Another good read by Julie Klassen. I love the continuation of the Tales from Ivy Hill series and look forward to reading the final book.

Such a sweet story. I enjoy this group of characters, though the three main women all sort of feel like the writer's voice and don't seem super specifically different from one another personality wise. But the events and conversations and ideas and the town are lovely!

4 stars

So so so good!!! I loveee Julie Klassen's books!! They are so nice and heartwarming and leave the reader in a better place than they found it, anytime one picks up the book to read even a chapter.

Rachel and Timothy's story continues. Will they? won't they?

Will the sun rise on Jane's street too? How wonderful to see all these beautiful characters grow and evolve under our eyes, while witnessing their every struggle, every joy, every hope, every dream, every prayer.

I am looking forward to read the next one!!!

I really enjoyed this 2nd book in the series. I hope there is going to be a 3rd book soon.

Living with the two Miss Groves in Ivy Cottage, impoverished gentlewoman Rachel Ashford is determined to earn her own livelihood . . . somehow.

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.

Return to Ivy Hill in The Ladies of Ivy Cottage as friendships deepen, romances blossom, and mysteries unfold.

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is the second book in Julie Klassen's Ivy Hill series. I enjoyed the first book, but this one was even better. I loved reading about the different characters in the village of Ivy Hill. This time around the main focus is on Rachel and Mercy and I found their stories pretty compelling. The way Rachel ends up supporting herself was brilliant and I enjoyed reading about her as she started this endeavor and eventually gained more confidence in herself. Mercy was also an interesting character to read about. I loved how she cared so much for the girls in her school, and felt for her as she struggled with wanting a family of her own.

There is more romance in this book and quite a bit more focus on religion, both of which were woven into the story really well without being overly romantic or preachy. As for the romance, I loved the way Rachel's love interest ends up declaring his love for her, even though I wanted to hit him over the head few times along the way. Also Jane, who was the focus of book one finds love as well, and I'm just going to say that I love him, and one scene in particular was very romantic.

There are some plot threads that have not been resolved, Mercy's story being one of them, so I am eagerly looking forward to the next book. This book felt a bit like reading a classic at times. If you like books like Cranford, or Jane Austen's books you might like this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Bethany House for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Review also posted at Writings of a Reader

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen is the second edition in Tales from Ivy Hill. It is September in 1820 in Ivy Hill, Wiltshire, England. Rachel Ashford wants to discover a way for her to earn money to support herself. She appreciates Mercy allowing her to life at Ivy Cottage, but she wants to pay her own way. The women of the Ladies Tea and Knitting Society suggest that Rachel use what her father left her in his will—his library. Rachel can open a subscription library at Ivy Cottage. The townspeople rally behind Rachel and donate books to the library. Thanks to those donated books, Rachel has two mysteries to ponder. She must also make a decision regarding Nicholas Ashford’s proposal. Jane Bell is busy running The Bell, but she misses Gabriel Locke. Is Jane ready to move on with her life? If so, is there a chance of Gabriel returning? Mercy Groves has long given up hope of getting married. She is busy running the school and is hoping to expand it. Mr. Thomas asks Mercy to become young Alice’s guardian. Mercy is happy to take on the role, but then suitor starts paying attention to her. Ivy Cottage, though, may be lost to all its current inhabitants if Mercy’s mother has her way. To see what happens to the women, join them on their journey in The Ladies of Ivy Cottage.

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is well-written with lovely characters. I do recommend reading The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill before embarking on The Ladies of Ivy Cottage. The first book introduces you to the characters, the village of Ivy Hill and their lives (it sets the stage for The Ladies of Ivy Cottage). The Ladies of Ivy Cottage picks up where the first book ended. The characters are well developed, and they continue to evolve. The pace of the story is gentle which suits the story (it is slower than The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill). I do feel, though, that the book is a little long (440 pages). Julie Klassen accurately portrayed the time-period with the clothing, the way people spoke (it was more formal), mannerisms, the shops, roles of men and women, locale, and customs. You can tell that the author did her research for the series. Through Ms. Klassen’s words you can imagine the village and its citizens. The Christian element is light and adds just the right touch. In addition to the main three ladies there are secondary characters that add drama and romance to the story. James Drake is working on his hotel, Sir Timothy Brockwell is interested in one of the ladies, Thora returns, Joseph Kingsley (the local carpenter) shows an interest in getting to know one of the women, and Mr. Carville is up to something. The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is a rich, historical novel and I am eager for the next installment in the Tales from Ivy Hill.

Its been nearly a year since I finished the last book in this series, and since I have read so much since then I’ve been rather remiss in remembering all the characters from the last book. It took a while and a read of my review to refresh my memory on the background of Rachel, one of the protagonists of this book (one of the Ladies of Ivy Cottage).

Leaving behind my lapses of memory though, I very much enjoyed this book with the detailed setting, prose, and colorful characters beloved of Klassen novels. Like the last one, this book was more character driven and could seem a little slow, but that was not an issue for me. The story picks up a few months after the last, with the unmarried ladies Mercy and Rachel starting a new venture with a school for village girls, and a lending library.

Characters old and new converge on the fictional Berkshire village, and it was good to see the story develop with the established ones. Romance is even in the air for Patrick, Rachel, and even Jayne still struggling to come to terms with past heartbreak. Nods to literary classics were provided with characters having to come to terms with the opposition of family, pride, arrogance, social expectations, and family secrets.

Even a faint hint of mystery reminiscent of Klassen’s former works. A few Americanisms were my only gripe, and some readers may want to note that there are some references to sexual activity outside of marriage (no actual sex scenes, just mentions of it), with a mention of a woman who was a mistress, and an illegitimate child.

I received a copy of this book from the Publisher and their UK distributors. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is the second installment in Julie Klassen's series Tales from Ivy Hill. If you are picking up this book before reading book one, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill, I would recommend setting it down and getting your hands on the first installment. The story's focus shifts from the The Bell Inn to Ivy Cottage. The characters of Ivy Hill appear in both books and it's a story worth savoring.

I took my time reading this book. I didn't want it to end and I wanted to follow all the characters and their lives in the book. The characters from book one appear in book two with new people appearing in Ivy Hill. Klassen kept the feel of an excellent BBC or PBS television show well. Every chapter felt like an episode. I want to re-read this book all ready and I cannot wait for book three, The Bride of Ivy Green, which is coming out in December 2018.

Time Period: 18oo's
Location: Ivy Hill, England

Reviewed from an author gift copy. Thank you, Julie Klassen!!