Even though I hadn't read any Ivy Hill books before this book was still a great read with lots of background given. The book had a real feelgood story in it and definitely put me into the Christmas mood. Its a great book to read in arm chair by a roaring fire with a cup of tea or something stronger. I will definitely be reading more Ivy Hill books in the future.

A charming Christmastime tale that brings the seasonal traditions of yesteryear to life.

Richard Brockwell returns to Ivy Hill for Christmas, after living much his life away from his ancestral home, instead spending his time in London unencumbered by the familiarity of life in the country. This is a heartwarming Christmas time read, as we revisit familiar faces, and get to know many new ones as well.

This is a heartwarming read with plenty of wonderfully interconnecting subplots and characters, Jamie and Wally are some of my favorites. I loved how Jamie doesn't complain even though he would have reason too, and yet brings joy wherever he goes.

A cozy, heartwarming read, that feels like visiting friends and family for the holiday. I loved learning about the Christmas traditions of the Regency era, many of which were new to me. I loved how the characters grew over the course of the book finding a home for their hearts. Highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Synopsis: This book is set in the Regency period at Ivy Hill. Richard is a determined bachelor with a heart of selfishness and a brain prone to excess. He is forced into accepting his mothers invitation home for Christmas due to her denial of funds until he returns. When he returns home, He crosses paths with new and old friends of his home town that serve to change his attitude and life. He must decide what he wants to do with his life, does he continue down the path of bachelorhood or except his future with another?
 
I enjoyed the almost kisses, fun service projects, and the quick change that Richard makes to becoming a better man. It was super fun to see that the lead female character, Arabella, was also allowed to choose her own path in life, and understand what her true purpose was prior to resolving to what she truly wanted. I did not love that the book ended with no clear resolution, and the epilogue was a rushed 1 year of time that gave a very quick and brief resolution. I would have preferred a resolution prior to the Epilogue. My favorite scene was when they went on a sleigh ride, and ended up sliding off the road. I loved seeing that Richard could be kind, caring, and see beyond his own temporal needs.
 
Overall this book was enjoyable, and definitely got me into the Christmas spirit. This is my first book to read by Julie Klaussen, and I would likely read another book by her in the future.
 
A special thank you to Bethany House Publishers and Julie Klaussen for the digital ARC provided by Netgalley. All opinions are my own and in no way biased.
 
Publisher: Bethany House Publishing
Author: Julie Klaussen
Rating: 3.5/5

He is small but ever so brave. - Richard when thinking of Jamie

What an incredible introduction to Ivy Hill! I most certainly will be looking for the rest of the story as they say. Richard Brockwell appears to be a self-centered, rather spoiled young man that has nothing positive to show, except that novel he has written that is regularly refused and returned by publishers. Since his return to Ivy Hill for Christmas is required, he decides long before to be less than amiable with the other guests. Interesting how things can change...

Is it fate or God that young Jamie has ties to a charity that Richard refuses to donate to? Can Richard change his ways and become a self-respecting person, one that others would seek to spend time with? The author uses rich detail to take the reader out into the snowy weather and on walks through the woods. You can almost smell the trees, hear the fire crackling and the snow squeaking as you read. I look forward to learning more about this family.

This ARC was received through Baker Publishing Group, Bethany House Publishers, NetGalley and CelebrateLit. The comments and impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.

What a delightful trip back to the little village of Ivy Hill! It was nice to catch up with the familiar characters and meet some new people as well. It's a novella so it's the perfect size for a cozy evening read.

Delightful!

A hero who is a bit of a Scrooge and a heroine who brings “freshness” to the spunky-heroine trope. How can this not be the perfect Christmas story?

Richard Brockwell is happy to never get married. Happy to be known as a rake. Happy to not be the heir. Most of all, happy to never set foot in his country estate again where his demons are sure to haunt him. But when his mother threatens to take away the money that secured his happiness, he makes the sacrifice to go home.

Unexpected does not begin to describe what this holiday season will turn out to be to Richard. Not considering all the feelings and, *gasp*, self-evaluation he will start making. Feelings not only related to a certain lovely lady, but also a tiny tickle called compassion — which is said to bite you and never let you be the same again 😉

Julie Klassen is a gifted storyteller, and it did not take many pages for me to be swept into the holiday cheer of Regency England in this novella. I liked the characters a lot, especially Arabella, (and, yes, eventually even Richard) and was impressed with their development and growth in the short novella. I enjoy stories where characters have a background as friends first and really enjoyed their interactions. I like the historical aspect of the story and the descriptions of Regency-era Christmas traditions. There is good integration of second chances and forgiveness as well. You do not need to read the entire Ivy Hill series to enjoy this novella but you will definitely encounter familiar characters by reading the rest of the series. I really liked reading this novella and highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary ecopy of this book from Celebrate Lit Tours. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was an enjoyable read. I hadn’t read any of the previous titles in this series but this didn’t affect my enjoyment. Richard, the younger son, has reluctantly come home for Christmas. He is a bit short on money and is trying to get his first novel published. Richard enjoys his bachelor life and has quite a reputation with the ladies. He is also self-centred. His mother wants him to marry, now that he has reached thirty and has invited an eligible lady as one of the guests to a house party. During this time, Richard hears some home truths about himself and this gets him considering his actions but will this be enough to change his ways and will he be above to prove himself worthy of his lady of choice. There were some interesting Christmas customs in this story. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Get into Christmas with this Novella by Julie Klassen. So many things I could say about this book. It will give your heart many feelings as you read it and leave you with a smile. I actually have not read the three Ivy Hill books. I didn’t feel like I was out of the loop on anything. However, I do look forward to searching them out very soon!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

