This book was very disappointing. I have read other books by this author and they have been passable, but this particular book was awful. The story is that a girl desperately wants a husband, so she has her uncles force a man (who doesn't want her) into marriage. After he reluctantly marries her, he dumps her off with his step mother and leaves the country. When the girl's uncles drag him back to England, he finds her pregnant, but accuses her of infidelity and denies that the child could be his. How could anyone find this romantic? In the last 5 or 10 pages of the book the guy admits that he simply wished to protect the girl from being his wife because he is a bastard, and then she easily forgives him for all of his sins. Whatever.

I was a little skeptical at first being how this was the first book in several of the Malory family saga. Was I ready to get into a long 7 book series on family drama?
Well hot-dam I was I have been converted I jumped on the Malory family bandwagon and have since joined Team Malory! Go team!

I love JL writing style, she jumps right into the story no pussyfooting around. She says what needs to be said , she shows what needs to be shown, she is a great storyteller. You either love or hate her characters. As for me I loved Regina she was strong-willed, good-hearted, and loved by all, and in turned she loved with her whole heart She withstood the rumor mill and grew stronger she held her head high through it all
Now Nicholas on the other hand was awful, but at the same time I could understand the way he was and why. His childhood was a thorn in his side. He put on a coat of armor so to speak walls that couldn't be broken , until the lovely Regina enters his life by a mistake and from then on it was clear that lust would play a role in their relationship but I have to mention one thing I was utterly upset at his treatment of Regina and equally upset that she took it at all Could Nicholas be redeemed in the end .Could Regina find it in her heart to forgive her husbands actions? You will have to read and find out....

My thoughts :this a good book your heart will bled for Regina and Nicholas the misunderstandings will drive you nuts but in the end this will happened ... you will fall in love with these two stubborn people who Love Only Once

Nicholas kidnaps Reggie by mistake, thinking she is someone else. As a result, her brothers force a marriage even though nothing happened. Nicholas didn't commmunicate well with Reggie about his being a bastard. He thinks she won't want to be married to him, so he leaves for the W. Indies for 6 months. Not a good story line, but I did like the way Reggie put down evil Miriam.

Sexual content not evaluated. I read this book before I began counting sex scenes and describing the language. As I recall, it was probably mild. Setting: 1817 London. Copyright: 1985. Genre: regency romance.

For a list of my reviews of other Johanna Lindsey books, see my 5 star review of "Gentle Rogue" posted 6/14/08.

I liked the story, JL is a good writer. This is the frist book I have read from this author. I really did like the story except that Nicholas was a jerk and didn't deserve Regina. Even the ending didn't have a POW I am such a jerk I am so sorry, it was a little mild of what should have happened. All in all, it was a good story, I am looking forward to reading more of the Malory family.

Love Only Once: A Malory Novel is the unabridged audiobook presentation of bestselling author Johanna Lindsey's passionate romance novel. Regina Ashton, niece to Lord Edward and Lady Charlotte Malory and blessed with her family line's sumptuous beauty, has been abducted by the handsome, golden-haired rogue Nicholas Eden. Enraged by her kidnapping, yet also inflamed with passion for Nicholas, Regina's determination to make him pay with his heart and wed her - yet Nicholas' willingness to love has been hurt by a painful hidden secret in his past. A steamy tale of love, desire, entrancement and clashing wills. 7 CDs, 8 hours.