This book was so well-written! I only wish that I would've read the first installments of this series because I think I would've appreciated this one so much more with that knowledge. However, it still read great as a standalone.

3 stars Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. Published November 16, 2021.

I cannot remember if I read Woman of Substance or not. Most of the characters in A Man of Honor came from that first book, and none of them seemed familiar to me, so I would say that I have not read the first mentioned book. Whether or not it would have been beneficial I am not sure.

This book zeroed in on Blackie O'Neill and his life both in Ireland and in England. He went to England to apprentice with his Uncle Patrick after losing his parents. From an early age to well into adulthood, this book followed Blackie's life.

This was a good solid read, however there was nothing astonishing in the novel. Plenty of characters, well honed plot, and well developed story. On the negative side I felt that some things were repeated much too often. In my opinion if you don't get it the first time you read it, then it probably isn't worth remembering - and repeating things over and over just become irritating. Putting that fact aside, this novel is acceptable reading.

A Man Of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford is the story of Blackie O'Neill's early life prior to A Woman Of Substance.

A Woman Of Substance was one of the best books I ever read! I was so excited to see this prequel and read Blackie's backstory.

At 13 Blackie, born into poverty in Ireland, was was on the verge of becoming a young man having to grow up far to quickly. He was now orphaned and alone in the world. An enthusiastic young man determined not only to rise above the poverty but to become a rich man at that. He leaves his home and sets sail for England, hoping for a better life with his uncle in Leeds. It was then on the Yorkshire moors where he meets Emma Harte.

This is definitely a character driven novel in which we are treated to the early years in the traumatic and difficult life of Blackie, a boy on the cusp of becoming a young man, that shaped his indomitable determination and drive to change the trajectory of his life in spite of his humble beginnings. We see the beginnings of his friendship and it’s development with Emma. We see the importance of his friendship with Emma and the driving force that propels him to become A Man Of Honor”.

I was always a huge Barbara Taylor Bradford fan. “A Woman Of Substance” was a masterpiece when it came out and still today. I enjoyed the prequel very much and appreciated learning more about Blackie’s story. I do wished it had come out closer to Emma’s but it was still a story that enlightened me as to the driving force behind him. The writing has changed some, perhaps it’s the 40 year difference in books, but still a story worthy of telling and who better to tell than Ms. Bradford.

This is my first read by the author, so I have not read Woman of Substance to which this is the prequel book to. This book follows Blackie's life from childhood to adult which starts out in Ireland and ends up in England. Despite all his losses and challenges, he has a generally positive attitude and a good morale, which I really liked about his character. The book also introduces Emma and this is where Blackie and Emma become friends. She is also a very likable character, a strong spirited girl who knows what she wants. This book was a good way to get to know the characters a little more before going into A Woman of Substance, so I am glad to have had the opportunity to do so. I would love to now go and read the first book of the series.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

A Man of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford is the prequel to her bestselling A Woman of Substance saga. Opening five years before the start of A Woman of Substance (1979), A Man of Honor opens as 13-year old Shane “Blackie” O’Neill faces an uncertain future in rural County Kerry. Orphaned and alone, he must leave his home and set sail for his uncle’s home in Leeds, England. There, he will learn a trade as a navvy, a laborer who works on civil engineering projects and dreams of greater things. Fueled by his tumultuous life and the obstacles in front of him, Blackie is ambitious, driven and determined to leave a life of poverty behind and move up in the world.
I am familiar with Barbara Taylor Bradford’s name but I have never read any of her works, especially A Woman of Substance. But since A Man of Honor is a prequel, I figured I didn’t need to read the other books to understand the story. Unfortunately, I could not get into Blackie’s story. While the language is lyrical and the descriptions beautiful, I was bored. There is very little going on, even with a bit of mystery, I found myself losing interest and it was hard to finish. I did enjoy Blackie’s characters, although at times he seemed too perfect, too optimistic. In the future, I may pick up A Woman of Substance and read A Man of Honor again. If you are a fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford, you may enjoy A Man of Honor.

A Man of Honor is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook.

