Longing for Home Review

Katie Macauley has traveled far west to Wyoming after being hired as a housekeeper. She is a fighter and a survivor through hardship. She relies only on herself after being forced to be on her own since she was eight years old. She struggles with a past that she can't find peace with. She arrives in Wyoming hoping to save ultimately to return to Ireland to make amends with her past only to find a feud that she ultimately kindles.

Two men catch her attention. One is from her Irish blood and is a charming tease named Tavish. The other is her employer who tries to keep her at arms length because there would be no future for them together with the feud boiling to a point of violence. Katie must learn to find a way to earn her keep without trying to stir bad blood. No matter what she does, she finds that she is right in the middle of it. Each side is using her for a cause to fight. Katie faces the past and opens up to both men hoping to find some peace.

Sarah Eden has done a excellent job of showing the hatred of the Irish even in a small town in Wyoming. I was so amazed how deep the prejudice went. I could not believe that after the hardship of the Irish from the famine, that there would be such cruelty and harsh treatment of the Irish. I remember it from history just did not realize it went so far as to go even as far as Wyoming. I liked that Katie tried so hard to stay neutral from the hostile feud, but yet ended up being pulled into the middle of it. I have mixed emotions as to whom she chooses to be with, but I understand. I am eager to read the sequel to this to find out the outcome of this story. Katie pulled on my heart strings and I would recommend this book to anyone.

I received this free complementary book from Shadow Mountain Publishing for my honest opinion.

Blackmoore Book Review

I was so excited to get the opportunity to review this new novel of Julianne Donaldson. Kate at the ripe age of eighteen has secrets that she fights to protect from being known. She lives in a world where love is deceiving and hurtful. Where her soul seeks to find escape from the confinements put upon her by her family. She seeks to find peace in India and be in control of her own desires.

Before she can go to India, she must first make a trip to Blackmoore. There she must have three proposals in order to secure her freedom to India. She seeks the help from her childhood friend, Henry. Blackmoore is dark and surrounded in mystery. Kate finds that she feels a kinship to Blackmoore. She looks beneath the dark exterior to find beauty hidden Blackmoore. She strives to discover the secrets that Blackmoore hides. What she does not realize is that when Blackmoore's secrets are opened up to her so are her secrets opened up to Henry.

This tone of this story is a bit darker and mysterious. I was constantly trying to guess what Kate was hiding from Henry. I felt so sorry for Kate on her quest to find freedom. I felt her tears as she cried in sorrow and loss. I was enraptured with Henry. He was dreamy and masculine. I rooted for Kate and Henry to find the happiness they both wanted in life. I had to reread the end five times. I loved it. This book is one that will always be a favorite regency romance to read possibly on a stormy night.

I received a complimentary free copy of this book from Shadow Mountain publishing for my honest opinion.