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Just Like Heaven
(Smythe-Smith Quartet #1)
by
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 chocolate cake
B) ...more
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 chocolate cake
B) ...more
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Mass Market Paperback, 374 pages
Published
May 31st 2011
by Avon Harper Collins
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Showing 1-30
Start your review of Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #1)
Sep 06, 2010
Shawna
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Fans of JQ's Bridgertons & sweet, fluffy romance
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 ...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 ...more
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
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 ...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 ...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 ...more
I am a sucker for a good Regency romance and Julia Quinn definitely writes good ones. I am part way through her Bridgertons series and got side tracked onto this one which is the first in her Smythe-Smith Quartet series. It is related and a couple of the Bridgerton brothers had parts to play.
Quinn writes with a very light touch and her characters are always charming and entertaining. She is also very adept at humorous dialogue and it is easy to laugh out loud at certain moments. I was reading ...more
Quinn writes with a very light touch and her characters are always charming and entertaining. She is also very adept at humorous dialogue and it is easy to laugh out loud at certain moments. I was reading ...more
Historical Romances are my book candy and I love them for no sane reason. I cant even begin to explain why if you put a woman in a corset and make her banter in an uptight and rigid social setting it becomes funnier than in a contemporary romance. Really I should hate books set in a time where a womans main goal is to be attractive, virtuous and marry well, but I dontI love them. I usually read them in one sitting and love every indulgent filled moment of it.
Just like heaven was my very first ...more
Just like heaven was my very first ...more
Review written April 13, 2016
4.2 Stars - Solid good traditional nice historical
Just Like Heaven is the first in a newer HR series by Julia Quinn, a very popular author I have no earliest experience of. (It will be more by her.) Let's see, this sounded perfect and so it was. Funny, sweet, innocent (you must patiently wait for the kiss) and just as well done as a perfect Regency romance should be.
This is a funny lighthearted funny tale about a (..the world's worst) annual musical performance, ...more
4.2 Stars - Solid good traditional nice historical
Just Like Heaven is the first in a newer HR series by Julia Quinn, a very popular author I have no earliest experience of. (It will be more by her.) Let's see, this sounded perfect and so it was. Funny, sweet, innocent (you must patiently wait for the kiss) and just as well done as a perfect Regency romance should be.
This is a funny lighthearted funny tale about a (..the world's worst) annual musical performance, ...more
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 ...more
Oct 08, 2014
Heather K (dentist in my spare time)
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
did-not-finish,
romance,
historical,
everyone-else-loves-it,
m-f,
audiobook,
narrator-very-good
I love Rosalyn Landor, and she did her best, but this book was endlessly, incredibly boring. So boring that I DNFed the audiobook at 65% or so, which is over 6 hours of listening.
This was my second book by Julia Quinn, and I think I need to hard backtrack and go right to the Bridgertons series because everyone RAVES about those books. I'm hoping that those books are better, not only because I already bought three of them, but because I'll be so disappointed if Julia Quinn isn't for me.
This book ...more
Lovely, lovely, lovely.
Pros
Family Theme: There is such a huge emphasis on family and I love it. I have been wanting to learn more about the Smyth-Smith family ever since reading about their quirky, non-musically-gifted family in Julia Quinns other series. This book has some funny moments and some heartwarming moments. In particular, I adore seeing Honoria being friends with her cousins who are part of the music quartet with her. They are such a silly, adorable group of girls. In addition, the ...more
Pros
Family Theme: There is such a huge emphasis on family and I love it. I have been wanting to learn more about the Smyth-Smith family ever since reading about their quirky, non-musically-gifted family in Julia Quinns other series. This book has some funny moments and some heartwarming moments. In particular, I adore seeing Honoria being friends with her cousins who are part of the music quartet with her. They are such a silly, adorable group of girls. In addition, the ...more
Yum! Who would have thought that sweet tarts and chocolates can make love so heavenly!
I have been reading so many historical romance novels that I must have read almost every one, mainly works from Lisa Kleypas, Teresa Medeiros and Jennifer Ashley. But, this is the first novel I have read from Julia Quinn and it is called Just Like Heaven. Actually, Just Like Heaven is Julia Quinns most recent book to date, so I had the pleasure of reading one of Julia Quinns books.
The story starts off with ...more
I have been reading so many historical romance novels that I must have read almost every one, mainly works from Lisa Kleypas, Teresa Medeiros and Jennifer Ashley. But, this is the first novel I have read from Julia Quinn and it is called Just Like Heaven. Actually, Just Like Heaven is Julia Quinns most recent book to date, so I had the pleasure of reading one of Julia Quinns books.
