A Charming Story with a Cozy Setting | Review: The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill

by Julie Klassen

About The Book

The lifeblood of Ivy Hill is its coaching inn, The Bell. When the innkeeper dies suddenly, his genteel wife, Jane Bell, becomes the reluctant landlady. Jane has no idea how to manage a business, but with the town’s livelihood at stake and a large loan due, she must quickly find a way to save the inn.

Despite their strained relationship, Jane turns to her resentful mother-in-law, Thora, for help. Formerly mistress of The Bell, Thora is struggling to overcome her losses and find purpose for the future. As she works with Jane, two men from her past vie for her attention, but Thora has promised herself to never marry again. Will one of them convince her to embrace a second chance at love?

As pressure mounts from the bank, Jane employs new methods, and puzzles over the attention of several men who seem to have vested interest in the place, including a mysterious newcomer with secret plans of his own. With help of friends old and new, can Jane restore life to the inn, and to her empty heart as well?

My Thoughts

While I love reading about grand places like New York City, London, Paris, etc., I also love reading about small villages. Cranford is one of my favorite books ever, and to me The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill had a similar feeling, what with the small country English village setting, and the fact that the cast of characters is made up mostly of women in all age ranges. Yet this novel is different enough from Cranford to make it feel like a fresh story. The characters are diverse, but their stories come together nicely. Even though Thora could be a little harsh at times, I still liked her because she was witty. Jane was a somewhat weak character in the beginning and seemed to let everyone walk over her, but I was glad to see her learn to stick up for herself as the book progressed.

Another thing that I enjoyed about this novel was learning about women’s rights, or the lack thereof, during the early 19^th century. This book gave a unique perspective of what women’s lives were like and how they were treated that I found interesting.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill. Anyone who enjoys books like the classic Cranford will want to read this book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.