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Blackmoore
by
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 stat ...more
Kate journeys to the stat ...more
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Paperback, 286 pages
Published
September 9th 2013
by Shadow Mountain
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Word count of "Bird" within this book: 167.
"Cage": 71
"Trapped": I give up.

Insipid. Silly. Sappy. Predictable. The main character is so insufferably uptight you'd think she had a stick permanently up her ass (on which a bird has perched). There is not a single instance of true female friendship in this book. All the other women in this book are stupid, slutty, or bitches. Even the heroine's own mother and sister.
How DARE this book fucking compare itself to Little Women? It is a fucking travesty. ...more
"Cage": 71
"Trapped": I give up.

Insipid. Silly. Sappy. Predictable. The main character is so insufferably uptight you'd think she had a stick permanently up her ass (on which a bird has perched). There is not a single instance of true female friendship in this book. All the other women in this book are stupid, slutty, or bitches. Even the heroine's own mother and sister.
How DARE this book fucking compare itself to Little Women? It is a fucking travesty. ...more

"I wonder what you will do with your wings once you have found them. I wonder how far away they will take you. And I fear them, for my sake, at the same time that I hope for them, for yours." †
infinite stars. How is it possible, that among millions of books ever published, I have found the one that butchers my heart? Stabs my chest? Takes out my lungs? And pieces my broken self back together again with skillful, deft fingers, leaving no crevice unfilled, and no crater unfulfilled?
Okay, you may ...more

Kate Worthington has decided to skip the whole marriage thing and travel instead. This being Regency times and a romance novel, there are complications. Kate’s mother is determined to see her married. Kate resists, and somehow she and her mother come up with this bargain that Kate needs to get three marriage proposals. If she rejects them all, Kate's mother will get off her back.
So there's a house party at Blackmoore manor with several guests - clearly the perfect venue for leading along some gu ...more
So there's a house party at Blackmoore manor with several guests - clearly the perfect venue for leading along some gu ...more

I was so excited when I saw this was available for review on Netgalley (what a great website!), but I admit I was a tiny bit nervous as well. Would it be as good as Edenbrooke? Well, I was not disappointed. Right from the start I knew I was going to like this one, especially our hero Henry. He was perfect, I loved everything about him. He has the best lines; I had to re-read a few of the scenes between him and Kate. I thought Henry and Kate had great chemistry, I loved them together. You do wond
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3.5 stars of mixed feelings as you’ve rarely seen
Ah, Julianne Donaldson. She has such a power for weaving stories that throw you in a complete whirlwind of emotions, whether good or bad; her writing is so elating, vivid, and beautiful, it makes the simplest characters and plot points really stand out and come alive. She is really talented, and so far all the books I've read by her made me feel strongly.
Unfortunately, in the case of Blackmoore, I found myself equal parts enraptured and annoyed fo ...more
Ah, Julianne Donaldson. She has such a power for weaving stories that throw you in a complete whirlwind of emotions, whether good or bad; her writing is so elating, vivid, and beautiful, it makes the simplest characters and plot points really stand out and come alive. She is really talented, and so far all the books I've read by her made me feel strongly.
Unfortunately, in the case of Blackmoore, I found myself equal parts enraptured and annoyed fo ...more

I really liked Edenbrooke, and while I enjoyed the overall storyline of Blackmoore, I found a few things irritating. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I was not moved to tears by the main character's many tears. I think I felt impatient with her presumed ignorance of Henry's super-obvious feelings. And there were some phrases used so repeatedly that they began to grate. I found myself saying, "If Henry 'rakes his hand through his hair' one more time, I'm going to have to stop reading." He did.
...more

I'm just really emotional right now
...more

Review written September 10, 2016
4.8 Stars - Absolutely perfect, thoughtful and grandly romantic. A novel to love.
I listened to the 9:51 hrs audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell. Bought by impulse and chance on a $6 sale. — There are a lot of happy reviews for this "clean" Regency historical (m/f) and I crossed my finger.
Oh yes, this was delicate, beautifully told, utterly well narrated and a spellbinding audiobook adventure. Simply great.
**************************************** ...more
4.8 Stars - Absolutely perfect, thoughtful and grandly romantic. A novel to love.
I listened to the 9:51 hrs audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell. Bought by impulse and chance on a $6 sale. — There are a lot of happy reviews for this "clean" Regency historical (m/f) and I crossed my finger.
Oh yes, this was delicate, beautifully told, utterly well narrated and a spellbinding audiobook adventure. Simply great.
**************************************** ...more

