The Official Blurb

“In this unforgettable romantic adventure, a teacher of wealthy young ladies finds her life changed forever when she travels from the wilds of America to elegant London. Sheridan Bromleigh is hired to accompany one of her students, heiress Charise Lancaster, to England to meet her fiancé. But when her charge elopes with a stranger, Sheridan wonders how she will ever explain it to Charise’s intended, Lord Burleton.

Standing on the pier, Stephen Westmoreland, the Earl of Langford, assumes the young woman coming toward him is Charise Lancaster and reluctantly informs her of his inadvertent role in a fatal accident involving Lord Burleton the night before. And just as the young woman is about to speak, she steps into the path of a cargo net loaded with crates. Sheridan awakens in Westmoreland’s mansion with no memory of who she is; the only hint of her past is the puzzling fact that everyone calls her Miss Lancaster. All she truly knows is that she is falling in love with a handsome English earl, and that the life unfolding before her seems full of wondrous possibilities.”

 

Until You by Judith McNaught Book Review

There are certain romance authors who become foundational to your reading history and for me, Judith McNaught is absolutely one of them. Back in the ‘90s, I devoured her historical romances right alongside authors like Jude Deveraux and remembered loving them. So, for our “Mothers of Romance” month at Romance on the Rocks, I decided it was time to revisit one of those classics with Until You.

Did it hold up? Sort of.

Published in 1994, Until You is a historical romance packed with classic tropes including mistaken identity, amnesia and slow-burn tension. It also contains one extremely frustrating aristocratic man who desperately needed therapy, communication skills and maybe a firm smack upside the head.

The Plot

Sheridan Bromleigh is an American teacher escorting one of her students, Charise Lancaster, to England so Charise can meet her fiancé. Before they even make it off the ship, however, Charise runs off with another man, gets married, and leaves Sheridan and a maid stranded and penniless.

Meanwhile, Stephen Westmoreland, the Earl of Langford, accidentally runs over Charise’s fiancé with his carriage and kills him.

Yes. This book starts with chaos immediately.

When Sheridan goes ashore to explain the situation, Stephen mistakenly assumes she is Charise. Before anyone can sort things out, Sheridan gets hit with a cargo net, suffers a head injury and wakes up with amnesia.

Naturally, Stephen and a doctor decide the most reasonable course of action is to lie to her and pretend Stephen is her fiancé.

Because historical romance men LOVE making terrible decisions.

Tropes & Themes

This book leans heavily into:

• Mistaken identity
• Amnesia
• Slow burn romance
• London season drama
• Jealous MMC behavior
• “Not like other girls” energy

Sheridan is repeatedly described as unconventional, spirited and unique. She’s a Titian-haired American outsider navigating English society and honestly? I liked her quite a bit. She was genuine, kind and actually attempted communication throughout the story which automatically made her better than most people around her. (Also, I will now be using the word Titian in the salon whenever I work with auburn hair color.)

Stephen, however…

Sir.
SIR.

This man lies repeatedly, refuses to listen to Sheridan even when she tells him the truth multiple times and somehow continues convincing himself she is manipulating him despite all evidence to the contrary.

And yet, because Judith McNaught is genuinely a talented writer, I still found myself invested.

What I Loved

I really enjoyed the chemistry and banter between Sheridan and Stephen during the first half of the novel. McNaught writes tension well and I appreciated the historical details surrounding the London season, society events and fashion.

I also loved Sheridan as a heroine overall. She had warmth and personality and felt more grounded than many historical romance heroines from that era.

Another fun surprise? Re-reading this book unlocked vague memories of reading it decades ago. I remembered little bits and pieces as I went along but still couldn’t fully recall the ending which made the experience nostalgic while still feeling fresh.

And, yes, I absolutely laughed at the line where Stephen insists they must limit themselves to “a few chaste pecks” before the wedding.

Longtime Romance on the Rocks listeners know exactly why that made me giggle.

The Challenges

Here’s the thing: Stephen Westmoreland is not the worst old school romance hero I’ve ever encountered.

But he’s still an asshole.

He lies to Sheridan repeatedly. He withholds important information. He refuses to communicate honestly and when Sheridan finally tells him the full truth, he still assumes the worst about her.

Most frustratingly, he never truly apologizes.

Not really. Nor does he do any groveling (which he definitely should be if he can’t man up and apologize).

And, despite falling in love with Sheridan, he somehow never actually says the words “I love you.” Instead, he gives her an unfinished “Until you …” and apparently we’re all supposed to swoon over that.

I did not swoon. My swear words were audible.

I also kind of wished Sheridan had ended up with her friend Nicholas instead. Nicholas was kind, honest and supportive which automatically made him more appealing than Stephen for large portions of the novel.

Final Thoughts

I give Until You 3 out of 5 stars.

If you enjoy old school historical romance, mistaken identity tropes and emotionally constipated aristocratic men, there’s still plenty here to enjoy. Judith McNaught’s writing style remains engaging and I understand exactly why she became such a beloved romance author and why she’s still one of my personal faves — even if Stephen tried to ruin that for me.

That said, modern romance readers who expect communication, accountability and groveling from their MMCs may struggle with Stephen’s behavior.

Still, Judith McNaught will always hold a special place in my romance reading history and revisiting her work for our “Mothers of Romance” month was a fascinating experience.

Spice Level

🌶️ Jalapeño

There is sex on the page but it’s fairly subtle and not especially explicit by today’s standards.

Where to Find the Book

• Kindle
• Amazon
• The Ripped Bodice

Want More?

If you want to hear more of my thoughts on the book, you can listen to the podcast episode on your favorite podcast streaming service. Or click here for our in-house podcast player. You can also find out if I won the episode Boobie Prize.

Have you read Until You? Let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments!