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Once a Cavalier
Dr. Larryn Maeller follows a ghostly apparition into the London mist, only to emerge in 1666--the era of the Plague--where a handsome duke's heart harbors a tragedy only her love can heal.
294 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2000
66 people want to read
About the author
Linda O. Johnston
133 books464 followersLinda O. Johnston's first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the Year. Since then, Linda has had more short stories and novellas published, plus, by the end of 2018, she will have had fifty novels published, including mysteries and romance.
Linda currently writes the Barkery and Biscuits Mysteries cozy mystery series for Midnight Ink, and also wrote the Superstition Mysteries for them, both featuring dogs. She has also written the Pet Rescue Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, which was a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series. And yes, they involved dogs, too.
Linda also writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, including a new miniseries about a K-9 ranch where dogs are trained. Linda additionally writes paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne including the Alpha Force miniseries about a covert military unit of shapeshifters--and all the werewolves also have cover dogs.
Linda, a currently inactive transactional attorney, now writes fiction full-time. She is a member of the Los Angeles chapters of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America, including the Los Angeles, Orange County and Santa Clarita chapters.
Linda currently writes the Barkery and Biscuits Mysteries cozy mystery series for Midnight Ink, and also wrote the Superstition Mysteries for them, both featuring dogs. She has also written the Pet Rescue Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, which was a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series. And yes, they involved dogs, too.
Linda also writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, including a new miniseries about a K-9 ranch where dogs are trained. Linda additionally writes paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne including the Alpha Force miniseries about a covert military unit of shapeshifters--and all the werewolves also have cover dogs.
Linda, a currently inactive transactional attorney, now writes fiction full-time. She is a member of the Los Angeles chapters of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America, including the Los Angeles, Orange County and Santa Clarita chapters.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 23, 2020
While in London for a medical conference, Larryn becomes enthralled by a portrait of the Duke of Seldrake. She ends up falling into a present-day mist and back in time, to 1666 London. There, she meets the Duke, Thomas Northby, in the flesh. Larryn knows she must have traveled through time for a purpose, and she reasons if she can accomplish the task, she will return to her own time.
When Thomas finds a strange woman on the roof of his home, he is confused and wary. As someone who has been illegally aiding the children of families decimated by plague, he thinks at first that Larryn is a spy sent to find him out. Her claim of being a physician seems unrealistic, but when Larryn is able to help him treat the children in his care, he begins to believe she has some training in healing.
Together, the two of them must navigate the intricacies of the court of King Charles, save as many children as they can, and come to terms with the fact that each is falling in love with the other.
The story was enjoyable and well-written. Characters were three-dimensional, and I found the historical aspects fascinating. If I still devoured time-travel romances like I used to, I don't doubt I would have liked it more. I should not have been surprised, considering the author, that King Charles Cavalier spaniels figured heavily in this book. It would be nice if she could write about different breeds of dogs or even different pets.
As far as time-travel, historical romance is concerned, this was very good. It's no longer my cuppa tea, but I did enjoy reading it. Giving it a solid four.
When Thomas finds a strange woman on the roof of his home, he is confused and wary. As someone who has been illegally aiding the children of families decimated by plague, he thinks at first that Larryn is a spy sent to find him out. Her claim of being a physician seems unrealistic, but when Larryn is able to help him treat the children in his care, he begins to believe she has some training in healing.
Together, the two of them must navigate the intricacies of the court of King Charles, save as many children as they can, and come to terms with the fact that each is falling in love with the other.
The story was enjoyable and well-written. Characters were three-dimensional, and I found the historical aspects fascinating. If I still devoured time-travel romances like I used to, I don't doubt I would have liked it more. I should not have been surprised, considering the author, that King Charles Cavalier spaniels figured heavily in this book. It would be nice if she could write about different breeds of dogs or even different pets.
As far as time-travel, historical romance is concerned, this was very good. It's no longer my cuppa tea, but I did enjoy reading it. Giving it a solid four.
August 4, 2018
Time After Time
I have always enjoyed Linda’s books. This one combines her love of King Cavalier Spaniels, Time travel and mystery. Very enjoyable read.
I have always enjoyed Linda’s books. This one combines her love of King Cavalier Spaniels, Time travel and mystery. Very enjoyable read.
September 18, 2024
September Readathon
Too staid to be bonkers but not without charm.
The heroine deals with Restoration England fairly handily; it helps a powerful man is there to protect her, even if she bristles at that. He's of his time but not a boor or an oaf. Which is good but also an important touch, as he'd never have adjusted to everything that happens, otherwise. She offers just enough future wisdom to improve the past--and a few of the people's lives she touched--but doesn't do anything so dramatic as alter history.
Everyone is a bit murky. Who they are is only really told in the moment, on the page, with a few callbacks to past hurts and core wounds. There's historical details and medical treatments and a lot of details and trappings, but not a lot of depth to anyone, overall.
Raging harpy villain. A bit tried-and-true, but it still worked fine.