Even though I profess not to like romances, it's not really that I don't like them. I'm just really picky and get irritated easily by certain plot devices - and they get old if I read too many. But sometimes I really need a brainless comfort read after a draining week at work. Some people might go to the pub with friends, but antisocial being that I am, I simply want to go home and bury myself in a book. And that's when I am likely to pick a quick romance and not be irritated by it.
I'm much less ...more
I'm much less ...more

Gah! This author. Take all my money. Just take it. :) I'm super impressed on how on the edge of your seat she can keep you through an entire book with just repressed emotions and yet you never feel the need to yell at the characters for keeping it bottled up. (You want to, but you don't actually, because they can't and Oh my goodness, I sat and read the whole thing straight through. That's why I'm writing this at 3am) And the one POV trick again where you can tell what the hero is thinking and y
...more

Yep! This book I finished at five in the morning! Bad decision to start this one before bed because you won't actually go to bed! Then I took 10 minutes to reread all of my favorite parts! I will consider myself Blackmoored! Yep-made that phrase up right along with the phrase Edenbrooked. When I first started reading this I had a moment of fear. What if I put my expectations too high for this book because Edenbrooke was so good?! I am super happy to report that my fears were needless! It may be
...more

Donaldson has this amazing ability to make me feel while reading her stories. They never cease to move me in one way or another. They are simultaneously both sweet in romance and drastic in heartache, with heroes that are easy to fall in love with.
I loved her debut novel and was in doubt that I would be able to love this as much as I did her first but I was wrong, so wrong. I fell in love with this from the very beginning and it didn't take me long to be hopelessly in love with the characters an ...more
I loved her debut novel and was in doubt that I would be able to love this as much as I did her first but I was wrong, so wrong. I fell in love with this from the very beginning and it didn't take me long to be hopelessly in love with the characters an ...more

Oh my heart! Why do these books have to be so irresistibly sweet?? And heart-wrenching, and lovely, and touching, and just so all around, pretty much, perfect? *smiles*
I think Edenbrooke, and now Blackmoore, by Julianne Donaldson, are two of the cutest love stories I have ever read. Blackmoore had a little darker theme to it than the previous. Hurt and betrayal and shame that went far beyond what people could see. But Kate's story of letting go and embracing life was beautiful. (I only wish it c ...more
I think Edenbrooke, and now Blackmoore, by Julianne Donaldson, are two of the cutest love stories I have ever read. Blackmoore had a little darker theme to it than the previous. Hurt and betrayal and shame that went far beyond what people could see. But Kate's story of letting go and embracing life was beautiful. (I only wish it c ...more

All. The. Feels!
Seriously, Julianne Donaldson is becoming one of my favorites. I feel like I need to read everything she's written and skip all other genres until I'm caught up. Blackmoore is filled with all things I love about this era of historical fiction.
I devoured this is one setting because once you open a book by Ms. Donaldson, it's absolutely required. The way she pulls you into the story and snags your feelings is masterful. And there are so many good parts written that I admire.
I need ...more
Seriously, Julianne Donaldson is becoming one of my favorites. I feel like I need to read everything she's written and skip all other genres until I'm caught up. Blackmoore is filled with all things I love about this era of historical fiction.
I devoured this is one setting because once you open a book by Ms. Donaldson, it's absolutely required. The way she pulls you into the story and snags your feelings is masterful. And there are so many good parts written that I admire.
I need ...more


Like a dancing crystal in the sunlight with it's many angles of clear and dark, catching a ray of light to a dance of many colors. Julianne Donaldson create such a fascinating tale with Blackmoore with it's pure tale of love and heartache, a play on dark and light, catching that happiness to shine color on the reader with it's story.
Blackmoore introduced such an heartfelt and true heroine in Kate Worthington. She sometimes acted her age but carried an old soul with sad, jaded, eyes. Kate has s ...more

