Love, love, LOVE! The banter between the hot-headed Scottish Alec and young Talk-Before-Thinking American Lilly had me laughing out loud. Lily's jolly optimism is endearing as the matron, a fellow nurse worker, Lard Alec himself, keep her humble. She makes the best of her situations as she strives for acceptance and meaningful life. Alec prideful lard who's facing many house repairs, possible foreclosure, and threats, doesn't feel worthy of his title and is solely focused on staying afloat keeps everyone at arm's length with his sharp tongue and sour mood. 
This is the first book I've read by J''nell but it won't be my last. The beauty the hurt soldiers, Alec, and Lily find in this broken place and broken souls had me swooning with each poetic word the author penned not only in the romance but in the rawness of humanity and. the heart.

I liked this book a lot. I thought the character development and story were great. I liked the writing style and the narrator.

This book was fantastic.  Lily Durham is an American heiress who doesn't always follow the rules. Her family sends her to England to stay with a cousin and hopefully learn to behave.  World war one starts and Lily and her cousin want to do their part and train to be nurses. Lily gets sent to Scotland where she doesn't quite get along with Laird or with Matron Strom(who is also in charge of the hospital). 

I really loved Lily. She was such a real and honest character. I couldn't help but want the best for her. Being a nurse during wartime really helped her grow up quickly.  She didn't have time for her antics.  She turned into a kind soul and exactly what the laird needed.

I loved the writing style and plan on reading all of J'nell Ciesielski's books.  The narration was perfectly matched the story!

Lily Durham is a bold, blossoming young lady of society, but her parents find her a bit hard to put up with sometimes, especially in her saucy moods. The choice was easy to send her away to Scotland for a while. Paired with her cousin Birdy, these two are tending to the injured soldiers who are recovering at Kinclavoch Castle, which happens to be owned by the allegedly grumpy laird, Alec MacGregor...

For fans of Downton Abbey and other period dramas. Set during World War I in the great Scottish Highlands.

The last 20% of the book was terribly exciting. My only regret with this book is that it's published by Thomas Nelson, and while it was a sweet, clean story, there is no scripture or religious content to label it as Christian fiction. But nonetheless, it's still a good tale.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest opinion.

A Scottish Historical Romance about Lily a American Heiress and Alex a Scottish Laird  Two unlikely characters who develop a love hate relationship.
Good interesting facts about the hospitals during WWII,with drama,intrigue,mystery and a sweet romance.
Really enjoyed listening to.had no problem with narration.
A good romance.
Voluntarily reviewed.

I enjoyed this title, but I wasn't entirely keen on the narrator. Her accent sometimes fluctuated between something that sounded more like  Pakistani or Jamaican than English or Scottish. 

Alex, Lily, and their supporting characters were excellent, even Matron proved not to be such a dragon at the end. I did also appreciate the vague nods to various classic movies and novels in certain details. The geographical setting was realistic and well used too. I don't think there were any wild boars in Britain in 1915 though. Not even in the Highlands. They became extinct in the 1500s and weren't reintroduced until the 1950s. 

I did spot a few Americanisms coming from the British characters, and I dunno, I why do all Scottish characters have to be these extreme nationalists? The English and Scottish actually have more in common that Americans like to admit. 

An enjoyable historical novel which was  little more lighthearted than some of the author's other offerings where the characters are on the front line of the war, or caught up in international intrigues. 

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for approving my request for this audiobook. I was not required to write a positive review.

This book was absolutely lovely! It’s a clean romance set in historical Scotland. The location of this story was amazing! I felt like I was right there, and I loved it! The descriptions were beautiful and perfect!

I loved that the main character is completely out of her element as she is sent from America to Scotland. I liked seeing her off-balance throughout this. It made her character journey so fulfilling! Her nursing position during the Great War made the historical aspect of this story wonderful. I liked the details and research that clearly went into making this feel so real.

I enjoyed the romance between Alec and Lily. I enjoy an enemy to lovers trope, and I like a dark, brooding love interest, and I got both with this one. Their relationship has heat and sparks that fly between them as they start to melt and find the joy of each other’s company.

Overall, I really liked this book. The location was perfect, and the romance between the characters was heart melting.

Kate Rudd 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 absolutely love her!! She is without a doubt one of my favourite narrators

The book 🌟🌟🌟 it was a beautiful story. Took me a little bit to get into it. Alec and Lilly were very likeable characters.

This is a beautifully written book. It's keeping me intrigued because there is a quality and feel that is reminescent of Downton Abbey to me. I will however, try to acquire the print copy as I feel reading that would be much better for me to fully get immersed in... I dont care for the narrator at all. I had to shut it off entirely, my opinion is that like others, when the narrator chooses to change her voice to the male parts it is completely distracting to me. I will make sure to post another review when I sit down with the book itself.

3.5 stars rounded up 
I am not a big fan of the individual chosen to narrate the book. I tried but just couldn’t finish it. 
The audio download was accidental but I still gave it a chance.  Ended up finding the actual book arc and got it.

Beauty Among Ruins by J'nell Ciesielski
Narrated by: Kate Rudd
Publication Date: January 12, 2021
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Description from NetGalley...
“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?”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @thomasnelson for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
The theme and storyline were interesting. Unfortunately, that was it. This could have been a beautiful descriptive book, but I was distracted by many errors relating to British and Scottish terms. Also, the Scottish accent is my favourite, and the narrator just butchered it, as well as the British accent. It was so frustrating. I fast forwarded a lot, otherwise it would have been a DNF. The last quarter of the book didn’t save it either, because the chapters felt rushed and it seemed certain timelines were missing. Maybe reading the book would have been better?

