Beauty Among Ruins

GIVEAWAY

CIESIELSKI, J'NELL

BEAUTY AMONG RUINS

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?

My Review:

Well now, that was both expected and unexpected and I loved every second of this read, rejoicing in some familiar tropes even as they morphed in surprising ways. There's tons I'd like to say and lots I won't  because...spoilers. But there's lots of meat to this gritty WWI novel that would be fun to hash out in a book club chat.

There's a kind of Beauty and the Beast vibe to Lily and Alec's romance. She's a spirited, lively, savor-every-moment distraction that Alec doesn't need. He's...well...beastly in some ways. Taciturn, moody and gruff (seriously -- a brooding Scottish hero? I am so in!!!!) As Lily puts it: "Do you always wake up on the wrong side of pleasant?" Bwahahaha!

I wasn't sure about Lily at first -- she seemed flighty and self-absorbed and such a product of her heiress status, ready to defy authority just to be contrary. But I soon discovered there was so much more to her impulsive actions. She's quite naive, really, and eager to help, just not always in the way the stern Matron expects her to. There's some great humorous moments thanks to Lily's impetuosity. And plenty of reasons for Alec to become exasperated and even more surly...but intrigued as well. And that's where the magic happens, in all this tantalizing romantical tension. Toe curls are inevitable and keeping smelling salts handy advisable. 

But there's treachery and danger afoot along with drama galore and the author kept me in an agitated state right to very the last word. Mercy, but I nearly had conniptions multiple times!

The only thing missing is a faith thread, which I discovered is deliberate. Thomas Nelson is encouraging/supporting some of its authors to write for the general market. They still have fiction authors who will be writing Christian Fiction, but they also have a number who I'd label clean reads with no obvious inspirational content of which J'Nell Ciesielski is one. 

It's a win/win for the publisher as they can increase their sales by appealing to a broader market which will, in turn, provide them the funds to continue supporting their Christian Fiction authors. I just wish they would market the clean reads differently so consumers expecting CF aren't caught unawares. 

If you'd like to learn more about this or just hear a fascinating interview with J'Nell Ciesielski, check out this great Because...Fiction podcast hosted by author Chautona Havig:

https://becausefictionpodcast.com/episode-42-a-chat-with-jnell-ciesielski

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Beauty Among the Ruins, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winners announced on Saturday April 3  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!