Just Like Heaven

By: Julia Quinn

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

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) survive a deadly fever and the world's worst musical performance
C) fall quite desperately in love

It's Julia Quinn at her best, so you know the answer is...

D) all of the above

©2011 Julie Cotler Pottinger (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Loved it.

I loved this story. I had read the Bridgerton Series and half of the Rokesby series. I was starting to get a little bored and needed a new story line. I clicked through the synopsis and thought what the hell. Turns out I loved it. Things happened that I didn't see coming and it just felt fresh. Not so predictable like a lot of romance novels. And it gave me a new perspective on the Smythe-Smith musicals. As for the narrator, Rosalyn Landor, she is extremely talented and I enjoy her voice work. Always a pleasure to hear her read.

Def a romantic comedy! LOL funny 😍

Honestly, I hesitated to start this spinoff series, even though I am a fan of the Bridgertons. I didn’t imagine that the author would maintain the level of creativity expressed in prior series. I found myself laughing out loud, to the point that I had to pause the audio to recover. Kudos for creativity, wit, and performance. This definitely did not disappoint.

Good start but feels incomplete

This story has a lot of great potential but there are many loose ends never tied up.

The ending of the story felt more like the climax. Quite a few things were not wrapped up and it just didnt feel as well thought out as Quinn’s other stories.


For example: (warning spoilers)

How did the mom react when Daniel returned?
Why could Daniel return now but now before? He says the man after him was crazy but then says all is food now. What changed?

What happened to the mother’s letters? Did Daniel write or lie about the letters. Or did something happen to them?

Where did the governess go? Marcus seemed to know her but nothing came of this. Why put in the detail like something was going on and then drop it? Where did she go after the musical?

Does lady Danbury buy a new violin?

Not steamy but great story

Not a steamy one, but great characters and great storyline. Will be getting the next in the series.

Love the author, love the narrator!

I have loved every Julia Quinn book that I’ve read. (I only have a few books left before I’ve read them all). Rosalyn Landor is a fantastic narrator! Always fitting the voice of each character based on the personality the author has described , and nailing the energy and emotion that you would imagine the characters voice would have in their given predicaments. So happy Landor has narrated all (but one) of Julia Quinn’s books that I’ve read thus far.

One of my favorite Historical Romances

If Rosalyn Landor has ever done a bad job on a Julia Quinn novel, I've certainly never heard it. This is one of my favorite Quinn books and one of my very favorite historical romances. Brother's best friend + Caretaking scenes + Families that want them together. So swoony.

Very enjoyable!

Another fun Quinn story and a wonderful start to a new series. The plot line in this book stands well on its own, but if you are familiar with several of Quinn's other series, you will enjoy the subtle references and tie-ins.The only thing that bothered me (and then only slightly) was a bit of a change in the heroine's point of view about her family's musical at the end. I'm looking forward to the next books and hoping that Iris and Sarah all get their turns. :)

I enjoy listening to Rosalyn Landor's narrations. She's done the narrations for many of Quinn's books and the narration for the one book that Landor didn't do drove me nuts. I'd like to point out that contrary to a previous review: if you liked the narration of Ten Things I Love About You or What Happens In London, you'll enjoy this one too -- it's the same narrator and just like always she gives the story that extra little quirk that makes it fun to listen to and will keep you smiling.

Fun rom-com

Setting: Cambridgeshire and London, England 1824
Romance develops between Lady Honoria Smyth-Smith and Marcus Holroyd, Earl of Chatteris when she nurses him back to health after an injury. She has known Marcus since she was 6 years old and he would accompany her brother Daniel home for school holidays. For his part, Marcus was tasked by Daniel, his best friend, to watch over Honoria and make sure she didn’t marry an idiot. Daniel couldn’t do it himself because 3 years ago he had been involved in a duel and had to leave the country to avoid prosecution.
The friends-to-lovers premise is well supported by a strong plot, well-developed characters, and Quinn’s trademark witty dialogue. It is the first of the Smyth-Smith Quartet series which focuses on four of the participants of the cacophony known as the Smyth-Smith annual musicale. It is set in the same world Quinn created for her Bridgerton series, and has some minor characters in common.
The narration by Rosalyn Landor is excellent. She differentiates well between male and female, and she gives each character a unique voice. Overall this is an excellent listen.

Disjointed and slow moving

The book started off very slow and, at various times, I thought, "Okay, now I'll get hooked!" I kept waiting for that to actually happen and it never did. I liked the main characters, but felt portions of the book (like the entire musicale scenario) didn't add to the story. The bickering between Daisy and Iris seemed a little overdone as well.

The saving grace was the narrator, who was excellent! I had no problems identifying the speakers and she did great conveying the emotions.

Fun and fluff - classic Julia Quinn!

What did you love best about Just Like Heaven?

The humour and the fact that the central characters were not prone to fits of the vapours or being overbearing! Marcus isn't a rake; he's just a decent man who is a bit shy and Honoria is loving and proud of her somewhat bonkers family!

What does Rosalyn Landor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Oh, where to start? She's far and away my favourite narrator. Her performances are always well thought-out and she sounds as though she's actually read the book a few times and spent time understanding the characters. She's outstanding when it comes to the female characters, giving each one a clearly different voice, and her elderly dowagers are a hoot!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The part where it dawned on Honaria that Marcus really didn't have anyone to turn to or look after him.

Any additional comments?

This is perfect if you're in the mood for something light and fluffy - and Rosalyn Landor can't be bettered when it comes to historical romance.