This novella is part of the Tales from Ivy Hill series but I read it as a stand-alone. It was just right for a quick, easy read at Christmas time when life gets a bit hectic. There’s nothing better than an historical Christmas read with a sprinkle of romance on top.. Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for letting me read and review this book.

This is a fun, innocent Christmas book with everything that I look for at that time of year. There was a sweet romance, festive gatherings, and even some spiritual moments, all without too much heaviness. An enjoyable holiday read!

It was fun to see Julie Klassen return once more to her Ivy Hill setting and characters. This novella felt like a nice wrap to the series, and who doesn't love a Christma redemption story.

Julie Klassen has created a delightful world in the Regency-era village of Ivy Hill, bringing three novels thus far in this series to her readers. In 2020 she also published a novella entitled An Ivy Hill Christmas, returning to the characters and setting of Ivy Hill. For this story she focused on the dashing and rakish Richard Brockwell, the prodigal son of the popular Brockwell family. I imagined him as a young Greg Wise, the actor who played the scoundrel Willoughby in the 1995 cinematic adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. While Klassen’s Richard Brockwell may not have wreaked as much damage as Austen’s Willoughby did, he certainly has many mistakes in his past and a reputation which would cause any respectable young lady to steer clear of him. When he returns home from London for the Christmas season, he hopes to encourage this reputation, as he has no desire to marry. Living a bachelor’s life in London with no thought to anyone but himself is an ideal existence. Or is it? The young Brockwell comes in contact with a few unexpected individuals which shift his perspective considerably. It makes for an interesting Christmas season indeed.

I thoroughly enjoyed An Ivy Hill Christmas, with its inclusion of previously-established characters and the introduction of new ones. The plight of the young apprentice Jamie was especially touching, and I loved how his situation not only highlighted the struggles of children in that era, but also ways in which those less fortunate children could be helped. Klassen has done her history homework, and I enjoyed learning about various traditions of that time period too. For example, I knew that “12th night”/the 12th Day of Christmas is on January 6th, but I was not aware of the tradition of quickly removing all traces of holiday decor before the stroke of midnight, leading into the 7th. Like the characters in the story, I don’t believe in “bad luck”, but it’s certainly a good habit to establish: cleaning up the holidays well before the end of January!

The romantic aspects of the story were certainly present, but they were not heavy and were very family-friendly. Klassen made a plot choice that I did not expect, which is to her credit. I expected a particular conclusion to the book, and had it gone in that direction I would have been disappointed, honestly. A slight pivot was made near the end which brought about results which were not only more realistic than my imaginings, but were more satisfying as well. As a Christian I also appreciated the themes of redemption and the love of God towards all men, regardless of their pasts.

As the holidays are quite busy for most people, An Ivy Hill Christmas is the perfect read for fans of the series who don’t have copious amounts of time to read a lengthy novel. As many established characters from Ivy Hill are mentioned, in this reader’s opinion it would be best for the series to be read first before jumping into the novella. This will increase your enjoyment of the holiday story.

I also have come up with a reading plan based on the chapters and dates included in the book. If the following sequence is followed, you will be (for the most part) reading the corresponding chapter to the date on the calendar. For example, Christmas Day arrives in Chapter 8 of the story, so that chapter will be read on December 25th. Each day's "assignment" isn't very long, and fits nicely into a busy schedule. Mark your datebooks now! Add the Tales from Ivy Hill series to your TBR list for this year, and get ready for next Christmas. December will return before you know it!

An Ivy Hill Christmas Reading Plan

December 18 - Chapter 1
December 19 - Chapter 2
December 20 - Chapter 3
December 21 - Chapter 4
December 22 - Chapter 5
December 23 - Chapter 6
December 24 - Chapter 7
December 25 - Chapter 8
December 26 - Chapter 9
December 27 - Chapter 10
December 28 - Break/Catch Up
December 29 - Chapter 11
December 30 - Chapter 12
December 31 - Chapter 13
January 1 - Chapter 14
January 2 - Chapter 15
January 3 - Chapter 16
January 4 - Epilogue

An Ivy Hill Christmas was a good novella for the series. I liked getting a little more with these characters/setting. While I didn't love the story, just because I had difficulty getting into the book, I did find the last few chapters to be very good and I liked the book. Overall, if you've enjoyed the previous books in this series I think you'll like this one.  

