Book Review: Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

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?

Buy this book here: Blackmoore

Title: Blackmoore

Author: Julianne Donaldson

Pages: 320

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

I just finished reading this book, although by the time I actually post this review it might have been a few days ago or longer. Reading this book right after The Winter Sea, I'm realizing I'm totally on a Historical Fiction kick, and I'm loving them! I totally into the olden-day love story, so this book fit in perfectly with my mood!

I really enjoyed reading Blackmoore. It was a fun, light, enjoyable read that kept me entertained. It was a super quick read that only took me a day or two to get through. I had read Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson, but the books are in no way related or necessary to read in a certain order. 

I was shockingly surprised while reading this book when Kate actually ended up in India, although that was only a very small portion of the book. I feel like so many times these types of books end with love curing all. And, obviously (it is a romance novel) this book definitely did end that way, it was pretty nice to see a strong female character who went on a major adventure first. I do wish that Donaldson had maybe written more on that part of the story, but I totally understand that as a romance novel it wasn't important to the genre or story being told.

Overall I thought this was a fun, simple, romance novel. There is nothing risque about the story at all, and so would be appropriate for just about any age. Here are a few sweet quotes from Blackmoore.

“You are not The Giver of My Heart’s Desire.” I took a deep breath and smiled. “You are my heart’s desire.”

“You are brave and loyal and true. You have such a good heart." He held my hand close to his chest and covered it with his other hand. "It is only afraid. But I would take such good care of it, love, if you would give it to me.”

Overall I would give this book a 4 arrow rating. Sweet, simple, quick to read, and fun; everything that a good historical fiction ought to be!

Book Review: The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

History has all but forgotten...In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...

Buy this book here: The Winter Sea  

Title: The Winter Sea

Author: Susanna Kearsley

Pages: 544

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.

I really really enjoyed this book. So much so that I am planning on buying another book by Susanna Kearsley sometime in the near future.The book felt unique from anything else I have ever read. It was elegantly written and the story was charming. I really enjoyed the experience!

The beginning of the novel took me a little while to get into. Its not that it was boring, it just didn't immediately draw me in like some books I have read. You know how there is usually a point in a book where you realize that it is really good and you can't wait to recommend it to someone?!? Well, that point didn't come, for me at least, until the very end. All through the book I thought, oh this is good, but it was really the ending that I was like 'this is awesome'!! 

The book focuses on Carrie McClelland, who is writing a novel set in 1708 Scotland. Every other chapter throughout the book switches between Carrie's life and then a chapter from Carrie's novel. It was a really interesting way to read a book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt that it kept the book moving quickly, because no matter which setting I was currently reading about, I was curious about the opposite one. 

The only thing that I didn't really like about the book was the explanation given for the 'ancestral memories' that Carrie was experiencing. Kearsley tried to give a scientific explanation for it, but I felt that it was inadequate in making it seem believable. I think I would have been more comfortable with a more magical explanation than trying to bring in DNA and the inheritance of genes. It just seemed out of place.

I would recommend this book to everyone! It is a good, fun read! It is light and airy, the plot is interesting, and the characters are likable. Overall I would give the book a 4 arrow rating!

Book Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destoryed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons - their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.

Get this book here: The Kite Runner

Title: The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Pages: 384

Publisher: Riverhead Books

I really enjoyed this book because it made me think, and it made me think hard. About who I am, the choices I make everyday, and the people those choices affect. That is probably why I loved this book. When you find a book that alters the way you think, than you know its a good one!

The Kite Runner is a book set in tumultuous Afghanistan. It follows the stories of young boys Amir and Hassan. Hosseini develops the political turmoil very well as he examines the life of Amir, son of a wealthy businessman, and Hassan, the son of a servant. While best friends in the beginning, when Amir stands by as other boys beat and harass Hassan, their friendship is changed forever.

Amir and his father escape to America, while Hassan remains in Afghanistan as the Taliban takes over. While the novel has political undertones, when all is said and done it is a book about people and their human emotions. After Amir acts cowardly in the streets of Kabul as a young boy, he spends the rest of the book trying to atone for that mistake. 

Hosseini's writing style is honest and compelling. He does not leave out the unpleasant details, instead he lays them out for all to read. This honesty makes the book that much more heart-wrenching and painful, yet beautiful at the same time.

I would easily recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Read it. It is an amazing examination on the human soul. What is forgiveness, and how do we obtain it? I, hands down, give this book 5 arrows. It should be read by everyone!