Blog tour/Review: Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

• Title:  Blackmoore: A Proper Romance
• Author:  Julianne Donaldson
• Genre:  Regency Romance
• Published:  September 2013 – Shadow Mountain
• Source:  Publisher

Synopsis:  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. (publisher)

My take:  If a novel with enjoyable main characters, an atmospheric Regency-era setting, and a bit of a twisty plot sounds good to you, you’ll want to read Blackmoore.

Blackmoore is Henry Delafield’s family summer home by the sea. Kate Worthington grew up hearing about the place from her friends Henry and his sister Sylvia. Each summer they would return with stories for their friend and neighbor Kate.  She longed to one day visit this wonderful place.

The large house was more a character than a setting. There are dark halls, drafty rooms, secret passageways, rumors of ghosts in the night – you get the drift.  A Blackmoore house party will eventually determine the futures of Henry and Kate.

I loved the main characters. They were so honorable and their story so heart-wrenching. Kate was easy to cheer for from the start. And Henry? It was difficult not to fall in love with Henry. They are faced with meeting family expectations or following their hearts. When Kate accepts a challenge from her mother it eventually forces them to reveal secrets to each other that could end any hope of a future together. You’ll have to read the book to learn more!

Blackmoore is a G-rated Regency Romance and I recommend it to fans of the genre.

Note: I enjoyed Julianne Donaldson’s writing so much that midway through this novel I purchased her first novel, Edenbrooke (which is $1.99 for both Kindle and nook in September).

About the author:

Julianne Donaldson grew up as the daughter of a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. She learned how to ski in the Italian Alps, visited East Berlin before the wall came down, and spent three years living next to a 500-year-old castle. After earning a degree in English, she turned her attention to writing about distant times and places. She lives in Utah with her husband and four children.

You can connect with Julianne Donaldson at her Facebook page.

Sunday Post

Book arrivals:

  

• Nora Roberts Land by Ava Miles (purchased)
• That Part Was True by Deborah McKinlay (for review)
• The Scandal in Kissing an Heir by Sophie Barnes (for review)

Last week on Bookfan:

• Spotlight on: The Wedding Gift 
• Review: Sweet Salt Air

Books I’m reading:

• Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by Raeanne Thayne
• The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

Happy reading!

Sweet Salt Air: A novel by Barbara Delinsky

• Title:  Sweet Salt Air
• Author:  Barbara Delinsky
• Genre:  Contemporary Women’s Fiction
• Published:  June 2013 – St. Martin’s Press
• Source:  Wunderkind PR

Synopsis:  Charlotte and Nicole were once the best of friends, spending summers together in Nicole’s coastal island house off of Maine. But many years, and many secrets, have kept the women apart. A successful travel writer, single Charlotte lives on the road, while Nicole, a food blogger, keeps house in Philadelphia with her surgeon-husband, Julian. When Nicole is commissioned to write a book about island food, she invites her old friend Charlotte back to Quinnipeague, for a final summer, to help. Outgoing and passionate, Charlotte has a gift for talking to people and making friends, and Nicole could use her expertise for interviews with locals. Missing a genuine connection, Charlotte agrees.

But what both women don’t know is that they are each holding something back that may change their lives forever. For Nicole, what comes to light could destroy her marriage, but it could also save her husband. For Charlotte, the truth could cost her Nicole’s friendship, but could also free her to love again. And her chance may lie with a reclusive local man, with a heart to soothe and troubles of his own.  (publisher)

My take:  Sweet Salt Air is the first of Barbara Delinsky’s books I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I’m glad to see she has written several other novels because I want to read more! What attracted me to this book first was the setting: summer on an island off the coast of Maine. Doesn’t that sound inviting?

