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.

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Edenbrook by Julianna Donaldson

Edenbrook by Julianna Donaldson

"Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she'll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.       

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke."

So, I’m currently on a regency romance kick despite the fact I vowed to read less romance this year. What can I say? At least this one is a Whitney award winner, right? Anyway, I really enjoyed the book though, I did see one of the subplots coming from a mile away. I thought the author did such a lovely job with the setting in this book. It seriously makes me want to go sit in the Edenbrook library. I also really liked the main character Marianne and sympathized with her a lot.  Overall, this was a light-hearted, clean romance perfect to curl up with on a rainy summer day.

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