Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a novel that gives backstory to another set of novels. Not having read those, this was ok to me. I think I would have enjoyed more with more information.

Barbara Taylor Bradford has a way with writing a book that intertwines families who have destinies that either work well together or clash disastrously. This book, as a prequel to "Woman of Substance" gives us a look into the beginnings of Emma Harte and the empire she builds. This book begins with "Blackie" O'Neill leaving his village in North Kerry Ireland for the home of his Uncle Pat in Leeds. There Blackie meets and befriends many people on his rise as a designer/builder. One of those people is Emma Harte. We are also introduced to others who will play a significant part in the following books deling with Emma Harte's business empire andher family.. This book gives us a look into the poverty of the era as well as the upper class and the striking differences between the two. I enjoyed reding the book, but wished that it were available as the first in the series rather than so far after. In several places, it referred to the fact that things would transpire "in the future" (referring to occurrences told in future books) and I found this disconcerting. I did enjoy reading the book as it brought back the enjoyment I had when reading the later series. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. #NetGalley #AManofHonor

Stunning cover! Barbara Taylor Bradford presents an amazing character study of Shane Patrick Desmond O’Neill known to the reader as Blackie. This reader loved A Woman of Substance which was read shortly after publication years ago and enjoyed the mini series. Having just finished A Man of Honor, I have very mixed emotions. First, I think too much was tackled in this book. I found the character study of Blackie to be excellent. Following Blackie as a young boy who has lost his parents, his brother, and sister struggle but remain optimistic touched this reader. The kindness of his cousins Michael and Siobhan who work on the Lassiter estate and the motherly care of Mrs. O’Malley, the housekeeper, are written in a way that I felt I was in the room with them. Blackie is sent to England to live with his mother’s brother Patrick and his wife. Patrick gives Blackie a future by bringing him in his business. I felt the author went off track by bringing in Lassiter’s story with his friend, Adrian Fraser and all the characters in his story. There were just too many characters to remember. I found the writing deteriorated in this section. The book almost seemed like two different books. Five stars for Blackie’s story and two stars for the Lassiter sections. My thanks to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. the opinions in this review are my own.

I’m indecisive with my feelings about A Man of Honor. My feeling is, it was ok read but I found it to be a bit too descriptive at times. The amount of characters was a tad daunting.
I’m sure others may enjoy reading this book. I may return to it in the future and see if my feelings about it change.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Having read the rest of the Emma Harte series, I was excited to see this prequel available. The first book came out in 1979, and Blackie was a main character in those stories, but in this book, more of his background is revealed.

It was a decent read but for me, perhaps because I’d read the series so long ago, the book didn’t hold up to the rest. I did enjoy reading more about Blackie and the reasons he became the good man he was in later books. I think it’s a great introduction to readers who haven’t read the series yet, and I’m hoping this will attract them to pick up the rest. It was rather long and could have been shortened without losing the story.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC, but my opinions are my own.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of A Man of Honor.

I haven't read the original series (but I plan to now) after reading A Man of Honor, which is the prequel to Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance/Harte Family Saga.

This book had the historical fiction I love, my favorite Ireland/England settings and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series!

I read A Woman of Substance when it came out in 1979 and absolutely loved it! It has always been one of my favorite books. And I've read every sequel that has been published since then., becoming totally entrenched in the Emma Harte world. So I was super excited to read Blackie's backstory. I even got my hands on a copy of A Woman of Substance so I can do a re-read.

While I loved the Blackie character and loved learning more about him before he met Emma, I was somewhat disappointed in A Man of Honor. I felt that the author was very repetitive about some things within the story and included storylines and characters that weren't really necessary to the overall theme of getting Blackie's backstory. It's almost like she needed to add more words to make a page number goal. This would have been so much more enjoyable without all the extra stuff.

That being said, I enjoyed this little dip back into Blackie's and Emma's world and it reinforced my desire to go back and read A Woman of Substance again. I would love for another group of readers to discover that wonderful story.

This prequel to “Woman of Substance” can easily be read on its own. I have long been a fan of Barbra Taylor Bradford and this book is a marvelous addition to her earlier works. As I finished this book, I felt the urge to reread the books about what happened to Blackie and Emma. Thanks to #NetGalley and #AManOfHonor for an advanced digital copy.

