About the book:
Plain, practical Eleanor Braddock knows she will never marry, but
with a dying soldier’s last whisper, she believes her life can still
have meaning and determines to find his widow. Impoverished and
struggling to care for her ailing father, Eleanor arrives at Belmont
Mansion, home of her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in
America–and possibly the most demanding, as well. Adelicia insists on
finding her niece a husband, but a simple act of kindness leads Eleanor
down a far different path–building a home for destitute widows and
fatherless children from the Civil War. While Eleanor knows her own
heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve of this endeavor.
Archduke Marcus Gottfried has come to Nashville from Austria in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Hiding his royal heritage, Marcus longs to combine his passion for nature with his expertise in architecture, but his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widows’ and children’s home run contrary to Eleanor’s wishes. As work on the home draws them closer together, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground–and a love neither of them expects. But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor, and even if he were, someone who knows his secrets is about to reveal them all.
Archduke Marcus Gottfried has come to Nashville from Austria in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Hiding his royal heritage, Marcus longs to combine his passion for nature with his expertise in architecture, but his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widows’ and children’s home run contrary to Eleanor’s wishes. As work on the home draws them closer together, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground–and a love neither of them expects. But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor, and even if he were, someone who knows his secrets is about to reveal them all.
My rating:
My thoughts:
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
A Beauty So Rare is the second book in the “Belmont Mansion” series and
another wonderful read. I really enjoyed the plant and architecture aspects in
the story and how caring Eleanor was about widows and children.
I loved the characters and, while I still really liked Adelicia
(who was my fav from A Lasting Impression), I think my favorite character this
time around was Marcus. I loved all of the things he did for Eleanor and others
at his own expense.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed A Beauty So Rare and
definitely recommend it. I think I enjoyed A Lasting Impression a tiny bit
more, but this one was still really great. :)
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
I totally fell in love with this book. If the first one is better then I SO need to get my hands on it! I also didn't realize there were overlapping characters in these books. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this book and even got to participate in helping the author promote it by being part of a special facebook group called Tamera's Blogging Buddies. It was so fun getting to know Tamera and the other bloggers! I'm excited to read A Lasting Impression since you said you liked it even more :)
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