I have read several of Julie Klassen’s novels and this one did not disappoint. The Bride of Ivy Green is the third book in the Tales from Ivy Hill series. I have only read this book and the second book, The Ladies of Ivy Cottage. This book picks up where the second one left off. Mercy’s brother is moving into the cottage with his new wife, who makes it well known that Mercy is not welcome. Mercy has to make a decision regarding her future since she has to close her school. Jane is also reconnected with Gabriel Locke, he makes his intentions known but she can’t bear to disappoint him since she cannot have children. However, Ivy Hill goes through some changes as a new mysterious dressmaker comes to town. Will these ladies be able to overcome these obstacles and find the path they are destined for? And what about love?

I just love Julie Klassen’s writing. She has focus and even though the point of view changes often, it is always a smooth transition. I still feel like I am missing something though since I have not read the first book. That is the only problem with this series, they are not standalone novels. Each book has distinct information that carries over into the next book. I really hope there is another book in the series though!

I do love the characters. Every single character seems realistic despite the time period and their situation. The only character I did not like is Helena. (Mercy’s sister-in-law) However, it made Mercy that much more admirable. I also love the descriptions of Ivy Hill. Can I live there, please? It sounds like it is straight out of a dream. Overall, this book is a wonderful read and I hope that there will be more. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley, Bethany House Publishers and Julie Klassen for a copy of this book!

My Thoughts: The Bride of Ivy Green is the happy conclusion that fans of the series have been waiting for. We're back to the cozy Regency setting with the friends that we had made in the previous books. Klassen has several surprises and unexpected turns in store for the readers. The drama unfolds at a steady rate, but I couldn't help feeling like it was stretched thin compared to my favorite Klassen novels. But I appreciated the solid gospel message weaved into the storyline.
*This series is a continuation and should be read in order.

Rating and Recommendation: I'm giving The Bride of Ivy Green 4 stars and recommending it Christian Regency fans.

~ I received a copy from Bethany House through NetGalley. All thoughts are my own. I was not compensated for this review or required to give a favorable one.

The Bride of Ivy Green is the third book in Julie Klassen's Tales from Ivy Hill series. The small village of Ivy Hill is filled with characters that will become dear to your heart. Most are selfless and each has their own very distinct skill set and interests, and even the most cantankerous ones have their lovable side. While having multiple story lines, this book focuses on Mercy Grove, a schoolteacher who has lost her school. Thirty-one-year-old Mercy had almost given up hope of marrying for love, but would she settle for a marriage of convenience? After so many years without a suitor, how would she now manage two? These questions will keep the reader turning pages along with the many questions about Ivy Hill's newest resident, Madame Victorine, the new dress-maker. She doesn't appear to be at all what she presents herself to be.

Julie Klassen places her readers right into the 1820s, feeling the jolting rides across the fields and the wet walks through the village. She helps them feel like they are a member of the Ladies Tea and Knitting Society, and causes them to root for love to win in many different circumstances. I highly recommend The Bride of Ivy Green.

I thank NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review, and received no monetary compensation.

This is the last book in the Tales From Ivy Hill trilogy and I was looking forward to reading it all year. I didn't like this one quite as much as the two previous books in the trilogy. It seemed like there was less time spent on each character which was probably due to the fact that there were so many to cover in this book. I still enjoyed reading about them all though, especially Mercy and Jane. I think the real drawback of this book was that everything was tied up too neatly for me. It would have been more relatable if some characters would have been allowed to not have a happily ever after.

One thing I really enjoyed was the author's note at the end of the book where she reveals that the inspiration for Ivy Hill was the town of Lacock in England. It was nice to read her perspective of the town and look at her photos (you can find them at https://www.talesfromivyhill.com/) since I had also been there and loved it. I'll miss this series a lot, but I'm looking forward to reading whatever Julie Klassen writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an review.

This book was really good, though it is a slower, more relaxing read. This series is not one that you are unable to put down; rather they are books to read on a nice relaxing weekend or a snowy day.

I love how much I feel that I know each of these amazing women. They are all strong, independent, and rather stubborn; I can feel a kinship with them. Each of them has suffered a great loss or experienced deep pain and struggle with it, while trying to make a life for themselves. This is the kind of motivation I need at times.

Julie Klassen’s writing in this book is incredible. I was able to visualize everything about this story. I felt the pain and humiliation, the joy and triumph, and even the confusion each person experienced.

I enjoy this series and look forward to the next book in this series.

In this third and final book of the Tales from Ivy Hill series, both Jane and Mercy will find their happily ever afters.

