REVIEW : Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

Blackmoore - Julianne Donaldson
Publisher : Shadow Mountain
Release Date : September 9th 2013
Genres : Historical Fiction, Romance
Pages : 286
Rating : ★★★☆☆

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.

  " I feel caged. Always. I feel like I am this bird, trapped and stifled and caged, and I keep looking for a way to escape, but I am barred at every turn."

It's the first time I read one of Julianne Donaldson's books and what struck me instantly was the lyrical and gripping writing. I flew through her words and embraced the gothic feel of her descriptions. I smiled more than I could count while I was reading it and I closed the book feeling satisfied and cheerful.

The story is set in 1820, England where we follow Kate whose wish is to go to India. In order to do so, she makes a bargain with her controlling mother: To gain her freedom she has to reject three marriage proposals.

The author did an exellent job depicting Kate's feelings. I felt her desires and hopelessness as if they were my own. What's make this book's greatness is that she's not only trapped by her mother but also by the people around her.

They refuse to let her change and become the person she wants to be. She's caged in the image they have of her. They see her as Kitty, the sister of the scandalous Eleanor, the daughter of the flirty Miss Worthington. She even restraints herself with her classical music. It's pretty genius when you think about it and that's what makes the connection she has with Henry that much important.

He's the only one who sees her who what she really is. He's her freedom and she's so absorbed into her ideas she doesn't even see it. You know the saying, you can't see the frame when you're in the picture.

Anyway, this is a light but meaningful romance full of elaborated symbolism. The author guides our hearts gently without ever pushing too hard, she imposes her pace and make her characters charm us with their genuine and vivid personality.

I wish I knew more of the side characters' backtories but overall this was a very good read.