Kimberly T. (HeartsongChica) reviewed on 4/15/2014

Helpful Score: 1

I wasn't sure that anything could top Tamera's first Belmont Mansion novel, A Lasting Impression, but I grew to love Eleanor and Marcus. A Beauty So Rare is now my favorite of Tamera's novels. Both books can be read independently of each other. I loved how Tamera was able to weave together Belmont's conservatory, Nashville's flood of Civil War widows and their children, Gregor Mendel's work on heredity, Luther Burbank's work improving potatoes, Dorothea Dix and her work advocating for the mentally ill, and Austrian royalty, yet it all made sense in A Beauty So Rare. The story moved quickly and kept me eagerly reading to find out what would happen to Eleanor and Marcus next, however there were times where I had trouble finding the meaning of the German phrases in the context of the book, and that slowed me down. Each time Eleanor was summoned to speak with her aunt Adelicia, my heart was in my throat, hoping she wouldn't be scolded too badly. Adelicia was an intimidating woman, to be sure! Eleanor's yummy cooking kept me hungry while I read, too. You can find recipes on Tamera's website. If you enjoy historical Christian fiction, I highly recommend that you snag this story quickly.

With thanks to Bethany House publishers for my free review copy.

Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details