Judith McNaught > Quotes

“There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications, and just go for it.”
― Judith McNaught, Remember When

“You can't outwit fate by standing on the sidelines placing little sidebets about the outcome of life. either you wade in and risk everything you have to play the game or you don't play at all. and if u don't play u can't win.”
― Judith McNaught, Paradise

“If you would take one step forward, darling, you could cry in my arms. And while you do, I'll tell you how sorry I am for everything I've done -" Unable to wait, Ian caught her, pulling her tightly against him. "And when I'm finished," he whispered hoarsely as she wrapped her arms around him and wept brokenly, "you can help me find a way to forgive myself."
Tortured by her tears, he clasped her tighter and rubbed his jaw against her temple, his voice a ravaged whisper: "I'm sorry," he told her. He cupped her face between his palms, tipping it up and gazing into her eyes, his thumbs moving over her wet cheeks. "I'm sorry." Slowly, he bent his head, covering her mouth with his. "I'm so damned sorry.”
― Judith McNaught, Almost Heaven

“The groom always smiles proudly because he's convinced he's accomplished something quite wonderful. The bride smiles because she's been able to convince him of it.”
― Judith McNaught, A Kingdom of Dreams

“A lie is an affront to the soul, as well as an insult to the intelligence of the person to whom one lies.”
― Judith McNaught, Something Wonderful

“You will soon discover that in matters of the heart, memories are much kinder than reality”
― Judith McNaught, Whitney, My Love

“Some people feel love in their hearts, Julie. Some of us feel it all way into our souls. We're the ones who can't forget.”
― Judith McNaught, Paradise

“Listen carefully to me, darling, because I'm giving you fair warning that I won't let you do this to us. You gave me your love, and I will not let you take it away. The harder you try, the harder I'll fight you. I'll haunt your dreams at night, exactly the way you have haunted mine every night I was away from you. You'll lie awake in bed at night, wanting me, and you'll know I'm lying awake wanting you. And when you can't stand it anymore you'll come back to me and I'll be there waiting for you. I'll cry in your arms, and I'll tell you I'm sorry for everything I have done and you'll help me find a way to forgive myself.”
― Judith McNaught, Almost Heaven

“Some women need no jewels to make them sparkle. You are one of them.

-Royce Westmoreland”
― Judith McNaught, A Kingdom of Dreams

“You are mad!" she snapped, her chest heaving. "And you are a devil!"
"And you, my dear," Royce imperturbably replied, "are a bitch." With that, he turned to the horrified friar and unhesitatingly announced, "The lady and I wish to be wed.”
― Judith McNaught, A Kingdom of Dreams

“He will love only once - but it will be for always.”
― Judith McNaught, Paradise

“Either give me your hand, or end it now, and put us both out of our misery”
― Judith McNaught, Paradise

“Missing you?" she giggled incredulously. "I could cheerfully murder you."
"I'd come back to haunt you," he threatened with a grin.
"And that," she said, "is the only reason why I haven't tried.”
― Judith McNaught, Whitney, My Love

“Why is it when you yield, I feel like the one who has been conquered?"

-Royce Westmoreland”
― Judith McNaught, A Kingdom of Dreams

“Because,” he said quietly as she stood up, “until you walked into it, this was an ordinary garden.”

Puzzled, Elizabeth tipped her head. “What is it now?”

“Heaven.”
― Judith McNaught, Almost Heaven

“If you'll kiss me back," he whispered huskily, brushing his lips along the curve of her jaw, "I'll make it six
million. If you'll go to bed with me tonight," he continued, losing himself in the scent of her perfume and the softness of her skin, "I'll give you the world. But if you'll move in with me," he continued, dragging his mouth across her cheek to the corner of her lips, "I'll do much better than that."
Unable to turn her face farther because his arm was in the way, and unable to turn her body because his body was in the way, Meredith tried to infuse disdain in her voice and simultaneously ignore the arousing touch of his tongue against her ear. "Six million dollars and the whole world!" she said in a slightly shaky voice. "What else could you possibly give me if I move in with you?" "Paradise." Lifting his head, Matt took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced her to meet
his gaze. In an aching, solemn voice he said, "I'll give you paradise on a gold platter. Anything you want— everything you want. I come with it, of course. It's a package deal." Meredith wallowed audibly, mesmerized by the melting look in his silver eyes and the rich timbre of his deep voice. "We'll be a family," he continued, describing the paradise he was offering while he bent his head to her again. "We'll have children ... I'd like six," he teased, his lips against her temple. "But I'll settle for one. You don't have to decide now." She drew in a ragged breath and Matt decided he'd pushed matters as far as he dared for one night. Straightening abruptly, he chucked her under her chin. "Think about it," he suggested with a grin.”
― Judith McNaught, Paradise

