Just Like Heaven was my first book by Julia Quinn. The first thing I did when I was finished with this book was ask myself why the hell I waited so long to try this author. This lady is funny! Three chapters into the book and I was giggling like a jackass.
Just Like Heaven is the first book in the Smythe-Smith series. The Smythe-Smith Quartet is made up of unmarried girls from the ginormous Smythe-Smith family, and they should not be allowed to do what they do. They are that bad. In this series we will be following the trials and tribulations of the "world's worst amateur musicians", and we started off with Honoria.
Honoria plays the violin although, from the way it's described, "play" might be too strong a word for it. I loved Honoria. She was epic. She doesn't delude herself (like some members of her family) that she's any good at the violin. She knows that the Smythe-Smith Quartet are responsible for committing crimes against music, but it doesn't matter. She does it for her family.
Our hero is only child Marcus. He is best friends with Honoria's brother, Daniel, and has been considered part of the Smythe-Smith family for years. So, when Daniel is exiled from London, Marcus promises the worried big brother that he'll keep an eye on Honoria.
The consequences are a little on the ridiculous side. Honoria and her friends/cousins are on the hunt for a husband. Some, like Honoria's cousin Sarah, are only after a husband so that they can avoid playing in the Quartet. But Honoria's motives are far more noble. She just wants a family of her own. Things at home haven't been quite the same after Daniel left. At this point, I'd just like to say that I'm glad that I'm not living back in the day. The planning and creativity it takes to snag a husband seems to require more than I've got. Plus, there's also a whole lot of things that can go wrong. Just ask Honoria.
Marcus was such a gem. He's so totally into Honoria, although I'm not 100% sure why. The chick is a menace! Through some mad scheme to snag some cute bachelor, she inadvertently puts Marcus in bed for a week!
I loved all the characters in this book, especially Honoria's cousins. These ladies are awesome! From the deluded Daisy, to the huffy Sarah, to the acerbic Iris (my favourite), these ladies made some terrible music together.
Quick quote from Marcus about what the Smythe-Smith Quartet sounds like:
Marcus could not possibly have described the sound that came forth from the four instruments in the Smythe-Smith rehearsal room. He was not sure there were words that would be accurate, at least not in polite company. He was loath to call it music; in all honesty, it was more of a weapon than anything else.
I loved this story so much. It was light and fluffy and sweet. Like candy floss. Only, unlike candy floss, it won't make you want to hurl.
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