Book #66: Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

I read Donaldson's first book, Edenbrooke, about a year ago, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I'd heard she'd come out with another book (not a sequel, but a similar period romance) and I kept meaning to read it but only finally got it from the library this week. I read it in about two hours last night because I couldn't put it down! (Tommy's probably never very thrilled when I pick up a new book, because it means I'm going to ignore him until I'm done. But I finished this book so early we still had time to watch a move afterwards.)

There were a lot of points about Edenbrooke that I didn't believe or like that much, but I didn't necessarily feel that way about Blackmoore. I felt like the romance was much more natural and sweet, and that Kate was a very sympathetic heroine. Kate has a crazy, dysfunctional family (think Mr. and Mrs. Bennet a billion times worse and without any sense of morality at all) and she is determined to prove that she is different from them, and wants nothing more than to go to India with her aunt Charlotte (who has invited her). Her saving grace her whole life has been her friendship with Henry and Sylvia Delafield, her neighbors, who spend every summer at Blackmoore, their grandfather's estate by the sea. When she finally gets invited to go with them, her mother tells her she can only go if she receives--and rejects--three proposals of marriage while she's there. Kate enlists the help of Henry and all sorts of romantic adventures ensue. I liked how the author used flashbacks to help explain why Kate acts the way she does and why there are all these hang-ups between her and her friends. And honestly, I loved Henry and think it's a little ridiculous that Kate couldn't tell they were in love the whole time. It's prettttty obvious, girl.

A few other things: The ending was WAYYYYY too rushed! The entire rest of the book covers like a one-week period, with very little action except for between the heroine/hero, and then everything's resolved and they're in love within about five pages. I was really wanting MORE from their reunion scene--it really felt like a cop-out. Also, I feel like Donaldson makes very little effort to adjust her heroines and their assumptions to the time period in which she is writing. Kate seems really pretty modern, and the way they talk and act doesn't really seem to be in keeping with the time period. I also honestly couldn't tell what sort of family Kate came from (what class) by the first half of the book, although eventually she has a maid and seems comfortable with it, so that was a hint. I did like how Donaldson had a few extended metaphors running throughout the book and how those exemplified different things about Kate: about the Greek stories, the birds, and the music of Mozart and Faust (although, let's be honest, I think Donaldson might need a lesson in how to write metaphors that aren't so heavy-handed. Kate talks about that bird in the cage--and about being a trapped bird in a cage--SO MANY TIMES it is absolutely ridiculous). But Donaldson is LDS so the book is completely clean and really very well done.