Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson – Countdown to Christmas 2013

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas
Dec 122013
 

CD2C-2013x250

13 days until Christmas

 

JulianneDonaldsonJulianne 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.

Please take a minute to visit Julianne at one of the links below:

WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

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LDSWBR: What is your favorite Christmas song/hymn? Does it have special meaning to you?

JULIANNE: The First Noel.

LDSWBR: Do you get together with friends/family to play board games on Christmas or New Year’s? What games do you like to play? Do you have a favorite game from your childhood?

JULIANNE: We play games with my husband’s family on a night between Christmas and New Year’s, and it’s whatever game is popular that year, as long as it’s not Risk. Risk was outlawed years ago.

LDSWBR: If you could recommend only one book from those you read this year, what would it be and why?

JULIANNE: I loved Ruta Sepetys’ “Out of the Easy.” I thought it was a beautiful, moving story that was full of hope.

LDSWBR: Thank you, Julianne!

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Blackmoore

AMAZON | KINDLE | BARNES & NOBLE | NOOK | DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK

blackmoore

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.

 My husband and I banned Monopoly shortly after we were married. Are there any games that have been banned or outlawed in your home?

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**To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2013, leave a thoughtful comment below.**

Because this is a raffle-style drawing, commenting on each Countdown to Christmas 2013 post will give you more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and the author-donated books listed below. This is raffle-style drawing where all entries throughout the contest period are entered into the same “hat” for all prizes. US only. 18 years and older please. See all contest rules and restrictions below.

Following LDSWBR is not required but you may want to consider doing so during the contest so you don’t miss any posts or chances to enter the drawing. You can follow us through email, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest (links in our sidebar.)

If one of our LDSWBR reviews has ever helped you find a book you enjoyed, please consider helping us spread the word about the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2013. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2013, you agree to the contest rules below:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; entrants must be 18 years or older; open to residents of continental US only; giveaway begins December 3, 2013 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight December 23, 2013 Mountain Time; to enter, complete the required entry on each post and any additional entries of your choice if listed; LDS Women’s Book Review reserves the right to determine what is considered a thoughtful comment as per each post’s required entry; giveaway prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and a variety of book prizes donated by featured authors; the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning; LDS Women’s Book Review is not liable for technical problems which may affect entry into the giveaway; winner identity will be verified by email address; winner will be selected December 28, 2013 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winner will have until January 4, 2014 to claim their prize; if any prize winner forfeits or does not claim prize, prize will be re-awarded to next winner in sequence; all prizes will be awarded; limit of two prizes per entrant; this contest/giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other entity unless otherwise specified; by entering the giveaway you give LDS Women’s Book Review the right to publicize your name on the LDS Women’s Book Review blog; winner agrees to release LDS Women’s Book Review from any liability as a result of winning; email comments and questions to LDS Women’s Book Review – ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com; giveaway subject to Utah regulations; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

**Book Prizes (as of 12/12/13 – more to be added to this list!)**

  • Rocky Road by Josi S. Kilpack (personalized copy)
  • Shannon’s Hope by Josi S. Kilpack (personalized copy)
  • The House at Rose Creek by Jenny Proctor (signed copy)
  • Penumbras by Braden Bell (signed copy)
  • The Reluctant Blogger by Ryan Rapier (personalized copy)
  • Just Ella by Annette K. Larsen (personalized paperback)
  • Longing For Home by Sarah M. Eden (signed copy)
  • Mile 21 by Sarah Dunster (ebook or signed paperback)
  • Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson (audio CD)
 Previous Countdown to Christmas 2013 posts:

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson – Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Sep 092013
 

blackmooreBlackmoore

Author: Julianne Donaldson

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Published Date: September 9, 2013

Paperback/Kindle/CD/DB Bookshelf: 320 pages

Genre: Regency Romance

ISBN# 978-1-60907-460-9

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free digital uncorrected proof from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

**Visit The King’s English Bookshop page for details on Blackmoore‘s Launch Party on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013 at 7 PM!**

Proper Romance

Summary

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.

Review

Blackmoore is an enthralling, heart-twisting romance with a depth that I greatly appreciated. There were highs and lows throughout as well a heart-pounding-yet-clean chemistry that carried me through the darker elements of the story. I kept turning pages, needing to know how things would turn out for Kate because somehow they must, even though she was determined to stay unmarried and travel to India with her aunt.

