Summary: An Ivy Hill Christmas: A Tales from Ivy Hill Novella by Julie Klassen
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.
Will Christmastime in Ivy Hill, with its village charm, kissing boughs, joyous
songs, and divine hope, work its magic in his heart . . . and hers as
well? (from Goodreads).
My review of the historical romance An Ivy Hill Christmas
When Richard Brockwell arrives in Ivy Hill for a Christmas visit, he is unprepared to meet childhood friend Arabella Awdry . She is familiar with his reputation as a rake and a libertine and she avoids him like the plague, while he keeps staying away from all eligible ladies.
An Ivy Hill Christmas is the Christmas historical romance novella by Julie Klassen, published by Bethany House Publishers. The story is set in fictional village Ivy Hill 1822 and we follow younger son Richard Brockwell as he comes to spend Christmas with his family. His mother wants to cut him off financially if he doesn’t make an effort to find a suitable lady to marry. Richard tries to scare off every eligible lady and continue his care-free life in London. His childhood friend Arabella Awdry also has no plans to marry and wants to spend her time doing charity work in London. They come to have a nice and relaxing time together, but Arabella is convinced Richard cannot be trusted.
Main character is budding, yet unpublished author,
Richard Brockwell who seems a seriously shallow and uncharitable man with a bad
reputation in London. I loved to follow his journey as he stayed with family and
friends in Ivy Hill.
Supporting character is bluestocking philanthropist,
Arabella Awdry. She is a strong and independent lady who is seriously
unimpressed by Richard’s behavior around women; but has a secret wish for love
and happiness. I liked her multilayered character a lot and she is my favorite
of this story.
This sweet story was such a pleasure to read. It
gave me all the Christmassy feels with the decorating, carol singing and church
going. Even the rare occasion of snow. I loved how the beautiful book cover also
set the tone of what to expect.
As always I loved Julie Klassen’s signature
writing and the light and amusing dialogue. I particularly enjoyed the mystery
element to do with a secret from Richard’ past.
My favorite part of the story was descriptions
of church on Christmas Day. The part I found less enjoyable was descriptions of
how a printer’s apprentice was treated. But
I felt it made an excellent dramatic element.
When Richard scared Arabella off and she made
her lack of interest in him blathantly clear, they both relaxed more which made
room for feelings to grow. Richard seemed to go through a substantial change
from his self serving life and become more aware of people around him.
This story is recommended for anyone who enjoys historical romance fiction and for fans of Julie Klassen. Similar authors to explore might be Kristi Ann Hunter or Erica Vetsch.
Thank you to publisher House Publishers and NetGalley for this eARC, which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.
Conclusion: This is the entertaining Christmas novella about confirmed bachelor Richard Brockwell who pretends to be a rake and Arabella Awdry who pretends to be a spinster. A satisfying Christmas add-on to the Tales from Ivy Hill series and the perfect read on a quiet afternoon in front of the fire or while on a break from Christmas preparations.
Rating: 5 stars / 5
Main reasons: entertaining Christmassy plot, great characters old and new, signature writing, enjoyable mystery element.
Where to get your copy
Book details
Publication Date : September 1, 2020
Print Length : 212 pages
Publisher : Bethany House Publishers (September 1, 2020)
ASIN : B0821PWW1B
Author
Julie Klassen loves all things Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. She has also won the Minnesota Book Award, the Midwest Book Award, and Christian Retailing's BEST Award. Julie is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota (from Amazon). Visit https://julieklassen.com/ and talesfromivyhill.com for more information.
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