An Irish Rags to Riches Story in the Victorian Era

Blackie O’Neill had a difficult childhood losing both parents and burying his sister. His luck began to change when he travels to Leeds to work for his Uncle Patrick. Blackie is a success becoming a designer and builder in his uncle’s company. He also has the good fortune to meet a kitchen maid, Emma Harte, who has big ideas of her own.

Emma Harte is the main character in A Woman of Substance and this is the prequel. I loved Blackie’s character as he grows from a teenager to a successful business man and friend of Emma. The problem is that the book isn’t just the story of Blackie and Emma. The book is filled with other characters who will become important in later books about Emma, but the sheer number makes it difficult to remember who they are. Frankly, I thought it distracted from Blackie’s story.

The book paints a picture of the class differences between the wealthy and poor and gives an excellent picture of Leeds at the end of the Victorian era. However, the story slows in the middle I felt the author was trying to do too many things in a single book. Still, it you’ve read The Woman of Substance, you’ll enjoy learning about the early years of Blackie and Emma.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A MAN OF HONOR is a prequel to A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE and the subsequent book series, none of which I’ve read. Nonetheless, I was able to follow along, even if the introduction of random new characters was occasionally disorienting. This book focuses mainly on the back story of Blackie and his migration from poverty-stricken Ireland to his aunt and uncle’s, outside Leeds. Blackie is a very sympathetic character, naive yet intelligent and ambitious.

Having read this book, I am more interested in reading the rest of the series, particularly due to the abrupt ending. The beginning of the book moves slowly, with a lot of attention given to Blackie’s meals. I’m curious if some of the seemingly dropped story lines are picked up elsewhere. A good book, probably much much better if you’ve read the whole series. #AManOfHonor #NetGalley

This is a new to me author and I will be looking forward to reading more of her stories! I enjoyed the adventures, romances, and even some mysteries of this story.

Nice prequel, fills in some history

It has been many years since I read the rest of this series and I was overjoyed to see that there was a new book. This is a prequel which at once is a curse and a blessing. A curse because we remember what happened to Emma and parts of the book seem like a repeat of known events, albeit sometimes from a new perspective. A blessing because the book somewhat reveals the whys things happened and I especially enjoyed the parts about Blackie and his early years. I found the writing a bit disjointed, hence 4 stars, but still recommend that you read this book. I will now be restarting the series from the beginning because I now remember how much I loved it over the years!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via netgalley. The review is optional and my own opinion.

A Man of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford is the story of the life of a man from about age 13 to about 10-12 years later. It chronicles, not only his life, but his interactions of people surrounding him. It takes place around the turn of the twentieth-century and begins with Blackie as a child, living in a small village in Ireland, taken in by his cousins after his family dies, one by one, of poverty, mostly. Another cousin, Patrick, who had a business in Leeds, had offered to take him and train him as an apprentice and the entire community was getting him ready with donation of clothes and such. Blackie was overwhelmed by the boat ride and after Patrick had picked him up, by the train ride home. Patrick's wife was small and pretty and the best cook in the world, or so Blackie thought. She was fragile, but well. For the first couple of days Patrick simply showed Blackie around before they got to work. But when the got to work, it was obvious Black had a real talent for building and for designing as well. He thrived, made friends, met old ones, and became a man of honor.

This was a terrific read. Watching Blackie grow and experience the things young men do, was a privilege. His relationships with women were totally based on what Patrick had taught him and it served him well. There were side stories, some of which help a lot of promise but the reader only caught glimpses of them instead of being allowed the entire story. That was a shame. There were also stories that were not brought to any sort of conclusion. Over all, it was an enjoyable read, opening one's eyes to a different time and a different life style. I thoroughly enjoyed Blackie's story.

