This was a delightful historical fiction novel. It kind of felt like a Jane Austen book. I really like the writing, it flowed very smoothly and was easy to read. The story was nice and heartwarming, the characters were great. There was good advice and lessons in this book as well. The author has done an amazing job with the research of this time period and with bringing the Christmas spirit to readers.

How about a visit to Ivy Hill during Christmas? What could be better than a visit to a small English village during this special time of year? Most people would love this trip but Richard Brockwell is there only because his mother has demanded that he come home. Richard's life in Ivy Hill hasn't always been pleasant so you can bet that he plans to return to London as soon as possible but then....he meets Arabella Awdry and his perspective changes. Her physical beauty catches his eye but it is her beautiful nature that keeps him entranced. As Richard observes her desire to help others, he realizes that his life in London has been very self-serving and he also recognizes that he's built a wall around his heart. Will Richard quickly return to his old life in London? Should he give life in Ivy Hill another chance?

I loved seeing the interaction between Richard and Arabella. She certainly wasn't afraid to set him in his place but she also willingly shared her faith and love for God. It was also obvious that they were feeling a special connection but is intense chemistry enough in developing a deeper relationship?

An Ivy Hill Christmas is a delightful Christmas novella set during the Regency era and Klassen gives us all of the joys and 'feel-goods' of this special time of year, including Christmas caroling, mistletoe, kissing boughs, and giving baskets to those who are less fortunate. She also reminds us that forgiveness is the greatest gift that we can give or receive and God's love and grace are available for all!

This is a wonderful story and I recommend it to all who enjoy Christmas stories and Christian Regency fiction.

I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. A favorable review wasn't required and no monetary compensation was given. These are my own thoughts.

Full of festive spirit, Such a lovely read, certainly gets you in the mood for Christmas. It is part of the Tales From Ivy Hill series but I have not read these and this is fine as a stand alone. Likeable characters and lovely settings with a bit of mystery and intrigue thrown in.

Classic Julie Klassen. Another masterpiece in this wonderful series. Beautifully written. Excellent character development. And a very satisfying story line. A must read. Five stars.

I really enjoyed this historical romance. Richard is not a man that Arabella believes she wants to associated with. His mother has summoned him home and threatened to cut him off. I love the settings the author described. It made me feel ready for Christmas.

Though they were childhood friends, Arabella doesn't trust Richard. He isn't looking for anything serious and she just wants to work on her charities. I loved the way the story unfolded, and how endearing the characters were. I just loved the book.

It was a 5/5 for me.

Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book via Celebrate Lit. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

I LOVED how Richard and Arabella's relationship changed over the course of the book. It's probably my favorite romance troupe, and Klassen did a phenomenal job with their interactions, their annoyance with each other, and slowly overtime a fondness for one another. And while this is technically considered a Christmas romance, I really do think it could be for any time of year!

This book was so much more than romance though. Klassen weaves such wonderful lesson throughout the pages, and that ending!! It was not the ending I was expecting (before the prologue anyways), and I have to say I rather enjoyed it. I won't put any spoilers of course, but I'd really love to hear what others thought of it. :)

All in all, this is a well written historic romance that will transport readers with descriptive words and engaging characters. Highly recommend adding this to your Christmas reading list!! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Having read the other Ivy Hill books in the series I was happy to receive this festive offering .
Richard Brockwell is persuaded by his mother to return home for the Christmas holidays or he will forfit the expensive lifestyle he is accustomed to in London..
At the beginning of the book he is not especially likeable , he is spoilt,arrogant and extremely selfish. He redeems himself throughout the story though , with his kindness and thoughtfulness to a young apprentice boy he befriends .
He finds himself attracted by an unlikely , unforseen beauty at his mother's house party .the two make an unlikely couple but slowly become friendly as their attraction grows .
It took me a while to get into the book , I didn't really like Richard to begin with and struggled , I'm glad I persevered as it got better the longer I read.

It is the book I needed to read. The story takes place in London during the second half of the XIX century. Richard Brockwell is the young son of the most prominent Ivy Hill family. He hasn't spent Christmas at home in years. He prefers to live in the city away from Brockwell Court. However, his mother threatens to stop his financial support, as she considers his life to be very irresponsible. Not having many options, Richard returns home with the plan to stay not long. Although spending Christmas in the country might bring many surprises. I liked this story because of Richard's personality. A young man who seemed very lively and full of ambitions. The story has romance, and I love that because it makes it more entertaining. The author made me feel joy and with a desire to spend Christmas in England someday. I thank NetGalley, Bethany House, and Bethany House Publishers, for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

A pleasant, gentle read set in days gone by. Big houses, servants, nobility and generosity and a big punch of romance. Lovely writing style and characters with depth. Enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley

I chose to read this book, because i love a good christmas feeling book and, the cover just sucked me right in.

I have not read any of this author before and certainly have not visited Ivy Hill, even though after some internet searches, realsise that i have 3 books to read previous to this one.

I did enjoy this book and loved meeting Richard Brockwell for the first time, whom we find out, has not been home for some time for Christmas..

He is pompus and a bit of a ladies man, i think libertine is more of a phrase i would use for him.
I really enjoyed reading this especially as he sees his old crush and friend, she clearly wants nothing to do with him and i loved reading that.

I did love the Christmassy of this book, with the snow and the holly and the mistletoe.
I surely want to read the other books now, so thank you for giving me the chance to read this.

What a delightful read. I loved the characters in this book and was following their development with interest. The story was very well written and I was truly enjoying it!

