A Beauty So Rare

Eleanor Braddock provided nursing care during the Civil War and lost her only brother on the battlefield. Her father is slowly losing his mind to dementia and she has nowhere to turn but her her rich and illustrious aunt, Alelicia Acklen. She moves into Belmont Mansion but she has plans to support

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herself and her father. Once she shares those plans though, her aunt tells her they are unsuitable for a woman of her social standing and that it is her duty to marry well and Adelicia is going to find her the right man. Eleanor knows that at her age and with her lack of beauty - we hear about her lack of beauty over and over and over again - no man will want her.

Eleanor, her dream of opening a restaurant dashed instead starts cooking for the widows and orphans in Nashville. This fulfills her need to cook but soon her limited funds run out. She is helped along the way by a man she assumes is her aunt's under gardener but he is far more than he seems. Marcus Gottfried is running from his past and longing for a life away from the formality of the royal family of Austria to which he belongs.

For the most part I enjoyed this second Belmont Mansion novel. It was, I think just too long. It became frustrating to keep going over the same bits of story from everyone's point of view. Eleanor overthought EVERYTHING to the point of if I read that she thought herself ugly one more time I was going to throw the book in the river. We get it - she wasn't the most beautiful woman in the world but good heavens I doubt she turned people to stone with one look. So much attention to a character's non beauty is as annoying as the books that focus on perfection.

I think had it been shortened up by about a third it would have been a more compelling read. And with all that went into the final chapter it all ended somewhat abruptly and somewhat unsatisfactorily.

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In 1868, just a few years after the end of the Civil War, Eleanor finds herself unmarried at age 29 and caring for her father with dementia. She is bright, practical, and outspoken but plain. In order to provide her father with the care he needs, she is forced to sell their home and move in with

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her aunt in Nashville. There she meets Marcus, who she assumes is an undergardener. But Marcus is not really the man she thinks he is (and she has her share of secrets, too). As they work together to help the widows and children in Nashville, they are also falling in love; however, both are engaged to other people out of political or financial necessity rather than love. Can Eleanor let go of her fears and follow her heart, and can Marcus leave his family obligations? This historical romance from a Christian publisher pits a strong female character against the societal expectations of her day. Fun reading about likeable characters and a cut above most books in this genre.

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Tamera Alexander has a marvelous way of weaving romantic tales with actual historical locations. I have become a fan of her novels, always expecting a great read, and A Beauty So Rare does not disappoint! This story is set in Nashville, at the Belmont Mansion in the aftermath of the Civil War.

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Adelicia Acklen is the mistress of Belmont and actually is a real person who was considered to be American Royalty throughout the South during the 19th Century.

The main character in this story is Eleanor Braddock. She is not a typical southern belle, and thinks of herself and plain and unappealing. Her life recently took a downward spiral, as so many lives did because of the war. Adelicia Acklen is Eleanor's aunt, by marriage. She invites Eleanor to live with her and expects her to be swept into her high society lifestyle. She also wants to settle her niece into a married life with an appropriate suitor. Eleanor is never comfortable with that, and is more concerned with those less fortunate. When she arrives at Belmont, Eleanor meets Marcus Geoffrey. He is employed by Adelicia and has a serious interest in botany. Marcus works on developing beautiful plants and flowers for the estate. He is also an architect and has dreams of building a grand and beautiful public building in Nashville. Thos dreams are dashed. Eleanor also has dreams, less grand, of opening a restaurant, which her aunt crushes. A lady of society would never consider cooking for others. It is simply not done! Both Eleanor and Marcus are also hiding secrets from their past. Marcus is not who he seems to be and is hiding his true identity. Eleanor does not want him to find out about her true circumstances in life. They both understand that they can't allow themselves to fall in love. Their hearts do not hold the same understanding.

Eleanor and Marcus are fascinated with each other and enjoy being in each other's company. The plot takes many turns and through it all, Marcus and Eleanor find they are, indeed, falling in love. It is a nearly impossible situation, yet they continue to depend on one another and become more and more emotionally entangled. Will their secrets be revealed? If they are, will Eleanor and Marcus be able to reconcile their pasts and find a life together? The deceit may be too much for both of them to work through. They may be forced to deny their true feelings and return to the duties and expectations waiting for them and be forever parted.

