Summary: Beauty among Ruins by J'nell Ciesielski
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? (from Goodreads).
My thoughts about this captivating historical
Beauty among Ruins is the standalone novel by J'nell Ciesielski, published by Thomas Nelson. The year is 1915 and we
follow socialite Lily Durham when she is sent to
England as punishment for having played too many tricks on her parents. They hope
she will find an eligible husband, but Lily takes position as nurse’s
aid at Kinclavoch Castle convalescent home for
WWI soldiers in Scotland. The matron thinks her an air-head unable to do any
kind of real work and challenges her with the worst assignments. But Lily is
adamant to help and proves to have excellent bedside manner and a knack for
keeping the patient’s spirits up.
The Laird, Alec MacGregor is weighed down by financial problems, but Lily’s zest for life manages to get him out of his dark place and improve his courage.Someone seems to be working to ruin the estate. What seems like accidents happen and a patient goes missing. Lily and Alec grow closer as they work to figure out who is responsible.
Main character is socialite Lily Durham who
outward has a zest for life but inward suffers raging insecurities. I feel for
her as she has heard all her life that her only purpose in life is to make a
good marriage. In this story her character goes through an impressive
development and she starts to see a new purpose.
Supporting
character is Alec MacGregor, Lord Strathem of Kinclavoch whose character starts
out as a brooding recluse. He worries about his estate and his constant leg
pain. His character goes through a personal development as he has a shift
in his emotions and view of life.
I felt this plot stood out with its interesting setting
in Scotland and the placing of the entitled main character in an environment
where she has to overcome more challenges than merely finding a husband. Taking
place in a castle gave it a vibe reminiscent to Downton Abby; only more run
down due to financial troubles. The brooding recluse of a Laird also made me
think of the initial part of Beauty and The Beast. The combination of the interesting
mystery part and the slow burn romance, including vivid descriptions of the
scenery around the Castle, transferred me to the Scottish Highlands, where I
hope to go some day. Very hard to decide if my favorite part was the mystery or
the slow burn romance. Both were captivating and excellently written . I loved the funny dialogue between Lily and
Alec and found it fascinating to follow the development of their relationship as
they ruffled each other’s feathers and challenged each other’s vulnerabilities.
I think they both were favorite characters. The surprising and amusing part
where Lily’s parents showed up I thoroughly enjoyed.
Anyone
who enjoys WWI historical romances with a bit of a unique twist will enjoy this
one. Similar authors to explore might be Abigail Wilson or Michelle Griep. Thank
you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this opportunity to share my honest
review. All opinions are completely my own.
Conclusion: Beauty
among Ruins is the captivating, unique historical romance set in a Scottish castle
converted to WWI soldier’s convalescent home where an American socialite finds romance
while mysterious things happen.
Rating: 5 stars / 5
You can get your copy here
Barnes & Noble Audio mp3 on CD
Book Details
Published January 12th 2021 by Thomas Nelson (first published January 2021)
ISBN 0785233563 (ISBN13: 9780785233565)
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