Kate Worthington wants nothing more than to go to India, despite the continuous persuasions of her mother and sister to get married. However, when she finds her plan to go becomes nearly impossible, she enlists the help of her childhood friend Henry Delafield to propose to her as a ruse while visiting his and his sister’s home. Little does Kate know that her presence there has a negative affect on Henry’s mother, who is suspicious of Kate since her sister is a rumored philanderer. Can Kate thwart the machinations of her own mother as well as avoid the nasty judgments of Mrs. Delafield and her friends, all while trying to combat the romantic stirrings for Henry that are beginning to take hold in her own heart?
While the characters are different, Blackmoore takes place during the same Regency period as Donaldson’s Edenbrooke.
Likes:
- Unlike the predictability of Edenbrooke, although Blackmoore was dramatic, it was a bit darker than its predecessor. The character experienced joy but also more distress…something that was a bit different, which was refreshing.
- The relationship between Kate and Henry. It reminded me of the relationship between Emma and Mr. Knightley in Jane Austen’s Emma. I love any friendship-turned-romance if done well.
Dislikes:
- The heroine was a little more dramatic that I would have liked. Yes, her life is rather horrible, but she didn’t need to succumb to it that often. For a character who craved her own independence, a little more determination on her part would have been nice.
This book had the same sort of proper romance vibe as Edenbrooke, but I liked the relationship between the two protagonists much better. I’m interested to see what other period-era books Julianne Donaldson has written.
Ashley Weaver 