Review: The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen

Posted December 17, 2017 by Sophia Rose in Reviews / 8 Comments

Tags: Historical Romance, Inspirational Romance, Julie Klassen, Tales of Ivy Hill, The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

by Julie Klassen

Series: Tales of Ivy Hill #2
Genres: Historical Romance, Inspirational Romance
Released on December 5, 2017
Pages: 448
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley

The Delight

An invitation to return to the world of Ivy Hill was a delightful prospect for me. I might encounter the three lovely childhood friends- Jane, Rachel, and Mercy- who must all make their way in the world independently or any of the other village characters.

Review

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is the second of the Tales from Ivy Hill series. It flows right out of the first book, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill so does not make a good place to start.

The focus of this book is divided with an ongoing story of Jane who was the central figure of the first book, Mercy whose story is emerging, and Rachel who is the central figure of this book. I liked how the story flowed easily from friend to friend taking the reins of the narrative.

This is a gently paced book that is a series of village encounters for all the main players and their acquaintances. There are several interesting plot threads going on that range from character driven to mysteries to romances. While some threads are introduced and do not finish off in this book, others are tied off nicely.

The first book had more action and immediacy to it with all the work that was being done to save the inn and figure out who was sabotaging the efforts. Though, Ladies of Ivy Cottage is more divided in its focus; there were still some riveting moments when the ladies were faced with big, difficult choices. It took me a bit to get settled into the story and it didn’t read quickly for me. I didn’t mind once I got in sync with the pace that read more like women’s fiction or- an ongoing chronicle which this is.

I enjoyed the interplay between the three friends and also their personal stories that are going on. Jane, Mercy, and Rachel are all so very different and encounter much different issues in their lives though they lean on each other for support and wisdom. Each have their personal low points, but come into their own. Rachel, in true Jane Austen fashion, has her own second chance romance ala Persuasion-style playing out while Mercy is startled by sudden interest in her and Jane has to overcome her fears and grief before she can accept her own romance.

Like in book one when Jane had to do what she could to save her livelihood, Rachel and Mercy are faced with their own obstacles. Rachel’s subscription library has the whole village in a twitter while Mercy’s dreams of having a village charity school are foiled by lack of funds, but also her own parents’ desire to see her in a traditional situation of marriage and home. There is also a child with a secret past that may foil Mercy’s adoption efforts and a friend’s dark family secret that Rachel inadvertently stumbled over. Side characters like Thora, Andrew, and James are also getting their stories and they are just as interesting as the main story paths.

There are inspirational themes laced throughout with the biggest being letting go of improper pride when it comes to getting defensive about the past or relying on help from God and others.

The elements of mystery, personal growth, spiritual growth, and romance along with village life were just the thing. I continue to adore this author’s writing and look forward to what comes next from The Tales from Ivy Hill.

Challenges

Romance Roundabout #311 HR
New Release #191 Austenesque #47

Recommendations

About Julie Klassen

JULIE KLASSEN loves all things Jane–Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full-time. Her books have been honored with the Christy Award for Historical Romance, the Minnesota Book Award, and the Midwest Book Award, among others. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information, visit www.julieklassen.com.

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Sophia Rose

I was born and raised near Sacramento, CA. I have read since I was four years old and developed tastes that run the gamut of literature. I went away to college and have a degree in education, a certificate in family history research, and a certificate in social work. I worked for a non-profit agency with low income families for 20 years which included being responsible for the children’s library and promoting/teaching adult literacy. I have lived in Southeast Michigan for the last 18 years and I am currently a book addicted homemaker with a cat and husband who keep me grounded. Recently, I made it a challenge to review each book that I have read as a favor to author friends who said reviews are important. I have done reviews for Good Reads, Amazon, eBay, and Smashwords, but mostly at Goodreads and Amazon.