The reader on the audiobook was Peter Campion who was perfect. He had enough of a brogue to make it authentic, yet not thick enough to make him difficult to understand. Excellent job!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Man of Honor by St Martin's Press, through Netgalley. The audiobook was obtained through Macmillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #stmartins #barbarataylorbradford #amanofhonor #macmillanaudio

I'm rounding this down from 3.5 stars. The story is #0.5 in the Emma Harte saga and focuses on Blackie O'Neill. I think I probably read A Woman of Substance shortly after it first came out in 1979. This book introduces a lot of characters and not being sure of their importance I tried to keep track of all of them but none were fully developed except for maybe Blackie who was kind of too good to be true. There were a coouple story lines introduced like the missing Gwen that was never resolved or Moira Aherne that was an aristocrat but rescued from a slum by Blackie and his uncle. While the story was very readable and showcased the poverty in Ireland at the end of the Victorian era and the divide between the classes I felt like I was missing something and lots of questions went unanswered. It was obvious this was an add-on to the series because there were statements like this person will become very important to Emma in the future. Perhaps it is a ploy to start again with book #1.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book to read.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

I had heard Barbara Taylor Bradford was writing this book a few years ago and I could not wait to get my hands on it. It’s the prequel to A Woman of Substance, which is one of my all-time favorite books, and the subsequent Emma Harte series is a beloved favorite series. A Woman of Substance came out in 1979 and while I obviously didn’t read it then – I was only 4 years old after-all! – it was one of the first historical fiction/family saga/adult fiction books I remember reading and it was most definitely my first BTB book that solidified my love of this author.

As far as this latest book goes, I devoured it, reading it in a 24 hour period. Part of that is due in part to the author because I just love her writing and the other part is because I was immediately brought back to this world that BTB has created with these characters. I could not wait to learn more about Blackie before he meets up with Emma and about their first meeting…which I have to say I was so anxious to get to in the book.

I loved getting such a detailed, in-depth look into Blackie’s character and seeing how he came to be in Leeds prior to meeting Emma Harte. The book takes place five years prior to when A Woman of Substance happens and so we first meet Blackie when he is only 13 years old, and so much has already happened to him. He is one determined, driven young man and we learn why.

I also loved that we get such in intimate look at life during this time period. There was such a dichotomy between the haves and the have nots and there were quite a few instances that this is made clear. There were one or two side plots that I quite enjoyed, though I can see where some might feel are a bit excessive, though they do eventually tie in to the overall arc of the story.

I loved every minute of my time with these characters and I could not have been happier when Emma Harte appears. There were so many little hints as to what eventually happens in the upcoming books that fan-favorites like myself picked up on. And that totally has me longing to revisit this series, or at the very least, A Woman of Substance. It has been ages since I read that one, but knowing myself, I don’t think I can stop after reading just the one book. Whether you’ve read the older books or not, I definitely recommend picking this one up – who knows, it might inspire you to start a new series!!!

This book is a prequel to A Woman of Substance which I have not read recently but many years ago.
This story follow young Blackie as he navigates a passage across the sea from Ireland to England. His uncle and wife take him in and he trains under his uncle to learn the trade of carpentry and design for building homes. We see him grow from a young teenager to young man. The book is fulll of many characters some very involved in the story and some very little. I found the first third of the book to be a little to over descriptive and then final third to almost be rushed through....I wished it was a bit more balanced. That being said I enjoyed the story and did want to know how things ended.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I would recommend this book to friends.

Barbara Taylor Bradford is beloved. Having written dozens of books over the years, she is known for great stories and compelling characters that transport the reader from the everyday. I haven't read one of her books in years, so I read A MAN OF HONOR with expectations that started high and ratcheted steadily downward through the novel. The characters are compelling, the situations foreign and intriguing, BUT the writing and the focal points for the narrative were off-putting: stodgy, word-heavy, and hitting every point from every angle to make sure you understood that Blackie is extremely good-looking and that you understand every twist and turn of story. Ultimately, after a number of starts and stops, I abandoned the book, knowing what was coming and unwilling to slog through to the next bit. I received an advance reader copy of the novel and my opinions are my own and completely unbiased.

For those of you who read Emma Harte's story, A Woman of Substance, you will be pleased that A Man of Honor is the story of Emma's dearest friend, Blackie O' Neill. It is written in the same style as AWOS, and fills the reader with details of Blackie's years before meeting Emma. As AMOH progresses, the novel follows his friendship with Emma and how their lives become intertwined. At times, I felt I was getting reacquainted with old friends.
However, that being said, when Emma is introduced in this book, it becomes Emma's story. As much as I enjoyed the early portion of this book, I was disenchanted by the author's decision to tell Emma's life story. After all, the title is A Man of Honor, not a synopsis of A Woman of Substance.
3 1/2 stars

Enjoyed this prequel to the Emma Harte series by Barbara Taylor Bradford. I was only a few years old when the original series was published and was not familiar with it. When I saw the prequel to this famous series, I decided to give it a try. This book really drew me in. It’s one of those epic family sagas like Downton Abbey where stories are told from the perspectives of both the working class and gentry.