The story starts off with ...more
May 13, 2011
Carolyn Storer
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
romance-historical,
book-list-2011
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 ...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 ...more
This is really a comedy much more than a romance. The book is hilarious. However, if you are reading it for kissing, and romance, and sex, you are barking up the wrong tree. This is a fluffy, sweet, very funny story in which two people happen to fall in love.
Marcus Holroyd, Earl of Chatteris, grew up with no mother and a distant father. Luckily he was sent away to school when he was 12, where he met his best friend Daniel.
Daniel has a lot of sisters, most notably one 5 years younger than Marcus, ...more
Marcus Holroyd, Earl of Chatteris, grew up with no mother and a distant father. Luckily he was sent away to school when he was 12, where he met his best friend Daniel.
Daniel has a lot of sisters, most notably one 5 years younger than Marcus, ...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 ...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 ...more
Dec 15, 2010
Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog)
rated it
really liked it
·
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 ...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 ...more
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 ...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 ...more
3.5 4 Stars
Julia Quinn is one of those authors I try to read all of her books. You start the first book of the series and then you sort of just get sucked in. Ive read all the books from the Bridgertons series and I like that one better. I find it a little more well-rounded and steamer!
I dont need my historical romances smutty, but this one was really tame. Im not sure I could consider it a slow burn because in my opinion there wasnt any lead up. What I did like about the book was that it was ...more
Julia Quinn is one of those authors I try to read all of her books. You start the first book of the series and then you sort of just get sucked in. Ive read all the books from the Bridgertons series and I like that one better. I find it a little more well-rounded and steamer!
I dont need my historical romances smutty, but this one was really tame. Im not sure I could consider it a slow burn because in my opinion there wasnt any lead up. What I did like about the book was that it was ...more
4.5 Stars
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 the best friend of Honoria's older brother Daniel who is living in exile in Italy for reasons that are explained in the first few chapters. Daniel and Marcus have been friends for years and Marcus has become a type of surrogate son ...more
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 the best friend of Honoria's older brother Daniel who is living in exile in Italy for reasons that are explained in the first few chapters. Daniel and Marcus have been friends for years and Marcus has become a type of surrogate son ...more
By sheer luck, I got an early copy of Just Like Heaven and immediately read it when I received it in the mail yesterday. And it was great!
In the Bridgertons series, I always got the impression that the Smythe-Smith girls were a little boring and not... bright. But it turns out, they're just the opposite! I had so much fun learning about Honoria Smythe-Smith and her family and the very, very large number of cousins. Geez, this family is big.
Honoria and Marcus together are adorable and I love ...more
In the Bridgertons series, I always got the impression that the Smythe-Smith girls were a little boring and not... bright. But it turns out, they're just the opposite! I had so much fun learning about Honoria Smythe-Smith and her family and the very, very large number of cousins. Geez, this family is big.
Honoria and Marcus together are adorable and I love ...more
Nov 26, 2010
Eastofoz
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Bridgerton series style fans
Shelves:
historical-regency,
2011
If you liked Quinns Bridgerton family series and youre looking for a new comfort read series, then this oughta do it. Just Like Heaven had everything I love about Julia Quinns novels: fantastic dialog, the focus is on the h/h, lots of witty humor and well-drawn characters. Quinn is one of the few historical romance authors out there whose books actually sound like a historical and the tone remains consistent throughout the book.
The h/h (Marcus and Honoria) start off as friends of sorts from ...more
The h/h (Marcus and Honoria) start off as friends of sorts from ...more
![[Aengell]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1431033477p2/7221205.jpg)
5 sweet, sweet, sweet, lovely BR with Iliada stars
I wasnt a big fan of known each other a lifetime, friends to lovers themes, but Julia Quinn hooked me up.
This story was so enticing, charming, cute and romantic, that I felt all giddy inside. It wasnt dragging at all, and there were many many cousins, mothers and great-great-aunts on the side who created a big, chaotic mess of secondary characters who were just adorable .
The main characters, Honoria and Marcus, were too sweet to be true, they ...more
I wasnt a big fan of known each other a lifetime, friends to lovers themes, but Julia Quinn hooked me up.
This story was so enticing, charming, cute and romantic, that I felt all giddy inside. It wasnt dragging at all, and there were many many cousins, mothers and great-great-aunts on the side who created a big, chaotic mess of secondary characters who were just adorable .
The main characters, Honoria and Marcus, were too sweet to be true, they ...more
Every girl loves a brooding bad boy! Marcus, the hero in this book, is a little Mr. Darcyish with his standoffish behavior and withering stares. But, then our heroine realizes that he is just shy and socially awkward. (see? Mr. Darcy) Imagine Mr. Darcy with a sense of humor. I love the dry sarcastic wit in these books.
