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Lorna Doone is a historical romance set in the 17th century, and is centred mainly in Exmoor. Exmoor is a very scenic area of England, and much of it is unspoilt, so I entirely understand R.D. Blackmore's preference of Lorna Doone taking place in that particular setting.

The story is told by a farmer called John Ridd, who is in love with Lorna Doone, and as this romance progresses other problems arise which prevent John and Lorna having their happy ever after. I'm not normally one for twee romances, and this book was no exception. To be entirely honest, I felt like much of the romance was excessively sentimental, and a little heavy on the sweet marzipan for my tastes. I think if the book consisted entirely of that, I would have rated it lower.

The characters themselves were interesting enough, but I constantly felt like there was something preventing me from investing in them fully. It's difficult to say exactly why that was the case, but I do know something was missing.

Despite my issues with the over-exaggerated romance, I did enjoy the descriptive language that Blackmore used to show the reader how beautiful the countryside is and insights to what farming would have been like during that time. It really was wonderful to read about, and I think overall, this book has been worth my time.