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The Virtues #5

Unending Joy

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A humorous friends-to-lovers tale with a hoyden, a Corinthian, and lots of kittens!

The youngest of five beautiful sisters, Joy Whitford lacks both their femininity and sophistication. To she is a hoyden. In fact, when trying to perform circus tricks on a horse, she suffered a brutal accident that left her vision impaired. Now it is time for her Season, and as each of her sisters have made brilliant marriages the same is expected of her. However, the last thing she wants is a husband, being the most ill-suited person imaginable to be a wife. She needs nothing more than her animals and good stories.

Freddy Cunningham enjoys his life. The heir to a viscountcy, he has excellent friends, plenty of money and is never wanting for good sport. When his parents demand he either wed or face the consequences, it is enough to overturn even his most amiable nature.

Joy and Freddy make a pact to help each other find suitable mates so they can remain friends, only to discover what they are looking for is right in front of them all along!

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2025

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About the author

Elizabeth Johns

101 books372 followers
Like many writers, Elizabeth Johns was first an avid reader, though she was a reluctant convert. It was Jane Austen's clever wit and unique turn of phrase that hooked Johns when she was "forced" to read Pride and Prejudice for a school assignment. She began writing when she ran out of her favorite author’s books and decided to try her hand at crafting a Regency romance novel. Her journey into publishing began with the release of Surrender the Past, book one of the Loring-Abbott Series. Johns makes no pretensions to Austen’s wit but hopes readers will perhaps laugh and find some enjoyment in her writing.
Johns attributes much of her inspiration to her mother, a retired English teacher. During their last summer together, Johns would sit on the porch swing and read her stories to her mother, who encouraged her to continue writing. Busy with multiple careers, including a professional job in the medical field, author and mother of small children, Johns squeezes in time for reading whenever possible.

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5 stars
337 (53%)
4 stars
177 (28%)
3 stars
98 (15%)
2 stars
13 (2%)
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4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Cynthia Houser.
1,622 reviews10 followers
July 5, 2025
Unending Joy

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was so much fun although there were serious issues. I am sorry to be at the end of this series. The characters are interesting and entertaining
Profile Image for Regency_Fan_ Michelle RegencyFanMichelleAndMore.
906 reviews21 followers
July 26, 2026
Unending Joy was an enjoyable, clean historical romance with a lovely heroine, an attentive hero, and some truly delightful kittens.

The length felt just right to me. At just over seven hours, the audiobook never felt unnecessarily drawn out, and I appreciated being able to settle into the story without it overstaying its welcome.

Joy was an endearing heroine, and I thought her impaired vision was handled with sensitivity. Freddie was friendly, attentive, and protective, and I enjoyed watching the two of them attempt to help one another find suitable matches. Their adventures in dating other people added some fun moments to the story.

This is definitely a very slow-burn romance, with the romantic development arriving quite late in the book. Their friendship remained at the heart of the story throughout, which will likely appeal to readers who enjoy a gentle friends-to-lovers romance.

The kittens were wonderful little side characters and brought so much charm and personality to the book. I had not read any of the previous books in the series, but I had no trouble beginning with this one, so it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone.

Alex Wyndham did a nice job distinguishing between the characters. I am not generally a big fan of male narrators performing female voices, so those were not my favorite, but overall, I thought the narration was well done and easy to follow.

This was a pleasant, clean romance with likable characters, sweet humor, adorable animals, and a satisfying happily-ever-after.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy and was under no obligation to leave a positive review.
Profile Image for Judy.
3,374 reviews
July 8, 2025
Unending Joy by Elizabeth Johns
The Virtues Series Book Five
Freddy Cunningham loved life and lived it to the fullest. His closest friends were now married, but he still had his best friend, Joy. Then everything came crashing down around him. His parents were giving him six months to find a bride and take over one of their holdings.
Joy Whitford was unconventional. The youngest of five sisters, she’d rather be found talking to the stable boys about horses than being comfortable in Society. It was her first Season, and she hated it. At least she had Freddy.
When Freddy told her about his dilemma, they set off to find a partner for the other one so that they could stay friends. They didn’t expect it to be as challenging as it was to see the other in the courting ritual.
I’m sad to see this series come to an end. Serious, romantic, and humorous. Wonderful human characters and four-legged ones, too.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com...
Profile Image for Ann Gonzalez.
1,540 reviews17 followers
June 25, 2025
Unending Joy is friendship, loyalty, love, and cat antics. The Virtues series has seen Joy grow up, and her friendship with Freddy is as strong as ever. Their antics throughout the other books made it clear they belonged together. I was excited about this story and was not disappointed. Freddy and Joy still had their close friendship and were set on marrying friends so they could always be friends, but that didn't seem to be working out since they preferred one another to everyone else. This book is a slow, sweet friendship that lacks a romantic burn, yet it is such a good book.
I think, as always, the cats stole the show in some parts of the book. It is clear that Elizabeth Johns has a great imagination and is well versed on the antics of cats.
I highly recommend this book, this series, and other books by this author.
1,091 reviews4 followers
July 20, 2025
clean romance

