Kate Worthington knows her heart and she knows she will never marry. Her plan is to travel to India instead—if only to find peace for her restless spirit and to escape the family she abhors. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. She makes a bargain with Kate: India, yes, but only after Kate has secured—and rejected—three marriage proposals. Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore determined to fulfill her end of the bargain sooner rather than later and enlists the help of her dearest childhood friend, Henry Delafield. But when it comes to matters of love, bargains are meaningless and plans are changeable. There on the wild lands of Blackmoore, Kate must face the truth that has kept her heart captive. Will the proposal she is determined to reject actually be the one thing that will set her heart free? Set in Northern England in 1820, Blackmoore is a regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn how to follow her heart.
Debut novelist Julianne Donaldson is a hopeless romantic. Her degree in English has only fueled her passion to write. She and her husband live in Salt Lake City, Utah, with their four children, but she takes every opportunity she can to travel the English countryside.
My Review:
This page turning romance novel, was filled with the ebb and flow of love, romance and adventure. Never have I had a novel open up as these characters did on the page. This novel changed from present day to past experiences that happened. The reader was never left to wonder, the details were so clear and concise. My mind could visualize these characters. Mrs. Donaldson depicted her characters so well, it was easy as a reader to feel for these people.
Last night, I finished reading this amazing story, which kept me wanting more; I hope there is more. I could not put this novel down, when I went to bed, I did not want to disturb my husband, and so I turned on a flashlight and read until two in the morning.
I would recommend this clean read to anyone who is a romantic at heart. I have never felt as gripped by a story as this one. I love reading, and I love many novels, but this one was different, it had suspense, love and mystery. This novel is set in an era where families arranged marriages based on social status. In this case Henry Delafield was to marry Ms. St. Claire. The lead character Kate Worthington grew up with Henry; however, Kate had seen such horrible examples of love in her life, or should I say a loveless family, which she vowed she would never marry Henry or any other person. Kate was easy to like and to see how she struggled. It wasn't until she was at her beloved Blackmoore the place she dreamed of going for years. The one place she had never been able to go, and yet the stories that her bestfriends Sylvia and Henry would tell her of Blackmoore, this made Kate dream of going to this beautiful place. It wasn't until she was at Blackmoore that many of her struggles became apparent. It wasn't until she was at Blackmoore that Kate and Henry faced real truth.
Your heart will soar, your heart will swell, and your heart will break. This is a wonderful must read story. This is a clean, beautiful romance. A proper romance!!
I was given a free reviewers copy of this novel to read and write my honest review. I was not paid. Thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing for allowing me to review this novel. Thank you Julianne Donaldson for writing such a worthy novel.
I give this book a full five star review.
Sandie
