A Beauty So Rare (Belmont Mansion, #2) by Tamera Alexander

Pink is not what Eleanor Braddock ordered, but maybe it would soften the tempered steel of a woman who came through a war--and still had one to fight.

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.


About The Author

Tamera Alexander

Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist whose works have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors, including the Christy Award, the RITA Award, and the Carol Award. After seventeen years in Colorado, Tamera and her husband have returned to their native South and live in Tennessee, where they enjoy spending time with their two grown children.

Tamera invites you visit her website, her blog, on Twitter, or Facebook.

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My Review:

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. 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.