The story of Blackie a prequel to A Woman is Substance, is the book I will always call my favorite. I was hoping this would be half as good. I enjoyed this history, I confess it was a long time ago I read A Woman of Substance but it came back, and even if you haven't read that one A Man of Honor is a good read. I feel it was refreshing reading about a boy who becomes a man with good character and honor. It's a good read, not earth-shattering but if you wondered about Blackie here is the story that tells. Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martins Publishing Group, and Barbara Taylor Bradford for allowing me to read this eARC. This is my honest opinion.

I have been remiss in having never read a book by Barbara Taylor Bradford, though I have heard wonderful things about A Woman of Substance. A Man of Honor is a prequel to that story, and I was excited to be able to read and advanced copy, and hopefully be introduced to the characters before I read a book that has been on my TBR for decades. I will definitely move the book up my list, after reading Blackie's backstory.

Ms. Bradford takes her readers and immerses them in turn of the century England, with richly described settings and characters that come alive on the pages. Blackie and his uncle Patrick, who takes him under his wing and teaches him the building trade, are admirable, ethical men who are easy to root for. The descriptions of the interiors of the homes made me feel as if I were there, with visual, auditory and olfactory sensations coming out of the pages.

I was a bit put-off by several irrelevant side-stories that seemed to be included merely to make the book longer, as they did not move the story forward and had nothing to do with Blackie or little to do with his life. I also struggled with some of the conversations between characters that were stilted, but that were intended to bring in information about a character.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, and will be getting hold of a copy of A Woman of Substance post-haste to continue the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for the opportunity to read an e-ARC of A Man of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford. The opinions in this review are my own.

It's a prequel to a series I'm not familiar with. There were a lot of characters to keep straight. It was hard to finish. Maybe if I knew the series it would've been different.

I read Woman of Substance: many years ago, and thought this prequel would be fun to read. I was very disappointed. The dialogue was dis-jointed and somehow the story line was disorganized and not particularly interesting.

The story of a young man who finds a trade as a builder, working alongside his uncle, but dreams of designing and creating structures of his own.

A tale of the life of Blackie O'Neill who grew up in Ireland, with kind relatives and people surrounding him. He had a young life of poverty and loss, losing his mother, father, and sister, and at the young age of 13 travelled to England to apprentice with his Uncle Patrick, a builder. The story chronicles Blackie's growth from child to adult. I found the character enchanting. He had a positive attitude, an affinity for building, a strong moral character, and a generous spirit. A much different place from where he has come from. Obsessed with building and money, Blackie learns his trade well and is soon very successful at it. Blackie is a smart man who knows what he wants and what he will do to make it happen. He has good friends in this story and it is here that he meets Emma Harte. Like Blackie she has dreams of making it big as well. A Man of Honor is the backstory of Emma's lifelong friend Blackie O'Neill. Born in poverty and determined to not only crawl out of it but to become a filthy rich man, Blackie is a dear, dear boy full of wide-eyed ambition. grit and determination. I really enjoyed this prequel to A Woman of Substance. I read A Woman of Substance many years ago so this was a great addition to the story. Can be read as a stand alone book or enhances the series of Emma Harte. I enjoyed the story as well as the tone and flow of the book. The brogue of the Irish is well done and consistent through out the story. Recommended for lovers of family sagas, prequels, and early 19th century English heroes. Thanks to Netgalley, Barbara Taylor Bradford and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. #netgalley #barbarataylorbradford #amanofhonor - Published December 28, 2021.

When I saw this prequel I jumped at the chance to read it, thinking I would love it and finally put "A Woman of Substance" on my to re-read list. However, I was sadly disappointed.

It was interesting to read about English society at the turn of the last century however there were many times that I felt like the story wasn't true to to the mores of the day. The language very often seemed much too modern for the time. There was mention of couples "hooking up"! (this occurred more than once)

The book seemed broken into sections that I questioned. They seemed to arise from ashes and I couldn’t comprehend what they had to do with the story. I really wanted to love this book for old time's sake but it fell extremely short of my expectations. I only forced my self to finish it out of deference to the author.

I want to thank the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Man of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford is a prequel to A Woman of Substance. As luck will have it, I have not read A Woman of Substance and it has been added to my To Be Read list. Blackie O'Neill is a 13-year-old when the book begins. He is alone in the world in Ireland. Eventually, he leaves for England and to a much better life with his uncle and aunt. This book is about Blackie and how he lived in poverty before his move to England and his change in fortunes in his early years. Emma Harte is introduced in this book and she has not had an easy, young life either.

Blackie stands out as a good person that grows up and becomes somewhat successful in this book as apprentice for his Uncle Patrick. Through Blackies's work, he does get to meet some powerful people with some interesting stories told throughout the book. People that have read other books in this series thought the book has some characters from future books kind of stuffed into this book. I did not see this reading this book as a first time reader of Barbara Taylor Bradford. I feel I have a connection to some of the characters and I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of #AManofHonor. The book will be published in late December.

I read A Woman of Substance years ago when it first came out. I remember loving it and going on to read more books by Barbara Taylor Bradford. Based on that fact, I did enjoy A Man of Honor. I liked learning more of Blackie’s backstory; however I found the dialogue between the characters odd at times. It didn’t seem to be natural, but more stilted and odd. I do think it deserves my four star rating based on nostalgia!

I received the ARC of this book from Net Galley for my honest review. Admittedly, it is my first Barbara Taylor Bradford novel, so I was unfamiliar with her writing style and learned later that this book is a prequel to "A Women of Substance", a beloved book by many.