Gabriel Locke is determined to wait as long as it takes to make Jane see reason. Despite her love for him, her fears of enduring more miscarriages are preventing her from accepting his proposal. When her long-absent father returns from India to Ivy Hill, Jane realizes she must let go of her bitterness toward him. In the end, she finds out that he may have just the gift she needs to bless her marriage with Gabriel.

Mercy, long thought to be a hopeless spinster, now has the prospect of two suitors at once. The carpenter, Joseph Kingsley, continues to spend as much time as he can in her company--but when she sights him on familiar terms with a blond beauty, she wonders if there is really any interest in that quarter? Mercy's former pupil Alice is now living with her father, James Drake. When he asks Mercy to become Alice's governess, Mercy must evaluate just what interest Mr. Drake has in her and decide whether to leave her family home to continue her career in education. 

Along with concluding the stories of Jane and Mercy, the story also introduces a new character, a French dressmaker, who is not quite as experienced in her trade as she purports to be. The business-women of the town must decide whether to distance themselves from her or to give her a chance at becoming one of them. The book also throws a new romance into the mix as Miss Brockwell (Rachel's sister-in-law) must decide whether to wed Sir Cyril, her mother's choice, or to follow her heart with Nicholas Ashford. 

This book had a complexity of intermingling plots and was a wholesome village romance. The characters themselves had much less complexity, no doubt due to the fact that there were so many of them. The book introduces the concept of racism and the right response to it as the very English villagers deal with the new faces that accompany Jane's father on his return from India. 

While book one of the series focused on Jane, and book two on Rachel, this third book is clearly Mercy's story. The delightful ending shows how much all the villagers treasure the kindnesses that Mercy has bestowed on them over the years, and they "rise up to call her blessed." Although I prefer Julie Klassen's standalone novels (probably because of the element of suspense they usually contain which is absent in this series), this light-and-bright story is a fitting finale for the Ivy Hill series.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Bride of Ivy Green is the delightful conclusion to Julie Klassen's Ivy Green trilogy. I enjoyed revisiting Ivy Green and catching up with lives of everyone there. With some new faces amongst the villagers, there is always something new going on. With several people of courting age who is going to be the bride? Ms. Klassen has created an enjoyable cast of characters that have grown throughout her trilogy. I would not mind seeing a fourth book...hint. LOL. So settle in at The Bell and have a mug of tea while you catch up on all the gossip from Ivy Green!

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

Jane Bell knows she loves Gabriel Locke, but she doesn't know if she can marry him; she enjoys running her inn and fears another childless marriage. But when Gabriel is seriously injured, Jane realizes that marrying him is exactly what she wants.
Meanwhile, Jane's good friend Mercy Grove's life is in upheaval. Her brother and his new bride have moved back to Ivy Hill and suddenly the only home Mercy has known is no longer the haven it has always been--and there's no room for the school MErcy ran. Given the opportunity to be a governess to her favorite former pupil, Mercy knows that on the one hand, it would be a step down in life, but it would also give her an escape,
Victorine arrives in Ivy Hill to set up a dress shop, and while the ladies are initially excited to have a French dressmaker in town, they soon realize that things aren't quite as they seemed, while Victorine realizes she may be further from achieving her dreams than she had planned.

I loved returning to Ivy Hill. It such a delightful setting, and I loved seeing how things played out for characters whom I've loved since the first book, as well as getting to meet new characters. I really loved the ending of the book, and it's a satisfying end to the series...and yet there were enough new characters and even an old character or two who still needs a happily-ever-after that I feel like another book wouldn't be superfluous. The writing is terrific and really conveys the feel of small-town life. This is just a really enjoyable series.

I read an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Bride of Ivy Green is the third book in the Tales From Ivy Hill series written by award-winning author, Julie Klassen. I would strongly recommend reading the first two books in this series before reading the third as The Bride of Ivy Green is a continuation of the story told in books one and two.

I love that Julie Klassen writes in the Regency time period, her stories often contain a bit of mystery, and they have strong, capable women as heroines. I usually find myself never wanting her books to end, so I was very excited when a three book series was announced. That being said, my reaction to this book was a little out of the ordinary. I feel like this series would have been more enjoyable as a two book series because elements of this story didn't really capture my interest. I found myself reading over these parts quickly to just "get on with it". I wasn't a fan of the new dress maker, the menagerie or mystery surrounding her. I did really enjoy Justina's story and wished Julie had elaborated on it. I also wished the "bride of Ivy Green"s (I'm not going to identify the bride) story had more romantic elements. But maybe that was intentional and added to the mystery...would she marry? who would propose? On the whole I still enjoyed the book, I just didn't find it to be the usually Julie Klassen, can't put it down, read all night, type page turner. If you find yourself longing to live in a small idyllic English town in the country then you should travel through the pages of Ivy Hill.