“I love life, even when bad things happen to me. I can't stop loving it. Every season of the year comes with a promise that something wonderful is going to happen to me someday.”
― Judith McNaught, Something Wonderful

“I've hurt you terribly my love, and I'll hunt you again during the next fifty years. And you are going to hurt me, Ian-never I hope as much as you are hurting me now. But if that's the way it has to be, then I'll endure it, because the only alternative is to live without you, and that is no life at all. And the difference is that I know it, and you don't... not yet...”
― Judith McNaught, Almost Heaven

“It was a kingdom of dreams — a place where things would be just the way I wanted them to be.”
― Judith McNaught, A Kingdom of Dreams

“‎People who talk less frequently notice more.”
― Judith McNaught, Someone to Watch Over Me

“Ian saw the tears shimmering in her magnificent eyes and one of them traced unheeded down her smooth cheek.
With a raw ache in his voice he said, "If you would take one step forward, darling, you could cry in my arms. And while you do, I'll tell you how sorry I am for everything I've done - " Unable to wait, Ian caught her, pulling her tightly against him. "And when I'm finished," he whispered hoarsely as she wrapped her arms around him and wept brokenly, "you can help me find a way to forgive myself."
Tortured by her tears, he clasped her tighter and rubbed his jaw against her temple, his voice a ravaged whisper: "I'm sorry," he told her. He cupped her face between his palms, tipping it up and gazing into her eyes, his thumbs moving over her wet cheeks. "I'm sorry." Slowly, he bent his head, covering her mouth with his. "I'm so damned sorry.”
― Judith McNaught, Almost Heaven

“I used to be ashamed
And now I am proud.
The world once was black
And now it is bright.
I used to walk head bent
And now I stand up tall.
I used to have dreams
But now I have hope.”
― Judith McNaught, Perfect

“What are you looking at?" Jordan demanded finally, watching
her.

"A dragon." When he looked bewildered she lifted her arm and pointed to the sky in the southeast. "Right there—that cloud—what do you see when you look at it?"

"A fat cloud."

Alexandra rolled her eyes at him. "What else do you see?"

He was quiet for a moment studying the sky. "Five more fat clouds
and three thin ones.”
― Judith McNaught, Something Wonderful

“It isn’t what you say that counts, it’s what you don’t say.”
― Judith McNaught, Paradise

“With his current mood, Elizabeth realized, she was going to have to make her own opening. Lifting her eyes to his enigmatic golden ones, she said quietly, “Ian, have you ever wanted something very badly-something that
was within your grasp-and yet you were afraid to reach out for it?”

Surprised by her grave question and her use of his name, Ian tried to ignore the jealousy that had been eating at him all night. “No,” he said, scrupulously keeping the curtness from his voice as he gazed down at her alluring face. “Why do you ask? Is there something you want?”

Her gaze fell from his, and she nodded at his frilled white shirtfront.

“What is it you want?”

“You.”
― Judith McNaught, Almost Heaven

“Clayton," she said softly, her voice threaded with tears, "when Vanessa asked about my accomplishments tonight, I forgot to mention that I do have one. And it's--it's so splendid that it compensates for my lack of all the others."
Stephen and Clayton grinned at each other, neither of them hearing the emotion that clogged her voice. "What splendid accomplishments is that, little one?" Clayton asked.
Her shoulders hunched forward and began to shake. "I made you love me," she whispered brokenly. "Somehow, some way, I actually made you love me.”
― Judith McNaught, Whitney, My Love

“Reformed rakes often make the best husbands.”
― Judith McNaught, Something Wonderful

“True beauty springs from the heart and dwells in the eyes.”
― Judith McNaught

“An answering smile drifted across his tanned face. "What is mine, I intend to
keep.”
― Judith McNaught, A Kingdom of Dreams

“Behold your new mistress, my wife," he pronounced, "and know that when she
bids you, I have bidden you. What service you render her, you are rendering me. What loyalty you give or withhold from her, you give or withhold from me!"

-Royce Westmoreland”
― Judith McNaught, A Kingdom of Dreams