By Kelly Bridgewater
Return to Ivy Hill in The Ladies of Ivy Cottage as
friendships deepen, romances blossom, and mysteries unfold.
Living with the two Miss Groves in Ivy Cottage, impoverished gentlewoman Rachel
Ashford is determined to earn her own livelihood . . . somehow. When the
village women encourage her to open a subscription library with the many books
she has inherited or acquired through donations, Rachel discovers two mysteries
hidden among them. A man who once broke her heart helps her search for clues,
but will both find more than they bargained for?
Rachel's friend and hostess, Mercy Grove, has given up thoughts of suitors and
fills her days managing her girls' school. So when several men take an interest
in Ivy Cottage, she assumes pretty Miss Ashford is the cause. Exactly what--or
who--has captured each man's attention? The truth may surprise them all.
Meanwhile, life has improved at the coaching inn and Jane Bell is ready to put
grief behind her. Now if only the man she misses would return--but where is he?
As the women of Ivy Hill search for answers about the past and hope for the
future, might they find love along the way?
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| From Amazon |
My Thoughts:
When I think of Regency romance, I think Julie Klassen and
Sarah E. Ladd. Both authors capture the essence of Jane Austen and the Bronte
sisters when they compose a novel. I was introduced to Klassen's writing with
The Secret of Pembroke Hall, which I enjoyed. I loved the mystery surrounding
the house. As for her newest addition to her first series, The Ladies of Ivy
Hall, the story lagged in the beginning, but then picked up pace as the novel
moved along.
The top aspect of Klassen's writing is her ability to create
the world for her characters. She does a great job at describing and staying
true to her settings. I have no problem visualizing the settings with her
characters and traveling with them as they move around. I can see the houses and
the inn. The story becomes alive with her setting.
The characters shine in their different settings. I really
liked seeing more of Rachel in this edition. She became front and center as one
of the main characters, and it was nice seeing develop a library that would
give her a way to provide for herself. Mercy was a character that shined in
this story too. We learned more about her family and her situation that Klassen
made hard for her to survive. Again, we return to the story of Jane, but
Klassen draws her closer to a happy ending, but rips the rug right out from
under her. I really don't see any transformation of the three main women. A
couple of the men change, but the women don't really.
The plot lagged in the beginning. I thought that I would be
giving a bad review because I couldn't stay focused on the plot. The story is
just the characters moving around and doing things, but no real conflict. Then
the story picks up around sixty percent where the conflict comes one after
another. Once majority of the conflict is solved, than Klassen throws in
hopeful resolutions for each woman. I wanted more with the plot.
The spiritual element isn't really there either. I didn't
know what the novel's theme was. The characters attended church, but nothing
really spiritual about any of them.
Overall, The Ladies of
Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen features a wonderful world brought to life with
vibrant characters who begged me to stay and learn more about them, but the
plot of their story didn't really capture my attention until almost the end.
I received a complimentary copy of The Ladies of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen, but the opinions stated
are all my own.
My Rating:
3.5 out of 5 stars