While I didn't really love the book, I was taken in by the character of Blackie O'Neill at the beginning. He is very likable and through the novel, we understand how our relationships shape us into who we become. The dialogue was a bit tricky for me and there were many characters, but for those who enjoy romances set in Ireland and England, I'm sure this book will find a place on your shelf, perhaps nestled ahead of "Woman of Substance", which I may add to my tbr list to see how Blackie fits into the overall story.

I’ve had A Woman of Substance on my shelves for decades, but for some reason I’ve never picked it up. Most likely it’s because it’s a brick of a mass market paperback and I know it will kill my hands to hold it! However, after reading A Man of Honor, I know I’ll be reading A Woman of Substance very soon. I enjoyed this tale of how Blackie O’Neill overcame all the hardships of his upbringing to make something of himself. I fell in love with him and with Emma, and I have to now read Emma’s story.

When I think of literary fiction, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and can satisfies just about every reader's heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day.

#amanofhonor #netgalley

I had a hard time reading this book and couldn't finish it. It just didn't grab me like I wanted it to.

This is the prequel to Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance even though it is listed as #8 in the series.
Opening five years before the start of A Woman of Substance, A Man of Honor begins with 13-year-old Blackie O’Neill facing an uncertain future in rural County Kerry. Orphaned and alone, he has just buried his sister, Bronagh, and must leave his home to set sail for England, in search of a better life with his mother’s brother in Leeds., Pat Kennedy. There, he learns his trade as a navvy, amid the grand buildings and engineering triumphs of one of England’s most prosperous cities, and starts to dream of greater things... And then, high on the Yorkshire moors, in the mists of a winter morning he meets a kitchen maid called Emma Harte. In A Man of Honor, the true Blackie O'Neill is revealed. Readers discover his story: his tumultuous life, the obstacles facing him, the desire he has to throw off poverty and move up in the world. Like his friend Emma, he is ambitious, driven, disciplined, and determined to make it to the top.

I got the opportunity to read this book before I have read any of the others in the series. In fact, this is my first Barbara Taylor Bradford book! I am not a straight romance reader so had not read any of her books before this one, but the description was intriguing, and I was happily surprised at the quality of the writing and am sure I will go on to read A Woman of Substance as well as the others in the series now that I have read this one. I think knowing the background of the main characters will be of value as I dive into the series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering this book and accepting my request. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, the depth of the characters, and the descriptions of the the cities.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

A Man of Honor is a good read. I give it 3.5 stars. I loved the character of Blackie O’Neill. He is a likable, well-developed character, and his growth from a 13-year old whose entire family has died and who lives with his cousins rural Ireland to a builder in/around Leeds, England was well written. As a prequel to A Woman of Substance, this deep dive into the character of Blackie is fun.

There are many other characters, and at times, the plot meanders into the details of their lives. These diversions felt extraneous to me, as the characters don’t really appear again in the book in any meaningful way. I felt those parts of the book dragged somewhat and those portions could have been eliminated so that the focus was primarily on Blackie, Emma Harte (the main character of A Woman of Substance and who Blackie meets very late in this book), and perhaps a few other characters who were important to Blackie.

The story and character of Blackie, however, is strong and enjoyable.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Man Of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford is the prequel to A Woman of Substance which she wrote decades ago. It is a novel that is past its time. The novel was long, dragged and would have been interesting about 20 years ago, but in today's market just seemed quaint and tedious. It took me a long time to get through and just didn't have the excitement and cachet that A Woman of Stubstance had. It was just boring and I found I didn't care for any of the characters, even young Blackie, who I loved in her previous book. I found myself wondering why she bothered writing this now....it would have been well received decades ago.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A Man of Honor tells us the story of Balckie O’Neill at 13. His future in Ireland seems bleak. His family is dead except for his two cousins, and he is now sailing to England to see his Uncle Patrick who has a job lined up in his building company for his nephew.

So, off he goes to Leeds. A much different place from where he has come from. Obsessed with building and money, Blackie learns his trade well and is soon very successful at it. Blackie is a smart man who knows what he wants and what he will do to make it happen. He has good friends in this story and it is here that he meets Emma Harte. Like Blackie she has dreams of making it big as well.

Telling Blackie’s story gave us insight into his future character and what has shaped his decisions. He is just a really good man.

I read A Woman of Substance long ago and it stuck with me. There was some confusing language uses in this one. And I failed to see how Robert’s story was pertinent.

No matter what, it is always a good day to read BTB!

NetGalley/ November 16th, 2021 by St. Martin’s Press

I was so excited to have the chance to read A Man of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford sadly the excitement was short-lived the book was hard to get into and she could not keep my interest. To be fair I read A Woman of Substance in the 80’s one of my first adult books and loved it but did not truly remember it. The voice in this prequel felt unrealistic, someone much more mature and when he did grow up his voice never changed. The story runs between fascinating and somewhat stagnant in places, but it certainly gives a thorough character development for very likable Blackie.

Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The prequel to "A Woman of Substance," "A Man of Honor" by Barbara Taylor Bradford takes the reader back to North Kerry in 1899. Here we are introduced to a young Blackie O'Neill whose sister has recently died and who is about to embark on a journey to live with his aunt and uncle in Leeds. This is the backstory fans of the Emma Harte series have been waiting for. Although, I wish there was more meat to this book, it does give insight into what motivates Blackie and how Emma Harte enters into his life. Many questions come up as the story unfolds but remain unanswered at the book's end-- questions that, if they were to be answered, would add a substantial amount of detail to "A Man of Honor." If you've never read "A Woman of Substance," "A Man of Honor" is a good place to dip your toe in and begin your journey. On the other hand, if you have already read "A Woman of Substance," you may find this latest book in the series to be a disappointment and not up to what readers have come to expect from the Emma Harte series.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.