28 Jan 2019

The Bride of Ivy Green by Julie Klassen

Tales from Ivy Hill #3 
448 Pages, December 4th 2018, Bethany House 
Print, Ebook and Audio 

 Much has happened in idyllic Ivy Hill in recent months, and while several villagers have found new love and purpose, questions remain--and a few dearly held dreams have yet to be fulfilled.

Jane Bell is torn. Gabriel Locke is back and has made his intentions clear. But Jane is reluctant to give up her inn and destine another man to a childless marriage. Then someone she never expected to see again returns to Ivy Hill. . . .

Mercy Grove has lost her school and is resigned to life as a spinster, especially as the man she admires seems out of reach. Should she uproot herself from Ivy Cottage to become a governess for a former pupil? Her decision will change more lives than her own.

A secretive new dressmaker arrives in the village, but the ladies soon suspect she isn't who she claims to be. Will they oust the imposter, or help rescue her from a dangerous predicament?

In the meantime, everyone expects Miss Brockwell to marry a titled gentleman, even though her heart is drawn to another. While the people of Ivy Hill anticipate one wedding, an unexpected bride may surprise them all.

Don't miss this romantic, stirring conclusion to Tales from Ivy Hill.

 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

The Bride of Ivy Green was a satisfying conclusion to Regency author Julie Klassen's first series. The Tales from Ivy Hill Trilogy follows three young women, Jane Bell, Mercy Grove and Rachel Ashford who live in the small fictional Berkshire village if Ivy Hill. 

Unlike some of Klassen's previous standalone stories, the books in this series are more reminiscent of Cranford or Lark Rise to Candleford and has a gentler, more sedate pace and tone. There isn't any real  intrigue, mystery or action, but there isn't meant to be. 

Instead, the main focus in on the three leading ladies, as well as their neighbours and the village community.
Really its just a very gentle and heartwarming story with themes about love, forgiveness and the important of family, especially reconnecting with unknown or long lost family. The faith elements are not preachy or overwhelming, but instead inform the character's attitudes and ideas in a way that's realistic for the time. 1821 to be precise.

I will say that its not advisable to jump straight in with this story. Its the third in a trilogy, and there is a lot of backstory that underpins the interactions and relationships between the characters. Its easy to get lost otherwise.
Others have remarked that some situations felt a little forced towards the end to bring about a happy ending. That was the case, and a couple of things came across as predictable, but that was true to the spirit of the story (this is not meant to be a thriller after all), and its very satisfying for the reader.

I will say that I loved the way Mrs Klassen worked some real and unusual historical events into the story. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction at times. She also uses details about everyday lives and events that might traditionally be considered mundane to weave a realistic and historically authentic story. 

Recommended for loves of Regency Fiction, Historical Fiction and established fans of Julie Klassen.


25 Jan 2019

First Line Fridays: The Bride of Ivy Green by Julie Klassen



I'm back again after a week break, and this week I am going to include the last book that I finished. The final title in Julie Klassen's Regency series 'Tales from Ivy Hill'. I can't wait for Julie Klassen's next book and wonder what she's got lined up for us next (hopefully in December). 

Much has happened in idyllic Ivy Hill in recent months, and while several villagers have found new love and purpose, questions remain--and a few dearly held dreams have yet to be fulfilled.

Jane Bell is torn. Gabriel Locke is back and has made his intentions clear. But Jane is reluctant to give up her inn and destine another man to a childless marriage. Then someone she never expected to see again returns to Ivy Hill. . . .

Mercy Grove has lost her school and is resigned to life as a spinster, especially as the man she admires seems out of reach. Should she uproot herself from Ivy Cottage to become a governess for a former pupil? Her decision will change more lives than her own.

A secretive new dressmaker arrives in the village, but the ladies soon suspect she isn't who she claims to be. Will they oust the imposter, or help rescue her from a dangerous predicament?

In the meantime, everyone expects Miss Brockwell to marry a titled gentleman, even though her heart is drawn to another. While the people of Ivy Hill anticipate one wedding, an unexpected bride may surprise them all.


