Book Review: A Beauty so Rare by Tamera Alexander

Eleanor Braddock–plain, practical, no stunning Southern beauty–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.

What I Loved: I’ll be honest, I had mixed feelings about this book for the first half of it. While I connected and cared about the characters, the story felt extremely slow for me. I was tempted to set it aside but persevered, and, I must say, I’m very grateful that I did! From the very beginning, I enjoyed watching Marcus and Eleanor together and this only improved as the story continued. By the ending, I had forgotten why I struggled so much in the beginning and thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe the problem was slow building tension or maybe it was just me. Either way, I’m glad that I had finally read it.
As always with Tamera Alexander, you can expect a rich historic setting and she doesn’t disappoint here.

Rating and Recommendation: I’m giving A Beauty so Rare 5 stars and recommending it to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Fiction.