REVIEW: For All Time by Jude Deveraux

In For All Time (Nantucket Brides Trilogy #2) by Jude Deveraux, Prince Graydon of Lanconia never expected to find his True Love when he attended his cousin Jared’s wedding on Nantucket. But that is exactly what happened when he met Toby Wyndam. Graydon’s family has always said that only the one he’s destined to love will be able to distinguish him from his twin brother Rory. And Toby knows immediately who is who. As he decides to stay on the island to spend time with her, they find out that their past is woven together in a remarkable way. The more they research the tragic details, the more they fall for each other. Graydon knows he will soon have to go back to his country and royal duties, but prays he will find a way to keep beloved Toby in his life.

“Why won’t you kiss me?” she whispered.
“I am afraid of what will happen,” he said.
“Afraid I’ll fall so hard in love with you that when you leave my heart will break?”
“No,” he said. “Afraid my heart will break.”

Toby spent most of her friend Alix’s wedding avoiding devastatingly handsome Graydon. They started off on the wrong foot when she called him out on a lie he and his brother passed off on her and her friends. She has no room for such nonsense now that she’s in charge of another wedding, this time for Alix’s mother. But Toby is pleasantly surprised when Graydon apologizes and proves to be trustworthy. He also helps her in her plans for the upcoming nuptials while he stays on the island a bit longer. No amount of warning can stop her from losing her heart to the Prince, even knowing he will be leaving the island, and her life, forever in a few weeks. Toby must decide if she can enjoy their time together now, or if she should push Graydon away before they fall even further in love.

She took his head in her hands and kissed his forehead. “I love you now, I love you then, and I will love you for all time.”

For All Time is another wonderfully romantic tale with ties to both the past and the present in Jude Deveraux’s Nantucket Brides Trilogy.

Toby and Graydon’s story was every bit as complex as Alix and Jared’s was in book one, True Love, and with just as much depth of emotion. I loved that the majority of the characters make an appearance again, here in book two. I mean, this is set on the island of Nantucket, so realistically there is no getting away from family and neighbors. At least not easily. Without giving too much of the plot away, there was a definite difference in how the past was woven into this book. Let’s just say that instead of mere glimpses of scenes from the 1800s, our protagonists had a little bit more interaction with their ancestors. I personally liked watching Toby and Graydon grow closer as they learned about their past. Call me a hopeless romantic, but it seemed very magical and like it was meant to happen.

Graydon’s struggle with balancing his responsibilities as a Prince and wanting to marry the woman he was in love with, not someone who was chosen for him, was understandable and made his character more relatable for me. I was worried for a little while that he and Toby might be too similar in personality to really work well as they were both workaholics and people-pleasers. But I thought they had a nice balance together, where she wouldn’t let Graydon act all “Princy”, bossing people around, plus she could make him laugh, which was rare. And he was very attendant to Toby’s needs and wishes, taking care of her without coddling her. Their HEA was tough for them to accomplish, but was ultimately very satisfying…and had a nice twist to it that I didn’t see coming at first.

I would recommend For All Time for romance fans who like a mix of the old with the new, and who love epic love stories that will sweep you away.

Book Info:

Published July 1st 2014 by Ballantine Books | (Nantucket Brides Trilogy #2)

New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux returns to the ruggedly magnificent island in For All Time, the second novel in her Nantucket Brides trilogy—this time featuring the next generation of her beloved family of Montgomery-Taggerts.

The wedding of Alix Madsen and Jared Montgomery is a glorious affair at an elegant little chapel in the woods, followed by dinner and dancing, all while moonlight blankets the festivities in a romantic glow. While most guests are fixed on the happy couple, Jared’s cousin Graydon can’t look away from a bridesmaid, Toby Wyndam. It’s not just her quiet beauty that enthralls him or the way she makes him laugh. Toby possesses the truly remarkable ability of being able to distinguish Graydon from his identical twin brother, Rory. According to family legend, such a gift marks her as Graydon’s True Love.

But Graydon knows there is no possible way that they can ever be together, for he is heir to the Lanconian throne and is to marry a noble woman who has been chosen for him. Yet, intrigued by Toby, he asks her to help him hide on Nantuck for a week away from regal responsibilities. In exchange, he’ll assist her with planning acclaimed novelist Victoria Madsen’s lavish wedding. Since they both know their union is impossible, the pair promises that they will never be more than just friends.

But there’s more going on between Graydon and Toby than her unique power to tell him apart from his twin. At work are forces beyond their control, which are ruled by time itself. Combine that with the magical island of Nantucket, and a seductive spell is cast over Graydon and Toby. If they are to be together, they must change what once was, as well as what will be.