Thank you, Bethany House, Julie Klassen, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

It is wonderful to go to Ivyhill! An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen readers are reunited with the community of Ivyhill, Jane, Mercy, and Rachel to name a few. This installment introduces Richard Brockwell who distances himself from his family. He stays in London, working on his novel, but finances send him home for the Christmas season. He doesn’t have fond memories of his family home and this time his mother and her friend are determined to set him up with Arabella Awdry. Arabella has zero intentions of getting married, especially to a man like Richard. There are rumors that surround him and why does he always talking to the nursemaid? However, Christmas has a way of miracles and sparking love in the most unusual places.

This was my frist Julie Klassen book and therefore I was unable to make the connections to previous characters. I wonder if I will understand more of the plot or fine details once I read more of Julie's books. Although I have read that Richard is not a frequent character in the previous books, it is mentioned why he has difficulty going home. It is pretty obvious from the beginning that his rude and arrogant personality is just a way to push everyone away. It is a little predictable how the plot is set up but that doesn’t make it any less touching.

My favorite aspect is Richard returning to his “adoptive” family. He regrets that he left and forgot about them. Seeing their home falling apart, he does everything he can to help them. As with any Christmas story, forgiveness plays a huge part in the plot. This one is inspiring and filled with hope. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars! (less)

Klassen has written an appealing Christmas novella that might be the best of the Ivy Hill series. There is a well-rounded cast of characters. And I liked the way the characters grew and developed new awareness over time. The plot was woven with subplots and came to a satisfying conclusion. A thoughtful well done historical romance.

This was a great addition to the Ivy Hill series. It was also a very great Christmas read! I love the way Julie Klassen writes. She has a way with word that just pulls you in.!
This is a clean regency romance!

Synopsis:
Richard Brockwell, the younger son of Ivy Hill's most prominent family, hasn't been home for Christmas in years. He prefers to live in the London townhouse, far away from Brockwell Court, the old family secret that haunts him, and the shadows of his past mistakes. But then his mother threatens to stop funding his carefree life--unless he comes home for Christmas. Out of options, he sets out for Ivy Hill, planning to be back on a coach bound for London and his unencumbered bachelor life as soon as the festivities are over.

But Christmas in the country presents unforeseen surprises, including encounters with an orphaned apprentice, the first love he disappointed years ago, and Arabella Awdry, a young lady who is far more appealing than he recalled . . . and determined to have nothing to do with him.

I love the books written by Julie Klassen. "An Ivy Hill Christmas" is a hit. Especially as you very seldom read where the hero is careless and only goes home for Christmas to see what he can get from his family. But as he is reacquainted with a former fried and he begins to see life as it should be for a grown man. The heroine Arabella, a orphan and who has a history with Richard, they thought they were in love. Richard destroys that and discovers the truth about himself and the changes that need to occur. Arabella just wants him to go his own way. Can they meet in the middle? READ THE BOOK!

An Ivy Hill Christmas is a novella included as part of the Tales from Ivy Hill series by Julie Klassen. While I had a hard time liking Richard Brockwell for the first part of the book, he slowly redeemed himself through his actions later on. I found myself wondering if someone could change their nature that way, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Arabella Awdry, on the other hand, seemed to be generous and charitable from the start. It was interesting to see their relationship change and grow.
I thought the epilogue was a little strange and that it would have been better to include it in the main part of the book instead. 3.5 stars

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a nice, sweet, quick read. For a shorter piece, I was surprised at the depth of character development. I liked all of the likeable characters and was eager to find out how the author ended the story. No huge surprises, but well done.

If you are looking for a sweet story to prolong the Christmas spirit (or get it kickstarted early), then this book is the one for you.

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen is a wonderful read for the Christmas season. I am a huge fan of this author and everything that I read is perfect. If you have read any of the other Tales of Ivy Hill books you will see some familiar characters. I enjoyed catching up with them and diving deeper into some new ones. Richard Brockwell has been living apart from his family for some time now. However in 1822 his mother has summoned him home. If he does not come, he will be cut off from the family fortune. Richard has been a careless playboy answering to noone. He kind of reminded me of Scrooge with his heart so cold. During his journey there are a few things that can possibly melt the stone cod heart. Those things are: a dog, a boy, and a beautiful woman. Now I can't give that much information on these three items - because it will spoil the story. I can say that each are SO important to the overall book.
This book hit me in all the feels. I have struggled with family forgiveness and with as chaotic as this year has been - family is everything. This book is a story of redemption, second chances, forgiveness, romance and family. I learned a lot about Christmas in the 1800's thanks to the authors amazing research. She really knows this fascinating time period.

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit Blogging program - all thoughts are my own

I wanted to like this -I was so excited for it, actually, but it just fell so fast, I couldn't;t engage with any of the characters at all. A miss for me,

An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen is a well written historical romance. I enjoyed all of the 19th Century England Christmas traditions explained so eloquently. From the clothing to the food, decorations to games, there is much to learn and enjoy. Learning to believe in the Lord’s forgiveness and acceptance was beautifully shared in this story. Family relationships are another subplot which brought another interesting twist to this story. Romance multiplied as young men and women found true love. Christmas is a time for giving. This story shares there are many different ways to give in order to improve another’s situation. I would recommend this book for those that enjoy Christmas stories, historical fiction, inspirational fiction and romance. This book is worth the read.

This book was provided through Celebrate Lit and the author for me to read. The opinions expressed are my own thoughts. #NetGalley