I have enjoyed this whole “Virtues” series and I am glad to see that Joy has her HEA.
I enjoyed the friends to more theme of this story. The hero is an easily likable character who finds enjoyment and laughter in many aspects. He sees the beauty of his friend the heroine with her spark for life.
The heroine is full of life, daring and adventure which doesn’t fit the perception of what a lady in society should be.
Both the heroine and hero are faced with challenges that seem daunting but find them less so with their friendship.
I love the message of accepting someone for themselves and seeing the good.
There is plenty of humor, some danger and a lot of friendship and family love.
I recommend this book, series and author whole heartedly!
54 reviews
July 8, 2025
The last Whiford sister marries.

I’m especially happy that Joy’s extended family figure largely in this novel. I only wish I’d read the previous books in this series more recently. It would have made this book more enjoyable to remember the personalities of each of the sisters’ husbands. I recommend rereading those before reading this one. Still, as usual, Elizabeth Johns delivers a delightful read, with humor, some intrigue, and lots of great banter! A clean Regency romance (very light on the romance) appropriate for any age reader. Not as much history as in the previous books of the series.
83 reviews1 follower
July 7, 2025
Joy and Freddy’s story began in the first book of this series and continued until this book which is the final of The Virtues. This is an excellent series, but this one is special because Joy is a free spirit with a love for animals and nearly died in the first book. Elizabeth Johns writes a series which shows the deep devotion these sisters have for each other in each of the books, and it’s sad to see it end. This is an unusually well-written series showcasing a special sisters’ bond that most similar stories written by other authors can’t compare.
Profile Image for Nancy Baker-krofft.
155 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2025
Friendship and Romance and Kiittens!

Joy, the last sister to find a match, and her long time friend Freddy who care for kittens together, try to court others, which leads to them realizing how much they would miss each other if they were to marry. I loved the characters non-compliance with Society rules and the struggle Joy has to use her eyes after an earllier injury. Oh, and the 7 kittens!
226 reviews
July 15, 2025
Fast Fun Summer Read

I really like Elizabeth Johns writing. Her books are all great reads. This books for Joy is a suspense, family and of course love. If you are looking for a good summer read this book is for you.
Profile Image for Dora.
183 reviews
February 10, 2026
For some reason, this one was slow to get into, surprising since the pairing was the first to manifest in book one! Joy and Freddy are the truest of friends, and their story is the most relatable. It was a very sweet end to the series.
Profile Image for paperbackotter.
50 reviews5 followers
August 2, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC audio in exchange for an honest review.

The character driven plot of Unending Joy by Elizabeth Johns accurately portrays the expectations that the society of Regency England placed on the importance and constraints of courtship and marriage. It makes me appreciate today's choices and freedoms that I take for granted – yet, some of the cattiness of yore is still present unfortunately.

I quickly came to care about the heroine, Joy, who is daring, fearless, and unconventional, preferring her animals to that of the stifling society of the ton. Freddie, the hero, quickly is established as compassionate, caring, and protective of Joy and their friendship. Their close friendship, established over years, feels real; and for this reason I rooted for them from the beginning.

Johns presents their strong bond by having the characters share their deepest fears and concerns with one another. The vulnerability presented felt real. Thus, I felt drawn into their interactions and conversations – I was invested in their outcome.

The conflict begins when Freddie is pressured by his parents to find a bride by the end of the season. The realization that marriage could threaten their friendship leads to a plan to find each other's spouses in their relative friend group. In this way, both couples would be connected and their own friendship would not be deemed inappropriate.

The plot focuses on character, not action. I loved the humor, banter, and protectiveness witnessed in the progression observations of each other's attempts at courtship. I also appreciate the way Johns handles Joy’s apprehension around her loss of sight and Freddie’s support of her. I also appreciate the message that one can remain true to who they are, and not have to change to be accepted.

I thoroughly enjoyed how Alex Wyndham’s narration brought the story to life through the various voices of each character. I plan on researching other books he has narrated.

