"A Beauty So Rare" by Tamera Alexander

About this book:

  “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 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.”


 Series: “Belmont Mansion” book #2. Can be a stand-alone novel. (book #1, “A Lasting Impression” here!)

Spiritual Content- Prayers are said; Eleanor & Marcus have a Faith and trust the Lord in their lives.

Negative Content- In the prologue, Eleanor is a nurse and there’s a bit of blood, but it’s not detailed.

Sexual Content- A couple kisses (one lightly detailed)

-Eleanor Braddock

-Marcus Gottfried

                                         P.O.V. switches between them.
                                                              471 pages (!!)

                                          Set in 1868 (Prologue in 1864)

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Pre & New Teens- 

(only because it’s a large book with a pretty deep story line)

High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

Reading the first book in the “Belmont Mansion” series, “A Lasting Impression” got me hooked me Miss Tamera Alexander’s writing- as soon as I finished “A Lasting Impression” I was counting down the days till the next book in the series “A Beauty So Rare”. When that day came and the mailman handed me the package…well this was my reaction:

 

Excited? Who, me? Maybe a LOT! ;)

Miss Tamera Alexander has put “Visit Belmont Mansion” on my Bucket List- and the way she makes you feel like you’re there I could almost check off that I’ve been there! I cannot wait till 2015 when the next book in the “Belmont Mansion” series comes out. :)

And if you’re like me, I love seeing behind the scenes of how the author wrote this book:

And if I didn’t sell you on this book yet (which I totally should have by now) how about watching the Book Trailer?

Annnnd! Miss Tamera & Bethany House Publishing is doing an awesome giveaway! Ends 4/8/14! Click on the picture to go to the link!

See you on Friday for the continuation of our Countdown!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher for this review. (But I was going to buy it with my own money- I was that excited about this book!)