The details were expertly done, not too heavy, but enough to picture Blackmoore in my mind with minimal effort. The descriptions of the stark beauty of the moors and Robin Hood’s Bay had me pulling up Google so I could see the area for myself. When Kate hears a woodlark’s song for the first time I was so moved by the scene that I again searched online so I could hear what she was hearing.

The characters were interesting and dimensional, even those that made a minimal appearance in the story. I loved every scene with Henry. My heart broke for him in a way that I did not expect. I ached for Kate and what she felt she must endure. I loathed Kate’s mother. I wanted to know more about Henry’s grandfather, and Herr Spohr, and even the townspeople.

I was easily swept into the story, setting, and emotion of Blackmoore. I experienced elation, anticipation, disappointment, frustration, yearning and freedom right along with Kate. I wanted everything for her. I love they way Julianne writes the hero so that the reader knows exactly what he is feeling without being in his head. It is subtle yet so very effective.

Though Blackmoore carries a bit darker and more serious tone than Edenbrooke, it is a well-written and memorable love story that fans of clean-but-still-toe-curling romance will enjoy. I highly recommend it.

Visit Julianne Donaldson:

BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Find Blackmoore:

AMAZON | DESERET BOOK | BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS

***Special pricing in September for Kindle versions of Blackmoore and Edenbrooke!!***

blackmoore blog tour banner

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson – Countdown to Summer 2012

 Posted by  Countdown to Summer, Special Features
Jun 282012
 

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.

Follow Julianne: BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

LDSWBR: Do you find it easier or more difficult to write during the summertime? Why?

JULIANNE: It is always hard to find time to write. Summer is crazier for me because my house turns into the gathering place for half the kids in the neighborhood, and there is never a quiet moment from dawn til dusk. I definitely look forward to the structure of the school year and the earlier bed times that come with it.

LDSWBR: Would you rather be in the pool or next to the pool?

JULIANNE: If it’s hot, get me in the pool. If there’s a nice breeze, stick me in the shade with a good book and I’m happy as can be.

LDSWBR: Ice cream or slushie? What flavor?

JULIANNE: Mmmm…they both sound good right now. I vote berry slushie on a hot afternoon; chocolate nutty ice cream at night.

LDSWBR: Thanks, Julianne!

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

AMAZON | DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry. From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2012, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Be sure to comment on each Countdown to Summer 2012 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Prizes include a $25 Amazon gift card and the author-donated books listed below. This is raffle-style drawing where all entries throughout the contest period are entered into the same “hat” for all prizes. US only. 18 years and older please. See all contest rules and restrictions HERE.

If you don’t already follow LDSWBR through email, Facebook or Twitter (those cute little book buttons on the sidebar) you may want to consider doing so during the contest so you don’t miss any posts or chances to enter the drawing. Following LDSWBR is not required but it is nice to know that our book reviews are useful to other readers. :)

If one of our LDSWBR reviews has ever helped you find a book you enjoyed, perhaps you would consider helping us spread the word about the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2012. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Book prizes donated by the authors include:

Reality Check by Karen Tuft

Cold Justice by Kathi Oram Peterson

Journey to the Fringe by Kelli Nielsen

Dangerous Favor by Joyce DiPastena (choice of print, Kindle or Nook)

Twitterpated by Melanie Jacobson

Of Grace and Chocolate by Krista Lynne Jensen

Espionage by A.L. Sowards

 

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
May 022012
 

 Edenbrooke

Author: Julianne Donaldson

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Published: March 2012

ISBN13: 9781609089467

Paperback: 240 pages

FTC FYI: Review copy

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary: Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will she be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

My Review

This book is an absolute delight.  I loved everything about it.  Especially the twirling. :) I loved Marianne.  My heart would break for her at times, but it was all worth it in the end.  Phillip is a dream, he was my favorite.  He would light up the pages.  I laughed out loud at times, and smiled a lot while reading Edenbrooke.  Not only is this a great romance story, there is some page-turning suspense as well.  The author did an excellent job with the setting, and language of the characters.  I felt very regent while reading this. :)

5 out of 5 stars.  This is the Julianne’s first book, and she did an excellent job.  I can’t wait to read more from her.  Find out more from the author here.  I also have the book trailer for you too.  Enjoy!

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