The Ladies of Ivy Cottage (#02 in Tales From Ivy Hill Series)

I really enjoyed this book that follows on from """"The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill"""". The story continues with the same characters that we've already been introduced to. In this book we learn more about Rachel's story. I feel that Julie Klassen has very cleverly written this, as she just gives gradual pieces of information to keep you interested, without revealing all of the story at once. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it and the rest of the series.

Julie Klassen describes the life and situations of three single women, who eventually live in the same cottage. She introduces the old-fashioned circulating library and has this as a key feature in the story of the three women. Characters in her story have close involvement with the beginnings of this library located in the cottage. The women of the cottage now have unexpected visitors and have gained interest. The main character from the first series of 'Tales from Ivy Hill', also has her story weaved through this second book: Jane is still dealing with being a widow and is dealing with other loses in her life, it seems like fears are keeping her away from her real dreams. There are several other stories of characters from the Ivy community that are compiled together in this book very skillfully. Even though this book is based in the 1800s, in the England, and the struggles that women of that time had, this book speaks to the hearts of women today to have the courage to live their dreams. I can't wait to read the last book in the series!

I enjoyed reading this story following on from the first novel, meeting characters from the first novel again and some new characters. The Author made the story intriguing by including a few twists to the story line that were rather unexpected. The readers will be engaged as details of a mystery are revealed and romance blossoms. Look forward to reading the third novel.

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is the second book in the Tales From Ivy Hill series by beloved Christian Regency author Julie Klassen. There are a lot of characters to keep straight, so while this is a standalone story, it might help if you've read the first book in the series, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill. \\r\\n\\r\\nThe Ladies of Ivy Cottage is historical romance but only to a degree. Ivy Hill has plenty of single ladies (and single gentlemen), but it's less a romance and more a gentle ongoing story of everyday village life, complete with village intrigues. It's not a fast-paced novel, but neither does it drag. \\r\\n\\r\\nI enjoyed the slower pace, the reminder of a time when life wasn't ruled by phone notifications but by the arrival of the Mail coach. I enjoyed the slow getting-to-know new characters, and being reintroduced to familiar characters. As always, I enjoyed the subtle-but-there presentation of Christianity (although The Ladies of Ivy Cottage certainly has even less of a faith message than some of her previous works). \\r\\n\\r\\nThe Ladies of Ivy Cottage was a delightful step back into another time. Recommended for fans of village tales such as Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford, Lawanna Blackwell's Gresham Chronicles, or Jan Karon's Mitford. And fans of Jane Austen. Of course. \\r\\n\\r\\nThanks to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.