I also liked the idea of two friends connecting after several years of being apart. When they meet up again their story unfolds as do the secrets they’ve both been holding. Delinsky’s well-paced story kept me turning the pages as I wondered how it would all play out. At times I was annoyed with Nicole but then reminded myself of her circumstances and wondered if perhaps I might behave the same way. I identified more with Charlotte in that she was fairly straight forward in her interactions with Nicole and then Leo. Ah, Leo. One of my friends who read the book before I did proclaimed him “yummy” – and I have to agree, lol. No spoilers, though. You’ll have to read the book 🙂

The author delves into medical issues – one of the characters has MS – and the possibilities of stem cell transplantation as a cure. I found it quite interesting and appreciated all the research that went into that aspect of the novel.

Serious medical issues aside, I think Sweet Salt Grass would be the perfect vacation read. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Barbara Delinsky.

Spotlight on: The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden

Book Summary:

We first meet Sarah as a child just beginning to understand her captivity at the young age of six.  Sarah is the daughter of Cornelius Allen, the slave master, and his house slave, Emmeline. When Master Allen gives his daughter Clarissa’s hand in marriage, he presents her with a wedding gift: Sarah, the young slave she grew up with who also happens to be her sister.  When Clarissa’s new husband suspects that their newborn son is illegitimate, Clarissa and Sarah are sent back to her parents in shame, setting in motion a series of events that will destroy this once powerful family.

Told through alternating viewpoints of Sarah and Theodora Allen, Cornelius’ wife, THE WEDDING GIFT is a stunning novel that demonstrates the bonds of slavery do not end with slaves.  It is historical fiction at its best and no one is better equipped to share this story than Marlen Suyapa Bodden whose knowledge of modern and historical slavery, human trafficking, and human rights abuses translates to an intimate portrait of America, then and now.

THE WEDDING GIFT will resonate with readers of The Help and The Secret Life of Bees, where complicated bonds and compelling female relationships are explored.

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Author Bio:

Dr. Marlen Suyapa Bodden is a lawyer at The Legal Aid Society in New York City, the nation’s oldest and largest legal services organization. She has more than two decades’ experience representing poor people and low-wage and immigrant workers, many of whom are severely underpaid, if paid at all.

She drew on her knowledge of modern and historical slavery, human trafficking, and human rights abuses to write The Wedding Gift, her first novel.

On May 20, 2012, the University of Rhode Island conferred on Marlen an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Marlen is a graduate of New York University School of Law and Tufts University.

• Website: http://www.marlenbodden.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marlensuyapabodden
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/marlenbodden

Spotlight information provided by Wunderkind PR

Sunday Post

Book arrivals:

  

  

• Redesigning Rose by Lydia Laceby (for review)
• Highs in the Low Fifties by Marion Winik (for review)
• Flirting With Pete by Barbara Delinsky (purchased)
• Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson (purchased)

Last week on Bookfan:

• Spotlight on: The Partner Track by Helen Wan
• Review: While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

Books I’m reading this week:

• The Best Man by Kristan Higgins (audio)
• Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by Raeanne Thayne (eGalley)
• The Wishing Thread by Lisa Van Allen (arc)

Happy reading!

Audio: While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

• Title:  While We Were Watching Downton Abbey
• Author:  Wendy Wax
• Narrator:  Orlagh Cassidy
• Published:  April 2013 – Penguin Audio
• Source:  I purchased the audiobook

My take:  Wendy Wax had me at Downton Abbey 🙂  HOWEVER, you don’t need to have watched the series to enjoy this novel.

When the British concierge of the Alexander, an upscale Atlanta apartment building, alerts residents of weekly screenings of Downton Abbey in one of the common rooms no one is sure what to expect. Certainly unexpected is the resulting friendship of three women who’d not met until the first screening.

Samantha is a wealthy woman in her forties who seems to live an easy life. She’s very good at putting on a good face for all who know her but below the surface there’s family drama and turmoil.

Brooke is a divorced mom of two young daughters. After working hard to put her ex-husband through medical school and setting up his office he decided he didn’t want to be married to her anymore. Now his girlfriend is pregnant and wearing a huge diamond ring.

Clare, an author, is a divorced empty-nester. With her daughter away at college Clare has given herself a year to concentrate on her writing – no day job. Trouble is, she has writer’s block.

Edward, the concierge, is a warm and intuitive man who does his best to make sure the residents enjoy the weekly screenings. He also befriends the three women. Edward has a bit of a story himself but would never divulge it to anyone in the building.

When the unthinkable happens their friendship is put to the test. As usual, Wendy Wax’s story completely entertained me. Orlagh Cassidy did a good job voicing each character. I really liked her performance. She kept me walking or knitting – always signs of a good audiobook.

If you like women’s fiction I think you’ll enjoy While We Were Watching Downton Abbey.

Spotlight on: The Partner Track by Helen Wan

Synopsis:  In the eyes of her corporate law firm, Ingrid Yung is a “two-fer.” As a Chinese-American woman about to be ushered into the elite rank of partner, she’s the face of Parsons Valentine & Hunt LLP’s recruiting brochures–their treasured “Golden Girl.” But behind the firm’s welcoming façade lies the scotch-sipping, cigar-smoking old-boy network that shuts out lawyers like Ingrid. To compensate, Ingrid gamely plays in the softball league, schmoozes in the corporate cafeteria, and puts in the billable hours—until a horrifically offensive performance at the law firm’s annual summer outing throws the carefully constructed image way out of equilibrium.

Scrambling to do damage control, Parsons Valentine announces a new “Diversity Initiative” and commands a reluctant Ingrid to spearhead the effort, taking her priority away from the enormous deal that was to be the final step in securing partnership. For the first time, Ingrid finds herself at odds with her colleagues—including her handsome, golden-boy boyfriend—in a clash of class, race, and sexual politics.

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About the author:

HELEN WAN is Associate General Counsel at the Time Inc. division of Time Warner Inc. Before that, she practiced corporate and media law at law firms in New York. Born in California and raised near Washington, D.C., Wan is a graduate of Amherst College and the University of Virginia School of Law. Her essays and reviews of fiction have been published in The Washington Post and elsewhere. She lives in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, with her husband and son.

Author’s  website    twitter    Facebook

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Spotlight information provided by Wunderkind PR

Sunday Post

Book arrivals:

  

• A Simple Thing: A Novel by Kathleen McCleary (purchased)
• Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan (giveaway from Dar at Peeking Between the Pages)

Books I’m reading:

• Sweet Salt Air by Barbara Delinsky
• Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery
• Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

I began reading Christmas novels a bit earlier than usual this year. Reviews will post in October because most of them have Oct. publish dates. At first I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this before summer was over but, once I started, I enjoyed the experience of reading them before all the holiday hustle and bustle. So this is a heads up that Christmas in October will be the theme on Bookfan next month 🙂

Last week on Bookfan:

• Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole
• The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

Happy reading!

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

• Title:  The Husband’s Secret
• Author:  Liane Moriarty
• Genre:  Fiction
• Published:  July 2013 – Amy Einhorn Books; Putnam
• Source:  Publisher

Synopsis:  Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.  (publisher) 

My take:  Three women, really no more than acquaintances, find out how very connected their lives really are.

I enjoyed The Husband’s Secret. It’s not a whodunit because the reader finds out way before the end of the novel. I think it’s more a whatwouldyoudo. That makes it a perfect choice for book groups. It also asks how far would you go to protect a loved one?

One minute it is dramatic and the next, quite funny. Liane Moriarty is a gifted storyteller. I loved her previous novel What Alice Forgot and I look forward to reading more of her novels. Recommended.

Note:  I also purchased the audiobook – narrated by Caroline Lee. If you enjoy listening to books I recommend this audio.

Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole

• Title:  Letters from Skye
• Author:  Jessica Brockmole
• Genre:  Historical Fiction; Epistolary
• Published:  July 2013 – Ballantine Books
• Source:  Publisher

Synopsis:  March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.
 
June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.  (publisher)

My take:  When a poet living on the Isle of Skye receives a letter from a fan in the US neither has a clue to what has begun – a friendship that will become much more. Letters from Skye is an epistolary novel about Scottish poet Elspeth Dunn and American David Graham. She’s in her mid-twenties and married and he’s a few years younger – still in college. But they are on equal ground in most other things. Their letters begin during WWI before the US enters the war. Elspeth’s husband soon enlists and leaves for the front. David and Elspeth continue to correspond sharing their secrets, hopes, and dreams.
I loved reading their letters that told everything from the goings on of their everyday lives to life-changing world events. Woven into the book are letters from Elspeth’s daughter Margaret (a young woman in her twenties) to her sweetheart Paul a (WWII) RAF pilot. So the eras have changed but some of the circumstances have not. The reason for the inclusion of their letters becomes clear as the novel progresses.
This is a very romantic novel – not romance in the modern sense (although there is that as well) but rather mostly in tone. There’s such longing in the letters. That longing was heightened by the lack of immediacy that comes from waiting weeks for another letter. For me that added to the enjoyment. I won’t say more about the novel because I think readers should find out what happens on their own.
If you like epistolary novels and this era I think you’ll like Letters from Skye.  Highly recommended.

Note:  A few pages in I decided to purchase the audiobook. I listened while I followed along with the print edition. If you like audiobooks I highly recommend you experience Letters from Skye that way. The narrators’ wonderful performances increased my enjoyment of the novel even more!

Audiobook info:

• Title:  Letters from Skye: a novel
• Author:  Jessica Brockmole
• Narrators:  Elle Newlands, Katy Townsend, Lincoln Hoppe
• Published:  July 2013 – Random House Audio

Sunday Post

Book arrivals:

  

• While We Were Watching Downton Abbey (audio) by Wendy Wax (purchased)
• The Arrangement by Mary Balogh (purchased)

Last week on Bookfan:

• The Hero by Robyn Carr
• French Roast by Ava Miles

Currently reading:

• A Nantucket Christmas by Nancy Thayer
• While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

What I finished reading last week:

• When Summer Comes by Brenda Novak
• The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

Another morning walk photo – the fog was lifting as I walked by the river

French Roast by Ava Miles

• Title:  French Roast – Dare Valley series, #2
• Author:  Ava Miles
• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Published:  August 2013 – CreateSpace
• Source:  Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting

Synopsis:  Small-town biz wiz Jill Hale has been in love with her childhood best friend Brian McConnell for as long as she can remember. A falling out led to years of estrangement, but when Brian returns to Dare Valley after trying to make it big as a chef in New York City, Jill’s determined to make amends. She’s convinced that starting a restaurant together will be the perfect win-win situation, allowing her and Brian to work together and play together.

After a series of missteps sliced and diced Brian’s career in the Big Apple, he came home to regroup and find himself. He’s convinced that reestablishing his connection with Jill, the girl who got away, will put his life back on track. And when she approaches him with her plan for going into business together, he’s certain it’s the one way he can have it all—his dream job and his dream girl.

Jill and Brian are falling for each other all over again when Brian’s ex sashays into town, intent on sabotaging their reunion. Add in a mysterious investor who’s determined to get Jill on board with his project, and the bond between the couple is tested to the limit. Will their second chance at love implode, or will they find their own recipe for a happy ending? (publisher)

My take:  French Roast is book #2 in the Dare Valley series. I haven’t read Nora Roberts Land (the first book) yet but never felt lost because Ava Miles did a good job of catching the reader up on key events and relationships from that book.

In French Roast BFFs Jill and Brian have a second chance at love and a possibility of working together. Brian is a talented chef who wants to open a restaurant in Dare Valley and Jill has the business sense to make it a success. But if Brian’s ex,  a beautiful and sophisticated French chef, has anything to say about it that won’t happen.  Jill has another work possibility as well. A mysterious businessman who wants to open a controversial business in the small Colorado town thinks Jill is the only person who can convince the town council to allow it. But why is he so secretive?