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

I listened to the audio on SCRIBD and read on my kindle. Elizabeth Jasicki narration was great and brought the characters to life.

I put off reading this novella because, after a few attempts, I couldn't finish the first Ivy Hill book. Initially it was entertaining and then it became a slow sludge for too long and I put it down. However, this book has funny banter and laugh-out-loud moments. It is witty and for a short book the character development is there.

Richard Brockwell the second son who has a unbecoming reputation, aspires to be a published author and who wants nothing more than to continue, in London, being a confirmed bachelor. Arabella Awdry has no plans to ever marry. She hopes to London to work with her Aunt doing the Lords work. She wants to be of service. Did I mention that Richard is selfish and only sees fit to spend his coin of coffee and books?

Arabella and Richard are thrust together by matchmaking. Both will struggle to find forgiveness and discernment to be able to come to terms with what's truly best for their lives together. The christian messages were stated, but not overdone. I enjoyed this story and would highly recommend.

I received an eARC from Bethany House Publishers via Netgalley.

A very smooth, almost slick, somewhat 'perfect' Christmas read...but then again, isn't that we're looking for in a Christmas read?
The characters grated on me at times, and often felt like they'd soon veer into stereotypical and/or caricature versions of themselves. But Ms. Klassen knew how to work that balance just right to not go into extremes at any point, and this contributed to the enjoyment of this tale.
Do not read if you cannot suspend disbelief. But if you're looking for a good time around Christmas in another era, then check this one out

I don’t usually read these types of book – historical Christmas books, but I was intrigued with the blurb and thought I might enjoy it. I loved it! The fact it was a novella was perfect for this busy season; long enough for me to love the characters but short enough it didn’t take months to read with my busy schedule. I loved the interwoven theme of redemption throughout. I enjoyed reading about “Christmas past” and the recipe at the end was icing on the cake. This book reminds me of stories my dad has told me about his childhood Christmas’ and it made me nostalgic.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit but was not under any obligation to write a review. All opinions are strictly mine.

I read this book over Christmas and absolutely loved it! It paints a beautiful picture and is a great, easy winter read.

What a delightful story about a young man coming home to his family and his faith...this one has all the Christmas-story cosy feels that I crave in this sort of book.

It had a slow start but a pleasant love story. It felt very reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice.

If you’re looking for a cosy Christmas story, look no farther!

This short novel is a joy to read. Light-hearted, with touches of humour and regency romance and enough period detail to locate it securely for lovers of Jane Austen and other writers of regency tales, and lovers of period dramas such as Downton Abbey. There are several earlier books from the quintessentially English village of Ivy Hill. I’ve not read any of them but that didn’t prevent me from enjoying this one. Instead it’s made me keen to read those previous books and return again to the Christmas novella in a future December. Julie Klassen is American and there are some tell-tale American spellings in the book but I found them easy to overlook. Highly recommended. My thanks to Net Galley and the author and publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an independent review.

A historical fiction set in London over the Christmas season, what more could you ask for in a holiday read? Julie Klassen is a writer extraordinaire in her relay of the life in Ivy Hill. I love the addition of maps and recipes. It can be a whole experience. I liked the character development throughout and although this is a series they did not have to be read in order to enjoy.

Engaging writing, well-drawn characters and a lovely story. Julie Klassen has an elegant ability to tell a story and insight interest.

