In Once and Always, Judith McNaught crafts a deeply emotional and character-driven historical romance that explores the ruins and resilience of love, betrayal, and healing. At its heart is Jason Fielding, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Atherton, who bears the scars of a youth spent in rejection and humiliation. Though Jason ultimately inherited wealth, title, and power, none of it softened the heartbreak he endured when his wife—whom he believed faithful—betrayed him. Her death, along with that of their young son in a shipwreck, leaves him bitter, emotionally armored, and distrustful of women, especially those of society’s elite, whom he sees as manipulative and superficial.
Into this bleak emotional landscape steps Victoria Seaton, a spirited and compassionate young American woman whose world also shatters early in the story. Raised in a loving, modest household, she witnesses a harrowing moment in her adolescence when her mother coldly denies her father entry into their marital bed, an act that leaves a lasting mark on Victoria’s understanding of love and loyalty. The emotional discord in her family home is compounded by a poignant scene in which Andrew, her childhood best friend, declares his love for her. Though tender, his confession further confuses Victoria, who is soon cast adrift by tragedy. Orphaned and alone, she is sent to Europe to live with relatives she has never met, an uprooting that marks the end of her childhood and the beginning of her turbulent journey into aristocratic life.
Upon her arrival at the home of the powerful Duke Charles Fielding, Victoria’s expectations are upended. Instead of the warmth and civility she anticipated, she is met with a cold and hostile reception from Jason, the Duke’s son. From the moment they meet, Jason is antagonistic, regarding her with suspicion and disdain. His loathing is immediate and visceral, a reaction rooted not only in her American origins but in his broader hatred of women he believes are after wealth and status. To Jason, Victoria represents everything he despises—another beautiful woman entering his life under the guise of innocence.
Yet, beneath Jason’s hostility lies deep emotional anguish. McNaught intricately peels back the layers of his resentment, revealing a man tormented by grief, betrayed by love, and terrified of caring again only to face more loss. Victoria, though initially overwhelmed by his cruelty, begins to understand the man behind the anger. Her strength lies in her quiet resilience and her ability to remain kind even in the face of judgment and coldness. Slowly, their relationship evolves from antagonism to grudging respect, and finally to a love that neither of them trusts easily.
Victoria’s personal growth is significant throughout the narrative. She begins as a sheltered, emotionally idealistic girl but is shaped by adversity into a woman of conviction. Her time in Europe is not merely a geographical shift but an emotional metamorphosis. As she confronts Jason’s pain and her own past, she begins to reconcile the contradictions between romantic fantasy and emotional reality. The memory of her parents’ fractured marriage and Andrew’s unresolved affection linger in her thoughts, influencing how she approaches the idea of love with Jason.
Their romance is never simple or sweet but is marked by passion, misunderstanding, and emotional volatility. McNaught excels at portraying love not as a fairytale escape, but as something forged through hardship, vulnerability, and self-awareness. Jason and Victoria’s journey is less about the trappings of nobility and more about the scars people carry and the courage it takes to trust again.
In the end, the novel offers redemption through love, but only after its protagonists confront their own brokenness. Jason must learn to forgive the past and accept love without suspicion, while Victoria must navigate the treacherous world of English aristocracy without losing her integrity. Their story, while rooted in a specific time and class, is ultimately universal in its exploration of pain, trust, and the redemptive power of a love that endures once and always.
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