This is the second novel in the Belmont Mansion Series. Some characters reappear in A Beauty So Rare, but you do not need to have read the first book to enjoy the second. However, once you read one of Tamera Alexander’s novels, you will want to read all of them. She is a talented writer and always delivers a very enjoyable read.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from Bethany House, courtesy of Library Thing’s Early Reviewers program. This is my honest review and I highly recommend A Beauty So Rare!

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Eleanor Braddock reluctantly comes to live with her aunt Adelicia at Belmont Mansion in Nashville when her father's illness progresses and they no longer have the means to support themselves.
At Belmont she meets Marcus Gottfried and mistakes him for an undergardener. They develop a friendship that

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blooms into love but keep it hidden from others, including each other.
They both are keeping secrets from each other and others but are not able to tell them. Will they be able to be together?
I have enjoyed each novel I have read by Tamera Alexander, but this has been my favorite. I loved the transformation of Eleanor and the plans she had at the beginning of the novel. Our plans don't always turn out the way we expected they would!

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The second book in the Belmont Mansion trilogy. A historically set novel with rich detail, settings and well developed characters. The author transports you back in time effortlessly. The book is a bit on the longer side but it is well worth it. There is no wasted story line as all is woven into a

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beautiful and heart warming story

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A BEAUTY SO RARE by Tamera Alexander is an exciting Inspirational Historical Romance set in the post-Civil War era. #2 in "A Belmont Mansion Novel" series, but can be read as a stand alone. See, "A Lasting Impression".
Follow, Archduke Marcus Gottfried and Eleanor Braddock on their journey of

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discovery and the fact that what we want, is not always what God's deems best for us. Also,appearing is, Eleanor's aunt, Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America and most demanding.
Fast paced and filled with emotion, romance, secrets, faith, forgiveness, healing, and the power of true love.
Eleanor, is plain, nearly thirty, and has nothing to offer in the marriage market, but her father is ill, so she accepts her aunt's offer to live at Belmont House.
Marcus Geoffrey is hiding a secret, a very big secret. He can't risk anyone knowing his secret, for it could destroy all Marcus' longs for in life. Marcus' true passion is nature and architecture, which he excels in both.
With Civil War battle lines drawn, our country still in turmoil, Eleanor and Marcus face their greatest struggle yet, while dealing with their with romantic entanglements, and can they actually begin to achieve their dreams?
Fast paced tale of romance, and love! I enjoy Ms. Alexander's tales of romance and love. She draws the reader into her story and hold them spellbound to the very end and beyond. Her characters are truly realistic and believable, her storyline emotional and realistic. I would recommend A BEAUTY SO FAR to anyone who enjoys an awesome read. Rather, historical romance readers, or inspirational readers, you will find an emotionally charged tale that will leave you spellbound and intrigued from beginning to end. While, this is an inspirational historical Romance, it is not a "preachy" tale, but a tale of romance, passion and the power of faith and true love. Ms. Alexander manages to incorporate romance with actual historical facts. What a treat! Received for an honest review.
RATING: 4.5
HEAT RATING: SWEET
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, courtesy of My Book Addiction and More

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The book is about a young, never been married, woman. She is approaching her 30th birthday in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Eleanor's life is crumbling around her. Her father has dementia. This led to the sale of their home and institutionalization for her father. She is taken in by her

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wealthy and influential aunt, Adelicai Acklen Cheatham.

Eleanor has a plan for her life. She has it figured out. Unfortunately, her plans do not go hand in hand with the plans of the people around her, or with the plan the Lord has for her. One of the themes that I found in the book is that need to be flexible. To take the rocks thrown at you and make something useful and lasting from them. Sometimes the path we end up taking in life has more value than the plan that we had carefully plot for ourselves.

Another theme that I found is the willingness to help others. Eleanor found herself in a situation to do good for the widows and children around her. She made a difference in their lives. She gave succor and enriched them in ways that made a lasting impact. She saw a need and filled the need. The Lord worked through her to help his children. It reminds me that God is always mindful of his children and their needs. Sometimes he inspires others to step up and be his hands.

The mentally ill are a large theme of the book. Two of the main characters, Eleanor and Marcus, are dealing with the aftermath of loved ones who suffer. Eleanor's father has dementia, or Alzheimer's. My Grandmother had this disease. It is heartbreaking. I admit that towards the end, I couldn't handle it. Fortunately, my angel of a sister was one of the nurses who took care of her at the end. The other is premature death by one's own hand. My husband's sister committed suicide about a year and a half after we were married. I witnessed the devastation that it causes and how it can alter a life path for the better or worse. Fortunately, in the book it was for the better.

