Whitney, My Love


Whitney, My Love is the first book published by author Judith McNaught. While written first, it is the second novel in the Westmoreland Dynasty Saga, preceded by A Kingdom of Dreams and followed by Until You and "Miracles".
The novel was originally published in 1985 by Pocket Books, a branch of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Synopsis

Plot

After a young Whitney Stone's mother dies, her father Martin is unable to handle her tomboyish antics and sends Whitney off to France with her aunt and uncle, Lady Anne and Lord Edward Gilbert, a diplomat. Whitney is separated from her childhood love, a significantly older Paul Sevarin, who does not return her affections. Before leaving, she vows to come home from France and marry Paul. While in France, she is educated by a variety of language, dance, and etiquette tutors, coming to age as a fashionable and witty young lady. She also meets the DuVille family, becoming close friends with the daughter Therèse and their son Nicolas. Around the age of 19, Whitney attends a party in France where she meets a mysterious stranger. Shortly after, she is recalled back to England by her father. To the surprise of her small town, Whitney returns as a sophisticated young lady. Furthermore, possessing what she believes is a substantial inheritance from her grandmother, Whitney is determined to marry Paul.
Once home, Martin hosts a party for Whitney to reintroduce her to the town and their new neighbor, a Mr. Clayton Westland. Whitney is disinterested, focusing her attention on Paul. She and Paul have a flirtation, which Whitney believes leads to a serious courtship, despite her father's efforts to push her towards Mr. Westland. When Paul proposes, Whitney eagerly tells her father, only for him to reveal that he had spent her dowry and sold her in marriage to the Duke of Claymore in exchange for a large sum of money to save the family home from ruin. Martin also reveals that Mr. Westland is the Duke of Claymore and slaps Whitney, much to Clayton's displeasure. Whitney begs Clayton to keep the engagement a secret and he acquiesces on the condition that she break off the engagement with Paul. Convinced they can run away and pay back the dowry money her father spent, Whitney reveals the situation to Paul. Instead, Paul is angry as he had already started spending her dowry money. Resigned, Whitney accepts her status
Clayton and Whitney begin a tentative courtship, filled with passion. The beginning of the relationship is tumultuous, with the apex being a controversial rape scene.
Whitney and Clayton become estranged due to miscommunication. Whitney's cousin Emily, aware of the entire story, contrives to bring Whitney and Clayton back together at Elizabeth's wedding. While this initially does not work, Whitney and Clayton ultimately reunite and become happy parents.

Main characters

Characters from the Westmoreland Dynasty Saga universe appear across the novels. From this era, Whitney, Clayton, and Stephen appear in Until You, with Clayton and Stephen's ancestor, Royce Westmoreland, as the main character in A Kingdom of Dreams.
  • Whitney Stone
  • Clayton Westmoreland, Duke of Claymore
  • Paul Sevarin, Whitney's girlhood crush
  • Nicolas DuVille, Whitney's friend and suitor
  • Martin Stone, father of Whitney
  • Anne Gilbert, Whitney's aunt
  • Edward Gilbert, Whitney's uncle
  • Emily Williams, Whitney's cousin
  • Elizabeth Ashton, Whitney's childhood acquaintance and adulthood friend
  • Peter Redfern, Elizabeth's husband
  • Stephen Westmoreland, brother of Clayton

Style and themes

Eloisa James, romance novelist and professor, cites Whitney, My Love as introducing her to the works of McNaught. James calls her a "brilliant tutor" in the craft of romance, especially through suspending reality and creating romantic relationships in her novels.
Utilizing the genre of romance, McNaught is able to create a link between the reader and the heroine. Through this connection, readers feel as if they are the ones receiving the attention and desire from the male hero. Furthermore, the codes and language within the romance novel genre, create a community of female readers sharing in similar emotions and knowledge.

Release history

After the initial publication in 1985, Whitney, My Love was adapted by a number of publishers to at least 6 different languages and four formats. Languages include English, French, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Hungarian, Spanish, and Italian. The book was published as a hardback, paperback, large print book, and eBook. Most notably, the 1999/2000 edition and republication resulted in a 180-page addition to the original story, changing at least two scenes and extending the final ending.
CountryRelease dateEdition
PublisherISBN/OCLCPagesNotes
United States1985Pocket Books
United StatesJanuary 1985PaperbackPocket Books9780671528089
9780671671389
9780671737641		538
United States1985PrintSimon & Schuster, Inc.9780671737641
9780671032975		538
United States1985Large PrintSimon & Schuster, Inc.9781568951072711
England1985PrintSevern House466211289538
England1985PaperbackCorgi828595252N/A
United StatesMarch 19879780552127288544
England1987Print and Large PrintCorgi9780552127288538
United States1989PrintSevern House9780727816948538- Distributed by Mercedes Distribution Center, Inc.
United Kingdom1989PrintSevern House19584179538
United States1989Large PrintSevern House693584962538
United States1994Large PrintPocket Books97807394054991038
United States1994Large PrintWheeler Publishing9781568951072711
France1994PrintJ'ai Lu9782277237419414- Translated by Elisabeth Luc
France1994PrintJ'ai Lu9782290008010414
United States1998PrintPocket Books9780671776091708
Russia1998PrintACT9785150009059608- Translated by Dzhudit Maknot
and T.A. Pert︠s︡evoĭ
Russia1999PrintACT9785237003161
9785237003178		N/A- Translated by Dzhudit Maknot
- In two volumes
United States1999PrintPocket Books9780671032975577
United States1999PrintSimon & Schuster, Inc.9780671776091708
United States1999PrintPocket Books9780671036850
9780671032975
9780671776091		577- Special collector's edition
- New ending
United States1999Large PrintPocket Books97807394054991038
Brazil1999PrintSão Paulo: Best Seller9788571236530480- Translated by Vera Maria Marques Martins
United States2000PrintPocket Books9780671776091708
United States2000eBookPocket Books9781501145438708- Adaptation of the 1999 reprint
United States2000Large PrintPocket Books9780671776091708
United States2001PrintDoubleday9780739405499577
Hungary2002PrintMagyar Könyvklub9789635475759539- Translated by Tamásné Vitray
Spain2005PrintBarcelona: Cisne
DeBolsillo		788497935166729- Translated by Margarita Cavándoli
- 3 editions of this version published
United States2006PrintPocket Books9781416530718708- Special edition with alternative ending
Russia2006PrintACT9785170324330
9785170324316 		N/A- Translated by Джудит Макнот
- In two volumes
Russia2006PrintACT9785170272891
9785971326038
9785170278947
9785971326052		557- Translated by Т.А. Перцевой
France2008PrintJ'ai Lu9782290008010414
United States2008PrintPocket Books9780671036850N/A
Hungary2009PrintBudapest: General Press909773400516
Spain2010PrintRandom House Mondadori805054446729
Spain2012PrintBarcelona: Cisne9788499894164729
Italy2014PrintMondadori956550376349
Russia2014PrintACT9785170859856542
Russia2017PrintACT9785171044794542