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.
From USA Today bestselling author Tamera Alexander comes a moving historical novel about a bold young woman drawn to a group of people forgotten by Nashville society–and to the one man with whom she has no business falling in love.
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Sexual Content - 1/5
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Violence - /5
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Language - /5
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Drugs and Alcohol - /5
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Summary
A Beauty So Rare is the second novel in Tamera Alexander's A Belmont Mansion series. Set in postCivil War Nashville, the novel focuses on the plight of Civil War widows and their children while at the same time unfolding the story of nearly thirty year old Eleanor Braddock, who has never been wed and is left to care for her father who is suffering with dementia. Fortunately for Eleanor, she is the niece of Adelicia Acklen, owner of Belmont plantation. Another major character is Marcus Geoffrey, whom the reader discovers has a royal background he is running away from. As usual, Ms. Alexander does a masterful job in developing her characters and seamlessly injecting reallife events into their fictional lives. The reader will gain much understanding of the struggles and prejudices of the Southern society during the time period from reading the novel. The strong plot line keeps the reader interested until the very end.