A Series by Tamera Alexander

Belmont Mansion Novels

Nashville, Tennessee · Post-Civil War / Gilded Age

Belmont Mansion Novels · Book 1

A Lasting Impression

Belmont Mansion Novels · Book 2

A Beauty So Rare

Belmont Mansion Novels · Book 3

A Note Yet Unsung

The Belmont Mansion Novels unfold within the grandeur of Adelicia Acklen's magnificent 19th century estate—a 36-room Italian villa that was the crown jewel of Nashville society. Each novel centers around three things that Adelicia Acklen loved in real life—art, nature, and music. Each heroine must navigate the glittering but treacherous world of Gilded Age Nashville society, and through their struggles and triumphs at Belmont Mansion, they discover that true beauty—whether in art, nature, or music—is inseparable from truth.

Dear Reader, while each novel in Tamera's series stands completely on its own—with a full, satisfying story from beginning to end—reading the series in order will give you the richest, most rewarding experience. All series books are numbered to help guide you. Enjoy!

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The Belmont Mansion Novels

Book 1

A Lasting Impression

Belmont Mansion, Nashville, Tennessee

Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville only a year after the War Between the States has ended, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe. She considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But after he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged the man. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville's society, Claire believes her dream to create a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach—but only if her fraudulent past remains hidden. The Federal Army has destroyed Sutton's home and confiscated his land, and threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him and to right a grievous wrong reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined—as well as the woman he loves. Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves—and each other—for who they truly are.

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Book 2

A Beauty So Rare

Belmont Mansion, Nashville, Tennessee

Pink is not what Eleanor Braddock ordered, but maybe it would soften the tempered steel of a woman who came through a war—and still had one to fight. Eleanor Braddock—plain, practical, no stunning Southern beauty—knows she will never marry. But with a dying soldier's last whisper, she believes her life can still have meaning and determines to find his widow. Impoverished and struggling to care for her ailing father, Eleanor arrives at Belmont Mansion, home of her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America—and possibly the most demanding, as well. Adelicia insists on finding her niece a husband, but a simple act of kindness leads Eleanor down a far different path—building a home for destitute widows and fatherless children from the Civil War. While Eleanor knows her own heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve of this endeavor. Archduke Marcus Gottfried has come to Nashville from Austria in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Hiding his royal heritage, Marcus longs to combine his passion for nature with his expertise in architecture, but his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widows' and children's home run contrary to Eleanor's wishes. As work on the home draws them closer together, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground—and a love neither of them expects. But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor, and even if he were, someone who knows his secrets is about to reveal them all.

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Book 3

A Note Yet Unsung

Belmont Mansion, Nashville, Tennessee

A master violinist trained in Vienna, Rebekah Carrington manages to wheedle her way into an audition with the maestro at the newly formed Nashville Philharmonic. But women are considered far too fragile and frail for the rigors of an orchestra, and Rebekah's hopes are swiftly dashed when the conductor bows to public opinion. Nationally acclaimed conductor Nathaniel Tate Whitcomb is Nashville's new orchestra leader. Despite a reluctant muse and a strange recurring pain in his head, he must finish composing his symphony before the grand opening of the city's new opera hall—and before his father dies. As Tate's ailment worsens, he believes Rebekah can help him finish his symphony. But how do you win back a woman's trust when you have robbed her of her dream? As music moves us to tears yet makes our hearts soar, A Note Yet Unsung captures the splendor of classical music at a time when women's hard-won strides in cultural issues changed not only world history—but the hearts of men.

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Behind the Story

Historical Context

Belmont Mansion was the summer home of Adelicia Hayes Franklin Acklen Cheatham, considered the wealthiest woman in Tennessee and one of the wealthiest in America during the mid-1800s. The 36-room Italian villa featured elaborate gardens, a private art gallery, a zoo, and a water tower that supplied running water before most of Nashville had it. Adelicia was a shrewd businesswoman who managed vast cotton plantations and navigated the Civil War to preserve her fortune. She donated the property to found a women's educational institution, which eventually became Belmont University. The mansion is now a museum on the university campus that awaits your visit! Visit the Belmont Mansion website for more.

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