Low heat, but I never mind that. Compulsion, but I expect it's because the leads knew each other "before" and always will, through time. Now their HEA and time is fixed, together, and it came together well. Even if the epilogue is pat-perfect and all things came both grandly and easily (but that's part of HEA, isn't it? it sure can be.)
Lots of page devoted to the cavalier dogs. But then it's in the title, the cover art, and the blurb, so it's not like I was caught unawares. I liked them as the 'difference making' device, and it was a sensible one rather than a contrivance.
Too staid to be bonkers but not without charm.
The heroine deals with Restoration England fairly handily; it helps a powerful man is there to protect her, even if she bristles at that. He's of his time but not a boor or an oaf. Which is good but also an important touch, as he'd never have adjusted to everything that happens, otherwise. She offers just enough future wisdom to improve the past--and a few of the people's lives she touched--but doesn't do anything so dramatic as alter history.
Everyone is a bit murky. Who they are is only really told in the moment, on the page, with a few callbacks to past hurts and core wounds. There's historical details and medical treatments and a lot of details and trappings, but not a lot of depth to anyone, overall.
Raging harpy villain. A bit tried-and-true, but it still worked fine.
Low heat, but I never mind that. Compulsion, but I expect it's because the leads knew each other "before" and always will, through time. Now their HEA and time is fixed, together, and it came together well. Even if the epilogue is pat-perfect and all things came both grandly and easily (but that's part of HEA, isn't it? it sure can be.)
Lots of page devoted to the cavalier dogs. But then it's in the title, the cover art, and the blurb, so it's not like I was caught unawares. I liked them as the 'difference making' device, and it was a sensible one rather than a contrivance.
August 6, 2011
Historical time-travel romances have many obstacles to overcome in order to make a good book. There must be some logic as to why the hero or heroine goes forward or backward in time. With that logic there needs to be some suspense. The chemistry must be good. The era in which he or she travels to must be convincing.
Reality leads one to believe that the time traveler won't be immediately accepted by others; their speech, clothes, mannerisms and the way they were brought up is different. The question at this point: is this story persuasive and satisfying? Lastly, the ending can't be rush and, in most cases, it would help for an epilogue to be written to let the reader know if everything went well.
ONCE A CAVALIER was fair to middlin'. Dr. Larryn Maeller travels to the mid-seventeenth century after witnessing a ghost in the present calling for her help. The apparition is none less than a duke and physician. Thomas Northby, the duke of Seldrake, is trying to save children.
The Great Plague has killed many and is still active among the people. Supposedly, if a child succumbs to the disease every child, healthy or not, in the household has to be locked inside until the family is deemed healthy. Many that would have lived perished because of this practice.
Included in this storyline are Cavalier King Charles spaniels. So make a note: dog lovers may enjoy this more than others. Plusses to the book were the romance was not rushed, it had a unique theme, and the heroine was not stupid. Believability could have been somewhat stronger. The lower amount of stars was due to my dislike of the hero. I had to remember on more than one occasion that his thoughts of Larryn were due to the time. Unfortunately, this was a distraction. The chemistry was mediocre; one minute he thought he loved her, the next he didn't want her near him. Trust was too much of an issue and the ending felt rushed and unimaginable.
Reality leads one to believe that the time traveler won't be immediately accepted by others; their speech, clothes, mannerisms and the way they were brought up is different. The question at this point: is this story persuasive and satisfying? Lastly, the ending can't be rush and, in most cases, it would help for an epilogue to be written to let the reader know if everything went well.
ONCE A CAVALIER was fair to middlin'. Dr. Larryn Maeller travels to the mid-seventeenth century after witnessing a ghost in the present calling for her help. The apparition is none less than a duke and physician. Thomas Northby, the duke of Seldrake, is trying to save children.
The Great Plague has killed many and is still active among the people. Supposedly, if a child succumbs to the disease every child, healthy or not, in the household has to be locked inside until the family is deemed healthy. Many that would have lived perished because of this practice.
Included in this storyline are Cavalier King Charles spaniels. So make a note: dog lovers may enjoy this more than others. Plusses to the book were the romance was not rushed, it had a unique theme, and the heroine was not stupid. Believability could have been somewhat stronger. The lower amount of stars was due to my dislike of the hero. I had to remember on more than one occasion that his thoughts of Larryn were due to the time. Unfortunately, this was a distraction. The chemistry was mediocre; one minute he thought he loved her, the next he didn't want her near him. Trust was too much of an issue and the ending felt rushed and unimaginable.
August 20, 2009
Good story. Enjoyed the roles the Cavalier Spaniels played in Larryn's time travel experience. Author does a good job of describing the time period to the point that you can get a very good feel of what it was like in London of 1666. I definitely wouldn't want to be there during the Great Plague and the way society in general dealt with it.
February 7, 2010
I read this years ago! In seventh grade, actually. One of the first books I ever read- it was very entertaining as far as I can remember.
November 20, 2012
I enjoyed Once a Cavalier. I had lower expectations due to the so-so reviews, and was pleasantly surprised. I give it about 3 1/2 stars.
May 19, 2014
It was so-so. I don't feel my time was wasted but wasn't thrilled.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews