Blackmoore - Julianne Donaldson

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Even though I profess not to like romances, it's not really that I don't like them. I'm just really picky and get irritated easily by certain plot devices - and they get old if I read too many. But sometimes I really need a brainless comfort read after a draining week at work. Some people might go to the pub with friends, but antisocial being that I am, I simply want to go home and bury myself in a book. And that's when I am likely to pick a quick romance and not be irritated by it.

I'm much less critical when I'm going for the veg-out-my-brain and guaranteed-happy-ending effects. It's not about realistic plot or anything that can be analyzed. Sometimes there are problems that I completely gloss over because I'm just experiencing it, not thinking about it. I'm more interested in whether the book convinces me on a gut level that the two people are in love and should get that happy ending. It's about the emotions. And it's like putting my batteries on the fast charger.

So, Blackmoore was this for me last night. I read it in one sitting, and I completely escaped my sense of reality. I may also have neglected my husband, but he's used to sharing me with books by now, poor guy.

Just as with Edenbrooke, the intensity of emotion between the characters is what makes the story so absorbing. Their longing for each other is deep and sharp and has stood the test of years. The reason that their love is unrequited is not a completely unbelievable one, and it's not riddled with fake misunderstandings, even though lack of communication does come into it. Never mind that all the other women in the book are horrible. I ignored them. I already forgot about them. The setting captured my attention more than they did, with just a bit of a Gothic touch that made it more than a generic Regency setting.

It is almost completely an emotional romance (as opposed to physical), which is what I prefer. It was so sweet and painful at the same time. By the end I was just aching for a good resolution. Not many romances actually put me through an emotional wringer, but this one managed it. My main fear was that all the build-up would just fizzle, but I found the resolution satisfying and heartwarming.

As far as fluff romances go, I recommend it. Just don't over-think it.