$2.99 on Kindle 5/6/20
https://amzn.to/2YIIO8a
I loved this book! It's a bit darker and more angsty than Edenbrooke (the author's first beloved novel), but I liked how the story was told in an interesting and creative way, with some flashbacks and unfolding of the plot. High emotion and fabulous romantic tension make this another favorite to re-read! ...more
https://amzn.to/2YIIO8a
I loved this book! It's a bit darker and more angsty than Edenbrooke (the author's first beloved novel), but I liked how the story was told in an interesting and creative way, with some flashbacks and unfolding of the plot. High emotion and fabulous romantic tension make this another favorite to re-read! ...more

Maybe 2.5. I liked the author's other book, but this book seemed one-note. I didn't find the heroine's motivations believable, characters were cliche, and the writing... hmmm. I did keep reading so that's something but mainly because it was a fast read and I wanted to see if what I thought would happen did. I know it's a "dessert" read, but even junk food needs to be tasty - this book felt like saving all of your daily calories for a decadent dessert only to find the dessert is a piece of store-
...more

I love this sweet romance. It's beautiful. It is cute and funny in places but serious too. I felt sorry for Kate being in such a dysfunctional family. But I liked her too. She loved Henry but she truly wanted him to be happy. Henry is the perfect, charming gentleman. The chemistry between him and Kate is off the charts. But it's all very "proper" and not overly physical. It's just achingly romantic. I enjoyed the setting and the side characters. I highly recommend this to readers of clean romanc
...more

Julianne Donaldson is an up and coming author of regency books along the lines of Jane Austen."Blackmoore" is the first book I have read by Julianne Donaldson,but after reading this one I am eager to go back and read her first book "Edenbrooke". I think Mrs. Donaldson does a delightful job of writing about the regency era without trying to rip off Jane Austen stories as her stories are uniquely her own.
Kate Worthington has two great desires in her life one is to get away from her troublesome fam ...more
Kate Worthington has two great desires in her life one is to get away from her troublesome fam ...more

I tried to draw this book out as long as possible, simply because I did not want it to end. It was fantastic- I was so drawn into the story that I find it hard and sad to get back to my (truly great) reality. I loved this book just as much as Edenbrooke, in an entirely different way. Dare I say I loved it even more? Is that possible? I was nervous about the ending, and the direction it was going but my fears were laid to rest and now I'm just sad the book is over and I have to leave Kate and Hen
...more

You know those rare books that you keep glancing at the page number as you read, wishing it would magically stop increasing so that the story would never end? BLACKMOORE is one of those. Delightful. Consuming. Altogether a keeper on my shelf that I’ll pull down to read every few years or so because it’s just that good.
At first I wasn’t sure I liked the way the story jumped between past and present. It seemed a bit disjointed. But after I got used to it, and as the story developed, I could see ho ...more
At first I wasn’t sure I liked the way the story jumped between past and present. It seemed a bit disjointed. But after I got used to it, and as the story developed, I could see ho ...more

Donaldson has a great way of conveying sentiment without being too trite or cheesy. I really enjoy her writing style. Simple, clean and endearing. There are similarities between Edenbrooke and Blackmoore. Donaldson really understands love and knows exactly how to convey the emotions. She shows us how love develops from shared experiences, tragedies and friendship. Your heart will break or soar along with the characters'. This is not only about romantic love. One of the most endearing passages in
...more

I loved it!!! Oh, how this story wrapped itself around my heart! It was captivating. I loved the setting and the mood of the story and the unique unfolding of the romance between Henry and Kate. Henry was an incredible hero to this story, my heart reached out to him and admired his great patience, strength of character, and undying love. And Kate. I loved her and related so much to her struggles. What an emotional journey this story took me on with her.
One cannot even begin to compare this book ...more
One cannot even begin to compare this book ...more

