By Kelly Bridgewater
About the Book
Title: Beyond Ivy Walls
Author: Rachel Fordham
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: August 14, 2024
Genre: Historical Romance
Reminiscent of Beauty and the
Beast, a recluse and a young woman discover that the scars of life are no
match against an act of love.
Iowa,
1903. All of Monticello believes Otis
Taylor has been away fostering his musical genius. But the truth is that his
father exiled him long ago, rejecting Otis's appearance and the scars that came
with it. Now that he is the last living Taylor, Otis has covertly returned to
settle his family's affairs and rid himself of his past for good. However, he
soon discovers that he may not have been the only discarded Taylor and begins a
tireless search for his missing niece.
At twenty-three years old, Sadie West
left her family farm and found employment at the Hoag feather duster factory.
It isn't a romantic job, but she's hardly had a glimmer of romance since her
beau went off to college, leaving her with no promise of a future together.
Desperate to save money and help her family make ends meet, she trespasses and
finds shelter in an abandoned building--and is thrown in the path of the town's
mysterious bachelor.
Otis's wounds are deep, but as Sadie's friendship with him
grows, she begins to fall for the man beneath the mask. The mystery of his
long-lost niece, however, is more complex than either could have imagined, and
Sadie may be the key to Otis Taylor finally finding his way home.
My Thoughts:
Beyond Ivy Walls
by Rachel Fordham is definitely a Beauty and the Beast re-telling. The
parallels between the two stories are pretty obvious. The difference is that
Sadie comes from the country, but she has whole household of sisters with a Mom
and Dad. The Disney version Belle only lives with her inventor father. The
hero, Otis Taylor, is not a tall, overbearing hairy guy who is gruff right from
the start. Instead he is a little shy and a standoffish, but he is polite and
gives Sadie a place to live in exchange for her work on cleaning his house up.
A castle vs. a mansion. While Fordham does describe the setting that the
readers populate, I would have liked to see more of the castle. It is not
really a creepy place to go. People in town admire the structure. Otis just
keeps the curtains close because he is ashamed. As for the characters, Otis is
the character who needs to change a lot. He learns to accept himself with all
his scars and learns to open his heart to a number of people. I imagine it is
hard to create a widely popular storyline and try to come up with something
different. With this story, Fordham did a wonderful job at showing how everyone
should look at the character of a person, not at their faults whether they are
physical or mental. Overall, Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham’s plot
moved nicely and kept me strolling through the story.
I received a complimentary copy of Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham from
Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop
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About the Author
Rachel Fordham is the author of The Letter Tree, Where the Road Bends, A Lady in Attendance, A Life Once Dreamed, The
Hope of Azure Springs, and Yours Truly, Thomas. Fans expect stories with heart and she delivers, diving deep
into the human experience and tugging at reader emotions. She loves connecting with people, traveling to new
places, and daydreaming about future projects that will have sigh-worthy endings and memorable characters.
She is a busy mom, raising both biological, adopted and foster children (a cause she feels passionate about).
She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington.
Connect with Rachel by visiting rachelfordham.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive print copies of the author’s previous 6 novels: The Hope of Azure Springs, Your's Truly,
Thomas, A Life Once Dreamed, A Lady in Attendance, Where the Road Bends, and The Letter Tree!
(2) additional winners will receive one Rachel Fordham backlist print copy of their choice!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below.
Giveaway began at midnight August 7, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on August 14, 2024. Winner
will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.
US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Kelly, Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I adore Rachel's novels.
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