Review: BLACKMOORE by Julianne Donaldson (Shadow Mountain, 2013)

From DeseretBook: 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 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.

Genre: Regency Romance, Historical
Audience: Adult (Clean)
Length: 320 pgs

Rating: **** (Loved it)

Review: I've had this book for a while in paperback and this presented a problem. Lately, with an almost-two-year-old running around my house and editing to get done on other projects, the only time I read is at night, in bed. So I've been reading my kindle a ton.

As many people have said, Blackmoore is a bit darker than Ms. Donaldson's first novel Edenbrooke. I think it's fantastic and even better than Edenbrooke. There's more depth and just a lot of soul in this novel. I loved the three proposals plot line. There were quite a few "secrets" in the beginning and I began to wonder if we'd get to know anything, but the way the heroine reveals them worked well too. If a couple minor secrets, like why Mrs. Delafield hated Kate's mother, had been revealed a bit earlier, I could have understood Mrs. Delafield a little better. There was a few things I wanted wrapped up better, but still, all in all, wonderful and excellent.

Content:

Sex 0/5
Language 0/5
Violence 0/5

Try this. If you like romances with depth, read Longing For Home by Sarah M. Eden

Review: A BLUNT INTSTRAMENT by Georgette Heyer

Sourcebooks Landmark, 2010 (Reprint)

From Back Cover: When Ernest Fletcher is found bludgeoned to death in his study, everyone is shocked and mystified: Ernest was well-liked and respected, so who would have a motive for killing him?
Superintendent Hannasyde, with consummate skill, uncovers one dirtly little secret after another, and with them, a host of people who all have reasons for wanting Fletcher dead. Then, a second murder is committed, giving a grotesque twist to a very unusual case, and Hannasyde realizes he's up against a killer on a mission...

Genre: Mystery
Audience: Adult
Length: 320 pgs

Rating: ***+ (Really liked it)

Review: I personally think that Georgette Heyer is a master. She writes in a style that I just love and really get into. She's got a great voice and this book is no different. I've read many, many of her Regency romances, and have been wondering for a while how her mysteries were. This one came on sale for Kindle so I bought it.
I think the characters are brilliant--just like Heyer's always are. Neville is delightfully absurd, and Sally is the perfect compliment. The same wit and hilarity is there. My only complaint is that it felt like much of the mystery was repeated over and over as Superintendent Hannasyde and his sergeant discuss it a lot. With so many other books on my TBR, I'm not sure I'll read another one anytime soon, but I definitely liked it a lot.

Content:
Sex 2/5 - Fletcher's affairs are discussed, the possibility that another character has affairs with other men, an exotic dancer is discussed.
Language - 2/5 Sprinkled throughout.
Violence - 2/5 Two murders and mystery related violence, nothing graphic.

Source: Bought during a promotion on Amazon

Try this. If you like witty, cozy mysteries, read Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering.