Blackmoore: A Proper Romance by Julianne Donaldson Review & Giveaway *Tour

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 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. It is Wuthering Heights meets Little Women with a delicious must-read twist.

If you enjoy historical fiction, especially the Regency era, you won't want to miss Blackmoore! Kate is determined to get away from her crazy family, especially her mother.  She wants to go to India with her Aunt Charlotte, but her mother wants her married and settled down.

Kate also wants to visit her friend Henry's estate, Blackmoore. Determined to get her heart's desire, Kate makes a deal with her mother to placate her.  If she acquires and rejects three marriage proposals, her mother will let her go to India and that will be the end of it.  Her mother agrees and Kate figures she'll go to Blackmoore, Henry's estate.  With his help, she should have no problem securing the three proposals so she can begin on the journey she really wants.

The problem is that securing the proposals isn't as easy as Kate believed it would be. Fate another plan for Kate, if she's willing to compromise what she believes is her heart;s desire, to be free of her mother and family.

With engaging characters and a deftly described world, Blackmoore is a stellar read.  Donaldson's characters slowly reveal themselves to their true character as the story unfolds.  While I detested Kate's mother, and Henry's for that matter, I thoroughly enjoyed Kate and Henry's journey together.  Wonderful read!

Julianne Donaldson grew up as the daughter of a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. She learned how to ski in the Italian Alps, visited East Berlin before the wall came down, and spent three years living next to a 500-year-old castle. After earning a degree in English, she turned her attention to writing about distant times and places. She lives in Utah with her husband and four children.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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