Beauty Among Ruins by J'nell Ciesielski
Publication Date: January 12, 2021
Thomas Nelson
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
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Excerpt
Creeping through
the back door, Lily Durham slipped across the black-and-white tiled kitchen and
checked the hallway before scurrying up the stairs to the main floor.
Moonlight
washed over the parquet walnut floors that the white-tied men and shimmering-gowned
women of New York society had glided across earlier in the evening. The last
bash of the season before the wealthy retired to their summer homes in Newport
had been quite a feast for the eyes and ears. No expense was spared to bring in
the most fashionable delicacies and highly acclaimed musicians on the Eastern Seaboard
for a party that reeled in extravagance as the epitome of society’s merriment.
And a complete
bore compared to the hullabaloo offered in the servants’ hall. What girl wouldn’t
seize the chance to toss off her pinching satin shoes and kick up her heels for
an hour of unrestrained frivolity?
Lily took off
the lacy white maid’s cap and skipped up the sweeping carpeted staircase. Her
feet ached after all the running around, but nights like this were worth blistered
heels and pinched toes. The summer was to bring nothing but hot days and
evenings filled with boring card games.
She tiptoed
down the hall, careful to avoid the squeaky places lest someone wake up and
demand to know why she was returning after all had gone to bed. Sliding into
her room, she eased the door shut behind her and sighed with relief. Not a soul
was wiser to her midnight rendezvous.
“I sent you to
bed over an hour ago.”
flooded the
room. Still dressed in her ruby-red silk gown and glittering diamond earrings,
Mrs. Durham stood as still as a marble statue in front of Lily’s vanity.
“Oh, Mother.”
Lily flung the maid’s cap on her feather pillow before flouncing down on the
bed. “Can’t we talk about this tomorrow? I feel much better prepared for battle
after a good night’s sleep.”
“Don’t take
that tone with me, young lady. Where have you been? And dressed like a
housemaid?”
“The servants
would have recognized me in a ball gown, and those who do know my face were
good enough to keep it to themselves lest they spoil the fun.”
“If your father
had seen you—”
“Father never
notices me unless there’s a chance to snag the latest eligible bachelor.” Lily
untied the apron she had borrowed from the maid’s closet and leaned over to
unbuckle the black patent shoes. “You can tell him I tried tonight, but Vincent
Astor is recently taken, and Jakey won’t inherit his trust fund for a number of
years.”
“That is it!”
Mrs. Durham stamped her dainty foot on the thick, white carpet. Her sharp
aristocratic nose flared red. “I have tried and tried, but you push us too far.
I hoped your debut into proper society two years ago would settle you down to
the matter you were intended for: making a suitable match. No man will take a
girl who laughs too much as a wife, and before long they’ll pass you over
completely for a girl of more tender age.”
“Eighteen is
hardly in danger of spinsterhood.”
“Your
frivolities will bring nothing but shame on this house.”
The shoe
slipped from Lily’s cold hand. This speech had sent a quiver through her heart
many times before, but tonight something was different. The finality in her
mother’s voice shot fear straight through her.
“Am I really so
shameful to you, Mother?”
Mrs. Durham
didn’t blink. “Tomorrow Abigail will pack your trunks. You’re going to stay
with your cousins in Hertfordshire for the summer.”
“England?”
The coldness reached Lily’s head, pushing in on all sides until her thoughts
whirled together like a blizzard.
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 6Review 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.
Beauty Among Ruins
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