Overall, this was a quick, enjoyable read that I rate a 3.5. The slow burn was a little to slow for me. Though this is the conclusion to a series, the book can totally be read as a stand alone.
Profile Image for Jamie.
99 reviews
August 4, 2026
ARC READ*
4 ⭐️

Spoiler free
Regency
No spice, but all the delicious romance

Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia Team & Elizabeth Johns for the ALC of this book.

I was a bit wary going into this because it was narrated by only a male VA, but MAN was I wrong. I hate how much I underestimated Alex Wyndham. He did such a phenomenal job! Every character from our lively FMC, to a cranky old lady, to old butlers, to galavanting young men, was very well done!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this, as I greatly enjoyed it!! From start to finish I was enraptured and beguiled by Joy and Freddy and their gentle romance.

This was the first “clean” regency book I have read as I do love my risqué historical romance. I loved it all the same! It was wonderfully detailed and entertaining. The characters were all interesting and the ending had me clutching at my heartstrings!! This showcased one of my dearly beloved tropes: friends to lovers.

It was so well done and in such a nice manner. I loved how the author was sensitive to Joy’s struggles with her vision and how it affected not only her self worth, but also the possible impacts of it in English society. It was a very interesting character trait that I have not yet seen done in HR, or many books at all as of late.

I cannot recommend this book enough for readers that don’t like spicy books, or are just wanting to read a little light hearted romance!
Profile Image for Sam.
390 reviews9 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
August 1, 2026
A quick and enjoyable historical romance with a visual impairment following an accident. Joy is known for being a bit wild and at the beginning of the book is hiding her vision challenges so that no one knows she is struggling to see. She's a fun character!

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Alex Wyndham, which was excellently read - he differentiated all voices really well and everything was crystal clear.

This is a simple story about two friends who known each other all their lives, who are looking for partners on the marriage mart, but don't even consider each other until they start becoming jealous of the other's love interests. FMC Joy is preyed upon by somebody with nefarious motives and MMC Freddy (who is about 10 years older) is only too happy to investigate what's going on along with Joy's guardian and brothers-in-law. There are lots of cats and a detailed epilogue which the cats (and everybody's children from the series) feature heavily!

Light, easy to listen to and fairly short at 6 hr 55 mins.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ALC. All thoughts on my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Allison.
107 reviews1 follower
July 31, 2026
This was such a sweet and fun read, I loved it.
I’m new to the series but since they are different couples in each book, it was safe to dive in. No prior knowledge needed. But since I loved it, I will seek out the other books about her sisters!

Joy and Freddy made such a cute pairing. Of course it took them forever to see the obvious, but there was some jealously and courting of others and it was fun hearing their thoughts about eachother progress and realization occur.

I did like that joy wasn’t your average lady. She was wild and untamed. I thought it was a good addition to her character that she had vision issues and wore glasses, it just made her more relatable and quirky. Freddy was sweet and protective and genuinely enjoyed spending time with joy. It wasn’t love at first sight but a deep love built on friendship, very sweet and refreshing.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Tantor Media for the advanced audio copy of Unending Joy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
280 reviews4 followers
October 18, 2026
it's ok

I was rather bored with this story.

If you are looking for something that keeps you interested, and the story moving, this probably isn't for you.

If you are interested in just reading a friend's to lovers slow story, then enjoy. Also if you love just reading books with lots of animals you may enjoy this. Though I didn't find the antics of the animals particularly entertaining or funny.

The epilogue was very long with a lot of kids and pets talked about. I honestly stopped reading the epilogue a quarter of the way through, it just held no interest for me.


Overall I was bored reading it. Since it wasn't offensive I didn't want to return it and made myself finish it (excepting the epilogue).

So you decide.

The last several E. John's books I've read have felt like this, so I probably won't buy anymore.
Profile Image for Tina Lowery.
425 reviews
June 2, 2026
Freddy and Joy became the best of friends and yet were too comfortable in the way life worked to upset the apple cart. Author Elizabeth Johns added Freddy Cunningham and Joy to this series finale, a series about life and love. There's a slight bit of mystery and loss. This story drew my heart and mind to what historical England might've looked like -- and what is true for us today. FAMILY. This book of "Unending Joy" walked onto each and every single page capturing hope, dreams, light and love. I loved this book, Joy's story, filled with hope and despair. As I read, my heart broke and then mended once more. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars and believe Elizabeth Johns reached into my mind and soul with every word ....
Profile Image for Jeanine Reed.
669 reviews28 followers
July 27, 2026
I absolutely love this entire series and have anxiously awaiting the audio release of Unending Joy. I could’ve read Joy’s story months ago, but I am obsessed with Alex Wyndham’s narration so I waited just to listen to him read it to me!