The last theme that I want to address is beauty. To look upon Eleanor, most people didn't find her true beauty. The saw the outer layer and didn't bother to look in and see the beauty inside. She was considered plain, but she had such a majesty of character that made her shine.

This book is a gem. It is well written and delivers several powerful messages. There is romance, but I didn't find it the center of the book. It is a great asset to the book. I was pleased with the pacing of the romance. The characters didn't instantly fall in love. It was a process that developed from friendship.

This book has many levels to ponder. I give it a high recommendation. This is the first book of Tamera Alexander's that I have had the pleasure to read. It won't be the last. I will be looking for the opportunity to read her books in the future.

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I love Tamera Alexander. She is one of my favorite authors and she doesn't disappoint in A Beauty So Rare. This is book 2 in the Belmont Mansion Series. What's not to love: a dashingly handsome foreign archduke and a spunky, strong woman set against a background of a beautiful estate of Belmont.

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The book starts out a little slow, but keep reading and you will enjoy it as much as I did. Good choice for a rainy day.

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A Beauty So Rare, or a woman that feels she is ugly and out of options as far as marriage goes. How sad, and on top of all her brilliant lawyer father, is suffering from dementia. She is now forced to sell her family home, and place her father in a mental hospital, and this is breaking her heart.

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She was raised with the proverbial silver spoon, and comes from affluent society, and cultured up bringing. Her Aunt by marriage to a deceased Uncle, is coming to her rescue for a short time, and helping with her father. So we enter and now live in Belmont Mansion in Nashville, Tennessee, and here is splendor that we walk and enjoy with Eleanor Braddock. Through her I could almost smell the beauty of the flowers in the conservatory.
The War Between the States has just ended and people are trying hard to get back to some normalcy of life. We travel the streets here in Nashville, seeing the differences in the people with much and the people with nothing. We also meet Archduke Marcus Gottfried, or Marcus Geoffrey as he is know by all here in the States. He is described as one very handsome, easy on the eyes, fellow. He has a gift in building and designing and working as an architect and on a side note, his passion seems to be botany, which brings him to be working at Belmont.
Of course these two, Eleanor and Marcus are thrown together at various times, and you will love the compassion shown by both to various people, and unknown to one another some of the same people. Come and join them as they bicker and travel through the tunnel under the Conservatory, and although the book is rather long, you will hate for it to end. Not wanting to leave it, for real life, and wanting to know what is going to happen. Enjoy, I did!!

I received this book through the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.

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I own every single one of Tamera Alexander's books. She writes well and I've loved everyone. But this one....it's her absolute best! All 480 pages were just terrific.

Eleanor Braddock is nearly 30, plain and has nothing to offer in the marriage market. Her father is ill and she accepts her Aunt

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Adelicia Acklin's offer to come live with her at Belmont Mansion. Eleanor has no interest in the little teas and parties her aunt has planned for her, but feels she must consent since she is living off her aunt's charity. Her heart lies elsewhere, but she is doomed to disappointment. Her dream does not ever seem it will come true.

Marcus Geoffrey is hiding a secret, a very deep secret. He can't risk anyone knowing this secret,either. Marcus's passion is for nature and architecture and he is indeed talented in this area. Things just don't seem to cooperate for his dream, either.

Eleanor and Marcus begin work on a widow and children's home but they can't seem to agree on everything. They begin to develop feelings for one another but Eleanor knows her aunt will never approve of this. Besides, Marcus is not free. Or is he?

Tamera Alexander has a way of creating characters that seem so real they nearly jump off the pages. This book was so rich and full, like nothing I'd ever read. I cherished every sentence.

This book is Christian fiction and a romance. Some Christian fiction authors push the envelope way too far to remain a clean novel. Tamera Alexander never does that. She manages to create romance just with a conversation. I loved that this book was clean but still romantic.

Also, in the spiritual realm, the reader learns that what we want and long for and know is best for us is not always God's best for us. Instead, He gives us far richer dreams that we ever even dreamed of. (Ephesians 3:20.) It was wonderful to watch Eleanor and Marcus discover this. God blessed them with HIS plans for them far more than they wanted themselves. God's good like that.

I ached for these two as they suffered with their plans being cast down. I ached for them as they realized they could not ever realize their hopes with each other. But I also rejoice and yes, wept, with them as God blessed them in so many little ways throughout this book.

