Just In Time

The Blackcastle Trilogy #1

by Judith A. Lansdowne

A LONG-LOST FRIENDSHIP...
The Reverend Richard Dempsey accepts the comfortable living in the hinterlands offered him by the Duke of Berinwick. But when Dempsey arrives at St. Milburga's of the Wood, he discovers the church in ruins, his patron dead, and Berinwick's family threatened by a madman. Thirty years ago and more, Richard Dempsey would have risked everything for Veronica Longwood. Now that she is the widowed Duchess of Berinwick, will he still risk all to protect her and her children from the consequences of an ancient rivalry?

BECOMES A NEWFOUND LOVE
Behind a calm and commanding facade, Veronica Longwood Thorne hides a heart filled with grief and guilt. Haunted by memories of her one great sin and appalled by the multitude of sins that flowed from it, the Duchess of Berinwick wishes nothing more than to hide herself away from everyone. Until Richard Dempsey reappears in her life. Until this long-lost friend provides her with a solid arm to lean upon, a pair of practical eyes through which to see herself, and all the balm and strength she requires to overcome her own inadequacies, foil a villain, and seize a second chance at love...

Genres: Regency, Romance, Historical Fiction, Clean Romance, Regency Romance

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2003

About the author

Since the publication of Amelia's Intrigue in 1995, Judith A. Lansdowne's Regency romances have received critical acclaim, garnered awards and entertained thousands of romance readers. Ms. Lansdowne began writing full-time in 1992, but it was only after her daughter introduced her to Regency romances that her work was published.

She grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Following graduation from St. Joseph High School, she attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, then spent several years touring the country as an actress and puppeteer with Nicolo Marionettes and the Sid and Marty Krofft organization.

Tiring of the constant travel, she returned to Kenosha to attend the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where she met her husband Al, a retired submariner, and graduated with highest distinction. Following graduation she worked variously as a journalist, instructional television writer/producer, textbook production editor, college instructor, and television news videographer. When her husband finally got a real job, she settled down to writing full time, producing a horror novel, a vampire novel and a Restoration historical novel, all still unpublished, before finally "making it" with Regency romance. When her husband retired (he didn't like the real job) they moved to the shores of Lake Guntersville, Alabama, where she is pursuing a career in fishing and he moves dirt around the yard. They write when the weather is bad.

Reviews

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2019 Bk 73. Dialog. Judith A. Lansdowne wrote some of the best dialogue passages that I have every read. Combine witty dialogue with fun characters and unusual situations and I have a book that I have read multiple times, never tiring of her characters or the plot. This is the first of the Blackcastle estate books. Her characters range from teenagers to those in their senior years, but in this book it is the middle aged dowager Countess and the new Pastor of St. Milburga's of the Woods who stand out as the main characters. Throw in one evil character and you have mystery, adventure, and romance wrapped up in one story.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a clean, charming Regency Romance. I have always enjoyed Lansdowne's humor and characters. They usually have some issues that they are dealing with, which makes them feel more real. In this case, the widowed Duchess of Berinwick is haunted by some of her parenting choices and the damage she is afraid it caused her son. The Reverend Richard Dempsey comes to assume his position at the vicarage only to find out that the Duke is recently dead, and the vicarage is falling apart. To his surprise, he knows the widowed Duchess and loved her long before she was married. Yet this is not just a romance, there is also some mystery and danger that threatens the Berinwick family. I wasn't sure what to expect since the main characters are middle aged, but the way the story unfolds fits them well and yet keeps a nice romantic feeling. My one complaint is there was some excessive inner dialogue as the characters think to themselves, which was a little awkwardly written. The secondary characters are strongly developed and I am looking forward to reading about them in the next two books.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Second of two I tried by this author.Not to my taste. Too much goofy introspection by the characters. Very wordy. Kind of silly. There was a lot of here and thereing and not much romance with the main characters. Nothing particularly wrong with it I suppose if these things don't bother you. I read the first half and skimmed the second half.

[Lynne Tull · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author and this story! Both are in between 'Georgette Heyer' and the modern era with more sex and updated dialog. This story was a mystery with a little romance and some humor. Although the mystery wasn't up to Agatha Christie standards, it did move the story along. I am looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regency

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this and will move on to read #2 in the series.