The First Line:

February 1821 

"Mercy Grove could no longer put off the painful task"

 Don't Forget to Click the Meme to see what other people are reading and comment with your own First Line

https://hoardingbooksblog.wordpress.com/category/first-line-fridays/
 

15 Jan 2019

In the Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson

336 Pages, January 15th 2019, Thomas Nelson
Print, Ebook and Audio


Croft Towers holds more than its share of secrets . . . and Sybil is determined to uncover them all.
 
When Sybil Delafield’s coach to Croft Towers was robbed by highwaymen, she should have realized that her new position as companion to old Mrs. Chalcroft would be no ordinary job. Upon Sybil’s arrival, Mrs. Chalcroft sneaks into her room in the dark of night, imploring her to relay messages to town that are to stay hidden from the rest of the family. Who exactly is she working for and what do the messages contain?

When fellow passengers of the robbed coach are later murdered, Sybil’s hunt for the truth takes on a new urgency. The only person she can rely on is Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Chalcroft’s godson, but under all his charms he too leads a double life. Sybil must decide if he is the one honest voice she can trust, or if he is simply using her for his own advances.

With murderers, smugglers, and spies on the loose, nothing—and no one—in Regency England is what they claim. Can Sybil even trust what she knows about herself?

 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

In the Shadow of Croft Towers in an excellent debut novel. There's a bit of an expectation these days for Regency novels not just to be 'bonnet dramas' so to speak, but to contain other elements such as intrigue, an espionage subplot or a mystery.

Wilson delivers a sterling Regency Romance with all of the above, as well as a tight plot and memorable characters.
Stories narrated in the First Person as this one is, don't always work well. Yet the heroine is able to guide the reader complex and dangerous adventures in Croft Towers, seeking to unravel the mysteries of her past, whilst running errands for her mistress with highwaymen, dragoons and a potential murderer at large.

So overall, this is an exciting, engaging and atmospheric Regency tale. There was not quite as much of a strong sense of place as in Julie Klassen's work, probably because that author visits many of the areas she writes about.
Wilson does however do well in recreating something of a sense of the period, the the environment the characters inhabit in a grand country house with many secrets during turbulent times. 
 It could be a little hard to keep up with all the characters and the mystery got a bit drawn out towards the end, but otherwise the writing was very good.

Sadly, there were some of the Americanisms common to stories like this, and the problem of distinguishing between England and Britain.
This was over a century after Acts of Union, which made England and Scotland into a United Kingdom, sharing a government and Monarch. It was Britain- including Scotland and Wales- that was at war with Napoleon, not 'England', and spying for the French would have been treason against Britain, not England.

Recommended for all lovers of historical fiction and Regencies, as well as fans of Julie Klassen and Sarah Ladd.

I requested this title from Booklook Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

11 Jan 2019

First Line Friday: In The Shadow of Croft Towers



Welcome to my first FLF post for 2019! I have not had much reading time so far in these two weeks. I have however signed up to the annual 2019 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge from Passages to the Past, a blog devoted to this genre. I've entered to read at least 15 Historical Fiction books this year, which should not be a problem. 

For today I am including a novel that I am currently reading.  The Shadow of Croft Towers is a Regency Romance by debut author Abigail Wilson.


When Sybil Delafield’s coach to Croft Towers was robbed by highwaymen, she should have realized that her new position as companion to old Mrs. Chalcroft would be no ordinary job. Upon Sybil’s arrival, Mrs. Chalcroft sneaks into her room in the dark of night, imploring her to relay messages to town that are to stay hidden from the rest of the family. Who exactly is she working for and what do the messages contain?
When fellow passengers of the robbed coach are later murdered, Sybil’s hunt for the truth takes on a new urgency. The only person she can rely on is Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Chalcroft’s godson, but under all his charms he too leads a double life. Sybil must decide if he is the one honest voice she can trust, or if he is simply using her for his own advances.

With murderers, smugglers, and spies on the loose, nothing—and no one—in Regency England is what they claim. Can Sybil even trust what she knows about herself?

The first line is: 

" I often wonder what my life would have been like if I had never learned the truth"

Don't Forget to visit the Meme and Comment with your own First Line

https://hoardingbooksblog.wordpress.com/category/first-line-fridays/

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...