I found there to be a lot of repetition in this book. I did not read the first book and at times I felt that I was missing something...maybe the emotional attachment to the story.

My introduction to the Harte Family Saga is with the background story of Blackie O’Neill. After losing his last family member to poverty and famine, Blackie moves to Leeds, England in search of a better future with his uncle Patrick. There Blackie changes his future through hard work and determination. Fascinated with everything that the metropolis offers, Blackie invests in his education and reads everything he can on construction. As a contractor working with his uncle, Blackie meets Emma Harte, a kitchen maid who is just as determined as he is to carve a better future for herself. As we learn about Blackie and Emma, their relationships, struggles, and dreams, we also learn about all that English society faced at the turn of the twentieth century. The scandal that a divorce causes, the mystery of a missing young woman, the screaming differences between the super-wealthy and the struggling working class, the political scenario pre-WWI, and what it took to survive in a world where racism, discrimination, and poverty were ever-present. Beautifully written, A Man of Honor is a captivating read that travels between Ireland and England at a time of changes and incredible opportunities.

Audiobook - Prequel to Woman of Substance, which I now plan on reading.
The tale of Blackie O’Neil, who after losing his family in his early teens, travels to England to work as an apprentice under his uncle, Patrick. This book speaks to his adventures, both in learning his job as well as his kindness in his experiences with his lady friends.
I enjoyed Blackie’s story although it did drag in some places. It was interesting enough that I knew I wanted to continue with it and was able to get completely immersed in it.
The narrator, Peter Campion, does an excellent narration, making it easy to differentiate between the different characters. His narration made it easy to fall in love with each character and to feel their pain or joy.
Now on to A Woman of Substance…….I need to know more about Blackie and Emma!!

My thanks to Netgalley as well as the author and publisher for allowing me the ARC of this book to review.

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

This is the prequel to A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE, which I read a long time ago and will definitely read again very soon!!

Blackie is 13 years old and an orphan. He will be leaving to move to England to live with his uncle and aunt. He loves it there as there is food and money to be made. He is hard working and knows that he wants to make a lot of money!! He did not like being poor and hungry. Blackie works for his uncle and is learning the trade of building homes. He is very good at it!!!

Blackie does not meet Emma until about 2/3 of the way thru the book…I wish there had been more of Emma in this book. This book is set 5 years before A WOMAN OF SIBSTANCE and I wanted more of their earlier friendship. I was also a little puzzled by the inclusion of some characters especially Robert…not really sure was he was in the book.

I did enjoy the book and love the writing of Barbara Taylor Bradford. I listened on audio and it was very good!! I highly recommend this book!!!

Starting back in the 70s when I read every book in the Woman of Substance series, Blackie was a main character. It is so good to read more about him and his back story. A man with a good heart and an excellent friend, I predict that there will be a resurgence of interest in A Woman of Substance from people interested in finding out what happens next. Lucky me, I still have all my copies.

Not only is this a good book because of Blackie's family's story, the background into their lives in the early 1900s is riveting. Well written and also researched for the time period. Excellent narrator.

#NetGalley #BarbaraTaylorBradford #AWomanOfSubstance #EmmaHart #BlackONeal #MacmillanAudio #GeneralFiction #PeterCampion

This is a prequel to A Woman of Substance written in 2005.
It was lengthy and the before of all the main characters of the first book.
It took me a minute to get into but I did enjoy it. I definitely want to know more about this whole story. The narrator, Peter Campion was good.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

This was a very enjoyable audio book.I had read the Woman of Substance books years ago and to get more info on the early years was a great treat.The narration on this book was great and very easy to just sit back and listen.The characters were riveting and very believable for the time period.I can highly recommend this audio book as I throughly enjoyed it.

"A Man of Honor" by Barbara Bradford Taylor is the prequel to "A Woman of Substance" in the "Emma Harte Saga". This is my first time listening to a Barbara Bradford Taylor audiobook and it was fantastic!

I immediately fell in love with Blackie O'Neill. He is a brave 13-year-old boy dealing with a past tragedy that has left him in a dire financial living situation. Blackie's personality absolutely shines as he sets about a plan to change his life. He dreams of becoming a successful home builder. Aong the way he meets Emma Harte (a kitchen maid) with similar circumstances and goals. Emma and Blackie develop a heart touching life long friendship that absolutely reaches out and grabs readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing my free audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Man of Honor audiobook will be published December 28,2021

A Man of Honor follows the life of Shane Patrick Desmond O’Neill (Blackie), a 13 year old orphan when he went to live with his uncle and aunt in Leeds following the death of his family. Awestruck and absorbing everything around him, his new life begins with Blackie having dreams of becoming a builder one day under his uncles tutelage.
The book seems to repeat a lot of the same information about the lives of Blackie, Patrick and Eileen. A plus for the book is the information mentioned providing the reader a refresher course on English history.
I started out listening to the book and switched to the eBook format. I loved that the narrator had the accent of the times. I just had trouble following along with all the phrases used.

I had read A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford many years ago and although I could not recall all the details about it I remembered really enjoying it. It was no wonder then that I was excited when I saw the audiobook, A Man of Honor. It was described as the prequel to A Woman of Substance. It was well narrated by Aidan Kelly. The characters were rich, full of depth and satisfying. It took place five years prior to the beginning of where A Woman of Substance began. It gave good insight into Blackie O’Neill’s character. His ambition, determination, thoughtfulness and sincerity shone throughout.

