Blog Tour; Beauty Among Ruins by J’nell Ciesielski ~ Review.

Hello, Sunshines, I have the huge pleasure to be apart of the blog tour for the utterly stunning; Beauty Among Ruins by J’nell Ciesielski. I can’t wait to share my review of this beautiful book with you all. Firstly, I want to say thank you to Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours for the invite to this tour. Now, lets have a look at the book…

About the Book

Beauty Among Ruins by J’nell Ciesielski

Publication Date: January 12, 2021

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Format: Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Scottish

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?

‘A Scottish lord and an American socialite discover love during WWI in this gorgeous historical romance from Ciesielski (The Socialite)…The undercurrent of mystery and Ciesielski’s unflinching approach to the harsh realities of wartime only enhance the love story. Readers are sure to be impressed.’ –Publishers Weekly

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

Review

I can’t fully put into words just how stunning this book is, everything I love in historical romance/fiction is here; top-notch history, romance, wild, unruly free-thinking women, brooding highlanders, Scotland, drama, a mesmerising and emotional plot which really buried itself into my heart plus it’s set in WW1 – I think everyone knows by now how much I love reading stories set in this era – it has everything, there isn’t a single thing I didn’t love about it.

Even though I have featured the talented J’nell Ciesielski on the blog before, this is the first of her books I have read – I have no idea how her books have passed me by for so long, I feel I have been missing out on something very special and now I can’t to discover more of her incredible stories.

The story starts in New York, 1914 where American heiress; Lily Durham is basically running wild, she is a free-spirited young woman who just wants to have some fun. She feels constrained and bored by the rules, she isn’t a bad person just needs to focus all that energy and her lively mind. But alas her family deeply disapprove and she is banished to live in England to stay with distant relatives, as suddenly as she has stepped foot in British the Great War erupts and she finds herself stuck. It’s in these times when a person really finds their purpose and their passion and this is exactly what happened with our Lily, she trains as a nurse and is soon sent on her first posting, one which will change her life.

She is posted to the ramshackle, but still beautiful Kinclavock castle in Scotland which is being used as a convalescence home for injured soldiers, Lily is a good person she throws herself into anything she sets her mind to and I do think she has a real gift for nursing, she genuinely cares. Once there she meets the brooding, monosyllabic and lonely Laird of the castle; Alec MacGregor and soon there is romance and love in the air.

I really, really, really love Alec (for those who know me, that comes as no surprise) he is your stereotypical brooding highlander laird, he thinks everyone sees him as a coward because he can’t go to war as the so many other men around the have due to his leg injury, on top of the hostility he thinks is at every corner he has financial issues which could make him lose everything he has. No wonder our poor Alec is always lurking in the shadows like a bad-tempered ghost, then with the arrival of a way too chirpy and spirited young American who tantalises him beyond compare, no wonder he’s always grumpy, then add in a mystery and well Alec is a constant state of brooding grumbling frustration.

This book really spoke to me, it crept under my defences and hunkered down in the centre of this little book lover’s heart and refuses to let go. I was first taken by the beautiful cover – which I shouldn’t need to elaborate more, just look at that cover!! Then add into the mix WW1 and a complex cast of character’s set in one of the most beautiful places in the world; bonny Scotland and I were hooked.

I knew that this would be an excellent read and that was just judging by the back blurb, but my expectations were completely blown out of the water at just how exceptionally moving and mesmerizing this book is.

Beauty Among Ruins is a sparkling love story, which is beautifully written and captivatingly entwined with mystery, history and drama!

About the Author

With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. Winner of the Romance Through the Ages Award and the Maggie Award, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle.

Learn more at www.jnellciesielski.com.

You can also find J’nell on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Wednesday, January 6 Review at Pursuing Stacie

Thursday, January 7 Review at Read Review Rejoice

Friday, January 8 Review at The Green Mockingbird

Saturday, January 9 Review at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, January 11 Review at Jorie Loves A Story

Tuesday, January 12 Interview at Books & Benches

Wednesday, January 13 Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Thursday, January 14 Excerpt at Heidi Reads

Friday, January 15 Review at The Lit Bitch / Review at Amy’s Booket List

Saturday, January 16 Review at Nursebookie

Monday, January 18 Review at Books, Cooks, Looks

Tuesday, January 19 Guest Post at Novels Alive

Wednesday, January 20 Review at Novels Alive

Thursday, January 21 Review at Hallie Reads

Friday, January 22 Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Giveaway

We have 5 paperback copies of Beauty Among Ruins up for grabs!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on January 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Follow link to enter – Beauty Among The Ruins

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