I wanted to read quickly to finish this book, but I tried to savor it as it should be savored. I know that when I pick up a Tamera Alexander book, I'm in for a treat. And her books always minister to me in some way. Never fails. Now I have to wait another year to read another of her good books.

This book is worth every penny and every moment spent reading.

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Reading Progress

03/18 marked as: to-read

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This is a post-Civil War inspirational novel based in Nashville, of Eleanor, an unusually tall and considered plain, thirty-year-old daughter, of a prominent attorney. She struggles with her father's dementia and their dwindling funds. She has served as a nurse during the Civil War, and now must

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find suitable placement for her dad, and create a meaningful life for herself, while dependent on the kindness of a wealthy aunt, to provide a home for her. The aunt considers it is her duty to find Eleanor a suitable husband. Eleanor creates a mission to feed widows and their children after the aunt refuses to fund Eleanor's opening a restaurant, which was Eleanor's first hope. There is a dashing archduke from Austria, who is hiding his royalty, and serving as a botanist for the rich aunt as well as an architect. He becomes Eleanor's confidante and best friend, though there are secrets and complications to the relationship. The first 200 pages of this book are slow-moving, but the last half redeems itself in holding the reader's interest and becomes quite interesting.

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An engaging and thoughtfully-written inspirational historical romance, "A Beauty So Rare" is a reader's treat from talented author Tamera Alexander. This the second book her "Belmont Mansion" series, which is set in Nashville, Tennessee in the Civil War Era. Expertly blending fact and fiction, the

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author tells the story of Eleanor Braddock, a young woman who considers herself too plain to marry. Eleanor devotes herself to the well-being of others, working as a nurse during the Civil War, and then caring for her ill father. Financial circumstances and her father's increasingly confused mental state force Eleanor to sell the family home and place her father in medical institution. Seeking assistance from her wealthy aunt, Adelicia Acklen, Eleanor comes to live at her aunt's fabulous home, Belmont Mansion. Uninterested in her aunt's efforts at matchmaking, Eleanor concentrates on her plan to build a home for those who were widowed and orphaned by the Civil War. Marcus Geoffrey is a botanist, an architect, and a man with a very big secret. He is really Archduke Marcus Gottfried--Austrian royalty--and his time in America is limited. While there, however, he is determined to learn as much about the lives and lifestyles of the common people as possible. At the same time, he is making the most of his natural talents, helping to repair some of the devastation left behind in the war-torn South. When Marcus begins working with Eleanor to make her dream of a home for war widows and orphans come true, the two of them are often in conflict. There is more to the sparks flying between them than opposing opinions, though, and as mutual respect grows, attraction blooms. Eleanor and Marcus come from vastly different worlds, and society and royal dictates are mighty obstacles to overcome. With two hearts now so deeply connected, can love find a way to blend the best of both worlds and forge a whole new life filled with happiness? "A Beauty So Rare" is a fascinating and compelling read, sure to please lovers of history and romance alike.

Review Copy Gratis Library Thing

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Tamara Alexander isn't usually an author I will read. I just can't get into her work. But, that said, this book was really great! I loved the rich detail to the historical elements and the deep, emotional story line. Ms. Alexander made the book pop to life for me and the characters quickly stole my

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heart! I definitely can recommend this book with a smile on my face!

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This book was a little lengthy but it needed to be to develop all the characters. This book is second in the Belmont series. Eleanor Braddock was a nurse in the Civil War. She stays with a dying soldier and hears his last words. He gives her a hankerchief. She would like to find his widow and tell

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the widow about her husband's last moments but this is not the major theme in the book. Nothing much of this is mentioned until the end but I won't give that away to spoil it for the reader. Eleanor has seen much tragedy. . Her father was once a prominent lawyer but his mind is quickly fading and she must put him in the care of the asylum. She must sell the home estate to take care of his father so this depletes her financial resources. She must go to live with her cousin Adelicia Acklen, one of the wealthiest women in the USA at the time. Eleanor is considered plain but has inner beauty. Her cousin tries to set her up with somebody worthy of her station in life. Meanwhile she is attracted to the gardener and develops a deep friendship with him but he is not free and he is not really a humble gardener. He has royal roots. Although there is attraction between the both of them he may not be free to pursue the friendship. I feel I have given too much of the plot away but may I have given enough to whet a reader's interest.