If you'd like to "visit" the village of Ivy Hill, you can go to www.TalesFromIvyHill.com, where there is a colorful village map, character list, photos, excerpts videos and more.

The Bride of Ivy Green will be available for purchase from your local or online book retailer December 4, 2018.

Thank you, Bethany House and Net Galley, for the free e-copy of The Bride of Ivy Green. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I loved the first two books in this series, and eagerly awaited the conclusion of the series. I enjoyed this one as well, though it did feel like one of the stories was a bit drawn out. I would of been happy to have more of Justina's story told in depth. That said, I love that Julie has a lot going on with this series, with several main characters and many side stories without it feeling overwhelming. I love that this one introduced prejudices of the time, both with some traveling performers and several characters being from India. I also like the clever way she solved some of the difficulties. All in all, I loved this series and can't wait to see what Julie writes next!
I received this book from Bethany House. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

*** VILLAGE LIFE REMINISCENT OF LARK RISE TO CANDLEFORD***

If you have ever watched the BBC series Lark Rise to Candleford, these books very much remind me of that TV show, with its many different characters, points of view, and various village locations.
Ivy Hill, Wiltshire, England, Feb 1821.
The third installment of Tales from Ivy Cottage finds spinster Mercy Grove and her Aunt Matilda preparing for the arrival of her brother George and his new wife to return from their wedding trip and move into their home, effectively taking over the cottage. She has already closed her school and her future seems uncertain. Her new sister-in-law seems bothered at moving into an already occupied home and her disposition is rather cool toward the lower class villagers.
There are returning characters from the past two books; Jane Fairmont again taking a lead role in the story. There are new characters whose past is a secretive mystery, but nothing of danger or intrigue.
As in the previous two novels, there is quite a lot to keep up with as this book has over 50 chapters.
If you enjoy quaint village life along with a nod to the hierarchy of the social classes, I would recommend reading all three of the books back to back. Otherwise, it is a bit hard to recall the many storylines. The author provides many interesting tidbits found on TalesFromIvyhill dot com including a character directory (although book 3 is not as well represented on that list), a map of the village, some of her travels to Wiltshire, etc.
Favorite Quote: Mercy reminded herself that God did not promise ease and happiness in this life. But He did promise peace and joy, and she was determined to hold on to both, somehow.
Tea Quote: “I have a family obligation tonight, but I might wander back here tomorrow evening f you think you might be having a late-night cup of tea?” She grinned. “Yes, I think there is every chance I shall be thirsty by then.”

Bethany House Publishing
Discussion questions at the end of each book
Tales from Ivy Hill Series:
The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill – Book 1, Dec 2016
The Ladies of Ivy Cottage – Book 2, Dec 2017
The Bride of Ivy Green – Book 3, Dec 2018

I received an ARC of this books in exchange for my honest opinion with no further compensation.

This book was received as an ARC from Netgalley and Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. Thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Bride of Ivy Green is Jane Austen meets the book The Whole Town is Talking. The story begins with Jane Bell the owner of the Inn and the most eligible Bachelorette of Ivy Hill. Her former gentleman Gabriel Locke returns with big news on the intention of marriage and moving away from Ivy Hill putting Jane in a difficult predicament. Now, with new directions for most of the women in Ivy Hill and new women arriving, whom can they trust and who will be the new Bride of Ivy Green? I can definitely see this becoming a new drama either TV Series or movie that the audience can relate to just like some of the Jane Austen classics. This was the type of book you wanted to keep on reading to find out what happens to each of the characters and of course the answer to the major question, who is the bride of Ivy Green.

We will consider adding this book to our Christian Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

With Julie Klassen's final book in her Tales from Ivy Hill series, The Bride of Ivy Green, the reader is taken back to the familiar roads, homes, and citizens of this little town outside London. With enduring characters and a lovely storyline, the plot enraptured my attention and kept me glued to the page. Klassen knows how to capture an audience with her attention to detail. Familiar characters from the first two books return, and readers should be excited to see how they have been since the previous two books. With the romances all tying up by the end of this novel, this makes for an unforgettable conclusion to the series.

I received a complimentary copy of The Bride of Ivy Green by Julie Klassen from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.