A Beauty So Rare

An excellent Reconstruction-era tale about a young woman, impoverished in war, attempting to take care of her father, who is losing his reason to dementia. Her very rich cousin-by-marriage takes her in and means well by her, but doesn't understand Eleanor's passion for cooking.

I loved the rich historical detail, the colorful characters, and also that the romantic parts were subdued rather than soapy. I also loved that Eleanor isn't beautiful and is a tall heroine! And the cover matching the story so perfectly was a pleasant plus (conservatory, pink dress, etc).

Part of a series, but not a heavily connected one; the books may be read out of order without confusion.