for me!
Revisiting this genre never fails to force me to compare Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas. Especially when I start reading a novel penned by either of them. I have no idea why I do this; it sure is quite unfair for the both of them, since they are such talented writers.
For me, Quinn is the expert at conjuring a solid, beautiful plot. Kleypas's novels are usually made up of many small but ohmigosh-that-is-just-so-romantic scenes. When Quinn comes up with a nice...more
Revisiting this genre never fails to force me to compare Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas. Especially when I start reading a novel penned by either of them. I have no idea why I do this; it sure is quite unfair for the both of them, since they are such talented writers.
For me, Quinn is the expert at conjuring a solid, beautiful plot. Kleypas's novels are usually made up of many small but ohmigosh-that-is-just-so-romantic scenes. When Quinn comes up with a nice...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I was worried about Julia Quinn when I doubled back post-Bridgertons to read some of her earlier stuff which is very often... unfortunate, but thankfully the Bridgertons weren't a one-off. This latest from her is deeply delightful from beginning to end.
Honoria and Marcus are both extremely funny and endearing, as is their relationship. I didn't have a single notable complaint.
Honoria and Marcus are both extremely funny and endearing, as is their relationship. I didn't have a single notable complaint.
This was a cute story. While it is a stand alone, the relationships of other characters are closely related to the Bridgerton's series. If you haven't read that series, you may want to start there. This book wasn't what I was expecting/hoping, but it was enjoyable.
I was so sure I'd love this one completely, but I came away ... underwhelmed. That's not to say there's anything really wrong with this book: there isn't. Marcus Holroyd is a perfectly respectable and dignified and amusing hero, and Honoria is delightful - probably among the best JQ heroines. Nowhere near as awesome as Penelope, but worlds better than Francesca. Probably on par with Daphne, and maybe even a little better than ol' Daff. I liked that the story wasn't set in London for the entire d...more
Jan 28, 2013
Carol *Young at Heart Oldie*
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
5-star-books
Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series is a great favourite of mine and those who have read the series will be familiar with the Smythe-Smith quartet. For those readers who are unfamiliar with the Bridgerton books, the quartet of three sisters and a cousin gives an annual musical performance which can only be described as a discordant cacophony of sounds! So I was delighted to discover that Ms Quinn's new series features the young ladies of this quartet. The first book, JUST LIKE HEAVEN, is a delightfu...more
ughh i love julia quinn, she's my favorite historical romance author but i just did not like this one. and it's sad b/c i had such high expectations (like i said i love her stuff) but the romance was lacking. nothing really fit together. to prove how much i love this author and her brigerton series, check out my review on mahh blog, if you wanna http://shmandarinorange.blogspot.com/...
for the review on this book, WITH SPOILERS. click below!
(view spoiler)...more
for the review on this book, WITH SPOILERS. click below!
(view spoiler)...more
Jun 04, 2011
Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Come see my review @ Under the Covers
Having read everything that Julia Quinn has written I was very much looking forward to starting a series about the famous (or is it infamous?) Smythe-Smith. If you have read any of her books you would have heard about the Smythe-Smith Musicale the most anticipated and by that I mean dreaded social event in the ton calander. Honoria Smith-Smythe plays the violin, terribly ofcourse in true Smythe-Smith tradition, in the quartet and she hopes that this will be h...more
Having read everything that Julia Quinn has written I was very much looking forward to starting a series about the famous (or is it infamous?) Smythe-Smith. If you have read any of her books you would have heard about the Smythe-Smith Musicale the most anticipated and by that I mean dreaded social event in the ton calander. Honoria Smith-Smythe plays the violin, terribly ofcourse in true Smythe-Smith tradition, in the quartet and she hopes that this will be h...more
This book was just like heaven , indeed!
I have the feeling Julia Quinn can do no wrong. All of her books are amazing and Just Like Heaven is another in her line of success.
Just Like Heaven is the first book in the Smythe-Smith Quartet (hope I spelled that right) with Honoria Smythe-Smith and Marcus Holroyd as the heroine and hero. They've known each other since they were little kids, as Marcus is Honoria's brother's best friend. The scene when they were little and Honoria wants to go fishing...more
I have the feeling Julia Quinn can do no wrong. All of her books are amazing and Just Like Heaven is another in her line of success.
Just Like Heaven is the first book in the Smythe-Smith Quartet (hope I spelled that right) with Honoria Smythe-Smith and Marcus Holroyd as the heroine and hero. They've known each other since they were little kids, as Marcus is Honoria's brother's best friend. The scene when they were little and Honoria wants to go fishing...more
![.þµŋψà. [Punya Reviews...]](http://d.gr-assets.com/users/1363347489p2/3840999.jpg)
Oct 14, 2011
.þµŋψà. [Punya Reviews...]
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
julia-quinn
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This story was a great way to spend a lazy day over winter break. I particularly liked that some of the romance novel cliches are inverted. It's the man who twists his ankle and catches a fever. Honoria gets to be a proverbial knight in shining armor. It was a refreshing twist.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ultimate ABC ...: Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn | 1 | 7 | Mar 14, 2012 06:06am |
#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don't read (or write) romance, and in 2001 she did so in grand style, competing on the the game show The Weakest Link and walking away with the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British an...more
More about Julia Quinn...
Share This Book
2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“No. Haven’t you been listening?”
Marcus would always remember that moment. It was to be the first time he would ever be faced with that most vexing of female quirks: the question that had nothing but wrong answers.”
—
31 people liked it
Marcus would always remember that moment. It was to be the first time he would ever be faced with that most vexing of female quirks: the question that had nothing but wrong answers.”
“I shall have one, too," he told her. "So that you don't feel alone."
She tried not to smile. "That is most generous of you."
"I am quite certain it is my gentlemanly duty."
"To eat cake?"
"It is one of the more appealing of my gentlemanly duties," he allowed.”
—
24 people liked it
More quotes…
She tried not to smile. "That is most generous of you."
"I am quite certain it is my gentlemanly duty."
"To eat cake?"
"It is one of the more appealing of my gentlemanly duties," he allowed.”
Apr 23, 2012 06:26am
Oct 30, 2012 08:30pm