Joy was one of the more spirited and unconventional of the sisters and Freddie was the perfect match for her. While this story wasn’t my favorite it still was a great ending to the series. And the epilogue brought every one greater happiness and that is a bonus.

Alex is a fantastic narrator and I’d listen to him read the tax code.

Thank you Tantor Media for the advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Natalie Paukstys.
279 reviews4 followers
July 28, 2026
I was very much looking forward to Freddy and Joy’s story, but it just didn’t hit. First, and I realize this is a “me problem,” I just don’t like cats that much. There were so many plot devices whirling around these felines and it became wearisome over time. I feel like I wouldn’t have minded as much if there’d been more of a balance there. Second, it took an incredibly long time for this to become intriguing. Minus the cats, I really liked the last third of the book. Third, it was astonishing how everyone around the two main characters knew what was up but these two had no clue. Men and women weren’t just friends like that back then. It felt anachronistic.
Profile Image for Alice.
63 reviews
July 30, 2026
I really enjoyed this book.
I thought Joy and Freddie were both incredible characters on their own, and their friendship was so lovely. I wish that there had been more of a slow burn; it felt quite sudden, and I didn't believe their romance to be more than a friendship. Having said that, I think even if they married for friendship only, I would have enjoyed that as well.

I listened to the audiobook version and really enjoyed the narrator; the pacing was great. I just wish it had a female narrator; it felt like the story focuses more on Joy than Freddie, and I think it would have been more powerful through a female narration.
Profile Image for Brandi.
1,495 reviews38 followers
August 23, 2026
I have not read the other books in this series, but I generally enjoy stories by Elizabeth Johns. Joy and Freddy are a great example of friends to lovers and finally seeing what has been right in front of you. The addition of animals is a fun touch and brings plenty of smiles and joy. The story follows an expected rhythm and pace for a regency style clean romance. All the things you would expect are present, and again, Elizabeth has a great writing style. I did listen to audiobook and did not particularly care for the narrator as I don’t enjoy how he captures the female voices.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.
Profile Image for Deb.
487 reviews2 followers
May 8, 2026
This was my least likeable of the series. Although it was a sweet story, there was not much of romance as there was friendship. I'm not against cats in general but this story gave too much emphasis on animals that really added nothing to the story for me. In summary, this book just didn't meet my expectations compared to the previous books in the series.
180 reviews
August 1, 2026
3.5 stars

A sweet, endearing, spice free, regency romance of best friends turned lovers.

Alex Wynham did a good job at narrating this story told in an omniscient PoV. I normally listen to audiobooks at 1.5x-1.75x speed. I found this one enjoyable at 1.5x speed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Media for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Profile Image for Hannah Persohn.
81 reviews2 followers
August 5, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ALC!
Super fun, light, chaste, charming, friends-to-sweethearts audiobook. The male narrator was very good, spoke clearly at a very good pace. It was a crystal clear recording, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Bridgerton or Pride & Prejudice.
Profile Image for A. Lorna Warren.
1,117 reviews2 followers
November 1, 2026
Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I have not read any of the others in this series but it did not take away from enjoying this one. Decent storyline and characters, I would consider reading more of the others.
Profile Image for Naomi.
20 reviews13 followers
April 10, 2026
Had a nice sweet ending to the series
1,660 reviews14 followers
July 26, 2026
This book was okay. I unfortunately am not a fan of this narrator, even though his narration is okay. The story itself was decent but nothing spectacular.

Okay read.

#netgalley #UnendingJoy
Profile Image for Daisney Lacroix.
80 reviews
August 2, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to complete this book via audiobook! It was relatively okay as an audiobook.
Profile Image for Anna.
538 reviews2 followers
August 1, 2026
I received an advance listening copy from NetGalley for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator did a very good job. Especially considering he did both MC's.

The story itself was super sweet. A historical friends to lovers. Allowing the people you love to be the truest version of themselves. I really enjoyed this story. It also didn't help that kittens were such central characters, i loved cats.
2,606 reviews7 followers
August 21, 2025
Thus finishes the series as Joy finally finds her hea with Freddy, her dearest friend. They find happiness despite some obstacles they must deal with together. There is a lovely epilogue five years later about all the sisters and their families
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews