Book Review: Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

Blackmoore, by Julianne Donaldson
2013, 320p, Clean Romance
My Rating=5 stars
Source: Provided copy through NetGalley

Kate Worthington knows her heart and she knows she will never to 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. (Amazon)

For years, all Kate has wanted was to go to Blackmoore with her friends, Henry and Sylvia. She finally gets her chance but the trip isn't what she had imagined at all. Before leaving, she decided that she isn't going to marry and wants to go off to India with her aunt but first she has to win the deal she made with her mother: Reject three marriage proposals while at Blackmoore. This seems easy until she gets to Blackmoore and realizes that there are obstacles in her way. She turns to her friend Henry to help her and he agrees but has terms of his own. Will Kate get her three proposals or will her mother win out in the end, leaving Kate trapped in a life she doesn't want?

I loved this book and couldn't put it down! Kate is so sweet and seems to be in an impossible situation. Her mother is controlling and exhibits scandalous behavior. Kate's older sister, Eleanor, has taken after her mother and everyone assumes that Kate will turn out that way, too. Except her childhood friend, Henry. He believes in Kate but there is no way they can be more than just friends. She's determined to get away from them all and go to India with her Aunt Charlotte but there are many people that think that's a bad idea, too. 

Kate learns a lot about herself while at Blackmoore. She just might be more like her mother and sister than she thought. Will she also turn out like them? I loved her relationship with Henry. He cares for her and wants her to confide in him. The ending was not what I was expecting, either, and I absolutely loved it!! If you love clean romance, I highly, highly, highly recommend this book! Another win, Ms. Donaldson! I can't wait to read what you come up with next!

I also enjoyed her debut novel, Edenbrooke, and you can read my review on it here. I reviewed this book back in my days of being awful stingy with 5-star ratings and I still gave it 5 stars! The other great news is that this month, it's only $1.99 on Kindle so it's really a no-brainer to pick it up. Blackmoore is $7.99 on Kindle but won't be available until September 10.