Blackmoore by Julianna Donaldson

Blackmoore by Julianna Donaldson

“At eighteen, Kate Worthington knows she should be getting serious about marriage, but her restless heart won’t let her settle down. To escape her mother’s meddlesome influence, she dreams of traveling with her spinster aunt to exotic India. But when the opportunity arises, Kate finds herself making a bargain with her mother: she will be allowed to go only if she spends a season at the family’s wealthy estate, Blackmoore, where she must secure and reject three marriage proposals. Enlisting the help of her dearest childhood friend, Henry Delafield, Kate sets out to collect her proposals so she can be on her way. But Henry s decision to help threatens to destroy both of their dreams in ways they could never imagine. Set in Northern England in 1820, Blackmoore is a regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn how to listen to her heart. With hints of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, Blackmoore is a page-turning tale of romance, intrigue, and devotion. (summary from Amazon)

Set in the wild moors of Scotland in an old gothic manor with secret passages and the remains of ruined abbeys in the countryside. Blackmoore has an atmospheric setting that makes its heroine Kate thrilled with the prospect of adventure. She has dreamed of going to Blackmoore forever, but quickly finds that the experience of Blackmoore is much more painful than her childhood fantasies about the place. Her childhood relationships are more complex and fraught with tension then they once were. Desperate, Kate enlists the help of her dearest friend Henry to escape her mother’s clutches and her family’s tarnished reputation.

Donaldson has produced another standalone regency romance novel for Deseret Book’s proper romance line. I really enjoyed Blackmoore and felt like this novel was much more polished than Donaldson’s debut. The plot has more originality and the characters rely less on regency tropes, as I felt was the case in her first book, and stand on their own. In addition, I love how eloquently and beautifully Donaldson can convey her character’s emotions, a skill that has only grown since Edenbrook. I’m excited to see what this author has planned next.

If you're interested in trying out Donaldson's work this is the perfect time to jump in as Edenbrooke: A Proper Romance is currently on sale as a kindle ebook for $1.99 this month. Blackmoore is currently on sale for $7.99 in ebook format.

Visit Donaldson's website