Blackie O’Neill was just thirteen years old when his whole world came crashing down on him. He had already lost his mother and father and several siblings when his only remaining sister fell ill and also died. Blackie had become an orphan living in the most dire of times. His home was in rural County Kerry in Ireland. He lived in true poverty and always wondered where his next meal would come from. Blackie was tall and very good looking. He was called Blackie because of his black hair and eyes. It was a nickname that everyone who knew him called him. Luckily for Blackie, his mother’s brother, Patrick, offered to move Blackie to Leeds, England where he lived with his wife and become his guardian. Uncle Patrick offered to bring Blackie into his building business and teach him everything about it so he could eventually partner up with him and they could run the business together. Blackie had had a very hard life up until this pointe but he was determined to learn the business and make his uncle proud of him. His biggest ambition in life was to become a builder of houses and make lots of money. Blackie was on his way to accomplishing all that and more when he was commissioned to a home on the Yorkshire Moors to make some improvements for the gentleman that lived there. That winter morning, Blackie found himself trying to navigate the moors when he feared he was helplessly lost. Luckily, Blackie spotted a figure ahead of him and hoped the figure would help him find his way. The figure that Blackie spotted was a kitchen maid who worked at the home he was trying to get to. That was how Blackie made the acquaintance of Emma Harte. Their lives would be interconnected from that point on. Both would stop at nothing until they had become “a woman of substance and a man of substance”. Their reasons for doing so were very different but neither one of them would stop until they had accomplished that goal for themself.

I enjoyed listening to A Man of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford. Now I feel like I must read or listen to A Woman of Substance again. I wonder and kind of hope that Ms. Bradford writes more about some of the lesser characters she included in this book. I am hoping for more books to follow A Man of Honor. It was an inspiring book and I recommend it very highly.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An incredible prequel novel! This book explains in detail the background stories of Blackie and Emma and their desire to work hard to escape poverty. This book was so fascinating and like reading a Ken Follett book. The details of Blackie becoming a navvy and his relationships before his marriage really shaped him into the unforgettable character we loved in A Woman of Substance. Emma’s vendetta toward the father of her child and why Blackie agreed to be listed on the birth certificate makes so much sense.

I heard so much about this prequel and have mixed feelings on the book. The story of Blackie O’Neill was so good and kept your interest. Starting at the age of 13 with his hopes and dreams of a young orphan boy, he moves to Leeds to live with his Uncle Patrick. Learning a trade in carpentry, but dreams of becoming a builder and creating beautiful buildings. Blackie is a hardworking, thoughtful person who is growing up to be a good man. Then the story starts adding in so many characters that drift off with their own storylines. Why Sir Robert Lassiter love life was thrown in didn’t make sense, plus very unrealistic to me.
It’s really near the end that Blackie meets Emma Harte on the Yorkshire Moors. I haven’t read a Women of Substance, which I gather is a great read. I may read it later, but if it is similar in writing as A Man of Honor I am not sure if I will.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #AManofHonor

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.

“A Woman of Substance” is one of my favorite books, so I was very happy to receive an ARC of both the book and audiobook of this prequel. I really enjoyed reading about the early lives of Blackie O’Neill and Emma Harte. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for advanced reader’s copies of the book and audiobook in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up

This is a prequel to the popular novel, A Woman of Substance…which I haven’t read. So, with that caveat in mind here we go.

This book is rich in detail, you will know where everyone was seated at dinner and everything they were served. Similarly, the descriptions of Yorkshire and Ireland are beautiful and make for a wonderful place to set this book.

The synopsis leads me to believe this is the story of Blackie O’Neil, the hero of A Woman of Substance. Except this book has so many, many more characters than Blackie. I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. There are also a few storylines I could have done without, like Robert Lassiter’s wooing of the lovely Vanessa.

I would not recommend reading this book as a stand-alone. Readers who enjoyed A Woman of Substance will most likely get more enjoyment out of the book than I did.

The narrator did an excellent job voicing a variety of characters. I am sure it was difficult to find unique voices for them all, but the narrator did just that.

Thank you to Net Galley for this preview. I honestly wanted to like this book. I remember reading A Woman of Substance and loving it. Sadly, this book seemed like a desperate ploy to capitalize on it. I felt no desire to learn more about the characters., and the setting descriptions could have been interchangeable with 100 other historical fiction books. I listened to the audio book, and found the narrator cloying, with a "Paddy O'Malley" accent. They only draw to this book was that it was a prequel to Woman of Substance. It sadly disappoints.

I was so excited to receive the advance audiobook of A Man of Honor, since I loved the prequel Woman of Substance which was written in 2014. The book can stand alone and it was interesting learning the back stories of Blackie O’Neill. The book is the 8th in the series on the Harte family saga. Narration by Peter Campion was excellent.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MacillanAudio, #BarbaraTaylorBradford and #PeterCampion for the advance audiobook for my honest review.

The story starts out with Blackie O'Neill, who is such a likable character, at the age of 13 living in Ireland. We are taken on Blackie's journey into adulthood after he has lost his family due to poverty and starvation. His uncle Patrick and wife take him in and we get to see how thankful and positive Blackie is despite what happened in the past. I've not read A Woman of Substance, so I can't relate from this story to that one. But, I can say that this story is really gentle throughout and doesn't have a whole lot of action involved. It focuses mostly on Blackie's character and is very descriptive.

I listened to the audio book version of this book and enjoyed Peter Campion's aesthetic. His accent and voices of the characters brought life to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for an audiobook copy to review in return for my honest opinion of the book.

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.