4.5 (rounded up to 5 because I follow the rounding principles of scientific digits!)
This book was a roller coaster. It was angsty, sweet, then more angst, lots of drama, tension, love, angst, and... more angst.
I'll leave a more detailed review later but, basically:
1. It gave me feels
2. But, the (very) ending was rushed, felt truncated.
3. Julianne Donaldson has a way with words
4. Tension off the charts!
5. It was a drama. Drama, drama, drama.
Loved it.
...more
This book was a roller coaster. It was angsty, sweet, then more angst, lots of drama, tension, love, angst, and... more angst.
I'll leave a more detailed review later but, basically:
1. It gave me feels
2. But, the (very) ending was rushed, felt truncated.
3. Julianne Donaldson has a way with words
4. Tension off the charts!
5. It was a drama. Drama, drama, drama.
Loved it.
...more

Secrets, Bargains, and Escaping Cages
TYPE OF NOVEL: Traditional Regency Romance
TIME FRAME: Lancashire and Yorkshire England, 1820
MAIN CHARACTERS:
- Kate Worthington: Doesn’t want to marry, would rather travel to India with her unmarried aunt
- Henry Delafield: Kate’s childhood friend who will one day inherit his Grandfather’s estate, Blackmoore
SYNOPSIS: Every summer Kate’s best friend Sylvia and her older brother Henry travel to Blackmoore for a month-long holiday. For years Kate has been desperat ...more
TYPE OF NOVEL: Traditional Regency Romance
TIME FRAME: Lancashire and Yorkshire England, 1820
MAIN CHARACTERS:
- Kate Worthington: Doesn’t want to marry, would rather travel to India with her unmarried aunt
- Henry Delafield: Kate’s childhood friend who will one day inherit his Grandfather’s estate, Blackmoore
SYNOPSIS: Every summer Kate’s best friend Sylvia and her older brother Henry travel to Blackmoore for a month-long holiday. For years Kate has been desperat ...more

Update from my September 2020 re-read.:
I AM STILL SO OBSESSED. I have been needing such a sweet, overwhelmingly romantic story in my life so I knew I just needed to re-read Blackmoore. This book is just too precious. The story is just too pure and beautiful. The characters are so interesting, relatable, and lovable. This book has that unique power to suck you in immediately, break your heart in the best kind of way, and place it back together with gusto. I think that Blackmoore proves that char ...more
I AM STILL SO OBSESSED. I have been needing such a sweet, overwhelmingly romantic story in my life so I knew I just needed to re-read Blackmoore. This book is just too precious. The story is just too pure and beautiful. The characters are so interesting, relatable, and lovable. This book has that unique power to suck you in immediately, break your heart in the best kind of way, and place it back together with gusto. I think that Blackmoore proves that char ...more

I'm not sure I really felt anything for this book...
I didn't connect with the main character and quite disliked her for the majority of the book; Kate is quite a silly, selfish little girl. She annoyed me the most in that she was both selfless and selfish all at once. But perhaps it's no wonder she's a brat, having a slaggy and conspiring mother and a slaggy and disgraced sister.
Although that is one of the strengths of this book - it is slowly revealed why Kate is as she is, and she does grow as ...more
I didn't connect with the main character and quite disliked her for the majority of the book; Kate is quite a silly, selfish little girl. She annoyed me the most in that she was both selfless and selfish all at once. But perhaps it's no wonder she's a brat, having a slaggy and conspiring mother and a slaggy and disgraced sister.
Although that is one of the strengths of this book - it is slowly revealed why Kate is as she is, and she does grow as ...more

March 2015: Oh my heart. I was an emotional wreck reading this for the 2nd time. I just love it. LOVE it. Henry and Kate just have such an unselfish love for each other... I'm gonna cry again. *sniff I was in the mood for a regency era romance and Blackmoore satisfied me 150%.
Nov. 2013: I loved it. I can't really compare it to Edenbrooke because they are 2 different books. I cheered for Henry from the very beginning. I also wanted to drop kick a couple moms. A sweet, romantic read. ...more
Nov. 2013: I loved it. I can't really compare it to Edenbrooke because they are 2 different books. I cheered for Henry from the very beginning. I also wanted to drop kick a couple moms. A sweet, romantic read. ...more
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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. Edenbr
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“I can never look at a bird without thinking of you," he said. "I wonder what you will do with your wings once you have found them. I wonder how far away they will take you. And I fear them, for my sake, at the same time that I hope for them, for yours.”
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“You are not The Giver of My Heart’s Desire.” I took a deep breath and smiled. “You are my heart’s desire.”
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