One of the reason I enjoyed this book was that it takes place in Nashville, Tennessee which was where I was born and raised. I am familiar with many of the locations mentioned in the book.

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One of a series where the author is featuring famous Southern Plantations as the setting for her historical romance novels. This time it is Belmont Mansion near Nashville, where our heroine, Eleanor, is forced to move after her brother is killed fighting for the South. Now that the war is over her

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Aunt--the wealthy and strong-willed Adelicia Acklen--is determined to find her a suitable husband. Eleanor has her own ideas about how she wants to run her life, however, and she is determined to fulfill her desires to open a home for war widows. After some awkward encounters with Marcus Gottfried, a master botanist who is working for her Aunt to develop a new rose hybrid, she discovers he has some architectural experience that will be helpful to her on her secret project. But what will happen when her Aunt finds out what they are up to?
This was an enjoyable read with an uplifting message about the true beauty of doing good in the world. I found some aspects of the plot unrealistic. I doubt Eleanor could have gotten away with as much as she did, and the author stretched history quite a bit to make Marcus secretly a member of the house of Habsburg. Still, such things happen in romance books and it does make for a pleasant and uplifting diversion. I would suggest this to fans of romances, especially historical romances with characters who are morally upright.

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Wow, what an emotional journey! My second Tamera Alexander book , this novel just again illustrates how well this woman can write poignant romance and just suck her readers right to the end of the story. There was not a moment where I wasn't either crying or soaring on the wings of love in this

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novel. To me, one of the most important aspects of a novel is if it gets me emotionally involved with the characters and their struggles. This book meets all expectations there!

I really liked the main heroine in this one. She's not your usual beautiful vixen with a heart of gold who only wants to be loved. Eleanor's a little plain, older, very sensible, and is very aware that romance and marriage may not be in her future. She's got plans and the gumption to strive for those plans. I admired her strength of character and her courage as she took on society's expectations of what a proper lady in her station should do and say and just did what she thought was right and needed to be done. This is the kind of romantic heroine I can get behind!

If you want a good romance story that involves you emotions, then look no further. This book has just solidified my adoration for Tamera Alexander as a woman who can write incredible romance while still keeping the characters out of tropes and just vivid in her reader's minds. Definitely checking out other books by this author!

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After losing her brother during the American Civil War, Eleanor helps out with those who have just come from the battlefield. Later she finds a new calling when she starts feeding war widows and their children then makes plans to house them. Thrown into this mix is Austrian archduke in hiding

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Marcus, who is working with Eleanor's aunt, Adelicia Acklen of Belmont Mansion, to breed a new rose while experiencing life as a 'common' man. On the side he is working on a new breed of potato that isn't struck down by the dreaded blight, also running his own construction company and submitting radical new building plans to the local council. Eleanor is impoverished and nearly thirty year of age. Her father is suffering from dementia and has had to be placed into an institution near to Belmont Mansion. Eleanor's options are limited, and when her aunt arranges a marriage for her she is tempted to say yes. Okay read.

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A Beauty so Rare made my favorite's list. I have long been a Tamera Alexander fan and this book reminded me why. Like most of the authors's books, this is a lengthy read(a trait I adore in a book) but worth every page.
I fell in love with Eleanor from the beginning with her witty, sense of humor

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and her selfless, determined spirit. She also had enough humanistic flaws to make her a very real and believable character.
Marcus, the story's "knight in shinning armor", is a worthy hero. I love the interaction between Marcus and Eleanor. At first Eleanor mistakes Marcus for an under gardener, a mistake he allows to go uncorrected. Needless to say there is a lot of banter and chemistry between the two that makes for a truly enjoyable read. The story line flows well and the secondary characters add a lot of depth to the novel.
This is a book I would highly recommend.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through a' giveaway. All opinions are my own.

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Eleanor Braddock's arrival at Belmont Mansion relieves some financial difficulties, but presents a new set of complications. Her wealthy and demanding aunt, Adelicia Acklen, provides her with a place to stay as well as proper care for her ailing father. However, Eleanor longs for more than an

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arranged marriage to a rich suitor of her aunt's choosing. She finds purpose and passion in serving the widows and orphans of the Civil War, but her endeavor brings her closer to Marcus Gottfried, an architect, botanist and man of secrets. Eleanor and Marcus have very different ideas about how to house the widows and orphans, yet even as they disagree, romance seems to unexpectedly arise. Read more in A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander.