Aside from the romance is the extremely funny Smythe-Smith musicale jokes. From the Bridgerton series, these shows are already legendary, and it is super fun to read about them ...more
Aside from the romance is the extremely funny Smythe-Smith musicale jokes. From the Bridgerton series, these shows are already legendary, and it is super fun to read about them ...more
The perfect piece of audio-fluff for when - as I am - you're laid up in bed with a stinking cold and can't read a book because it makes your eyes ache!
It's classic JQ - light-hearted, with plenty of witty dialogue; and it contains one of my favourite tropes, the "friends-to-lovers" one.
Lady Honoria has known Marcus Holroyd since she was a child. He's her big brother's best friend, the only child of an only child who has been given the best of everything in life - except familial life and ...more
It's classic JQ - light-hearted, with plenty of witty dialogue; and it contains one of my favourite tropes, the "friends-to-lovers" one.
Lady Honoria has known Marcus Holroyd since she was a child. He's her big brother's best friend, the only child of an only child who has been given the best of everything in life - except familial life and ...more
"When we performed our awful pantomimes as children, you were always a tree." "I never had to say anything." "And you always got to stand at the back." He felt himself smile, lopsided and true. "I rather liked being a tree." "You were a very good tree." She smiled then, too- a radiant, wondrous thing. "The world needs more trees."
One of my favorite JQ books. Yes, most people will find this very boring. Nothing happens. But that's part of the magic for me. It's low-key, features two people who ...more
One of my favorite JQ books. Yes, most people will find this very boring. Nothing happens. But that's part of the magic for me. It's low-key, features two people who ...more
Im quite tempted to rate this book higher than I have. Though its a question of rating it 0.25 stars more than I have, or not but that raises the rating on Goodreads from 4 stars to 5 (since Im thinking of rating this either 4.50 or 4.75).
Right, so. Ive now dipped into three series by this author. All of which are connected to each other. The first series I dipped into, oddly enough, is also one that Ive only read one book by both because there were no other books in the series when I started; ...more
Right, so. Ive now dipped into three series by this author. All of which are connected to each other. The first series I dipped into, oddly enough, is also one that Ive only read one book by both because there were no other books in the series when I started; ...more
Huh I honestly dont know what I just read. So little actually happened in Just Like Heaven thats its almost not worth writing a review in the first place. Its almost worse to not give enough of a shit to even hate it. It doesnt provoke any emotion in me whatsoever. I dont think this has ever really happened to me before
I think mainly I cant believe what I read counted as a book. Its nearly 400 pages long and approximately 100 of those pages are about Honoria taking care of Marcus while he has an ...more
This wasn't as good as the most of Bridgertons series, but it was still very enjoyable. There were actually a lot of references to the Bridgertons, Colin even shows up in this book.
This is a very light and charming read, and I liked Marcus and Honoria. (And all the horrible musicians in the Smythe-Smith family 😂)
Also I share their love for chocolate cake and other sweets! :)
This is a very light and charming read, and I liked Marcus and Honoria. (And all the horrible musicians in the Smythe-Smith family 😂)
Also I share their love for chocolate cake and other sweets! :)
I loved it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I think that expresses how I felt about this book. This is one of my favorite Julia Quinn books I have read (and there have been some "hits and misses" for me) and I cannot wait until the next book is released. I would recommend this new series to anyone who enjoyed the Bridgerton books (there are even a couple of Bridgerton family members that make an appearance in it...Yay)!!! Just
...more
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
3.5 Stars Upon rereading this I didn't love it as much as I did originally. I still really like it though. It did kind of get dragged out at the end though. But it was fun and sweet. Fun note! The day I finished rereading this was the day I started reading it originally 3 years ago. It was one of my first romances I ever read.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical Romanc...: BOTM - July, 2019 - Just Like Heaven | 41 | 56 | Jul 28, 2019 06:28PM | |
| Nothing But Readi...: Quinn, Julia-- Just Like Heaven informal buddy read starts June 30, 2018 | 26 | 152 | Jul 12, 2018 11:39AM | |
| Por más libros para Latinoamérica! | 1 | 1 | Jul 20, 2015 05:42PM | |
| Madison Mega-Mara...: Books 1-3 of Julia Quinn's Smythe-Smith Quartet | 1 | 2 | Nov 27, 2013 03:00PM | |
| The Ultimate ABC ...: Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn | 1 | 16 | Mar 14, 2012 06:06AM |
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don't read (or write) romance, and and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning 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 and literary,
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“He’d spent his life being a perfect gentleman. He’d never been a flirt. He’d never been a rogue. He hated being the center of attention, but by God, he wanted to be the center of her attention. He wanted to do the wrong thing, the bad thing. He wanted to pull her into his arms and carry her to her bed. He wanted to peel every last inch of her clothing from her body, and then he wanted to worship her. He wanted to show her all the things he wasn’t sure he knew how to say.”
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“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.”
—
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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.”