Barbara Taylor Bradford,she really can write a story! This is about Blackie his life after he buries his own family in Ireland and goes to live with his mother's brother and his wife. Follow Blackie's life as his uncle teaches him the art of building and watch how he grows to met Emma Hart. This is the background story of Blackie, Emma their friends and where Woman of Substance comes from! This is a series that only Miss Taylor can write about how this future begins!! Received fro. Net Galley!! A very just read!!

This was an okay book that had a lot of potential. I will first state that this book is a PREQUEL to the book A Woman of Substance, despite A Woman of Substance being written decades ago. I have not yet read it, but that book gets rave reviews, and while I do not think it's necessary to read it first, I do think having done so will enhance the experience of reading A Man of Honor.

So that all being said, the best way I can describe this book is fluffy. The synopsis said we will learn of the protagonist's obstacles and struggles. It is mentioned in the synopsis (and very first chapter, so this is NOT a spoiler) that he is an orphan that has lost his entire immediate family. So given that description, I didn't expect a book that was mostly rainbows and unicorns, but that's essentially what it was. And while everyone can appreciate a lighthearted book from time to time, I just felt that this book had SO many opportunities to pack and emotional punch, but it totally glossed over them. Anytime there was something that could've been heartfelt and struck a chord with the reader, it was given very little focus or time in the book. But on the other hand, we were given an abundance of details about meal after meal after meal that was eaten in the book. I just found it strange to see the things that got lots of attention and detail as opposed to the things that were glossed over.

And while I really did like Blackie as a character, he almost seemed too good to be true. A child who has lost his entire family and moves far away to live with an uncle that has NO struggles in doing so? No emotional breakdowns, no adjustment period? Everything was just simple and easy and perfect....and it just felt unrealistic to me. Perhaps I am too cynical and too used to reading books with a lot of heartache, but I just didn't love this one.

It also felt that Blackie's affection was somewhat insincere. Several different times throughout the story, it seemed that he had met the love of his life. SPOILER ALERT - DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT A SPOILER: It began to feel disingenuous.when he lost "the love of his life" to sudden death and hardly seemed affected by it. She was ill before her death and he didn't even choose to spend time with her. Then later in the book he was friends with a girl and there didn't seem to be much spark - next thing you know he loves her. Then he meets another girl and is mixed up about his feelings. Then by the end he's sure he's in love with the first girl. I know he's a young teenage boy, so ultimately, most of those are probably normal feelings, but it just didn't feel authentic or meaningful to me as a reader. SPOILER END.

I also felt that a strange amount of detail was given to mundane things and at times there was a lot of buildup to things that ended being very simple and no big deal. There was one aspect of the story that felt like a bit of a mystery, and then it was revealed and it was just like..."Oh. That's it?!"

Despite all of that, this wasn't a bad book. It just wasn't the right book for me. I like books that make me feel - including books that are heartwarming and make me feel good. But this one had several different tragedies in it that weren't given much attention while we got very minute details about unimportant things like what they were having for lunch. I'd still be somewhat interested to read A Woman of Substance because it really did get wonderful reviews, and maybe it would give me a greater appreciation for Blackie's story.

I feel like a bit of a Debbie Downer writing this review, I just want to be honest about how I felt while reading it. This was my first book from this author, so maybe that's her writing style and I was just unaware. I would still suggest to people that have read her other work and enjoyed it, or to anyone that wants a really heartwarming story with very few sad elements or moments in the book.

The thing that has me come back over and over to this author is her ability to pull you into the story. She writes a saga instead of a quick story. So you get the whole life of the character. Blackie is young when we first meet him. At 13 he goes to live with a relative that will take him under his wing. Blackie wants to become a builder. We don't just read of his ambition. We meet his friends, work mates, and the customers that help grow the business. And of course the women he meets. He has a caring protective personality so he makes lifetime friends. I finished the book feeling like I knew the characters, their goals, and the plans to make it happen. I liked the book.

I read A Woman of Substance when it was published in 1979 and haven't thought much about it since. I was happy, however, to see that Blackie O'Neill is finally getting his chance to shine. A child of poverty who found himself on his own at 13, it's the story of a man who never forgot his roots or to be kind. The move from Ireland to Leeds meant more than just a change of location, it meant a chance at a more positive future, which Blackie takes full on. I gave up, btw, on trying to remember the ins an outs of his appearance and relationships in Woman of Substance and just enjoyed it as it is. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Fine as a standalone, it's an old fashioned good read.

2 stars, Unexpected

A MAN OF HONOR
by Barbara Taylor Bradford

This is possibly a good book, it just wasn't one for me.

