This HaBO comes from Brooke, who wants to find a particular historical romance:
After bingeing a certain show involving a certain much-anticipated twenty-years-later reunion, I got to thinking about powerful reunions in romance novels.
I keep thinking of a romance where the heroine leaves for some reason, but eventually comes back to the hero. He thinks he must have gone mad because he’s used to thinking/dreaming about her while knowing she’ll never return. When he sees her, he says he doesn’t mind if he’s gone mad if it means he can see her again, and she has to prove to him that she’s real.
I know it’s a historical, and I originally thought Kinsale, because it has that emotional heaviness but it’s not — I was thinking maybe McNaught or Kleypas, but I can’t seem to land on the right book.
Having to prove you’re not a hallucination is kind of a mood killer, don’t you think?
This sounds like the reunion scene from Diana Gabaldon’s “Voyager”.
This does sound like an old Judith McNaught. Can it be Whitney, My Love?
I’m pretty sure it’s the ending of McNaught’s Once and Always.
Once and Always by Judith McNaught – It’s not a long separation, but he believes that she’s dead (after they fight and she runs away, and thinks highway men are after her and throws her cloak into a river), as his first wife and son were killed years previously.
Doesn’t Derek from Lisa Kleypas’ Dreaming of You also think that Sara is a dream when she reappears?
I have it! Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte 😉
(Well, it does meet the HaBO criteria.)
It also sounds like “Jane Eyre”, when Jane comes back to Mr. Rochester.
“After bingeing a certain show involving a certain much-anticipated twenty-years-later reunion,”
What show was this? LOL
I feel certain I have read this HABO I find myself thinking Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.
I’m with Evelyn and Elizabeth on this one.
“Great God!–what delusion has come over me? What sweet madness has seized me?”
“No delusion–no madness: your mind, sir, is too strong for delusion, your health too sound for frenzy.”
“And where is the speaker? Is it only a voice? Oh! I cannot see, but I must feel, or my heart will stop and my brain burst. Whatever–whoever you are–be perceptible to the touch or I cannot live!”
*lies down on floor* Talk about high bars for romantic (and in this case, Romantic) fiction!
I agree it’s Once and Always. Jason tells Tori to keep talking, he doesn’t care if he’s gone mad as long as he can hear her, because he doesn’t believe she’s there.
And I had to google the 20years later show as I was intrigued – Outlander?
Georgette Heyer’s Venetia has a reunion scene, although the hero thinks she’s a hallucination because he’s drunk and is at first not happy to see her.
Well, there is the upcoming Roseanne reunion show, but I don’t think that would put Brooke in mind of romantic reunions. 😀
The 20 years later show has to be The X-Files. . . right?
Once and Always–I’d forgotten how infuriating I found the anachronistic 80s names on all of Judith McNaught’s characters. Jason. Tori! She also had Whitney, Jordan, Jennifer, and a host of other names that were highly unlikely.
@Hera wrote “The 20 years later show has to be The X-Files. . . right?”
But wasn’t that on last year? Did they do another season? I no longer have TV service so unless I hear about it on FB or read about it, I miss it.
For instance, I am still trying to find a way to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special from this past December.
20 year reunion – Will & Grace?
Sorry. No HaBO guesses
Son of the Morning by Linda Howard
Time traveler
It could be Almost Heaven by McNaught. Elizabeth leaves with her brother, Ian is accused of her murder, she comes back to save him, they fight, she leaves, he drinks and wants to apologize but can’t find her. He retreats to his safe place and there she is. He can’t believe she there and they reunite.
“‘Henry, it wasn’t necess-”
Ian broke off. the door still open, at what he momentarily thought was a hallucination , a trick of the flames dancing in the fire place, and then he realized the hallucination was real: Elizabeth was standing perfectly still, looking at him.”
It could be Almost Heaven by McNaught. Elizabeth leaves with her brother, Ian is accused of her murder, she comes back to save him, they fight, she leaves, he drinks and wants to apologize but can’t find her. He retreats to his safe place and there she is. He can’t believe she there and they reunite.
“‘Henry, it wasn’t necess-”
Ian broke off, the door still open, at what he momentarily thought was a hallucination, a trick of the flames dancing in the fire place, and then he realized the hallucination was real: Elizabeth was standing perfectly still, looking at him.”
I haven’t read Once and Always, but this HABO feels familiar. For some reason my brain’s adding the heroine nearly drowning and an island setting, but I don’t know if that’s a book or a movie I’ve seen. I know the “I thought you were dead!” trope’s been done in many flavors, and I can’t put my finger on this one. Hopefully someone else manages to track it down.
The 20 year later reunion is definitely Outlander.
My first thought was also Georgette Heyer’s Venetia. It’s a good scene.
I definitely agree with other posters that this is Once & Always by Judith McNaught.
Wait, wait, no, no, I’ve got it. It’s the reunion scene in Alonzo and Melissa, one of the absolute monuments of cheesy 19th-century fiction. With the collusion of most of her relatives–excluding her parents and brother, who are fooled along with everyone else because obviously their feelings don’t really matter–Melissa fakes her own death in order to escape being pushed into marriage with the young, rich, elegant man her father favors. After the unwanted suitor has conveniently died, she sets up a further convoluted backstory, complete with false name, in order to be reunited with Alonzo.
Like I said: Monument of cheesiness. Has to be read to be believed.
It’s definitely Judith McNaught’s Once and always. I’ve only finished reading it a month ago, so I remember the scene perfectly.
Yes, yes, Judith McNaught, but Brooke, you must tell us what TV show you are talking about!
There’s a modern book this happens in (spoilers be here so if you really hate those don’t continue); it’s not a romance, it’s actually part of a sf/horror series (low ick on the horror front unless you don’t like biovirus stuff). The ‘heroine’ dies at the end of the first book in the trilogy, and we find out in the third that she was cloned/copied and the new version has the same memories, and then the ‘hero’ (who’s been doing a good job of trying to get himself killed cuz don’t care no more, and who has also been hallucinating conversations with the heroine) runs into the clone on a mission and thinks she’s just a hallucination for quite some time.
Plus there are bioplagues and friendships and fighting against the world-destroyers/politicians, so if that’s your kind of catnip, enjoy 🙂 Mira Grant’s Newsflesh trilogy.
I’m looking for this book
-He is a man who lost his memory and was adopted by a noble man, works for the English Crown catching french spies during napoleonic wars.
-She is a woman from XX or XXI, I don’t remember, is found almost drowned.He suspects that she could be an spy.
Anyone can help me with title?
Thank you very much.
“She is a woman from XX or XXI” What does this mean, please?
Was the guy adopted as a child with amnesia?
Gloriamarie, from XX or XXI century.I’m sorry for my not very good english.
Not at child.He was adopted being a young man because the noble man hasn’t any son.