Blog Tour & Review of Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

  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.

  When I first read about Blackmoore, I could tell it would be a different type of romance novel, for starters it is set in the 1800's, whereas a lot of romance books I read are set in the present time. Though after reading the blurb, the storyline pulled me in with the romance, friendship and what the story is about, which is a young girl trying to make her own way in the world.

 

Blackmoore is a story surrounding Katherine Worthington, or Kate not that many people call her that, they still call her Kitty which really annoys her as they can't tell she has grown up. It is set in Kate's point of view, the first chapter goes straight into a disagreement between Kate and her mother. Kate has turned down three marriage proposals and her mother is not happy about it, she agreed that if Kate were to get marriage proposals then she would let Kate go to India like she wanted. 

 

As the story progresses you get to meet all the important people in Kate's life, her mother who think she knows what is best for Kate, her siblings Maria, Eleanor and Oliver. Mr Cooper who is one of her marriage proposals that she declined, Henry who is a childhood friend and someone who means a lot to her. Juliet, Sylvia and Miss St. Claire who are in living in Blackmoore, Juliet, a love interest of Henry's and Sylvia, an old friend of Kate's. Also her cat name Cora is a big part of her life.

 

Though Blackmoore was only a stepping stone to go where she really wants and that is India, with her Aunt Charlotte. She get to know the maid at Blackmoore, named Alice who becomes her friend throughout her time there. The story goes back and for between the 1800's and years previous that hold important events that have happened. Though as the story continues on thing start to get more confusing, she has always wanted to go to India but what happens when everything she has always wanted was right in front of her? Or will she decide to set herself free as well as him? This is a story about romance, friendship, family, deciding what is right, living your life the way you want and trying to be happy with your life.

 

My favourite character was Kate, she is dedicated to get what she wants out of life, her life. She fights for what she believes in and see is determined to get the best result. She is such a great character to get to know throughout the book and to see how everything plays out through her eyes.

 

If I had to sum this book up in three words, they would be Amazing, Timeless and Brilliant. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Jane Austin type books or a lovely romance story that is set in the past.

   

  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. She writes historical romance when she is not busy with her four young children and husband. Edenbrooke is her first novel. Blackmoore is her second novel.     Another day, another book,