A Beauty So Rare is the newest installment in Tamera Alexander's Belmont Mansion series. Though it's the second book of the series, it works fine as a stand-alone novel. I hadn't read the first one and didn't feel like I was missing anything. In traditional Tamera Alexander style, the book is long with plenty of twists, but the story never drags or becomes boring. I liked the character of Adelicia Acklen, but kept wishing someone would flat-out refuse to acquiesce to her. There was plenty character development for most of the characters and the romance was sweet. I recommend to fans of historical Christian fiction.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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."

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The Synopsis:

“Eleanor Braddock, a spinster–plain, practical, no stunning Southern beauty–has long since dismissed any hope of marriage. But when a dying soldier whispers his final words, she believes her life can still have meaning and determines to find his widow. But this compassionate

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deed takes a harsh turn, and Eleanor finds herself dependent upon the richest woman in America and the most despised woman in Nashville–her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, mistress of Belmont Mansion. A clandestine act of kindness leads Eleanor to an unlikely path for her life–building a home for destitute widows and children from the Civil War. And while Eleanor knows her own heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve.

Gerhard Marcus Gottfried, Archduke of the House of Habsburg and fourth in line to the Austrian throne, arrives in Nashville in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Collaborating with botanist Luther Burbank, Marcus seeks to combine his own passion for nature with his expertise in architecture. But his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widow’s and children’s home run contrary to the wishes of practical, frugal Eleanor, who sees his ideas as costly nonsense.

Yet as the construction project continues, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground–and a love neither of them expected. But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor to marry, and even if he were, someone who knows Marcus’s secrets is about to reveal them all.“

My Review:

This book is fantastic! Absolutely in my top 5! I knew this book was going to be good as soon as I saw the cover (about the cover, I have always wanted to know how the covers are made so perfectly to match the book, well, here is a blog link to the photo-shoot that was taken specifically for A Beauty So Rare. Enjoy!)

Okay, to my review! The characters in this book were amazing! If you have been following my blog for a while, you probably have it figured out that the characters are always the first thing I look for in a good book, and these were some of the best I have ever read about! The story itself also kept me reading and I loved the setting.

Subplots are also a big deal to me, I sometimes find myself wishing for the subplot to be solved before the overall story is complete! Anyways, A Beauty So Rare has one of the best subplots I have ever read. It wasn’t overwhelming the story but you were reminded of it every now and again, keeping you hoping for a good ending. It was also surprising, totally did not see it coming!

The only things that might keep this book at an older audience, are:

A background character commits suicide, but there are no details whatsoever, no one even knows why this characters did so… Also, there is kissing and a few “thoughts” on being married on Eleanor’s part, but those are very few.

Again, I loved this book and highly, highly, highly, recommend it to anyone and everyone!

“I received this book from Bethany House publishing for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are my own.”

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Eleanor is tall, nearly 30 years old, and in possession of a dream: to own a restaurant.

Marcus Geoffrey is taller, older, and in possession of a secret: he’s a archduke of Austria and second in line to the throne.

Post-Civil War Nashville and the Belmont Mansion is the setting for Tamera

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Alexander’s newest historical romance. I loved other books I’ve read by her and was eager to get to A Beauty So Rare.

I love how layered and deeply textured Tamera’s characters and plots are. She uses many true historical details to add authenticity and the books are the richer for it.

Eleanor never feels like a stereotypical spinster. She’s a real woman who’s given up on finding love and being married and having a family. Marcus is a fine hero, caring and considerate. Since this is a romance, it’s clear they will end up together, the fun is in how they get there.

Although Eleanor’s dream of a restaurant is quashed almost immediately, she soon sees that God has an even better idea. A thank you dinner for a few friends grows until Eleanor is feeding a host of Nashville’s widows and children. Along the way she navigates Nashville society, an arranged marriage, and tending to her father’s failing health.

Marcus also harbors a dream: creating a blight-resistant hybrid potato and designing a building acclaimed for its beauty as well as its practicality. I thought his two passions were very different and wasn’t sure how Alexander could marry them in one man. But he’s a archduke and therefore very accomplished. I believed he’d be passionate about both endeavors.

As Marcus and Eleanor spend time together (and after she realizes he’s not the Belmont under gardener) their hearts are knit together as surely as a scarlet wool scarf.

I highly recommend A Beauty So Rare to anyone who loves romances, historicals, or just plain just books.

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I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. Done and done.

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