This coming of age story begins in 1899 with a 13 year old “Blackie” O‘Neill who lost all of his immediate family and is barely living along with his cousins in Ireland. When the opportunity arises to travel to Leeds, England and work for his Uncle Patrick, he jumps at the chance. Blackie is a thoroughly likable character. He’s optimistic, ambitious, hardworking, kind, funny, and thoughtful. His lovable Irish brogue is well captured in the writing. We also see how his ambitious plans to be a talented wealthy builder are nurtured.

Intertwined with Blackie’s story are those of his friends and acquaintances. Each person that Blackie comes in contact with has their own unique issues and these are touched on throughout the story.

Lord Robert Lassiter and his close friends make up the gentry side of this saga. Lord Lassiter has an extremely unhappy marriage he’s suffered through for the last 9 years. When he meets the woman of his dreams, his friend offers him an irresistible solution out of his marriage. I appreciated that though his marriage was unhappy and he flirts with adultery, he never commits the act, at least in this book.

Towards the end, Emma Harte is introduced and we see how she goes from a young woman working as a maid in an unhappy situation, to a fortune hunting woman on her way to success. While this is a prequel to her series, it’s focus is mainly on Blackie and those he comes in contact with.

Since I’m not familiar with the rest of the books in the series, I’m not sure if I truly appreciated it considering there were seven books that came before it. However, it really sucked me in and now I want to read the other books in the series. It seems like it would be a great introduction to the characters and situations that arise in later books. It has all the hallmarks of an Edwardian soap opera or drama, with lots of sticky situations and human foibles on display.

While each story was extremely compelling, the book jumped from one situation to the next with little warning. The transitions could be a little jarring and there are a lot of characters to keep straight. However, once I became familiar with each of the characters and situations, the story was easy to follow. Content wise, there is one sex scene that is open door but with few graphic details probably rated PG-13. There is passionate kissing and touching. There are also some adult situations discussed or mentioned such as adultery, abortion, and death.

If you enjoy Downton Abbey or even The Thorn Birds, you’d probably enjoy this prequel novel. I rated it 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.

As a fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s A Woman of Substance, I was excited to read her prequel A Man of Honor. Blackie O’Neill is a thirteen year old orphan who leaves his village in Kerry to live with his uncle Patrick Kennedy in Leeds. Patrick has a successful business and with no son of his own he takes Blackie as an apprentice with the hope of eventually leaving his business to him. Blackie has known extreme poverty and it drives him to succeed. He becomes an ambitious and skilled builder as you watch him grow into the man who appears in Bradford’s series. He is an endearing character and his story is well told, but I also found this book to be somewhat disjointed. The first part of the novel is Blackie’s story. It is followed by a section devoted to Lord Lassiter and his attempt to find happiness after living in a loveless marriage. The story returns to Blackie and his introduction to Emma Harte, after which the narrative revolves around her early story.

This book serves as an introduction to Bradford’s characters in her Emma Harte series. Her descriptions of Blackie’s Irish village, the estates, the moors and the city of Leeds make them easy for the reader to visualize and it is a welcome look at her characters. Readers who are new to her series will eagerly look forward to discovering more of their stories. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for my review.

Eighth Book in the Emma Harte Series
I have read the prequels of other series that are written well after the series is begun. Those prequels tie together bits of the story, but are a complete story in themselves; a viable bit of the series. This book is not one of them. Having not read any of the series, I was completely lost. There are characters that are introduced and then die, leaving no reason for their existence in the story at all. Things are alluded to, but are meaningless to someone who is not familiar with the series. I kept waiting for the story to get good and it never did. A portion would capture my interest, then it would end in a meaningless fashion. I felt like I had been robbed of the hours I spent reading this book. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

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