An Ivy Hill Christmas is a novella continuing the Tales from Ivy Hill series from Julie Klassen. I was glad to once again enjoy more from this series. This book is about Richard, the wayward son coming home for the Christmas holiday, bringing not only a friend, but his new fury friend as well! It took me a while with Richard, he had such an obnoxious attitude it was difficult to like him at first. But he did grow on me and turned out to be a pleasant character. His trip home turned out to be quite different than what he thought.

I loved the olde fashion Christmas feel of this story, bringing back memories of when I was young. I enjoyed the characters and again Ms. Klassen does a wonderful job of bringing back characters we already know and adding a few more me meet for the first time. Even though this is a shorter story, I enjoyed this one so much, and as always was excited to read more from Julie Klassen. I encourage you to get a copy of this book and enjoy a wonderful and exciting great read for this Christmas time.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

No ties, no responsibility, not a whim of a worry - however, when threatened with losing that carefree life, Richard is quick to do his mother’s bidding.

Reluctantly returning to Ivy Hill for Christmas proves to be quite the opposite of anything he’d imagined.
Delightful, romantic, festive, inspiring. I wanted to be there…I loved it!

Thanks to Bethany House for the read of Julie Klassen’s, An Ivy Hill Christmas.

Opinions expressed are my own.

A lovely Christmas read full of intrigue, drama, and romantic tension! I love the world-building and the secondary characters almost as much as the main storyline. Lots of good secrets in this one!

The first word that comes to mind to describe this story is delightful. Everything about it from the familiar setting to the cast of characters was delightful.

Though the characters, Richard in particular, have to overcome sordid events from their past, they also learn valuable, Biblical lessons that are sure to resonate with the reader.

Readers can read this novel from start to finish (I read the whole story in only a few hours) with the assurance that they are in for a Philippians 4:8 Approved treat!

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8 NIV

Note: Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this wonderful story!

This was Christmas in July for me to read! I have not read any of the earlier books in this series, but I really did enjoyed it .There is plenty of mistletoe and holly, snow and sleigh rides, presents and sweets thrown in. In fact, I literally made myself a cup of hot chocolate, curled up on the couch and got lost in this book in the hot summertime of July! I loved this beautiful story of redemption, charity, and second chances.

This was a really lovely read. I haven’t read any of the other novels in the Ivy Hill series, and didn’t need to to enjoy this, which is something I always appreciate about books in a series.

This book featured a wide range of characters and incorporated many of the customs of regency-England. I really enjoyed meeting all of the characters and involving myself in their Christmas memories.

An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen has the perfect balance of sweet surprises, unexpected romance, and personal growth. Those familiar with the beloved Ivy Hill series will love revisiting them in this perfect nod to a full Dickens type Christmas. Those who are new to Ivy Hill will have no problems jumping right in, this can be read as a stand alone book.

Richard Brockwell has the threat of having his purse strings cut unless he returns home for Christmas. He much prefers his fast pace life in London, but has no choice but to acquiesce to the demand of his mother to come to Ivy Hill. Soon he is reunited with Arabella Awdry who he knew when he was much younger, What ensues is a romance that hits all the Regency bells and whistles, but it is far from a guaranteed happily ever after.

Arabella is an independent young woman, with a kindness an beauty about her. Her lovely gifts are abundant and Richard is a well known rake and not her ideal match, I will not provide a spoiler, but what I will say is pick this book up if you are looking for a bit of whimsy and an education. The descriptions of the Dickens Christmas traditions were simply magical. Klassen opened up her Ivy Hill world yet again and I could not wait to step right in.

This book provides the perfect blend of dramatic interest, amusing hijinks, and pushing away your previously held beliefs. The gyrations between Richard and Arabella will have you rooting that they can find their own happily ever after, but it is far from a sure thing.

I will leave you with this endorsement, you know how when you close a book and you just sigh because it was so satisfying? That is exactly what happened with An Ivy Hill Christmas for me. Klassen has a true gift for writing rich characters tug at your heartstrings, keeping you guessing plus providing you with a huge sense of satisfaction at the conclusion.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.