An American Heiress Lily meets brooding Scottish Laird and owner of the crumbling estate in which she is currently working as a nurse to convalescing soldiers during the first world war. The Laird, Alec is on the brink of ruin and it appears that someone is determined to help him on his way when Lily steps in not only as a love interest but also to help Alec find out who is trying to ruin him. It is beautifully written, extremely descriptive but I did find parts of the storyline extremely implausible. 
I also feel that the author could do with having a British/Scottish consultant or proofreader on hand to advise them of what is and is not common British/Scottish terms from when the story originates, the errors got so bad that I started to keep notes. 
I personally did not enjoy this audiobook and almost gave up listening to it on a number of occasions purely because the accents were so poorly done. I found the inferior attempts at the Scottish and English accents extremely jarring and feel that if a book contains a majority of characters from one regional area it should either be read by someone from that area or at least someone who can make a reasonable impersonation from that area, unfortunately, this audiobook did not manage that.

Deeply evocative and full of powerful imagery. J’nell Ciesielski absolutely pens exquisite literary delight in this tale. At first, Lily seems to be like any other shallow socialite seeking fun and entertainment. Until she finds herself sent away, landing in a convalescent home in Scotland. Alec is your typical stoic Scottish Laird doing everything he can to keep his ancestral home afloat. When these two come to see each other beyond the surface, an explosion of emotions ensues. They each help define a depth to each other’s character. While there are great secondary characters who help develop the story, the real magic for me was in the poetic descriptions of Alec and Lily’s pull to one another. I cannot recommend this highly book enough. I read this book and listened to the audiobook narrated by Kate Rudd. Kate brings this book to life in a way that literally had me feeling the emotions intended. I felt like I was at Kinclavoch experiencing all the same things Lily and Alec experienced. She accurately captured male and female characters with wonderful accents. I was swept away in the poignancy of this tale. 
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

This story about an American heiress serving as a nurses aide in wartime Scotland was just as charming and captivating as I’d hoped. The characters were interesting, the pace was perfect, and the mystery mixed with love story gave me more to think about than your typical romance. I’m so glad to have read this one. )

Beauty Among Ruins written by J'nell Ciesielski and Narrated by Kate Rudd is a well told story about an American woman of elite status with strong opinions and impulses, Lily. Her recklessness gets her sent from New York to the Scottish Highlands during WWI where she meets her brooding beau, Alec. The narrator skillfully tells this story but it is written at a very slow pace. The plot does not develop quickly but rather it takes some time to build. The descriptions of the emotions and personalities is well done. Tension is adequately developed and tugs at your heartstrings. The careful details added to describe the land, scenery and gorgeous landscape is beautifully done. 

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for a copy of this audiobook for review.

This was a sweet book - My first of this type of sweeping romance. The description of the countryside was beautiful and the characters developed nicely. Alec was a bit “beast” - à la Beauty and the Beast, and Lily’s feisty nature was the perfect counterpoint. Lily was a wonderful heroine, giving her all to help injured soldiers recuperate. 

This was not my style of book, but it was enjoyable enough - my grandmother, and avid reader of romance novels! - will LOVE this!

I actually had the audio book as well as the ebook and went back and forth between the two! This book was so good! The characters were very well developed and I loved the interaction. With all of J’nell Ciesielski’s books I’ve felt they could be turned into movies. The books come alive! This one I felt I could be in Kinclavoch and right in the middle of everything. I rooted for Lily when she went up against Matron Strom , Esther, Lady Stratham or even her own mother. I highly recommend this book!

The Audiobook: Kate Rudd is the Narrator and does an amazing job! I loved her Scottish lilt and how she changed her voice as she went from character to character. It was very entertaining and kept me captivated while listening. 

I received a complimentary ARC and Audio of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story by a new to me author! The setting of a Scottish castle during wartime was really enjoyable to read about. I listened to the audio book and thought that the narrator did a good job with this story. She used a light brogue when reading the Scottish characters’ lines. The accent was not too heavy and very easy for me to understand, yet definitely sounded Scottish. Her tone of voice also changed to a pleasant accent for the main character, Lily.

I liked the way the romance developed between Lily and Alec, which began as frustration between the two of them and grew into respect, friendship, and affection. I was frustrated that someone was trying to bring ruin to Alec and his holdings as Laird and hopeful that all would be revealed. Overall, this was a very interesting story, with an unknown villain working to bring down a man of honor. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

(4.5 stars)

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A wonderful story of a young woman trying to grow up and find her own way in the world despite the fact that what she wants out of life, isn't in line with what her parents think she should want, as a young debutante in America.  Her story of growth in finding what she wanted,  and finding true love was truly enjoyable.  I LOVED listening to this.  Not only was the story very engaging, but the narrator was excellent!!
I have already added this title to my cart to purchase it for my library, and am excited to recommend this to our patrons!

I adore historical romance fiction and this book fit in perfectly with my expectations of the genre.

What is it about grumpy, brooding, fictional leading men? Like seriously? Can you say Laird Alec MacGregor? He may be a man of few words, but he does know how to use them well. REAL WELL...

Of course, what is the leading man without his leading lady? At the beginning, Ciesielski defines Lily as frivolous. As the story progresses, her character truly shines. Lily sees potential and she is willing to bring in the light during the dark times. 

I enjoyed the story and the backdrop of the Scottish scenery. It held my interest while doing laundry and walking on the treadmill. (Who hates sweating? 🙋)