The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen

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The LADIES OF IVY COTTAGE by Julie Klassen Julie Klassen is becoming one of my favorite authors. It's not that she writes super inspiring, challenging books, but she writes big fat books about the 1800's or so. These books are not filled with romance and gibberish and they are not all about wealthy people having everything and wanting more. In fact, the few books of hers that I have read are more the opposite. The wealthy have become poor. Yes, there is romance in them, but it seems to me to be a bit more on the mature side, a well thought through plot.

This book is no exception. It's the second in the Tales from Ivy Hill Series and just as good as I remember the first one to be. My biggest complaint with reviewing books is I get the series so spread out that I forget what the first one was all about by the time the next one comes out. I know, it's such a hard problem to have!!

The main characters in the story are three ladies who are friends making a living in an era where the well-to-do would have looked down on that idea. Two of them at least had come from the wealthy side of life. One had stepped down of her own choosing to marry and the other had been dropped down by her father losing his money. There is, of course, plenty of suitors to go around, but as I said, that part, to me at least, was not super sappy and immature.

One inspiring thing about the book was the kindness shown to other down and outers and even to the wealthy. A terrible secret was revealed about the late magistrate, but nothing but kindness and compassion was shown to his family and to the other involved party, even though they appeared to be from opposite ends of the spectrum. Another thing was the girls' school opened for those who were less fortunate, another noble, though not common thing in those days, at least as I would understand it.

I just enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the next one in the series. There had better be a next one because there were a lot of unanswered scenarios in this book.

I received this book from Bethany House and was not required to write a positive review.

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