Judith McNaught Books

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Judith McNaught is a bestselling American author that writes historical and contemporary romance. Born in San Luis Obispo in California in 1944, McNaught started writing her first novel in 1978. Her second husband, Mike McNaught encouraged her to pursue her writing dreams.

The author was working as an assistant director on a General Motors movie when she met and fell for him. He bought her a typewriter, quickly becoming her biggest fan. McNaught needed all the support she could get because publishers kept rejecting her novels,

She eventually finished the manuscript for ‘Whitney, My Love’, her first novel in 1982. Even though she struggled to sell it, her persistence paid off. It was published in 1985, paving the way for further success down the line.

Mike wasn’t around to bask in the glory of his wife’s victory. He died in 1983. But the tragedy did not stop Judith McNaught from pursuing her publishing dreams. Even though so many publishers rejected her initial manuscript, McNaught went on to become one of the biggest Regency Romance writers because she did not play by the rules of the genre.

McNaught wasn’t even aware of these rules. Her books had drama, intrigue, wit, and sensuality and they attracted so much interest that they influenced all the other writers that came after her. People still credit the author for single-handedly creating the modern Regency Historical genre.

For a while, she ruled the arena unopposed. But because of her success, the genre exploded. Dozens of historical romance novels were being published every single month and most of them sought to replicate McNaught’s work. Eventually, the author abandoned the historical romance genre in favor of contemporary romance.

McNaught wanted a new challenge. She also knew that she would have an easier chance of standing out if she wrote in a genre that wasn’t so saturated. The shift did nothing to slow the writer down.

McNaught continued to fine-tune her romance stories whilst also introducing suspense. Before long, she was signing multimillion-dollar contracts and achieving bestseller status. After a while, the writer encouraged her publishers to change the covers of her books.

McNaught was writing to entertain women. And she knew that the bodice-ripping art found on most of the romance novel covers of that time compelled women to hide the romance novels they read out of embarrassment. As such, she pushed her publishers to adopt classier covers that were more socially acceptable.

By the late 1990s, she was counted among literary legends like John Grisham and Dean Koontz. Judith McNaught achieved such astounding success in publishing that it is difficult to believe that she started in business.

A former student of Northwestern University from where she majored in business, McNaught spent a lot of time in the corporate arena. Besides working as an assistant director on a film crew, she was the president of a temporary employment agency and an executive search firm, a major trucking company’s assistant controller, and a director of public relations

She was married three times. Her first husband was a dentist from St. Louis. They had two children. The marriage ended in divorce. So did her third marriage to Don Smith.

Judith McNaught Awards

The author’s list of accolades includes the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, Affaire de Coeur Golden Pen Certificate, and the Affaire de Coeur Reviewer’s Choice Award.

Best Judith McNaught Books

McNaught’s books are fast-paced; they feature strong and intelligent heroines, with some of the best titles in her bibliography including:

Paradise: Matthew was once a scruffy kid from the steel mills of Indiana who dared to romance the beautiful but wealthy Meredith Bancroft. Their affair, though passionate, ended disastrously. Now Mathew is a corporate raider with all the authority he has ever wanted. He has set his sights on the Bancroft Empire. But Meredith won’t just sit by and watch as the hostile takeover plays out. The executive is prepared to confront Matt, even if it means relieving some bittersweet memories.

Kingdom of Dreams: When the Duke of Claymore abducted Jennifer from her convent school, she promised that she would never yield to the handsome but fierce English warrior. Everything changed when he held her in a powerful embrace. Now Jennifer feels trapped. not only by the physical barriers before her but the dangerous feelings bubbling within her heart.

When Does The Next Judith McNaught book come out?

Judith McNaught doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is The Sweetest Thing and was released on October, 23rd 2018.

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