Beauty Among Ruins by J'nell Ciesielski

 

In Ciesielski’s latest sweeping romance, an American heiress finds herself in Scotland amid the fallout of the Great War, and a wounded Scottish laird comes face-to-face with his past and a woman he never could have expected.

American socialite Lily Durham is known for enjoying one moment to the next, with little regard for the consequences of her actions. But just as she is banished overseas to England as a “cure” for her frivolous ways, the Great War breaks out and wreaks havoc. She joins her cousin in nursing the wounded at a convalescent home deep in the wilds of Scotland at a crumbling castle where its laird is less than welcoming.

Alec MacGregor has given his entire life to preserving his home of Kinclavoch Castle, but mounting debts force him to sell off his family history bit by bit. Labeled a coward for not joining his countrymen in the trenches due to an old injury, he opens his home to the Tommies to make recompense while he keeps to the shadows. But his preference for the shadows is shattered when a new American nurse comes streaming into the castle on a burst of light.

Lily and Alec are thrown together when a series of mysterious events threatens to ruin the future of Kinclavoch. Can they put aside their differences to find the culprit before it’s too late, or will their greatest distraction be falling in love?

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About The Author

 With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. Winner of the Romance Through the Ages and the Maggie Award, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle. Learn more at www.jnellciesielski.com. 

 

My Review

An American Heiress is sent to England and her mother’s cousin, in hopes she will grow up and return home and marry well.
We get to meet Lilly Durham, and enjoy her vibrant personality, and her caring personality. She goes out of the way to try and help all, especially the sick and injured.
She ends up with her cousin Bertie, as a nurses aid taking care of the injured men returning from the trenches of on the Continent, during WWI, and she ends up scrubbing urinals and folding sheets, along with caring for the men.
Lilly also meets, and gets rejected by Alec MacGregor, Lord Strathem, all the while staying at a picturesque castle that has seen better days. Then strange and sometimes dangerous things begin to happen, and we are watching along with others looking for answers.
We meet some famous people, with big hearts, and we there when one of the soldiers is kidnapped on his way to the make shift hospital, and then there are leaking ceilings, sick horses, fires, along with some happy times.
We are also invited to a party, and see some sweet romance, but with all that is going on, including a war, will all of these folks even make it to the end of this book?
A sweet read reminiscent of Downton Abbey, and you will be quickly turning pages for answers.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.