Brian and Jill are extremely busy but are determined to make their personal relationship work. The trouble is they seem to sabotage themselves at every turn. This frustrated me so much! They’d say one thing and then behave in a questionable way. I really didn’t know how these two would end up. They had good physical chemistry but, honestly, there were a few times I thought they needed couples therapy if their relationship was going to move forward.

I enjoyed Miles’ writing. Her engaging story and characters kept me turning the pages. It’s a contemporary romance so readers should expect some love scenes which were, at times, too detailed for my reading tastes. I liked many of the secondary characters who helped move the plot and eventually set up the third book – and I look forward to reading it!

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Author information:   www.avamiles.com    Facebook    twitter

Having worked as an apprentice chef in a restaurant popular with celebrities, politicos, and other journalistic luminaries, and as a private chef while in graduate school, Ava had no lack of inspiration as she dealt with the foodie aspects tied to FRENCH ROAST and the restaurant central to her plot. 

Born and raised in the Midwest, where her family’s newspaper is located, Ava went on to earn an undergraduate degree in writing and advanced degrees in political science and conflict management. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and Washington Romance Writers. She is also part of an unofficial group that regularly convenes a writing retreat at Nora Roberts’ restored Inn Boonsboro in western Maryland. Having left behind the “day job,” which took her, literally, all over the world, she  now writes full-time in the peace and quiet of her northern Virginia porch-swinging-friendly community. (from the author’s website)

The Hero by Robyn Carr

• Title:  The Hero  (Thunder Point #3)
• Author:  Robyn Carr
• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Published:  August 2013 – Harlequin MIRA
• Source:  Publisher

Synopsis:  In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place where they should have been safe and secure. She has no idea what is around the next bend, but she is pretty certain it can’t be worse than what they’ve left behind. Her plan is to escape to somewhere she can be invisible. Instead, an unexpected offer of assistance leads her to Thunder Point, a tiny Oregon town with a willingness to help someone in need. 

As the widowed father of a vulnerable young boy, Spencer Lawson knows something about needing friendship. But he’s not looking for anything else. Instead, he’s thrown his energy into his new role as Thunder Point’s high school football coach. Tough and demanding to his team, off the field he’s gentle and kind – …just the kind of man who could heal Devon’s wounded heart. 

Devon thought she wanted to hide from the world. But in Thunder Point, you find bravery where you least expect it …and sometimes, you find a hero. (publisher)

My take: The Hero is the newest addition to the Thunder Point series. We meet Devon McAllister and her young daughter Mercy who’ve escaped a place that had once been safe and secure but then turned into a prison. A few miles into their journey one of Thunder Point’s own gives them a ride as well as a chance at a new life.

If you’re familiar with this series I don’t want to spoil it by telling who helps Devon and Mercy. I’ll just say I really enjoyed learning more about this character – one of a few heroes in this novel.

We also learn more about Spencer Lawson and his new life in Thunder Point. He’s the new high school football coach which makes him a superstar in the eyes of the whole town.  He and Devon strike up a friendship that soon becomes more. They’ve both been through a lot in the past few years so they don’t want to rush things. They have their kids to consider and don’t want to put them through more emotional upheaval. But drama ensues putting their relationship to the test. And then Devon’s past catches up to her.

There’s an exciting scene near the end which left me more than happy to read the final pages. I really enjoyed The Hero and recommend it to fans of contemporary romance, the Thunder Point series, and Robyn Carr.

Sunday Post

Book arrivals:

    

• The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani
• Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole
• The Wishing Thread by Lisa Van Allen

Books I’m currently reading:

• The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
• When Summer Comes by Brenda Novak

A few of the books I read in August:

• The Hero by Robyn Carr
• Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes by Cathy Holton
• French Roast by Ava Miles
• Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole
• When Snow Falls by Brenda Novak

Happy reading!