Millie's Reviews > Almost Heaven

Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught
Rate this book
Clear rating

by
86342358
's review

it was amazing
bookshelves: historical-romance, favorites

I can’t believe this book exists. Such perfection. The amount of emotional pain I went through for this book! Despite the HEA, It felt like I was going through a heartbreak.



•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
“Elizabeth,” he said in a tone of tender finality, “you’re here because we’re already half in love with each other.”

“Whaaat?” she gasped.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•




Plot

Elizabeth Cameron is beautiful, titled, and charismatic; but her name is tainted because of a certain gossip. When her uncle can’t wait to marry her off, he contacted every bachelor who once asked for her hand before she was shunned. Out of the tens of men, only three agreed. One of them is the very man who tainted her name, Ian Thornton. Before the whole debacle with the gossip, however, they were falling in love like normal people. And when she came to his doorstep—when a second chance for their romance to rekindle finally presented itself, the electricity and magnetic chemistry brings them closer together and they fall in love all over again.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
“What is it you want?”
“You.”
Ian’s breath froze in his chest, and he stared down at her lustrous hair. “What did you just say?”

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•


I have postponed this review for days because quite honestly I need some alone time to process what happened. I felt a range of emotions: sad, frustrated, happy, ecstatic, angry, depressed, furious, livid, euphoria, and everything in between. Ian Thornton is now my favourite hero and Elizabeth Cameron is one of my favourite heroines.



Their character was so well crafted, that it made me— a human being with actual flesh and brains— feel underdeveloped.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
They had wanted each other from that first night in the garden. They had wanted each other every time they’d been together since then. She was innocence and courage; passion and shyness; fury and forgiveness. She was serene and regal in a ballroom; jaunty and skillful with a pistol in her hands; passionate and sweet in his arms. She was all of that, and much more.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•


Ian doesn’t have a title, and Elizabeth needs to marry someone rich and titled. They both have a stubborn pride which leads to conflicts. But everything seems inconsequential because of how much they love each other. Ian sacrificed his beliefs just to get to her, because he was so besotted with her. You just feel the longing and love through the pages. They’re magic.



•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
she tried to ask him why this was happening to her. “Why?” she whispered against his chest.

Ian heard the shattered sound in her voice, and he understood her question; it was the same one he’d been asking himself. Why did this explosion of passion happen every time he touched her; why could this one English girl make him lose his mind? “I don’t know,” he said.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•


Okay, enough of me literally fawning over a book. Now let’s get down to business. Plot, drama, and romance are well crafted. Elizabeth and Ian has an incredible chemistry that the pages literally danced with happiness. The tension, too many though it seems, never stayed longer than needed. The only problem I have with this book, which made me deduct half a star is the last conflict. In my opinion, their happily ever after happened after they married. The conflict after that was unnecessary and it broke my heart too much that I pretend it doesn’t exist. I mean, I literally sobbed. It was not fun. Worse than a breakup, honestly. The only way Mcnaught could fix that was to give me 100 extra pages of happy life after that heartbreaking conflict, but no. We just get 1 chapter, the epilogue. It is NOT enough. I was emotionally scarred. The audacity of McNaught to put that drama in after we had a happy life, unforgivable and unnecessary. Without that conflict, the book would’ve been perfect. Delete.



•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
suddenly she hated all the restrictions of the stupid social system that was trying to enslave her.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•


Do you know how good a book has to be for me to go through heartbreak and still give it a 4.5 star? It needs to be real good, folks. This book is in NO way shape or form, a comfort read. It does bring major anxiety for me, but in a whole, It is an experience. I am emotionally exhausted and need a cuddle.



•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
Do you have any other extraordinary skills I ought to know about, my lord?” she whispered, holding him as tightly as he was holding her.
The laughter in his voice was replaced by tender solemnity. “I’m rather good,” he whispered, “at loving you.”

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•


This is the first Judith Mcnaught that I finished and I will say this: This is a must read for HR lovers . Trust me. I was nervous at first, but at the end I loved it way too much to feel any regret. Thank you to my reading buddy, Laura who suggests we read this, I'm eternally grateful and emotionally not ok.

22 likes · flag

Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read Almost Heaven.
Sign In »

Quotes Millie Liked

Judith McNaught
“Why did happy memories fade and blur until one could scarcely recall them at all, while horrible memories seemed to retain their blinding clarity and painful sharpness?”
Judith McNaught, Almost Heaven


Reading Progress

June 25, 2022 – Shelved
June 26, 2022 – Started Reading
June 27, 2022 – Finished Reading

Comments Showing 1-10 of 10 (10 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by emtee (new)

emtee Fabulous review Millie!


Millie emtee wrote: "Fabulous review Millie!"

Thank you 💕


message 3: by Missy (last edited Jul 04, 2022 01:46PM) (new) - rated it 3 stars

Missy I love this book! It’s definitely among my top 5 favorite historical romances. I also hate that unnecessary conflict in the third act. Ugh! Completely unnecessary. I love that McNaught typically incorporates her book titles into her stories. "Almost Heaven." *sighs happily* Fabulous review, Miles. I couldn’t have written a better review even if I tried. I used to love A Kingdom of Dreams (also by McNaught) just as much but it didn't give me the same emotional roller coaster ride when I reread it a year or two ago. 😫


message 4: by Colette (new) - added it

Colette Such good review Miles! So glad you loved this one! You so make me wanna read it. This book sounds like a romance that I'll never forget 🤍


Millie Missy wrote: "I love this book! It’s definitely among my top 5 favorite historical romances. I also hate that unnecessary conflict in the third act. Ugh! Completely unnecessary. I love that McNaught typically in..."

Thank you, Missy!! Absolutely love this one, and the fact that this is in your top 5 HR says a LOT about your taste!! Such high standards!! Ugh, this book is so top tier. I just wish I'd read this sooner.


Millie Nicolette wrote: "Such good review Miles! So glad you loved this one! You so make me wanna read it. This book sounds like a romance that I'll never forget 🤍"

You must be so tired of me talking about this book, but I'm not kidding, this is so great Nicolette!! You definitely have to try this one out!!


SunnyCAGirl I also really liked this one, but I agree on the ending…it troubled me so much. I cannot even go there. McNaught…why?


Millie SunnyCAGirl wrote: "I also really liked this one, but I agree on the ending…it troubled me so much. I cannot even go there. McNaught…why?"

Ugh exactly!! I think I'll skip that conflict when I re-read this in the future!


Deniz Excellent review!!!!


Millie Deniz wrote: "Excellent review!!!!"

Thank you!!


back to top