Love, love Julie Klassen!! So I was super excited to be part of this tour. This is actually my first visit to Ivy Hill but it definitely won't be my last. I need to go back and catch up on the rest of the series as I am sure I would of gotten much more out of this one but that being said I felt like I followed along pretty well. I was enthralled with this story and definitely puts you into a Christmas mood.

In this story we meet Richard comes home reluctantly and is faced with his past. He has a great deal of hurts that drives his behavior. He also has a lot of unresolved guilt that he is dealing with and we see that through a good chunk of the story. Arabella is the love interest that at first glance seems to have it all together but she is just protecting her heart and doesn't want to get hurt.

There are a few romances going on which was like the cherry on top to this story! I absolutely loved all of the happiness going around.

Klassen does a phenomenal job as always! This story reminded me a little bit of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. It's full of charity, care and most importantly redemption. The need to forgive so healing can come forth. Beautifully written and highly recommended especially if you are a fan of historical fiction!

A little bit Mr. Darcy, a little bit Scrooge, but with a way bigger philanthropic heart is the main character of this book. A Lizzie Bennett-like rich girl named Arabella he's determined not to like and young widow Susanna-from his soiled path both show up on Richard's reluctant visit home to Ivy Hill for the holidays. He now has some choices to make.
If you're looking for a simple, sweet, Christmas story set in a perfect English 1800s countryside then this is your choice.

Thank you netgalley for the copy of this lovely book.

An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen is a delightful Christmas read. I loved every minute spent in this story. The pacing is perfect. The plot is highly engaging — so much so I could not put this book down. The characters are lovely. They are unique, endearing, and very, very memorable. I enjoyed following Richard as he navigates being with his family, dealing with his past, and reconciling his future. I also really enjoyed the sweet romances. They left me smiling from ear to ear. My most favorite aspect though is the witty dialogue. This story had me chuckling often because the subtle verbal jabs and the imagery conveyed through the diction is just excellent. An Ivy Hill Christmas is a joy to read and I’m so glad I took the time to escape into this story!

Richard’s character really pulled at my heartstrings. He hasn’t been the rake he once was for a very long time, but his reputation won’t stop preceding him. Everyone keeps treating him as he once was, refusing to believe or acknowledge that he is a changed man. Several times in this story a character will say something like, “I know who you [Richard] are … you are X.” But they say this after he just showed them he is no longer X anymore. It was so frustrating to me. No wonder Richard believes he is never deserving of forgiveness — no one ever lets anything go! It doesn’t help that Richard hides behind sarcasm and dry wit, but still, give the guy a break already. I thoroughly enjoyed Richard and Arabella’s journey to romance, but often she is the worst offender. She constantly judges Richard by what she thinks she knows even though his actions prove otherwise. There is a really good reality check in all this for me. Am I judging a loved one in my life by his or her past? Am I so comfortable keeping that person trapped in the persona they used to have I refuse to see the progress they’ve made even when it’s right in front of my face? And, worse of all, am I the reason why someone believes he/she can’t ever be forgiven for a past deed? This is some serious food for thought!

An Ivy Hill Christmas is a wonderful read. I truly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it. If you are a fan of Christmas lit, Historical Romances, or just plain superior storytelling, then this is the book for you!

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the author, Julie Klassen, via Celebrate Lit and NetGalley. I also purchased a copy of this story in eBook form from Amazon.com on September 8, 2020, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Readers travel back to Ivy Hill in Klassen’s newest novella. Richard Brockwell begins the story with a self-centered attitude, who is happy to live his life as a bachelor. As he dreads spending his Christmas at his family’s home, he finds a change of heart. His paths cross with a young apprentice, an old family friend, and a young lady who has decided that she will never marry. These events combine to start a change in his view of life as well as his heart.

As many books that Klassen writes, I enjoyed the interactions between the character. It seems natural and realistic. The story was heartwarming and enjoyable for Christmas. I especially enjoyed watching Richard move the past and turn towards the future. The scenarios were convincing, and I found myself intrigued what would happen next.

My only complaint was that was a novella when we love and long for novels from Julie Klassen. I look forward to reading more books by her. If you haven’t read other books in the Tales of Ivy Hill series, this book could be read as a stand alone.

I would recommend reading this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review.