I received a complimentary copy of #amanofhonor from #stmartinspress I was under no obligation to post a review.

Barbara Taylor Bradford takes her devoted readers back to 1899, England; five years before the best-selling Emma Harte Saga begins with A Woman of Substance. Blackie O’Neill is orphaned and searching for his uncle, Patrick Kennedy, in the great industrial city of Leeds. Blackie is a handsome, well-built 13- year-old, full of optimism, curiosity and has a beautiful voice. Readers get a glimpse of Blackie’s family, his supportive relatives, and the personality that endears him to all he meets. Blackie finds himself enthralled with the soaring cathedrals and towering buildings in Leeds and realizes that building is what brings him comfort and a feeling of pleasure he’s never known before in his poverty ridden existence. Building great houses becomes his dream. BTB also introduces readers to the humble beginnings of Emma Harte, a sixteen-year-old whose circumstances bring her to Leeds, searching for Blackie O’Neill. Deep feelings of empathy and loyalty, along with determination and grit, evolve through the personal and business relationships Blackie and Emma develop as the years unfold. Emma’s daring rescue of an elderly Jewish man being attacked on the streets of Leeds is a life changing event. Readers become aware of each character’s personality traits through situations, revealing dialogue and inner thoughts. BTB also deftly weaves threads of Scottish and English history through backstory and reminiscent conversations.
So, as Blackie would say, “me sweet mavourneen,” enjoy A Man of Honour, and then set out to read the Emma Harte Saga again from a different perspective or anew for the first time.

This is an author that I never hesitate to pick up. I have enjoyed her books for the first one I picked up and this one is no different. Her writing style and attention to details give her stories life and make them realistic. I loved this book. I was pulled into the story from the first word. The characters are unique and took me through Blackie's life and his experiences. I enjoyed getting to see him and getting to know more about him in this book. I enjoyed the growth of the plot and the characters who truly brought the story to life. This is a must read story that you don't want to miss. I highly recommend this book and this author.

One of my favorite novel’s was Woman of Substance, so I was excited to be able to review Barbara Taylor Bradford’s latest effort. I loved the character Blackie and his family members. His story alone, would have made this a much more enjoyable book. But, the overwhelming number of insignificant character’s, made for a story that I found difficult to navigate. I found myself, thumbing back through chapters, in an attempt to remember the significance of secondary characters that had been introduced into the plot, and not seen or heard from, until close to the conclusion.
I found the ending rushed and left feeling like the author was relieved to have finished it. There was so much to like about it, and Blackie’s story and his relationship with his Uncle, his growth as a builder, as well as his romantic interests, would have held my interest much more.
That said, I will welcome Barbara Taylor Bradford’s next effort, because of my love of Woman Of Substance. I was provided with this ARC by NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for my independent opinion.

A Man of Honor was a book that was to introduce us to Blackie O’Neill and to Emma Harte. This was written by Barbara Taylor Bradford who has written a series involving these characters. I personally have not read any of the previous books in the Harte Family Saga, but I enjoyed the book even though it was a task to remember all the characters. My disappointment was that the book and characters were unfinished.
Blackie was a hard working individual, and his looks and size got a lot of doors opened for him. It was nice to read about Ireland and the countryside. The details that the author put into describing the houses and the moods of the characters was great. This book could be read as a standalone, but if you have read the other series, I am sure you would appreciate getting to know the characters before the series. It is like looking back on your own childhood and knowing that certain circumstances led you to the life you have today.
This book has a lot of characters, and the author has given depth to them. I found this book a longer read than normal because it did not hold my interest as other books have. I will have to read the other books in the series.
I was given a free copy of this book for review and the opinion is my own. #AManOfHonor #HarteFamilySaga #BarbaraTaylorBradford

A Man of Honor starts when Blackie O’Neil is a poor, orphaned young man in Ireland. Blackie is a nickname because he is black Irish. As a teenager his uncle calls him to England to learn the construction business and become his partner. Blackie works and studies and begins designing his own buildings, thereby expanding the business. What will the future hold for him?
I enjoyed this book though I found some parts seemed distracting to the story. The characters are well written and seem realistic to the time period.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I adored the jump into Blackie's life and how he ends up in England prior to meeting the beautiful driven Emma. I really feel this gave his character a more relatable and loving nature. All he has gone through losing most of his family and leaving his old life behind to train as a navvy and begin his new life.

I didn't realize this was a prequel to another series and I didn't feel as connected to the characters/plot. DNF