The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill
By Julie Klassen
What friendships await in the quaint and cozy English village of Ivy Hill? What is life like there when all seems lost? Jane Bell is about to find out. When her innkeeper husband dies and leaves her in charge of The Bell, she finds herself stumbling in the business world. How can she run the Inn let alone save it from a loan threatening to foreclose? And then her mother-in-law, Thora Bell, shows up unexpectedly. Will she make matters worse?
As Jane and Thora work through their differences and come up with a plan to save The Bell, they soon find themselves entangled in the lives of the town residents and one mysterious newcomer. Can they restore their empty hearts as well as the dilapidated inn?
The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill is book one in new Tales from Ivy Hill series from author Julie Klassen. This author certainly knows how to spin a tale of delightful portions. This book doesn’t disappoint in regards to her masterful storytelling abilities.

I have to admit though this was not one of my favourites by this author. I found the story hard to grab my attention and somewhat confusing at the beginning. The plot moved slowly.
However, the richness in imagery, dialogue, and characterization certainly held my attention and made me move forward to want to find out what happens. I could picture everything in this quaint little English village of Ivy Hill. It’s a place I’d love to visit!
Each character was well-rounded. I found myself having to warm up to both Jane and Thora as they had their own little quirks, especially Thora. She was downright rude at times. But that is a sign of a great character. You dislike them at one moment and like them the next.
It’s evident this author did her research when it came to the historical aspects of the novel. I loved that. Well done.
All in all, I enjoyed this book as it is very well written.
I give The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill three stars. If you like historical fiction, this is a good one to put on your shelf.
**Book has been provided courtesy of Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. in exchange for my honest review.
Contest!!
I would like to give away my copy of The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill. The contest rules are simple—leave a comment on the blog and you will be entered. Bonus entry– if you leave a comment AND share this post on Facebook you will get two entries (tag me on Facebook or let me know in the comments). Contest closes Saturday, February 25^th at midnight. Enter now! (Open to residents of the USA and Canada only.)