www.crackingthecover.com
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Home
    • Picture
      • Ages 0-3
      • Ages 2 and up
      • Ages 3 and up
      • Ages 4 and up
      • Ages 5 and up
      • Ages 6 and up
      • Ages 8 and up
      • Author Interviews
      • Bedtime Stories
      • Gift Guide
    • Middle Grade
      • Author Interviews
      • Ages 6 and up
      • Ages 7 and up
      • Ages 8-12
      • Ages 9-12
      • Ages 10 and up
      • Gift Guide
    • YA
      • Author Interviews
      • Reviews
      • Adult Crossover
      • Gift Guide
    • Seasonal
      • Back to School
      • Christmas
      • Earth Day
      • Easter
      • Fall
      • Father’s Day
      • Mother’s Day
      • Gift Guide
      • Halloween
      • Spring
      • Valentine’s Day
      • Winter
    • Diversity
      • AAPI Heritage
      • Autism Month
      • Black Experience
      • Chinese New Year
      • Hispanic Heritage
      • Pride Month
      • Women’s History
    • Crossover
    • About
      • Review/interview policy
      • About our reviewers
    www.crackingthecover.com

    Julianne Donaldson transports readers to Regency era in ‘Blackmoore’

    2
    By Jessica on September 9, 2013 Adult Crossover, Utah events, YA review, young adult

    Blackmoore Cover“BLACKMOORE: A PROPER ROMANCE,” by Julianne Donaldson, Shadow Mountain, Sept. 9, 2013, softcover, $15.99 (young adult)

    A year ago, Julianne Donaldson introduced the world to a young woman who ends up in the middle of an unexpected adventure. “Edenbrooke” quickly became a must-read romance as fans of the Regency period rejoiced for something clean and new. Now, Julianne is back with another period piece, “Blackmoore,” that also celebrates a strong female lead and an unexpected romance.

    Kate Worthington is 18, single, somewhat accomplished and in no mood to get married. All Kate wants to do is join her spinster aunt on her travels to exotic India — not exactly what Kate’s mother has in mind.

    Kate isn’t about to give up on her dreams, though, and when given the opportunity to get out of marriage, Kate jumps at the chance. All she has to do is join her wealthy friends, Sylvia and Henry Delafield, at their Blackmoore estate for the summer and secure — and reject — three marriage proposals.

    The deal is more than Kate could ever hope for, but it doesn’t come without its challenges. Sylvia has changed, and Henry is all but engaged himself. It will take all of Kate’s charms, luck and a little help from a friend if she’s ever to make her way to India.

    “Blackmoore” is everything I would expect from Julianne. Like “Edenbrooke,” it’s a good, light read that you can easily lose yourself in on more than one occasion.

    Going into “Blackmoore,” I was afraid it would feel too much like Julianne’s previous book. It’s an easy trap to fall into, and better-known authors have made the mistake multiple times. That doesn’t appear to be the case here, though. Yes, “Blackmoore” is a Regency romance, and so it includes all the elements you would expect in any book set in the 19th century. But as she has done in the past, Julianne takes her story beyond the typical conventions and builds on her characters, making them the centerpiece.

    Julianne-Donaldson“Blackmoore” is the type of book I would have read as a teenager, even though it’s not technically being marketed to teens. It’s clean and fast-paced with interesting plot turns and players you both love and hate. It’s a fine sophomore novel for Julianne, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

    *The launch party for “Blackmoore” will be tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. at the King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City (511 S. 1500 East). Julianne will read from and sign copies of “Blackmoore.” The event goes through 9 p.m. You can also pre-order a signed copy of “Blackmoore,” by either calling the King’s English at 801-484-9100 or ordering it online.

    Click the image for a list of all the stops on the "Blackmoore" blog tour.
    Click the image for a complete list of all the stops on the “Blackmoore” blog tour.
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Jessica
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)

    Jessica Harrison is the main reviewer behind Cracking the Cover. Prior to creating Cracking the Cover, Jessica worked as the in-house book critic for the Deseret News, a daily newspaper in Salt Lake City. Jessica also worked as a copy editor and general features writer for the paper. Following that, Jessica spent two years with an international company as a social media specialist. Jessica is currently a freelance writer/editor. In 2023, she was selected to be one of the first-round judges for the Cybils Awards — middle-grade fiction. She is passionate about reading and giving people the tools to make informed decisions in their own book choices.

    Related Posts

    Tony Weaver Jr.’s Weirdo is honest, thoughtful graphic novel

    Heather B. Moore’s Lady Flyer tells story of Nancy Harkness Love

    Lynn Austin’s Waiting for Christmas is warm holiday read

    2 Comments

    1. Pingback: Blackmoore (Blog Tour) | Shadow Mountain Publishing

    2. Andrea on October 23, 2013 10:37 am

      Just finished this book yesterday, and I really enjoyed it! I agree with your assessment that it’s a good, light read (one that I’ll be happy to revisit). I loved the setting and the mood and especially the characters.

      Reply

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • facebook
    • twitter
    • instagram
    • goodreads
    • amazon
    • bloglovin
    • mail
    Subscribe by email
    Follow
    Recent Posts
    September 20, 2024

    Polly Horvath’s Library Girl is whimsical middle-grade novel

    September 19, 2024

    As Edward Imagined tells fascinating story of Edward Gorey

    September 19, 2024

    Jessie Janowitz’s All the Ways to Go is strong contemporary MG

    September 19, 2024

    Mini Review: I Want to Read All the Books celebrates curiosity

    September 18, 2024

    The Light of Home is tender exploration of home

    Archives
    Categories
    Cybils Awards

    On Writing

    “The dance with words and the way the hair on the back of my neck raises when it works right is what I live for.”

    —Gary Paulsen

    “I write because I exist. Because I read. Because I breathe.”

    —Lindsay Eager

    “Books are kind of like the sense of smell: inhale one page and memories come rushing back.”

    —Keir Graff

    Cracking the Cover is a website dedicated to picture, middle-grade and young adult books. It features reviews, author interviews and other book news. PLEASE NOTE: We are not currently accepting self published books for review.

    Copyright © 2010-2022 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.

    Reviews Published Professional Reader 2016 NetGalley Challenge 100 Book Reviews

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.