I've fallen for Ivy Hill in so many ways. This shorter book is so good! Richard is forced to come home, for Christmas. It's not where he wants to be, and if his mother weren't exerting so much pressure, he wouldn't have come back at all. He hadn't planned on an amazing dog, a little boy, and a stunning woman. In the mayhem of Richard's forced return and a beautifully told story, we also find the plan of Salvation, without it being pushed or forced, and watch a cold, hard heart change. 1822 has never been so interesting or amazing as in this book. I'm now more attached to Ivy Hill than ever before.

Thank you so much, Celebrate Lit, for my copy of this book. This review is my own, left freely.

I had a hard time getting into this book. The romance seems to be an afterthought. I later realized this was a Christian author, which explains all the mentions of God but even knowing that the book was a hard to get through.

Coerced home from London during the Christmas season by his mother, Richard Brockwell is focused on staying away from any marriageable young ladies and returning to London as soon as he can. But his time at home brings up a lot of regrets and bad memories from his past, places a needy orphan in his path, and taunts him with a young woman who wants to be paired with him even less than he wants to be paired with her. That woman is Arabella Awdry, who is determined to forgo romance for a life of helping the less fortunate. Besides that, she knows all too well what sort of man Richard Brockwell is, and it isn't the sort of man she wants anything to do with.

I saw this book here and there over the last month or so, passing it by for various reasons. Then I read another book by Julie Klassen recently and loved it, so as soon as I realized this was by the same author, I immediately added it to my Christmas-season reading list. I'm so glad I did! Though I haven't read any of the other Ivy Hill books, and I could see that some characters were part of a larger story, I didn't have any issues reading this. And it hit so many sweet spots for me. I loved the characters, that the romance was just one part of the story, that some common tropes of the genre were avoided.

I really liked Arabella early in the story; she endeared herself to me as soon as she put Richard in his place for his rudeness regarding her family. Richard was flawed in such a real way, and I think the author did a great job with his backstory. I'll admit that Arabella's stubbornness wore on me a bit by the end, but not as a flaw in the book, because it didn't feel forced or unrealistic.

A Christmas romance is even more likely to feel contrived than any other romance story, at least in my experience, but I loved the fact that it wasn't the only purpose of the story at all. There was a lot going on, especially for Richard, and the ending didn't feel too easy or frivolous. Everything had to really be worked for. Though when I reached the end of the book with only the epilogue left, my heart almost stopped. I am not sure that was the best pacing idea. But it's a minor complaint, really (not saying more to avoid spoilers).

Overall, I found this short novel to be refreshing and liked how, though some of the same types of silly parlor games were played as I've started to get used to in other novels of the same genre, they weren't so groan-inducing in this story as I've come to expect. I loved it, and if you've seen many of my reviews, you might know that I don't give 5 stars very often, so let that tell you something. I definitely recommend this book for any fans of Christian historical romance, especially if you're looking for a warm Christmas read. I'm definitely adding the Tales from Ivy Hill books to my reading list now!

An ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen

Richard Brockworth appears to be a bit of a wastrel second son but he is secretly trying to a published author and is troubled by his past. He is forced by his mother to return to the family seat for Christmas or all his funds will be cut off. Whilst there his life starts when he revisited his past almost like the spirit of Christmas past. Whilst there he is reacquainted with Miss Arabella Awdry who is quite taken with him but thinks the worst of him due to their past experiences.

This is a beautiful novella.

The story shows all is not always as it seems and people change. Beautiful a lovely afternoon curled up in front of the fire read. A warm fuzzy feeling book.

The true character of a man

It has been some time since I last read a Julie Klassen book, and I was swiftly reminded why I once enjoyed her work. Her storytelling is engaging and thoughtful. An Ivy Hill Christmas was just that with a sprinkle of a Dickens A Christmas Carol, sans the ghosts.

A spoiled son returns home for Christmas but is faced with his past and all the perceived ideas about his life. Those events shaped how he chose to live his life, but people help shed light on those moments(his ghosts). He soon lets his guard down and we begin to see the true character of the man and hope is restored. At least it was for me.

His story could also be your story. How many times do we believe something is true only based on what we see but have never taken the time to ask questions? What about those times that we hold a grudge because someone did something to a friend or loved one? This is why it is pivotal to wait, ask, and then pray before we start making judgments on others. This is what we are commanded to do as Believers—lay our cares at Christ’s feet.

**I was given a copy of this book from the publisher through CelebrateLit. The views expressed are my own and a positive review is not required.

Historical romance set in Christmas time makes for a truly enjoyable read curled up with a cup of tea and a crackling fire. Well written and emotion evoking read that will transport the reader to another place and time.

An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen takes place in England in 1822. Richard has gone home for Christmas to learn the home he has been living in is being sold and his mother is encouraging him to rekindle his relationship with Arabella. Richard has secrets he has been hiding from his family that come out while he is visiting that affect his future.

This is a fun to read story full of family drama and love. I enjoyed reading this story. It is well written with strong characters. This is a good story of seeking forgiveness and second chances. Through Richard’s caring for his friend and the little servant boy, this story shows that people are not always what they appear to be.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from CelebrateLit through NetGalley, this is my honest review.